"Name."
"Qi Yingxue."
"Gender."
"Female."
"Do you know why you're sitting here?"
Qi Yingxue: "..."
How would she know? She was utterly bewildered.
She had thought the police were looking for her, but the people who arrested her weren't police at all; they were from some "Investigation Department."
She had never even heard of this agency!
She asked, "Who are you people? What right do you have to arrest me?"
The interrogator took out a bag of powder and asked her, "What is this?"
Qi Yingxue's heart sank with panic. "I don't know. Maybe the hotel cleaning wasn't thorough."
Interrogator: "I never said this was from your room."
"..."
When people lie, they often subconsciously say more, trying to make their story hold up, but the more they say, the more holes appear.
"Speak." The interrogator threw the bag onto the table.
Qi Yingxue had always had a smooth life, never been in trouble. Once tricked into revealing herself, she grew even more panicked and confused, so she confessed everything.
"It was He Yang who lured me into buying it. He said it could change my luck, but it was completely useless! He swindled over a million out of me!"
"Who is He Yang?"
"The male lead number two in the film crew."
Outside, watching the interrogation, Meng Yunzheng immediately said, "Summon He Yang."
When He Yang was apprehended, he was meticulously wiping the statue of the Fortune Immortal, treating it like some priceless treasure.
He frantically tried to hide the statue, but it was too late.
Overnight, both the female lead and the male lead number two of the crew were taken away. Many people saw them being escorted from the hotel into vehicles. The news spread to Weibo, shooting straight to the top of the hot search list.
[Are they police? They don't look like it.]
[No, but there are police accompanying them. Judging by the uniforms, it seems like some special department.]
The Investigation Department's uniforms are quite similar to police uniforms, the difference being the former are specially made to defend against magical attacks.
[Did Qi Yingxue do something wrong? And He Yang too? What's with this crew's feng shui?]
[First Wei Xu and Yuan Qing, now He Yang and Qi Yingxue. This male lead number two role must be cursed. Whoever plays it gets into trouble, and each time drags down a female actor too.]
[Don't compare Qi Yingxue to Goddess Yuan! One is a perpetrator, the other was a victim, okay!]
[The official announcement hasn't come out yet, don't just spout nonsense. How do you know Qi Yingxue did something wrong?]
[Are you blind? Didn't you see her being escorted into the car?]
The Qi family, having received the news, was at a loss.
Qi Changrong rushed to the police station to inquire, but the police wouldn't reveal a thing. He asked many friends, but not a single one could find out any information.
"What on earth happened? Wasn't she filming on set?"
Gu Qiao's face was pale, but she forced herself to stay calm. "It might be a misunderstanding."
Qi Lin returned from outside, his expression icy. "I found out. It is indeed an official law enforcement department, investigating special cases."
He had some connections with second-generation circles and could gather some information.
Anyway, there was no need to hide these things. As Qi Yingxue's family, they would be notified sooner or later.
"Official? Special cases?" Gu Qiao asked anxiously. "What kind of special cases? What exactly did she do?"
Qi Lin's gaze was cold and heavy. "Something that harms people."
"Ah?" Gu Qiao was stunned.
Qi Changrong was equally surprised. "A Lin, how much did you actually find out?"
"The specifics I don't know, but reportedly, she joined an illegal pyramid scheme organization and used special methods to harm people. This is beyond our control."
...
"What should we do now?"
Qi Lin: "Wait. The authorities will notify us."
Sure enough, officials soon came to notify them.
It was Shen Hui and Tang Mian.
Both were devoted followers of Qi Quan. Upon learning that Qi Quan had been secretly harmed, and by such clumsy means at that, they were furious and specifically applied for this task.
Now, among those who knew Qi Quan, who hadn't read "The Diary of a Wealthy Family"?
In the novel, the Qi family treated the Master with indifference, and Qi Yingxue hid needles in her cotton-wool demeanor, secretly bullying the Master. They had long wanted to see this family for themselves.
Shen Hui's smile was gone, his face cold. "Mr. Qi, Mrs. Gu, your daughter Qi Yingxue is suspected of involvement in an illegal pyramid scheme and the use of special means to intentionally harm others. She is currently under criminal detention."
Gu Qiao nearly fainted.
"Illegal pyramid scheme? How could she get involved in a pyramid scheme? It's not like she doesn't have money!"
Actually, this charge was just for show on the surface. The methods used by the occult world to harm people couldn't be explained in detail to ordinary people.
But regardless, He Yang's actions of luring Qi Yingxue into paying membership fees and buying statues at high prices using the Fortune Immortal did indeed constitute this crime.
Moreover, this wasn't his first time doing such things.
