Chapter 62: Mountain, Sea Iv: Wind Fox (1/2)
When Master received the bank card with 100,000 RMB in it, his face split into a grin so wide it almost reached his ears.
He verified the whole story over and over again before he finally asked, ”How did you know that the rings are actually worms?”
After a short pause, I scratched my head and answered, ”I saw it wiggle a little when I was in Tao Tie's stomach.
As an experienced man who'd seen much of the world, he simply nodded and allowed Senior and I to leave.
Just like that, our problems came to an end and we never stopped operating our recycling station.
Whenever I see strange gadgets, I would be reminded of the old man in Tao Tie's stomach.
I would then paste a note on the unfamiliar gadgets, informing the old man how to use them, in hopes that he wouldn't feel bored inside.
Half a month later, on a bright morning, Senior knocked on my door frantically. He shouted, ”It's bad, Goudan!”
Startled, I jumped off my bed and wondered if someone's belonging had fallen into Tao Tie's stomach again.
I hurriedly opened the door and saw Senior pointing outside. ”People. So many of them!”
”What happened?”
”They're all looking for you to have their Feng Shuis read. Master's having difficulty holding them back. They're all calling you the Feng Shui Master,” he explained anxiously.
”Feng Shui? Master?” I blurted out incredulously.
I quickly got dressed and rushed to the main hall. I looked out of the main gate and was stupefied at how many cars were parked along the streets.
Jaguar, Bentley, Rolls-Royce...
All kinds of luxurious cars, black in color, filled the pitiful looking streets.
Senior nudged my shoulder, snapping me out of my daze.
I turned around and walked toward the main hall filled with people in western suits and leather shoes.
As soon as they saw me, they started, ”This must be the Master that Old Jin was talking about right?”
”Isn't he too young to be a Master? Seems unreliable.”
”How dare you doubt the Master? Don't you know that Old Jin had recently acc.u.mulated half a year's profit in a month? It's all thanks to this Master's Feng Shui readings. You mustn't question his abilities.”
I could vaguely hear their conversations.
Old Jin?
I immediately thought of the gold shop owner, Old Chen.
Feng Shui readings? Master?
I started to understand what was going on.
Master walked over to my side and laughed. ”What Feng Shui arrangements did you make for Old Chen, my dear disciple? Was it really that accurate?”
I answered helplessly, ”Only the two that you taught me!”
”Which two?” he asked, confused.
”He's working with gold right? Since earth produces gold, I simply placed a stone tablet on the soil outside his door. And since gold subdues wood, I had him pull all the ivy on the wall onto the ground. Suppress earth to retain gold, spread wood to strengthen gold,” I described briefly.
”Wow, Goudan! How am I not aware that you actually pay attention to my lessons? It seems like you're pretty talented in reading Feng Shui,” Master said.
”What should we do about these people, Master?” I asked.
”What do you mean what should we do? They've all come for you!” he exclaimed, pressing down on my shoulder.
I let out a helpless laugh. ”It's okay if I help a few, but if I were to advise all of them, wouldn't my inadequacy be exposed? I really don't know much and you know that! Are you sure we shouldn't reconsider this?”
Master nodded while stroking his whiskers. ”You know what, that actually makes sense, Goudan. Okay. I'll send them away first as this business must be done slowly. We'll do bidding, alright? The highest bidder will get a reading...”
I heaved a sigh and immediately went to hide behind the hall.
”Where's your disciple, Priest?”
”He was just here a moment ago.”
”I'll offer 40,000 for a reading!”
”40,000? Stop messing around, Fatty. I'll pay 80,000!”
”80,000? Perhaps all of you are unaware but Old Jin spent over 100,000 to get Master's advice. Aren't you guys insulting him by offering such prices?”
I started to sweat. Master was a greedy man and I knew that he was going to come up with a terrible plan.
Taking in their discussions, Master raised his eyebrows and gave a cold smile. ”Reading Feng Shui is akin to divulging the will of heaven. It's magic and my disciple has limited powers. As such, only the highest bidder will receive advice. Come back for the bid tomorrow noon, alright?”
”Bid?”
”Why are you doing this, Priest?”
”We've made a wasted trip, then?”
Master kept his hands behind his back and smiled serenely as he said, ”Once a month, with a minimum bid of 10,000 and a 5,000 increase. Come back tomorrow noon. Thanks for coming today. It truly is an honor. Dadan, see them out.”
Senior Chen Dadan nodded and walked over to the center of the hall. ”Please return and visit tomorrow, sirs and madams.”
The frustrated crowd slowly dispersed, groans filling the hall as people made their exits.
The next noon, the number of visitors doubled.
Rows of visitors filled the hall.
Master told me to don a yellow Daoist robe and sit right in the middle.
All benches in the temple had been brought inside the hall but they were still barely enough to accommodate everyone.
Master did, however, prepare 50 wooden tablets beforehand and wrote numbers on them.
He even prepared additional ten tablets just before noon.
There were about roughly 63 people who came.
It seemed as though all the reputable and wealthy merchants in the area came looking for me.
Master couldn't contain his grin. He cleared his throat loudly to get everyone's attention before announcing, ”The Art of Feng Shui. The first auction starts now, with 10,000 as the minimum bid.”
Tablets were raised into the air, one after another.
Master announced eagerly, ”Number 4, 15,000.”
”17, 20,000.”
”60, 25,000.”
”34, 150,000.”
”18, 155,000.”
Master's voice was trembling by now, his excitement obvious.
Just then, number 42 stood up with his tablet raised and declared, ”500,000.”
The crowd fell silent in an instant.
There was a short pause before everyone started whispering among themselves.
”Is this little master really worth 500,000?”
”What if this is all Old Jin's set up?”
”But he did make significant profits this month!”
”Could be sheer luck. This price just doesn't seem right.”
”Do you know that guy?”
”Isn't he the unlucky guy, Zhao Bayi? His wife and children have all gone berserk.”
”This auction happens monthly right? Let's just give it to him. If even this unfortunate man's luck turns for the better, there's no reason for us to doubt this master's ways.”
Some bidders got up and left the hall, the rest following suit shortly after.
Seeing that no one was interested in increasing their bids anymore, Master quickly stuttered, ”500,000, going once, going twice... sold!”
Master had mixed emotions at this point.
He was happy with the money, of course, but he was also thinking about the possibility of the inaccuracies in my reading. If my work turned out to be a sham, this auction would be the first and the last.
The owner of tablet number 42 walked over to the middle of the hall that was now more or less empty.