Chapter 5

As mentioned earlier, in the world of martial arts, there is a saying: "Old master, young apprentice, the ancestor who hasn't left the door." People in the martial arts world pay great attention to seniority and lineage, valuing the passing down of skills and traditions, while the actual age is secondary.

Ning Yuan, though young, had a formidable master, which naturally made his seniority extraordinarily high. When he encountered people from the martial arts world, as long as there was even a slight connection, regardless of whether he acknowledged it or not, or whether he was willing or not, he could not show any disrespect on the surface.

Gu Fenglin's words left Li Chuanhe momentarily at a loss. If Ning Yuan was indeed the disciple of Qingping Daoist, then he was indeed a junior. However, Ning Yuan looked no more than twenty, while Li Chuanhe was already over fifty, and this was his stronghold in Shangjiang City. Moreover, Jiang Shihao and the fourth member of the Jiang family, Jiang Shiping, were watching.

At this point, Li Chuanhe did not doubt the authenticity of Gu Fenglin and Ning Yuan's words. On one hand, the Juxuan Sect was not well-known even among martial arts practitioners, let alone ordinary people. On the other hand, Ning Yuan could accurately state his lineage and the name of their sect leader, He Xinen, which was no small feat.

Seeing Li Chuanhe standing silently, Gu Fenglin and Ning Yuan also remained quiet, smiling at him. Gu Fenglin's eyes were filled with amusement.

Jiang Shihao and the fourth member of the Jiang family, Jiang Shiping, who were standing on the side, were already dumbfounded. Li Chuanhe was a renowned master in Shangjiang City, far superior to Gu Fenglin. Even the Jiang family could not always invite him.

In Shangjiang City, Li Chuanhe was the absolute authority in his circle, always looking down on others. They had never seen him humbled before anyone, but today...

Especially Jiang Shihao, his shock was indescribable. When he first met Ning Yuan at the train station, he had looked down on him. Later, Ning Yuan's ability to identify the blue-and-white porcelain at the restaurant stairway changed his opinion, but he never imagined that this young man in his early twenties, Gu Fenglin's junior master, could humble Li Chuanhe.

Li Chuanhe stood there for a full minute, then his eyes suddenly shifted, and his expression returned to normal. He bowed to Ning Yuan and said respectfully, "Li Chuanhe of the Shanluan Sect greets Senior Ning. I failed to recognize your greatness earlier and offended you. I hope you will forgive me."

Li Chuanhe's sudden change in demeanor and his bow to Ning Yuan left Gu Fenglin momentarily stunned. Although Li Chuanhe was indeed Ning Yuan's junior, Gu Fenglin did not expect him to bow so directly, which was not like his style.

Ning Yuan, however, smiled faintly and nodded, saying, "Master Li, there's no need for formalities. Although our families have some connection, it's not deep. You can just call me Ning Yuan."

"Unworthy, unworthy," Li Chuanhe chuckled, very politely. "I have long heard of Qingping Daoist and have always admired him. To meet his disciple is a great honor. As fellow practitioners of the mystical arts, I hope Senior Ning will not hesitate to guide me. I am deeply grateful."

Indeed!

This Li Chuanhe would not so easily humble himself. His act of bowing and calling Ning Yuan "senior" was a setup. He first put a high hat on Ning Yuan, then asked for guidance, making it hard for Ning Yuan to refuse.

Ning Yuan, though from the Juxuan Sect, was only in his early twenties. How much skill could he have? Li Chuanhe believed he had already entered the Spirit Perception realm and the hall of secret techniques. In terms of techniques and methods, he should be able to surpass Ning Yuan. Since he couldn't suppress Ning Yuan in terms of seniority, he decided to have a real contest. If he could win Ning Yuan, the senior of the Juxuan Sect, in techniques and feng shui, his previous humility would not be embarrassing.

Hearing Li Chuanhe's words, Gu Fenglin, who was still a bit stunned, finally understood. He became furious, pointed at Li Chuanhe, and was about to scold him for bullying the young, but he swallowed his words.

If they hadn't mentioned the lineage and seniority, then by age, Li Chuanhe would indeed be bullying the young. However, now that the seniority was clear, Ning Yuan was the senior, and Li Chuanhe's request for guidance was not bullying the young.