He had developed quite a few downlines.
Under the Investigation Department's interrogation, he revealed a lot about the organization, but he was just a small fry; they couldn't dig out the big fish.
As for Qi Yingxue, being a first-time offender who hadn't yet had time to develop downlines, she technically didn't constitute the crime of illegal pyramid scheme in the strictest sense. However, using the Fortune Immortal to secretly harm Qi Quan was an established fact.
The money transfers and text messages in her phone were all clear evidence.
Tang Mian handed the printed evidence to Gu Qiao.
After reading it, Gu Qiao felt a stabbing pain in her heart. She was stunned for a long moment before breaking down into sobs.
Qi Changrong's hands trembled.
He didn't understand what sending "name + date of birth" to the Fortune Immortal public account actually meant, but he knew clearly that what Qi Yingxue sent was indeed Qi Quan's name and birth date!
He choked up and asked, "Officer, I just want to know, what exactly happens when you send this to the public account?"
Shen Hui said coldly, "At best, an accident. At worst, loss of life."
The injured man at the resort was proof.
Although these occult evil arts shouldn't be easily disclosed to ordinary people, the Qi family had personally experienced occult methods before, so telling them wasn't a big deal.
Qi Changrong clenched his jaw tightly, his eyes reddening, his voice hoarse. "I truly never expected this!"
Previously, when Qi Yingxue anonymously slandered "The Diary of a Wealthy Family," he thought it was just a young girl's jealousy, at most a moral issue. Because of this, he had distanced himself somewhat from this adopted daughter.
But who would have thought she would silently do such a harmful thing!
Was she really that resentful?
What on earth is her heart made of?
For over twenty years, she lived a princess-like life in the Qi family, while his biological daughter grew up in an orphanage. She had already received so much, why did she harbor such great hatred towards Qi Quan?
He truly didn't understand.
Qi Lin took several deep breaths and asked, "Then what will happen to her in the future?"
Shen Hui: "That depends on how the case is judged."
"Understood. Thank you for informing us."
Shen Hui and Tang Mian left the Qi residence and got into their car.
"Mrs. Gu cried so miserably," Tang Mian muttered sarcastically. "When Senior Qi first returned home, did she ever cry out of heartache for her?"
Shen Hui said calmly, "After all, she raised her with care for over twenty years. The bond is deep."
"Hmph." Tang Mian pulled out a lollipop...
...stuck it in her mouth, and crunched it to pieces.
Shen Hui: "..."
While online discussions were buzzing, Di Meng arrived alone at the Changshun County resort early the next morning.
His demeanor was casual and somewhat roguish, not looking like a proper character, making the staff who received him quite cautious.
The two of them walked into the villa, one after the other.
On the foyer table stood a statue, glaringly conspicuous.
The staff member noticed him looking at it a few extra times, mentally appraised the price range of his clothes, found them all to be unknown brands of little value, and thus offered no introduction.
Di Meng didn't ask either.
After the door closed, he took several photos of the statue from different angles, along with the QR code tag, and sent them all to Li Guoyan's phone.
[Li Guoyan: Received. Proceed with caution.]
Di Meng tugged at the corner of his mouth.
He stared at the statue, pondered for a moment, and thought of a plan.
In the neighboring villa.
Yan Geng received the investigation results from the Yan family and couldn't help but frown.
"Brother Huai, they said they found no trace of the statue in Longjing City, but have seen them in Longjiang, Longxi, Longtan, and Longlin."
Yan Huai: "Hmm."
"What should we do now?"
Yan Huai asked: "Can't trace the source?"
"Not yet."
Yan Huai rubbed the peach wood sword on his wrist with his thumb, thought for a moment, and said, "Investigate the resort owner first."
"How? Drag him here for interrogation?" Yan Geng sighed.
Yan Huai was about to speak when his gaze suddenly froze.
"Brother Huai, what's wrong?" Yan Geng followed his line of sight and was instantly startled. "What's going on!"
The Fortune Immortal was smiling slightly, but its eyes suddenly shed tears of blood, extremely horrifying.
All the statues in the resort shed bloody tears, terrifying the tourists who fled in panic, overwhelming the customer service hotline.
The manager ran over, sweating profusely. Seeing the eerie statues, his heart pounded violently. He roared, "Go check! See if someone is playing a prank!"
A staff member trembled and said, "Manager, all these statues started doing this at the same time. Who could have that capability? Could it really be a ghost?"
Manager: "..."
He slapped the staff member. "Just go check! Couldn't it be someone deliberately applying chemicals to create the illusion of bloody tears appearing simultaneously?!"
Staff member: "..."
