Ch 119: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

Shen Yunxuan carried her phone with her, but it had no signal and was running low on battery. She decided to turn it off to conserve power. Nearby, she drew a concealment talisman and retrieved a piece of imperial jade. Originally intended to create a soul-nourishing jade for Xianglan after finishing her incense-making, she now prioritized crafting a protective talisman for herself.

Using her spiritual energy, Shen Yunxuan carved symbols into the jade while silently venting her frustration. Why did villains always seem to have an abundance of magical artifacts? Just earlier, Ling Xiao and Ling Yun had pulled out several, leaving her envious. If not for those artifacts aiding them, how could they have injured her so severely? Luckily, her skill in creating talismans wasn’t too shabby—her counterattack should have left them significantly battered.

Once the protective talisman was complete, Shen Yunxuan placed the jade near her heart. She then sorted through the talismans she had grabbed during her escape, finding a healing talisman to accelerate her recovery. Affixing it to herself, she crossed her legs, entered a meditative state, and began self-healing.

Ling Xiao and Ling Yun lost Shen Yunxuan’s trail as soon as they entered the forest. They sent a fierce ghost to scout, but even after devouring two wandering spirits, it failed to locate her or any trace of blood. After an entire night of fruitless searching, the brothers became irritable upon realizing they were being pursued.

They had underestimated their opponent. Tasked with dealing with a mere newcomer to the mystic arts and armed with a boundary-creating artifact, they had thought the mission would be effortless. Yet, not only had Shen Yunxuan escaped, but her escape had also caused a commotion, drawing government agents into the pursuit. This forced the brothers to remain hidden, compounding their frustration.

Both wounded, they reluctantly decided to find a spot to recover their spiritual energy before resuming their search.

The mountain forest had no cell service. Those who ventured into it lost contact with the outside world. Meanwhile, the news of Idle Cloud Temple’s destruction spread rapidly online, sparking widespread concern. Most people speculated that an earthquake had caused the collapse. However, the complete disappearance of the temple’s residents and the bloodstains in Shen Yunxuan’s quarters fueled other theories.

Had Shen Yunxuan offended someone with her accurate fortune-telling? Or was it revenge by associates of criminals she had helped the police capture? Perhaps a powerful tycoon felt threatened by her?

People began scrutinizing those who had crossed paths with Shen Yunxuan. Fang Dehai, already under fire for the exposure of his family’s affairs, emerged as the prime suspect. His company’s stock price took a hit, and Fang Dehai was furious. He began to wonder if the rebellion of his six “children” had impacted his fortune. Had their absence caused a backlash in his luck?

Released from questioning, Fang Dehai immediately contacted Master Xuan Yang. Xuan Yang spoke coldly: “Do not worry. In three days, your troubles will be resolved.”

Fang Dehai hesitated, then probed, “Master, are you saying the incident at Idle Cloud Temple is your doing?”

“There is no need for you to concern yourself. Simply await the good news,” Xuan Yang replied before ending the call. Fang Dehai couldn’t shake the feeling that Xuan Yang was connected to the temple’s destruction.

Nevertheless, this was reassuring. Fang Dehai had seen Xuan Yang’s capabilities firsthand. With Xuan Yang handling Shen Yunxuan, there was nothing to fear.

Watching videos of the temple’s ruins, Xuan Yang felt smug. He was certain the minor celebrity was a fraud with no real abilities. Sending two disciples had been enough to eliminate Idle Cloud Temple.

In the metaphysic community, anyone who dared to undermine the interests of Xuantian Sect faced severe consequences. It was only a pity that his involvement couldn’t be revealed—otherwise, he would have used this opportunity to assert dominance over rival sects.

A junior disciple approached. “Master, Senior Brother Ling Zhi refuses to eat. He insists on seeing you.”

Xuan Yang’s brows furrowed as he stormed toward the reflection room. Upon seeing Ling Zhi, he launched into a tirade.

Ling Zhi retorted angrily, “Don’t deny it—you’re biased! You sent those two fools on missions to gain experience while locking me up here. What kind of master are you?”

