“Jue Di… How could it be Jue Di? It’s just land where grass doesn’t grow…”
Cheng Wancheng stammered, desperately wanting to argue but at a loss for words. Everyone in the village knew this land was barren; for decades, nothing had grown here. If someone claimed it wasn’t barren, that would truly be strange. Cheng Wancheng knew in his heart that he was trying to deceive Shui Miao, but his deception was seen through by the young man beside Shui Miao.
Seeing Cheng Wancheng’s ill intentions, Shui Miao immediately felt displeased, but considering Huang Yatou wasn’t around and the well water village expansion project couldn’t be delayed, he restrained himself and said, “Grass doesn’t grow here. It’s not even concrete, and you still say it’s not barren? Well then, tell me what you think qualifies as barren land?”
If it were up to Shui Miao’s temper, he would have beaten Cheng Wancheng up already. “Alright, alright, Mr. Shui, this land isn’t even being sold to you—it’s a gift from the village. You’re not farming here. If it’s useful, go ahead and use it. If not, just forget I said anything. Anyway, the agreement with Mr. Huang is already signed. If you break the contract, the village will simply refund the five million yuan, no penalty required. That should be beyond reproach, right? I didn’t even get a penny of commission—why should I bother with all this hassle?” Cheng Wancheng had his own calculations, hoping Shui Miao would offer him a big gift, after which everything would be easier to discuss.
Corrupt official!
The term “corrupt official” immediately popped into Shui Miao’s mind.
Previously, Shui Miao had never dealt with government officials, assuming that corrupt officials were just those who embezzled public funds. He never expected there to be hidden schemes even in land purchases. Understanding Cheng Wancheng’s implications, Shui Miao smiled slightly, thinking this was a good opportunity to interact with officials and accumulate experience for future dealings. He then asked Xiao Tudou and Xiao Liu to take a look around while he went aside with Cheng Wancheng, turned off his phone in front of Cheng, and said, “Secretary Cheng, I dislike beating around the bush. Just name your price directly.”
Upon hearing Shui Miao’s words, Cheng Wancheng immediately beamed with delight. “Mr. Shui, you’re too polite. It’s not that I’m not giving you good land, but I simply don’t have the authority! The villagers dislike this land, so I figured no one would object. If you want it, I still need to consult with everyone. In principle, since Mr. Shui is investing in our village, we should fully cooperate. But our village is indeed too poor, with many elderly people—we have no choice!”
Cheng Wancheng was cunning and manipulative, skillfully twisting his words to portray himself as a good person.
But Shui Miao knew that Cheng was about to bring up money.
Shui Miao smiled slightly and nodded. “Secretary Cheng, just say it directly. I understand.”
“Hehe, these days, young people who can understand our village’s difficulties are rare,” Cheng Wancheng said with a bright smile. He paused, then said seriously, “Alright then, I’ll take the initiative and give you this six-mu plot nearby. You can give some money to the elderly villagers, and I’ll help you handle things here. All you need to give me is fifty thousand yuan, and I’ll distribute the money to the villagers, negotiate with them, and rent this land to you permanently.”
Fifty thousand yuan for six mu of land, permanently usable, was quite a bargain.
Shui Miao thought for a moment and nodded. “Alright, fifty thousand it is. Once you’ve coordinated with the villagers, we’ll sign the agreement and give you the money.”
“We can sign the agreement today. I’ll go talk to everyone right now.”
Seeing an opportunity for profit, Cheng Wancheng was highly motivated. He immediately turned and ran toward the village office. The village’s loudspeaker soon came on, and Cheng summoned the village’s party members and the leader of the third team to an urgent meeting. The land belonged to the third team’s territory, and Cheng planned to give only the third team villagers some compensation, distribute some benefits to the team leaders and party members, and keep the rest for himself—at least thirty thousand yuan.
Secretary Cheng held his meeting.
Meanwhile, Shui Miao also got busy. Since no houses were visible within a thousand meters, he gave Xiao Liu some money to buy bamboo poles and canvas, selecting a grassy, elevated spot with large trees to set up tents. They planned to begin the expansion work in a few days.
Shortly after, Wang Xiaomi drove, taking Shui Miao and Xiao Tudou to the bank to withdraw money.
Since she was unfamiliar with land matters, Wang Xiaomi had remained silent.
