Hu Xiaotian burst out laughing. "Since Mr. Zhou is an honored guest invited by Master Wan, I'll put this politely. You talk to me about feng shui, about dragons, sands, sites, water, and orientation. All of that is merely what's recorded in books. I admit you've recited it without missing a word, but you fail to understand one basic truth: everything in this world is changing every moment. When did this Mr. Zhu you mentioned come here to inspect the feng shui? How many years have passed? What has changed around the Wan Residence during those years? You see only those five elements, but have you noticed the grass quietly sprouting, the trees silently growing, flowers blooming and falling, winds rising and clouds gathering, time slipping past and leaving its marks? In your eyes, the surroundings haven't changed, and neither has their owner. But have you noticed when moss covered the corners of the walls, or wrinkles silently climbed onto foreheads? A truly accomplished feng shui master sees every feature of the landscape in constant change. Within that change, he seeks flourishing vitality and the way of living best suited to himself." He paused, then took another step forward.
Zhou Wenju stood dumbfounded under his barrage of questions. These theories of Hu Xiaotian's had never occurred to him; he had never even heard of them. Yet after listening, he had to admit that they seemed very reasonable, leaving him without a rebuttal.
Hu Xiaotian asked, "Do you know what favorable timing, advantageous terrain, and harmony among people mean?"
Zhou Wenju was about to answer, but Hu Xiaotian gave him no chance. "Don't trot out what the books say. Let me explain. Those six characters may be simple, but they hold the key to assessing feng shui. The ultimate purpose of