Xuan Yang’s expression turned cold. “So, you’ve been harboring resentment for me? Fool! Your character is flawed, and you think I don’t know about the crooked methods you’ve been secretly researching?”

Ling Zhi scoffed. “Flawed character? You call what you’ve been doing righteous? Sending those two dimwits to silence someone before she could expose your true nature—is that what you call upright? If you want someone to inherit your legacy, it can only be me. Even Ling Yun’s secret ghost-raising doesn’t hold a candle to my skills. Why favor them over me?”

Xuan Yang hadn’t expected Ling Zhi to know so much. For years, he had deliberately kept Ling Zhi in the dark about many matters, sharing details only with his other two disciples. Ling Zhi’s volatile and sinister nature made him a liability—a threat to Xuantian Sect’s reputation and stability. Their master had long decreed that Ling Zhi be confined to prevent him from bringing disaster upon the sect. If Ling Zhi ever proved too disobedient, expulsion was always an option.

Of course, Xuan Yang would never reveal this reasoning. After a moment of restraint, he said in a grave tone, “Your temper is your greatest flaw. We are doing this for your own good. Reflect here thoroughly. When your temperament improves, you may be released.”

Ling Zhi was furious, but Xuan Yang had placed a restriction on the Reflection Room, making it impossible for him to escape. Left with no choice, he summoned a few ghost servants and enhanced their strength. For now, he would endure. Once his power grew, the measly restrictions of Xuantian Sect wouldn’t be able to hold him. He vowed to make Xuan Yang and the others see that he was the most talented heir to the sect.

Xuan Yang wanted to call Ling Xiao and Ling Yun back, but he couldn’t reach them. For now, he set the matter aside and went to inform Xuan Qing that the situation at Idle Cloud Temple had been resolved. However, he noted that the government might send people to investigate, and other sects would likely have questions. Handling public relations fell squarely on Xuan Qing’s shoulders, who would surely ensure the sect emerged unscathed.

Unexpectedly, Shen Yunxuan’s disappearance left her black haters more distraught than her fans.

In recent days, the haters had finally pieced together a pattern: those who apologized to Shen Yunxuan sincerely seemed to stop having bad luck. Meanwhile, those who were too consumed dealing with their misfortunes were still struggling, and those who continued insulting her suffered even worse misfortune.

This led them to conclude that the so-called “curse of bad luck” could only be lifted by apologizing to Shen Yunxuan. But now she was missing, and with so much blood found at the scene, could she be dead? Was it too late to apologize? If the curse couldn’t be lifted, they were doomed.

The haters grew increasingly anxious. Someone suggested, “The police said Shen Yunxuan is missing, not dead. Maybe she’s still alive. If we apologize before she dies, it might work!”

“Let’s treat it as a last-ditch effort. Let’s apologize and see.”

Thus, the haters began issuing mass apologies. The first wave of repentant haters advised the rest to be genuinely sincere, as only heartfelt apologies seemed to work.

With Shen Yunxuan’s life potentially hanging in the balance, none dared to offer anything less than true sincerity. They wrote heartfelt confessions, some detailing every insult they had hurled and every rumor they had fabricated against her.

This bizarre turn of events delighted onlookers. Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that nearly all the slander against Shen Yunxuan had been concocted by the haters. Many of the fabrications could even be traced back to their original creators.

This incident was shaping up to be one for the entertainment industry’s history books: a group of haters collectively debunking their own lies about the target of their hatred. Shen Yunxuan’s fans were moved to tears. Even the haters were acting out of desperation. Could this mean Shen Yunxuan was truly near death? Though she had finally been vindicated, the fans were consumed with worry. They flooded social media platforms with posts searching for clues about her whereabouts and offered rewards to increase visibility.

The increased attention drew new sympathizers who hadn’t followed Shen Yunxuan’s story before. After reading the haters’ confessions, they began to empathize with her. A young woman in her twenties, enduring such relentless defamation for two years—she truly didn’t deserve such unwarranted suffering.