With so many villas in the resort and surveillance everywhere, who could possibly have that skill?
He grumbled inwardly, his heart pounding as he cautiously approached a statue. He wiped under its eyes with a napkin—nothing came off. He tried with a wet wipe—still nothing.
The statue continued to smile while shedding bloody tears.
Oh god, it looked even creepier up close!
The staff member instinctively threw away the tissue, ran back pale-faced, and said, "Manager, it won't wipe off!"
The tourists at the resort couldn't control their tempers anymore.
"Is your resort haunted?"
"Isn't this supposed to be the Fortune Immortal? Why is it crying tears of blood? Will staying here really not bring bad luck?"
"Refund! Refund! Refund!"
"I dare not stay any longer, refund my money!"
"The resort is haunted! The owner is a fraud! Compensate me for my mental distress!"
The manager's head was spinning.
He tried to placate the tourists while ordering someone to call and report to the higher-ups.
Yan Geng blended into the crowd and whispered to Yan Huai, "Brother Huai, what exactly is going on?"
Yan Huai: "Just an illusion."
The spellcaster's cultivation was at level five; Yan Geng was only at level four, so it was normal he couldn't see through it.
"An illusion?" Yan Geng exclaimed. "An exorcist did this? Which exorcist is so clever, impressive!"
Yan Huai closed his eyes to sense, opening them again after just a few seconds. He turned to look towards the very back of the crowd.
He was tall, standing out like a crane among chickens. Looking over the sea of tourists' heads, his gaze met that of the young man at the very end.
Di Meng was watching the commotion when he suddenly sensed a mystical aura. He looked over and was stunned on the spot.
Yan Huai?!
Why is he here too?
Yan Huai moved through the crowd and stopped in front of Di Meng, stating with certainty, "You did it."
"None of your business." Di Meng rolled his eyes.
Every time he thought of the Great Exorcist Competition, he felt suffocated with frustration. Seeing Yan Huai naturally put him in a bad mood.
Yan Geng couldn't hold back. "We're investigating these statues, so of course it's our business!"
"Investigating?" Di Meng sneered. "What's your Yan family meddling for? This has nothing to do with you."
"What Yan family?" Yan Geng said indignantly. "We are also exorcists from the Exorcist Association. When we see evil and crooked ways, we naturally investigate thoroughly!"
"What bullshit Exorcist Association?" Di Meng showed no respect. "That Yan Wu from your Yan family committed so many crimes. Why didn't your Exorcist Association deal with him? You even called the Investigation Department trying to borrow a level-six great ghost to get him out. And now you're here pretending to be the good guys? How shameless!"
Yan Geng: "..."
He really couldn't find a point to refute.
Yan Wu had indeed committed many wrongs. As for whether the Yan family had contacted the Investigation Department, he didn't know.
Yan Huai said, "Yan Wu is not from the main family branch. I am not familiar with him. Regarding the phone call, I will clarify the matter."
"Who cares!" Di Meng scoffed. "Anyway, exorcists from your association have been committing evils for years without you punishing them. Stop embarrassing yourselves here."
Yan Geng argued unhappily, "It's not us who did the bad things. Why are you yelling at us? Brother Huai and I are investigating this case very seriously. Don't take your anger out on us."
"To be honest, your Yan family is the number one great clan in Longjing. Yan Wu was involved in such a large-scale ghost marriage business chain. Did your Yan family really not notice at all? So, either your Yan family is complicit, or your Yan family is incompetent. Pick one."
"..."
Yan Geng was almost crying from anger.
He had always followed Yan Huai and never done anything bad. Being berated like this was hard for him to take.
"Brother Huai..."
Yan Huai remained stern and cold, as if he hadn't heard the harsh words.
In a villa not far away, Zhang Chengyan was lying on the windowsill looking out, gleefully saying, "Everyone's shouting for refunds. I think the manager is about to be drowned in the tourists' spit."
"I was scared too just now," Yang Su said as he leaned beside him. "If the master hadn't told us it was an illusion, I would have run over there demanding compensation for mental distress from the manager too. It was way too scary!"
Du Jiaming said, "Which clever person thought of this method? If this blows up, Sun Yong will probably come to take charge."
Outside, the uproar continued, but their villa remained peaceful.
Qi Quan sat on the sofa, her right hand holding a cup of tea brewed by Steward Su, while her left hand pinched the dried fruit that Ling Sheng had removed impurities from. She listened to the three second-generation heirs chatting about the gossip outside, feeling utterly content.
[Great One, the way you are right now really has the potential of a behind-the-scenes boss.]
Qi Quan: ...
