Ch 106: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

Shen Yunxuan spotted Qi Yue and Qi Siya in the hallway. It turned out they had seen Zhou Yunxuan heading upstairs and returned to protect Shen Yunxuan in case Zhou tried anything. Touched by their thoughtfulness, Shen Yunxuan opened a black umbrella and took them out for a stroll.

The bustling commercial district, filled with malls, luxury boutiques, and supermarkets, left Qi Siya wide-eyed in wonder. Her gaze darted from one thing to another, overwhelmed by the sights.

But as most of the shops were selling items ghosts couldn’t use, Shen Yunxuan soon brought them to an amusement park. She took Qi Siya on every ride and even to a 7D movie. Qi Siya’s delighted squeals and laughter echoed constantly in Shen Yunxuan’s ears.

That night, they watched a fireworks display. Qi Siya floated into the air, zipping around joyfully. Qi Yue turned to Shen Yunxuan with a grateful smile. “Thank you. I’ve never seen Siya this happy.”

“You’ve thanked me so many times already,” Shen Yunxuan replied. “You don’t need to. Siya is adorable—I want her to be happy too. Don’t worry, Qi Yue. Siya’s soul is pure. In her next life, she’ll be happy.”

Qi Yue nodded firmly. “She will be happy!”

When it was time, Shen Yunxuan and Qi Yue exchanged glances before retreating to a corner. Muttering a spell under her breath, Shen Yunxuan watched as the ghostly emissary she had seen before appeared nearby to guide the pair.

The emissary glanced at Qi Yue and Qi Siya. “Resentful spirits?”

Shen Yunxuan lit three incense sticks and handed them to the emissary, speaking politely. “They are without hatred or karmic debt, merely wronged. Please, I ask for your care.”

The emissary accepted the offering and nodded. He raised his hand, shackling Qi Yue and Qi Siya with two chains. Qi Siya turned to wave at Shen Yunxuan with a bright smile. “Pretty lady, I hope you stop being unlucky. Be happy and stay safe!”

Shen Yunxuan waved back. “You too, Siya. Be healthy and happy!”

The emissary led them away, and the three incense sticks burned out instantly. A warm sensation coursed through Shen Yunxuan again—something the Idle Wanderer had explained as merit. Helping spirits resolve their deepest regrets and ensuring their safe passage to the underworld brought her merit, much stronger than any earned through acts like donations. It even helped alleviate her bad luck.

Thanks to the merit, her recent streak of misfortunes had been mild—occasional trips or small burns, nothing major. She was almost used to it. However, the Idle Wanderer had told her that such merit was like a drop of water in a swimming pool. Solving her fate and misfortune entirely would require much more or a different solution altogether.

Staring at the dazzling fireworks above, Shen Yunxuan mused, What kind of solution could there be? She had spent over a decade studying Taoist practices in her previous life without finding a way to change her fate. If she couldn’t resolve it, perhaps she should distance herself from the Idle Wanderer. As a Lone Star of Calamity, her presence might bring harm to those around her.

“Master? Is that really you? Are you here alone?” A girl’s excited voice interrupted her thoughts as someone ran toward her.

Shen Yunxuan was surprised—it was the girl from the funeral, Xu Wei. “What a coincidence.”

“Yes, such a coincidence!” Xu Wei said happily. “Master, my name is Xu Wei. I was in such a rush after the funeral that I forgot to get your contact information. I thought I’d never see you again! I can’t believe we ran into each other here. I’m with a friend, and when I told her about you, she said she wanted to ask for your help.”

Just then, Xu Wei’s friend approached, holding a selfie stick. Xu Wei introduced her. “This is my best friend, Fang Qianqian. Qianqian, this is the master I told you about!”

Fang Qianqian froze upon seeing Shen Yunxuan in a mask. Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Shen… Shen Yunxuan?”

Xu Wei was puzzled. “Qianqian, do you know the master?”

Fang Qianqian looked between Xu Wei and Shen Yunxuan, stunned. “She’s a celebrity! You don’t follow celebrities or trending news, but she was all over the headlines a few days ago because of a case involving a man who killed his wife and daughter.”

