Chapter 6

Wang Yang was somewhat relieved that he had come to Yan Pengchao's house with him; otherwise, given Yan Pengchao's current physical condition, encountering such a malevolent kitchen would not only fail to cure his illness but might even worsen it uncontrollably.

"Xiao Wang, why are you up so early?"

The two were standing in the courtyard when Yan Pengchao's father, Yan Fuqing, also came out. He was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, and his spirits were not too good.

"Uncle, I'm just talking with Xiaofei about this new kitchen!"

Wang Yang took the initiative to approach and chat, then observed for a while and shook his head again. This malevolent kitchen was indeed powerful, affecting not just Yan Pengfei but also Yan Fuqing, though his condition was slightly better than Yan Pengfei's. The most severe part of this malevolent kitchen was the position of the Chou Gui (Ugly Ghost), which has a greater impact on younger people.

Yan Pengfei, being the youngest, was affected the most.

"New kitchen? It's nothing much, the old one collapsed, so I just built a new one!"

Yan Fuqing smiled, revealing his teeth. He had built this new kitchen in just three days, and it was much larger than the old one, which felt cramped.

"Uncle, may I ask if you've been feeling stomach discomfort, abdominal pain, and heart pain recently, and that medication hasn't helped?"

Wang Yang looked at Yan Fuqing and asked softly. Yan Fuqing's eyes showed surprise, but he still nodded awkwardly and said, "Yes, my stomach hasn't been good recently. I haven't taken any medication; it will get better in a few days!"

"Whether you take medication or not, it won't get better!" Wang Yang shook his head helplessly, silently criticizing in his heart. He only thought this but didn't say it out loud, as saying it would definitely make the other party angry.

Wang Yang then looked at Yan Pengfei and asked softly, "Xiaofei, have you been having insomnia and nightmares, often dreaming about fires? Also, you feel weak all over, get tired easily, have a poor appetite, and vomit when you eat greasy food, right?"

"Yes, how do you know?"

Yan Pengfei's eyes were wide open. His family knew he felt weak and had a poor appetite, but only he knew about the recurring dreams of fires, which he had never told anyone. Even last night, he dreamed about a fire at school. Wang Yang's accurate statement left him shocked.

"Xiao Wang, what's going on? Can you explain clearly?"

Yan Fuqing, being in his fifties, had experienced more than Yan Pengfei. Hearing Wang Yang describe the discomforts of both himself and his son, he began to understand Wang Yang's meaning.

"Uncle, I'll be honest. Your kitchen has become a malevolent kitchen, and it's a major one. Look at your kitchen, it's located in the Gen position, while your front door is in the Kan position. The Gen stove belongs to earth, which is the Heavenly Doctor Earth, and the Kan door represents water, which is in conflict with the Heavenly Doctor Earth. This conflict leads to the Chou Gui (Ugly Ghost) and the Six Sha (Six Killings), making it difficult to raise children, shortening the lifespan of males born in the Year of the Monkey, causing heart pain, abdominal pain, and swelling diseases!"

Wang Yang spoke slowly, and both Yan Pengfei and Yan Fuqing stared with wide eyes, standing there dumbfounded, without saying a word.

Wang Yang's words were not entirely clear to them, but they understood the meaning: the kitchen was poorly built, and the various health issues they had been experiencing were due to this kitchen.

"Xiao Wang, is there any way to fix this?"

Yan Fuqing was the first to react, stammering as he asked. He already believed Wang Yang. Rural people are simple and tend to believe in feng shui and ghostly matters. Moreover, Wang Yang spoke convincingly, giving him a sense of trust.

The most crucial part was that Wang Yang had accurately described their conditions. If he hadn't, he might have only been half-convinced.

"There is a way, but I'm not sure if it will work. The Chou Gui and Six Sha have already taken root in the malevolent kitchen, and special methods are needed to drive them away!"

After thinking for a moment, Wang Yang nodded. There were many ways to change a malevolent kitchen into a benevolent one, as described in the *Huang Ji Jing Shi*. However, since the Chou Gui and Six Sha had already taken root, simply changing the kitchen would not be enough; the two evils needed to be driven away, which would require considerable effort.

Wang Yang indeed had methods to drive away the two evils, as described in the *Huang Ji Jing Shi* in 108 volumes, with three volumes dedicated to the layout of yang residences. These volumes contained many methods to resolve malevolent kitchens, including the Chou Gui and Six Sha, as well as other malevolent kitchens.

However, these methods required special arrangements, and Wang Yang had never performed them before. He had only had the *Huang Ji Jing Shi* for three or four days. While he could read fortunes, interpret dreams, and analyze characters, driving away the two evils required specific rituals, and he was not confident enough to give a definite answer.

"Xiao Wang, I believe you can do it. You must help us!"

Yan Fuqing spoke quickly, truly feeling anxious. Anyone hearing that their home had two malevolent spirits would not remain calm, let alone when they had already suffered from their effects.

Yan Fuqing had not taken medication, but he had seen doctors. Yan Pengfei had also been to the hospital and taken many medications without improvement. They had not paid much attention before, but now they finally understood the cause. No wonder their conditions had not improved; the root of their illnesses was not in their bodies but in the new kitchen.

