Chapter 65

Again entering the Jingxiu District, the armed police at the gate merely glanced at Qin Yu and Zhang Hua in the car before letting them through, clearly having received Meng Feng's instructions.

"Mr. Qin, I'm really troubling you." This time, Meng Feng greeted Qin Yu and Zhang Hua at the entrance, but his gaze on Qin Yu always had a hint of peculiarity.

When he first received Qin Yu's call, it puzzled him for a long time. He had just left, and now he was back, this young man was indeed too eager, more concerned about the matter than he himself was. Clearly, it wasn't because of his official position that the young man was so eager. Thinking of this, Meng Feng became even more certain that this young man must have some connection with his daughter.

"Mr. Meng, you're too polite."

Qin Yu, carrying a bag, followed Meng Feng into the villa but stopped at the front of the building, asking Meng Feng, "Mr. Meng, have you prepared what I told you on the phone?"

"Everything is ready, let Xiao Zhang bring those things out."

Xiao Zhang, the guard responsible for Meng Feng's safety, could be considered one of Meng Feng's confidants. Meng Feng had no intention of keeping this a secret from him.

Soon, Xiao Zhang brought out a dark lacquered incense stand with dragon patterns and placed it in the garden at the spot Qin Yu had designated. He then stood silently to one side. As a guard, their first rule was to do more and talk less, keeping some things buried in their hearts forever.

Qin Yu placed the boundless water and the Yin-Yang mirror on the incense stand, lit three incense sticks, and inserted them into the incense burner. On the table was already a red paper with Meng Feng's birth date and time written on it.

Qin Yu glanced at the sky; the sun was setting, and it was precisely the third hour of the酉 (Yǒu) period. The Yǒu period, when chickens and ducks return to their nests, is a turning point in the day.

"Is this bucket of water from the river in this neighborhood?" Qin Yu pointed to a nearby bucket of water and asked.

"Yes, according to Mr. Qin's requirements, Xiao Zhang just went to the river to fetch it." Meng Feng nodded.

"Cousin, let's carry this bucket of water to the center." Qin Yu called out to Zhang Hua. This bucket, though not large, was quite heavy, weighing about a hundred pounds. He might not have been able to move it alone.

After doing all this, Qin Yu memorized his future father-in-law's birth date and time, placed the red paper on the incense, and set it on fire, then threw it into the bucket of water.

"Bring me the fragments of the dragon turtle jade carving. No matter what you see next, do not make a sound or cause any disturbance."

Qin Yu took a plate from the guard Xiao Zhang, on which were the fragments of the dragon turtle jade carving. He picked out a larger fragment and then put the rest back into the bucket of water.

After giving the final instructions, Qin Yu walked to the incense stand, grabbed three orange-yellow incense sticks, and with a reverse grip, one hand palm inward and the other palm outward, he held the incense sticks with his middle and index fingers, bowing three times to the stand.

This special way of bowing has its significance, known as "inducing worship." Those who have watched Hong Kong and Taiwan movies featuring Master Lam Ching-ying would notice that in the movies, Master Lam always burns incense and worships in this manner.

The three incense sticks Qin Yu burned were different from the ordinary incense used for worshipping deities. These are called "dragon-inducing incense," special incense used by coastal people to worship the dragon god for favorable weather.

After inserting the dragon-inducing incense into the incense burner, Qin Yu took a deep breath, turned his body, and faced the door. His inner qi flowed, and he spoke clearly:

"Great Dragon God of the Four Directions, today I burn three dragon-inducing incense sticks, requesting the appearance of the hidden dragon."

The scene was calm, with no signs of anything unusual. Qin Yu's frown deepened, and he called out again:

"Request the appearance of the hidden dragon."

Meng Feng, Zhang Hua, and the guard all looked at Qin Yu with confusion, not understanding who he was talking to. Zhang Hua wanted to ask his cousin what he was doing but remembered the earlier instruction to only watch and not make any noise, so he held back.

"Cousin, lay out the red carpet I asked you to buy from the bag in front of this bucket of water."

After calling out twice with no response, Qin Yu instructed his cousin. He then walked to the incense stand, picked up the incense burner, and removed the incense sticks, scattering the ashes from the incense burner onto the red carpet laid on the ground.