Shocked, Xu Wei turned to Shen Yunxuan apologetically. “Master, you’re a celebrity? Are you here for work? Am I interrupting you?” She pulled Fang Qianqian aside and whispered, “Keep your voice down! Don’t draw attention to her!”

Shen Yunxuan smiled at them. “I’m just here to look around, not working.” She glanced at Fang Qianqian’s face and added, “Your brow is darkened. You’ve had some bad luck recently, haven’t you?”

Fang Qianqian nodded in surprise. “Yes! That’s spot on! Xu Wei, did you tell the master about me?”

Xu Wei shook her head, then noticed Fang Qianqian’s phone and panicked. “Why are you livestreaming? Turn it off!”

Fang Qianqian had been livestreaming the fireworks and had forgotten about it in her shock at seeing Shen Yunxuan. Embarrassed, she said, “I didn’t mean to…”

When she checked her phone, her usual few hundred viewers had grown to over 3,000. Comments flooded the screen, including both fans of Shen Yunxuan and detractors:

“Darkened brow? Hilarious! Did Shen Yunxuan become a fraudster?”

“Is this a new fortune-teller persona? How fake!”

“Shen Yunxuan, leave the entertainment industry!”

“Don’t turn off the stream! Let’s watch her clown around!”

Fang Qianqian tried to explain nervously, “It’s not fake! We really ran into her by chance, and Xu Wei’s story is true! I’ve been unlucky these past few days.”

Xu Wei also defended her. “I didn’t know the master was a celebrity, but she really helped me solve my problem. She’s a wonderful person! Don’t talk about her like that if you don’t know her!”

Fang Qianqian felt a bit helpless. Xu Wei wasn’t familiar with the entertainment industry and didn’t realize that earnest explanations would be useless—no one would believe her. Gritting her teeth, Fang Qianqian addressed her livestream audience sternly: “Stop insulting people in my stream. It’s rude and uncivilized.” She then shut down the stream and turned to Shen Yunxuan apologetically. “I’m so sorry. I completely forgot I was livestreaming, and now you’re being attacked online because of me. I didn’t mean to—really.”

“It’s fine. I’m used to it,” Shen Yunxuan replied, smiling to reassure them. “You didn’t do it on purpose, so don’t worry about it.”

Fang Qianqian hadn’t expected the supposedly cold and difficult Shen Yunxuan to be so approachable. Her perception of Shen Yunxuan softened, and she couldn’t help but share her recent streak of bad luck: being mistaken for someone’s mistress during a blind date, getting rear-ended while driving, being sexually harassed during a client meeting, and even receiving harassing calls asking how much she charged for a night.

Initially, Fang Qianqian thought someone was targeting her, so she reported it to the police. However, the investigation revealed no signs of malicious intent—everything seemed to have happened by coincidence. But how could that be? Everything had been fine until recently. It was too much to chalk up to coincidence.

After attending Xu Wei’s mother’s funeral and hearing about the events on the seventh day of her passing, Fang Qianqian connected her experiences to what Xu Wei had described. She became eager to meet the so-called master but had no way of contacting her since Xu Wei hadn’t saved her number, and the police refused to disclose it.

Although Shen Yunxuan’s recent trending topic had revolved around a murder case, where she provided clues while staying in the victim’s former residence, it didn’t mention Xu Wei or any master. Fang Qianqian hadn’t connected the dots until now. She was impressed that Shen Yunxuan could immediately pinpoint her bad luck.

Shen Yunxuan studied Fang Qianqian carefully and nodded. “You’ve probably come into contact with something unclean. I’ll visit your place tomorrow to take a look, but I’ll need to prepare a few things first.”

Fang Qianqian eagerly nodded and exchanged contact information with Shen Yunxuan, even transferring her 2,000 yuan as a booking fee. “Consider this a deposit. Thank you so much.”

Amused, Shen Yunxuan asked, “You’re not even sure if I have real skills, yet you’re paying already? Aren’t you worried I’ll scam you?”

