Xu Gui was led around Zheng Fulai's house by Zheng Fulai.
They first went to the pond where the problem had started, but even before they reached the pond, they could smell the stench of dead fish wafting from the air.
Zheng Fulai frowned involuntarily.
When they got closer, they finally saw the situation at the pond. Zheng's servants were standing by the pond, using fishing nets to scoop up fish. The fish they pulled up only turned their white bellies slightly before becoming still.
Seeing Zheng Fulai, the servants greeted him, "Young Master Fulai."
"Aunt Chen, the fish in the pond have died again?" Zheng Fulai asked worriedly.
The middle-aged woman called Aunt Chen nodded and sighed, "The batch of fish we put in a couple of days ago are almost all dead. Alas, these fish are so expensive."
Aunt Chen was quite distressed.
Xu Gui glanced at the pond. It was in the backyard, fed by a flowing stream. A winding stream cascaded down from above, flowing into the large pond before him. Lotus flowers grew in the pond, their leaves lush and green, buds just beginning
to unfurl – it should have been a vibrant and beautiful scene. The reason he said "should have been" was because the pond now looked quite unpleasant. Instead of beautiful lotus leaves floating on the surface, there were dead fish, their white bellies turned up, lifeless. The lotus blossoms that should have been
just beginning to emerge were withered and lifeless. This scene, coupled with the lingering fishy smell, was anything but beautiful.
"Have you had the water in this pond tested?" someone asked one of the Zheng family's servants. Xu Gui recognized the person as one of the people from the reception room earlier.
"Yes," the maid answered when questioned. "When the fish in the backyard had a problem, the old gentleman had the second son-in-law take the water for testing, and the results showed there was no problem."
Zheng Fulai also turned to Xu Gui to introduce this "second son-in-law": "The second son-in-law is my second sister's husband; he's a doctor."
It seems this person really couldn't resist being talked about, because Xu Gui and the others only mentioned this second son-in-law shortly after. A handsome, tall young man came from the front to the backyard.
Upon seeing him, Zheng Fulai immediately called out, "Brother Qilin!"
Wei Qilin, the second son-in-law of the Zheng family.
Wei Qilin smiled when he saw Zheng Fulai and said, "Feiran said you had guests in the backyard, so I came to check. What's wrong? Did you notice anything?"
His tone was very friendly towards Zheng Fulai.
Hearing this, Zheng Fulai pursed his lips, somewhat displeased, and said, "Did Fei Ran say something to you again? Did he say bad things about me? Call me stupid and say I was scammed?"
Wei Qilin was amused by him and said, "Your Fei Ran is just concerned about you. Who told you to be so stupid and rich, always getting scammed?"
"Have you forgotten the time you were tricked into going to a bar and almost got scammed? If your Fei Ran hadn't arrived in time, you probably would have lost everything!"
"And the time before that, your so-called friend said there was a family emergency, and you gave him two million without hesitation. Later it turned out that they were all lying to you..."
"Oh, and the time before that..."
As Wei Qilin spoke, Zheng Fulai's face gradually turned red. Seeing that Wei Qilin was about to continue, he quickly said, "Okay, okay! Brother Qilin, stop talking."
He secretly glanced at Xu Gui and the paparazzi, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Wei Qilin chuckled and said, "I'm not saying all this to expose your shortcomings, I just want to tell you that your brother Feiran only cares about you. Whenever you're in trouble, isn't he the first to rush to your aid?"
"I know Feiran is good to me," Zheng Fulai said somewhat awkwardly, "but, one thing at a time, what he did this time was truly wrong! Master Xu was a guest I invited, and he was rude to her. That's not only disrespectful to Master Xu, but also disrespectful to me!"
Wei Qilin was somewhat surprised that he could utter such "philosophical" words, and couldn't help but reach out and pat his head, exclaiming, "Our Fulai has grown up."
Zheng Fulai: "...I'm twenty-five years old, okay? You guys still treat me like a child."
He introduced Xu Gui to Wei Qilin, "Brother Qilin, this is Master Xu. Let me tell you, Master Xu is incredibly, incredibly amazing. If you knew what she's done, you'd also think she's amazing."
Perhaps afraid that Wei Qilin would think Xu Gui was a fraud like Zheng Feiran, he tried very hard to convey how amazing Xu Gui was.
"You don't know, yesterday someone went to Master Xu for fortune telling, saying they received a call from their deceased father in the middle of the night. Master Xu immediately calculated that it was his father who wasn't dead. They went to dig up the grave, and after digging his father out, he was actually still alive..."
