Youth had grown old

Zhang Yunyao ignored Wang Chaoyang and walked straight over to me. "Young Master Wu, would you be willing to sell me this Peace-Safety Talisman?" she asked politely.

I glanced at Zhang Yunyao, surprised that she had suddenly appeared.

The others might not have known who I was, but Zhang Yunyao certainly did. She and her father had visited the courtyard house where I lived.

Master had told me that my first job couldn't be in Yanbei. Even if it was only a little Peace-Safety Talisman, I couldn't sell it to Zhang Yunyao.

None of my classmates recognized its worth. Only Zhang Yunyao understood how important this talisman was.

I smiled. "Since Wang Chaoyang doesn't think much of this talisman, you can have it. But I won't take any money."

Zhang Yunyao was overjoyed. As though afraid I might change my mind, she hurriedly took the Peace-Safety Talisman from me, thanking me over and over in her excitement.

"Young Master Wu, surely I shouldn't accept something so valuable without paying? All I have on me is a bank card with a hundred thousand yuan in the account. If that isn't enough, I'll go home and have my father bring you the money himself," Zhang Yunyao added.

"No need. I said it's a gift, and I mean it. I won't take any money," I said, waving a hand.

Master had said I couldn't take a job in Yanbei. If I gave it to Zhang Yunyao without charging her, it wouldn't count as business.

That shouldn't count as breaking the rule Master had left me.

Wang Chaoyang and the classmates beside him looked completely baffled. They couldn't understand why Zhang Yunyao valued the Peace-Safety Talisman I had drawn so highly.

"Yunyao, it's just a scrap of paper Wu Jie doodled on for fun. Why are you treating it like some treasure? What's so great about it?" Wang Chaoyang couldn't help voicing the question on everyone's mind.

"Wang Chaoyang, you have such an extraordinary classmate, and you don't even know it?"

"Him? Extraordinary? His grades were near the bottom of our class. He's the only one who didn't get into university. What's so extraordinary about him?" another classmate asked.

"You really don't know who Young Master Wu is, do you? His master is Li Xuantong, the Feng Shui King. My father and I went to visit several times and never even managed to meet him. Do you know how valuable this talisman is? Plenty of people can't buy one no matter how much they offer. Besides... do you really think the Feng Shui King's disciple needs to go to university?" Zhang Yunyao said all in one breath.

Coming from the daughter of Zhang Yucheng, chairman of the Dragon Gathering Group, those words were impossible to doubt.

Everyone at the table stared at me, dumbfounded and disbelieving.

They couldn't understand how someone who had never stood out in class, who had kept such a low profile he was practically invisible, had become the disciple of Li Xuantong, the Feng Shui King.

Although none of them knew who Li Xuantong was, anyone called a "king" had to possess extraordinary abilities.

The commotion around our table drew a crowd. Just then, another person stepped out from among them: Wang Chaoyang's father.

"Chaoyang, Yunyao, what's going on over here?" Mr. Wang asked curiously.

"Uncle Wang, let me introduce you. This is Wu Jie, a disciple of Li Xuantong, the Feng Shui King. He was in Wang Chaoyang's class," Zhang Yunyao said.

Wang Chaoyang's father's eyes went wide with excitement. He had clearly heard of my master.

Nearly every wealthy person in Yanbei City had heard the name of my master, Li Xuantong, the Feng Shui King, and he lived right there in the city.

But over the years, Master had turned down almost every request for a feng shui consultation, which only made him seem more mysterious.

"You little brat! Why didn't you tell me sooner that you had such an extraordinary classmate? He's an honored guest! How could you let him sit here?" Mr. Wang demanded, glaring fiercely at Wang Chaoyang.

"Dad, I... I didn't know he was the Feng Shui King's disciple either. He never told us," Wang Chaoyang stammered.

"Uncle Wang, Young Master Wu gave Wang Chaoyang a Peace-Safety Talisman, but he thought it was too cheap a gift and even mocked him for it. I've accepted the talisman instead," Zhang Yunyao said.

At that, Mr. Wang flew into a rage and kicked Wang Chaoyang in the backside. "You wasteful fool! You don't know a good thing when you see it! Do you have any idea how much a Peace-Safety Talisman from Li Xuantong, the Feng Shui King, is worth? It's bad enough that you didn't want it, but you had to offend Young Master Wu too! You're just asking for a beating!"

Wang Chaoyang looked utterly wronged, on the verge of tears.

Then his father swallowed his pride and sidled up to me, speaking with great courtesy. "Young Master Wu, would you join me at the head table? I never imagined someone of your standing was a classmate of my Chaoyang. If I'd known sooner, perhaps I could have met the Feng Shui King."

"No need to go to any trouble, Uncle. I've already eaten my fill," I said with a smile.

"Well, do you have any more Peace-Safety Talismans? Could you give me one?" Mr. Wang asked.

"Sorry, Uncle Wang. I was in a hurry when I came, so I only prepared one. Since Wang Chaoyang didn't want it, I could only give it to Zhang Yunyao," I replied with a smile.

Mr. Wang looked deeply regretful and couldn't help shooting another fierce glare at Wang Chaoyang.

After that, I stopped paying attention to anyone and sat there pretending to keep eating. None of the others had left, so I felt awkward leaving first.

Seeing that I wouldn't give him a talisman, Mr. Wang had no choice but to leave.

Zhang Yunyao came over and sat beside me. "Young Master Wu, could we have a few words?" she asked politely.

"It's a little noisy here. Wait for me outside when the banquet is over," I said.

Zhang Yunyao nodded eagerly. "All right, it's settled. I'll wait for you outside."

I had no intention of taking on a job for Zhang Yunyao's family. Although she had helped me this time, I still couldn't break the rule Master had left me.

Even if I couldn't accept the job, I wanted to hear what exactly had happened to her family. It wouldn't hurt to offer her some guidance.

After everyone had gone, I remained at the same table.

This time, no one laughed at me or called the Peace-Safety Talisman I had drawn meaningless scribbles. Even the way they looked at me had changed.

Yet I felt no excitement. If anything, I found it all faintly dull.

From that day on, my classmates and I belonged to two different worlds.

After that, more and more classmates came over to rekindle our friendship. Even those who had barely exchanged a few words with me before approached with warm greetings, addressing me as their old classmate at every turn, as though we had known each other for eight hundred years.

Surrounded by so many people, I felt inexplicably lonely and melancholy.

Youth had grown old, and my classmates had all lost their innocence.

I still missed their old indifference toward me. At least it hadn't reeked so strongly of money and opportunism.