Fang Qianqian grinned and nudged Xu Wei. “I trust Xu Wei. If she says you’re a master, then you must be. Besides, I feel bad about the livestream. This is my way of showing sincerity. Where are you staying? We can give you a ride home, and I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”

Happy to save on a ride, Shen Yunxuan agreed, and the three headed toward the parking lot. Unbeknownst to them, someone watching the earlier livestream had deduced their location. A nearby viewer showed up, secretly recording another livestream as the three left together.

“See? They clearly know each other. Scripted, no doubt.”

“Seriously, can celebrities put more effort into their stunts? Fortune-teller act? What a joke.”

“Maybe she’s copying those tarot streamers who get tons of views?”

“At least make it believable. If she could predict the future, would she still be a D-list celebrity after two years?”

“Exactly. If she’s so good at fortune-telling, she’d have fixed her career by now. No one cares about scandal-driven fame anymore!”

Unaware of this, the hashtag “Shen Yunxuan’s Fortune-Teller Persona” began trending. Her agency was the first to notice and informed her manager, Sister Feng. Unable to reach Shen Yunxuan, Sister Feng realized the situation was spiraling out of control. Deciding she might as well capitalize on the buzz, she began laying the groundwork to spin the narrative.

Knowing Zhou Yunxuan had recently secured a wealthy boyfriend and seemed ready to leave the industry, Sister Feng wanted to focus on promoting other artists under her management. However, mindful of the Xie family’s influence, she sought Zhou Yunxuan’s opinion first.

After reviewing the livestream, Zhou Yunxuan dismissed it with indifference. “Do what you want, just don’t drag me into it.”

Sister Feng grinned. “Don’t worry, it has nothing to do with you.”

By midnight, Sister Feng had orchestrated a smear campaign through various marketing accounts. They claimed Shen Yunxuan was overly competitive and jealous, resorting to underhanded tactics to suppress new talent, which led to her being blacklisted by the company. They speculated that Shen Yunxuan had devised the fortune-teller angle as a desperate attempt to rebrand herself as a livestream influencer.

The coordinated posts painted her as a selfish, manipulative schemer and shifted public sympathy toward a new artist in the company. The drama generated significant buzz, positioning the new talent as an innocent victim while portraying Zhou Yunxuan as an equally victimized former collaborator.

The sensational allegations sent Shen Yunxuan’s haters into a frenzy. By morning, the story had climbed to third place on the trending list.

When Fang Qianqian woke up and checked her social media, she was bombarded with hostile comments and messages. Alarmed, she called Xu Wei and sent screenshots to Shen Yunxuan, rushing through her morning routine to meet her.

The Idle Wanderer, who had risen early to exercise, listened as Shen Yunxuan recounted the events. He stroked his beard thoughtfully and offered, “Shall I perform a ritual to teach your manager a lesson? She’s truly despicable.”

Shen Yunxuan laughed aloud. “You’re a Taoist, and yet you’re suggesting using rituals to prank someone?”

The Idle Wanderer stroked his beard and replied matter-of-factly, “Taoists don’t suffer grievances. If someone makes you uncomfortable, don’t let yourself feel worse because of it.” Then, with a shift in tone, he asked, “Well? Would you like to join us at Idle Cloud Temple?”

Shen Yunxuan didn’t hesitate. “Of course! How do I join? Are you accepting me as your disciple?”

The Idle Wanderer waved his hand dismissively. “Your talent surpasses mine, and you’re clearly connected to the Tao. As Idle Cloud Temple’s benefactor, you are destined to enter the path through our temple. I can’t accept you as a disciple—I’ll merely act on behalf of my master and take you as my junior.”

This response surprised Shen Yunxuan, but the details didn’t matter. After all, the teachings she had studied in her past life had all come from Xianyun Temple. Being part of the lineage was enough.

