The bracelet was something Chen Ming had worn as a child, though he hadn’t seen it in a long time. It wasn’t a valuable piece, just something he had bought for himself when he was young. He had really liked it and worn it for several years.
Eventually, it had gone missing somewhere.
Chen Ming held the bracelet and asked in surprise, “Sister Chu, is this bracelet the anchor point of the formation?”
Chu Mingjia nodded. “Whoever is behind this wanted to alter your family’s feng shui and drain your fortune. They used your entire ancestral home as the formation, the [1]tianjing (天井) is a traditional architectural feature in Chinese homes—an open-air courtyard built into the center or middle of a house, with the roof around it and a square or rectangular … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2072827_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2072827_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });tianjing as the focal point, and this bracelet, since it was something you personally owned, as the conduit.”
Chen Ming still didn’t fully understand. “But why?”
Han Fengchen gave him a look of exasperation. “You still don’t get it? Sister Chu means that all this trouble was set up because of you. They want to borrow your fortune.”
Chen Ming: “…”
When Chu Mingjia had said his family’s feng shui was good, he had instinctively associated feng shui with his father. If the feng shui was good, how could it have produced someone like that?
But now, he realized: the one receiving the ancestral blessing was him, not his alcoholic father.
Han Fengchen added, “You’re really lucky. The two previous victims of fortune-borrowing both…”
He paused and sighed. “Thank goodness you’re okay.”
Although Chen Ming hadn’t been watching the live stream, the townspeople had been buzzing about the fortune-borrowing cases for the past couple of days, so he had heard some of the talk.
If he was also a target for fortune-borrowing, why was he still fine?
Jiang Mao returned the bracelet to Chen Ming and proceeded to break the formation in the old house.
Just then, Chen Li, who was drunk, suddenly threw down his bottle and stood up. Muttering to himself, he began walking toward the door. “My girlfriend is here to pick me up. I have to go. Where’s her car?”
With a vacant stare, Chen Li walked straight ahead, as if he didn’t even see Chu Mingjia and the others standing in the doorway.
The group of women who had been watching from a distance began to chatter. “Oh dear, Old Chen is drunk and losing his mind again.”
“He wasn’t like this before. What’s been going on with him lately?”
“Maybe he’s just drunk too much and fried his brain. Look at all those bottles he goes through, cases and cases of them.”
“Tsk. I don’t think he’s just drunk. He looks more like he’s possessed.”
The live chat was also discussing the matter:
【This guy is probably possessed. I have a bad feeling about this.】
【Definitely not just drunk. Would a drunk person act like this? Look at his eyes, something is seriously off.】
【He deserves it. A scumbag like him should just die.】
……
Chen Ming watched Chen Li’s retreating figure and immediately moved to follow, but Chu Mingjia stopped him.
She said quietly, “Don’t act rashly.”
Chen Ming’s voice was anxious and low. “But Xiao Yun hasn’t been found yet.”
Following Chen Li might lead them to her.
Chu Mingjia still shook her head. She turned to Liu Jun. “You don’t need to come this time. Jiang Mao, Han Fengchen, and I will go. Chen Ming, you stay here at home and wait for news.”
Her expression was serious. Liu Jun, who trusted her completely, immediately nodded and handed his small camera to Jiang Mao. “Then, Mr. Jiang, we’ll leave it to you?”
Jiang Mao took the camera and nodded gravely.
Han Fengchen realized that this time was different from the previous two. This time might be more dangerous, and the opponent might be more fearsome.
But if it was so dangerous, why did he have to come along?
He was just an underage little baby!
Han Fengchen tugged at Chu Mingjia’s sleeve. “Sis, can I stay here with them and wait for you to come back?”
Chu Mingjia glanced at him and shook her head. “No. You have to come with me.”
Han Fengchen: “…”
He knew that as a guest, he really should follow Chu Mingjia.
But he was terrified. He pouted, looking like a pitiful little thing, but Chu Mingjia was unmoved.
Jiang Mao suppressed his aura. Chu Mingjia, now in a mortal body, walked with the two of them as they followed Chen Li from a distance, heading toward Qishan Mountain.
The Qishan mountain range stretched on endlessly. Getting deep into the mountains was no easy feat.
The mountain was thick with trees and overgrown with wild grass. Returning to her familiar sacred mountain, Chu Mingjia could feel its faint, weakened spiritual veins.
Compared to the abundant spiritual energy of Qishan a thousand years ago, this was like night and day.
The spiritual veins of Qishan were drying up. Whoever had done this to her sacred mountain, she hoped she never found them. Because if she did, she would personally crush them with her fist.
Halfway there, Jiang Mao moved ahead of Chu Mingjia to clear the path. The trees and thorns could easily cut the skin, and Jiang Mao’s heart ached when he saw that Chu Mingjia’s sleeve had already been torn.
Han Fengchen followed behind Chu Mingjia, in even worse shape.
The young master had never been in such a wild mountain before. One moment he was worried about snakes and wild beasts; the next, about hidden traps left by hunters; and then, about what even more terrifying things might be lurking deep in Qishan.
He didn’t even notice the scratches on his own arm. His heart was in his throat the entire time. To make matters worse, Jiang Mao had put him in the rear, so he couldn’t help glancing back constantly, always feeling like someone was behind him.