“Barren land… How could it be barren? It’s just that no grass grows here…”
Cheng Wancheng stammered, eager to defend himself but unsure how to proceed. This land was indeed barren—everyone in the village knew it. For decades, not a single blade of grass had grown here. If anyone claimed otherwise, it would be strange. Cheng Wancheng knew perfectly well that he was trying to deceive Shui Miao, but he hadn’t expected the young man beside Shui Miao to see through his act.
Seeing that Cheng Wancheng had ill intentions, Shui Miao immediately felt displeased. However, considering that Huang Yatou wasn’t around and the expansion project in Jingshui Village couldn’t be delayed, he suppressed his irritation and said, “If even grass won’t grow here, and it’s not concrete ground, how can you claim it’s not barren? Fine, then tell me what you consider barren land?”
If it were up to Shui Miao’s temper, he would have already given Cheng Wancheng a beating. “Alright, alright, Boss Shui. This land isn’t being sold to you—it’s a gift from the village. You’re not planning to farm here anyway. If it’s useful to you, feel free to use it. If not, just forget I mentioned it. In any case, the agreement with Boss Huang has already been signed. If you breach the contract, the village will simply return the five million to you without claiming any penalty. That should settle it, right? It’s not like I’m getting any kickbacks from this. Why should I bother meddling in such trivial matters?” Cheng Wancheng had his own calculations. He wanted Shui Miao to offer him a generous bribe, after which everything would be smooth sailing.
Corrupt official!
The term instantly popped into Shui Miao’s mind.
Previously, Shui Miao had never dealt with government officials and had assumed that corruption only involved embezzling public funds. He never imagined that even purchasing land could involve such intricacies. Understanding Cheng Wancheng’s underlying meaning, Shui Miao smiled slightly. He thought this would be a good opportunity to interact with officials and gain experience for future dealings. So, he asked Little Potato and Xiao Liu to look around while he and Cheng Wancheng stepped aside. In front of Cheng Wancheng, he turned off his phone and said, “Secretary Cheng, I don’t like beating around the bush. Just name your price.”
Hearing this, Cheng Wancheng’s face lit up with a smile. “Boss Shui, you’re too kind. It’s not that I don’t want to give you good land—I just don’t have the authority! The villagers don’t like this plot, so I figured no one would object. If you want it, I’ll still need to discuss it with everyone. Logically, since you’re investing in our village, we should fully cooperate. But our village is really poor, with many elderly folks. There’s just no other way!”
Cheng Wancheng, cunning and sly, spoke in circles, painting himself as a virtuous figure.
But Shui Miao knew that the moment to talk money had arrived.
Shui Miao smiled and nodded. “Secretary Cheng, just speak plainly. I understand.”
“Hehe, these days, there aren’t many young people who can empathize with our village’s difficulties.” Cheng Wancheng beamed, paused for a moment, and then said seriously, “Alright, I’ll take the initiative and offer you all six acres of the nearby land. You can distribute some money to each household in the village for the elderly, and for my efforts in handling the matter, just give me fifty thousand in total. I’ll distribute the money to the villagers and negotiate with them to lease this land to you permanently.”
Fifty thousand for a permanent lease on six acres of land—it was a great deal.
After some thought, Shui Miao nodded. “Alright, fifty thousand it is. Once you’ve coordinated with the villagers, we’ll sign the agreement, and I’ll give you the money.”
“We can sign the agreement today. I’ll go discuss it with everyone right now.”
Eager to reap the benefits, Cheng Wancheng was highly motivated. He hurried back to the village office, and soon the loudspeaker crackled to life. Cheng Wancheng called for the village’s Party members and the leaders of the third team to come to the office for a meeting. Since the land was within the third team’s area, Cheng Wancheng planned to give some subsidies only to the villagers of the third team, distribute benefits to the team leaders and Party members, and keep the rest for himself—at least thirty thousand or more.
While Secretary Cheng was in a meeting, Shui Miao also got busy. With no households within a kilometer radius, Shui Miao gave Xiao Liu and the others some money to buy bamboo and tarpaulin. They chose a spot with grass, higher ground, and large trees to set up tents. Within a few days, they planned to start the expansion.
Shortly after, Wang Xiaomi drove Shui Miao and Little Potato to the bank to withdraw money.
Unfamiliar with land-related matters, Wang Xiaomi had remained silent the entire time.
