I consulted a feng shui master in Hong Kong.

Just then, a series of chaotic footsteps suddenly came from outside the alley, accompanied by the muffled thud of leather shoes on the ground and a man's suppressed cursing. They approached from afar and soon blocked the doorway.

Chen Qinghe was still listening when Huang Shouzhou's face turned pale.

He had been trying to maintain his composure, but now he seemed to have been stabbed in the back, his lips trembling slightly as he subconsciously looked at the broken leather suitcase that hadn't been closed yet.

A shirt and a boat ticket were sticking out of the box, clearly indicating that it had been packed up long ago and was ready to make a quick getaway.

"Huang Shouzhou!" a sharp voice shouted from outside the door, "What are you hiding for? Get out here!"

The old wooden door was pounded on loudly, shaking dust off the doorframe. Huang Shouzhou jumped in fright, hurriedly taking half a step back behind Chen Qinghe, his voice hoarse: "It's over, it's over, how did the Huo family get here so quickly..."

Chen Qinghe didn't move, only asking one question: "The Huo family?"

Huang Shouzhou swallowed hard and lowered his voice, as if afraid the person outside the door would hear: "The Huo family in Hong Kong is involved in shipping and real estate. They are rich and powerful, and they know people in both the legitimate and underworld circles. A few days ago, the Huo family came to us, wanting to ask Master Li to take a look at them. They said that the young master of the Huo family has been sleeping poorly lately, waking up in fright at night, and is also listless during the day, always saying that the room is stuffy."

"I'm going to refuse, you know that. If Master Li were here, this kind of feng shui arrangement wouldn't be a problem. How would I know anything about these things?"

"But the Huo family said they would give me 100,000 yuan... and I was immediately blinded by greed."

At this point, he realized he was in the wrong, and his voice lowered even further.

"I originally thought that rich people's houses were just too big and had too many people. I could just rearrange the furniture and move the beds around to make money first. Who knew... who knew that the house really had a problem."

Chen Qinghe looked at him: "What did you do?"

Huang Shouzhou gave a dry laugh, a laugh more like a grimace: "I noticed that the young master lives in the east wing of the side building, with the door facing the long corridor and the window overlooking the garden, separated by a screen wall. I felt that the energy was not flowing smoothly, violating the principle of 'through the hall' (a concept in Feng Shui). So I had them dismantle half of the screen wall, and placed a basin of running water in the southeast corner of the room, and hung a Bagua mirror above the bed, saying that this would draw energy into the room and calm the mind..."

His voice grew weaker and weaker as he spoke, and in the end he barely dared to look up at Chen Qinghe.

Chen Qinghe frowned.

This method sounds plausible at first glance, but it's actually completely wrong.

The screen wall is meant to block direct and rapid airflow. In the Huo family's deep mansion, with its long corridors and wide doors, it was easy for the wind to blow directly and for the air to dissipate. Removing the screen wall was tantamount to letting the wind from the corridor and the mixed air from the courtyard directly into the bedroom.

As for placing running water in the southeast corner, if the location is suitable, it can naturally nourish the wood energy. However, it is not advisable for the bedroom to have constant water noise. If there is a long corridor with drafts, the movement of water will make the energy even more chaotic.

Hanging a mirror above the bed, which reflects your image, is most likely to cause mental and physical distress at night.

This is hardly a matter of calming the mind and soothing the spirit; it's clearly turning what was originally a minor situation of stagnant energy into a disastrous one of chaotic winds, turbulent waters, and restless minds.

"And then?" Chen Qinghe asked.

"Later..." Huang Shouzhou wiped his sweat, "Later, the young master of the Huo family indeed had even less sleep. At first, he would only wake up once or twice at night, but after the changes were made, he didn't sleep soundly for three consecutive days. He would throw tantrums during the day and smash things at night, saying that the noise in the room was giving him a headache. The Huo family had a doctor examine him, but they couldn't find anything wrong, so they turned around and blamed me."

Another kick came down on the door from outside.

