Chapter 43: A Big Fish Takes the Bait

Old Niu chuckled, giving a suggestive wink. "Don't tell me that police beauty has taken a fancy to you? Heh, looks like you’ve hit the jackpot! She’s widely recognized as the flower of the precinct!"

Yang Rui, who had been looking rather gloomy, felt an inexplicable lift in his spirits at these words. The image of He Yuting’s exquisite face and her ripe, alluring figure flashed through his mind. He smacked his lips and said, "If that’s really the case, I suppose I’ll have to force myself to put up with it and take her in."

Old Niu shot him a look of disdain, then hesitated, looking as if he had something more to say but was holding back.

"Hmm? Got a lead on making some money?" Though young, Yang Rui had a keen eye for reading people and immediately caught the scent.

"If there’s a lucrative job, don't hog it all for yourself! Think of your brother here! It’s not right to eat alone!" Yang Rui probed, using a mix of soft and hard tactics.

*The little brat!* Old Niu cursed inwardly, realizing he was being baited. But then, he reconsidered—Yang Rui’s reputation in the trade was solid, and he might actually be able to help, especially since he himself was feeling out of his depth. He gave a sly grin. "I do have a big fish on the hook! But..."

"Don't dither!" Yang Rui said impatiently. "Same old rules: we split it down the middle! That’s what you were waiting for me to say, isn't it?"

"Heh!" Old Niu awkwardly rubbed his hands. "It’s just... I’m having some second thoughts..."

"Damn it! Are you losing your nerve as you get older? A horse can't grow fat without night grass, and a man can't get rich without a windfall! We make a living by our skills, fair and square. What are you panicking for?" Yang Rui spoke with grand fervor, though deep down, he felt a flicker of uncertainty himself.

Stung by the provocation, Old Niu puffed out his chest. "Who's panicking!" He glanced around warily. "A couple of days ago, a long-time client gave me a lead—a truly wealthy client! You haven't seen their mansion; it’s opulent! The garage is packed with sports cars I can't even name; it’s enough to make anyone green with envy! And the mistress of the house—tsk, tsk, she’s so fresh and delicate, her skin is so supple you could pinch water out of it..." As he spoke, Old Niu’s throat bobbed, and his eyes gleamed.

"Hey, you're drifting off topic!" Yang Rui poured a bucket of cold water on him. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate a beautiful woman, but compared to that, money made his heart race faster.

Old Niu glared at him in annoyance. "This beauty has been plagued by bad luck lately! Her husband is keeping a mistress, she’s trapped in a bad stock market investment, and she has nightmares every night! She’s hired plenty of Feng Shui masters, but none of them have resolved it. I heard some of them were big names known nationwide!"

"How did you find out all these details?" Yang Rui asked curiously.

Old Niu scratched his head sheepishly. "My long-time client is the cleaning lady who works at her place."

"Oh!" Yang Rui had a sudden realization. It was all clear to him now: no wonder he was being dragged into this—Old Niu must have gone to take a look himself and realized he couldn't handle it. "Fine, you go ahead and take the job! Don't you trust my skills? It’s just adjusting the Feng Shui of a house, isn't it?" Yang Rui felt his palms itch with excitement. This was his first time dealing with a client this wealthy. If he succeeded, he might be able to take a few years off. Just thinking about it was thrilling.

"But the Feng Shui layout of her house... it’s flawless. It couldn't be any better! That’s why I’m so uneasy," Old Niu admitted his true concern.

"If the Feng Shui is good, we can find another way in!" Yang Rui coaxed.

"Do you know who laid out the Feng Shui for that house?" Old Niu suddenly stared at Yang Rui, posing the question.

"Who cares who it is! I'll go see for myself first!" Yang Rui’s mind was fixated on the money; he didn't catch the implication.

"Guo Songling!"

"Who?!" Yang Rui felt a jolt go through his entire body! Damn it! That man was a living legend in the world of Feng Shui! He was Yang Rui’s own idol!

"Then there’s no point in playing! We’re completely finished! With that grandmaster setting the stage, why should we bother trying to muscle in?" Yang Rui deflated like a punctured balloon, feeling utterly dejected.

It was no wonder he reacted this way. Who was Guo Songling? He was a monument in the world of Feng Shui! His legendary life was enough to be written into textbooks. His fame and status were simply not in the same league as a rogue practitioner like Yang Rui. The most critical thing was that five years ago, Guo Songling had single-handedly facilitated the establishment of the Feng Shui Research Association and served as its first president! Some might wonder why it was the "first" president.

As everyone knew, for thousands of years, every trade had some form of organization to coordinate competition—except for the world of Feng Shui, which was the sole exception.

Feng Shui originated from the clan practices of primitive society, such as the water-adjacent settlement patterns of the Yangshao culture. By the time of the Yellow Emperor, the rudiments of geographical arts and the Yin-Yang calendar system had already begun to take shape. During the Xia Dynasty, the combination of the "River Map" and "Luo Shu" established the Yin-Yang and Five Elements system, forming the spatial layout concept of "Nine at the top, one at the bottom."

The formal founding of Feng Shui as a discipline could be traced back to Guo Pu of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. He was the first to systematically articulate Feng Shui theory, putting forward the core idea that "Qi dissipates when it rides the wind and stops when it hits water," and authored the *Book of Burial*, laying the foundation for the discipline.

However, as time flowed to the present, Feng Shui had branched into numerous schools and factions. Sadly, the barriers between these groups were rigid, with no one willing to defer to another. For thousands of years, the infighting had only intensified with no sign of reconciliation. The embarrassing state of Feng Shui today was deeply tied to this.

Yet, five years ago, Guo Songling had miraculously united these warring factions. Though Yang Rui didn't know the inside story, this feat was enough to cement his unshakable status as a titan in the field. At the same time, he held another title: a top-tier expert in I Ching research.

So, why were people like Yang Rui and his peers constantly being "invited" to the station for "tea," while Guo Songling remained infinitely glorious and respected? This was a question Yang Rui only understood much later.

Ultimately, it all came down to one word: "packaging." Packaged well, you are a master; packaged poorly, you are a fraud!

Old Niu hung his head as well, letting out a long sigh.

Yang Rui thought it over, but he remained unwilling to give up. The sight of all that cash dangling right in front of him, yet out of reach, was too painful to bear.

"If her house’s Feng Shui is the work of Master Guo, why not just ask Guo Songling to come back and take another look? Why bother looking for... uh, for us?" Yang Rui asked, voicing the doubt in his heart.

"Damn it! Do you think Master Guo is her servant? Someone you can summon and dismiss at will? He’s a grandmaster! Do you understand what a grandmaster is? Besides, what’s wrong with me? In this Keqiao area, I’m surely in the top ten, right? I have plenty of long-time clients, though maybe not as many as you, but you don't have to insult me like that!" Old Niu was fuming. "You’d better apologize to me today, or I’m not letting this go!"