System: [However, you have people under you now, you can order others to work, and you have plenty of time. How about writing a new chapter to publish?]
Daily reminders to update were the sworn duty of a writer's system.
Qi Quan turned a deaf ear, continuing to leisurely drink tea and enjoy the spectacle.
Outside the villa, the situation was increasingly spiraling out of control.
The staff and security guards couldn't hold back the crowd. The manager had been scratched by someone a few times, leaving several thin red marks on his face.
Some people even tried to film the statues crying bloody tears to post online.
The resort's higher-ups couldn't sit still any longer.
Sun Yong happened to be in Changshun County. Hearing about the incident, he rushed over immediately to calm the situation.
This was his biggest cash cow; it couldn't afford any mishaps!
He arrived with over a dozen tall and imposing bodyguards. The black-clad guards standing there immediately intimidated the noisy tourists.
Sun Yong was not particularly good-looking, but he was saturated with the scent of money. Having mingled in high society for so long, he had acquired a certain imposing air, making him appear somewhat intimidating.
He stepped onto a slightly higher step, raised a hand to quiet the clamoring crowd, and declared solemnly, "Honored guests, please don't panic. I understand how everyone feels. We can discuss any issues."
"I am the person in charge of this resort. My surname is Sun. The fact that such an incident has occurred at the resort must have a reason. I have already reported it to the police and invited professionals to investigate. I will definitely give everyone a satisfactory answer."
"If the investigation shows that our service was indeed inadequate, we will certainly compensate everyone for your losses. If someone deliberately caused trouble, we will also compensate for any psychological distress."
"Since the results aren't out yet, why not wait a little longer? All activities within the resort today are free of charge. You can enjoy them to your heart's content. Food, beverages, and accommodation are also provided free of charge. Once the results are in, we will notify everyone immediately."
"Manager Wang, take some people and prepare a resting area for everyone. Provide drinks, tea, snacks, and fruits to help everyone cool down."
Manager Wang breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, sir."
Seeing the person in charge being so sincere, the tourists' anger subsided considerably. Further pacified by the tea and drinks provided by the staff, their agitation completely died down, leaving them with no reason to continue making a scene.
At that moment, the police also arrived.
Zhang Chengyan remarked with admiration, "This Sun Yong really has some skills."
"Definitely. Even with the best luck, if the person themselves is incompetent, it's hard to prop them up, just like the fool Liu Shan," Yang Su agreed.
Du Jiaming asked, "Huh? Why are the police coming towards us?"
After the police arrived, Sun Yong explained the "paranormal phenomena" occurring at the resort.
"Tears of blood?" The police entered one of the villas and indeed saw the red streaks beneath the statue's eyes.
Sun Yong sighed heavily. "These blood tears can't be wiped off no matter what. It's like it's haunted."
The police officer asked, "Are all the statues in every villa like this?"
Sun Yong replied instinctively, "Yes..."
"There's one villa we haven't checked," a staff member said. "One villa's door has been closed the whole time, and no one has come out."
Sun Yong asked, "Are they resting?"
He glanced at the sun's position. That's quite a late sleep-in. How could they not have heard all the commotion outside just now?
The police said, "Let's go take a look."
There were two reasons for the lack of movement: either they hadn't seen the blood tears, or their statue wasn't crying blood.
Led by the staff, Sun Yong and the police headed towards the villa where Qi Quan was staying.
Zhang Chengyan turned back to report, "Master, the police are here."
Qi Quan remained leaning on the sofa without moving. Su Rong and Xue Hong voluntarily concealed their forms. As for Ji Shengzhe, he was still hiding in his room watching TV.
"Let them come. We haven't done anything wrong," Xue Hong said.
The three second-generation heirs: "..."
Hearing a voice from an invisible presence is really scary!
The doorbell rang...
Zhang Chengyan proactively ran to open the door.
"Officers, you're finally here!" He got into character, his face pale as he cried out, "We woke up this morning and found this statue crying tears of blood! We didn't dare touch anything, afraid the villa might be cursed. Thankfully, we finally waited for you!"
Sun Yong: "..."
The Police: "..."
"Then why didn't you call the police?" an officer asked.
Zhang Chengyan said, "I was afraid some dirty thing was watching me. This resort is too terrifying. Anyway, I'm never coming back!"
Sun Yong: "..."
He felt Zhang Chengyan looked somewhat familiar but couldn't place him at the moment.
"I'm truly sorry. It must be someone playing a prank to scare people. Please don't worry, there's no curse."
As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily drifted towards the sofa.
It was nothing else; the man and woman on the sofa were simply too good-looking, more attractive than any handsome men or beautiful women he had ever seen.
