Chapter 352: A Peer Kicking Up a Storm?

“He… he is a boatman…”

Seeing Shui Miao suddenly rise, Fang Qing was taken aback and instinctively responded.

So he’s a boatman—that explained why he could be so ruthless and obtain such a maddening toxin. Shui Miao’s mind stirred. Now the villain had finally met his fate; it was time for him to leave. As for compensating Duan Hongmei, under the current circumstances, that would have to wait.

Shui Miao stood up to leave.

Seeing Shui Miao ready to go, Zhao Lu had nothing to say. The old man had tried to harm others but ended up harming himself—this was karma.

But Fang Qing hurried over to support Shui Miao, asking with concern, “You’re injured. You should lie down again.”

“Enough! Stop pretending,” Shui Miao pushed Fang Qing’s hand away, and with a cold smile said, “Miss Fang, you’d better understand the situation clearly. Just now, I almost got murdered by your father. If it weren’t for his clumsy hands, I’d be the one lying on the ground right now. I won’t call the police about this, but we shouldn’t have any contact from now on. I’m afraid that if I continue seeing you, one day I might fall asleep and never wake up again.”

Having said that, Shui Miao walked away.

Fang Qing was stunned. The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt, so she kept questioning her mother about what had happened. Seeing that the old man had been poisoned too severely and had died, Zhao Lu, in her mental breakdown, confessed everything about poisoning Duan Hongmei earlier. After hearing this, Fang Qing stood there like a wooden chicken, completely shocked.

Shui Miao resumed his original appearance and walked along the deserted street under the night sky, feeling deeply moved. How many parents in this world unknowingly harm their children out of love—how convoluted and strange fate could be! Thinking about his own destiny, Shui Miao realized his life had also been full of twists and turns. He truly didn’t know where his future path would lead.

※※※

After returning, Shui Miao found the shop door open and Chen Rong waiting for him, with only Xiaohua asleep.

Chen Rong had learned from Duan Hongmei the truth about how Shui Miao had helped her and her daughter. Seeing Shui Miao return, he hurriedly knelt before him to express his gratitude and vowed to immediately find Fang Qing and divorce her, then start a new life with his wife and children.

Shui Miao said nothing but hoped that Chen Rong would keep his word and become a truly good husband and father.

Over the years, Chen Rong had secretly saved a considerable amount of money and even bought a house on the side. After thanking Shui Miao, he took Duan Hongmei and Xiaohua and left.

Seeing this family finally reunited and living peacefully, Shui Miao felt deeply relieved. He realized for the first time how wonderful and exhilarating it felt to do good deeds.

When he turned back to tidy up the shop, he found 5,000 yuan on the bed along with a thank-you letter from Duan Hongmei.

To his amusement, the money turned out to be the payment that Qin Gang had given Chen Rong to hire someone to kill him.

“Qin Gang, you really have guts! I wonder how you’ll ever resolve this grudge with me in the future.”

Shui Miao shook his head with a smile and decided to keep the money for now.

He believed in doing good deeds thoroughly and helping others completely. After reading Duan Hongmei’s letter, he immediately locked up the shop and headed to Chen Rong’s new home to help improve the feng shui for the young couple.

Chen Rong and his family were still tidying up the house when Shui Miao knocked and entered. Seeing their slight confusion, Shui Miao got straight to the point.

Getting a free feng shui consultation was a rare blessing.

Shui Miao inspected the house. The apartment was about ninety square meters—perfect for a family of three—and located on the fourth floor. It needed a sunshade installed. The layout was fine, but since it had been vacant for a long time, the place had become excessively “yin,” which could cause strange illnesses for newcomers.

In feng shui, wind includes various forms of “qi,” but is not directly equivalent to it.

Wind infiltrates everywhere, diverse in nature. It can drive everything or destroy everything. It is the power behind all things and also a terrifying force of destruction. While many know wind as a power source, few realize its destructive potential.

For example, desert winds can crack stones, turning them into sand and eventually forming deserts. Such winds can also kill people.

Autumn winds ripen crops and turn leaves yellow, hastening aging and even causing death with excessive exposure.

Or consider the salty winds at sea. Think about why fishermen’s skin differs from that of office workers—it’s all due to the power of wind.

Therefore, for humans, the only manageable force is “qi.”

Wind carries too much negative energy, while qi is gentler and must be beneficial to people.

Take oxygen, for example—everyone knows its importance.