"Huang Shouzhou, stop playing dead! You went to the dock to buy a ticket and then tried to run away. Do you think the Huo family is helpless?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Shouzhou froze completely.

The people outside had clearly investigated him thoroughly, even knowing when he bought the tickets.

Chen Qinghe glanced at the half-open, tattered leather suitcase, a faint look of understanding flashing in his eyes.

He doesn't just want to leave; he's already prepared to leave.

If I had arrived two days later, I probably wouldn't have seen anyone here anymore.

Huang Shouzhou, embarrassed, said with a bitter face, "I... I had no choice. The Huo family said last night that they would give me three days. If the young master still couldn't sleep well within three days, they would smash up the Sanxuan Temple. I was thinking... I was thinking of laying low for a while..."

"Hiding on a boat?" The man outside seemed to have heard him and sneered, "You've got some ideas. Young Master Huo can't sleep, so you just buy a ticket and leave? Do you really think we're fools?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the door was punched again.

This time, even the wooden bolts trembled violently.

Huang Shouzhou panicked completely, his voice low as he pleaded, "Junior brother, junior brother, please help me cover for him! I really didn't mean to trick anyone. That young master of the Huo family… that young master isn't a bad person, he's just a bit of a playboy. He frequents dance halls and racetracks, and has a ton of friends, but he's kind to his servants, always smiling at everyone. A while ago, he wasn't sleeping well at night, but he didn't take it out on the servants; he just locked himself in his room, which is why Master Huo got worried. If I had known there was something fishy going on, I wouldn't have dared to take this job!"

Chen Qinghe listened without responding.

Whether the young master of the Huo family was a good person or not was not his concern at the moment.

What he was concerned about was that Huang Shouzhou's reckless alteration had brought all the hidden problems in the Huo family mansion to the forefront.

Now that the Huo family has come knocking, it's not just to settle scores, but also to force the Sanxuan Temple to give an explanation.

He only arrived in Hong Kong today, and hasn't even had a sip of hot tea yet. His uncle's cause of death is still unclear, the temple's layout is still unresolved, and trouble has already come knocking at his door.

The people outside were clearly losing patience. Seeing that their knocking hadn't gone up, one of them started yelling, "Just break down the door! It'll save us from wasting time talking to this liar!"

"The manager instructed us to try diplomacy first, then resort to force. If they continue to play dead, it's not too late to smash things up."

When Huang Shou-chou heard "it's not too late to smash it," his legs went weak and he almost sat down on the ground.

He gripped Chen Qinghe's sleeve tightly, his voice trembling with tears: "Junior brother, this is all the temple has left. If they smash it all, where will our patriarch's face be? You are the rightful successor; you can't just stand by and watch us die!"

Chen Qinghe glanced down at the hand gripping his sleeve, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

Given his personality, he shouldn't have gotten involved in this matter.

Huang Shouzhou went out and messed around under his uncle's name, and the trouble he caused was his own doing.

But my uncle passed away not long ago, leaving behind such a dilapidated gate and a gatekeeper. If the Huo family really smashed it, how would I have the face to offer incense to my uncle in the future?

Moreover, while the Huo family's matter may seem simple, the truth behind it may not have much to do with Huang Shou-chou's actions.

If it's just ordinary qi stagnation, a person might sleep a little lighter, but it wouldn't cause such a severe emotional turmoil and irritability within three days.

Thinking of this, Chen Qinghe looked up at the doorway, his gaze gradually calming down.

The pounding on the door continued. Huang Shouzhou was sweating profusely, pleading repeatedly, "Junior brother, I'm begging you, I promise I'll never take on any more jobs recklessly. If you don't help this time, I'll really die here. The Huo family used to have connections in both the legal and illegal worlds. These past two years, Old Master Huo's temper has improved, and his subordinates have become more restrained. But you don't know, Old Master Huo dotes on this young master the most. If they really catch me..."

Huang Shouzhou didn't finish speaking, but Chen Qinghe already knew what he meant.