Chapter 52 : Feng Shui Formation

“But why does Fukang Commercial Center attract wealth aura from its surroundings?
Is it because it earns a lot of money?” I asked, looking at the golden wealth aura flowing into the 回-shaped building, curious.

“Hmm, it’s a bit reversed.
Although earning money is indeed a reason, the situation should be the opposite: it’s because Fukang Commercial Center can absorb surrounding wealth aura that they are able to attract many visitors and earn a lot of money,” Ou Zhiqin explained.

“Eh?Are you saying, it’s achieved through supernatural means?”

I looked at the continuously gathering wealth aura and felt a somewhat uncomfortable sensation.
This kind of activity surely wasn’t a natural phenomenon.

“Yes, within this Fukang Commercial Center, a grand Feng Shui array has been set up to absorb surrounding wealth aura and strengthen its own aura.
Didn’t I just tell you about professions like geomancers and Feng Shui masters?” Ou Zhiqin asked.

“So there really are Feng Shui masters!
I’ve seen many Feng Shui shops on the street doing very well; can they really avert disasters and misfortunes by looking at Feng Shui?” I asked.

In a folk culture steeped in superstition, Feng Shui shops were booming.
There were several such shops around my house, bustling with customers.
Occasionally, I would even see “half-immortals” on the street wearing sunglasses and carrying vertical flags, with signs or flags proclaiming “avert disaster and pray for blessings,” “turn misfortune into fortune,” and “demons beware.”

Previously, I naturally didn’t believe in it, but now, knowing about ghosts and being able to see auras, I largely believed it.
My only doubt was whether these self-proclaimed masters truly possessed the ability to exorcise ghosts, as ordinary people couldn’t see auras, and their effectiveness was entirely dependent on their words.

“Most of them are effective.
After all, as long as one knows the basic knowledge, even someone who can’t see qi can give a rough idea.
As the saying goes, ‘read three hundred Tang poems, and even if you can’t compose, you can at least chant them,’” Ou Zhiqin replied.

“Most Feng Shui shops are reliable.
Those few Dharma artifacts at my house were actually bought from Feng Shui shops.
As for roadside stalls and wandering Daoist priests carrying flags, it’s hard to say.
There are scammers, but also reclusive masters or disciples gaining experience.
I can’t distinguish true from false, so I only buy from Feng Shui shops.”

“Eh?But didn’t Xiao Qing say she saw a grand Feng Shui array in the mall?” I asked, confused.

“Heh heh, Brother Xiao, I don’t have such abilities.
That was all told to me by Senior Brother.
He said Fukang Commercial Center has a grand Feng Shui array, and that most large shopping malls or public institutions would hire Feng Shui masters to set up Feng Shui arrays during the design stage,” Ou Zhiqin explained.

“Senior Brother?
I think Senior Sister Mo also mentioned him.
Her red pencil was left to her by a Senior Brother.
Are you talking about the same Senior Brother?” I asked.

“Yes, Senior Brother Liang.
He was the one who introduced me to the supernatural world in my first year and brought me into the Supernatural Events Department.
He’s truly a remarkable person, though he’s already graduated and gone to a medical school,” Ou Zhiqin recalled.

Both Xiao Qing and Senior Sister Mo said that Senior Brother was a very capable person, which filled me with admiration for him.
If he were to intervene, perhaps my minor troubles could be resolved instantly.

“By the way, Senior Brother also explained the composition of this Feng Shui array to me.
Come here.” Xiao Qing pulled me to a map in front of the mall’s plaza.

This was a bird’s-eye view of the mall, showing what shops were on each floor.

“Brother Xiao, look quickly, can you see anything from the shape of this mall?” Xiao Qing asked me, pointing to the bird’s-eye view of Fukang Commercial Center.

“Hmm?” I looked closely at the bird’s-eye view and noticed something: the entire mall building wasn’t actually 回-shaped.
The exterior actually had curves, making it more like a circle with a square cutout in the middle.

The reason it wasn’t obvious from the outside was partly because from the plaza, you could only see one side of the commercial building, not the other three.

Also, the protruding curves weren’t the main body of the building but seemed more like decorative balconies and curved windows, with the first floor being flat.

Even on the bird’s-eye view, the shape of the commercial building was subtly obscured by a clutter of shop and entertainment facility labels.

If Xiao Qing hadn’t specifically prompted me to look at its shape and compare it with the multi-story map, I wouldn’t have noticed this detail.

“Brother Xiao, did you notice anything?” Ou Zhiqin looked at me expectantly, seemingly confident I would figure something out.

“Hmm, round on the outside, square on the inside, a bit like a coin?” I said, looking at the bird’s-eye view.
Recently, I had seen the circular paper money Xiao Qing burned, and the five copper coins hanging from Yi Zhiqiu’s waist, giving me a sense of déjà vu about this shape.

“That’s right, it’s a coin, more precisely, a copper coin.
The shape of ancient currency, ‘Tongbao,’ allows the mall to attract wealth and treasures, bringing in abundant financial resources,” Ou Zhiqin said, clapping her hand.

“Can one simply get rich by constructing a building in the shape of a coin?” I felt it might be a bit too simple.

“Of course not just that.
A grand Feng Shui array must be adapted to local conditions and also consider the surrounding geographical layout.
There are also other internal arrangements.
This external shape is just a foundation.
According to what the book says, no Feng Shui array can be directly copied; no two Feng Shui setups are exactly alike,” Ou Zhiqin explained.

“Does it also need to take into account the surrounding terrain and topography?” I looked at the bustling streets surrounding the mall and the wealth aura rolling in along them, and suddenly understood a little.

But there was something I found strange.
When I was a child and came to the commercial center, the surrounding streets were also very prosperous commercial and pedestrian streets.

At that time, the surrounding business districts were also thriving, and many people would visit nearby shops after browsing the commercial center.
Now, most of these shops are deserted, some even closed down.
I originally thought it was because as the commercial center declined, the surrounding shops also suffered.

Now, looking closer, I found that even from those small shops, a faint trace of wealth aura was being drawn out, merging into the main stream of wealth aura flowing into the commercial center, as if being plundered.
Only a few shops were not having their wealth aura drawn out, and could even, conversely, draw a trace of wealth aura from the main current into their stores.

These few shops seemed to be doing quite well.
The specific manifestation was that passersby generally ignored most storefronts, but when they passed by those shops that could draw wealth aura, they would often hesitate, and then, for some unknown reason, curiosity would strike, and they would go in to look.

Ou Zhiqin continued, “Of course, according to Senior Brother, the most remarkable thing about this grand Feng Shui array is that it can concentrate the tide of wealth aura, nourishing the surrounding shops, not only protecting them but also allowing everyone to earn money together, directly creating multiple commercial streets.
Let’s go in and see it quickly.”

“Um, Xiao Qing, can we not go in?
I feel, this commercial center, it gives me an uncomfortable feeling,” I said.