"A pleasure to meet you."
Li Yusheng took a deep breath, gazing at Lin Fan's youthful face, and cupped his hands.
"Oh, I've heard much about you."
Lin Fan returned the gesture.
His pupils contracted as he looked at Li Yurou, who had pale white hair.
What was wrong with this young girl?
You were the one who almost bumped into me earlier, it wasn't like I deliberately made things difficult for you. Why do you seem so scared of me?
"Ahem."
Li Yusheng coughed twice, prompting Lin Fan.
Lin Fan understood and shifted his gaze, continuing to greet Zhong Chen and the others.
Li Yusheng stared intently at Lin Fan's retreating figure.
He couldn't tell if Lin Fan possessed qi or not.
Sometimes, he resented fate, yet felt helpless.
There was a stark difference between those with talent and those without.
He felt that Lin Fan, like his sister, was a gifted individual.
Why couldn't such people be him?
Li Yusheng's heart was filled with a thousand thoughts, and he let out a sigh, for how many times he had lost count.
"Brother, I will find a way to help you win against him."
Li Yurou grabbed her brother's arm and said with determination.
"Mmm, my dear sister, I believe you."
Li Yusheng smiled gently, and his expression improved slightly.
Guo Cheng remained stern, reminding them, "We'll discuss it later."
No matter what, he would not allow this competition to be lost. The hopes of two generations of the Li family rested on Li Yusheng!
After the northern and southern factions exchanged greetings, the next step was to finalize the rules for the competition.
Lin Fan and Li Yusheng, as the protagonists on both sides, followed Zhong Chen and Guo Cheng, listening to their sharp exchanges.
"Feng Shui appraisal is our forte. How about the first round be a competition in locating dragon veins and acupuncture points?"
Zhong Chen proposed.
Lin Fan and Li Yusheng exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously.
"Then for the second round, let's compete in divination,"
Guo Cheng suggested.
"This..."
Zhong Chen hesitated, not quite daring to agree.
He had only witnessed Lin Fan's feng shui appraisal skills. Although Long Yun had mentioned that Lin Fan was also skilled in physiognomy, he had never seen it with his own eyes!
"Are we calculating for humans or for heaven? If it's for humans, I'm capable, but for heaven... I might not have such great power."
Lin Fan spoke.
As soon as he said this, everyone's expression changed, and they looked at Lin Fan in shock and bewilderment.
Why would he speak like that?
It had been passed down through the ages that those who revealed heavenly secrets would suffer misfortune, be it "five deficiencies and three lacks."
The five deficiencies: unmarried, widowed, orphaned, alone, and disabled.
The three lacks: lack of money, lack of lifespan, and lack of loved ones.
Anyone with true skill would always worry about suffering these misfortunes.
Yet Lin Fan dared to say he could calculate for heaven?
Was he young and ignorant of the taboos, or was he an outsider who didn't understand these things?
"What's wrong? Why are you all looking at me?"
Lin Fan, unaware that he had said something wrong, scanned everyone in surprise.
Zhong Chen whispered, "Xiao Fan, there are deities three feet above, one should not speak carelessly."
He turned to Guo Cheng and said, "Let's compete in divination."
"Well, young man, you certainly have a big mouth."
Guo Cheng looked at Lin Fan with a complex expression and nodded.
"For the third match..."
Zhong Chen hesitated.
He didn't know Lin Fan well, so he dared not speak rashly.
"Xiao Fan, what are your thoughts?"
Zhong Chen asked.
"Um... if we were to compete in medicine, would that be considered bullying?"
Lin Fan chuckled at his own words.
Guo Cheng was stunned and angered, "Boy, don't mess around here. Our profession is feng shui appraisal, and divination is common practice. What does competing in medicine have to do with it?"
"Then... how about a guessing game?"
Lin Fan explained, "We'll use two bowls and guess which bowl the dice are under."
"We won't compete with you in these street scam tricks."
Li Yurou observed Lin Fan's eyes and refused.
She knew full well that Lin Fan had a problem with his eyes. To compete in a guessing game would be foolish.
"Then what do you suggest we compete in?"
Lin Fan spread his hands in exasperation, handing the initiative to the other side.
Zhong Chen showed a look of regret.
It was the Li Qi sect that had provoked them, and the Northern Association had responded, only to finally gain the right to choose.
Yet Lin Fan had so easily given it up.
While a competition in guessing games might seem trivial, it offered a sure chance of victory. Why not insist on it?
Li Yurou pondered for a moment and then declared loudly, "Let's compete in destiny!"
Lin Fan was instantly dumbfounded.
He had assured his sister-in-law countless times that he would not be in any danger on this trip.
How could this young girl, who was not old, immediately suggest playing with their lives?
Sensing Lin Fan's misunderstanding, Li Yurou explained, "I mean, let's compete in luck."
Li Yurou smiled mysteriously.
Not only did Lin Fan possess an unusual appearance, but she too had something special about her.
When her master was alive, he had said that auspicious signs appeared in the sky when she was born, and she would surely have smooth sailing and great fortune in the future.
Indeed, she had never encountered any setbacks since childhood and could even be said to have her wishes fulfilled.
Her luck was exceptionally good!
While she didn't dare to claim victory in the first two rounds, for the third, she didn't believe Lin Fan's fate could be better than hers.
"Alright."
Lin Fan frowned and nodded.
He felt his own luck was not bad either.
Within a hundred-mile radius of Fengyu Gorge, he was the only one who had inherited the legacy of the Nine Heavens Mystic Woman.
Later, things had gone smoothly for him, whether it was his fortune or his romantic luck, it had been booming!
"Then it's settled."
Li Yurou smiled happily.
It seemed that if they won even one of the first two rounds, they would have a high probability of defeating the Xing Shi sect.
In short, their chances of winning were great!
Hmph!
What if he had unique eyes since birth?
Who didn't have some real skill!
Next, they discussed the details of the competition.
Zhong Chen and Guo Cheng were both highly respected individuals with extensive experience, having been through many such events, so all the arrangements were quickly settled.
"Xiao Fan, come, I'll take you to Gushan."
Zhong Chen called out, and then led the northern faction away.
"President Zhong, where is Gushan?"
Lin Fan asked curiously.
"It's in this West Lake."
Zhong Chen pointed towards the distant West Lake and whispered, "This competition is no simple matter. The world knows that Gushan in West Lake is an excellent geomantic spot with many historical sites."
He then said gravely, "This competition is equivalent to skipping the process of finding dragon veins and going straight to acupuncture point selection."
Lin Fan pondered for a moment. Although he had heard of the West Lake's fame, he didn't know how large it was. He presumed Gushan wouldn't be very big.
And in a small area, identifying the place with the strongest earth energy was precisely his forte!
His Zi Ji Ling Tong could tell at a glance!
"Xiao Fan, Gushan already has several ancient tombs of famous historical figures. What you and Li Yusheng need to do is to avoid these ancient tombs and then select a dragon acupuncture point. Can you do it?"
Zhong Chen asked seriously.
"Ah?"
Lin Fan was quite surprised.
Since ancient tombs were already present, feng shui masters of past dynasties must have observed them many times.
And to select a dragon acupuncture point again!
Could it still be done?
For a moment, Lin Fan's head was in a spin. Wasn't this making things difficult for him?