CHAPTER 1163: CHAPTER 1159: RETURNING A FAVOR

Subsequently, the old man, dressed in simple clothes, walked out of the house with a cane.

Seeing him for the first time, Chen Yang felt the same as last time.

The initial impression was that this guy was just an ordinary old man, but after a few more glances, one could notice that the aura around him was very unusual and powerful.

"Master Uncle, sorry for the disturbance."

Seeing the old man come out, Jing Kong immediately bowed respectfully, his expression and tone full of reverence.

The old man simply nodded slightly, without much expression.

His gaze naturally fell on Chen Yang and Annie.

Seeing Chen Yang and Annie, his face first showed a hint of surprise, clearly recognizing Chen Yang.

After the surprise, a smile appeared on his face.

"Ah, it’s you, young friend. I didn’t expect we were so destined, meeting again so soon," the old man said politely.

Chen Yang smiled as well, "Yes, it seems we’re quite fated. Only after entering the temple did I realize this was Yunlong Temple."

"I told you we’d meet again," the old man said with a cheerful smile, then turned to Jing Kong, who was standing nearby, and said, "Jing Kong, quickly boil a pot of tea for the young guest, we must not neglect him."

"Yes, Master Uncle."

Jing Kong was considered a master in the front hall, his words carried weight, but in front of the old man, he was like a disciple.

Upon receiving the old man’s instructions, he immediately turned to prepare tea.

Seeing this, Chen Yang quickly stopped him.

"No need to bother, Master Jing Kong, we’re in a rush, just want to have a quick word with the old man."

Upon hearing this, Jing Kong paused in his steps, looked back at Chen Yang, then at the old man.

Seeing the old man nodded slightly, he did not continue to prepare the tea.

"Old man, you mentioned last time that you owed me a favor, do you still remember?" Chen Yang asked the old man.

The old man nodded without hesitation, "Of course I remember. If the young friend needs anything from this old man, just say it."

"Good, then please come with me to perform a ritual for my village, to repay this favor, how about it?" Chen Yang expressed his idea without hesitation.

He wanted to exchange that favor for a free ritual.

Hearing Chen Yang’s request, the old man was momentarily stunned, not reacting for a while.

Once he came to his senses, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

"Hahaha... young friend, are you sure you want to use my favor for something as trivial as this?" the old man asked, laughing.

Chen Yang still replied without hesitation, "Yes, just a ritual, nothing more."

The old man shook his head with a wry smile, looking quite helpless.

Seeing the old man shake his head, Chen Yang thought he was unwilling, just as he was about to speak again, the old man spoke first.

"The rule of Yunlong Temple is to perform rituals for those destined. Since you and I are destined, I will take on this ritual, but our favor remains, how about that?" the old man said with a smile.

The old man’s response indeed surprised Chen Yang a bit; he didn’t expect the old man to be so accommodating.

However, that worked out too. As long as the old man agreed to perform the ritual at Liuhe Village, Chen Yang wasn’t concerned about anything else.

"As long as you agree to perform the ritual, the rest is up to you," Chen Yang said rather nonchalantly.

The old man’s face remained smiling, looking like an ordinary kind elder.

"Alright, then when shall we set off? I need to prepare a bit," the old man said.

"The sooner the better, preferably right now," Chen Yang replied.

"Alright, then please wait a moment, while I go prepare,"

The old man nodded and then turned back into the house to prepare.

Chen Yang, Annie, and Jing Kong waited in the courtyard.

While waiting, Jing Kong couldn’t help but approach Chen Yang and say, "Benefactor, do not underestimate Master Uncle’s favor. He can accomplish many things; do not waste his goodwill."

Chen Yang paused upon hearing this, then smiled, "Mm, mm, I understand."

Jing Kong acknowledged with a sound and stood aside without saying more.

Meanwhile, Chen Yang’s face was always smiling.

In his heart, he understood that Jing Kong’s words were both meant as a hint and were for his own good.

In Jing Kong’s eyes, the old man was a master of hidden strength, almost like an immortal compared to ordinary people.

His favor was indeed very valuable to regular people.

But the issue was Chen Yang was not an ordinary person either; he also possessed strength at the hidden force level, not inferior to the old man.

Thus, the chances of needing the old man’s favor were few, so this favor was dispensable for Chen Yang.

He could use it up if needed, but since the old man’s help this time didn’t count as repaying the favor, he would keep it.

Anyway, it wasn’t a bad thing to hold onto.

Chen Yang and the others waited in the courtyard for about six or seven minutes.

The old man finally emerged from the house bringing out a disciple.

Chen Yang recognized the disciple; he was one of the four wounded in the Dai Family’s villa back then.

At that time, the old man sought him for an antidote to treat them.

Seeing him, Chen Yang had no visible reaction, nor any change in expression.

However, his face showed a slight hint of unease, and his eyes revealed deep apprehension.

Clearly, he was still resentful about the previous incident.

"Hehe, young friend, I am ready. Let’s head down the mountain together."

When stepping out, the old man said cheerfully.

Chen Yang refocused his gaze on the old man, nodding as he agreed to leave.

Then, they all left the courtyard together, walked through the temple, and departed from Yunlong Temple.

Master Jing Kong escorted them to the temple’s entrance but did not see them out further.

Chen Yang, Annie, the old man, and his disciple continued down the stone path from the mountain.

It had taken more than half an hour to climb up.

Descending took about twenty minutes, reaching the village at the mountain’s foot.

Chen Yang led the old man into the village, where villagers, upon seeing them, clasped their hands together in respect, almost as if in worship.

The old man reciprocated, reciting a Buddhist chant to respond to the villagers’ actions.

Seeing this, Chen Yang realized that Yunlong Temple must have a positive reputation in the area; otherwise, the villagers wouldn’t react like this.

It seemed the antidote given last time was right, the old man and his four disciples were not inherently evil.

Chen Yang thought this to himself, but outwardly remained expressionless.

After passing through the village, the group got into a car.

Chen Yang then drove the car swiftly toward the county.

Initially, he planned to drop by Dai Family’s estate after receiving the peace charms.

But there was urgent business to attend to, so there was no time to visit, not even for a meal.

Upon entering the county, Chen Yang decisively took the highway.

Two and a half hours later, the four of them arrived in Liuhe Village.

On the way back, the old man and Chen Yang engaged in a brief conversation, during which the old man inquired about the specifics of the ritual Chen Yang wanted to perform.

Chen Yang naturally provided the necessary details.

He told the old man about Liuhe Village’s desire to concentrate its geomancy to pray for prosperity and peace among its inhabitants and livestock.

After hearing this, the old man nodded silently.

As the car entered Liuhe Village, he immediately began observing the landscape through the window, already beginning to assess the feng shui.