Page 107
by 陈年奶泡"Don't overthink it. Fengshui masters usually have specific apprentices to handle swords," said Wei Yanlin as he led Chu Yuening to another hill. Suddenly, something caught his eye, and a glimmer of excitement flickered in his gaze.
On the slope of the mountain, a half-broken peach wood tree, struck by lightning, stood prominently.
"Look, look! I told you I saw one before, right?!"
Chu Yuening was also delighted to see the lightning-struck wood. She took out a knife she had prepared from her bag and ran under the tree.
After being hit by lightning, the tree was almost dead, and its wood had softened significantly. Chu Yuening examined it carefully before asking Wei Yanlin to help her cut out the core of the tree.
Carrying the lightning-struck wood down the mountain with contentment, Chu Yuening's mood improved. As they passed by the Yellow Emperor Taoist Temple, she noticed many devotees leaving with a large windmill in hand.
Intrigued, she asked, "Why would a Taoist temple sell windmills?"
"These aren't ordinary windmills," explained Wei Yanlin, observing the windmills carried by the visitors. "They are blessed by the temple and believed to have the power of luck enhancement."
"Luck enhancement? Does it really work?" Chu Yuening's curiosity piqued.
"I'm not sure, but many people claim that the fortune-turning windmills sold at the Yellow Emperor Temple are quite effective," replied Wei Yanlin, who himself was unsure. He originally intended to offer to buy one for her since she seemed interested.
But feeling the emptiness of his pockets, Wei Yanlin was on the verge of tears.
He had donated it all.
He hadn't even bothered with fortune-telling lately; he was too broke!
Unmindful of Wei Yanlin's thoughts, Chu Yuening invited him to step over the threshold into the Yellow Emperor Immortal Temple. "Come, come, I'll get you one."
Wei Yanlin instantly lost the urge to cry, his eyes brightening. "What? Master Chu is going to give me a windmill? Great, great!"
The two of them squeezed through the crowd of worshippers to reach the Taoist selling luck-turning windmills, donating a hundred yuan for the incense fees and receiving two windmills.
Chu Yuening then wandered around the temple, looking at everything with interest.
It was clear that there were skilled individuals here. They could sense the virtue emanating from the worshippers, which then permeated the statues in various halls.
No wonder so many people said that the Yellow Emperor Immortal was sure to answer prayers.
Although Wei Yanlin was an amateur, he at least came from a reputable lineage. Upon entering the temple, he pulled down his red cap to cover his bald head, adopting a more modest and humble demeanor.
"Do you really believe that the windmill works?" Wei Yanlin asked, genuinely intrigued as he gazed at it.
In the center of the windmill sat a gleaming golden deity of wealth, with the phrases "Peace and Success in All Endeavors" on the left and "Smooth Sailing and Abundant Wealth" on the right. With each gust of wind, the small windmill would spin merrily.
"Although it looks lovely, it's a shame that no magical power is attached to it," Chu Yuening commented, implying its ineffectiveness.
Upon hearing this, Wei Yanlin appeared slightly disappointed but quickly regained his spirits.
"Indeed, if they sell hundreds of these fortune-bringing windmills every day, and each one actually worked, wouldn't the spellcaster be worn out long before their time?"
As he finished speaking, the door of a Taoist temple creaked open, and a young man emerged, dressed in a stylish manner with a silver chain adorning his work pants.
The man wore sunglasses. "Master, truly there's no solution?"
Following him was an elderly Taoist priest, attired in a green robe and a Taoist hat, with a long black beard.
"Master Qi, the one who tied the knot must be the one to untie it," the priest said before returning into the temple.
The man was surrounded by an aura of destiny, all originating from within himself, making his appearance unremarkable. Intrigued, Chu Yuening couldn't help but steal a few more glances.
After all, apart from Zhou Fengxu, she rarely encountered individuals with such abundant personal destiny.
It wasn't until the man left Wong Tai Sin Temple first that Chu Yuening and Wei Yanlin made their way to Nathan Road. As Wei Yanlin unlocked the door to the fortune-telling parlor, a cloud of dust assaulted them.
Chu Yuening took a step back.
All the dust landed on Wei Yanlin's face, causing him to yawn widely, mouth agape. Then, with a servile twist, he turned around with a grin, warmly inviting others in.
"Ning Ning, come on, don't be shy, take a seat."
"Are you already on a first-name basis with me?" Chu Yuening playfully blinked.
"After sharing the same mountain, aren't we close enough?" Wei Yanlin chuckled, implying that finding lightning-struck wood together wasn't a small bond.
After the laughter subsided, he continued.
Wei Yanlin promptly fetched a feather duster, swiftly clearing the dust from the Eight Immortals table before inviting the guest to sit.
Chu Yuening sat down and surveyed the fortune-telling shop. Yellow banners, covered in dust, hung on the walls, bearing the words "Iron-Finger Divine Calculation," alongside postings of trigrams and pentagrams. In comparison to Master Huang's numerology shop, brimming with spiritual artifacts, Wei Yanlin's fortune-telling studio was pitifully sparsely adorned.
"Is the rent for this place expensive?"
"For Wanchai Street, it's relatively affordable - ten thousand per month."
"Ten thousand per month?" Chu Yuening exclaimed. "The cost of living in Hong Kong is truly high. With that amount, you could easily build an entire floor of a building back on the mainland."
"The Four Asian Dragons, you see. Prices are high, wages are high – that's why so many people flock to Hong Kong." After Wei Yanlin finished his statement, he added,
"Wait a moment, I'll fetch the tools so you can turn that thunder-struck wood into a peach wood sword."
He casually tossed aside the feather duster and strolled out through the back door of the shop, returning with an assortment of miscellaneous items.
Among them were cinnabar coins.
Seating himself, Wei Yanlin took out a tool knife to shape the thunder-struck wood into the form of a peach wood sword. Once done, he handed it over to Chu Yuening.
"Shall I polish it more? Does it jab your hand?"
Chu Yuening waved the peach wood sword in the air, causing a faint rustling sound. Noticing Wei Yanlin's astonished gaze, she smiled and said, "I think it's good as it is."
"Should we carve a dragon on it?" Wei Yanlin interjected, then quickly added, "I'm not skilled in carving, but I could ask a master to do it for us."
"No need, simplicity is best. Do you still want the copper coins?"
"I have plenty of them. Choose one if you like," Wei Yanlin generously pushed the box filled with copper coins towards her.
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