Even the live stream audience felt uneasy watching:
【This mountain doesn’t even have a path. Is it really okay to just walk in like that?】
【Terrifying. Does that guy Chen Li just sleepwalk up the mountain every time he gets drunk? Does he always find his way back home? When he sobers up in the middle of the night and finds himself in the mountains, isn’t he scared?】
【Exactly. This isn’t ordinary drunkenness. He’s definitely possessed!】
【The “Ghost Mountain” lives up to its name. Even just watching through the live stream gives me the creeps. No paths at all. Sister Chu is really going through a lot.】
【The wife of a top-tier wealthy family, risking her life for fame, I have no words.】
As soon as a hater appeared, someone immediately fired back:
【Do you want this kind of fame? If you have the guts to live stream yourself going up Qishan, we’ll watch you too!】
【But Sister Chu thoughtfully left Chen Ming and the camera assistant at home to wait, yet made Chenchen go up the mountain with her. She really is a stepmother, isn’t she? Just trying to make Chenchen suffer, right?】
【Can you not bring hate to Chenchen? Maybe check the name of the live stream before you speak?】
……
The name of the live stream was: “Top Streamer Han Fengchen’s Adventure Live Stream.”
The barrage: “…”
The haters were speechless. They couldn’t even find an angle to attack.
The group followed Chen Li for three or four hours.
Although this part of Qishan wasn’t particularly steep, the mountain was deep. There were constant ups and downs, all through wild grass, making the walk extremely difficult.
Han Fengchen was exhausted.
Chen Li’s eyes were vacant, but he walked with unwavering determination toward a specific place. As they continued, the path became less difficult, the wild grass had been trampled down, forming a mountain trail similar to those used by animals.
Chu Mingjia said quietly, “Looks like he’s been here many times. He’s even worn a path.”
Han Fengchen wiped the sweat from his forehead and whispered breathlessly, “Sis, how much longer do we have to follow him?”
Chu Mingjia replied, “We should be close.”
They had nearly reached the deepest part of Qishan. The sun was setting, and at this hour, certain beings would begin to stir.
She wasn’t wrong. After another half hour, Chen Li suddenly stopped walking.
A chill wind blew, and dark clouds gathered, blotting out the last rays of the setting sun. The entire mountain was shrouded in darkness, white mist, black night, a murky gloom all around.
Han Fengchen’s hair stood on end. The little jar ghost, who had been quietly perched on Jiang Mao’s head, immediately whooshed his head back into his jar. The whole jar began to tremble with fear.
Jiang Mao said in a low voice, “They’ve come to receive him.”
No sooner had he spoken than, in the blink of an eye, a wide, yellow-mud road appeared on the dark mountain. A black sedan slowly drove up to Chen Li.
Chen Li grinned when he saw the car and began walking behind it.
Han Fengchen, who had assumed Chen Li would get into the car, was left speechless.
Han Fengchen: “Didn’t he say the luxury car was so wide that eight people could sit sideways in it? Why isn’t he getting in?”
Chu Mingjia’s expression turned serious. “Because it’s made of paper. If he sat in it, it would collapse.”
Han Fengchen: “…”
His hair stood on end, and his face turned pale with fear.
Now that Chu Mingjia mentioned it, he suddenly realized that he hadn’t clearly seen what was sitting in the driver’s seat. So the driver was…
What?
Han Fengchen’s whole body broke out in goosebumps. He swallowed hard, pressed closer to Chu Mingjia, and spoke in a barely audible whisper, “Sis, I want to go home.”
He looked like he was about to cry.
This was just too terrifying! QAQ.
Although the live stream audience couldn’t see what was happening, they could roughly piece together the events based on Chen Li’s expressions and movements, as well as the conversation between Chu Mingjia and the others.
【Ahhhhh, this is too terrifying, everyone! So this guy Chen Li was taken away by them?】
【I don’t get it! This isn’t the first time Chen Li has done this. How is he still able to return home unharmed, live normally, drink, and even beat and curse his son?】
【Is it possible that they actually find him repulsive too?】
【Then why are they taking him away? It can’t be to borrow his fortune, right?】
【So far, Xiao Yun still hasn’t been found. Could she have been taken as well?】
【Oh god, please don’t follow them any further! I know Sister Chu is powerful, but she can’t just waltz right into their lair like this, can she? Look at this desolate wilderness, humans are at a huge disadvantage here!】
……
Han Fengchen swallowed nervously and asked in a low voice, “Sis, are we still following them?”
Chu Mingjia nodded. “Of course. We’ve come this far. Wouldn’t it be a waste to turn back now?”
Han Fengchen: “…”
Since those things had come to pick up Chen Li in a car, Chu Mingjia didn’t follow immediately. She waited until they had all left before preparing to move on.
Jiang Mao took the little jar ghost off his head and set him on the ground. “Little ghost, lead the way.”
Little jar ghost: “…”
The little jar ghost had eaten a lot of candy from Jiang Mao, so he felt awkward refusing. But he was also really scared.
Nervously, he said, “I can only lead you to the Ghost Shrine, though. I can’t go any further than that, okay?”
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