Chapter Five: Azure Dragon and White Tiger

I was escorted into the house with Xiao Lianshan by Yu Leiting’s men. Inside, I saw Liu Hao standing before Yu Leiting, trembling with fear, his head bowed so low that Yu Leiting, seated on a chair, didn’t even need to lift his gaze to see Liu Hao’s face. From the moment Xiao Lianshan and I were brought in, Liu Hao maintained that posture, while Yu Leiting sat nearby, occasionally casting glances our way.

I knew Yu Leiting was waiting for noon, for the arrival of twelve o’clock. Regardless of what might happen, this was not an auspicious moment for him. If something did occur, it meant someone had the audacity to challenge him; if not, then I had already ruined his grand birthday celebration, and word of it would spread—my actions would not be limited to smashing his car, but would be akin to publicly slapping him several times.

I could tell Yu Leiting was agitated. He drummed his fingers on the table, impatiently questioning Liu Hao.

“Didn’t you say you brought a gift for my birthday?”

Yu Leiting stretched his hand out toward Liu Hao, whose trembling intensified, sweat beads forming instantly on his forehead.

“Why are you standing there like a fool? Where’s the gift? With such bad luck today, let’s see if your present can bring me some joy.”

Liu Hao remained silent, wiping the sweat from his brow, his face completely drained of color.

“Speak up! Where’s the gift?” Yu Leiting, already in a foul mood, grew angrier when Liu Hao continued to hold his tongue.

Liu Hao finally snapped to attention, nervously pointing at Xiao Lianshan and me. In that moment, I understood the source of his fear—he intended to present us as gifts to Yu Leiting. I felt a surge of amusement, and sure enough, Liu Hao whispered,

“They… these two… these are… the gifts I brought for you, Boss.”

Though his voice was soft, Yu Leiting caught every word. He grabbed a nearby axe, slammed it onto the table, and cursed at Liu Hao.

“You treacherous bastard, so you admit it now? On my birthday, you bring me these two troublemakers who smashed my car and ruined my celebration! I knew these two reckless fools wouldn’t dare come here without someone pulling strings behind them. Turns out it was you, Liu Hao, backing them up!”

“Brother Ting, anger harms the body. Let’s talk this through.”

The voice came from the doorway. The man who entered was in his forties, wore black-rimmed glasses, and had an air of composed elegance—he exuded the calmness and capability of an experienced hand.

As he passed me, he met my gaze and nodded politely, offering a smile to both Xiao Lianshan and me. Out of habit, I studied his features: his left thumb twitched quickly, stopping at the ring finger. I was quietly astonished.

His face was rare—square and dignified, his features well-proportioned, his expression tranquil yet resolute. The fullness at his brow and cheekbones hinted at wisdom and great command, a man who could command armies and be renowned across the land. With such a talented advisor, it was no wonder Yu Leiting could carve out his own dominion and attract wealth from all directions.

I watched as he poured a cup of tea and handed it to Yu Leiting, speaking calmly.

“Brother Ting, calm down—don’t harm yourself. Let’s discuss things properly.”

Yu Leiting drank the tea, visibly settling, and sat back down.

“Huo Qian, what took you so long? Look at what Liu Hao has done—he brought back two disasters, clearly to spite me. Fine, let’s hear what you have to say.”

So this man was named Huo Qian. From his seat, it was clear he held greater status here than Liu Hao. At the very least, Huo Qian dared sit before Yu Leiting spoke, while Liu Hao remained standing. Judging by his features, I was certain Huo Qian was exceptionally intelligent, possessed vast knowledge, and likely served as Yu Leiting’s strategist. Yu Leiting’s attitude toward him indicated his importance.

Liu Hao, seeing Huo Qian arrive, seemed relieved and began recounting the events in Yuzhou to Yu Leiting. Through their conversation, I gradually pieced together the whole story.