Zheng Fulai chattered on and on, "And also, there was a Mr. Li who said his family was possessed by evil spirits. Master Xu immediately calculated that it was because Mr. Li's mother had sprinkled pesticide in the rice jar. Their family wasn't possessed by evil spirits, but poisoned!"
Finally, he concluded, "Brother Qilin, don't you think Master Xu is amazing?"
Wei Qilin looked at Xu Gui with a probing gaze, his expression unreadable. He said, "According to you, Master Xu is really amazing."
Zheng Fulai nodded vigorously, "That's right, that's why I asked Master Xu for help. With Master Xu here, I believe our family's problems will definitely be resolved quickly!"
"Right, Master Xu?" He looked at Xu Gui expectantly.
Xu Gui nodded, "Mm."
Wei Qilin smiled, extended his hand to shake Xu Gui's, and said meaningfully, "Then we'll leave our family's affairs to you, Master Xu."
Xu Gui glanced at him, smiled, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Mr. Wei, you're too kind."
Xu Gui felt that Wei Qilin and Zheng Feiran were actually somewhat similar. Both seemed to be well-mannered, gentle, and polite, but one was more peaceful and shrewd, unfathomable; the other was like a needle hidden in cotton, and you could easily get pricked if you weren't careful.
Wei Qilin looked at the dead fish that the servants had pulled out of the pond and casually asked, "I wonder if Master Xu has figured anything out after looking at it for so long?"
Master Xu replied seriously, "We still need to observe it further." At least he needed to observe it to make the benefactor feel that the money was worthwhile.
"Oh, really?" Wei Qilin's lips curled slightly. "Then I'll trouble Master Xu."
"...I understand." Just then, a long, drawn-out sigh came from the side. A middle-aged Taoist priest with a beard, dressed in a Taoist robe, and exuding an air of otherworldly wisdom said, "This is caused by a vengeful spirit!"
Everyone present was drawn to his words, even his "colleagues" who were holding a compass and studying something with great seriousness looked at him.
Xu Gui: .
Wei Qilin asked, "Master, what do you mean by that? What vengeful spirit?"
The middle-aged Taoist priest stroked his beard, looking unfathomable, and said, "Your house, before it was built, you specifically had someone look at the feng shui, right?"
"Yes." Wei Qilin nodded. "At that time, we consulted Master Huiyuan of Fajue Temple."
The middle-aged Taoist priest exclaimed in realization, "It's Master Huiyuan! No wonder I felt the feng shui of this house was extraordinary as soon as I entered. It has the aura of a hidden dragon in the abyss, attracting wealth and gathering energy..."
Xu Gui listened, turned slightly to the side, and asked Zheng Fulai in a low voice, "Who is Master Huiyuan?"
From what he's said, he seems very powerful, even more powerful than their Xuan Turtle? Is he some kind of extraordinary human?
Zheng Fulai: "Master, don't you know Master Huiyuan?"
Xu Gui honestly shook her head.
Zheng Fulai then introduced Master Huiyuan to her: "...Master Huiyuan is a high-ranking monk of Fajue Temple. He is skilled in divination and feng shui. In wealthy circles, he is a very well-known figure."
Xu Gui: "Wow..."
Zheng Fulai became excited and continued, "Master Huiyuan is very powerful. He is best at feng shui consultations and feng shui arrangements. You know the Qin family of Shengshi, right?"
Xu Gui continued to shake her head.
"..." Zheng Fulai had to briefly introduce the Qin family again, "The Qin family started out in real estate, but it is said that the reason why Boss Qin was able to get rich was because Master Huiyuan arranged a wealth-attracting feng shui layout for him. Since then, the Qin family has soared to prominence and has become a new elite in City A in just a few years!"
After this, Master Huiyuan's already famous reputation became even more renowned, and his value skyrocketed. Ordinary people could not easily ask him to take care of them.
"When my house was built, we invited Master Huiyuan to inspect it. Many of the furnishings and constructions were arranged according to his plan. My brother Feiran said this feng shui can ensure peace and attract wealth!"
Zheng Fulai spoke fluently, clearly knowledgeable about these matters. However, he sighed after speaking and whispered, "It's because the feng shui of our house was specially arranged that things have been going wrong recently, causing widespread panic. My grandfather not only lost his appetite because of this, but he also fell ill."
He lowered his voice even further, muttering, "That's why everyone suspects that our feng shui has been broken, which is why all these bad things have happened."
Xu Gui couldn't help but sigh, "Your family is so superstitious."
Zheng Fulai secretly glanced at her: "...Shouldn't you have said that, Master? You're doing the most superstitious things!"