Meanwhile, at Douyin’s corporate office, a manager rushed to the CEO with news of the trending topic. “Shen Yunxuan’s haters are all apologizing. They say those who offend her will suffer bad luck, and only sincere apologies can lift the curse. Despite our efforts these past few weeks, our company’s performance keeps declining. Could this be the reason?”

“You’re suggesting Shen Yunxuan cursed us?”

“I can’t confirm, but I’ve heard she might not survive. If we don’t apologize now, it might be too late. What should we do?”

The CEO fumed. “Who was responsible for banning her account? Find them and fire them immediately! Issue a public apology and make it sincere. Mention that we’re willing to transfer our platform earnings from her streams to her account. Shayu didn’t even take their cut, right? Emphasize that we welcome her back anytime and will give her the best treatment to make up for our mistake.”

The manager hurried to comply. Within hours, the department manager who had taken bribes from the Xie family was fired. That individual had hoped to use the Xie family as a shield, but Douyin had suffered massive financial and reputational losses, with promising streamers jumping ship to Shayu. The company had no room for negotiation and promptly issued a public apology.

Douyin’s move left many stunned. It took a while for people to recall that Shen Yunxuan’s account had been banned mid-stream on Douyin before she switched to Shayu, taking a significant audience with her.

Why issue an apology now? Clearly, Douyin was facing the same bad luck as the haters and was following their example.

“Haha, this is hilarious. Weren’t they the ones who banned her? Why backtrack now?”

“First time seeing a major company groveling like this—it’s oddly satisfying. I hope Shen Yunxuan is safe. If she returns, this kingdom will be hers.”

“Am I the only one curious about why her account was banned in the first place?”

“Rumor has it the Xie family wanted to blacklist her. They even approached Shay, but the CEO refused.”

“Serves Douyin right. Shark Live’s success is well-deserved. A divine master like Shen Yunxuan deserves to be respected. Only fools would cross her.”

“Why is the Xie family doing this?” someone questioned. “Didn’t Zhou Yunxuan claim she had a good relationship with Shen Yunxuan? Zhou married into a wealthy family, and she’s in an entirely different league from Shen. Why would she go so far as to suppress her?”

“Oh no, now that Shen Yunxuan is missing, could the Xie family be behind it? They’re even wealthier than Fang Dehai!”

“Could it be that Shen Yunxuan uncovered some dirty secrets about the Xie family through Zhou Yunxuan? Fang Dehai kidnapped six children to boost his fortune—what about the Xie family? They’re thriving too; could they have done something even more despicable?”

---

Zhou Yunxuan was busy trying to convince Xie Hengchen to go on a honeymoon when Xie received a call from his assistant. After hearing about the online speculations, his face turned stormy. He grabbed his tablet, found the posts, and tossed it in front of Zhou. “This is your doing! The Xie family has always had a stellar reputation, and now, because of you, it’s tarnished. You still want to play games? Clean up this mess you’ve made!”

Zhou Yunxuan had heard about Shen Yunxuan’s disappearance. Considering Shen’s cursed fate, Zhou Yunxuan was convinced Shen Yunxuan was dead, which was why she was in the mood to plan a honeymoon. She hadn’t expected a dead person to still drag her name into disrepute. Furious, she snapped, “Those people are brainless! Accusing me without proof? Hengchen, send out cease-and-desist letters and sue them! A few lawsuits, and they’ll behave.”

“Enough!” Xie Hengchen barked. “Haven’t you done enough damage? From now on, stay out of trouble. Don’t make any public statements. I’ll handle this.” He didn’t bother concealing his anger, slamming the door as he left.

Zhou Yunxuan frowned. Something felt off. Ever since she pretended to be Xie Hengchen’s savior, he had treated her with nothing but tenderness and respect. Now, after marriage, not only was he uninterested in intimacy, but he also refused to go on a honeymoon. And now, over something as manageable as this, he exploded. Was he already regretting the marriage? Or did he no longer cherish her after she was “his”?

Her thoughts turned to her past life, where rumors always portrayed Xie Hengchen and Shen Yunxuan as a loving couple. Even years later, photos of them attending events together circulated. Why, then, was her experience so different? Could it be… Xie had realized she was a fraud?

