Under One Person: Feng Shui Master, I Will Protect the Mountains and Rivers with My Own Body

In 2005, the summer in Zhejiang was unusually hot.

In the old forest outside Zhuge Bagua Village in Jiande, the cicadas were chirping so loudly it was unbearable, the air was distorted by the heat, and even a gust of wind seemed too precious to be given by the heavens.

"Stop, stop, stop! Uncle, you're my own uncle!"

Zhuge Qing was holding a folding fan in his hand, which he originally intended to use to fan himself, but now he used it to cover his face. His handsome face, which was always adorned with a confident smile, was now filled with a look of utter dismay.

He stared at Yan Sen, who was striking an extremely bizarre pose, his lips twitching wildly. "Uncle, Bajiquan emphasizes 'sticking, leaning, kicking, striking, grappling, and throwing,' it's a powerful and violent style of boxing, not... not for you to do calisthenics here! The way you're sticking your butt out, anyone who didn't know better would think you were practicing Toad Kung Fu!"

Yan Sen remained in that "single ram head" posture, his whole body stiff, his forehead covered in sweat.

"Nonsense! Aren't I looking for that 'strength'?" Yan Sen gritted his teeth, feeling his old back about to break. "That 'inch power' you mentioned earlier, is it generated from the heels or from the waist? Why do I feel like my strength dissipates as soon as it reaches my arms?"

"That's because the Qi in your meridians is too strong, and your physical body can't keep up with your consciousness!" Zhuge Qing sighed, walked over and straightened Yan Sen's arm. "Your cultivation of sexual energy is indeed high, and your Qi is frighteningly large, but your coordination... Uncle, to be honest, did you focus so much on training your eyes and Qi when you were young that you atrophied your cerebellum?"

"Get lost!" Yan Sen dropped his stance, plopped down in the shade of a tree, grabbed an iced cola from the side and gulped it down. "If I knew how to box, would I need you, with your squinty eyes, to teach me? I'd just take down one kid with one punch."

This is the second year that Yan Sen has been "living in seclusion" in Zhuge Village.

These past two years, Yan Sen has been living a very comfortable life.

At home, his mother, Zhuge Ning, cooks all sorts of dishes, and he can occasionally banter with his father, Yan Que, enjoying the pleasures of "filial piety and parental love."

After returning to Longhu Mountain twice, Grandpa Tian's health has improved significantly. Since resolving his sleep problem, the old man has experienced a surge in his accumulated skills, with his meditation techniques advancing by leaps and bounds. Coupled with his Golden Light Mantra and Thunder Magic, he can now be considered second only to one person on Longhu Mountain.

And there's Xiao Chenduo.

When Yan Sen visited the bunker last time, the girl was wearing a blue and white school uniform and carrying a pink backpack. She stood next to Liao Zhong and smiled at him. Yan Sen almost couldn't help but give Liao Zhong a banner that read "Best Foster Father of the Year".

The primordial Gu has been tamed by the Qi of Liver Wood, and the ferocious poison marks from before have all faded away. Now, apart from the occasional coldness in her eyes, Xiao Chenduo is no different from an ordinary elementary school student.

Everything is moving in a positive direction.

Yan Sen's own cultivation, however, has stalled.

His spleen, being of the earth element, is robust, and his liver, being of the wood element, is flourishing; he has mastered these two organs to a high degree.

He is currently stuck at the threshold of entering the "Lung Metal" realm.

The lungs belong to the metal element, which governs killing and sharpness. Yan Sen pondered that if he wanted to master the metal element of the lungs, he should learn some powerful techniques to get a feel for it. So he set his sights on Zhuge Qing's Bajiquan.

The reality, however, was quite different.

As a legitimate, noble "mage" who manipulates the workings of heaven and earth, Yan Sen's talent in close combat is practically nonexistent.

"I understand now." Zhuge Qing also sat down, fanning himself with a fan without any regard for appearances. "Uncle, you know Legend, right? In that game, you have the typical 'mage' body. Your methods are about mobilizing the power of heaven and earth, using the opponent's strength against them. Asking you to learn this kind of close-quarters combat is difficult for you, and also difficult for me."

Zhuge Qing was also suffering in his heart.

For more than a year, he watched helplessly as his uncle, who was a year younger than him, far surpassed him in the cultivation of Qi.

When Yan Sen returned to Longhu Mountain, he went with him once.

He witnessed firsthand that Yan Sen casually slapped the ground, and the withered grass in Tian Jinzhong's yard sprouted in spring; when Zhang Lingyu played chess with Yan Sen, Yan Sen lost so badly that the weight of the earth directly shattered the chessboard and pieces.

Although Yan Sen was eventually hung up and beaten by the Old Master, Zhuge Qing knew he couldn't match Yan Sen's control over "Qi".

"I'm not practicing anymore!" Yan Sen crushed the empty can and tossed it aside. The can arced through the air before landing precisely in a trash can a hundred meters away. "Everyone has their own expertise. I'm good with my brain. Fighting with my fists is too beneath me."

