Chapter Thirty-Five: Masters Gather

When I got home, I collapsed onto the sofa. My master went upstairs alone. After a while, I heard a clattering noise from above. I sat up, puzzled, and looked toward the upper floor. Then I heard my master call out, “Kid, come up and give me a hand!”

I went to his room, still baffled, and upon opening the door, saw my master dragging several large boxes out. I asked, “Master, what are you doing?”

“Stop talking and come help,” he replied.

I hurried over, and together we hefted three big boxes up to the storage room on the third floor. Breathing heavily, I asked, “Master, what’s in here? They're so heavy.”

“Just some useless junk. Leave them here.”

Thud, thud, thud—just as his words fell, there was a knock at the door. My master gestured to me. I went downstairs and, to my surprise, found a familiar face—Zhong Ming!

I opened the door and asked, “Uncle Zhong, what brings you here?”

Zhong Ming glanced inside and replied, “Oh, I was just passing by and thought I’d drop in.”

I nodded, then realized my manners, “Come in, please. Take a seat.”

I ushered him in and called upstairs, “Master! We have a guest!”

A moment later, my master came down, surprised to see Zhong Ming. He brushed the dust off himself and said, “Ah, Zhong Ming, have a seat. Xiao Xuan, go make some tea.”

I agreed and went to prepare tea, listening to their conversation.

“This is the payment for the commission Lin Xuan helped me with last time. Please count it,” I heard Zhong Ming say.

Peeking out, I saw Zhong Ming take out a thick wad of cash. My master accepted it without counting and smiled, “What brings you to our humble home today?”

Zhong Ming smiled back, “I was just passing by, so I thought I’d stop in and hand over the commission fee. Brother Tan, how have you been lately?”

“Quite well, thanks to you,” my master replied with a hearty laugh.

Once the tea was ready, I brought out a pot and two cups. Zhong Ming received them with a cheerful grin. He said to my master, “Brother Tan, your disciple is quite something—can catch ghosts, drive away evil, and is handy in the kitchen as well. A real talent.”

My master laughed, “You flatter him. My disciple only excels at eating.”

They both shared a laugh. Then Zhong Ming continued, “Actually, there’s another matter I’d like to trouble you with today, Brother Tan.”

My master paused, puzzled, “What is it? Don’t hesitate to ask.”

Zhong Ming nodded, “Then I’ll just say it outright. I recently took on a construction project that’s about to begin, and I was hoping you could come check the feng shui and point out anything important. After what happened last time, I’m worried something else might go wrong.”

My master was taken aback, then smiled. “So that’s all? That’s simple enough.”

Sitting nearby, I immediately thought of slipping away. But as soon as I stood, my master called out, “How about this—Xiao Xuan, you go help your Uncle Zhong take a look. As for payment, forget it.”

I gave my master a look of resignation and nodded. After chatting a bit more, Zhong Ming left with his wallet, and I followed him to his construction site. After getting out of the car, I circled the site and called Zhong Ming over. “Uncle Zhong, the feng shui here is pretty good, except there’s a problem in the southwest corner.”

Zhong Ming was startled. “Southwest corner? What’s wrong with it?”

I led him over and explained, “Feng shui values the gathering of wind and energy, with harmony between heaven and earth. If energy flows out too easily, the site loses its fortune. This piece of land is actually auspicious and would bring prosperity to any business. But look here—even though it seems intact, anyone with some knowledge would spot the issue. The southwest corner harbors yin energy—it’s a passageway for negative qi. If this area becomes a residential community or mall, the clash between yang and yin energy could make this place unlucky. At best, it could cause financial loss or injury; at worst, it could even cost lives.”

Zhong Ming frowned. “Is there a way to fix it, Xiao Xuan? I took on this building to open a hotel. If something goes wrong, I’ll be ruined.”

I straightened up, thinking hard. Suddenly, I remembered a formation my master once taught me—the Diamond Wall. It’s not common but quite effective at blocking negative energy from below and beyond. As for the exact method, I actually know it.