"I didn't, I'm not, don't slander me." Xu Gui directly denied it three times in a row, stating confidently, "I'm different, this is scientific fortune telling. Have you seen my fortune telling banner? It has 'Science' written on it in big letters!"
Zheng Fulai: ...Just because it says "science," does that mean what you do is scientific?
While the two were whispering to each other, the middle-aged Taoist continued to explain to everyone in a profound and unfathomable tone why it was "the work of vengeful spirits."
"...Mr. Zheng, your family's feng shui is too good. It can gather energy and wealth, and bring continuous blessings. So, unknowingly, it attracted this vengeful spirit. After its appearance, it caused the magnetic field of your house to become chaotic, and the feng shui changed accordingly. The originally excellent feng shui has become extremely inauspicious, full of evil energy. Therefore, the people living here, or other lives, will be affected."
The middle-aged Taoist priest asked with a serious expression, "Tell me, has anyone in your family recently fallen ill? And has anyone suffered financial losses?"
Wei Qilin looked surprised, then frowned and said, "Someone in our family has indeed fallen ill. As for financial losses... my wife was in a car accident this morning when she went to work. The police said it was entirely our fault." "
Second sister was in a car accident?" Zheng Fulai's expression changed.
Wei Qilin looked at him and comforted him, "Don't worry, she's fine. It's just that the car was damaged and taken to the repair shop. The police said we have to pay a lot of money." Zheng Fulai breathed a sigh of relief
and said, "It's good that she's alright." Paying money was secondary.
"No wonder you were home today, Brother Qilin. I was wondering if the hospital wasn't busy?" he said again.
Wei Qilin said, "I took the day off from the hospital today and swapped shifts with someone to deal with this... You know your second sister, she knows absolutely nothing about these things."
Zheng Fulai pressed, "What about my second sister?"
Wei Qilin said, "Of course she went to work, so I'm the one who came back."
"That's it!" the middle-aged Taoist said, "First the plants and animals in the house were affected, then the impact spread to people, and when it affected people, some people fell ill. I guess it's the elderly in the family who fell ill, right? The elderly are weak, so when something goes wrong, the elderly in the family are the first to be affected."
Zheng Fulai's eyes widened, and he turned to look at Wei Qilin, exclaiming, "Brother Qilin, he's right about everything!"
Wei Qilin pressed, "Then Master, how can we solve this problem?"
The middle-aged Taoist said solemnly, "Naturally, we need to exorcise the ghost... Let me prepare some things first, and I'll perform an exorcism in a moment!"
He spoke with great seriousness, and Xu Gui listened: ...
"...A vengeful spirit seeking revenge? I don't think so." A middle-aged man dressed in a Tang suit, not a Taoist priest, held a different opinion. He spoke up, "I think this is purely because the feng shui has been broken, causing a disharmony in the magnetic field."
The middle-aged Taoist priest frowned: "What makes you say that?"
The man in the Tang suit scoffed, "If it's a vengeful spirit, where is it? If you're so capable, summon it now and let me see... Ah, I see, are you going to say that people and ghosts cannot be detected by the naked eye?"
"It's alright, I have ox tears here. Ox tears connect the yin and yang. If there really is a vengeful spirit, we'll drip some ox tears on it and take a good look!"
He took out a bottle of "ox tears" from his pocket.
The middle-aged Taoist priest: !
"Are you deliberately trying to cause trouble?" He was furious.
The man in the Tang suit said sarcastically, "Oh, so you're angry because I exposed your lie? Mr. Zheng, I think this guy is a liar. Everything he just said was probably a lie to you..."
"Pah! You dare call me a liar? Humph, I heard that last time you arranged a feng shui arrangement for someone to attract wealth, that person went bankrupt not long after, and that customer almost killed you with a knife... And now you're giving me advice? If anyone's a liar, it's you!" "
...At least I wouldn't do anything that disregards human life, nor would I be as heartless as you! Do you think I don't know? Last time you tried to exorcise a child and fed them talisman water, you directly killed the child! It's all over the industry! Aren't you afraid that child will come back to haunt you tonight?"
"You..."
"I %*...￥"
The two stood there, actually attacking each other. In the end, they were tearing each other apart, revealing every little thing, good or bad, the atmosphere thick with tension.
Zheng Fulai, watching this scene, was speechless. His initial shock and excitement at the middle-aged Taoist's words gradually faded to a blank expression.
"Master, let me take you to see other places…"
He turned to Xu Gui, only to find Xu Gui watching the two arguing with great interest, his gaze shifting back and forth between them.
