Shui Miao glanced back at the scattered rocks and weeds behind him, his heart filled with complex emotions. This time, he truly felt as though he had encountered a benefactor. Unlike the millennium-old female ghost or the Spirit General, who had manipulated him like a mere pawn, this middle-aged scholar had been sincere and straightforward, clearly explaining everything from start to finish. He had even bestowed upon Shui Miao five cultivation stages and a Dragon-Seeking Ruler, without attaching any conditions whatsoever.
The five cultivation steps were now stored within Shui Miao’s inner realm.
Although the middle-aged scholar had taken the form of an old monk, it was undeniable that this appearance was easier for people to accept.
Another reason Shui Miao believed the scholar was a good person was because, back then on the mountain, he could have easily ignored Ma Fu, Liu Neng, and their safety. Instead, he not only taught them life-saving techniques, but also gave them money, and even had his yin spirit bless the descendants of those three families. This clearly showed that the scholar was a man of virtue and righteousness.
Shui Miao closed his eyes and quickly entered his inner realm. There, he saw five enormous green stone tablets. Four of them were blank, but the fifth was inscribed with the complete teachings of Feng Shui. The content was rich and profound, concise yet comprehensive. After reading it, Shui Miao was deeply moved—this knowledge was enough to benefit him for his entire life.
It would take ten years to fully master Feng Shui and internalize it, and it wouldn’t be easy.
Shui Miao quickly withdrew from his inner realm. He already remembered all the content without needing to read it again, but truly mastering and applying it would still be difficult.
At that moment, the minivan came to a stop.
Huo Yuanliang got out and asked in confusion, “Little brother, why are you here? Where’s that kid Huo Qiang?”
“He had something to do and left first. It’s not urgent anyway—we can go together now.” Shui Miao didn’t say much. The van was filled with many items, so everyone quickly tidied up, and Shui Miao squeezed inside.
On the road, after exchanging a few casual words, Shui Miao lowered his head and fell into deep thought. The middle-aged scholar had left in a hurry, leaving many matters unclarified—such as whether Shui Miao could return to Hai City, or what he should do if he encountered the thousand-year-old female ghost again. He couldn’t go to the Immortal Realm himself, but what if someone from there came searching for him? There were many such unresolved details. After pondering for a while, Shui Miao sighed inwardly. The scholar had already taught him so much—how could he expect him to explain every single thing? If he relied on others for every minor detail, wouldn’t he become a helpless puppet?
Life itself is cultivation and training. Only through practice can a person truly grow.
Suddenly, clarity filled Shui Miao’s heart, and he straightened his back, taking out the Dragon-Seeking Ruler.
The ruler was about sixty centimeters long and two fingers wide, entirely green in color. When Shui Miao first received it, it was half-open. Upon fully opening it, he found it was made of two seemingly ordinary wooden pieces. At one end was a transparent glass ball filled with clear water. Unlike the metallic rulers used by ordinary Feng Shui masters, this one was quite unusual, which intrigued Shui Miao.
After examining it for a while, he closed the ruler—only to find it had vanished! Startled, Shui Miao looked around frantically but couldn’t find it anywhere. The middle-aged scholar was a transcendent master, and anything he gave must be a treasure. Suddenly, a thought struck Shui Miao—he closed his eyes and used his mind to sense it, and to his surprise, he found the ruler had entered his inner realm.
But how could he bring it back out?
Testing it with his mind, he extended his hand—and the Dragon-Seeking Ruler reappeared in his palm.
“This ruler is truly a treasure! So convenient to carry!” Shui Miao whispered to himself, excitement in his voice.
But to Huo Yuanliang’s family, it was all very strange. They couldn’t see the ruler at all. To them, Shui Miao had been making strange gestures and muttering to himself ever since getting into the van. They all thought he had gone mad.
“Little brother, are you okay?”
Unable to bear it any longer, Huo Yuanliang gently tugged Shui Miao’s sleeve and smiled awkwardly, “There’s nothing there. What are you looking at?”
“…”
Shui Miao was taken aback. He looked at Huo Yuanliang, then at Huo Xiang and her mother, and from their expressions, he understood.
“Hehehe…” Shui Miao quickly closed the ruler, scratched his head, and smiled awkwardly, “No, nothing. I was just thinking.”
“Stop the car…”
Huo Xiang, sitting in the front passenger seat, suddenly asked the driver to stop. She switched seats with Huo Yuanliang and sat in the back with Shui Miao. She wanted to use this opportunity to talk to Shui Miao and see whether he was really insane or not. Back when she was in school, her male desk-mate used to read Feng Shui books, and she had borrowed a couple to read herself, so she had some basic knowledge of Feng Shui. Now, after hearing Shui Miao mention the Dragon-Seeking Ruler, she wanted to test him.
Huo Yuanliang and his wife exchanged confused glances, unsure what their precious daughter was up to.
The van resumed moving, and Huo Xiang smiled at Shui Miao beside her.
