The old man folded a yellow talisman paper into a paper crane and let it circle above everyone's heads.
To ordinary people, it was nothing short of unbelievable.
Even Uncle Huzi, usually unshakable, glanced at me with a hint of unease.
This old fellow really had some skill.
Off to the side, Liu Wenhao clapped and cheered. "Master Zhou truly deserves his reputation as a Feng Shui expert of Yanbei—such an extraordinary technique!"
It was only then I learned that the old man's surname was Zhou.
After circling the crowd, the talisman crane landed back on the table.
But Master Zhou wasn't done yet. He picked up the crane, gave it a light shake, and tossed it into the air.
With a sudden boom, the crane burst into a large fireball and ignited midair.
The crowd gasped and stepped back.
Guo Ziping let out a loud exclamation. "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! I can die happy after seeing that!"
After his performance, Master Zhou rose to his feet, clasped his hands, and said politely, "Just a little display—pardon the clumsiness."
Liu Wenhao smirked at me. "Kid, did you see Master Zhou's skills? Your turn. If you've got nothing real to show, I suggest you get out before you embarrass yourself and delay our business."
"Master…" Uncle Huzi murmured from behind me.
I waved him off, keeping my expression calm.
"In that case," I said, "I suppose I'll have to show something too."
I pulled out a yellow talisman from my pocket. Unlike Master Zhou's flashy theatrics, I simply tossed it lightly into the air.
The talisman floated upward, and with a wisp of mist, it transformed into a dragon—complete with claws and fangs—slithering through the room.
It was only an illusion, of course, but far more refined than Zhou's trick.
After all, my master was the Feng Shui King himself—this kind of thing was child's play for me.
When the dragon-shaped talisman began weaving through the air, the crowd was left wide-eyed in shock.
Even Liu Wenhao froze in disbelief.
Zhang Yunyao and Guo Xiaotong, standing nearby, clapped in delight.
"Young Master Wu, you're amazing!"
"Absolutely incredible!"
The two of them sounded like they were performing a duet, brimming with genuine excitement.
But this was only the beginning.
The talisman I had thrown was a Cloud-Thunder Talisman, infused with lightning.
It was crafted personally by my master—during a thunderstorm, after forty-nine days of ritual fasting and purification—saturated with spiritual energy and brimming with the essence of the storm.
Admittedly, using such a powerful talisman just to win face was a bit wasteful.
But I'm young—what young man isn't a little hot-blooded?
If you're good, I'll be better.
The dragon drifted toward the center of the villa. I secretly formed a hand seal and whispered an incantation, igniting the talisman.
A deafening thunderclap split the air.
BOOM!
A blinding flash exploded in the middle of the hall, shaking the villa itself.
The crystal chandelier—worth a small fortune—shook violently and crashed to the ground in shards.
Every pane of glass on the first floor shattered.
Where Zhou's trick was mere illusion, mine was true thunder magic.
The sudden blast sent the room into chaos—screams, scrambling feet, and pale faces everywhere.
Even Master Zhou flinched violently and dove under the table.
As the rumble faded, small arcs of blue lightning still danced through the air.
Everyone except Uncle Huzi and me was utterly rattled. Some bolted for the exits, others dropped to the floor.
Zhang Yunyao and Guo Xiaotong, visibly shaken, ran straight to my side and clung to me, staring at the center of the room in fear.
The whole crowd was dazed, stunned into confusion.
Even Liu Wenhao was curled up on the floor, hands covering his head.
I rose slowly and said, "Apologies—went a bit overboard there, couldn't hold back my strength."
Guo Ziping crawled out from under the sofa, eyes darting around before settling on me. "Young Master Wu… what just happened? Was that an earthquake?"
"Earthquake? Not at all," Uncle Huzi said proudly. "Didn't you all want to see my young master compete with Master Zhou? That was him barely showing a fraction of his skill."
He was clearly enjoying himself—finally, we'd turned the tables.
Guo Xiaotong recovered first. "Young Master Wu, that was incredible! Are you… a celestial being? You brought lightning into my house!"
Zhang Yunyao only gazed at me with sparkling eyes, saying nothing.
"So that… was all you?" Guo Ziping asked, finally piecing it together.
"My apologies, Mr. Guo," I said politely. "Anything damaged, I'll pay for in full."
"Nonsense!" Guo waved it off, thrilled. "This is the most spectacular thing I've ever seen. Even if you blew the whole house up, it'd be worth it."
Liu Wenhao and Master Zhou crawled out from under the table, now looking at me with genuine fear.
There was no question who had the superior skill.
Zhou's talisman turned into a paper crane and a fireball. Mine became a dragon and then a bolt of real thunder.
Still, Liu Wenhao clearly didn't want to admit defeat, especially not in front of Guo Ziping and Guo Xiaotong.
"That's nothing," he said stubbornly. "Master Zhou has even greater powers. Kid, dare to go another round?"
I glanced at Master Zhou and smiled faintly. "Master Zhou, shall we? But if we go again, it won't just be a contest of skill—it'll get physical. Someone might get hurt."
Having seen my display, Zhou no longer had the confidence to continue.
Though young, I'd been in the Feng Shui and occult arts for eight years, with a talent and affinity far beyond most.
If not, my master wouldn't have waited decades just to take me as his disciple.