Without delay, the Idle Wanderer formally inducted her. Together, they burned incense and paid respects to the ancestral tablets of the temple’s past masters. He then handed her a token and solemnly declared, “From this moment, your Taoist name shall be Xianyun, and you are now the 18th Temple Master of Idle Cloud (Xianyun) Temple. Remember the teachings of the Tao Ancestor: uphold your integrity, guard your Taoist heart, and never bring disgrace to our lineage.”

Shen Yunxuan was stunned. “Wait! What? The 18th Temple Master? How did I suddenly become the temple master?”

“Who else should it be?” The Idle Wanderer said confidently. “There are only two of us here, and I’m in the late stages of cancer. If you don’t take over, who will? That’s settled. Xianyun, your priority is to stay alive and revive Idle Cloud Temple.”

“Hold on! Why is my Taoist name ‘Xianyun’? That’s the temple’s name! I didn’t even found it.” Shen Yunxuan was thoroughly bewildered.

The Idle Wanderer chuckled. “I’ve already told you: you’re the temple’s benefactor, destined to revive it. Naturally, you should bear its name as your Taoist title. Don’t sweat the small stuff. A Taoist must go with the flow.”

Taking a step back, he flicked his dust whisk and said, “I am now the elder of Idle Cloud Temple, Idle Wanderer. Greetings, Temple Master.”

It was absurd. A temple of two, with one temple master and one elder, and he had just casually arranged it all. Being named temple master and receiving her Taoist title were treated as trivial matters. Yet, the decision was final.

Before Shen Yunxuan could voice her confusion, the Idle Wanderer handed her a few books and said with relief, “These are the temple’s most vital teachings, passed down only to each temple master. They’re yours now. Study them diligently, but don’t obsess over them or push yourself too hard. Follow your instincts.”

Shen Yunxuan gave him a wry smile, unsure how to express her feelings. Stepping outside, she surveyed the dilapidated surroundings. The temple was practically a ruin. And now she was expected to revive it? The Idle Wanderer certainly trusted her.

Taking it one step at a time, Shen Yunxuan returned to her room to store the “most vital teachings.” She then contacted Lawyer Liang, a renowned attorney she had heard of in her past life at the Xie family. Xie Hengchen had mentioned that Lawyer Liang came from an influential family and had never lost a case. However, he only took on unique or unjust cases, always standing on the side of justice.

Shen Yunxuan thought of him immediately because making Qi Yue’s will legally valid would be a challenging task. True to form, when she explained the case, Lawyer Liang was intrigued. He was especially drawn to the wrongful deaths of Qi Yue and her daughter and the complexities surrounding the inheritance. Without hesitation, he agreed to take the case.

By ordinary logic, there was no reason Qi Yue and Shen Yunxuan should be connected. Qi Yue’s decision to leave her estate to Shen Yunxuan seemed implausible. But Qi Yue had anticipated this and written in her will that she was a fan of Shen Yunxuan. She explained that during her darkest moments of domestic abuse and depression, Shen Yunxuan’s strength and perseverance as an orphan had inspired her to keep going. When she finally decided she couldn’t hold on any longer, she chose to leave her assets to Shen Yunxuan to thank her for being a light in her life.

There were real-life examples of fans treating idols as spiritual support, so Qi Yue’s reasoning wasn’t implausible. Moreover, Shen Yunxuan’s discovery of the will while living in Qi Yue’s former residence turned the story into a touching narrative of a fan and her idol.

Qi Yue had genuinely wanted to help Shen Yunxuan. Knowing Shen Yunxuan was misunderstood and heavily criticized, Qi Yue hoped to leave behind a story that would work in Shen Yunxuan’s favor.

While Lawyer Liang remained impartial about the sentimental aspects, he was disgusted by Chen Songwei’s actions. He told Shen Yunxuan firmly that he would win the case and wouldn’t charge her a fee.

Hanging up the phone, Shen Yunxuan wondered if today was her lucky day. She had become a temple master in the morning and secured a top-notch lawyer for free by afternoon.

She was in a great mood, so she put on a bright outfit to match her cheerful spirit. The Idle Wanderer shook his head at her, saying, “Junior Sister, you’re so easily satisfied.”

