Chapter 43: Folk Forbidden Art—The Three Corpses Blocking Fortune (Part V)

That night, Li Chengfeng, carrying the carcasses of three animals and a folding ladder, arrived at Shenghai Jewelry Store with Wang Bin to wait outside.

The night grew deep and quiet. The store closed, and the streets were deserted. Occasionally, a car would speed by, stirring a gentle breeze that brought a touch of coolness to the stifling summer night. Taking advantage of the lack of onlookers, the two approached the entrance like thieves, cautiously observing their surroundings.

Looking at the tightly shut rolling gate, Wang Bin whispered, "Chengfeng, what do we do next?"

"Keep your voice down! There are still security guards on duty inside."

"Oh!"

Li Chengfeng stood at the entrance, first looking down at the ground. It was all concrete covered with floor tiles; burying the carcasses in front of the door was impossible. He had originally hoped to dig three holes to bury the corpse of the sick cat, the hairless crow, and the emaciated bat, which would have been easier and less likely to be discovered. Since that was not an option, he had long planned to bind them with hemp rope and hang them behind the store's signage.

The sign for Shenghai Jewelry was not very large and stood above the entrance, with a small terrace behind it. Li Chengfeng looked up and decided to climb onto the terrace to hang the carcasses there.

Wang Bin steadied the ladder and whispered, "Be careful!"

Li Chengfeng nodded, took the three carcasses, and climbed up. Once on the terrace, he observed the layout. In Feng Shui, there are four primary wealth positions: the Bright Wealth Spot, the Hidden Wealth Spot, the Natal Wealth Spot, and the Annual Wealth Spot. To block the store's fortune, he needed to identify the Bright, Hidden, and Annual spots.

Li Chengfeng took out his Sanhe compass, stood on the terrace, and began to chant, calculating the positions. "Jia and Yi in the Northeast house the God of Wealth; Bing and Ding are found in the Southwest; Wu and Ji sit in the true North; Geng and Xin reside in the East; Ren and Gui sit in the South..."

"Bright Wealth Spot!"
"Hidden Wealth Spot!"
"Annual Wealth Spot!"

As Li Chengfeng named each, they emitted a dazzling golden light—invisible, of course, to anyone without "Heavenly Eyes." Within moments, he had identified the three spots. They shimmered with brilliance; it was no wonder the store's business had been so prosperous.

Li Chengfeng smiled faintly. He hung the crow on the Bright Wealth Spot, the bat on the Hidden Wealth Spot, and the sick cat on the Annual Wealth Spot. As he did so, the previously dazzling golden light was smothered by the overwhelming aura of decay emanating from the carcasses. The positions of the animals—the crow and bat aligned with the door frames, the cat with the center seam—formed a perfect blockade.

This was the "Three-Corpse Wealth-Blocking Technique," designed specifically to obstruct incoming prosperity. Satisfied, Li Chengfeng let out a soft hum and climbed down. Because his shoes were slippery, he stumbled on the last rung.

"Ouch!" The ladder clattered against the wall.

The noise was loud enough to alert the security guard inside. "Who's out there?"

Li Chengfeng and Wang Bin were startled, holding their breath as they heard the guard’s footsteps approaching the door. Just as they panicked, a harsh, piercing cat screech erupted from above the door!

The footsteps inside stopped abruptly, followed by a curse: "Stupid stray cat! Can't a man get any sleep? Always yowling at the door every single day!"

Li Chengfeng and Wang Bin exhaled in relief, carefully picked up the ladder, and tiptoed away. After walking a long distance, they finally stopped. Wang Bin asked impatiently, "Chengfeng, is the Three-Corpse technique set up? Can you tell me how it works?"

"Yes," Li Chengfeng nodded and briefly described what he had done on the terrace.

"Now that it's set up, what will happen to the store?"

"I'm not entirely sure. This is my first time using this technique to harm someone."

The two chatted by the roadside while waiting for a taxi. After an hour, they finally caught one and returned to Suiyuan Hall, where they collapsed into bed, exhausted.

The next morning, Shenghai Jewelry opened as usual. Han Lili arrived soon after, maintaining her usual arrogant demeanor. As she reached the entrance, she saw a stray cat lying in the center, with a crow perched on the right door frame and a bat on the left. Her expression shifted into one of disgust.

"Security! Why is there a stray cat at the door? And get rid of that crow and bat!"

The guard ran out, looked at the entrance, and asked, bewildered, "Manager Han, what crow and what bat?"

"How can you not see them? I just saw them right at the—"

Han Lili stopped mid-sentence, stunned. In the blink of an eye, the animals had vanished. *How strange,* she thought. *Did I see things?*

Many employees had also seen the animals that morning, but whenever they walked up to look closely, the creatures would disappear. It was truly bizarre. Everyone was confused, but since it didn't affect their work, they didn't take it to heart.

Han Lili held a meeting. With the Qixi Festival approaching, many couples were looking to buy engagement and wedding jewelry, and the store was running a promotion. Han Lili was full of confidence, expecting record-breaking sales and a hefty commission. The staff were also motivated, waiting with smiles for customers to arrive.

Soon, the street outside was bustling with couples, families, and shoppers. However, the store remained eerily quiet. Few customers entered, and those who did would turn around and leave for no apparent reason as soon as they reached the threshold. Even when customers did come inside, they would shake their heads and leave regardless of the staff's sales pitches.

By noon, not a single piece of jewelry had been sold. The female staff gathered, complaining. "What is going on today? I haven't sold even an earring!"

"Exactly! Yesterday I sold six bracelets and thirteen pairs of rings, making over 2,000 in commission alone."

Han Lili, frustrated by the lack of sales, snapped at them, "Who told you to chat during work hours? Get back to your posts! If you spent as much time selling as you do gossiping, we wouldn't be in this state. Everyone is fined 100 yuan!"

The staff were disgruntled but complied. The day passed quickly, and by nightfall, not a single sale had been made. The once-thriving Shenghai Jewelry, which usually boasted millions in daily turnover, saw its business plummet overnight.