“Senior Brother, the earth spiritual energy in that area is incredibly strong. I really, really like it. Please build the Taoist temple there and let me become a Taoist priest there in the future, okay?” Little Potato, with his keen sensitivity to earth spiritual energy, had already made a discovery.
“That’s not a problem. Once the temple is built, of course, you’ll be the one to maintain it. Don’t worry about that. It’s just…” Shui Miao stroked his chin, deep in thought. “I just can’t figure out what exactly blocked the well and cut off the earth spiritual energy. It’s been over a hundred years, and the spiritual energy is still blocked. Whatever it is must be powerful—maybe even toxic?”
“Senior Brother, the Master once mentioned this to me. He speculated that there is a massive stone cave beneath the dried-up well. He descended once and discovered a huge rock at the bottom. The rock was once toxic, but after years of exposure and erosion, the toxicity has dissipated. However, there are some mysterious runes carved on the rock. I believe the reason nothing grows on that land is due to those runes.”
“What else did Master say?” Shui Miao was intrigued. He hadn’t expected Little Potato to know so much.
Little Potato scratched his head and smiled. “Master also said that shortly after he passed away, someone would come for me, take me to rebuild the Taoist temple, and let me become the abbot!”
“Really?!”
Shui Miao was astonished. Master’s prediction was truly divine!
“Absolutely true.” Little Potato nodded vigorously. After a pause, he suddenly remembered something and added, “Oh, right, Senior Brother. Master also said that the person who would bring me here would find the large rock blocking the well to be a gift. It seemed to imply that the rock would be very useful to you?”
“If Master really said that, then it must be true.”
Shui Miao’s eyes sparkled with excitement. He immediately turned to Wang Xiaomi and asked, “Xiaomi, what do you think?”
Wang Xiaomi had been listening and contemplating. When Shui Miao posed the question, she shook her head. “I don’t know anything about land or runes. But if you want to retrieve the rock blocking the well, I have an idea. I think that rock must be some kind of treasure; otherwise, it wouldn’t be able to suppress the earth’s spiritual energy. Also, the reason Little Potato’s master was so shrewd and powerful might be related to the runes on the rock. So, I believe our top priority right now is to bring in an excavator and get that rock out.”
“We need to be careful and cautious. Even if the surface of the rock is no longer toxic, there might still be poison underneath. We can’t let our guard down.” Shui Miao shook his head gently. After some thought, he took out his phone and called Xiao Liu. “Xiao Liu, plans have changed. I need you to buy ten times more bamboo and tarpaulin. I want to set up a large tent over the entire area around the dried-up well. Negotiate the price, and I’ll be there soon.”
“General Manager, are you planning to set up the tent first and then start digging?” Wang Xiaomi was a bit confused. It was just a rock—an excavator could handle it in half an hour. There was no need for such an elaborate setup.
As a military person, she preferred direct and efficient solutions. By the time the villagers found out, the rock would already be gone.
But Little Potato shared Shui Miao’s perspective—they couldn’t rush this. They needed to proceed cautiously. Besides, in the eyes of a feng shui master, breaking ground was never a trivial matter. After some thought, Little Potato suggested, “We should also buy some ropes and flashlights. Since Master could go down, so can we.”
“Exactly what I was thinking. Let’s go down and take a look first.”
Shui Miao felt a surge of exhilaration. He sensed that the runes etched on the rock within the dried-up well were no mere ordinary symbols—they might be sacred scriptures or perhaps some kind of secret manual for Taoist cultivation!
“Barren land… How could it be barren? It’s just that no grass grows here…”
Cheng Wancheng stammered, eager to defend himself but at a loss for words. This plot of land had always been barren, something everyone in the village knew. For decades, not a single blade of grass had grown here. If anyone claimed otherwise, it would be strange. Cheng Wancheng knew full well that he was trying to deceive Shui Miao, but he hadn’t expected the young man beside Shui Miao to see through his act.
Seeing that Cheng Wancheng had ill intentions, Shui Miao immediately felt irritated. However, considering that Huang Yatou wasn’t around and the expansion project in Jingshui Village couldn’t be delayed, he held back his temper and said, “If even grass won’t grow here, and it’s not concrete, how can you say it’s not barren? Fine, then what would you call barren land?”
