174: Chapter 174 An Awkward Family

Han Jingyang narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the large family gathered at the entrance.

Interesting.

This family was indeed unusual.

And their etiquette was absolutely impeccable.

In ancient times, hiring a Feng Shui Master or a Yin-Yang Master involved a lot of formal procedures.

It was basic etiquette for the client to personally bring a meeting gift and extend an invitation at the master's door.

On the day the master arrived at their home, they had to be treated with equal respect, not to mention being provided with the best food and drink; their status was very special.

Nowadays, there aren't so many formalities. Both parties tacitly treat it as a standard transaction—money for services—which saves everyone time and avoids embarrassment.

That's why this old man was quite interesting.

Han Jingyang walked toward the entrance.

The middle-aged man with a square face walked toward Han Jingyang, cupping his hands in greeting when he was a few paces away. "Mr. Han, I am Liu Qing. My apologies for our lack of courtesy earlier."

"No matter. We don't have so many formalities these days. Quickly, take the elderly couple inside; it's too hot out here."

"The weather this year is indeed unnaturally hot. Please, come inside."

While leading Han Jingyang inside, Liu Qing introduced the large family.

Liu Qing's wife, Wang Min.

Liu Qing's eldest brother, Liu Jian.

Liu Qing's second brother, Liu Xin.

Liu Qing's second sister-in-law, Zhou Guilan.

Liu Qing's eldest nephew, Liu Xiaoming.

And then there were Liu Qing's father, Liu Jingyun, and his mother, Zhang Peilan.

Han Jingyang nodded to each of them in greeting, acknowledging the introductions.

As he nodded, he pondered the names of the family members.

The elderly couple's names were clearly of a higher caliber; whoever named them must have been educated. Jingyun and Peilan were easy to understand but not cliché, and they carried auspicious meanings.

In contrast, the names of Liu Qing's generation were noticeably a grade lower.

The names of the grandchildren's generation were also quite ordinary.

What did this indicate?

It indicated that the elderly couple's names had been given to them by someone else; they themselves weren't scholars, and neither was Liu Qing's generation.

It wasn't until Liu Qing's children's generation that truly educated people appeared.

In other words, this family didn't have much of a formal education, yet they had become a model family that everyone envied.

Was it a lack of education but a talent for management?

Or...

Han Jingyang quietly activated his Qi Observation attribute and scanned the area inconspicuously. He was instantly enlightened.

So, they were being protected by something good.

No wonder.

But this thing... why does it look a bit strange?

Han Jingyang didn't dare look for too long; he just took a quick scan to avoid raising the family's suspicions.

Is there something fishy going on?

As a Feng Shui Master, I shouldn't meddle in too much.

And I don't want to.

I'm just here to earn some hard-earned money.

I'll take a walk up the mountain, find a propitious spot, take the money, and leave.

I definitely won't go looking for trouble.

I have enough trouble on me as it is, with plenty still left to deal with.

Thinking this, Han Jingyang exchanged pleasantries with the family with a smile on his face.

It was just small talk; not a single word was mentioned about pinpointing a grave site or building a tomb.

After all, the old lady was just nearing the end of her life; she wasn't dead yet.

Not only was she alive, she was also quite lucid.

It really wasn't appropriate to discuss such matters in front of her.

After sitting for nearly half an hour, Liu Qing asked tentatively, "Mr. Han, shall we go for a stroll outside?"

"Sure."

"This way, please."

"After you."

With a rustle, the group of men all stood up and left the house.

Only the elderly couple and Liu Qing's second sister-in-law remained at home.

Once outside, Liu Qing clearly relaxed quite a bit. "Mr. Han, do you need to check the birth dates?"

Han Jingyang shook his head. "My sect does not look at birth dates."

"I see. Then what do you need to look at?"

"If you just want to find a propitious spot for a tomb, a visit to the site is enough. Nothing else is needed."

"What about satellite maps?"

"No need. The grand terrain is in my mind; the local terrain is in my eyes."

"What does that mean?"

Xu Xin, standing nearby, explained with a smile, "Mr. Han means that he already knows the major landforms by heart. For the secondary and specific topography, he just needs to see it in person. He doesn't need any satellite maps."

He then added, "Old Liu, just tell Mr. Han what you need now that he's here. Don't ask about anything else. If you're not satisfied with the results, you can raise your objections then."

Liu Qing finally nodded.

However, he continued to ask questions about this and that along the way. Although he was very polite and well-mannered, that slight air of arrogance about him still made people feel somewhat uncomfortable.

This kind of person...

Han Jingyang shook his head inwardly but said nothing.

In any case, it was just a transaction. As long as he got paid, nothing else mattered.

After walking for seven or eight minutes, they arrived behind the village.

Liu Qing pointed to a small hill a few hundred meters away and said, "Mr. Han, look. I bought that."

"Bought it?"

"Leased it. I signed a ninety-nine-year contract with very high liquidated damages and the right of first refusal for renewal."

"That's very good."

"What do you think of the Feng Shui of that small hill?"

Han Jingyang looked into the distance and saw a faint qi vein stretching out in a winding path from the Yellow River. It was like a capillary branching off a main blood vessel, eventually forming a 'hemangioma' at the location of that small hill.

This location was truly excellent.

This family must have had guidance from an expert; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to locate this qi vein and this 'hemangioma' so precisely.

While he called it a hemangioma, it was actually a large qi node.

Don't let its unremarkable appearance fool you; it was truly not to be underestimated.

It was a classic case of being plain on the outside but full of substance, like a sweet potato roasted until the skin is charred—it looks average, but the inside is as sweet and fragrant as can be.

Moreover, without some real skill, one wouldn't be able to discover this propitious Feng Shui spot.

The terrain of Quancheng was flat. Aside from those few famous mountain ranges, it was rare to see decent mountains and rivers elsewhere. Most common were these small hills, ten or even less than ten meters high.

Trying to find a propitious Feng Shui spot among such small hills was exceptionally difficult.

This reminded Han Jingyang of Old Hu.

To obtain a propitious Feng Shui spot, Old Hu's ancestors began planting trees two generations in advance. It wasn't until Old Hu's generation that they barely formed a forest, creating a reasonably good Feng Shui spot.

But compared to the Liu family's spot, it was still somewhat lacking.

After finishing his observation, Han Jingyang nodded. "Not bad. This small hill happens to sit on a dragon vein extending from the Yellow River. Any spot you pick around here would be an excellent treasure land."

Liu Qing nodded proudly. "Indeed. When he was young, my father gave away all the savings intended for his marriage just to get guidance from an expert. He then borrowed a lot of money to secure the surrounding land under his name. I've always said that was the most profitable investment my father ever made."

"Guidance from an expert, I see. No wonder; it is indeed excellent."

"Shall we go take a closer look?"

"Sure."

The group walked around the vicinity of the small hill.

Liu Qing made a broad gesture. "Mr. Han, pick a spot. All this surrounding land belongs to my family. Pick wherever you like, don't be shy."

That tone...

Han Jingyang was starting to find it a bit tiresome.

Nevertheless, he seriously selected the best position. He took the peach wood nail wrapped in red cloth that Liu Jing had prepared and tried to drive it into the ground.

But he failed to drive it in on the first try.

What's the situation?

Is there a rock underneath?

Impossible!

Han Jingyang used the tip of his foot to brush away the loose topsoil.

Then, a wooden nail also tied with a red cloth was revealed in the dirt.