"Master Xia Tian, who is he?"

"Yeah, he looks so unfamiliar. Can he really do fortune telling?"

"Master Xia Tian, why don't you just do it? We can pay a little extra..."

Some customers even thought that now that Xia Liang was involved in big business, he no longer cared about the pocket change they offered for fortune telling. Zhang Xiaokui, being simple and honest by nature, had never experienced anything like it. Hearing the customers' comments, his face turned slightly red.

Xia Liang just smiled and waved his hand. "Don't worry. When it comes to fortune telling, he has my trust."

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaokui shot him a grateful look. The customers, still skeptical, finally began their sessions.

Xia Liang observed from the side, noticing that while Zhang Xiaokui sometimes made minor mistakes with details and couldn't be as precise as him, it wasn't a major issue. After all, Xia Liang was practically a cheat, able to directly see a customer's past and future. Overall, things were going well.

After Zhang Xiaokui had attended to more than a dozen customers, Xia Liang nodded to himself in approval. This kid grew up in the countryside. He's honest, decent, and naturally kind-hearted. Plus, he's got some real skill. He can definitely watch the shop when I'm not around.

Xia Liang quickly made his decision. By then, it was noon and time for lunch. He patted Zhang Xiaokui on the shoulder.

"Alright, your trial period is over."

Zhang Xiaokui froze, assuming he had failed. He shot up from his chair, his voice laced with anxiety. "Sir, please give me one more chance! I can do it, I..."

Xia Liang chuckled. "What I mean is, you can stay."

Zhang Xiaokui's eyes went wide, and he stammered incoherently. "I... I can really stay?"

He had just arrived in the big city, originally intending to find some grueling manual labor. If a good job was available, who would want to toil away under the scorching sun?

Xia Liang smiled softly. "Yes, you can stay."

Hearing Xia Liang's confirmation once more, Zhang Xiaokui finally broke into a smile of pure satisfaction.

As the two were talking, a man who looked like a butler suddenly entered the shop. "Excuse me, who is Master Xia Tian?"

Xia Liang responded, "Sir, are you here for fortune telling? If so, my clerk can help you." He gestured toward Zhang Xiaokui, who was sitting nearby.

The butler-like man shook his head. "Not exactly. I'm here to invite Mister Xia to assess some Feng Shui."

"Feng Shui?" Xia Liang's eyes slowly swept over the butler. A moment later, he frowned. "Your miss has already hired quite a few experts, hasn't she? Why come looking for me?"

The butler was taken aback. "How did you know?"

Xia Liang chuckled. "I'm a fortune teller. Do I need a reason?"

"You're right!" The butler laughed as well, but his expression quickly turned to a sigh. "To be honest with you, Heavenly Master, many people have assessed our family's Feng Shui, but none could find the source of the problem. So, my miss has said that whoever can solve the issue, she is willing to pay one Yuan."

One Yuan? Xia Liang shook his head. To the current Xia Liang, one Yuan was an amount he wouldn't even bother to pick up if he saw it on the street.

"I have my own rules when I take a job," Xia Liang stated. "If your miss is exclusively hiring me, I can accept a price of one Yuan. However, if other experts have also been hired, the price is significantly higher. You should inform your miss of this as soon as possible so she can make her decision."

"This..." Conflict flickered across the butler's face. After a moment, he clenched his jaw and said, "Alright! In that case, please wait a moment, Master Xia Tian."

The butler stepped out of the shop and pulled out his phone, muttering into it for a few moments. A short while later, he hung up and walked back inside.

"Master Xia Tian, our miss says that as long as you are the one to solve the problem, the price is negotiable."

Xia Liang nodded, then turned to his new employee. "Xiao Kui, I'm leaving the shop in your hands. I have to go out for a while."

Zhang Xiaokui nodded eagerly and immediately got back to work with renewed focus.