If it were up to Shui Miao’s temper, he would have given Cheng Wancheng a beating. “Alright, alright, Boss Shui. This land isn’t being sold to you—it’s a gift from the village. You’re not planning to farm here anyway. If it’s useful to you, just use it. If not, forget I mentioned it. Anyway, the agreement with Boss Huang has already been signed. If you break the contract, the village will simply return the five million to you without claiming any penalty. There’s nothing more to say. It’s not like I’m getting any kickbacks from this, so why should I bother? Really…” Cheng Wancheng had his own calculations. He wanted Shui Miao to offer him a generous bribe, and then everything would be easy.
Corrupt official!
The term instantly popped into Shui Miao’s mind.
Before this, Shui Miao had never dealt with government officials and had assumed corruption only involved embezzling public funds. He never expected that even buying land could involve such schemes. Understanding Cheng Wancheng’s implied meaning, Shui Miao smiled slightly. He thought this would be a good opportunity to interact with officials and gain experience for future dealings. So, he asked Little Potato and Xiao Liu to look around while he took Cheng Wancheng aside. In front of Cheng Wancheng, he turned off his phone and said, “Secretary Cheng, I don’t like beating around the bush. Just name your price.”
Hearing this, Cheng Wancheng’s face lit up with a smile. “Boss Shui, you’re too kind. It’s not that I don’t want to give you good land—I just don’t have the authority! The villagers don’t like this plot, so I figured no one would object. If you want it, I’ll still need to discuss it with everyone. Logically, since you’re investing in our village, we should fully cooperate. But our village is really poor, with many elderly people. There’s just no other way!”
Cheng Wancheng, cunning and experienced, beat around the bush, painting himself as a good guy.
But Shui Miao knew the moment to talk money was coming.
Shui Miao smiled and nodded. “Secretary Cheng, just say it directly. I understand.”
“Heh, these days, there aren’t many young people who can appreciate the difficulties of our village.” Cheng Wancheng beamed, paused for a moment, and then said seriously, “Alright, I’ll take the initiative and offer you all six acres of the nearby land. You can give some money to each household of the elderly in the village, and for my efforts in handling the matter, just give me 50,000 in total. I’ll distribute the money to the villagers and discuss with them to lease this land to you permanently.”
50,000 for a permanent lease on six acres of land—it was a great deal.
After thinking it over, Shui Miao nodded. “Alright, 50,000 it is. Once you’ve coordinated with the villagers, we’ll sign the agreement, and I’ll give you the money.”
“We can sign the agreement today. I’ll go discuss it with everyone right now.”
Seeing an opportunity for profit, Cheng Wancheng was highly motivated. He quickly turned and hurried to the village office. Soon, the village loudspeaker blared as Cheng Wancheng called for the village Party members and the leaders of the third team to come to the office for a meeting. Since the land was within the third team’s area, Cheng Wancheng planned to give some subsidies only to the third team’s villagers, distribute benefits to the team leaders and Party members, and keep the rest for himself—at least 30,000 or more.
While Secretary Cheng was in a meeting, Shui Miao also got busy. There were no homes within a kilometer of the area. Shui Miao gave Xiao Liu and the others some money to buy bamboo and tarpaulin. They chose a spot with grass, higher ground, and large trees to set up tents. Within a few days, they planned to start the expansion.
Soon after, Wang Xiaomi drove Shui Miao and Little Potato to the bank to withdraw money.
Since she knew nothing about land matters, Wang Xiaomi had remained silent the entire time.
“Senior Brother, the earth spiritual energy in that area is really strong—I really, really like it. Please build the Taoist temple there and let me be a Taoist priest in the temple, okay?” Little Potato, with his keen sensitivity to earth spiritual energy, had already made a discovery.
“That’s not a problem. Once the temple is built, of course, you’ll be the one to maintain it. Don’t worry about that. It’s just…” Shui Miao stroked his chin, deep in thought. “I just can’t figure out what exactly blocked the well and cut off the earth spiritual energy. It’s been over a hundred years, and the spiritual energy is still blocked. Whatever it is must be powerful—maybe even toxic?”
“Senior Brother, the Master once mentioned this to me. He speculated that there is a massive stone cave beneath the dried-up well. He descended once and discovered a huge rock at the bottom. The rock was once toxic, but after years of evaporation and corrosion from the air, the toxicity has dissipated. However, there are some mysterious runes carved on the rock. I believe the reason nothing grows on that land is due to those runes.”
