Volume 1, Chapter 19: Not Resentment

A murmur rippled through the crowd at these words. Even Liu Chang, unable to stand still, leaned in close to Ying Yuwei and whispered, "Master, you don't understand. This Chairman Chen carries great prestige in the Hong Kong feng shui community. He is the eldest and the most senior among them; we truly cannot afford to offend him."

After Liu Chang finished, Ying Yuwei made no effort to lower her voice. She replied in a flat, indifferent tone, "Since when has the world of feng shui been governed by age and seniority?"

Chairman Chen heard this and let out a heavy, cold snort. "So, this is what you call a 'misunderstanding'." He then cast a sidelong glance at Li Cheng.

The pressure between the two fell upon Li Cheng, as he was the one who had invited them all. In terms of reputation and seniority, he was naturally more inclined to trust the masters of the Feng Shui Association. However, the corpse moths Ying Yuwei had produced the day before had left him deeply shaken. Moreover, these other masters had already inspected his ancestral grave and failed to offer any real insight. Unconsciously, the scales in his heart had already tipped in Ying Yuwei's favor.

"Chairman Chen, Master Ying was invited here specifically from the mainland by Master Liu. If we don't let her demonstrate her skills, it wouldn't be fair to Master Liu's reputation, would it?" Li Cheng, worthy of being the wealthiest man in Hong Kong, skillfully deflected the burden onto Liu Chang.

Though Liu Chang cursed Li Cheng internally, he kept his expression calm. He walked over to Chairman Chen, took his hand with practiced ease, and whispered into his ear, "She is a disciple of Master Ying Tianlin."

A flicker of shock crossed Chairman Chen’s eyes. He stared at Liu Chang as if in disbelief, only to see him nod with a grave expression. Chairman Chen and Liu Chang belonged to the same Sanhe School and were, in fact, brothers-in-arms under the same master. Both understood that the name "Ying Tianlin" represented the true lineage of Celestial Masters. Years ago, while traveling through the mainland, they had been fortunate enough to witness Ying Tianlin practice feng shui—a sight that defined what a true master should be.

Liu Chang raised his voice, ensuring everyone could hear him clearly. "In my view, since things have come to this, and since feng shui isn't a matter of mere talk, why don't we hold a demonstration to see exactly what everyone is capable of?"

After saying this, he stepped back to Ying Yuwei’s side, his expression mischievous as he whispered, "Master, show these bumpkins a thing or two."

Most of the feng shui masters present were native to Hong Kong and had never set foot on the mainland; naturally, they were ignorant of the mainland's Celestial Master lineage. Liu Chang wore a wicked grin, waiting to see how they would soon embarrass themselves. Seeing that Chairman Chen offered no rebuttal, the others echoed their agreement.

One elderly man, his eyes full of disdain, gave a cold snort. "Very well. In that case, girl, you tell us: why did this tombstone crack?"

Most modern tombstones are made of marble or granite, which are incredibly durable. The tombstone for the Li family had been installed only three years ago; looking at the debris, it was clear how new the stone was. It could not have been caused by natural weathering, which would have started as erosion at the top corners rather than a clean snap through the center.

Ying Yuwei paced around the grave, then crouched to examine the fractured stone. A trail of black mist seeped from the fissure. When she reached out to touch it, a jolt of biting cold raced up her arm. She recoiled instinctively; the Yin energy was so dense that this place was clearly far from ordinary.

Scanning her surroundings, she turned to Li Cheng. "The site for your ancestral grave was well-chosen."

Standing before the tomb, the entire mountain range was laid out before her, with the vast, azure sea visible in the distance. It was the standard "sea-view property" layout. "Surrounded by mountains, looking out from the summit, with flowing water in the front to bring prosperity and a protective mountain at the rear to shelter descendants—this is a textbook 'Qilin Treasure Cave'."

Chairman Chen walked over, nodding with great satisfaction. "Indeed! You have a good eye!" He had been the one to select this land for Li Cheng when the family decided to relocate their ancestral grave years ago. Proudly, he tilted his chin at Ying Yuwei. "This is a rare treasure of a site. I personally—"

Before he could continue, Ying Yuwei interrupted with a soft smile, her tone laced with regret. "A pity, truly a pity."

Chairman Chen bristled, pointing his cane. "What do you mean by that? This is the best site on the entire mountain! Go ahead and search, you won't find a better spot anywhere."

Ying Yuwei shook her head and sighed. "It is a treasure, yes, but it was already occupied. You seized someone else's tomb, and naturally, they are not pleased. The resentment has accumulated, and that is why your tombstone could not stand."

The moment she spoke, the atmosphere grew heavy. Li Cheng, looking the most distraught, rushed over to grab her hand, though he was intercepted by An Yu. Ignoring the intervention, Li Cheng pleaded, "Master Ying, what exactly is happening?"

Hearing her words, the previously dismissive Hong Kong masters began to show signs of concern. They had been unable to fathom why the tombstone had cracked, and now, they wondered if this was the reason.

Yet, one man remained unconvinced. "That is just talk. Who knows if it’s true? Everyone in Hong Kong knows the Li family’s ancestral grave was relocated. You probably dug up the records just to play the mystic here."

The crowd murmured, finding the logic sound. The man continued, "The relocation was a mutual agreement between two families. There is no such thing as 'resentment.' Besides, the original remains were moved out—there is no 'occupied grave' as you claim. I think you're just spouting nonsense."

Ying Yuwei looked at the shattered stone, where the black mist surged violently. She said with near-absolute certainty, "Impossible! The original body must still be in this grave."

Her expression shifted, and she examined the tomb once more. It was indeed a Qilin site, bathed in sunlight from dawn till dusk, with mountain and sea breezes whistling through; any ordinary resentment should have dissipated by now. Unless, of course, it wasn't resentment that had cracked the stone at all.

After a moment of deliberation, she spoke: "Everyone, I apologize. I was wrong—there is no resentment in this tomb."