Understanding this, Gu Fenglin realized Li Chuanhe's cunning. He was unsure what to do and urgently looked at Ning Yuan, hoping he would not agree.

Gu Fenglin knew his junior master was not simple and had some skills, but Li Chuanhe was not an ordinary martial arts charlatan. He was genuinely skilled and capable. Even if Ning Yuan was powerful, he was only twenty and might not be a match for Li Chuanhe.

Gu Fenglin thought it best to find an excuse to delay and then call his master. At that point, Li Chuanhe would have no choice but to back down. As the sect leader, Ning Yuan would not personally handle every matter, and saying Li Chuanhe was not qualified to receive guidance from Ning Yuan would not be embarrassing.

Gu Fenglin gave Ning Yuan anxious glances, but Ning Yuan seemed not to notice, smiling faintly and nodding, "Guidance is unnecessary. Let's go in and take a look."

Indeed, if Ning Yuan's age were ignored, he had the demeanor of a senior, calm and composed, with the air of someone who remains unperturbed even in the face of great danger. Jiang Shihao, standing beside him, couldn't help but look at him more closely.

Jiang Shihao knew that Li Chuanhe was invited by his fourth brother to embarrass him. Before the branch company was set up, Jiang Shihao had considered inviting Li Chuanhe, but their relationship was not deep, so he settled for Gu Fenglin.

Seeing Ning Yuan agree, Li Chuanhe's face remained unchanged, but he sneered inwardly. He made a gesture, inviting Ning Yuan to go in first.

Ning Yuan did not hesitate, leading the way, with Li Chuanhe closely following on his left and Gu Fenglin on his right. Jiang Shihao, Jiang Shiping, and the silent middle-aged man followed half a step behind, forming a group of six. Ning Yuan was like the center of attention, surrounded by the five others as they entered the Jiang Group's branch building.

Seeing this formation, Ning Yuan was flanked by Shangjiang City's top feng shui master, Li Chuanhe, and the new feng shui master, Gu Fenglin. Behind them were the third and fourth members of the Jiang family, Jiang Shihao and Jiang Shiping. Although the identity of the middle-aged man was unknown, this formation would shock anyone who saw it, making them wonder about the young man at the front and what kind of person could have such prestige and status.

The hall of the Jiang Group's branch company was spacious, almost fully decorated, with only some details left. A few staff members were busy inside. When they saw a group of people enter, they were momentarily stunned, then their eyes focused on Ning Yuan. They then saw Jiang Shihao and greeted him respectfully.

Jiang Shihao nodded to the staff, signaling them to continue their work, then accompanied Ning Yuan, remaining silent. Ning Yuan and Li Chuanhe carefully examined the layout of the hall.

The layout of the hall was clearly designed by Gu Fenglin. Upon entering, there were two imitation wind-listening bottles on either side of the door, about one meter high, crafted in the style of the Song Dynasty. Although they were made of textiles, they were clearly the work of a master.

Ning Yuan walked over and looked at them, then smiled and said, "These are the work of Master You Xinquan from the Eight Villages of Pingshan Town. These wind-listening bottles are not only large but also have smooth lines and realistic craftsmanship, almost indistinguishable from the real thing."

Jiang Shihao had already seen Ning Yuan's ability to identify porcelain and was not too surprised. He nodded and said, "Indeed, they are the work of Master You, which I ordered from the Eight Villages before the New Year."

Ning Yuan nodded and continued to wander around, showing great interest in the antiques inside but saying nothing about the layout, more like a collector than a feng shui master.

What was surprising was that whenever he spoke, whether about porcelain, bronze, calligraphy, or screens, whether genuine or fake, he could always pinpoint the origin with a single word.

The items Jiang Shihao had collected, whether genuine or fake, were not simple. Even the fakes were crafted by contemporary masters, not as valuable as the genuine items but far from being cheap imitations.

For example, the pair of wind-listening bottles by You Xinquan, though fakes, cost 200,000 yuan. If not for their large size, they would be indistinguishable from the real thing.

The hall contained both genuine and fake items, but to Ning Yuan, they were like an open book. Despite not commenting on the layout, no one present dared to underestimate him. His ability to identify antiques alone was at the master level.

After carefully examining the hall, Ning Yuan turned to Li Chuanhe and asked, "Master Li, what do you think of the layout here?"