Shen Yunxuan laughed. “Wasn’t it you who said that cultivators should live freely? Why fuss over trivial matters? Being happy is the most important thing.”

“Indeed, indeed,” the Idle Wanderer nodded, stroking his beard, feeling gratified by her optimistic outlook.

Not long after, Fang Qianqian and Xu Wei arrived. They immediately apologized again to Shen Yunxuan, blaming their carelessness during the livestream for the recent spike in online abuse she was enduring.

Shen Yunxuan didn’t mind at all. She invited them to join her for breakfast, casually scrolling through her phone to check the trending topics. Laughing, she remarked, “Do people really have so much free time? Is it possible my company hired bots to slander me? It’s so obvious they’re pushing new talent while keeping Zhou Yunxuan’s name out of it. Tsk, tsk, they’re all ganging up on me.”

Fang Qianqian frowned in anger. “Your company is definitely stabbing you in the back and sacrificing you for their gain. What should we do? Should Xu Wei and I start a livestream to clear things up?”

As Shen Yunxuan scrolled through the comments, she noticed some referencing tarot or fortune-telling livestreams. Her interest piqued. “Ms. Fang, do you livestream often? How’s the income from that?”

“Uh?” Fang Qianqian was caught off guard. “I just casually stream daily life—travel, concerts, food, and fun. I only get a few hundred viewers, and each stream earns me about a hundred yuan. Big streamers make way more. If they have wealthy supporters, they can make tens of thousands in a single session. Oh, and platforms usually split the earnings 50/50.”

Shen Yunxuan opened her Douyin account and saw she already had 200,000 followers. This could be a viable way to make money. While watching recordings of fortune-telling streams, she asked, “Do you have loyal fans? People who genuinely like you?”

Fang Qianqian nodded. “Yeah, some fans really like me. They even DM me to share their struggles and ask for advice. But deep connections are rare online, especially for small streamers like me. Bigger streamers have lots of die-hard fans.”

Shen Yunxuan exchanged a meaningful look with the Idle Wanderer. They both thought of the concept of belief energy. During their earlier research into karmic merit, they’d learned that belief energy could also suppress bad luck. If Idle Cloud Temple could attract worshippers, her misfortunes might be mitigated, and her “lonely star” fate could potentially be altered.

The Idle Wanderer had always emphasized reviving Idle Cloud Temple, but streaming presented a much quicker route to garnering belief energy. Plus, the two strategies could complement each other.

Realizing they were on the same page, Shen Yunxuan launched a livestream using her account.

The sudden livestream caught Fang Qianqian and Xu Wei by surprise. Fang Qianqian immediately followed Shen Yunxuan’s Douyin account and joined the stream, gifting her a virtual rocket to boost visibility. Soon, dozens of viewers joined out of curiosity.

“Is this a mukbang? What’s she eating? It looks pretty good.”
“What’s with this setting? My old house slated for demolition looks better.”
“Wait a minute, isn’t this Shen Yunxuan? The one trending on hot searches! Has she fallen this far?”
“Wow, it’s really her account!”

Shen Yunxuan’s fans and haters quickly noticed the livestream, and the viewer count soared past a thousand, eventually exceeding ten thousand.

As she ate breakfast naturally, the haters flooded the chat.

“So she’s dropped the fortune-teller act and switched to mukbangs?”
“What kind of dump is she in? Is this a sob story setup?”
“She’s not doing any acting gigs anymore, huh? Just streaming from nowhere?”
“Look at her face—did she get hurt? Trying to milk sympathy now?”

Shen Yunxuan’s fans tried to defend her, but the haters overwhelmed them. Her manager, Sister Feng, had even hired trolls to stir up negativity and shift the conversation toward promoting new talent.

Fang Qianqian, growing anxious, suggested, “Master, you should set a moderator to ban these trolls from the chat.”

Unfamiliar with livestreaming, Shen Yunxuan made Fang Qianqian a moderator but said, “No need to ban anyone. When you’re upright, there’s nothing to fear from shadows. Have you finished eating? If so, let’s head out.”

