I consulted a feng shui master in Hong Kong.

Three days later, Liang Zhongren brought all the contracts and records.

Chen Qinghe already knew about the origins of the old dyehouse.

The original owner, Liang, used to run a cloth dyeing business, but later went bankrupt and mortgaged the shop to creditors. The creditors, however, felt that the empty place was unlucky and wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible.

Liang Zhongren made two trips and managed to negotiate the price down to 250,000. He also negotiated a condition for Chen Qinghe: a 50,000 deposit would be paid upfront, with the remaining balance to be settled in two installments within a month. The contract would be drawn up first, and the courtyard would be handed over first.

This is already a very wide opening.

Huang Shouzhou held the contracts in his hands, which were trembling slightly.

"Really buying?"

"Buy it." Chen Qinghe finished reading the last page, put the paper down, and said, "The land deed is clean, the debts are all settled, there are no future problems, so this place can't be put up again."

Liang Zhongren stood by, smiling obsequiously, but inwardly he was also filled with emotion.

Having acted as a middleman for so many years, he has seen too many people who talk a big game but back down when it comes to actually signing the contract.

Young people like Chen Qinghe, who dare to act once they've identified a target, are rare to find.

That noon, the three of them went to the brokerage firm together.

The old shopkeeper clicked away on his abacus, wrote the deed, and invited witnesses.

Chen Qinghe took out the prepared money from his pocket and placed the bills flat on the table.

That was the thank-you gift from the Huo family, the income accumulated from several deals a few days ago, plus the savings he hadn't touched since coming south; he had poured almost everything into it.

Huang Shouzhou stood by watching, his heart bleeding.

But as the last seal was placed, a strange warmth welled up in his heart.

From this moment on, the old dyehouse was no longer someone else's abandoned courtyard.

It was taken over by the Sanxuan Temple.

As they left the brokerage, Liang Zhongren personally handed a bunch of keys to Chen Qinghe, smiling as he said, "Master Chen, from now on, this place is yours. If you ask me, once you've cleaned this place up, you'll overshadow not only this old dye shop, but the entire back street."

Chen Qinghe simply put the key into his sleeve and didn't respond to that.

He turned to look at the old dye house. The facade was still old, the courtyard wall was still gray, and even the signboard was hanging crookedly. But in his eyes, this place was different.

This is not an old dye shop.

This is the new root of the Three Mysteries Temple.

On the way back to Fu'anli, Huang Shouzhou kept touching the contract, until the edges were almost frayed.

"They really bought it," he murmured. "Our Sanxuan Temple has actually bought such a large place."

Chen Qinghe kept walking, but his voice was steady: "Now that we have the place, the important thing is to get down to business."

"Is there anything else important?"

"People, money, and rules all need to be established."

As soon as he returned to Fu'an Lane, Chen Qinghe spread out all the account books, old scores, paper and pens.

Buying the old dyehouse was like planting the roots of the Sanxuan Temple, but planting the roots doesn't mean it will take shape immediately.

The front and back yards, side rooms, well, drainage, thresholds, and the main altar of the old dyehouse all needed to be rearranged. This couldn't be done by just hiring a few bricklayers to tinker around; he had to personally oversee the process and determine everything step by step.

Therefore, someone must guard Fu'anli.

Chen Qinghe looked up at Huang Shouzhuo.

"Starting tomorrow, you will stay here."

Huang Shouzhou was taken aback: "Me, mind the shop?"

"It's not just about guarding the shop," Chen Qinghe said. "The Sanxuan Temple has become famous now. Neighbors will come, people will come to ask for talismans, and people will come to ask for house viewings. You should keep the shop open for now, and hire a couple of people while you're at it."

"Hiring?"

"Hire two quick-witted people." Chen Qinghe marked on a piece of paper with his pen. "One to guard the gate, and one to run errands. They don't need to know anything about feng shui or how to talk politely. Just be tight-lipped, quick-handed, and diligent. Remember what people come to do, where they live, and what they leave behind. If there are minor issues, handle them if you can; if you can't, write them down and wait for me to come back."

Huang Shouzhou's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.

The former Sanxuan Temple was so dilapidated that it could barely take care of itself, let alone recruit people.

But things are different now. The old dyehouse has been bought, and the Sanxuan Temple is really going to reopen. Since it's going to reopen, it can't be like before, with just the two of them in their dilapidated state holding up the facade.

He nodded immediately: "Okay, I can do that."

Chen Qinghe hummed in agreement, then took out yellow paper and cinnabar from under the table, spread them out, and picked up a brush to draw talismans.

He painted quickly, yet his brushstrokes were steady.

One after another, he laid out talismans to protect the gate, house, body, and ward off evil. After the talismans were completed, he picked out a few and handed them to Huang Shouzhou.

"Put this one behind the door, and this one under the incense burner. Keep these two with you; don't let them leave your side."

Huang Shouzhou carefully took it, his expression becoming more serious.

"And what about you?"

"I'm going to stay near the old dyehouse," Chen Qinghe said. "They just took over there, the old problems haven't been cleared away, and the layout isn't finalized yet. I need to figure out the central line, the main position, and the wellhead first. I might not be back every day for the first half month."

Huang Shouzhou was initially a little uneasy, but after looking down at the talisman in his hand, he felt much more at ease.

Although he was not very capable, he knew that what Chen Qinghe gave him was not an ordinary thing.

There are door-protecting talismans behind the door, house-protecting talismans under the incense table, and I also carry amulets for protection and peace. If there is any unclean wind, at least it won't be trampled through by someone.

"Then you can go without worry." Huang Shouzhou carefully put the talisman into his pocket. "I'll keep an eye on things in Fu'an Village. I'll remember who comes to the door and who causes trouble."

Chen Qinghe nodded, then looked down at the paper on the table again.

He had already divided the paper into several pieces.

The main hall should be built in the front yard, the threshold should be raised, and the incense table should be placed in the main position.

The backyard should be converted into a quiet room; the well opening should be cleared and the drainage system should be unobstructed.

The bungalows on the east side will be used as warehouses and living quarters, while a vacant lot will be left on the west side, where a small altar can be erected and trees can be planted in the future.

With each stroke of the brush, the old dyehouse drew one step closer to the "Sanxuan Temple".

That evening, Chen Qinghe took his cloth bag and went to the old dye shop.

He didn't bring much with him, only a compass, red thread, wooden stakes, the old Three Mysteries Manual, and two sets of clothes.

The courtyard gate opened, and the inside was still the same as before: empty, cold, and with a musty smell of age. But as he stood in the center of the courtyard, he adjusted his compass, and his entire demeanor calmed down.

First, determine the central axis.

Measure the direction the door faces again.

Then look at the well, the wall, and how the air inlets are connected.

Night gradually fell, and only one lamp was lit in the old dyehouse.

Chen Qinghe sat at the old table, spread out the old genealogy book, and while comparing it with the old system of his sect, he drew the new layout of the temple on the paper. How to build the front hall, where to place the ancestral statues, how to avoid the mixed air in the meditation room, and how to renovate the well in the backyard were all things he had to decide himself.

Once he calmed down, even the sounds of the wind outside seemed distant.

On the other side, Huang Shouzhou also became unusually busy.

The next morning, he first pasted the talisman behind the door, then placed another talisman under the incense table, and then went out to look for someone.

They specifically target young men from respectable families who are quick and efficient, and who don't talk nonsense.

The Sanxuan Temple has no shortage of boasters, but it lacks people who can guard the gate, run errands, and keep records.

Despite being busy, Huang Shou-zhuo felt at ease.