Zhang Chengyan seemingly unintentionally blocked his line of sight and said impatiently, "Is that so? Well, that still means your resort's oversight was lacking. You have to take responsibility. Also, what exactly is this thing? It looks ancient and weird, completely clashing with the villa's style."
Sun Yong: "..."
Why is this guy's tone so annoying?
At that moment, Manager Wang hurried over and whispered to Sun Yong, "Boss Sun, the master has arrived."
Sun Yong immediately said, "Officers, these blood tears simply cannot be wiped off. It really is a bit bizarre. While I believe in science, sometimes you just want peace of mind. I've just invited a Daoist priest over to take a look at these statues."
Police Officer: "...Superstition is not advisable."
"But the situation is genuinely strange. The resort is covered in surveillance cameras. If someone really made all the statues cry blood simultaneously, how could the cameras not have captured anything?"
The system was quite puzzled: [Why didn't he just invite the master earlier? Why call the police at all?]
Qi Quan: [The police hold authority in the minds of ordinary people; they can calm the situation.]
[That's true.]
The frightened tourists all showed expressions of relief upon seeing the police.
If Sun Yong hadn't called the police, the tourists would definitely have thought he was insincere, and their trust in him would have greatly diminished.
But now a problem arose: would the police allow a Daoist priest to touch this potential evidence?
On the plaza, all the statues had been gathered together. The streaks of blood tears looked quite spectacular.
The police had already tested them with instruments and found nothing unusual. The blood tears were truly peculiar.
Just as they were about to take them back to the station for detailed examination, Sun Yong arrived with a tall, thin middle-aged man.
Di Meng had orchestrated this whole scene precisely to draw out Sun Yong, who would then actively lead to the mastermind behind him—the celestial master.
He sat on a bench not far from the plaza, glanced at the tall, thin celestial master, and slightly frowned.
A Level 4 Celestial Master?
How could a Level 4 Celestial Master have this much influence?
There must be a bigger fish behind him.
On the neighboring bench, Yan Geng was also muttering.
"Brother Huai, this guy doesn't look like the mastermind."
"Mhm."
On the plaza, the tall, thin celestial master scanned the blood tears and faintly sensed a trace of spiritual power fluctuation. However, his cultivation was not as high as Di Meng's, so he couldn't see through it.
"Master, what do you think?" Sun Yong asked expectantly.
The tall, thin celestial master put on a profound expression and said, "This matter is of great importance. I must report it to my superiors."
The Police: ???
The tall, thin celestial master felt inexplicably panicked. He didn't care what the police thought at the moment. He walked to the side, pulled out his phone, found a number, and was just about to dial when his body suddenly stiffened.
Why couldn't he move?!
A hand swiftly snatched his phone, glanced at the number, and clicked his tongue twice...
The tall, thin celestial master's eyes widened.
Why hadn't he considered that if a celestial master was causing trouble at the resort, they wouldn't necessarily leave after causing it!
He really had panicked and lost his head!
"Mmph mmph..."
Di Meng sent the phone number to Li Guoyan, a half-smile playing on his face. "Are you trying to ask who I am? Or are you trying to threaten me that the person behind you is someone I can't afford to provoke?"
The tall, thin celestial master: "..."
Di Meng took out a pair of handcuffs and decisively slapped them on him.
The handcuffs used by the Investigation Department to arrest the celestial master were specially made to suppress their spiritual power, preventing them from using mystical arts to escape.
The tall, thin celestial master: "Mmmph! Mmmph!"
Di Meng dragged him towards the stunned police officers.
A wall appeared in front of him.
He chuckled with annoyance, "Yan Huai, I caught him. Don't even think about swooping in."
Yan Huai: "There are others behind him. Doesn't the Investigation Department need help?"
"..."
While Di Meng's outward attitude towards him wasn't great, inwardly he still respected his cultivation level.
He said, "You're from the Celestial Master Association."
There's a barrier between the Celestial Master Association and the Investigation Department.
Yan Huai: "I am a citizen. Citizens have an obligation to assist law enforcement departments."
Di Meng: Tsk, this guy's sophistry skills are on par with his swordsmanship.
He was somewhat persuaded.
The Investigation Department was indeed short-handed at the moment, especially high-level celestial masters. If they could recruit Yan Huai, wouldn't that be a great thing?
"I'm afraid you'll leak secrets," Di Meng deliberately provoked him. "You're an elite of the Celestial Master Association and the heir of the first great family. Who knows what you're really after."
Yan Geng said angrily, "How can you disparage someone like that?"
"Isn't Yan Wu from your family?"
"..."
Yan Huai said, "I will not leak secrets, or my cultivation will never advance another step."