Following the butler, Xia Liang went down to an underground parking garage where a Toyota Alphard van was waiting. About half an hour later, they arrived at their destination. It wasn't a residence, but a commercial street. The vehicle slowed to a stop in front of an antique shop.

"The miss and the other gentlemen are on the second floor. Please, Master Xia Tian, after you," the butler said as he opened the car door.

Xia Liang nodded and strode up to the second floor. As soon as he reached the landing, he paused in surprise. "Eh? What are you doing here?"

Seated in the tea room were about ten Feng Shui masters and two young women. One of them was, unexpectedly, Li Lizhi. The other must be the client.

Seeing Xia Liang, Li Lizhi quickly stood up. "Master Xia Tian, I was the one who recommended you to Miss Lin." She then added gratefully, "My father has been thinking of you constantly, but his body hasn't fully recovered yet, so he is unable to visit you in person."

Li Er had been tormented by that sinister Feng Shui to the brink of death. He would likely need a long period of recuperation before he was completely back to normal.

Xia Liang waved his hand dismissively. "It's no problem. It's my business to take payment for eliminating misfortune."

Li Lizhi smiled lightly and turned to the woman beside her. "Don't worry. If Master Xia Tian is on the case, there will definitely be no problem." She then looked back at Xia Liang. "Right, Master Xia Tian?"

Xia Liang answered modestly, "I can't make any guarantees just yet since I haven't seen the Feng Shui, but it shouldn't be a major problem."

"Humph, what bold words!" a raspy voice interjected.

The speaker was a wiry old man in his sixties dressed in a traditional Tang suit, with a wispy goatee on his chin. His cheeks were hollow, and his sharp, triangular eyes glinted fiercely. He was clearly not someone to be trifled with. Though elderly, his gaze was fixed intently on Xia Liang.

"Young man, you shouldn't be so full of yourself. This is a situation that has baffled many great masters. How dare a youngster like you make such a boast?"

Xia Liang paused for a moment. My principle has always been to return respect with greater respect. He didn't mince his words. "Do not mock a youth for his poverty; you can sooner slight an old man. I may be young, but I'm still leagues better than certain people who throw their weight around simply because of their age."

"You!" A flash of anger appeared on the old man's face.

Just then, a portly monk sitting beside him intervened to smooth things over. "Master Wang Lin, don't be so hasty. I've heard a little about the matter at the Li Family's villa. This young man, Xia Liang, truly does possess great skill." The portly monk then gave Xia Liang a friendly look.

"Now there's a man who makes sense!" Xia Liang nodded and smiled at the monk.

He then turned his attention to the young woman beside Li Lizhi. "You must be Miss Lin Xiaolan, I presume?"

The woman nodded in acknowledgment. Her complexion was quite pale, and she had an air of natural frailty about her, reminiscent of the classic literary figure Lin Daiyu. She was strikingly beautiful and carried herself with the grace of a high-born lady, yet a trace of deep sorrow on her face inspired a feeling of protectiveness.

Lin Xiaolan's lips parted slightly as she spoke. "Masters, since everyone has arrived, I will be direct. Although the initial payment I have offered is one Yuan, for any divine master who can solve the Lin Family's problem, a much more generous reward will, of course, be given. However, I must warn you all, our family's ancestral tomb is not to be entered lightly. A previous expert, the esteemed Taoist Priest Cha, was also left helpless by this matter."

While Xia Liang's expression remained unchanged, the other masters were visibly shaken by the mention of that name.

"Taoist Priest Cha? You don't mean the head of Zhengtian Taoist Temple?"

"His skills are legendary! Countless wealthy patrons are lined up for his Feng Shui consultations. They also say he's a very benevolent person. Besides Feng Shui and divination, he is also versed in Chinese medicine. In his free time, he provides treatment and medicine to the poor families living near his temple."

"I've heard Taoist Priest Cha's reputation is on par with that of Chen Xuandu from Longhu Taoist Temple!"

"If even he was helpless, then..."

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