Chapter 87: The Things Remain, but the People Have Changed

“Feng Shoucheng is extremely formidable—a true schemer,” Mom, Xu Ying, said after a pause. As expected, she didn’t react emotionally but instead took her time to think it through. “When your sister first started her business, I thought it was just a game—college dorm friends pooling money together seemed totally normal. I never imagined they’d actually make something of it. At the time, I was busy applying for my professorship and didn’t pay close attention. In the end, your sister’s startup was acquired by the Feng family, and she signed a harsh performance-based agreement. Honestly, I saw it clearly—your sister’s product had strong market potential. The Feng family saw it, laid a trap, and she fell for it. But by the time I realized, it was too late.”

“Is there anything we can do now?” Su Jie felt conflicted. He might be skilled in martial arts with an exceptional mindset, but in the grand scheme of society, he was still insignificant—he couldn’t really help his sister out of her predicament.

Not to mention, he couldn’t even afford to buy the family a decent house yet.

Li Xiaozhen’s apartment was really nice, but Su Jie had looked it up online—worth nearly fifty million now, and that’s not counting taxes and agent fees. It was an empty unit.

“To be honest, I didn’t want to come back to my parents’ home,” Xu Ying said. “Part of it was wanting to see your grandfather one last time. The other part was to see if there’s any way to get your sister out of her bind. With her technical skills, it’s nothing for her to earn a few million a year at a reputable company. Living steadily is better than anything.”

“If she jumps ship now, breaks free of the Feng family, how much would she have to pay?” Su Jie asked. “I’ve asked my sister so many times, but she never gave me an answer.”

“Probably three to five hundred million,” Xu Ying said matter-of-factly, as if she had known all along. “There’s no way we can come up with that money. That’s why I’m going back to your grandfather’s house. I don’t care about any other inheritance—I want that money, to help your sister out of this mess.”

“Too bad I’m not capable enough to make that much,” Su Jie muttered. He’d once seen a rich guy online say, ‘Set a small goal first—make your first hundred million.’

Su Jie set the same ‘small’ goal for himself, but so far he was only 1% of the way there.

At that, he fell silent.

Before long, the two boarded a plane and arrived in G City three hours later.

G City was true southern territory—tropical. S City, though also considered southern on paper, was more in the Jiangnan region, where the seasons were still distinct.

G City, part of Lingnan, was practically summer year-round.

It had snowed heavily in S City today, but G City was still a balmy twenty degrees.

Many people started stripping off their heavy down jackets as soon as they got off the plane.

It was Su Jie’s first time in the deep south, and everything felt novel. Palm and coconut trees lined the roads, ever green, the air was humid, and you could smell the salty tang of the sea.

He enjoyed the scenery along the way with great interest.

After all, the furthest he’d ever been before was D City, deep in the Central Plains, with a totally different culture and atmosphere.

Now, in a completely unfamiliar place, experiencing unfamiliar customs and lifestyle, he felt himself come alive again—refreshed and reawakened.

‘Looks like this summer break, I need to travel the world. Now that I’ve gotten into college, life’s a lot more relaxed. Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles,’ Su Jie thought. He had indeed hit the books hard these past few months—one could say he had read his ten thousand books.

But the travel? That part he’d yet to fulfill.

He thought of Coach Odell, who traveled the world seeking strange phenomena, forgotten myths, tirelessly pursuing supernatural powers.

Maybe that was why Odell had grown so strong.

Su Jie immersed himself in the city’s atmosphere. He felt that every city had its own unique character—countless people combined with local culture to create something wholly its own. Geography and human spirit came together to form style, to shape a soul.

Before, he never truly felt this. Now, he saw it clearly—every city in the world seemed alive. This wasn’t some artsy sentimentality—it was a deep, quiet intuition, a sense that ordinary people might never perceive.

Feng Shui.

The phrase surfaced in his mind.

But before he could dwell on it, Mom hailed a car.

At first, Su Jie thought they’d head to the city center—but the car went out toward the countryside, and got more remote as they went.

“Mom, are we going the wrong way?” Su Jie asked.

“No. Your grandfather is back at the old family home. The Xu family’s companies are all in the city, but now that he’s aged, he wants to return to his roots,” Xu Ying said heavily.

“I see.” Su Jie still didn’t quite get this whole “return to one’s roots” idea. He was young, full of ambition, eager to explore the world—how could he relate to a mindset of going back and settling down?

They drove for five hours before reaching a prosperous village.

When Xu Ying saw the village, nostalgia lit up her face. She had clearly grown up here.

“So much has changed,” she said with a sigh. “When I was little, this place was poor. The houses were all run-down. Now, every household has big mansions and cars. The roads are wide—I almost didn’t recognize it.”

