After leaving Fentou Ridge, I first returned to my old home, still holding a sliver of hope that perhaps Grandpa had come back.
Unfortunately, the dust-filled state of the house shattered my last illusion.
I asked the neighbors around, and they all said that the Lin family's grandfather and grandson hadn't been back for many years.
I stayed there for an afternoon, leaving before evening to head towards the Cao family.
However, I had, after all, lived in Fentou Ridge for ten years, and many things had become disconnected; moreover, with the current prices, the money Dumb Granny gave me would soon run out, and what was left wouldn't even cover the travel expenses.
I pondered for a bit and remembered that Grandpa used to be a top figure in the circle, and I had learned Wind and Water from him since childhood, so I decided to travel the world as a Feng Shui Master.
Later, I helped a Boss He, who made his fortune in hardware trade in Zhengzhou, solve a life-threatening matter, earning me a large sum of money, which freed me from financial worries and allowed me to focus on dealing with the Cao family.
And it was quite a coincidence; this matter with the He family also led me to acquire an item: a nanyang demon pearl.
This item looked like a wealthy golden pearl, but it was actually a harmful demonic art from Nanyang.
Once this demon pearl was brought into the home, the He family's fortune would slowly be plundered and devoured; later, not only would their wealth be lost, but their family might even be ruined!
I had Boss He's eldest son take me on a tour of their house, and finally, pointing to a pear tree in the southeast corner of the courtyard, I told him to have someone saw the tree in half.
Although the father and son were puzzled, they still had someone saw the tree as I instructed.
As a result of this sawing, several people present were nearly scared out of their wits.
From the sawn tree trunk, thick black blood gurgled out!
I told the two to continue sawing, and soon they found the Buddhist bead inside the tree.
Three days later, Boss He's illness was cured, and his complexion had improved significantly.
In his words, he used to feel stuffy at home, but now he felt refreshed and invigorated, sweeping away the gloom.
When I left Zhengzhou, I took the demon pearl with me.
Boss He thanked me profusely and gave me a large sum of money as compensation, telling me to remember to contact him anytime if I ever needed anything.
After resolving the matter and leaving Zhengzhou, I headed straight for Mei City, arriving that afternoon at the foot of Qinglong Mountain, located northwest of Mei City.
"This is Qinglong Mountain. Don't you think the mountain range looks like a crouching Azure Dragon?" Zhang Shifu, the driver, pointed ahead and asked with a smile.
I observed the mountain range, remained silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "It does. Shall we go up and take a look?"
"Alrighty." Zhang Shifu parked the car and followed me up the mountain. "I've been here several times. Every time I come, I go to Cao Xian Temple on the mountain to pay my respects. I hear it's very effective."
"Cao Xian Temple?" I was a bit puzzled.
"Yes, we'll see it when we go up," Zhang Shifu said with a smile.
It was my first time visiting Qinglong Mountain, but my inner feelings were far from as calm as they appeared on my face.
Because this was where the Cao family's ancestral grave was located, and it was the root of everything.
Years ago, I had heard Grandpa mention a "Lock Dragon Hole." If I wasn't mistaken, the Cao family's ancestors must have been guided by an expert to find this Lock Dragon Hole in Qinglong Mountain and moved their ancestral grave into it.
From then on, the Cao family prospered and even produced high-ranking officials.
However, in this world, how could all good things be monopolized by one family?
As time passed, this Lock Dragon Hole must have developed a major problem, leading to the Cao family facing the calamity of clan annihilation.
So the Cao family found my Grandpa, a top Feng Shui Master in the circle, hoping he would help them change their fate against heaven's will.
How could my Grandpa not understand the immense risks involved? Of course, he couldn't agree.
It was only later, to use Cao Xuerong to extend my life, that as an exchange, he reluctantly had to agree to the Cao family's request.
But even my Grandpa hadn't expected that the Cao family's intentions were so malicious; they had no intention of fulfilling the marriage contract at all.
"This is Cao Xian Temple!"
We ascended along a winding stone staircase, and as we neared the mountaintop, Zhang Shifu pointed ahead and shouted.
I looked out and saw a huge Taoist temple on the mountaintop, built grandly and imposingly.
Getting closer, I saw the three golden characters "Cao Xian Temple" on the plaque at the entrance, shining brightly.
The temple was bustling with incense, and a continuous stream of pilgrims entered and exited.
"When was this Cao Xian Temple built? It wasn't here before, was it?" I asked with a frown.
"If you're talking about when construction began, it's probably been about ten years," Zhang Shifu calculated and said.
That would precisely be the time Grandpa resolved the Lock Dragon Hole for the Cao family.
"Why is it called Cao Xian Temple?" I asked, looking at the three large characters on the plaque.
"It's said that all the money for building this Taoist temple was donated by the Cao family."
Zhang Shifu said this, then smiled and explained, "I wonder if you've heard of the Cao family? They are Mei City's foremost philanthropist and Mei City's number one family!"
"I have heard of the Cao family, but this 'Mei City's foremost philanthropist,' isn't that a joke?" I chuckled.