However, there was one reply that stood out in stark contrast to the mainstream. The person who posted it had the ID Master Carter, and the content of the reply caused quite a stir.

“Greedy Wolf pecks at the moon, the peacock can hardly fly, better to be a chicken. Do not bury, harm others and yourself.”

This reply initially drew fierce criticism from many feng shui masters and the followers of that particular master. Yet, less than three months later, the master who had posted the original thread made a separate post on the forum to apologize.

The apology was simple: he admitted he had misjudged, and was grateful for Master Carter’s reminder, but he did not specify what exactly had happened.

From then on, Master Carter’s reputation began to spread throughout the forum.

……

With his eyes closed, Brian Carter was also thinking about what had happened on the forum back then. The reason he joined that forum was because he had stumbled upon it when he first learned how to use the internet.

At that time, he happened to see a post by Master Brooks. After looking at the pictures posted by Master Brooks, he noticed the mistakes and decided to point them out.

To be honest, Brian Carter had no interest in any sort of “master” title. He originally wanted to use Brian Carter as his username, but found it was already taken. Then he tried “Feng Shui Kid,” “Metaphysics Enthusiast,” and “Ordinary Folk,” but all those names were taken as well.

In a fit of frustration, Brian Carter simply chose the name Master Carter, and to his surprise, it was available. This made him sigh—Chinese people really are humble.

Brian Carter rarely posted on the forum proactively. He would only leave comments when he saw some so-called feng shui masters posting erroneous feng shui threads. His only purpose in doing so was to prevent charlatans from harming others.

A doctor with poor skills might harm a single patient, but a feng shui master lacking in skill could harm an entire family, or even a whole village.

……

The car was moving, and after an hour, they finally arrived at the place Brian Carter had mentioned—a village within the city near the outskirts.

Compared to the bustling and clean city center, this place was much more chaotic. The roadside was lined with all kinds of vendor stalls, and the people living here were all migrant workers, most of whom did manual labor.

Naturally, these people were unwilling to spend thousands of yuan or more each month on rent. For them, anything over five hundred was already a luxury. As long as they had a place to stay, that was enough.

They came out to work to earn more money, not to enjoy life.

“Brian Carter, your friend lives here?”

Emily Parker didn’t get out of the car but asked. When she saw Brian Carter nod, she finally parked the car to the side and then followed Brian Carter out.

“Brian Carter, where exactly does your friend live? Where do we look?”

“I don’t know.”

Hearing Brian Carter’s answer, Emily Parker rolled her eyes. Not knowing the exact address—just this one village was so big, finding someone would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

“But I know how to find him.”

Brian Carter smiled at Emily Parker, and in that smile was a childlike innocence, which made Emily Parker freeze for a moment. She hadn’t expected such a childlike smile to appear on Brian Carter’s face.

Chapter 9: There’s an Old Yellow Dog

Shachuan Town.

A town mostly populated by migrants. This was an old district of the metropolis that had yet to be heavily developed, and most of the residents here were migrant workers renting homes. As for the locals, most had already moved out.

Emily Parker watched Brian Carter walking ahead. At this moment, Brian Carter had lost his earlier composure, especially after he whistled a few minutes ago—his steps were as light and lively as a child’s.

His demeanor and actions were just like a child about to see a long-lost relative.

A moment later, Emily Parker’s beautiful eyes suddenly widened, because she saw a yellow dog dart out from the alley ahead. She quickly called out to Brian Carter in front, “Brian Carter, watch out!”

However, not only did Brian Carter not stop as Emily Parker told him, he actually sped up, making Emily Parker’s heart leap into her throat. Especially when she saw the yellow mutt pounce toward Brian Carter, she was so nervous she closed her eyes.

“Haha, I see you’re still up to your old tricks after all these years.”

“Alright, alright, cut it out, get your dog head out of the way.”

When Emily Parker heard Brian Carter’s cheerful laughter, she opened her eyes, only to see a scene that left her speechless.

Up ahead, Brian Carter was squatting on the ground, and the yellow dog had its front paws on Brian Carter’s shoulders, its head rubbing against Brian Carter’s body, occasionally sticking out its tongue to lick Brian Carter’s face.

It had been many years since Emily Parker had seen a yellow dog like this. The last time she remembered seeing one was at her grandfather’s house when she was a child. They had a lovely name—Chinese Rural Dog, commonly known as a mutt.

Ever since the metropolis became a bustling city, these mutts had become increasingly rare. Even her girlfriends who liked dogs all kept pet breeds.

Mongrels like this seemed to have disappeared from the big city.