The Almighty Mystic Just Wants A Quiet Life - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Bo Nan certainly didn’t go straight home.

Someone on the forum had indeed requested a meeting. After seeing photos of the lightning-struck wood, Bo Nan needed to see the physical object to confirm its authenticity. Coincidentally, the other party was in the neighboring city—only fifteen minutes away by high-speed rail.

If he handled things quickly enough, he might even make it back before his brother.

“You’re Tingquan Listening to the Spring?” The newcomer sized up Bo Nan with suspicion. He was initially stunned by Bo Nan’s appearance, but that was quickly followed by disbelief.

He was a young man decked out in luxury brands, but his temperament and behavior felt more like a street-smart hooligan.

Bo Nan tilted his head slightly and asked, “And you are… Sword God of Ten-Mile Slope?”

The young man looked embarrassed and gave a haphazard nod. He extended a hand: “Don’t call me that, it’s awkward as hell. My surname is Gu. Gu Jian-yi.”

“Bo Nan.” Bo Nan shook his hand. “A pleasure, Young Master Gu.”

“Whatever… call me what you want.” Gu Jian-yi pulled his backpack from his shoulders to his chest. As he rummaged through it, he said, “I told you before, right? If the job is done, you take the wood, and I’ll give you an extra five million. If you can’t do it… well, here’s the stuff.”

Bo Nan hadn’t expected someone to be so careless as to shove lightning-struck wood into his hands in a crowded place like a high-speed rail station. It was a piece of pitch-black wood, but it felt more like iron, reflecting a cold, metallic luster. The moment he touched it, Bo Nan confirmed it was lightning-struck locust wood.

Moreover, it was old. The original tree must have been at least five hundred years old.

“Good stuff.” Bo Nan turned it over, then handed it back. “Time is tight. Take me to the site first.”

“Straightforward! I like it!”

It had taken Bo Nan less than an hour to reach W-City, yet the trip to the destination took an hour and a half. As the car drove further into the outskirts and onto a winding mountain road, Bo Nan wondered if he was about to be a victim of a “murder for treasure” plot.

Just as Bo Nan’s suspicion reached its peak, the car finally stopped. They were in front of a villa district. After a brief security check, they were let in. Another ten minutes of driving brought them to a large gate. Gu Jian-yi hurriedly told Bo Nan to get out and shouted as they walked in: “Grandpa! I brought someone! I’m telling you, this guy is definitely more reliable than the one you found!”

Bo Nan followed him into the villa. Sitting in the main seat of the drawing room was an elderly man, while a guest seat was occupied by an old Taoist priest in yellow robes. As soon as they entered, the old man in the main seat lost his temper: “You little brat, what nonsense are you talking! What guest…”

He saw Bo Nan, and his tone softened: “Jian-yi, if you’re bringing a friend home, why didn’t you say so? I’m hosting a guest here. Take your friend upstairs to play.”

Bo Nan’s poise instantly convinced Old Master Gu that he was from the same social circle. Assuming it was his grandson’s friend, he became genial: “You look familiar, young man. Which family are you from?”

“Bo Nan, from S-City. Good day, Old Master Gu.” Bo Nan nodded slightly.

“Bo… Oh, the Bo family! I’ve actually had dinner with your father!” The old man said with a smile.

Gu Jian-yi rolled his eyes: “What Bo family? This is the Master I invited. He can do a ‘Grand Destiny’ layout! Grandpa, I think he’s more reliable than that stinky Taoist!”

“Be quiet and go upstairs! This is no place for you to talk!” the old man barked. He then turned to the guest: “Daoist Wang, please forgive him. The boy is young and ignorant.”

“It is no matter.” Daoist Wang looked every bit the transcendent immortal, showing no sign of offense.

Gu Jian-yi frowned: “Grandpa! How do you know it won’t work if you don’t try!”

“…I’ve spoiled this boy.” The old man took a deep breath, stood up, and bowed to Daoist Wang. “Please wait a moment. I shall return shortly.”

Daoist Wang chuckled: “Go ahead. It is time for me to take my leave anyway.”

Old Master Gu grew anxious: “Please don’t take it out on the child, he’s young—”

“I cannot break the rules of the trade.” Daoist Wang waved his hand and walked out. No matter how Old Master Gu tried to stop him, he didn’t slow down.

Once the guest was gone, Old Master Gu slammed his cane on the floor and glared at Gu Jian-yi: “Get over here!”

He raised his cane but, mindful of Bo Nan’s presence, didn’t strike. He suppressed his anger: “Have you forgotten everything I taught you? To say such things to his face… are you trying to ruin our family’s peace? Do you think Daoist Wang is some third-rate street performer? Do you think he came here to beg for food?!”