Fang Qianqian and Xu Wei finished their breakfast and helped tidy up the table before joining Shen Yunxuan in the car. The livestream audience finally realized that this was a continuation of Fang Qianqian’s “blackened forehead” story from the previous night. Shen Yunxuan was now heading to Fang Qianqian’s home to investigate the cause of her misfortunes.

The viewers were astonished and baffled. Even some of Shen Yunxuan’s fans were taken aback.

“Wait, is she addicted to pretending? After seeing herself trend on the hot search, she’s doubling down?”
“This is hilarious. Did she spend the night scripting this? Desperately holding on to the fortune-teller gimmick.”
“Who on earth gave her this idea? Do celebrities pretending to be mystics even have any appeal?”
“Say what you will, but Shen Yunxuan’s face is gorgeous, and her style is impeccable. Even in casual clothes, she looks stunning!”

Shen Yunxuan laughed at one of the comments. “These aren’t just thrown-together clothes. I spent a good while coordinating them.” She stood up to showcase her outfit and started chatting about how her choices complemented her look, explaining how different skin tones and body shapes could adapt similar styles.

Suddenly, someone sent a virtual rocket gift and commented:
“Ahhh! Shen Yunxuan’s advice is spot-on. I followed her styling logic, and it’s perfect for me! I’m heading to an interview today—wish me luck!”

“Our Yunxuan is amazing! Sister, come back and share the good news after you ace your interview!”
“Ha! Styling outfits isn’t a skill; she’s just a D-list celebrity whose job is to look presentable.”

Seeing the positive response, Shen Yunxuan continued discussing outfit coordination for work and dates. She ignored the trolls entirely, focusing on the genuinely interested viewers. This created a harmonious atmosphere between her and her supportive audience, rendering the trolls mere background noise. Some neutral viewers even started finding the trolls baffling.

“Why are they so pressed? She’s just talking about outfits. What’s the big deal?”
“Exactly. Watching her talk about clothes while these trolls yell nonsense is making them look unhinged.”

One troll mentioned another actress’s style being better, prompting a fan to clap back:
“If you’re trying to promote someone, at least don’t make it so obvious. Have some shame!”

Even neutral viewers caught on.
“Who’s this newcomer? It’s laughable to promote someone by trashing a senior in her own livestream.”

Noticing the shift in sentiment, Fang Jie quickly instructed her hired trolls to back off. She glared at the stream in frustration. Her plan to redirect attention to the new talent had backfired, funneling all the traffic to Shen Yunxuan instead.

Who’s giving Shen Yunxuan these ideas? Fang Jie wondered. Could another company be poaching her? If Shen Yunxuan had backing, Fang Jie knew she couldn’t go too far.

Just as Fang Jie was contemplating pulling back, the stream showed the car stopping. The screen went dark for a moment before they arrived at Fang Qianqian’s house. Shen Yunxuan stepped out, looked around, and said, “There’s a heavy presence of yin energy here. Whatever’s affecting you is in this house.”

Fang Jie burst into laughter. “She’s really going all in. After salvaging a bit of her image, she’s back to the mystic act? Does she think trending for being a ‘fortune-teller’ means she should double down? No wonder she’s stuck in obscurity—she’s clueless.”

Fang Qianqian nervously clung to Shen Yunxuan. “Master, what is it?”

Shen Yunxuan took out a compass and adjusted her fingers over it. The needle spun quickly before settling in the direction of the master bedroom.

Fang Qianqian swallowed hard, trembling as she kept her phone steady to continue streaming. The viewers, now riveted, saw the compass needle move and exploded with reactions.

“LMAO, this is better than a TV drama. Full marks for acting!”
“How’s the compass spinning? Is there a magnet under her hand?”
“Am I the only one getting scared? What’s in the bedroom? Are we about to see a ghost in broad daylight?”

Glancing at the comments, Shen Yunxuan walked toward the bedroom. “There is indeed a ghost, but this one isn’t aggressive. There’s no need to be afraid.”

“LOL, when did Shen Yunxuan become such a good actress? Keep it up—I’m entertained!”

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