Something Happened

Zhao Yuan didn't understand. She had just asked a simple question. Why was Monk Jishi, who was beside her, now blushing furiously with a murderous glint in his eyes? If you say you can handle it, why be so polite with me?

Zhao Qian burst into laughter, finding the monk's status being reduced to that of a commoner by Zhao Yuan incredibly amusing and delightful.

Yu Xiao Xue didn't quite grasp what was happening. Regardless, she was just there to watch the spectacle.

"Then, let's start with the third daughter's side," the old matriarch of the Zhao family coughed, only to realize with a shock that she had been influenced by her own third daughter and was now using coarse language.

Back then, the third daughter was willful and followed a man involved in shady dealings without even finishing high school. The Zhao family had nearly disowned her several times because of it. However, life is indeed mysterious. Her husband, through a series of unexpected events, managed to build a successful business over a decade, much to the Zhao family's astonishment. But this also contributed to Zhao Yuan's current arrogance and high-handedness; she constantly believed money could solve anything, had little affection for her family, and only cared about showing off and bossing people around.

"Mom, you really know what's what," Zhao Yuan said, suddenly beaming with joy.

"Then, Zhao Xi, Zhao Zhou, you two brothers will first take the other masters to the manor to rest, and then each of you will bring your children to the old man's house," the old matriarch of the Zhao family said, about to push the wheelchair towards the accommodation.

Zhao Yuan quickly ran over to take over the wheelchair and started chatting with the old matriarch. The group of monks followed them.

A hint of anger flickered across Zhao Xi's pale face. He had never had a good impression of his third sister, who had been incorrigible since she was young. He snorted coldly and led a few Taoist priests to rest.

After all, the masters were in a competitive relationship. You couldn't openly watch another's ritual, let alone point fingers. Therefore, only close friends and family could attend as spectators.

The Zhao family's manor was fully equipped with amenities like a mahjong room and a sports room. Most of the accompanying guests, upon hearing the head of the family's instructions, didn't follow. After all, rituals weren't a one or two-day affair, and they had seen enough. So, many went to gamble and play mahjong, while some directly went to the guest rooms to sleep and rest.

Yu Xiao Xue and I, being friends with Zhao Qian, followed her and accompanied Zhao Xi's group, along with over thirty relatives and friends, to the old man's residence.

Zhao Xi didn't understand why Yu Xiao Xue and I were tagging along, but since we were Zhao Qian's friends, he didn't say anything. After all, his daughter generally acted with some discretion, unlike his son, who only knew how to drink and fight with his shady friends all day.

The old man's residence was quite luxurious. The furniture in the living room was made of Vietnamese rosewood, and the various ornaments were meticulously chosen. There were also many small bonsai trees nearby. As soon as we entered, it felt like a refreshing aura enveloped us.

"Good feng shui." Even I could feel its power. For such a feng shui arrangement to still attract ghosts was truly frightening.

Zhao Qian nodded and smiled at me.

Over a dozen senior monks seemed very experienced with rituals. An altar was set up, incense sticks were lit, and various ritual implements, cushions, and wooden fish were all present.

Everything was ready, and it was already past noon. The monks didn't seem hungry and began striking their wooden fish and chanting mantras together.

I asked Zhao Qian if she understood the mantra. She frowned and said it sounded like something called the "Shurangama Mantra." It was said to be a mantra of merit. When chanted, merit would spread widely, and those who were directly or indirectly harmed by the Zhao family patriarch's past misdeeds would come to claim their merit, thus resolving the matter.

After hearing this, I felt that the million or so yuan wasn't entirely wasted. These monks did have some skill.

To be a monk, who wouldn't have strong willpower? Soon, two hours passed, and nothing happened. Yu Xiao Xue, leaning against me, had fallen asleep.

"It seems like it won't have any effect anytime soon, and I can't figure out their strategy. Let's go eat first," I said with a wry smile. Honestly, I had no idea what these monks were doing. If it were Taoist magic, I might have understood something from my Grandma's books, but I was completely clueless about the Buddhist rituals.

Moreover, seeing that the sky was still bright, I figured either the monks were still warming up, or Monk Jishi's skills weren't sufficient. The Yin energy in the hall hadn't risen yet, so no vengeful ghosts were being summoned to collect debts.

We were all sitting on the cushions behind Zhao Xi. When I spoke, Zhao Xi looked over, his gaze somewhat stern and seemingly displeased, though he didn't show it too obviously. However, when he looked at Zhao Qian, his eyes clearly held a hint of blame, implying something like, What kind of friends did you bring?

Zhao Qian looked embarrassed and was about to say something to salvage the situation when I spoke up, "Uncle Zhao, I don't quite understand what's happening, so I'll head out first. If you're hungry, Zhao Qian and I can bring you some vegetarian food."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xi's veins immediately began to bulge on his forehead. However, he remained polite and said, "Yes, thank you. I'm not hungry yet. If you're hungry, you should go eat first."

Zhao Qian understood her father's personality well. He hated it when people couldn't persevere with something or couldn't handle it properly. This time, she hadn't brought Zhou Xian, and even the friends she brought were people who wanted to back out. She figured her father's impression of her had just dropped significantly.

"Tian Ge, why don't we sit here a little longer?" Zhao Qian actually wanted to mend the relationship between me and her father.

But her brother, Zhao He, was displeased. He whispered, "Tian Ge already said he's leaving, what are you waiting for, sis? Aren't you studying the Tao? What are those monks chanting? Let's go."

