Qu Nanzhu tapped his temple in puzzlement and asked, "Xu Chengbing, are you sure you were talking about your wife just now?"
His words left the livestream viewers utterly baffled, as well as Xu Chengbing on the other side of the screen.
He stammered, "Master, what do you mean?"
Qu Nanzhu spoke unhurriedly. "Judging by your face, your current wife is indeed your destined partner. But she's clearly in excellent health right now, eating well, drinking well, and sleeping well. That's completely different from what you described."
[? What kind of twist is this? A real wife versus fake wife plot?]
[Okay, you've really got me curious. Tell us, Master, tell us!]
[No way. I have a bad feeling about this.]
[Me too! Do you think this man is trying to create the illusion that his wife is seriously ill, then pretend she couldn't take it and killed herself, so he can inherit her money and marry his mistress?!]
[You've read too many brain-dead novels. Didn't you hear him say they went to lots of hospitals for tests...? One check would expose him.]
[Fine, I was guessing.]
[Terrible guess. Keep it up next time.]
[Sob.]
No matter how lively the comments got, Xu Chengbing remained caught up in what Qu Nanzhu had just said.
He didn't understand what was happening and even began to wonder whether he was the sick one.
Delusional disorder?
As his guesses grew increasingly far-fetched, Qu Nanzhu reminded him, "I know you genuinely love your wife. Would you mind letting me see how she's doing right now?"
His voice brought Xu Chengbing back to his senses. He paused blankly to think over what Qu Nanzhu had just said, then mechanically got up and headed toward his wife's hospital room.
Inside, Xu Chengbing's wife, Lu Mo, lay pale-faced in her hospital bed, her body covered in feeding tubes.
The machine beside her beeped, its sound numbing the nerves of anyone listening.
The atmosphere was oppressive. Seeing his beloved wife in this state, Xu Chengbing's spirits instantly plummeted.
No one in the livestream was calling it scripted anymore. Instead, beautiful bouquets and sincere well-wishes filled the comments.
Qu Nanzhu glanced at the woman on the hospital bed wearing a ventilator mask and understood.
"All right, that's enough. Go outside first, and send me your current address while you're at it," he said, picking up his brush to draw a talisman.
Xu Chengbing obediently did as he was told.
Ten breaths later, Qu Nanzhu folded the finished talisman paper. His fair hand reached out of frame to pass it to Little Eighteen.
Only then did he address the camera. "Someone forcibly swapped your wife's fate. Someone probably coveted her husband-prospering fate."
[! So that's what happened! Fuck, whoever did this is inhuman!]
[Sorry, sir. We misunderstood you earlier.]
[You can even swap fates? Wouldn't the whole world fall into chaos?]
[Honestly, I've always felt I wasn't supposed to be born this ordinary. Master, please check whether someone swapped my fate.]
[Wake up. Look at yourself, then look at that man's wife. Still refusing to accept your fate?]
[But I've never heard that swapping fates could kill someone...]
Qu Nanzhu happened to catch that comment as it scrolled past and explained, "They didn't just swap her fate. They also placed a yin curse on this lady. Her organ failure was caused by ghost qi, which is why the hospital couldn't find the cause."
[Why would they do that? They stole her fate and still want her dead? That's vicious!]
Qu Nanzhu said, "Naturally, it's to stop anyone from discovering it and swapping their fates back."
[Oh, got it. They're guarding against you, Master.]
The master ignored that and turned to Xu Chengbing, who was already scared out of his wits. "Wait at the hospital. People from the relevant department will be there soon to help you resolve this. Just cooperate with them when they arrive."
Xu Chengbing didn't dare object and nodded woodenly.
By the time those arrangements were made, Little Eighteen, tasked with delivering the Heavenly Lightning Talisman, had just reached the Celestial Master branch office in Xu Chengbing's area.
One second, the branch chief had just received Fu Chen's message. The next, something tapped on his windowpane.
He looked over. It was a little paper figure.
The little paper figure was quite polite. She knocked on the glass first, then flashed a broad grin when he looked her way.
It was just a little terrifying.
Shocked and frightened, the branch chief opened the window and welcomed Little Eighteen inside. Grinning, Little Eighteen handed him the talisman she carried in her arms and a sheet of paper bearing a message.
Once she had delivered the items, Little Eighteen turned and flew back without lingering.
The branch chief watched that streak of golden light for a moment before carefully unfolding the talisman and the message.
The paper read: [Sorry for the trouble, but please send someone to Third Hospital to resolve the matter concerning Xu Chengbing's wife. Also, if they cannot defeat the evil cultivator, they may blast them with the Heavenly Lightning Talisman.]
