14: Chapter 14 External Style

Han Jingyang did not want to engage in swindling or deception.

Therefore, he preferred to lay his cards on the table and clarify issues upfront.

As a result, Sun Fuchang was left unsure of what to say: "What if there's nothing wrong with the Feng Shui?"

"Then there's nothing to do," Han Jingyang said seriously. "Old Sun, Feng Shui is a vast field of study with numerous schools, each having different customs and methods. I don't know how other Feng Shui Masters operate, but this is how I work. When you come to me, come with a specific problem. For example, if you say your marriage is disharmonious or your family wealth isn't flourishing, I'll help you solve it if I can. If I can't, I'll tell you straight. Do you understand?"

Sun Fuchang asked tentatively: "Pragmatism above all else?"

"Something like that," Han Jingyang nodded. "Besides, our school follows the External Qi flow. No matter what problem we're solving, we must have the corresponding dharma instrument."

"Oh, I see," Sun Fuchang suddenly pointed at the purple clay teapot on the coffee table. "Is this teapot a dharma instrument?"

"It only has the potential to become one. As for whether it can actually become a dharma instrument, or even a top-tier one, we'll only know after Consecration."

"Consecration?"

"What else? Do you think dharma instruments just appear out of thin air?"

Han Jingyang was completely letting go, going further down the path of a charlatan, even fabricating a school and theory for himself with a straight face.

However, it sounded quite plausible.

Telling stories is a necessary skill for the antique business.

Your eye for antiques might be lacking, but your storytelling ability definitely cannot be sloppy; otherwise, how can you fool customers, right?

Han Jingyang was no exception. He could spout these half-truths effortlessly, and he could justify them well, giving himself a seemingly reliable background in just a few words.

Sun Fuchang truly didn't suspect a thing. Instead, he nodded in approval: "That makes sense. If you kept spouting profound nonsense about earth qi, baleful qi, or yin and yang energies, I wouldn't believe it. It's just that you're asking me to state a need right now, and I really can't think of one. My original intention was just to have you take a look to see if there's any bad Feng Shui, just to make sure nothing goes wrong."

Well, this was the thought process of most normal people.

Whether Feng Shui is useful or not, having someone take a look to put your mind at ease is never a bad thing.

One doesn't ask for immense wealth, just peace and safety.

But the problem was, what could Han Jingyang actually see?

He could only understand the items he had appraised.

Even if Old Sun's new villa had some Feng Shui defects, he wouldn't be able to see them.

Unless...

Wait.

He suddenly thought of a possibility.

Since the items he had appraised had various magical functions, could there be a category of items that could turn him into a real Feng Shui Master, such as a compass?

The more Han Jingyang thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

But on the surface, he shook his head: "Residential and grave Feng Shui isn't my area of expertise."

"Then what is your area of expertise?"

"Changing destiny and altering fate."

"Hiss—" Sun Fuchang gasped: "Isn't that even more exaggerated?"

"Yes, it's very exaggerated. And precisely because of that, we never use our own cultivation to do things, but borrow the power of dharma instruments, otherwise, there would be karmic entanglements."

"No wonder..."

"No wonder what?"

"Nothing, nothing," Sun Fuchang shook his head hurriedly. "Then, can I ask for peace and safety for my family? That's possible, right?"

Han Jingyang didn't answer, but asked instead: "Who did you hear from that I can read Feng Shui?"

"Zhou Yucheng."

Han Jingyang rolled his eyes inwardly.

It was this old guy again.

But he continued to ask: "What did he say?"

"He said you are one of the top Feng Shui Masters in our Quancheng, with extremely high attainments. He personally witnessed you do something earth-shattering using Feng Shui Arts, but he was all secretive about what it actually was," Sun Fuchang explained. "I know Zhou Yucheng. Although his character is just so-so, he doesn't brag, so I thought I'd give it a try. It won't cost much anyway."

So that was it.

Han Jingyang realized: "In other words, you're not in a rush, and you don't need to change your fate. You just want to test if I have real skills, right?"

Sun Fuchang nodded awkwardly.

Han Jingyang smiled: "Normal. However, without an urgent need, let's not waste time. Your time is precious, and my energy is even more precious. Feng Shui metaphysics is not a game."

"Can I ask for peace and safety?"

"Peace and safety? That's a very broad concept."

"It's like this: my unlucky son is almost forty but still doesn't do proper work, riding a beat-up motorcycle everywhere every day, so..."

Han Jingyang understood: "You want to prevent accidents, right?"

"Yes, yes, that's exactly what I mean."

"As for that, I do have a ready-made dharma instrument. Its grade is not low, and it can save a life at a critical moment. However, the price is not low. Would you like to take a look?"

"Really?"

"Yes. When it comes to my profession, I don't lie."

"How much?"

Han Jingyang held up two fingers: "Two million."

"So expensive?"

"For something that saves a life, it's not expensive."

"This..."

"Old Sun, let me make this clear first. This isn't me asking for an exorbitant price, nor am I taking advantage of your predicament. It's because that dharma instrument is truly worth this price. It's one I use myself. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't part with it at all."

"Can I take a look first?"

Han Jingyang took out the Flower Fairy pendant from around his neck.

Sun Fuchang used a clean cotton cloth to cushion it, carefully took the pendant, and after examining it for a moment, said: "This pendant looks very ordinary no matter how you look at it. Although the carving is good, the quality of the jade is average—just ordinary Hetian white jade. The market price is no more than ten thousand. You're selling it for two million; isn't that a bit too expensive?"

"This isn't an ordinary antique; it's a dharma instrument that has undergone Consecration and can save lives."

"But, but..."

Seeing this, Han Jingyang took the pendant back directly: "Forget it, Old Sun, don't force it. I'll look for a cheaper one for you later."

"A cheaper one would definitely have worse effects, right?"

"Of course. You get what you pay for. You're in the antique business too; don't you understand even this?"

"My heart aches," Sun Fuchang's old face wrinkled into a bitter melon shape. "Spending two million on a pendant like this—I won't be able to explain it when I get back."

"That's why I said don't force it. In business, we seek mutual willingness. Even for me, I only want to make some honest money. If this two million causes your wife to come to my shop to make a scene every day, that would be very troublesome."

Sun Fuchang shook his head quickly: "It wouldn't go that far. She's an intellectual too; she'd only make a scene with me, but..."

Seeing this, Han Jingyang stuffed the pendant back around his neck.

At this moment, saying anything more would be useless.

Because Sun Fuchang still had doubts in his heart.

Of course, this was normal. Putting himself in his shoes, if he were Sun Fuchang, he would also doubt whether this pendant was really worth that much money.

But he still urged him: "Old Sun, let me tell you, good things of this level are rare. If you miss this one, even I don't know when I'll be able to get a second one."