Actually, Zhao He felt I was much more capable than these masters. Since I had already said that, it seemed a bit naive for his sister to insist on staying.

Zhao Xi then became angry and reprimanded in a low voice, "Zhao He! Whether you want to listen or not, don't involve your sister. Get out!"

Zhao He frowned, thinking, He can even hear that? But his father had that temper, so he couldn't do anything but stand up.

"Tian Ge, let's go. If those monks and Taoist priests can't handle it later, we can come back," Zhao He said, showing some tact. He didn't argue with Zhao Xi, thinking that if the monks and Taoist priests failed, we could step in to clean up the mess.

Zhao Xi, however, didn't understand the underlying meaning. He thought Zhao He was defying him and wanted to wait until the monks and Taoist priests failed before returning to watch the show. So, he suddenly stood up, and if there hadn't been so many people, he would have almost slapped him.

Zhao He was terrified and quickly ran out of the hall.

Knowing Zhao Xi's attitude now, I could only smile wryly and lead Yu Xiao Xue out. Seeing me leave, Zhao Qian also stood up. At this, Zhao Xi's face darkened instantly. He was so angry that his fingers, pointing at Zhao Qian and Zhao He, were trembling. His expression clearly showed: I used to think you, Zhao Qian, were sensible, but it turns out you're just the same!

Zhao Qian felt wronged and regretted coming. If she had known, she wouldn't have come, and now she had left a bad impression on her father.

However, she firmly believed in my abilities and thought it was better to build a relationship with me than to listen to the monks chant.

We went to the dining area and ate casually. Zhao He was fine and drank half a bottle of Jinliufu with me.

Zhao Qian couldn't manage it. She ate only a few bites, her face full of sadness.

Seeing that Zhao Qian wasn't very happy, I decided to go sightseeing around the area. Zhao He immediately agreed and took the initiative to lead the way to the nearby famous Liancheng Mountain.

Liancheng Mountain was a fortress built by the Qing army during the resistance against French colonial rule in the southern gateway. It was a place of high mountains and deep waters with beautiful scenery. Looking down from the summit, the river wound around, indicating excellent feng shui.

Zhao Qian also said this place was a treasure trove of feng shui, but then she frowned and looked at a vacant area.

I looked over as well and felt waves of gloomy energy gathering below, forming a strange aura. I couldn't help but ask why that area was so full of Yin energy.

Upon my question, Zhao Qian explained that this place had been used as an execution ground for criminals around the time of the founding of the People's Republic of China. During the warlord era, the civil war, the Cultural Revolution, and the crackdown on crime, countless people had died unjustly. This had ruined the feng shui of the area, and generally, people dared not approach it at night.

I immediately took this information to heart.

By the time we descended the mountain, three to four hours had passed, and dusk was setting in. Yu Xiao Xue was getting a bit tired. She didn't want to go back to the manor; it was too boring.

Hearing that Yu Xiao Xue wanted to go home, Zhao He immediately feigned yawns. In reality, he had woken up too early that day, and some of his close friends had called him to go drinking. Plus, he was afraid of facing his father, Zhao Xi, so he found an excuse to leave.

Zhao Qian and I had no choice but to drive back to the city. Zhao He asked us to drop him off at the Ronghe Bar in the county town. Yu Xiao Xue was then sent back to her apartment.

After all, I had promised Zhao Qian, so I had no reason not to return to the manor. Zhao Qian genuinely cared about her grandfather, so she would definitely go. Therefore, we both drove out with the same intention.

On the way back, I couldn't drive drunk, and Zhao Qian was in a bad mood, so she drove seriously without saying a word. Besides, with Zhao Qian's driving skills, talking to her would just make me uncomfortable, so it wasted our precious time alone together.

On the other hand, the little fierce ghost was in high spirits. She looked like a seven or eight-year-old loli. After being cooped up in the soul urn all day, she was finally able to come out. She excitedly hugged my neck and chattered non-stop.

I don't understand ghost language and can't understand what she's saying at all. I just feel a tickle in my ear, which is creepy.

Zhao Qian still felt nervous seeing the little fierce ghost. She leaned against the car window, too afraid to speak, and continued driving. This made it even harder for the two of us to find anything to say.

When we arrived at the manor, I called the little fierce ghost back into the soul urn. I noticed that most of the cars in the parking lot were already gone, with only a few left, likely belonging to direct relatives and the officiating masters.

There were only a few tables left of the banquet set up in the manor. Zhao Yi was drinking with two drivers, probably staying the night.

Seeing us return as a pair, and without seeing Yu Xiao Xue and Zhao He, Zhao Yi just gave a cold snort and continued playing drinking games.

There weren't many people left in the entire manor, and it felt deserted. I felt the yin energy had indeed thickened significantly, but looking towards the main hall, the situation hadn't changed much. The great monk was still occupying the hall, chanting scriptures for the departed.

I asked Zhao Qian to wait for me and then went into the kitchen without ceremony. Seeing a complete plate of sweet and sour pork ribs and dried shredded fish, I decided to get it for Zhao Qian.

As I picked up the plate, Zhao Yi suddenly walked in with a dark expression, glaring at me. My heart skipped a beat. Could this kid be drunk and looking to start a fight?

Zhao Yi reeked of alcohol. Without a word, he picked up a sharp knife from the kitchen and stared at me with a blank smile.