About three months ago, Yu Leiting’s informant in Yuzhou learned of a mound in Houfengyan—a term in their circles referring to a burial mound atop a tomb. Yu Leiting sent Liu Hao to investigate. Houfengyan was small, with just three or four villages. Liu Hao searched each one, finding no signs of a tomb until the last village, where an elder recalled a great figure had once been buried, though no one knew the location.

Liu Hao searched for over half a month without success. As he was about to leave, a farmer accused him of ruining his crops and demanded compensation. To avoid trouble, Liu Hao paid him, and the old man mentioned that his family only had three acres, and from ancient times, half an acre never yielded anything—they survived by scraping a living from the remaining land.

At this point, I realized Liu Hao, despite his rough appearance, was quite meticulous—he understood the principle of “snow does not accumulate, soil does not yield.” Speaking to myself, I was overheard by Xiao Lianshan, who asked me what it meant.

I explained it was a saying among those who dig wild graves: some tomb owners wish to keep their burial site hidden and do not erect a mound. But the soil differs from its surroundings—burial soil is mixed with lime for preservation, so snow melts quickly atop it, and nothing will grow there.

We had already experienced what happened afterward, and now I understood our destination had been Houfengyan.

When Liu Hao finished his account, I saw Yu Leiting and Huo Qian staring at me in astonishment. Huo Qian smiled and told Yu Leiting he had spent decades in this trade, seen many experts in grave digging, but never someone who could identify a tomb’s feng shui at a glance, tell its age by smelling the earth, and pinpoint its location so precisely.

Yu Leiting’s expression remained skeptical; perhaps my youth made it difficult for him to believe Liu Hao’s story.

Liu Hao, noticing Yu Leiting’s mood had calmed, quickly asked Huo Qian about the divination he performed before Liu Hao went to Yuzhou—to consult the oracle for his prospects. He asked if Huo Qian remembered the wording.

Without hesitation, Huo Qian recited: “Zi Ya banishes the star to save Wu Ji; the oracle says: not united, troubled heart, noble allies, best to borrow strength, dragon and tiger appear, all will be well.” It meant Liu Hao’s trip would be fraught with difficulties, unlikely to go smoothly, but if aided by others, he would turn misfortune into blessing. Yet even Huo Qian himself hadn’t fully grasped the last line.

I had examined Liu Hao’s features before. When Huo Qian recited the oracle, I calculated and suddenly understood: Xiao Lianshan and I were destined to meet Liu Hao, and according to the oracle, he would encounter two benefactors who would help him avert disaster. I realized Liu Hao was far more thoughtful than I had assumed—he hadn’t brought us back merely to explain things to Yu Leiting.

As I reached this conclusion, Liu Hao pointed at Xiao Lianshan and me and said to Yu Leiting,

“Dragon and tiger appear, all will be well. Boss, look at these two—one scholarly, one martial, the Azure Dragon and the White Tiger. I brought them from Yuzhou especially; isn’t this gift a surprise?”

Yu Leiting sat stunned in his chair for a long moment, glancing repeatedly at his watch. I knew he was still waiting for the clock to strike twelve. Then, someone burst in, hurried to Yu Leiting’s side, and reported that the car had arrived at the hotel—the driver had just stepped out when a chandelier fell at the entrance, breaking his leg.

I saw Yu Leiting’s lips twitch before pressing together, his expression darkening. If I had only smashed one of his cars, he could buy another, but someone was now after his life—on his birthday, no less. If word got out, Yu Leiting’s reputation would surely suffer.

Huo Qian rose, bowed respectfully, and said he had chosen the date, so the blame was his. He clearly felt responsible, and told Yu Leiting he had inspected the scene—someone had tampered with the car, the flowers and foliage had been swapped, and a feng shui trap had been set especially for Yu Leiting. Everything I had said before was correct.

Yu Leiting waved his hand dismissively, clearly not intending to pursue the matter. The reason was simple—he likely hadn’t given Huo Qian his real birth date, but I had managed to deduce it.

The room fell quiet. I had no idea what Yu Leiting was thinking now. After a deep breath, he ordered someone to bring a bottle of wine.