Oh, so they wanted me to handle something.
Let's see. They even included a Heavenly Lightning Talisman.
Heavenly Lightning Talisman-
What! The! Hell!
The branch chief, who had breathed a sigh of relief a second earlier, suddenly couldn't breathe at all.
Trembling, he set the Heavenly Lightning Talisman on his bed, pulled out his phone, took a picture, and typed a message.
Before long, headquarters called urgently, instructing him to remain at home on standby. They would arrange for someone to handle the matter at Third Hospital.
"Remember, protect the Heavenly Lightning Talisman!!!!!"
The branch chief stood straight and saluted. "Yes!"
Completely unaware of any of this, Qu Nanzhu began educating the viewers after Xu Chengbing disconnected, thanking him over and over.
"Don't worry. Swapping fates isn't that easy. Aside from the fact that the two people's five elements have to be compatible, the person whose fate is being taken must also have a flaw in their fate. Even if all those conditions are met, very few mystic masters are willing to do it."
Qu Nanzhu spoke slowly, his voice carrying a soothing power. "Swapping fates defies heaven. A mystic master who performs it will, at best, lose years of life and bring calamity upon their descendants. At worst, they'll die a violent death. So there's no need to worry too much."
Sure enough, his words reassured the viewers considerably. With all those conditions combined, the odds were lower than winning the lottery. There really wasn't much to worry about.
[I hope Mr. Xu and his wife can live happily together soon!]
[Same wishes here.]
[Same.]
[+1]
Then came the second call.
This time, a young woman connected. Seeing that she had gotten through, she first blinked in surprise, then immediately began calling out, "Hello, Master! Hello, Master!"
Without needing Qu Nanzhu to say anything, she held her phone and obediently waited for a private message.
Little Eighteen, who had returned, sent her a QR code. Once the divination fee arrived, Qu Nanzhu began asking what she wanted to know.
Her gaze wavered before she explained, "Um, Master, I'd like you to read the latter half of someone's life."
Still unaware of the issue, Qu Nanzhu asked, "In what respect?"
The young woman said, "Just whether there'll be any major disasters or serious illnesses in the future... things like that. Is that okay?"
Only then did Qu Nanzhu lift his eyes and ask, "What's your relationship with this person?"
Her heart tightened at the question, but she gritted her teeth and said, "Just a friend I know..."
By now, the viewers understood and began typing comments to tell Qu Nanzhu the truth.
[Streamer, streamer, she's selling the divination.]
[This is the first time we've actually run into it, but people have been offering big money for a reading for ages. People didn't really believe in the master before, so the amounts weren't that high. Now that he's famous, the prices have gone up.]
[How high can they get?]
[The highest I've seen was a million, but most people don't really trust it, so they just get their own fortunes read if they're picked.]
[Good grief, people even sell these?]
Clearly, Qu Nanzhu hadn't expected such a scheme. His brows knitted tightly, and he said coldly, "I advise you all not to make money this way. No matter how much you receive, in terms of karma, it all counts as my divination fee. But if you take it, that's equivalent to taking on my karma. I guarantee you won't live to spend that money."
At his words, the young woman's face instantly went white, and tears immediately welled in her eyes.
Trembling, she admitted her mistake. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know. He said he was seriously ill and didn't know how much longer he could live, whether he should keep getting treatment or give it up and enjoy the rest of his life. That's why I agreed. He's already given me fifty thousand. What should I do?"
By this point, she was crying with anxiety. She really was frightened. She had thought it would be a wonderful arrangement: she could earn four hundred thousand and help save a life. She hadn't expected to put her own life on the line.
The viewers hadn't expected such serious consequences either. Some felt a lingering chill, while others gloated.
Qu Nanzhu had no intention of blaming the young woman, either. After all, she had accepted the request more out of kindness.
But as for whether the other person had really told her the truth, Qu Nanzhu would draw no conclusion.
Qu Nanzhu said, "Stop crying. Since the reading wasn't completed, the karma hasn't been established. You can return the money now. If he won't accept it, donate all of it in his name."
After hearing that, the young woman finally calmed down and contacted the other person on her phone, still sniffling.
At that point, Qu Nanzhu said, "Since you've already paid the divination fee, why not get a reading for yourself?"
The young woman wiped away her tears and said indistinctly, "Then, please tell me when I'll be able to find a good job."
Qu Nanzhu nodded and began studying her face to make his deductions.
A few breaths later, he said, "My advice is to spend a year at home gathering yourself. Figure out what you truly want to do, then look for a job in that field."
After hearing that, the young woman nodded, knowing what to do, then thanked him softly and disconnected.