Or the “sheng qi” (vital energy) of all living things, which brings great benefits. To put it simply, if your office has many thriving green plants, you feel comfortable because they provide oxygen and abundant vital energy. But if all the plants are dead and withered, your mood will definitely suffer—this is the difference between vital and stagnant energy.

Then there’s “fu qi” (blessed energy).

What is blessed energy?

Many people have different definitions.

But I can tell you that blessed energy is a kind of qi generated by emotional changes—those who are cheerful, optimistic, and content are the most blessed. Associating with such people brings many benefits.

Here, we focus on “ren qi” (human energy).

When many people live in a house, they generate a lot of human energy. The stronger the human energy, the more the house’s energy is activated, which in turn brings good fortune to the residents.

Chen Rong’s house was clearly too “yin,” and the reason was simple: the north-facing window was too large. After identifying the issue, Shui Miao advised Chen Rong to install a stainless steel balcony outside the north window, effectively reducing its size. He also suggested placing the kitchen in the northeast to use fire to counteract the yin. The kitchen, being a “fire area,” combined with the east’s wood element, which feeds fire, would help eliminate the yin energy.

The northwest area should be set up as a bathroom, separated from the kitchen by a wall. It must be kept clean without any odor. Ideally, there should be a continuously dripping tap to carry away negative energy. Of course, a clean toilet also contributes positively by removing waste.

Next, Shui Miao asked for the family’s birth dates and times to determine their favorable positions—sheng qi (vital energy), chang sheng (longevity), and wang cai (wealth).

As dawn approached, Shui Miao completed his work and returned to his shop.

The sun rose, and a new day began. Shui Miao was still lying on his dirty, old recliner.

Those who looked closely would notice that not a speck of dust clung to Shui Miao, and the recliner remained as dusty as ever, untouched by his presence.

In fact, while resting here, Shui Miao was constantly cultivating in secret.

Everything seemed normal.

Around eight in the morning, an old man with an air of Daoist elegance and sharp eyes stopped under a large banyan tree.

“Hehe, what a big mouth! Talking about upholding justice—he’s really unaware of his own limits,” said the old man wearing black trousers and a green robe, holding a long sword. He looked like someone who had just finished morning exercise and was heading home.

“Yeah, did you have garlic for breakfast, old man?”

The old man wasn’t local; his accent was clearly northern. Shui Miao sat up and sarcastically implied the old man had bad breath.

Indeed, the old man had eaten garlic.

Shui Miao’s sharp reply made the old man pause briefly before he coldly nodded, “Young man, your nose is sharp, and your temper is fiery.”

“Flattery aside, it’s only polite to return the favor. Since you came to pick a fight so early in the morning, I can’t afford to be impolite, can I?” Shui Miao smirked disdainfully at the old man.

The old man suddenly smiled faintly, “Young man, that’s not the manner of a businessman.”

“Hehe, and you, old man, don’t have the qualities of a wise sage either,” Shui Miao shot back, not giving an inch.

The old man’s expression darkened slightly, “Fine. I once studied feng shui for a few years. Since you’re so confident, I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

“Haha, I’m flattered, but I have my own rules. If you want my help, I’ll charge a fee based on the person,” Shui Miao licked his lips but made no move to stand.

“Interesting,” the old man nodded. “Your sign says ‘Free for the good, double for the bad.’ I wonder which category I fall into.”

“That’s for you to know yourself. No need for idle talk. If you want my help, it’s simple—I don’t want your money, just your sword,” Shui Miao eyed the old man’s sword. It was ancient, finely crafted, and clearly valuable—an antique.

The old man narrowed his eyes at Shui Miao before calmly saying, “Kid, you not only have a nose sharper than a dog’s but also an eye for treasures. But obtaining my ancestral Qinggang sword won’t be easy.”

“I’m taking that sword today.”

Shui Miao stood up and gestured for the old man to sit, “Old man, I’ve been sitting this whole time. Now it’s your turn to take a rest.”

Shui Miao had already figured out that the old man wasn’t just a morning exerciser. He was clearly here on purpose—most likely another henchman sent by Qin Gang.

This recliner was old and dirty, having been there for years. Shui Miao was using his immortal energy to sit on it. A normal person sitting on it would collapse it instantly.

Since there was no identical recliner in the world, breaking it would be hard to replace.

Shui Miao had set a trap for the old man, waiting for him to fall right into it.