Liu Changxuan and his disciples were bound to come, and I had already mentally prepared for it. After all, some of the things my second uncle and I had done recently were not small matters, and it would be hard to keep them hidden.
I just didn't expect it to come so soon.
The grudge between me, He Xiaoyun, and He Xiaolong was nothing more than a fight, at most.
But the grudge between me and Liu Changxuan's disciples was something that couldn't be resolved by just a fight.
That day, at the edge of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, they almost died.
Sun Chao's dantian was shattered by me, making this a life-and-death enmity.
But if they were to use traditional methods to deal with me, it would only involve setting traps and scheming.
Could a cripple like Sun Chao have such abilities?
I asked Chen Zihao a few more questions, but he didn't provide any useful information.
It seemed that in the eyes of He Xiaoyun and his nephew, Chen Zihao was truly just a wallet.
Seeing that I wasn't getting anything, I told Huang Jiu to take Chen Zihao away.
After all, I hadn't ordered any food for him, and it would be inappropriate to keep him around.
Huang Jiu also had his own little agenda, trying to get Chen Zihao to pay for the bill, but I stopped him.
There's a limit to everything, and there's a reason for everything.
That's my bottom line.
After Chen Zihao left, Zhang Ying excitedly sat down next to me and asked about what happened that day.
I hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to tell her the truth. After thinking for a long time, I decided to tell her.
With her Yin physique, even if she wouldn't be targeted by the Three Yin Sect, she would definitely attract some minor spirits and evil forces in the future.
After listening to my story, Zhang Ying's face turned pale, but her eyes sparkled with curiosity, fascinated by this world that was so different from the glamorous and neon-lit one she knew.
However, alongside her curiosity, there was also a hint of wariness in her eyes.
Once a person knows fear, they won't remain too naïve.
When the steak arrived, I didn't say much more and quickly finished my meal.
When it came time to pay, I was stunned.
Over three thousand…
In the countryside, that would be the annual income of a whole family.
I don't know if it's because I've been poor for so long, or because I've jumped into the rich circles, but my steps have become bigger than my pants could handle.
Paying felt like a stab in the heart. Thankfully, Zhang Ying had the driver take us home, saving us sixty yuan on the cab fare.
I hadn't seen my second uncle all day, so I called him. He said he was at President Zhang's company, discussing the development of the Ghost Building with President Wang and others.
Why was he so focused on a 5% stake?
I was somewhat speechless. But since business doesn't rely on Feng Shui, I still supported it.
When I got back to the store, Huang Jiu looked worried and said that Taoist dirty tricks were numerous, and if they really set a trap, we might not be able to fight back.
After pondering for a while, Huang Jiu grumbled about the female corpse, saying that it was strange that so many days had passed since the bride's dowry was delivered, yet the bride still hadn't arrived.
He suggested that I go home and see if I could bring her back. With her as a backup, we wouldn't need to fear anything.
Going home was out of the question. I'd rather my parents eat sauerkraut and boiled potatoes every day than bring disaster to them.
As for bringing the female corpse back, I also wanted to, but could I even get into the Ten Thousand Great Mountains?
As night fell, it was another day with no business and only worries.
At eight o'clock in the evening, I was about to close the store and rest.
But just as I was closing the roller shutter, I suddenly felt dizzy, my vision went completely red, and my chest felt like it was being pierced with pain.
Seeing me sway and almost collapse, Huang Jiu immediately jumped onto my shoulder, alert.
Fortunately, that feeling only lasted for a few seconds before it receded like a tide. But in those few seconds, my clothes were soaked with cold sweat, and my face turned pale.
The roller shutter came down.
I took a deep breath and sat back down in my chair, drinking two cups of water before saying, "I've been schemed against."
"So soon?" Huang Jiu asked, puzzled. "No one's been able to get your personal belongings recently."
For a curse to harm someone, there is one critical condition: the victim's personal items, such as hair, blood, or nails, must be used, and they must still have life force, meaning they must be used within ten minutes of being taken.
When Huang Jiu cursed He Xiaoyun before, it was done as soon as he left.
Grandpa taught me how to guard against such things from a young age. It's impossible for someone to get my personal belongings within ten minutes.
As for using one's birth date and time to curse someone, it's possible but rare.
To use a birth date to curse someone, one would need to precisely calculate their destiny and fortune, and make a move at a critical moment.
Only a handful of people in the entire field of Yin and Yang can do this.
Such individuals are considered top-tier figures in the field. If they want someone's life, they wouldn't need to be so complicated.
Eliminating all other possibilities, only one remains: a Feng Shui trap.
Someone set up a trap for me.
Chen Zihao said that Sun Chao came two days ago, and there wasn't enough time for him to tamper with my family's ancestral grave. Besides, if the grave were involved, my reaction would be gradual, and there would be traces to follow.
To set such a trap on a practitioner would be a waste of time.
Sun Chao wouldn't be foolish enough to do that.
I turned to Huang Jiu and asked, "Does your little brother have a little brother?"
"Of course, he's the king of the mice in the area," Huang Jiu replied proudly.
I said, "Tell him to help me and check all the houses around our shop. If he finds anything unusual, he should report back to me immediately."
Huang Jiu realized that someone might be setting up a trap around us, and without another word, he went to find his mouse brother.
Around 2 a.m., Huang Jiu came back and said he found something—it was on the second floor of the steamed bun shop across from our store.
It was late at night, and after confirming that no one lived on the second floor, Huang Jiu and I quietly went upstairs.
The big rat was waiting by the door, squeaking a few times. Huang Jiu translated, "He's asking if he should gnaw the door open!"
"Gnawing would expose us. Let me figure something out!" I said, inspecting the door lock. It was an old-fashioned bolt lock, the kind that's already considered advanced in rural areas.
But the little shop next to Fatty's house used the same kind of lock. Before he got married, whenever his parents were away, he would take me to steal snacks by slipping a hard card between the door gap to open it.
I rummaged through the shop and eventually found a very well-made, all-plastic business card.
I hadn't paid attention to it at the time, but when I got back to the bun shop's second floor, preparing to pick the lock, I realized it was Su Dazhuang's business card.
Ha!
Grandpa really was connected to me by fate—three encounters in a short time.
It seems that people who are not of the same family don't act like one.
I muttered to myself, skillfully picking the lock.
When the door opened, a strong smell of paint hit me.
It was a square room, like a box.
In Feng Shui, this kind of space is called a basin.
With my spiritual eyes, I could see that the whole room was painted red.
Although it was just paint, it made me feel uneasy.
On the wall directly opposite the Li Ji store's facade hung a triangular mirror.
In Feng Shui, the south is associated with fire, and the triangle is also fire in the Five Elements. When fire combines with fire, it creates a powerful destructive force.
Recently, my second uncle and I had been making a lot of money, and our energy was at its peak, so it could be said that our shop was a place of prosperity.
With the mirror and the red paint throughout, this created a deadly Feng Shui trap, known as the "Blood Basin Mirror."
In the industry, it's called the Blood Basin Mirror—dizzying, frightening, causing harmful effects, and damaging the spirit.
No wonder I felt dizzy and had chest pains when standing at the door, with blood visions swirling in front of me.