“But…” Gu Jian-yi pointed at Bo Nan. “He said he can do a Grand Destiny! That Daoist Wang was all posturing and arrogance; he didn’t look like a real master at all. Only you’re deluded enough to believe him, Grandpa. Look at how many times he’s been here… has Little… has it ever gotten better??”

He paused, swallowing the middle word of a name.

“You—!”

Bo Nan knew exactly what was going on after listening to a few lines. However, the lightning-struck wood was the real deal, so he didn’t mind intervening. “Old Master Gu, there is someone ill in the house, isn’t there? The illness is strange—they fall sick at critical moments every single time.”

Sometimes, it’s not about how much you say, but the precision. That one sentence stunned Old Master Gu into silence.

Old Master Gu opened his mouth, glancing suspiciously at Gu Jian-yi. “Young Master Bo, don’t joke. Did Jian-yi tell you this? I’m old; don’t scare me.”

“That fountain at the entrance was built less than six months ago, right?” Bo Nan looked out the window at the circular fountain, then shifted his gaze to a small pavilion nearby. “Since that pavilion was finished, the illnesses have become more frequent? This Daoist Wang does have some skill, but he was far too aggressive.”

Old Master Gu was shaken. He looked at Gu Jian-yi, who immediately waved his hands: “I didn’t say a word! He guessed it himself!”

Only then did Old Master Gu ask, “Master Bo… how did you see it?”

In feng shui, pavilions act like bridges—they buffer and stagnate energy. Water is Yin, bridges are Yang. A river without a bridge rushes straight down; this is “merciless water.” Pavilions are often built in forests; the forest is Yin, the pavilion is Yang. If a forest is too dense without an opening, Yin energy festers. A pavilion creates a space, allowing Yin and Yang to balance each other.

W-City and S-City were close, with similar landscapes. Both were auspicious lands embraced by Lake Tai. The “Grand Feng Shui” of the region was excellent, let alone these villas built deep in the mountains.

The mountain range here was gentle and continuous. On the way up, Bo Nan had seen a mountain stream winding down in eighteen bends before gathering into a shimmering lake at the foot of the hill. It was quite good.

To judge a mountain, one must first look at the “Water Mouth.” Simply put, you look at where the water enters and exits. The entry is called the “Heavenly Gate,” and the exit is the “Earthly Door.” He hadn’t seen the source of the stream yet, but since the Earthly Door was closed (preventing energy from leaking), the Heavenly Gate couldn’t be bad.

Qi scatters with the wind and stops at water. The mountains blocked the wind, and the water gathered the Qi. This place naturally stored wind and gathered energy.

That was the “Grand Trend.” Now for the “Lesser Trend.”

This villa area was also embraced by the stream, which had been intentionally designed to be winding. There were three small bridges. Each bridge caused a stagnation—a stagnation of “Wealth Qi.” There is a saying in feng shui: Where the ditch has three bends, wealth and nobility find leisure.

The stream’s three folds echoed another proverb: At one fold, a dragon resides; at two folds, two dragons nest; at three folds, the Dragon God prospers, reaching the azure clouds.

Bo Nan usually didn’t look at interior layouts. With such a powerful natural trend, even someone who knew nothing of feng shui would be fine as long as they didn’t do anything stupid.

This feng shui was excellent, but the pavilion and the fountain ruined it.

The pavilion created a “fourth fold.” As the saying goes, good things come in threes. Dragons are good, but too many dragons turn a place into a “Dragon Rising Land” (Imperial Land). One must ask if the family has the “Destiny” to handle such power. As for the fountain—it was circular and flowed constantly. Normally, it would ward off evil and gather wealth. But because the external energy was already abundant, this fountain acted as an accelerator, making the flow too turbulent. It broke the “Wealth and Leisure” trend.

As the saying goes: First is Destiny, second is Luck, third is Feng Shui… If you don’t have the Destiny or Luck, the “Common” cannot suppress the “Noble.” It is a mismatch of virtue and position. How could they not fall ill?

The fountain acted like adding fuel to a fire. If the head of the Gu family didn’t have a somewhat powerful destiny, they would have been washed away by this energy long ago.

What happens when a mantis tries to stop a chariot?

On the other hand, if the leader was powerful enough to match this feng shui, they would soar to the ninth heaven.

Thus, Bo Nan said Daoist Wang wasn’t unskilled, but too aggressive. He only thought about increasing wealth but forgot that feng shui must match the person. Only when both are in harmony is it appropriate.