“What else did Master say?” Shui Miao’s interest was piqued. He hadn’t expected Little Potato to know so much.
Little Potato scratched his head and smiled. “Master also said that shortly after he passed away, someone would come for me, take me to rebuild the Taoist temple, and let me become the abbot!”
“Really?!”
Shui Miao was astonished. Master’s prediction was incredibly accurate!
“Yes, absolutely true.” Little Potato nodded vigorously. After a pause, as if suddenly remembering something, he added, “Oh, right, Senior Brother. Master also said that the person who brings me here—the large rock blocking the well—is his gift. It seems like he meant that the rock would be very useful to you?”
“If Master really said that, then it must be so.”
Shui Miao’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he turned to Wang Xiaomi and asked, “Xiaomi, what do you think?”
Wang Xiaomi had been listening intently and pondering deeply. When Shui Miao posed the question, she shook her head. “I have no knowledge about land or runes. But if you’re looking to retrieve the rock that’s blocking the well, I have a suggestion. I believe that rock must be some kind of treasure; otherwise, it wouldn’t be able to suppress the earth’s spiritual energy. Additionally, the reason Little Potato’s master was so astute and powerful might be connected to the runes on the rock. Therefore, I think our immediate priority should be to bring in an excavator and dig up that rock as soon as possible.”
“We need to be careful and cautious about this. Even if the surface of the rock is no longer toxic, there might still be poison beneath it. We can’t let our guard down.” Shui Miao shook his head gently. After a moment’s thought, he took out his phone and called Xiao Liu. “Xiao Liu, plans have changed. I need you to buy ten times more bamboo and tarpaulin. I want to set up a large tent over the entire area around the dried-up well. Negotiate the price, and I’ll be there soon.”
“General Manager, are you planning to set up the tent first and then start digging?” Wang Xiaomi was a bit puzzled. It was just a rock—an excavator could handle it in half an hour. There was no need for such an elaborate setup.
As a military person, she preferred direct and efficient solutions. By the time the villagers found out, the rock would already be gone.
But Little Potato shared Shui Miao’s perspective—this matter shouldn’t be rushed. It needed to be handled carefully. Besides, in the eyes of a feng shui master, breaking ground was never a trivial matter. After some thought, Little Potato suggested, “It would be best to buy some ropes and flashlights too. Since Master could go down, so can we.”
“Right, that’s what I was thinking. Let’s go down and take a look first.”
Shui Miao was overwhelmed with a wave of exhilaration. He sensed that the runes etched into the rock within the desiccated well were far from mere ordinary markings—they were celestial inscriptions, or possibly even esoteric manuals for Taoist cultivation!
“Senior Brother, Master once told me about this. He deduced there’s a huge cave beneath the dry well. He once descended and found a giant stone at the bottom. That stone originally had poison, but after so many years of evaporation and air corrosion, the toxicity has dissipated. However, some mysterious talisman characters were carved on that stone. I think the reason this land is barren is precisely due to those characters.”
“What else did Master say?” Shui Miao’s heart stirred, surprised at how much Xiao Tudou knew.
Xiao Tudou scratched his head and smiled. “Master also said that shortly after his death, someone would come looking for me, take me to rebuild the Taoist temple, and make me its abbot!”
“Such a thing too!”
Shui Miao was greatly astonished. His master truly was a divine calculator!
“Yes, absolutely true.” Xiao Tudou nodded earnestly. Then, as if suddenly recalling something, he hurriedly added, “Oh right, Senior Brother! Master also mentioned that the person who brought me here—the big stone blocking the dry well—is his gift. It seems like that stone is especially useful for you?”
“If Master truly said that, then it must be so.”
Shui Miao’s eyes sparkled and he immediately asked Wang Xiaomi, “Xiaomi, what do you think?”
“Barren land… How could it be barren? It’s just that no grass grows here…”
Cheng Wancheng stammered, eager to defend himself but at a loss for words. This plot of land was indeed barren—everyone in the village knew it. For decades, not a single blade of grass had grown here. If anyone claimed otherwise, it would be downright strange. Cheng Wancheng knew this well. He had hoped to deceive Shui Miao, but he hadn’t expected the young man beside Shui Miao to see right through him.
