Page 274

The situation was far from straightforward.

Chu Yuening took out the compass and walked around the house with it. "Though old, the house has an open Mingtang, an ideal location for retaining energy and wind."

Curious, Min Xiaomin inquired, "Master, what does an open Mingtang signify?"

"The Mingtang's purpose is to gather energy. The wider it is, the more energy it can hold, and the better the financial fortune. With such an extensive Mingtang, your descendants' wealth won't be meager. Besides, the Xuanwu alignment at the back of the residence is stable, indicating no issues with the family's population."

However, the younger generation of the Min family had fared so poorly.

If there were no issues with the feng shui, there wouldn't have been consecutive deaths among blood relatives.

If the yang house was fine, then it must be the yin house.

Min Xiaomin sighed. "When my grandfather was still alive, our family was doing relatively well." She rubbed the bruise on her wrist from being bound, but didn't blame her brother. If he hadn't arranged for someone to tie her up, she would have been a corpse by now.

Chu Yuening had a general understanding. She put away the compass and headed outside.

Many people had gathered around the Min residence, all eager to witness the spectacle after hearing that a feng shui master had been invited to the impoverished Min family. Those eating their meals and those returning from farming were all excitedly watching the commotion.

Chu Yuening turned back and said, "Little Hui, I want to visit your ancestors' burial site. Take me there."

"O-Okay…" Min Xiaohui pointed outside. "G-Grandpa Village Chief is… just outside. He… he knows best."

Following the direction he indicated,

a path cleared in the crowd.

A frail elder dressed in a white martial arts outfit, leaning on a cane, entered slowly. Beside him was a man attending to his needs.

Village Chief Min smoothed his white beard, and at his age, he ought to have learned how to read people.

Noticing Chu Yuening carrying a compass and a peach wood sword, exuding an air of detached otherworldliness, he realized that she was likely no ordinary practitioner.

"Master," Village Chief Min bowed slightly with the support of his cane, a gesture of respect, and motioned towards the entrance, "I have heard the story from Ah Mao. I will now take you to view the Min family's ancestral tomb."

"Kindly, Village Chief," Chu Yuening smiled gently.

"Ah Mao," Village Chief Min called out. The tall and sturdy man immediately squatted down, lifted the village chief onto his back, and carried the cane horizontally.

A grand procession ascended the mountain.

Upon reaching their destination,

Village Chief Min stepped down from the vehicle and, with his cane in hand, faced Chu Yuening with an apologetic smile. "Master, please don't take it amiss. My old body just can't keep up. Only I know the exact location of Min Xiaohui's family grave; that's why I had to make this journey personally."

"Village Chief, your kindness is appreciated, as is your consideration, Little Hui," Chu Yuening replied politely, her lips curving into a smile before she turned her gaze towards the vast mountain.

Village Chief Min pointed out several directions. Chu Yuening gave each a cursory glance, sparing a second look only for the final tomb.

"This is Grandpa Little Hui's grave," said Village Chief Min.

He continued, "Grandpa Little Hui's grave is said to be the most auspicious one in the Min family. A feng shui master once inspected it and predicted that future generations buried here would enjoy both wealth and happiness."

With that, Village Chief Min leaned on his cane, closed his eyes, and his weathered face was etched with sorrow. "I considered Grandpa Little Hui a half-brother. Seeing his descendants end up like this breaks my heart. How cruel fate can be, how it toys with us!"

A gust of cold wind blew, rustling the trees. In front of the tombstone lay three broken, dirty bowls, one of which still contained dried chicken blood. The paper money fluttered in the eerie wind, ascending into the air.

Chu Yuening gazed at the paper money, her gaze gradually turning cold.

She turned back to the bustling crowd of Min villagers and laughed through her anger.

"This isn't Grandpa Little Hui's grave at all. Clearly, someone else is buried here."

Chapter 98

Upon hearing this, Village Chief Min, leaning on his cane, made his way to the tombstone. With a trembling hand, he pulled out a magnifying glass from his pocket and meticulously examined each character on the stone.

After confirming the truth,

He lifted his gaze. "Why do you say that, Master? This is indeed Young Master Liangpeng's grave."

As he spoke, he slowly bent down and touched the name on the tombstone. "Look, there are also the names of Little Hui's parents. It can't be wrong."

At first, the people of the Min village thought that Chu Yuening might possess some abilities. But now, seeing someone pointing at the Min family's grave and claiming that Grandpa Min wasn't buried there made them feel irritated.

After all, when Min Liangpeng had passed away, the villagers had all lent a helping hand.

"Young lady, did Grandpa Min's coffin not carry by all of us? How can you deny it?"

"What ignorance! If you're too young to understand, don't pretend to be an expert."

"You're not even from the Min Village. Do you think we know less about Min Liangpeng's standing than you do?"

"Indeed!"

A robust voice echoed.

"Saying such absurdities with your eyes wide open! Where else would Min Liangpeng be buried except in his family's cemetery? You're clearly an ignorant fraud!"

The crowd turned their attention.

Three figures emerged hastily from the other side of the hill, the couple Gong Jinzhi flanking a middle-aged feng shui master dressed in a yellow robe.

The feng shui master was furious, pointing at Chu Yuening and scolding, "Ignorant child, you dared to swindle money in the Min Village! Tell me, which school did you learn from? Who is your master?"

Chu Yuening pressed her earlobe, ignoring him.

It was Min Xiaohui who, upon seeing Chu Yuening in a difficult situation, rushed over to explain, only to be promptly pulled back by the swift-handed Gong Jinzhi.

"I didn't take much money from her."

"Little Hui, don't go!" Gong Jinzhi tugged at his arm with a sardonic smile. "Ever since you brought her into the village, I knew she was a fraud without any real skills. How can a feng shui master be so young? Don't worry, Auntie has invited Master Yang – he's much more capable than that girl."

Everyone in Min Village was familiar with Yang Xiuneng.

He was a well-known feng shui expert in the vicinity, with a higher consultation fee of four thousand yuan per session. Though his fees were steep, his abilities were well-established. Compared to the unfamiliar Chu Yuening, the villagers clearly placed more trust in him.