Bo Nan didn’t explain all this to the old man. To break the curse was simple: tear down the pavilion and the fountain. Over time, the qi-field would repair itself. But to take it a step further would require a new layout—not something that could be finished in a day.

He asked, “Old Master Gu, do you want your family to recover, or do you want the family to reach new heights? It depends on what you want to do.”

Old Master Gu froze. He no longer cared about his grandson. He swallowed hard and said with difficulty, “What if I want both? Master Bo, is there a way?”

“Yes,” Bo Nan replied. “But you will have to find the appropriate artifacts yourself.”

Old Master Gu nodded repeatedly. “I understand the rules. But Master Bo, could you please give this old man some guidance first?”

Bo Nan’s expression remained unchanged. “The illness is because your virtue doesn’t match the position. Your family isn’t in politics; why try to create a ‘Dragon Rising Land’? If you want steady progress, this isn’t the way.”

“Tear down the pavilion and the fountain. Let the patient recover first. Long-term illness turns into a calamity; it’s never good.”

Bo Nan wasn’t subtle. Old Master Gu wasn’t a fool either. His face turned pale. Bo Nan’s words matched what Daoist Wang had said: “Dragon Rising Land!”

He stomped his foot heavily and sighed. “I’ve harmed A-Chou! I was blinded by the idea of a ‘Dragon Rising Land’ and never stopped to think if my family was worthy of it! Tear it down! I’ll tear it down right now!”

“Master Bo, thank you for your guidance. Otherwise, I don’t know how sick my son would have become.” He bowed deeply to Bo Nan. “You mentioned ‘steady progress’ earlier. Is there a way?”

“I take your payment to resolve your troubles; it is only right.” Bo Nan stepped aside to avoid the full bow. “Find two items: one must represent stability, and the other must represent rising. Leave the rest to me. When the items are gathered, I will perform the Grand Layout.”

“Good, good!” Old Master Gu agreed instantly. Then he realized something: “Wait, you mentioned payment? Aren’t you Jian-yi’s friend?”

“Your grandson hired me with a piece of lightning-struck wood,” Bo Nan said. “We weren’t friends before, but we can be considered so now.”

Old Master Gu immediately glared at Gu Jian-yi, his look saying, Why are you so useless?

Gu Jian-yi raised his hands: “I told you I hired him for a Grand Destiny! You didn’t believe me, Grandpa, so how is this my fault?”

Old Master Gu ignored him and said respectfully to Bo Nan, “I will find those two items as quickly as possible. Master Bo, it is late and the mountain road is difficult. Why not stay the night? Let us show you some hospitality.”

“You are too kind, but I have urgent business. Perhaps next time.” Bo Nan declined. Old Master Gu didn’t insist: “Then let Jian-yi drive you.”

“Thank you.”

Gu Jian-yi nodded obediently. “I’ll take you back. Did you book a train? It’s so late, the trains have probably stopped. Why don’t we…”

Old Master Gu cleared his throat. Gu Jian-yi immediately changed his tone: “I’ll take the highway and drive you back to S-City.”

“Fine. Let’s go.”

Old Master Gu saw Bo Nan to the car. Once they were gone, he returned to the house. Gu Jian-yi seemed to remember something; he pulled over, took the lightning-struck wood and an envelope from his bag, and handed them to Bo Nan. “The envelope is from my grandpa… don’t you need the wood urgently? Take it! I know you’re a Young Master of the Bo family, so don’t you dare run away!”

Bo Nan found it funny. “How do you know who I am?”

“My grandpa called you ‘Young Master Bo’ and you didn’t deny it, didn’t you?” Gu Jian-yi restarted the car and sped down the mountain.

Bo Nan’s eyes flickered. He asked slowly, “What if I was lying to you?”

Surely not?” Gu Jian-yi smacked his lips. “Even though you only said a few vague things, seeing my grandpa’s face made me realize you have real skill… anyway, don’t run, or I’ll blast you on the forums.”

Bo Nan did need the wood for his own family’s layout, so he didn’t refuse. “I won’t run.”

He felt a bit of a connection with Gu Jian-yi. “If you’re close to the patient in your family, you should stay with him.”

“Why?”

“Your luck is very strong. You can help block the calamity for him,” Bo Nan explained.

One can see a person’s fortune through their qi-field. With his ability, Bo Nan could easily pass as a street fortune teller and fool anyone.

Like Bo Yizhen—his qi-field was solid with a faint golden hue, representing immense wealth. The solidity showed he was at the peak of his power.

As for Gu Jian-yi, though his qi was slightly thin, it was expansive and carried shades of vermilion and purple, indicating a noble destiny. Staying near his family’s leader could help buffer the turbulent energy.