“You’re from this village?” the driver asked. “This place is something else. Produced some serious tycoons. Look there—that’s the Xu family’s ancestral home. Renovated, of course. They’ve got so much money, not even trucks can haul it all. I hear they own towers overseas, land everywhere. The ancestral house is paved with gold bricks, hundreds of servants. All because their ancestors are buried in some Feng Shui treasure spot. Some people are just born lucky.”

“Not necessarily,” Su Jie replied. “The Xu family likely caught a good era for development and knew how to run their businesses. Feng Shui might’ve helped, but that’s just icing on the cake. If national conditions were bad, no amount of personal Feng Shui would make a difference.”

“Young people shouldn’t talk nonsense—watch your mouth or the spirits will come for you,” the driver scolded. “We drivers can’t afford to say the wrong thing.”

Su Jie just smiled and said nothing. He’d heard people around here were deeply superstitious—Feng Shui, fortune-telling, all that. Even the richest families would consult some ‘master’ before making big decisions.

It was part of the culture, customs passed down over centuries.

After spending a month with Master Ma, Su Jie understood that while Feng Shui, astrology, and face-reading had their logic, in the end, what shaped one’s destiny was still the heart. Everything else—external objects and rituals—were just ways to comfort oneself.

“Here we are,” Xu Ying told the driver.

They got off at the village entrance. Su Jie looked out toward the foothills and saw a massive estate, a cluster of buildings linked into one huge manor. At the center was a house in the classic “Four-Point Gold” layout.

This style, known as “Four-Point Gold,” was a traditional architectural layout used by wealthy Chaoshan families. Similar to a courtyard-style compound.

Such mansions were considered highly auspicious in Feng Shui—said to gather wealth, nurture health, and bless descendants.

Of course, there was some architectural merit to that. Good houses, properly designed, could improve one’s mood and mental clarity. Over time, that mental clarity led to wisdom. If built in a good location—beautiful mountains and clear waters—it was only natural for such places to produce talented people.

“We’re here,” Xu Ying said. Seeing Su Jie looking around and occasionally zoning out, she thought he was just curious about the new environment. “Let’s see your grandfather first.”

Standing at the edge of the village, staring at the estate, Xu Ying didn’t go in. Instead, she made a phone call.

A short while later, an elderly woman hurried over from the manor. Xu Ying rushed to greet her.

“Miss, you’ve finally come back.” The old woman wiped away tears.

“Aunt Wu, what era are we in now? Don’t call me ‘Miss’—just call me Ying,” Xu Ying’s eyes were misty too. “Su Jie, come say hi to Grandma Wu.”

“Hello, Grandma Wu,” Su Jie said politely.

“This is your son? He’s grown so tall!” Wu Ma beamed. “So tall! But skinny—looks like he needs more meat. Poor child.”

“Aunt Wu, don’t let his looks fool you—he’s actually very strong,” Xu Ying said. She didn’t know the full extent of Su Jie’s martial prowess, but she’d seen him single-handedly move a huge cabinet that normally took three people. “By the way, how’s my dad? Why did he come back to the ancestral house instead of staying abroad for treatment?”

“He went abroad, but the foreign doctors couldn’t do anything—couldn’t find anything major. After coming back, he saw all kinds of specialists here, but none of them could diagnose him either. Eventually, an old Chinese medicine doctor said his vital force is fading, and his time has come.” Wu Ma chattered on. “So the old master insisted on returning home. Now all the young masters are in the house, yelling and arguing. You two haven’t eaten, have you? I’ll take you to the side house and make something.”

Just as she was about to turn, Wu Ma added, “Miss, I heard them talking about you the other day—gritting their teeth, not saying nice things. When you go in, try to keep your distance. Also, the old master invited some powerful Feng Shui master to help with his funeral arrangements. Women can’t be present. Wait until the master leaves, then go see him.”

“I understand,” Xu Ying said. She knew all too well—if the will had any inheritance for her, the rest of the family would be seething with jealousy.

Wu Ma led them in through a side entrance of the estate. High walls surrounded the place. Corridors, courtyards, open skylights—everything exuded an old-world charm.

It made Su Jie feel like he’d stepped into the past. Especially hearing the way people still called each other “young master” and “miss,” he felt like this place was a century behind the rest of the world. And that whole “no women allowed” nonsense? Completely mind-boggling.

Wu Ma went to the kitchen. 

Xu Ying sat in the small room, lost in thought.

Su Jie, too restless to sit still, got up and wandered.

Suddenly, clanging sounds came from a nearby courtyard.

He passed through a few corridors and archways, and saw a few young men practicing martial arts. They wore heavy iron rings on their arms, pushing forward in circular motions. They were training in a Southern style known as Iron Wire Fist.