The vows made by celestial masters carry the force of rules. This punishment is too terrifying for a celestial master to joke about.
The corner of Di Meng's mouth lifted. "Fine."
There might be even bigger fish on this line. He was only Level Five, while Yan Huai was already Level Six. Having him would provide more security.
Moreover, this was a great opportunity to boss around the Yan family's top talent.
He handed the tall, thin celestial master over to Yan Huai, walked up to the police, and, right in front of Sun Yong, pulled out his credentials.
"Hello, comrades. I am an investigator from the Investigation Department. Sun Yong is suspected of involvement in a special case. Please assist with the investigation."
Police: !!!
Sun Yong: ???
In a moment of panic, he instinctively turned and tried to run.
The police reacted swiftly, grabbing him by the collar and hauling him back, handcuffing him.
The legendary Investigation Department! Finally got to see it in action today!
Meanwhile, Investigation Department branches in other involved regions successively apprehended numerous suspects possessing the "Fortune Transfer Immortal," including both celestial masters and ordinary people.
The phone number the tall, thin celestial master tried to contact was also traced to its owner.
The people at the Longjiang City Investigation Department were shocked.
"Who?"
"Lu Shen."
Meng Yunzheng massaged his forehead. It was that celestial master who helped fuse a first love's soul with a wife's body.
After his arrest, Lu Shen had always styled himself as the "nephew of the Lu Elder of the Guiyuan Sect," supremely confident that the sect would rescue him, and thus refused to cooperate with interrogations.
For such a difficult case, the Investigation Department could only keep him detained.
The Guiyuan Sect had indeed proposed an exchange: to help Longjiang City deal with the North Suburb Great Ghost. But after the North Suburb Great Ghost disappeared... there had been no further movement from the Guiyuan Sect.
The Investigation Department believed that Lu Shen, a mere Level Five celestial master, likely didn't have the capability to create such an extensive network. There must be someone else behind him.
It was highly likely to be the Guiyuan Sect's Elder Lu.
To be called an "Elder" within a sect, one must be at least a Level Seven celestial master.
But aside from an enigmatic Chief Consultant, all other investigators in the Investigation Department were below Level Seven, completely incapable of suppressing such a figure.
Of course, the authorities weren't entirely without means to deal with high-level celestial masters.
No matter how high a celestial master's level, they are ultimately still bound by mortal flesh. No matter how miraculous their methods, they would still succumb to heavy weaponry.
However, the authorities would only resort to that as a last resort.
Meng Yunzheng instructed his subordinates: "First, retrieve the files on the Guiyuan Sect's Lu Jiang. Then increase the interrogation pressure on Lu Shen."
While the Investigation Department was busy making arrests, netizens were busy feasting on the gossip.
Following last night's news about He Yang and Qi Yingxue, reports emerged from various places about more entertainment industry figures being arrested. One scandal followed another, making it livelier than New Year's and leaving people utterly stuffed.
[So what did all these people do? Feels like a major case.]
[Scary. I was eagerly eating it up last night, but now I'm almost afraid to look.]
[Actually, what's been exposed is probably just a small part. People in the entertainment industry have high visibility, after all. There might be many outsiders arrested too, we just don't know.]
[What kind of case is this, really? I'm completely in the dark.]
[Whispering... I heard it's illegal pyramid schemes.]
[Pfft, pyramid schemes? You're kidding, right?]
[Are these people that short on money? Or were they threatened? The people behind this scheme must be incredibly powerful then.]
[The worst off is still the jxz crew. Their feng shui is truly awful. First there was Wei Xu and Yuan Qing, now He Yang and Qi Yingxue, and both are legal offenders. I'm just saying, they should go pray to the Bodhisattva.]
[They are truly pitiable. Sympathy for a second.]
Resort.
With Sun Yong arrested, the resort was classified as a "pyramid scheme den." Authorities notified all tourists to leave, then sealed it off for investigation.
Qi Quan was already on the road back to the city.
"Master, does that mean I've incurred karma?" Yang Su asked again, his face pale.
He now knew the "Fortune Transfer Immortal" transferred others' luck to oneself and was terrified he might have committed some sin.
Qi Quan: "No."
"That's good, that's good!"
The amount of luck gained from a few card games was minuscule and negligible. The Fortune Transfer Immortal wasn't that generous with handing out substantial "benefits" to new members.
Furthermore, Yang Su had acted on her instructions without malicious intent, so he wouldn't incur karma.
Her phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Li Guoyan.
"Master Qi, enjoying your trip?" he asked with a laugh.
Qi Quan: "Quite."