Bo Nan had a thought perhaps Gu Jian-yi would enter politics in the future? If he became the head of the Gu family and went into politics, the current “Dragon Rising” layout would actually be quite suitable.

Bo Nan shook his head and asked, “Who sent you to find me?”

“Uh?!” Gu Jian-yi suddenly hit the brakes. The car jerked. He said nervously, “What ‘who’? It was me!”

“You don’t understand feng shui, and you can’t even get into that forum. How could you find me?” Bo Nan toyed with the wood. “If this piece of wood had stayed in your house, you wouldn’t have lived this long. Tell me the truth.”

Gu Jian-yi looked guilty. “…Fine. My grand-uncle gave it to me. He told me to find you and test you.”

“Did he also tell you to give me the wood now?”

“No,” Gu Jian-yi whispered. “I’ve been on a voice call with him this whole time. After he heard your analysis, he told me to give you the wood first to establish a good connection. He’ll contact you himself later.”

Bo Nan thought it over. It seemed reasonable. “What’s your grand-uncle’s name?”

“Zhang Fei. The CEO of Hundred Flowers Entertainment… you must have heard of him? Is there a problem?”

“It’s nothing. Have him contact me later.”

They fell silent for the rest of the trip. The highway from W-City to S-City took about forty-five minutes. Luckily, they reached Bo Nan’s front door just before midnight.

As Bo Nan got out, a familiar car pulled up behind them. The window rolled down, revealing Bo Yizhen’s face. He looked at the flashy sports car speeding away and asked, “Sneaked out to play with friends?”

“Yeah.” Bo Nan smiled and hopped into his brother’s car. “I didn’t drink. Just gaming with some guys—Brother, I’m starving. You probably didn’t eat enough tonight either? Shall I order some BBQ skewers? How about two kidney skewers?”

Bo Yizhen looked as noble and elegant as an immortal, but in reality, his favorite food was grilled pig kidneys.

Bo Yizhen’s expression flickered, but he said, “If there’s a next time, I’ll break your legs.”

“I know, I know,” Bo Nan replied with a grin and a lack of sincerity.

He had heard those words countless times. Only after losing him did he realize how much he missed hearing his brother say that. He would definitely listen this time… though he realized that even if his brother said it, he still wouldn’t actually obey.

Bo Nan asked, “So, do you want the kidneys or not? If not, I’m ordering for myself.”

I want them. Extra spicy.”

Fortunately, their father also knew that one never gets full at business galas. Seeing the two return and excitedly eat BBQ, he didn’t say anything. He even snatched a kidney skewer from Bo Yizhen and a handful of beef fat skewers from Bo Nan. He ate while the family doctor, Uncle Zhou, nagged from the side: “High blood pressure! High cholesterol! Sir, you cannot eat anymore!”

Bo Weiping looked up and downed half a bottle of Coke. Uncle Zhou was heartbroken: “Blood sugar! Watch your blood sugar!”

Bo Nan laughed and pulled him into a seat, shoving a handful of grilled pork belly into his hand. “Uncle Zhou, sit down! It’s fine to eat once in a while! Here, this pork belly is their signature dish. Try it!”

Uncle Zhou shook his head, but his body was honest. He took a bite and said, “Not bad. Not too oily.”

The next day.

“Say that again?” Bo Yizhen suppressed his anger. Yesterday Bo Nan had sneaked out early; today, the moment he arrived at the office, he said he wanted to stay at Little Green Mountain for half a month?

“Where do you plan to stay? That broken bamboo hut?”

“I’ve already hired someone to clean it.” Bo Nan looked at Bo Yizhen and moved a decorative brush stand on his desk to a different spot. He then instructed Zhang Li: “Assistant Zhang, please get someone to take down this painting behind him.”

Zhang Li glanced at Bo Yizhen. Seeing that his boss wasn’t even looking at him, he decided to follow the order. “Yes, Second Young Master. Do you want to take the painting with you or…”

“I’m not interested in it,” Bo Nan said. “Hang it in the meeting room. It’s better to have nothing behind you… I’m telling you, Brother, how old are you? Why follow Dad’s style and hang a ‘Galloping Horses’ painting? Galloping is fine, but it’s too impetuous. You need something more stable.”

Bo Yizhen paused. He pushed his glasses up his nose and said, “Zhang Li, take the painting down. Then leave us.”

“Bo Nan, sit down.” Bo Yizhen looked at him seriously. “Let’s talk.”

“You haven’t been right since Mount Heng… what happened there? I want you to tell me, Bo Nan.”