With that in mind, I turned to Zhong Ming. “Uncle Zhong, I’ll need you to run an errand.”

Zhong Ming looked at me, puzzled. I continued, “Buy a string of old copper coins—the older, the better. The more, the merrier. Also, get some yellow paper, a red pen, and black ink. That’s all.”

Zhong Ming memorized my words. “Alright, I’ll go buy them now. You wait here.”

He hurried off, ignoring greetings from the workers along the way. Bored, I wandered inside to inspect the building—no major issues, aside from the southwest corner.

Soon, Zhong Ming returned, panting, with a large bag. “Xiao… Xiao Xuan, is this everything? If anything’s missing, I’ll go get it.”

I checked the bag and nodded. “That’s everything. Uncle Zhong, do you have a small shovel or something similar?”

He glanced around, then called over a worker in a hard hat. “Xiao Liang, fetch me a small shovel—the smallest one you can find.”

After repeating his request, the worker nodded and dashed inside, soon returning with a small shovel. “Boss, is this it?”

I nodded. Zhong Ming, seeing my approval, said, “Yes, that’s it. You can get back to work. Lunch is on me today.”

Xiao Liang grinned gratefully and hurried back to his duties. I took the shovel. “Come on, Uncle Zhong, give me a hand.”

He crouched beside me as I dug a wide hole in the earth. Then I took out the copper coins—at least a hundred years old, quite good quality—and stuck them vertically into the soil. Turning to Zhong Ming, I instructed, “Uncle Zhong, insert these coins into the ground at this distance from each other—be precise. Make a circle.”

After giving instructions, I set up a wooden board and arranged the paper, pen, and ink. I drew ten Diamond Talismans, the tip of my pen hovering, and each one seemed to glow faintly. I took them over to Zhong Ming, only to find him painstakingly measuring the distance for each coin.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Uncle Zhong, you’re being too careful. Let me handle it. Just watch.”

He stood up, embarrassed. I squatted down and finished the job, burying all the coins. Once done, I pasted the talismans on the wall and chanted, “Bright and shining, as the sun rises in the east, may this formation sweep away all ill fortune. By the power of the Diamond Talisman, so it is decreed!”

As the words fell, I snapped my fingers. The ten talismans instantly embedded themselves into the wall. I dusted off my hands and told Zhong Ming, “It’s done. Make sure no one else disturbs this area. Also, don’t build anything or pile debris in the southwest corner inside the building. It must remain clear.”

Zhong Ming, beaming, walked over. “Xiao Xuan, thank you so much. Lunch is on me today—order anything you want.”

I waved him off, embarrassed. “No need, Uncle Zhong. I have things to do at home—my master is waiting for me. Let’s catch up another day.”

After thinking for a moment, Zhong Ming agreed. “All right, I’ll give you a ride home.”

As we drove, I suddenly asked, “Oh, Uncle Zhong, how’s that peach tree I told you to plant? And has Zhong Yan’s health improved?”

“The peach tree is doing great—I had Aunt Mei look after it carefully. As for Xiao Yan, thanks to you, she’s much better. Ever since she recovered and saw you last, she’s been asking about you all the time, thinking I wouldn’t notice. Honestly, I think my precious daughter might end up marrying you, kid!” Zhong Ming laughed.

Sitting in the back, I replied awkwardly, “It’s still early for that…”

Zhong Ming saw my embarrassment and dropped the topic, chatting instead about other things—how I got into this line of work, why there are ghosts in the world, and so on. I answered each question, and he listened with amazement. The atmosphere in the car lightened considerably.

After a while, Zhong Ming parked outside my house. I said goodbye and went inside. As I opened the door, I saw two familiar figures sitting with my master—one dressed in white, the other in modern clothes. Looking closely, I realized it was Sikong Fan and Demon Sage Tian, the two who’d come to our aid back in Zhang Family Village. I’d seen their abilities before and couldn’t help but take a step back.