"The minor ringleader for the Fortune Transfer Immortal in Longjiang City is Lu Shen. Do you recall him?"
Qi Quan: "..."
Who was Lu Shen again?
Li Guoyan probably guessed and patiently explained, "The celestial master from the wife-swapping case, currently detained at the Investigation Department. He is the biological nephew of the Guiyuan Sect's Lu Jiang. We retrieved Lu Jiang's files and discovered that thirty years ago he was only a Level Three celestial master, but now he's Level Seven."
The difference between Level Three and Level Seven is vast.
"Thirty years ago he was already thirty-five. Without some special opportunity, it would be very difficult to jump four levels in thirty years," Li Guoyan said meaningfully.
Only reaching Level Three by thirty-five indicated rather mediocre talent. With such mediocre talent, becoming Level Seven in just thirty years inevitably raised suspicions that there must be something fishy going on.
Fast-money methods are all written in the criminal code. By the same logic, aren't fast-cultivation methods all found in the forbidden arts of the mystical world?
Qi Quan: "Do you have a photo?"
"Yes, I'll send it to you."
The photo arrived immediately, showing a man with the face of someone in his thirties, utterly ordinary in appearance.
Qi Quan released Ji Shengzhe from the peachwood talisman and asked, "Have you seen him?"
Ji Shengzhe, still immersed in the TV drama he had just been watching, listlessly lifted his eyelids. His vacant gaze fell on the photo.
The next second, his eyes widened abruptly.
He floated over urgently, staring fixedly at the person in the photo. Dark energy instantly erupted from his ghostly form, his eyes turning a dense, bloody red.
"I remember!" he rasped hoarsely. "I remember him!"
Qi Quan: "..."
The fortune of a ten-life virtuous person is truly invincible.
She wasn't certain that Lu Jiang was the mastermind behind the Fortune Immortal, but on a whim, she casually asked him to identify the person. Unexpectedly, there was a connection.
Qi Quan shot out a strand of spiritual energy, suppressing the black aura around Ji Shengzhe and pulling him back to his senses.
"Who is he?"
Ji Shengzhe murmured, "I went to confront the developer back then, and this person was next to the developer!"
A photograph unlocked a sealed memory.
"The developer seemed to treat him with great respect. Because the developer was bossing me around and ordering me about, the contrast made me remember it quite clearly. But I didn't know who he was. I just remember when the security guards were throwing me out, he seemed to glance at me a few times, looking somewhat excited."
But at the time, he thought it was just his imagination and didn't pay it much mind.
Now, Master Qi had produced this person's photo, which meant this person was definitely problematic!
The case was beginning to clear up.
It's normal for developers to hire masters to assess feng shui. Back then, although Lu Jiang was an obscure third-level master, he was more than capable of checking the feng shui of a plot of land.
What was supposed to be an ordinary business transaction unexpectedly led him to encounter a nine-life virtuous person. Just one more fulfilled life, and they would achieve the accomplishment of perfect ten-life merit!
Lu Jiang was instantly overcome with greed.
Qi Quan relayed Ji Shengzhe's words to Li Guoyan.
Li Guoyan said gravely, "No matter what, we must summon Lu Jiang for questioning."
With the victim ghost's testimony, it's perfectly reasonable to just summon him for an inquiry.
But would a seventh-level master be willing to give them this face?
Li Guoyan said earnestly, "Master Qi, we might have to trouble you to go on a business trip."
For a seventh-level master, only Qi Quan could handle it.
Qi Quan remained silent.
"The travel expenses will be transferred immediately," Li Guoyan said.
[Big Boss, "Nation's Fortune Endures" has thrown three thousand deep-water torpedoes at "The Diary of a Wealthy Family"!]
Three hundred thousand in travel expenses—a generous and very sincere gesture.
It made it hard for Qi Quan to refuse out of embarrassment.
She asked, "Where?"
"What?"
"Where am I going for this trip?"
Li Guoyan: "... The Guiyuan Sect is in Longjing City. You'll need to come to Longjing for this assignment. The Investigation Department will arrange a dedicated car to pick you up."
"Thank you."
Qi Quan hung up the phone and looked up, meeting Ling Sheng's inquiring gaze.
He was sitting beside Qi Quan, very close.
Qi Quan could even smell his scent, somewhat like lush green grass, full of vitality.
She always had a favorable impression of clean and fresh-smelling boys.
"What's wrong?" Qi Quan asked with a light laugh.
...
Ling Sheng typed on his phone: [You're going on a business trip.]
Qi Quan nodded, deliberately teasing him: "Gotta go on trips to earn money, so I can support this whole big family."
Yang Su, who was driving: "..."
