Early in the morning, Gu Qingyin got ready, preparing to go find Huo Xingye.
Just as she was about to get into the car, her phone, which had been silent for days, suddenly rang.
Gu Qingyin thought it was Huo Xingye finally having a crisis of conscience and remembering his lonely old mother. But when she took out her phone, it was an unknown number.
She raised a skeptical eyebrow and answered the call.
"Who is this?"
There was a second of silence on the other end before a man with a deep voice asked cautiously, "Is this Gu Qingyin... Master Gu?"
"It is. Exorcism or feng shui?" Gu Qingyin asked matter-of-factly as she got into the car.
"It really is you!" The man on the other end was ecstatic. "Master Gu, are you free to make a trip right now? A child in my friend’s family has been possessed by a ghost. Today is the fifth day. Please, you have to save her!"
Gu Qingyin was surprised. "That long?"
Usually, a ghost possesses someone to drive them to suicide, leaving once its goal is achieved. For her to not be dead after five days meant that either the ghost wanted something else, or there was something special about the child.
"Yes," the man said, his voice fraught with worry. "The family hired several Heavenly Masters before, but they were either frauds or not powerful enough. It was a complete waste of time and effort. The child’s face is as pale as a corpse’s now, and she’s breathing out more than she’s breathing in. We can’t delay any longer!"
Gu Qingyin considered for a moment, then asked, "Address."
The man’s voice jumped an octave in pleasant surprise. "I’ll send it to you right now!"
After hanging up, Gu Qingyin had the driver change course for the Lujiang Villa District.
The Lujiang Villa District, a famous enclave for the wealthy in Sea City.
’This job should pay well,’ Gu Qingyin thought. ’Enough to refill the little emergency fund I just emptied.’
When they arrived, a middle-aged man quickly walked up to the car and waited as it came to a stop.
Gu Qingyin got out and studied the man for a few seconds before speaking with some surprise, "Boss Qin?"
No wonder his voice sounded familiar over the phone. It was Qin Zhen, the owner of that antique shop. Twenty years had passed; Qin Zhen had aged quite a bit, and she almost didn’t recognize him.
Qin Zhen was also a bit dazed seeing her. She looked exactly the same as she had twenty years ago. ’Are all true Heavenly Masters this skilled at preserving their youth?’ he wondered.
The doubt flickered through his mind and was gone. He hurried forward to greet her. "Master Gu, you still remember me! A couple of days ago, my son called and said he’d seen you. I was skeptical, but I was out of options, so I thought I’d try calling." He let out a sigh of relief and said with conviction, "With you here, that child, Juanjuan, will definitely get better."
But Gu Qingyin shook her head. "It’s been too long. It’ll be impossible for her to return to her original state of health, and her lifespan will be affected."
"As long as her life is saved, that’s enough!"
Qin Zhen didn’t dare ask for too much. His line of work brushed up against the Mystical World, so he knew that truly powerful Heavenly Masters were very mysterious. They came and went without a trace, and meeting one was entirely up to fate.
Being able to get ahold of Gu Qingyin was a wonderful and unexpected surprise.
Qin Zhen suppressed his emotions and turned slightly to the side. "Let’s go inside first."
Gu Qingyin followed him into the villa. Inside, the curtains were drawn tight, blocking out all sunlight. When the main door closed, the place felt even colder and more oppressive.
It felt less like a home and more like a tomb.
"The ghost energy is so thick," Gu Qingyin remarked, scanning her surroundings. She gave a simple order, "Open all the curtains."
Qin Zhen didn’t hesitate for a second. He strode to the window, about to pull the curtains open.
The Xu family’s servants had all been given time off because of Xu Juanjuan’s possession; otherwise, he wouldn’t have had to do it himself.
"Stop!" a sharp, urgent voice shouted from upstairs. "Juanjuan can’t be exposed to sunlight! The curtains must stay closed."
Gu Qingyin turned to look. A haggard middle-aged man in a suit was striding down the stairs. This must be Qin Zhen’s friend.
"Old Xu!" Qin Zhen pleaded earnestly. "Master Gu said to open them, so she must have her reasons. Besides, this house is so gloomy. It’s better to let some sunlight in. It should help get rid of some of the Yin Qi."