Feeling uneasy, Zhou Yunxuan didn’t dare confront him and could only watch helplessly as he left. Secretly, she cursed Shen Yunxuan. Even in death, she refused to let things rest. She deserved to be wiped out.

The Xie family quickly issued a public statement, firmly denying any involvement in suppressing Shen Yunxuan and threatening legal action against further rumors. Privately, they reached out to the department manager involved, promising him a job at the Xie family after the situation calmed down and offering him compensation of 500,000 yuan. The manager agreed to keep silent. Without solid evidence, the matter was left unresolved, becoming another one of those plausible yet unverifiable entertainment industry rumors.

---

Elsewhere, Xinxing Entertainment held a tense meeting. A department manager suggested, “We should follow Douyin’s example and issue a public apology.”

Manager Feng muttered, “There have been rumors we mistreated Shen Yunxuan, forcing her to terminate her contract by paying a penalty. If we apologize now, won’t that confirm we wronged her?”

“Then what do we do? What if our bad luck is really because of her? Use your brain! Why did she so willingly pay the penalty fee? Doesn’t she always say she’s short on money? What if paying us was her way of cursing the company?”

“Exactly! If you ask me, Feng, you should resign and take responsibility. That would show sincerity. Didn’t Douyin fire their manager too?”

Manager Feng was just a small-time manager, dispensable to the company. After some discussion, the group decided to fire her. To ensure her cooperation with their PR efforts, they offered her 200,000 yuan in severance.

Soon after, Xinxing Entertainment and Manager Feng issued public apologies. The company, which had suffered far more than Douyin, didn’t mince words. They admitted that Feng had forced Shen Yunxuan into an unfair contract, neglected her career, and caused her grievances. They announced they would refund the penalty fee and expressed their desire to work with Shen Yunxuan again in the future.

Manager Feng, desperate to avoid any potential curses, went even further. She posted a tearful apology video, confessing to all the wrongs she had done to Shen Yunxuan. She begged for forgiveness, fearing that the supposed “curse” would continue to plague her otherwise.

Fans were heartbroken to learn of Shen Yunxuan’s past hardships. She had endured so much in silence, carrying the burden alone. Now, with so many apologies flooding in—many seemingly motivated by the fear of her death—they couldn’t help but worry that Shen Yunxuan might never return.

The police received an overwhelming number of calls from concerned citizens. They worked tirelessly on the case but, with the involvement of metaphysical elements, had limited options. Following orders from above, they cordoned off the mountain area where Idle Cloud Temple had been and barred fans from entering. Meanwhile, forensic teams collected blood samples from the temple ruins.

The forensic analysis confirmed that there were traces of blood from three individuals at the scene, with one of them confirmed to be Shen Yunxuan’s. There was a significant amount of her blood, indicating she was seriously injured, but beyond that, there wasn’t much the police could do.

While everyone was worried about Shen Yunxuan’s condition, she was doing far better than they imagined.

Shen Yunxuan spent the entire night cultivating and healing. Although the effects were limited without medication, to her surprise, she suddenly received a surge of faith energy. She quickly began refining it, her body entering a state of comfort as if even her lost blood was being replenished. Her once pale complexion regained a healthy flush, visible to the naked eye.

Soon after, waves of faith energy continued to flow in. With her cultivation improving, Shen Yunxuan refined the energy much faster, completing the process within a day. She entered a mysterious state of enlightenment, as though her consciousness had transcended her body and caught a glimpse of the essence of the heavens. She became immersed in this state, unable to wake up.

Meanwhile, Ling Xiao and Ling Yun had recovered from their injuries and were conducting a grid search for Shen Yunxuan, splitting into three groups with their ghostly ally. Their orders were to avoid detection at all costs, especially by Taoist Bai He’s group, and to kill Shen Yunxuan before they were discovered. Shen Yunxuan knew their identities, and leaving her alive was not an option.