He was filled with regret, wishing he had not built the new kitchen and had simply repaired the old one, which could still be used.

"Uncle, don't worry. Pengchao and I are the best of friends, and your matters are my matters. I will do my best. I'll make a list, and you help me prepare the items. I'll come to drive away the malevolent spirits tonight."

Wang Yang did not refuse. He went back to his room and wrote a long list of items. The malevolent kitchen spirits could only be driven away at night, giving him a full day to prepare, hoping to successfully drive away the malevolent spirits.

Wang Yang's list included cinnabar, yellow paper, white wine, and other items. He also asked Yan Fuqing to prepare a long wooden pole and a large hammer. Once the two evils were driven away, the kitchen could not be left standing; it had to be demolished immediately to prevent the formation of new malevolent spirits. For this, Yan Fuqing had called in a few relatives to help.

Actually, there were many people in the house, including Sun He and Ma Teng, but they were guests, and Yan Fuqing felt uncomfortable asking them to help.

Yan Pengfei went to prepare breakfast. The ritual to drive away the malevolent spirits could only be performed at night, and there was still a whole day to prepare. It was no use to be anxious; one cannot work on an empty stomach, and the three meals still needed to be prepared well. Even if Wang Yang did not help, he was still a guest and a classmate of his brother, and should be treated warmly.

The day passed quickly. Yan Pengchao and Sun He later learned what Wang Yang was going to do, all out of curiosity. Yan Pengchao was more convinced after hearing his father and brother's explanations and also mentioned how Wang Yang had read his fortune before. Knowing that his older son was also ill, Yan Fuqing felt even more regretful.

He directly blamed himself for Yan Pengchao's chronic pneumonia, believing that if he had not built the cursed kitchen, the whole family would not have fallen ill.

Evening came quickly. The dinner was indeed lavish, with wine and meat, and the Yan family's relatives accompanied them. However, Wang Yang drank very little wine and ate a lot of food. Knowing he had other things to do later, no one urged him to drink. Several people, however, watched him curiously.

Especially Yan Pengchao's cousins, who, seeing Wang Yang's youth, still harbored some doubt. In their minds, those who could perform rituals to drive away malevolent spirits were either old Taoist priests or older people, not someone younger than them.

After a satisfying meal, Wang Yang checked the time; it was already 9 PM. The time was right, and the two evils were active again, ready for the ritual to drive away the malevolent spirits.

Yan Fuqing had already prepared everything Wang Yang needed. A table was set up in the center of the courtyard, facing the kitchen door. On the table were three sacrificial animals, yellow paper, white wine, incense, and a peachwood sword, all as Wang Yang had requested.

Wang Yang walked into the courtyard, followed only by Yan Pengfei. The others stood under the porch, watching. Yan Pengchao's cousins held the large hammer and long wooden pole, ready to demolish the kitchen at Yan Fuqing's command.

"Big brother, do you think Wang Yang can really perform the ritual to drive away the malevolent spirits?"

Ma Teng whispered to Sun He, who was still full of doubt. They had lived with Wang Yang for three years and had never known he had such a skill.

Wang Yang's fortune-telling was indeed accurate, but it did not truly convince them, especially Sun He, who always thought Wang Yang was just guessing. As for his mother's illness, he believed Wang Yang had overheard his phone calls, as he had spoken to his family many times and mentioned it several times.

"I'm not sure, let's see. Wang Yang is not the type to act rashly or seek attention. I can't see through him now."

Sun He thought for a moment and finally said. He might not believe Wang Yang, but he had to support him; that's what friends do.

As they spoke, Wang Yang was already standing in front of the table. He picked up three incense sticks, took a deep breath, and began the ritual. He first needed to light the incense, but he could not use a lighter or any open flame; he had to use mental fire, which was detailed in the *Huang Ji Jing Shi*. However, he had never tried it before.

"May the fragrance of the incense calm the universe, open the ancestral hall of the Peach Source, may the clouds of compassion rise, and the light of ten thousand rays shine upon the mother. Incense rises, the ritual begins!"

Wang Yang recited solemnly, holding the three incense sticks with both hands, the tips pointing downward. His mind was free of any distractions. As he recited, he smoothly raised the incense sticks, holding them upright. By the time he said "the ritual begins," the incense was already inserted into the incense burner.

The three incense sticks, which were normally unlit, suddenly ignited as Wang Yang's hands moved, and the smoke rose straight up, unaffected by the wind.

Seeing the incense successfully lit by mental fire, Wang Yang breathed a sigh of relief. The *Huang Ji Jing Shi* did not provide much detail on mental fire, only stating that it was not a complex matter and required only a small amount of righteous energy.

Wang Yang was not sure what righteous energy was, but he felt a force from his dantian when he lit the incense, which he believed was the righteous energy mentioned in the *Huang Ji Jing Shi*.

"The incense lit itself, how amazing!"

"I was watching the whole time. I was wondering how he would light it, but it lit itself!"

Yan Pengchao's cousins whispered among themselves, while Sun He and Ma Teng stared with wide eyes, disbelieving the three incense sticks burning in the incense burner. Yan Fuqing and his son were filled with excitement, as Wang Yang's display made them even more confident that he could help solve their problems.