"That's more like it." Zhuge Qing grinned like a fox. "From now on, if anything happens, you'll be in charge of setting up the formation and controlling the situation, and I'll be your henchman. Isn't that perfect?"

Yan Sen glanced at him sideways, a half-smile on his face: "A thug? You? You didn't say that when I used gravity to press you into the ground during our sparring session."

Zhuge Qing's smile froze, and the hand that was waving the folding fan stopped: "Uncle, don't hit someone in the face, don't expose someone's shortcomings. That's all ancient history. I... I'm much more resilient now."

"Really?" Yan Sen stood up, patted the dirt off his backside, and a glint of cyan-gold light flashed in his eyes. "I'm really fuming from practicing my boxing today, how about we practice again? I won't use gravity, I'll just give you a 'massage' with my liver wood qi?"

Zhuge Qing felt a chill run down his spine.

The last time Yan Sen gave him a "massage," he claimed it was to unblock his meridians, but it turned out he was just using Qi to run around in his twelve meridians! He never wanted to experience that itchy and painful feeling, as if countless ants were crawling in his blood vessels, again in his life.

"No! Uncle! I was wrong!" Zhuge Qing jumped up, took three meters back, and clasped his hands in a fist salute. "Nephew suddenly remembered that I haven't finished today's Qimen Dunjia practice. If my father finds out, he'll break my legs. Farewell! Don't bother seeing me out!"

After saying that, the kid slipped away faster than a rabbit.

Yan Sen watched Zhuge Qing's retreating figure and sneered, "Tch, little punk."

He strolled leisurely into the village.

Although he said he wouldn't practice anymore, Yan Sen was still a little worried.

The Qi of the Lung (metal element) governs killing and warfare.

This skill cannot be developed through meditation alone, nor even through martial arts practice. It requires "intention," a sharp and all-pervasive "intention."

"Looks like we'll have to draw some blood after all." Yan Sen touched the cold Tianpeng Ruler in his arms and muttered to himself, "I've been living this comfortable life for too long, my bones are practically rusting."

As soon as Yan Sen reached the village entrance, he saw the familiar scene under the big banyan tree.

A group of elderly men and women were gathered in a circle, with a middle-aged man wearing an old-fashioned shirt and flip-flops squatting in the middle. The man held a handful of sunflower seeds in his hand, spitting as he spoke animatedly.

"...Let me tell you, that widow Wang's cat is absolutely a spirit! Last night I saw it with my own eyes swearing brotherhood with Old Zhang's dog on the wall..."

Yan Sen covered his face.

That was his biological father, Yan Que.

In the past year or so, Yan Que has completely let himself go. He threw away all his airs of being a master geomancer and the demeanor of a superior man into the Qiantang River.

He is now the "intelligence center director" of Zhuge Bagua Village. He knows more about the village than the village chief about whose chickens are missing or whose couples are arguing.

"Dad!" Yan Sen shouted, "That's enough! Mom's calling you home to kneel on the washboard!"

Upon hearing his son's voice, Yan Que reluctantly tossed aside the sunflower seed shells in his hand and waved goodbye to the elderly men and women around him: "See you later, everyone! To find out what happens next, let's chat again at the morning market tomorrow!"

He stood up, patted his bottom, strolled over to Yan Sen, and his face was no longer that of a gossipy old woman; his eyes instantly became clear and deep.

"How was it? How did your practice go?" Yan Que glanced at his son. "Look at you, so dejected. Did Qing'er mock you again?"

"He dares?" Yan Sen snorted. "I just feel that Bajiquan doesn't suit me. It's too forceful, lacking that... cough, that agile energy."

"Forget it, you just don't have the talent, just like me." Yan Que hit the nail on the head. "Alright, stop worrying about your crappy fist technique. Let's get to work."

"Work coming up?" Yan Sen was taken aback. "Who? Who's the 'All-Access' guy?"

"Hmm." Yan Que nodded, took out an old Nokia phone from his pocket, the screen still lit up. "Just hung up the phone. These guys are amazing, knowing I couldn't get through to them, they called your mom's phone directly, almost making her think I had some romantic entanglements outside."

Yan Sen rolled his eyes: "Get to the point. I've already gone back to my hometown and they still won't let me go? Does such a big state-owned enterprise like Nadutong stop functioning without me? If this plot were written into a novel, readers would all criticize the author for forcing more scenes for the protagonist, saying it's too stupid."

"This time is different." Yan Que put away his phone, his expression becoming more serious. "This time, the person contacting you is Gao Lian, the head of the Northeast region."

"Northeast?" Yan Sen raised an eyebrow.

If you were to draw a circle on a map of the supernatural world, the Northeast would definitely be the most unique region. Not only are the people there fierce and unruly, but more importantly, it is home to a unique supernatural tradition—shamanic practices.

That is, a shaman.

"What exactly happened?" Yan Sen asked.