“Big brother Shui, you just mentioned the Dragon-Seeking Ruler. I know it’s also called the Earth Spirit Ruler or Dragon-Probing Needle, and it’s a traditional tool used to detect underground water sources with a history of several thousand years. It can also be used to locate the correct Dragon Vein—the invisible and intangible Dragon Vein energy, which is said to bring good fortune. People even say that burying ancestors’ remains there can bring prosperity to their descendants, or even help them gain an empire. Of course, that’s just legend. But I want to know—how exactly does a Dragon-Seeking Ruler work? Books say it’s because all natural objects carry static electricity, and since the ruler is made of metal, it can detect that. But I’m a bit skeptical. I think you, big brother Shui, might know the real answer.”
Huo Xiang spoke with confidence and clarity.
Huo Yuanliang and his wife were surprised—they hadn’t known their daughter knew so much.
Shui Miao was also a bit taken aback, but her question wasn’t difficult to answer.
“Well, it’s not exactly that,” Shui Miao replied, his mind automatically recalling the ruler’s secrets. “Human senses can’t detect many phenomena in the universe. For example, we can only see seven colors of light, but not infrared or ultraviolet. Radiation waves, electromagnetic waves—we know they exist even though we can’t see or touch them. So we can’t say something doesn’t exist just because we can’t perceive it. Ordinary Dragon-Seeking Rulers do rely on detecting electric currents. Some masters can use them to locate underground water sources, mineral veins, and ancient ruins. They can even interpret the special signals from the ruler to identify various types of Earth Veins. Those with strong spiritual energy are called Dragon Veins. A good Dragon Vein can indeed help change the fate of people whose destiny aligns with the vein’s nature.”
“For example, in ancient times, a Feng Shui master found a Dragon Vein and buried his ancestor’s bones there. Influenced by the Dragon Vein’s powerful energy, the ancestor’s spirit changed. If the ancestor’s spirit was compatible with the vein, it would grow stronger and, benefiting from the descendants, would in turn protect them. Of course, there are also cases where families who buried their ancestors in Dragon Veins ended up suffering great misfortunes and even perished entirely. That’s because their family’s nature clashed with the vein’s energy, and the powerful spiritual force brought them disaster. My point is, the world isn’t just about electricity and magnetic fields, or mineral veins. There are many kinds of spiritual energies. Ordinary Dragon-Seeking Rulers have limited uses, mainly for locating water and minerals. But special Dragon-Seeking Rulers can do more—they can find Dragon Veins, and even uncover more mysterious spiritual presences in the universe.”
Shui Miao explained most of it, but left a small part unsaid.
The green Dragon-Seeking Ruler in his hand could also locate the Sacred Spirit Energy, a rare and precious force. Once found, it could grant a person immense fortune and transformation.
Such secrets were known only to transcendent sages. If he revealed everything, no one would believe him—it would only make things sound even more absurd, so Shui Miao chose to keep it to himself.
“Oh, I see…”
Huo Xiang, now convinced that Shui Miao wasn’t crazy, was even more intrigued by Feng Shui because of his clear and easy-to-understand explanation. Wanting to learn more, she paused and asked, “Big brother Shui, one of my classmates’ father is a Feng Shui master. I’ve heard him talk about many powerful Feng Shui objects—like Feng Shui swords, Bagua mirrors, ancient vases, stone lions, Wen Chang brushes, Wen Chang pagodas, large copper coins, copper wind chimes, fish tanks, and koi fish. Do you think these things can really change people’s fortune and bring them good luck?”
“That’s a bit more complicated…”
Shui Miao licked his lips and organized his thoughts. “Humans are incredibly complex and wondrous beings. Our brains possess many hidden abilities, one of which is the power of belief. Belief is a powerful and mysterious force. Let’s say a person’s chaotic thoughts are like a pile of scattered chopsticks. Many people with weak bodies and fragile minds suffer from mental illness, not because they’ve encountered ghosts or been haunted, but because of their own psychological state. They become paranoid, and over time, their anxiety turns into real illness. Then they turn to Christianity, and miraculously, they recover. They think it was God who healed them, but in reality, it was the power of belief. Their scattered thoughts were organized by faith, which became strong and unshakable. Without paranoia or wild thoughts, they naturally recovered. Not thinking about it means not fearing it—that’s the power of belief within the human body.”
“Religion, in fact, was originally a tool created by rulers to make people more virtuous and obedient.”
“But due to the power of collective belief, some cultivators did indeed achieve enlightenment.”
“However, these cultivators have long since left the mortal world—they don’t, and absolutely don’t have time to help countless ordinary people.”
“So those who think they were saved by gods were actually saved by their own belief.”
“My point is, yes, there are many objects in the world that do have spiritual energy and can help change people’s fortune. But not everything has such power. The Feng Shui objects you mentioned—99% of them are useless. People buy them and place them in their homes, creating a mental anchor that focuses their thoughts and reduces unnecessary worries, which is why they feel these objects have magical effects.”
Shui Miao spoke with clarity and insight, revealing many truths.
Huo Xiang felt as if a veil had been lifted from her mind.
But this only deepened her curiosity about the mystical. “Then, big brother Shui, I want to use Feng Shui to improve my own fortune. What should I do? So many Feng Shui teachings are complex and hard to understand. Can you teach me a simple yet effective method?”
“Let me think…”
Shui Miao paused, recalling the Feng Shui knowledge stored in his mind, then nodded. “Yes, there is a method. It’s not difficult, and anyone can use it—but you must grasp the key principles.”
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