Master, can you even count all your assets?
Ling Sheng, however, was very serious: [I can earn money too.]
"How will you earn money?" Qi Quan asked with interest.
[I've heard talismans from the Mystic Arts sell for a lot.] He looked at Qi Quan expectantly.
Qi Quan: "Only high-level talismans sell for a high price."
Ling Sheng nodded and didn't type anymore.
The car drove all the way to Lakeside Villa.
Outside Lakeside Villa, Zuo Mei stood patiently in the shade of a tree. She was dressed plainly; the earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and other accessories worth millions from her past were nowhere to be seen.
She had rung the doorbell for a long time with no response, so she could only wait here.
Fortunately, her luck was good, and she finally waited for Qi Quan.
Qi Quan got out of the car.
"Master Qi!" Zuo Mei strode forward but stopped a meter away, not daring to get any closer.
Last time, she had been used by someone and almost harmed Qi Quan, which left her feeling quite guilty.
Qi Quan glanced at her facial features and said calmly, "Come in."
Zuo Mei gratefully followed behind.
Du Jiaming and the other two tactfully said their greetings and left.
In the living room, Zuo Mei stood awkwardly beside the sofa, her gaze involuntarily drifting towards Ling Sheng.
Ling Sheng seemed oblivious to her looks, quietly making tea for Qi Quan.
Because Zuo Mei was present, Qi Quan couldn't very well release the three ghosts in front of her, so Ling Sheng took over Butler Su's duties.
The fresh aroma of tea gradually soothed Zuo Mei's nerves.
Qi Quan: "Please, have a seat."
Zuo Mei instinctively sat on the sofa, her fingers unconsciously twisting the fabric of her skirt. She asked with difficulty, "Master, is our family... out of trouble now?"
She still had lingering fears about the powerful ghost, worried it might still be targeting the Song family, preventing them from earning money again.
Qi Quan nodded: "The karma has been settled."
"Thank you for your guidance, Master." She paused, then gathered her courage to ask, "This gentleman looks very familiar to me. May I ask where his family is from?"
Qi Quan said calmly, "Mrs. Song, you might as well speak plainly."
Zuo Mei gritted her teeth, opened her phone's photo album, and handed it to Qi Quan.
"Master, look at this."
In the photo, the woman had thick, dark hair, slightly curled and cascading over her shoulders. Her demeanor was elegant, yet her eyes and brows were exceptionally charming. In terms of appearance alone, she ranked in the top three in Qi Quan's mind.
The most crucial point was that Ling Sheng looked extremely like her.
Judging by their facial features, they were undoubtedly mother and son.
Qi Quan was only surprised internally; not a hint showed on her face.
Seeing her reaction, Zuo Mei grew uneasy.
"Master..."
Qi Quan: "Who is she?"
Zuo Mei didn't hold back: "The Fu family in Longjing City, Fu Jiuge. I've only ever seen her from afar before. This photo was sent to me by an acquaintance."
"Thank you for telling me. Mrs. Song, if you have any requests, please feel free to ask," Qi Quan said politely.
Zuo Mei clutched her phone tightly and asked, "Master, I'd like to ask you to help divine my son's marriage prospects."
"..."
The last time Qi Quan saw Song Lin was on the surveillance screen from the restroom during Su Nuanuan's birthday banquet. If the system hadn't mentioned it at the time, she wouldn't have paid any attention.
Back then, Song Lin was already tainted with Yin energy, but his marriage thread was still tightly bound to Qi Yingxue.
As for now...
She said, "I need to see a recent photo."
Zuo Mei was prepared. She pulled up a photo of Song Lin.
Qi Quan glanced at it casually and was taken aback.
In the system's description of the... original book, Qi Yingxue and Song Lin were a match made in heaven, their marriage thread extremely thick and strong, almost impossible to break.
In this photo, however, Song Lin's marriage thread already had a crack, showing faint signs of disappearing, though it wasn't completely severed yet.
She thought for a moment and asked, "Mrs. Song, are you aware that his fiancée has been criminally detained?"
"Ah?" Zuo Mei was stunned.
The three of them in her family were now busy making ends meet every day and paid no attention to online news. Therefore, they didn't know about Qi Yingxue trending on social media last night.
Others who were aware wouldn't specifically test them on this matter at this juncture.
She truly had no idea about Qi Yingxue's situation.
They had just discussed last night how to approach the Qi family to call off the engagement.
She came to her senses and asked incredulously, "You mean... criminal detention?"
Qi Quan nodded.
Zuo Mei: "..."
She abruptly stood up, hastily bid farewell, and hurriedly left Lakeside Villa.