"He didn't go into details, saying it wasn't convenient over the phone and it was top secret." Yan Que stroked his chin. "But I've heard of Gao Lian; he's a very honest person. The fact that he called here means that probably only you can handle this, or rather... only you can handle it perfectly."

Yan Sen remained silent for a moment, his mind racing.

Northeast China, immortals, spirits, incense...

These keywords, when combined, gradually brightened Yan Sen's eyes.

The spirit mediums invoke "old immortals," which are spirits with spiritual attainments. And what do these immortals cultivate? They cultivate the essence of the sun and moon, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

But in the eyes of the Earth Master, spirits are essentially a special kind of "Qi Spirit". They are born from the mountains and the earth's veins, and their connection with the earth's energy is even closer than that of humans.

Moreover, the Northeast is a place of white mountains and black waters, freezing cold, and the atmosphere is extremely desolate.

The place where the "metal" energy is most abundant!

"Father, I'll take this job." Yan Sen's lips curled into a smile, and a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes. "I was just worried about not being able to master the Lung Gold technique, and now someone has delivered a pillow to my door."

"I knew you couldn't stay idle." Yan Que chuckled. "But you'd better be careful this time you go to the Northeast. I heard the problem was caused by 'those people'."

"Who are they?"

"The Japanese, and perhaps even the Quanxing sect, are involved," Yan Que said in a low voice. "Things haven't been peaceful outside the Great Wall lately. Starting with the torrential rains and hailstorms in Harbin in mid-June, the Northeast has been plagued by frequent natural disasters, and all sorts of monsters and demons are flocking there. If you go there, you'll probably get caught up in a huge whirlpool."

"Whirlpools are great," Yan Sen said, rubbing his nose. "Muddy waters are good for fishing. Besides... the Japanese?"

He took out the Heavenly Ruler from his pocket, twirled it in his hand, and it made a "buzzing" sound as it cut through the air.

"Then my ruler can finally see some blood."

……

The next morning, at the gate of the Zhuge family's residence.

Zhuge Qing looked at Yan Sen, who was carrying a canvas bag and ready to go. Although he tried his best to hide it, his eyes and brows still revealed a sense of joy that "we are finally going to send this plague away."

"Uncle, have a safe journey." Zhuge Qing cupped his hands in greeting, smiling brightly. "It's cold in the Northeast, please wear more clothes."

"That's right, you don't need to worry about it." Yan Sen walked over with a smile, patted Zhuge Qing on the shoulder, "Qing, once your uncle leaves, who knows when he'll be back. You stay home and practice your skills diligently, don't be lazy."

"Definitely, definitely."

"By the way," Yan Sen whispered in Zhuge Qing's ear, "while I was away, if you dare to say anything bad about me to anyone..."

Yan Sen gently tapped Zhuge Qing's shoulder with his finger.

A faint but extremely tenacious earth element energy instantly entered Zhuge Qing's meridians and lay dormant.

"I'll keep this Qi as a keepsake," Yan Sen said with a wicked grin. "If you don't behave, I'll detonate it remotely. Then you'll feel your bladder... um, like being pricked by tiny needles. You know what that feels like, right?"

Zhuge Qing's face turned green instantly.

What kind of devilish method is this?!

"Uncle! Don't worry! I, Zhuge Qing, swear to heaven! I will never tell!" Zhuge Qing raised three fingers, making a solemn vow.

"That's good."

Yan Sen nodded in satisfaction, turned around, waved, and strode towards the edge of the village.

"Let's go! To Northeast China! To eat sauerkraut and stewed goose!"

Watching the boy's departing figure, Yan Que stood at the door of his house, still holding the tattered palm-leaf fan in his hand, but his eyes held less of amusement and more of worry.

"Honey, do you think this kid will be able to master the 'Lung Metal' technique during his trip to Northeast China?"

Zhuge Ning stood beside him, picking vegetables in her hand, and said in a calm tone: "I don't know if they can succeed in training, but I do know that those troublemakers, whether they are Quanxing or the Japanese devils, are probably in trouble."

"That's true." Yan Que chuckled. "This kid, now he's the kind of person who causes chaos wherever he goes."

……

Thousands of miles away, the Northeast Regional Headquarters is accessible from anywhere.

A tall, slender middle-aged man wearing glasses put down his phone and let out a long sigh of relief.

He is Gao Lian, the head of the Northeast region of Na Du Tong, and also the head of the Gao family, which is on par with the Lu, Wang, and Lu families.

"Dad, how did it go? Did that person agree?"

Across from the desk, a girl with long white hair and wearing hot pants was leaning on the desk, chewing bubble gum and looking curious.

She is Gao Lian's second daughter, Gao Yushan.

"I've agreed." Gao Lian rubbed his temples, his expression somewhat complicated. "Hopefully it'll work. Erzhuang, this whole thing is too strange. My feng shui master not only failed to figure it out, but he also lost his eyesight. If even he can't handle it..."

Gao Lian glanced at the gloomy sky outside the window, his expression grave.

"Then our black soil region in Northeast China will probably suffer heavy losses."