Zheng Fulai's lips twitched slightly.
Hearing his words, Xu Gui reluctantly turned his attention back, saying, "…Okay, okay."
However, despite her words, her gaze lingered on the two people, her expression one of pure excitement at the spectacle—it was the first time she'd ever seen anyone argue like this.
"Do you think they'll start fighting?" she whispered to Zheng Fulai.
Zheng Fulai honestly replied, "…I don't know."
A sly glint flashed in Xu Gui's eyes as she said, "I guess so. In two minutes, they'll be attacking each other mercilessly, then one of them will slip and fall into the pond. Because of the awkward landing, their face will be scratched by the rocks on the edge of the pond, bleeding profusely…"
"And the other person, being pulled into the water along with them, will be unharmed, but because they can't swim, they almost drowned."
Xu Gui's clear voice, delivered slowly and deliberately, drew people in, but after hearing her words, the expressions of the others became somewhat strange.
"...The water in our pond isn't deep," Zheng Fulai whispered. "When I go in, the water only comes up to my waist; it won't drown you."
Xu Gui retorted, "For someone who can't swim, even if the water only reaches their calves, they can still drown."
Zheng Fulai: "..."
Wei Qilin's probing gaze fell on Xu Gui once more.
*
Next, Xu Gui and the others didn't move, but watched the two arguing more and more fiercely—they were very curious, would the scene Xu Gui described really happen?
This wasn't just a question on Zheng Fulai's mind; everyone in the live stream was also curious. If the scene Xu Gui described really came true, then...wouldn't she really be a fortune teller?
Therefore, with a very subtle feeling, everyone's eyes were fixed on the arguing two.
Of course, the Zheng family's servants tried to persuade the two, but the two argued even more fiercely, completely ignoring the advice of those around them, and in their anger, they directly revealed all the dirty things the other had done.
Now, the two had completely broken off relations, and given the situation, a fight wasn't unexpected.
They were grappling and cursing at each other
when, suddenly, one of them slipped and fell into the pond behind him. Because of their struggle, one slipped, pulling the other down with him.
"Splash!"
A huge splash erupted in the pond with a cry of surprise.
Xu Gui, who had anticipated this, had quickly hidden behind the cameraman two seconds earlier. The cameraman was strong, one body twice as big as two of hers, completely shielding her from the water.
As for the others…
the cameraman wiped the water from his face, carefully touching the camera that had been splashed, thankfully saying, "Thank goodness, this thing is waterproof."
Xu Gui peeked out from behind him and saw that almost everyone present had been hit—almost, because she was one of the few who had escaped.
Zheng Fulai looked at her with a mournful expression and said, "Master, why didn't you tell us beforehand?"
Xu Gui looked at him innocently and said, "I just remembered..."
As a Xuan Turtle in her true form, she actually quite liked water, but she preferred to be completely submerged, not standing here getting splashed. Especially after transforming into a human, she disliked it even more.
"...Ah! Blood! Help!"
Suddenly, cries of alarm came from the pond. Zheng Fulai and the others suddenly remembered Xu Gui's "prophecy." They looked at each other and simultaneously strode to the pond's edge, looking into the water.
By this time, servants had already jumped in to rescue people. The scene in the pond was chaotic, and on the turbulent surface, bright red blood could be seen seeping out, looking particularly glaring.
"Sir! Sir! Are you alright?"
The person in the pond was helped up. He was soaking wet, his eyes closed, and one hand stiffly covering his left cheek.
On his left cheek, where his hand wasn't covering it, a crimson liquid could be seen meandering down, sliding over his chin, and finally dripping onto the water below.
When he released his hand from his left cheek, everyone saw that the flesh on his left side was torn away, a gruesome, blood-soaked gash starkly visible on his face.
Seeing this, Zheng Fulai was shocked—he knew Xu Gui was powerful, knew she was shrewd and calculating, but that knowledge was nothing compared to the impact of witnessing this scene firsthand.
Wait, the person with the injured face fulfilled their prophecy, but what about the other person…?
Zheng Fulai's gaze quickly returned to the pond, and this time, he finally saw another figure struggling. They
had clearly fallen into the pond together, but the middle-aged Taoist priest was already on the bank, helped to his feet by the servants, while the man in the Tang suit was almost in the middle of the pond.
His entire body was submerged, thrashing about without any foothold; because the commotion was so great, no one had noticed him.
As the man in the Tang suit sank lower and lower, Zheng Fulai shouted in panic, "Help! Help! There's another one over there!"
The scene erupted into chaos again.