Demon Sage Tian glanced at me and called out, “Hey, kid, why so timid? Come over here!”

Startled, I nodded and stepped forward, only for Demon Sage Tian to grab my shoulder with lightning speed. I winced in pain, doubling over. “Ow… ow… ow, let go!”

He finally released me, chuckling, “Not bad, kid. Most people can’t withstand my grip, but you held out this long.”

With that, he raised his hand, and in an instant, five sharp claws extended from between his fingers, emitting a chilling aura. I was startled. My master shook his head and slapped his hand down. “Enough, old monster. Jokes are fine, but if anyone lays a finger on my disciple, I’ll put them face down on the floor.”

Demon Sage Tian looked at my master, embarrassed. “Alright, boss, you’re in charge. I was just playing around. Did I scare you, kid?”

I nodded nervously. He patted my head and smiled. Then Sikong Fan spoke up, “Let’s wait till tonight when that ghost arrives. Boss, got anything to eat? I’m hungry.”

My master was taken aback, then said, “You’re always thinking about food. It’s almost noon—go across the street to that dumpling shop and bring back a few orders. Don’t forget the sweet and spicy sauce.”

Sikong Fan grinned and dashed out. I, having just come home and with nothing to do, lounged on the sofa, listening as my master and Demon Sage Tian reminisced about the past. Their stories left me stunned—about my master fighting the demon clan, dueling Demon Sage Tian, single-handedly wiping out an evil sect, and even being hunted by thousands of demon and ghost cultivators, yet surviving and taking out half of them. I couldn’t hold back any longer and interrupted, “So, senior, just how powerful was my master back then?”

Demon Sage Tian glanced at me. “How powerful? Let’s see… Imagine your master as an egg and those villains as the ground. Usually, when an egg hits the ground, it breaks. But when your master hit the ground, it was the ground that trembled. Otherwise, why would I, the demon clan chief, call a human ‘boss’?”

As soon as he finished, my master interjected, “Hey, old monster, what a metaphor! An egg and the ground—why not say he could pierce the heavens?”

Demon Sage Tian was momentarily stumped. “It’s the truth, though. Who else could become a Guardian at your age? Most Guardians from the past were ancient by the time they inherited the title.”

My master rolled his eyes. “Alright, enough about the past. Chu Feng! Come eat, Sikong Fan’s back.”

I glanced around, confused, but saw nothing. After a while, I heard footsteps from the stairs. Turning, I saw Chu Feng in a suit, yawning as he walked up. “Boss, you woke me from a lovely dream.”

“A dream? What kind of dream?” my master asked.

Chu Feng paused. “I dreamed we won, and the world was finally at peace.”

Demon Sage Tian was silent for a moment. He walked over, slung an arm around Chu Feng’s shoulders, and said, “That day will come, won’t it, boss?”

My master looked at them for a moment, then nodded. “Yes. That day will come. But until then, we must all keep striving.”

“That’s right, boss. We’ll work together. And you, kid—don’t let us down. From today, if anyone dares lay a finger on you, just tell me. I’ll bring a million demon soldiers to flatten their grave,” Demon Sage Tian declared.

Chu Feng nodded, about to speak when Sikong Fan’s voice came from outside, “Hey, old monster, do you even have that many demon soldiers? A million?”

With that, Sikong Fan walked in carrying several takeout boxes. The aroma filled the room.

My master smiled, “Alright, let’s eat first.”

Everyone nodded and gathered around the table for dumplings. Sikong Fan ate the fastest, speaking to me between bites, “Kid, I heard you wanted a weapon. I happen to have one that suits you. No one else is using it—you can take it after lunch. I’m heading out afterward.”

He then told my master, who nodded. After the meal, Sikong Fan left alone. The rest of us lounged around, passing the time until nightfall, when Sikong Fan finally returned with a long box on his back.