At the same time, Qin Yu used his right middle and index fingers to smear some ash and came to the bucket of water, drawing something in the air above the water with his fingers.

"Great Dragon God of the Four Directions, today the hidden dragon does not appear, the resentment does not dissipate. The Meng family obstructs the dragon's ascent, deserving heavenly punishment. However, heaven has a benevolent nature and pities the people. I humbly request the guidance of the Dragon God to bring forth the hidden dragon."

As he finished speaking, Qin Yu's fingers stopped moving. At the same time, the water in the bucket began to spin rapidly, forming a small whirlpool. Even from a distance, Meng Feng, Zhang Hua, and the guard could hear the sound of the water spinning.

The entire bucket shook violently, but strangely, not a single drop of water splashed out. Seeing this, Qin Yu sighed with relief and turned to bow toward the door, then said:

"The three-foot dragon-inducing carpet is laid, the three dragon-inducing incense sticks are lit. I respectfully request the appearance of the hidden dragon."

This time, as soon as Qin Yu finished speaking, a strong wind arose, making the incense stand creak. Meng Feng and Zhang Hua were almost blinded by the wind, while the guard Xiao Zhang, after a brief wobble, quickly regained his composure and stepped forward to shield Meng Feng.

"Damn, the hidden dragon's resentment is really strong." Qin Yu cursed inwardly. This strong wind was caused by the hidden dragon, who clearly intended to knock over the incense stand and not let his future father-in-law off. However, this also indicated that the hidden dragon was not dead but had missed its chance to ascend, feeling resentful but not the worst outcome.

"When will the cycle of resentment end? The owner of this place did it unintentionally. Why not let the resentment dissipate, and let the dust return to the earth, the soil return to the soil, and each go their own way... cough, cough..."

"Bang!"

Before Qin Yu could finish speaking, the incense stand was completely knocked over, the fruit offerings scattered on the ground, and a strong gust of wind blew directly into his mouth, causing him to cough.

"I've said all I can. If you still refuse to let the owner of this place go, then it's a matter of mutual destruction. I will go and bring a statue of the Black Tortoise deity tomorrow and place it here to permanently suppress you."

Qin Yu's face showed anger. The hidden dragon was being unreasonable and persistent. It was still just a hidden dragon, not yet ascended. If it came to mutual destruction, Qin Yu had his ways.

"Boom!"

The wind intensified, making Qin Yu's clothes flutter. In the wind, there were faint roars, causing Meng Feng, Zhang Hua, and the guard to change their expressions.

Qin Yu paid no attention to this, his gaze still fixed on the door. After a long time, he raised his right hand, ready to plunge it into the water in the bucket.

Just as his right hand was about to touch the water, the wind suddenly stopped, as abruptly as it had come. If not for the garden's disarray and the overturned incense stand, Meng Feng and the others might have doubted whether there had been any wind at all.

"It seems that no matter what, one must not be too weak." Qin Yu sighed. The water in the bucket was the medium for communication between him and the hidden dragon. If he had put his hand in the water, it would have broken the medium, ending the communication and the negotiation. The hidden dragon must have been truly afraid of Qin Yu's threat of mutual destruction.

"The door is open, the Dragon God will guide you. Come in on your own." Qin Yu glanced at the door, his tone much firmer than before.

Meng Feng and the others, hearing Qin Yu's words, all turned to stare at the door. Could the hidden dragon really come in through the door?

"Thud! Thud!"

The sound of heavy footsteps, like those of a giant beast walking on the ground, reached Meng Feng and the others' ears. They felt the ground beneath their feet tremble, and the sound grew louder and the tremors more intense. A strong wind blew past them, and then the footsteps disappeared.

Qin Yu looked at the dragon-inducing carpet, which had several clear five-clawed footprints. Besides Qin Yu, Meng Feng and the others also saw the footprints. They looked at each other, their faces showing disbelief.

"Is the hidden dragon really here?"

They looked at each other, but Qin Yu had instructed them not to speak, so they could only communicate through their eyes. At this moment, there was no distinction of rank or status among them, just ordinary people filled with doubt and curiosity.

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