Old Xu’s bloodshot eyes swept over Gu Qingyin, and the longer he looked, the deeper his frown became. ’She’s so young, and a woman at that. How does she look anything like a Heavenly Master?’ he thought to himself. ’Qin Zhen was probably scammed.’
Old Xu waved his hand dismissively. "Xu Chao has gone to the airport to pick up Liu Daoist. He’ll be here in a little over an hour."
Qin Zhen was surprised. "You mean Liu Daoist from Dragon Tiger Mountain?"
Old Xu nodded and turned to Gu Qingyin. "Sorry to have made you come all this way." He took a checkbook from his pocket and skillfully wrote down a series of numbers. "This is to compensate you for your trouble."
Gu Qingyin glanced down at the check, and her heart skipped a beat at the string of zeros. ’Getting paid without doing any work? That doesn’t feel right.’
Qin Zhen gave Gu Qingyin an awkward look, then said reproachfully to Old Xu, "Why didn’t you tell me earlier that you’d invited Liu Daoist?"
If he had known, he wouldn’t have called Gu Qingyin. This clash was so embarrassing.
Old Xu gave a bitter smile. "I wasn’t sure if I could get him to come before." Seeing that Gu Qingyin wasn’t taking the check, he frowned and asked, "Is it not enough?"
Gu Qingyin shook her head and looked upstairs. "There’s no time."
"What?"
"The ghost has lost its patience. It’s about to make its move," Gu Qingyin said, looking at Old Xu. She asked him bluntly, "You don’t trust me?"
Old Xu wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth or not. He stared at her with a heavy gaze, saying nothing.
But Qin Zhen grew anxious. "Of course we trust you! Of course! How could we not? Master Gu, you have to save Juanjuan."
Gu Qingyin shot him a strange look. ’Why does Qin Zhen seem even more anxious than the girl’s own father?’
She didn’t dwell on it. With a calm expression, she held up one finger, about to state her price. But before she could, Qin Zhen anxiously cut in, "Ten million? No problem!" He looked at Old Xu. "No problem, right?"
Old Xu still didn’t fully trust Gu Qingyin, but he was afraid she was right and that Juanjuan couldn’t wait for Liu Daoist to arrive. He nodded. "As long as you can save my daughter, any price is fine."
Gu Qingyin pursed her lips and silently lowered her finger. As she walked upstairs, she was still in a state of shock.
’I really underestimated how much prices have inflated over the past twenty years,’ she thought. ’I was only going to ask for one million, but he suddenly multiplied it by ten! This trip was definitely worth it!’
’I’ve decided! From now on, I’ll use this as my standard rate!’
At this thought, Gu Qingyin tilted her head and shot Qin Zhen a grateful glance.
Qin Zhen was completely baffled, but now was not the time for questions.
The moment they stepped onto the second floor, Qin Zhen felt waves of cold air seeping through his skin and into his body. He shivered involuntarily as goosebumps erupted all over him.
Old Xu felt it even more strongly. Just a few minutes ago, the second floor hadn’t been this cold. This intensified his worries, and he had to admit that Gu Qingyin was right—the ghost was about to make its move.
Gu Qingyin glanced at the two men. Seeing their pale faces and the white puffs of their breath in the air, and factoring in the ten-million-yuan reward, she very generously took two Amulets from her bag and handed one to each of them.
Gu Qingyin had an excellent attitude toward her clients, especially wealthy ones. She smiled and instructed, "Take these. They’re on the house. They’ll keep you safe."
Hearing that they were free, the two men didn’t care whether they worked or not and immediately took them. The moment the talismans were in their hands, the chilling cold clinging to their bodies dissipated, and a bit of color returned to their faces.
Old Xu’s heart skipped a beat. His belief in Gu Qingyin’s abilities grew a little.
"Is there anyone else upstairs?"
"Yes, her mother has been with her the whole time."
Gu Qingyin clicked her tongue. ’This is trouble. Whatever the ghost is planning, it definitely won’t pass up such a convenient hostage.’
"Is your wife wearing any kind of protective charm?"
Old Xu shook his head and sighed. "She was, but it made Juanjuan uncomfortable when she got close, so my wife took it off."
Gu Qingyin was speechless for a moment. Mrs. Xu’s love for her daughter was so strong that it had completely clouded her judgment.