Taoist Bai He and his team, following the trail left by Mao Ximing, regrouped with him and formed pairs to search for Shen Yunxuan and apprehend the attackers. Unfortunately, Ling Xiao and Ling Yun’s concealment artifacts left no trace, and no one could find Shen Yunxuan either. The rear mountain range was vast, and despite tireless searching, there was no sign of her.

In fact, they passed right by the cave where Shen Yunxuan was hiding, but her formation concealed her presence. Deep in cultivation, Shen Yunxuan was unaware of their proximity.

Ling Yun, frustrated with the search, decided to rest in a nearby cave. Upon entering, he noticed something unusual deep within. Upon closer inspection, he discovered a formation—seemingly a concealment array. Knowing Shen Yunxuan’s formidable skill in formations, he suspected it was more than it appeared and might even have offensive capabilities like the one that destroyed the Idle Cloud Temple. Triggering it and attracting Bai He’s group would jeopardize their mission.

Ling Yun quietly retreated and regrouped with Ling Xiao and the ghost. Together, they returned to Shen Yunxuan’s hiding spot.

Sharing a glance, the two launched a coordinated attack while commanding the ghost to strike with all its might. Their goal was to eliminate Shen Yunxuan in a single, decisive blow without giving her a chance to fight back.

At that moment, Shen Yunxuan broke through her bottleneck, stepping into the Foundation Establishment stage.

Her eyes snapped open, glimmering with light. With a wave of her hand, she deflected their attack and flew forward to counterattack.

The two had anticipated her resistance and immediately drew their offensive artifacts.

Shen Yunxuan, her cultivation heightened and vision sharper, noticed that their artifacts were stored in their jade pendants. Seizing the moment, she darted forward, enduring a hit from their weapons to snatch the pendants.

Their faces turned pale. “Give them back!”

Shen Yunxuan had already leaped outside the cave. They chased after her, only to see ominous clouds gathering above, lightning crackling within. Their expressions turned to disbelief. “Tribulation clouds? You’ve advanced to Foundation Establishment? Impossible!”

Shen Yunxuan sneered. “Karma is real. For people like you, steeped in wickedness, Foundation Establishment will forever be out of reach.”

She quickly retrieved all the items stored in the pendants, selecting four defensive artifacts to protect herself while storing the rest, including anything she didn’t want damaged during the tribulation.

Ling Xiao and Ling Yun’s faces darkened. “What are you doing?”

The first bolt of lightning struck, and Shen Yunxuan tossed a defensive artifact upward to absorb the impact. Realizing her plan, they were aghast—she was using their artifacts to withstand her heavenly tribulation. They had come to eliminate her, only to deliver her the tools she needed for survival!

They ordered the ghost to attack Shen Yunxuan, but she redirected the ghost’s charge upward, using it to absorb the second lightning strike. The ghost dissipated instantly.

Terrified, the two turned to flee, but Shen Yunxuan wasn’t about to let them escape. She swiftly closed the distance and redirected the next lightning bolt onto them.

From a distance, Taoist Bai He and his group noticed the lightning tribulation. Their faces changed, and they rushed toward it. Idle Wanderer, knowing Shen Yunxuan’s unique cultivation method, guessed she was undergoing a tribulation and might still be in danger from the attackers. He shouted, “Junior Sister! Is that you? Don’t be afraid; we’re here to help!”

The others were stunned. Could Shen Yunxuan really be advancing to Foundation Establishment? She was only in her twenties and had been cultivating for mere months!

Hearing his voice, Shen Yunxuan glanced at Ling Xiao and Ling Yun. Mao Ximing was likely with Idle Wanderer. If the attackers were captured by the special department, they might just be imprisoned, leaving a chance for the Xuantian Sect to bail them out. If that happened, they would escape justice.

Determined, Shen Yunxuan endured another lightning strike, then decisively struck them both with a series of palm attacks. She destroyed their cultivation bases and crippled their spiritual roots.

When Bai He’s group arrived, they saw the two men thrown out of the tribulation circle, coughing up blood. Upon closer inspection, someone exclaimed, “They’re from Xuantian Sect?!”

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