Seeing that Cheng Wancheng had ill intentions, Shui Miao immediately felt irritated. However, considering that Huang Yatou wasn’t around and the expansion project in Jingshui Village couldn’t be delayed, he suppressed his temper and said, “Not even grass grows here, and it’s not like it’s concrete ground. How can you say it’s not barren? Fine, then tell me, what would you consider barren land?”
If it were up to Shui Miao’s temper, he would have already given Cheng Wancheng a beating. “Alright, alright, Boss Shui. This land isn’t being sold to you—the village is giving it to you. You’re not planning to farm here anyway. If it’s useful to you, just use it. If not, forget I ever mentioned it. Anyway, the agreement with Boss Huang has already been signed. If you break the contract, the village will simply return the five million to you without demanding a penalty. There’s nothing more to say, right? It’s not like I’m getting any kickbacks from this. Why should I bother with such trivial matters?” Cheng Wancheng had his own calculations. He wanted Shui Miao to offer him a generous bribe, after which everything would be easy to discuss.
Corrupt official!
The term “corrupt official” instantly popped into Shui Miao’s mind.
Before this, Shui Miao had never dealt with government officials. He had assumed corrupt officials only embezzled public funds or something similar. He never expected that even purchasing land could involve such hidden intricacies. Understanding Cheng Wancheng’s underlying meaning, Shui Miao smiled slightly. He thought this would be a good opportunity to interact with officials and gain experience for future dealings. So, he asked Little Potato and Xiao Liu to look around while he and Cheng Wancheng stepped aside. In front of Cheng Wancheng, he turned off his phone and said, “Secretary Cheng, I don’t like beating around the bush. Just name your price.”
Hearing this, Cheng Wancheng immediately broke into a wide grin. “Boss Shui, you’re too kind. It’s not that I don’t want to give you good land—I just don’t have the authority! The villagers don’t like this plot, so I figured no one would object. If you want it, I’ll still need to discuss it with everyone. Logically speaking, since Boss Shui is investing in our village, we should fully cooperate. But our village is really poor, with many elderly folks. There’s just no other way!”
Cheng Wancheng, cunning and sly, beat around the bush, painting himself as a good person.
But Shui Miao knew that the moment to talk money had arrived.
Shui Miao smiled and nodded. “Secretary Cheng, just speak plainly. I understand.”
“Hehe, these days, there aren’t many young people who can empathize with our village’s difficulties.” Cheng Wancheng’s smile widened. After a pause, he said seriously, “Alright, I’ll take the initiative and offer you all six acres of the nearby land. You can distribute some money to each household for the elderly in the village. As for me, just give me 50,000 yuan to handle the procedures. I’ll distribute the money to the villagers and discuss with them to lease this land to you permanently.”
Fifty thousand yuan for a permanent lease on six acres of land—it was a great deal.
After some thought, Shui Miao nodded. “Alright, 50,000 it is. Once you’ve coordinated with the villagers, we’ll sign the agreement, and I’ll give you the money.”
“We can sign the agreement today. I’ll go discuss it with everyone right now.”
Seeing an opportunity for profit, Cheng Wancheng became exceptionally enthusiastic. He quickly turned and hurried to the village office. Soon, the village loudspeaker blared as Cheng Wancheng called for the village’s Party members and the leaders of the third team to come to the office for a meeting. The land was within the third team’s area, so Cheng Wancheng planned to give some subsidies to the third team’s villagers, distribute benefits to the team leaders and Party members, and keep the rest for himself—at least 30,000 yuan.
While Secretary Cheng was in a meeting, Shui Miao also got busy. There were no households within a kilometer of the area. Shui Miao gave Xiao Liu and the others some money to buy bamboo and tarpaulin. They chose a spot with grass, higher ground, and large trees to set up tents. Within a few days, they planned to start the expansion.
Soon after, Wang Xiaomi drove Shui Miao and Little Potato to the bank to withdraw money.
Since she knew nothing about land matters, Wang Xiaomi had remained silent the entire time.
“Senior Brother, the earth spiritual energy in that area is really strong—I really, really like it. Can you build the Taoist temple there and let me be a Taoist priest there in the future?” Little Potato, with his keen sensitivity to earth spiritual energy, had already made a discovery.
“That’s not a problem. Once the temple is built, of course, you’ll be the one to maintain it. Don’t worry about that. It’s just…” Shui Miao stroked his chin, deep in thought. “I just can’t figure out what exactly blocked the well and cut off the earth spiritual energy. It’s been over a hundred years, and the spiritual energy is still blocked. Whatever it is must be powerful—maybe even toxic?”
