I consulted a feng shui master in Hong Kong.

The next morning, Huang Shouzhou left home before dawn.

Chen Qinghe gave very clear instructions last night: the stone material should not be newly dug dry stone, but rather the scraps of bluestone salvaged from the old house. The stone surface should be straight, the texture should be solid, and it would be best if it also had a sense of weightiness.

Huang Shouzhou originally thought it was just a matter of picking out a couple of stones at the stone market, but once he stepped outside, he realized that there was much more to it than met the eye.

He grumbled and complained that his junior brother was becoming increasingly difficult to please, but he dared not delay and obediently headed to the quarry in the west of the city.

It was rare to find peace and quiet at the Sanxuan Temple.

As usual, Chen Qinghe lit an incense stick in front of the incense table, then placed the old copper coins that the Pei family had dug up on the table and looked at them for a while.

Just then, footsteps came from outside the door.

Chen Qinghe looked up and saw that Pei Shijie had already arrived at the door.

The young master of the Pei family was dressed more neatly today than before, and his complexion was not as ashen. The dark circles under his eyes had faded considerably, but his brow was still furrowed, indicating that he had not truly relaxed.

As soon as he entered, he respectfully cupped his hands in greeting before speaking, "Master Chen, I hope I haven't disturbed you?"

"Sit down." Chen Qinghe nodded.

After Pei Shijie sat down, he said in a low voice, "My mother and brother have both improved a lot in the past two days. Last night, my mother was able to sleep through the night, and my brother's fever has completely subsided. Although there are fewer customers in the shop than a few days ago, the accounts are stable, and people are not as restless."

He gave himself a wry smile as he said this.

"Logically, I should be relieved that the situation has been resolved to this point. But the more I think about it, the more frightened I become. I feel that this matter cannot be left unresolved. Mr. Chen, I came here today to ask you—what is the safest way to handle this matter going forward?"

Chen Qinghe looked at him but didn't answer immediately.

Pei Shijie wasn't stupid. Once the Pei family's scheme was broken up, he should have realized that he hadn't stumbled upon ordinary windfall gains, but rather a path where someone was making a living off of it.

If he had simply attributed it to bad luck, he wouldn't have made that trip so early in the morning.

"Tell me first, who did you usually turn to for this kind of thing in the past?" Chen Qinghe said.

Pei Shijie was taken aback, then nodded: "Normally, for jobs like ours, we usually ask Master Zhou from Jinfulou for help. He may not come in person, but he can act as a go-between. Whether it's a shop changing its storefront, a house needing its feng shui checked, or someone needing to boost wealth or ward off evil spirits, as long as we send a message, he can always get in touch with someone to handle it."

He added, "As you know, it was his people who started this mess with my shop."

After listening, Chen Qinghe smiled instead.

Jinfulou, Master Zhou, changing the storefront, and the wealth-generating bureau—this line of events makes sense.

Pei Shijie made a special trip today, clearly not just to repeat Master Zhou's name.

Sure enough, Pei Shijie paused, then lowered his voice even further.

"After I went back yesterday, I made some more inquiries. There are still people behind Jinfulou."

"Who is it?"

"Everyone outside says he's a monk from a temple," Pei Shijie said. "He's not a local monk; I heard he came from Thailand. Some people in Hong Kong don't call him by his Dharma name; they just call him 'Eight-Faced Buddha.'"

When he said those three words, his expression clearly tightened.

"It's said that he doesn't show his face easily. Whether it's Master Zhou or Qiu Wu, they usually just handle the connections and set up the schemes for him. When it comes to matters involving large houses, shops, or lucrative businesses, the one who makes the final decision is usually this Eight-Faced Buddha."

Upon hearing this, Chen Qinghe's eyes finally twitched slightly.

Thai monks.

Eight-faced Buddha.

Unexpected wealth formation, Five Ghosts transporting wealth, borrowing a house to hasten death.

When these ingredients are put together, the flavor becomes even more mixed.

In Hong Kong, temples, shrines, monasteries, and altars have always been very popular.

Some people use Buddhist amulets for business, some use statues of gods to ward off bad luck, and some force unorthodox numerology techniques learned from abroad into the feng shui practices of China, resulting in something neither fish nor fowl.

The fact that someone like Pei Shijie would specifically inquire about his name shows that this "Eight-Faced Buddha" is definitely not some nobody who just makes a living in the shadows.

"Are you scared?" Chen Qinghe asked.

Pei Shijie was silent for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said, "I am really afraid. But what's done is done, and being afraid won't help. Master Chen, I'm not here to ask you to take the blame for me, I just want to know if my Pei family has truly escaped this predicament."

"Yes," Chen Qinghe answered readily.

Pei Shijie visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"The Five Ghosts Transporting Wealth Formation in your shop was almost completely dismantled yesterday. I also managed to quell the worst anger for you. The fact that your mother and brother have recovered these past two days means that the formation is no longer affecting your family." Chen Qinghe said this in a calm tone, "However, this doesn't mean the matter is completely over."

Pei Shijie had just relaxed a little when his heart jumped again: "Master Chen, what do you mean?"

"It means that for now, we've only cut off the windfall gains and saved your life," Chen Qinghe said. "But if you want to slowly recover the lost wealth, we'll have to set up another scheme. Not the unorthodox methods like the Five Ghosts Transporting Wealth, but the proper way to gather energy and generate wealth. If you only want to save your life, this is enough; if you want to continue doing business peacefully, you'll have to wait a few more days while I prepare the next gold-digging scheme for you."

"The Gold Rush Bureau?" Pei Shijie was taken aback.

"It's not about robbing you, it's about gradually reclaiming the wealth that your shop should have had," Chen Qinghe said calmly. "It can't be rushed, and it can't be done too quickly. The unorthodox methods will show results in three days, while the orthodox methods will show results in half a month. If you have patience, then wait; if not, we can stop here for today."

Pei Shijie quickly shook his head: "Wait, of course I'll wait. I trust Master Chen's words."

Chen Qinghe then nodded.

"Then go back and guard the shop. Don't turn on the lights randomly again, and don't change the door randomly again. If anyone from Master Zhou's side comes again, just say that the shop is still being adjusted. Don't show any fear, and don't show any joy either."

Pei Shijie listened attentively and took notes. After he finished speaking, he added in a low voice, "Master Chen, that Eight-Faced Buddha... if you really want to get involved, you should be careful. I've heard that many people who have sought him out didn't end up well."

Chen Qinghe ignored the warning and simply said, "Just take good care of the Pei family."

His search for the people behind him wasn't solely for the Pei family.

With some follow-up information about my martial uncle about to surface, it would be best to follow the storyline.

Pei Shijie knew in his heart that he shouldn't ask any more questions after this point.

He got up to take his leave, but turned back at the door as if he wanted to say something more. In the end, he simply bowed respectfully and said, "Master Chen, the Pei family will remember your kindness this time."

After the people left, the shop became quiet again.

A gentle breeze blew in through the doorway, causing the cigarettes on the table to rise steadily.

Chen Qinghe sat in the chair, his fingertips lightly tapping the table, his eyes gradually darkening.

Master Zhou of Jinfulou simply let go.

The Pei family's single bet was leaked from outside.

The one who actually made the decision was the Thai monk hiding in the temple, the Eight-Faced Buddha.

He originally intended to slowly trace the line between the Pei family and Jin Fulou.

But since Pei Shijie has brought the way to him, it saves him the trouble of doing anything else.

First look at the people, then look at the situation.

Let's meet this eight-faced Buddha first, and then discuss whether we should completely uncover this connection later.

Thinking of this, Chen Qinghe got up, walked to the incense table, and added another stick of incense.

The smoke trail was straight, shooting straight up.

He paused for a moment before slowly saying, "Indeed, all sorts of monsters and demons dare to show up in Hong Kong."