“Senior Brother, Master once shared this with me. He theorized that there lies a vast stone cavern beneath the dried-up well. He ventured down once and discovered a massive boulder at the bottom. The rock was once poisonous, but after years of evaporation and erosion by the air, the toxicity has dissipated. However, there are some mysterious runes etched into the rock. I believe the barrenness of that land is due to those runes.”
“What else did Master say?” Shui Miao’s interest was piqued. He hadn’t expected Little Potato to know so much.
Little Potato scratched his head and smiled. “Master also said that shortly after he passed away, someone would come for me, take me to rebuild the Taoist temple, and let me become the temple’s abbot!”
“Really?!”
Shui Miao was astonished. Master’s prediction was incredibly accurate!
“Yes, absolutely true.” Little Potato nodded vigorously. After a pause, as if suddenly remembering something, he added, “Oh, right, Senior Brother. Master also said that the person who brings me here—the large rock blocking the dried-up well—is his gift. It seems like he meant that the rock is very useful to you?”
“If Master really said that, then it must be true.”
Shui Miao’s eyes lit up, and he immediately turned to Wang Xiaomi. “Xiaomi, what do you think?”
Wang Xiaomi had been attentively listening and pondering. When Shui Miao posed the question, she shook her head. “I don’t understand anything about land or runes. But if you want to retrieve the rock blocking the well, I have an idea. I think that rock must be some kind of treasure; otherwise, it wouldn’t be able to suppress the earth’s spiritual energy. Additionally, the reason Little Potato’s master was so shrewd and powerful might be related to the runes on the rock. Therefore, I believe our top priority right now is to immediately bring in an excavator and dig up that rock.”
“We need to be careful and cautious about this. Even if the surface of the rock is no longer toxic, there might still be poison underneath. We can’t let our guard down.” Shui Miao shook his head gently. After some thought, he took out his phone and called Xiao Liu. “Xiao Liu, plans have changed. I need you to buy ten times more bamboo and tarpaulin. I want to set up a large tent over the entire area around the dried-up well. Negotiate the price, and I’ll be there soon.”
“General Manager, are you planning to set up the tent first and then start digging?” Wang Xiaomi was a bit puzzled. It was just a rock—an excavator could handle it in half an hour. There was no need for such an elaborate setup.
As a military person, she preferred direct and efficient solutions. By the time the villagers found out, the rock would already be gone.
But Little Potato shared Shui Miao’s perspective—this matter shouldn’t be rushed. It needed to be handled carefully. Moreover, in the eyes of a feng shui master, breaking ground was never a trivial matter. After some thought, Little Potato suggested, “We should also buy some ropes and flashlights. Since Master could go down, so can we.”
“Yes, that’s what I was thinking too. Let’s go down and take a look first.”
Shui Miao was filled with excitement. He sensed that the runes etched on the rock within the dried-up well were no mere ordinary symbols—they could be divine scriptures or perhaps some kind of secret manual for Taoist cultivation!
“This matter needs to be handled carefully. Although the stone’s surface may no longer be poisonous, there might still be toxins beneath it. We can’t afford to be careless.” Shui Miao gently shook his head, thought for a moment, and then called Xiao Liu on his phone: “Xiao Liu, the plan has changed. I need to buy ten times more bamboo poles and canvas. I want to build large tents over the dry well area. Once you’ve settled the price, I’ll come immediately.”
“General Manager, are you planning to build the tents first and then dig?” Wang Xiaomi was somewhat puzzled. After all, it was just a stone. An excavator could finish the job in half an hour. There was no need for such elaborate preparations.
Soldiers liked to act directly and efficiently, finishing tasks before the villagers even found out, and the stone would already be gone.
But Xiao Tudou shared Shui Miao’s thoughts. This matter couldn’t be rushed. It needed to be handled carefully. Moreover, in the eyes of a feng shui master, moving earth was never a trivial matter. Thinking for a moment, Xiao Tudou suggested, “It would be better to buy some ropes and flashlights too. If Master could go down there, so can we.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking. Let’s go down and take a look first.”
Shui Miao felt excited. He sensed that the characters carved on the stone inside the dry well were no ordinary talismans—they might be heavenly scriptures or secret Taoist manuals!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage