Ch 124: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

Xuan Qing received the Xie family’s most enthusiastic hospitality, but his mind was preoccupied with the sect, leaving him no patience for pleasantries. To Xuan Qing, no matter how wealthy the Xie family was, they were mere ants in the eyes of the leader of the foremost sect. Naturally, he had little regard for them.

The Xie family didn’t mind and continued to smile politely. Noticing that Xuan Qing seemed eager to leave, they quickly called Zhou Yunxuan out to meet him.

Zhou Yunxuan changed into a formal outfit and came out to greet the guest, pausing when she saw Xuan Qing in his Taoist robes. “And this is…?”

Xie Hengchen frowned slightly. “Show some respect. This is Xuan Qing, Sect Master of Xuantian Sect. Don’t be rude.”

“Xuantian Sect?!” Zhou Yunxuan’s mind went blank, and it was only through sheer willpower that she resisted the urge to flee.

How had the Xie family gotten involved with Xuantian Sect? Why was its sect master here? Had her secret been discovered? Was he here to deal with her?

Xie Hengchen scrutinized her expression and narrowed his eyes. “Why do you look so pale? You were fine when you came out.”

“I-I’m fine. I just remembered all those things online recently. It scared me a bit,” Zhou Yunxuan forced a smile and greeted Xuan Qing briefly, but she couldn’t stand the way he looked at her. “I feel a bit dizzy. I’ll head back to my room. Please continue your conversation.”

Before she could leave, Xie Hengchen stopped her. To her shock and confusion, he pulled her over to sit across from Xuan Qing. “It’s probably low blood sugar. Have a servant bring you some juice. The family has been going through a streak of bad luck recently, so I specifically invited the sect master to assess our fortunes. Since he’s come such a long way, let’s not be impolite.”

Zhou Yunxuan tried to pull her hand away from Xie Hengchen’s grip, but when that failed, she had no choice but to stay, sitting uneasily.

Xuan Qing got straight to the point, asking for Zhou Yunxuan’s birthdate and astrological information. Her internal alarms went off immediately—she didn’t want to provide it, but Xie Hengchen had already prepared a list of the entire family’s details and handed it over.

After studying Zhou Yunxuan’s face and calculating based on her birthdate, Xuan Qing frowned.

“What is it? Is there a problem?” The Xie family asked nervously.

Xuan Qing recalculated before responding, “Madam Xie’s destiny is somewhat unclear, but overall, it indicates wealth and prosperity throughout her life, harmonious with the Xie family. There’s no need to worry.”

Relieved, the Xie family had a servant escort Zhou Yunxuan back to her room, telling her to rest. Once she left, they quietly pressed Xuan Qing for more details. He explained, “Madam Xie’s destiny aligns with prosperity for your family. As long as she remains with the Xie family, the formation on your top floor can continuously draw from her fortune to benefit the family.”

When Xuan Qing began to calculate the Xie family’s overall fortune, he noticed something unusual. “Hmm… prosperity and misfortune intertwined, with no clear resolution?”

“What does that mean? If we’re absorbing fortune, shouldn’t we only get better?”

Xuan Qing shook his head, puzzled. “In theory, as long as Madam Xie stays, your family should thrive. But for some reason, there’s an unpredictable variable. It could lead to either great prosperity or sudden decline.”

“What? How could that be?”

Unable to decipher the anomaly, Xuan Qing speculated, “Perhaps it’s related to what happened to Xuan Yang.”

The Xie family grew anxious. Could Xuan Yang’s troubles be dragging them down? But they dared not say so outright. Old Master Xie quickly lowered his tone, pleading for Xuan Qing to help them resolve the issue.

Since Xuan Qing couldn’t identify the root cause, he temporarily strengthened the fortune-absorbing formation on their top floor and advised them to treat Zhou Yunxuan well. “If Madam Xie willingly considers herself part of the Xie family, the formation will likely remain stable. But if she grows resentful or causes turmoil, it could bring catastrophic consequences.”

The Xie family finally understood: Zhou Yunxuan was both their blessing and their potential downfall. If she loved being part of the family, the Xie family would prosper. But if she resented or rejected them, everything they had built could collapse.

This realization left the Xie family conflicted. What they once thought was a treasure was now revealed to be a double-edged sword. They would have to treat Zhou Yunxuan with utmost care, a prospect no one was thrilled about. Still, for the sake of the family, they warned Xie Hengchen to be a loving and devoted husband.

After sending Xuan Qing off, Xie Hengchen, still suspicious about Zhou Yunxuan, considered chasing after him to confirm if she had really saved him. But Old Master Xie struck him with his cane, scolding, “What are you doing? Focus on what matters! We’re only keeping Zhou Yunxuan around because she benefits the family. It doesn’t matter if she lied about saving you. What’s important is her fortune! Don’t be foolish.”

Taking a deep breath, Xie Hengchen reluctantly gave up, cutting ties with the women he’d been seeing outside the marriage and deciding to fully commit to being the ideal husband. For the family’s prosperity, this was a small sacrifice.

Zhou Yunxuan, however, couldn’t make sense of Xie Hengchen’s sudden return to their honeymoon-like relationship. After much speculation, she concluded it must have been something Xuan Qing said—likely something about them being a “match made in heaven.” That would explain why Xie Hengchen seemed to let go of his previous resentment and reconciled with her so easily.

In the end, Xuan Qing didn’t discover her secret about the fate exchange, which made Zhou Yunxuan breathe a sigh of relief. At the same time, she felt a surge of pride—so, in her past life, she had also encountered some exceptional opportunities. This fate exchange technique was so advanced that even the sect master of Xuantian Sect couldn’t see through it. Now, she could rest easy, confident in her security.

Xie Hengchen even suggested they start planning for a baby. He also took the time to accompany Zhou Yunxuan to various banquets and auctions, solidifying her reputation in high society. Zhou Yunxuan felt a wave of exhilaration as she enjoyed her lavish life, so much so that she never mentioned traveling abroad again.

After Xuan Qing left, Ling Zhi appeared near the Xie family residence. Although he didn’t know what Xuan Qing had done, the fact that the sect master had personally visited indicated a strong connection with the Xie family. Clearly, the Xie family had sought help from a master. Ling Zhi decided to make his own preparations. If the Xie family was willing to spend money to hire a master, why couldn’t they hire him?

When Xuan Qing hurried back to Xuantian Sect, he arrived just as his master, Cheng Xuzi, came out of seclusion.

Xuan Qing hadn’t seen his master in twenty years and excitedly approached him. “Master! You’ve come out of seclusion? Have you achieved a breakthrough?”

Cheng Xuzi, with his white hair and youthful complexion, looked radiant. Smiling, he patted Xuan Qing on the shoulder and said, “I have gained some insights and believe that, given time, I will break through. However, after receiving your message, I paused my cultivation to see how you and your fellow disciples are doing. Once I’ve handled your matters, I will return to seclusion to continue my practice.”

Interrupting a moment of enlightenment during seclusion was a significant setback. Reentering the same state would require immense effort and time. Cheng Xuzi had been in seclusion for two decades without breaking through, and now he had stopped for his disciples’ sake. Xuan Qing felt deeply guilty and lowered his head. “It’s because of my incompetence, Master. I failed to save Xuan Yang in time and caused you to worry.”

“No matter. Let’s go check on Xuan Yang first,” Cheng Xuzi replied, waving his hand. Together, they went to the chamber where Xuan Yang lay. When Cheng Xuzi saw the ashen-faced Xuan Yang lying on the cold jade bed, he finally understood Xuan Qing’s urgency. If Xuan Yang wasn’t treated soon, he wouldn’t survive another month.

Cheng Xuzi stepped forward to check Xuan Yang’s pulse, examined his facial features, and cast a divination. All signs pointed to misfortune. But Xuan Yang was his disciple, someone he had raised from a young age. With decades of emotional ties, he couldn’t leave him to die. Moreover, in this age of spiritual depletion, it was extremely difficult to cultivate a Foundation Establishment-level disciple. Xuan Qing and Xuan Yang were the pillars of Xuantian Sect, and for the sect’s sake, he couldn’t let Xuan Yang perish.

Sighing, Cheng Xuzi said, “The only option now is for me to personally channel energy to heal him. Xuan Qing, stand guard and ensure we are not disturbed.”

“Yes!” Xuan Qing immediately mobilized the sect disciples to guard the area from afar, while he stayed close by to protect Cheng Xuzi and Xuan Yang.

Xuan Yang’s condition was critical. Even though Cheng Xuzi was at the late Golden Core stage, saving him was no easy task. He had to link their energies and slowly use his own spiritual energy to repair Xuan Yang’s shattered meridians.

Meanwhile, Shen Yunxuan was visiting the Lin family. Previously, she had pointed out feng shui issues at the headquarters of Shayu Stream, leading to a heated argument between Lin Zixiao and his father. In the end, Lin Zixiao’s father heeded his advice and wanted to meet Shen Yunxuan to express his gratitude.

After her recent livestreams, which garnered massive popularity and attracted countless new users, Shayu had seen an unprecedented surge in traffic. The platform earned significant profits through ad sponsorships, viewer donations, and shopping channel sales, benefiting not just the company but also other streamers.

Seeing the state of Idle Cloud Temple, Lin Zixiao directly transferred five million yuan to Shen Yunxuan.

“Master Shen, this is a small token of my gratitude.”

Shen Yunxuan quickly declined. “We’re already in a partnership, and you’ve given me plenty of concessions. There’s no need for more. While I do need money, my livestream earnings are quite substantial.”

Lin Zixiao changed his approach. “Then consider it a donation to your temple. Rebuilding it must cost a lot, so take this as my contribution.”

After some thought, Shen Yunxuan smiled. “Thank you, then. By the way, I saw your message about wanting to visit Idle Cloud Temple with your father. The temple won’t be ready for visitors for some time, but I happen to have a couple of free days. If it’s convenient for your father, I can visit your home or company.”

Shen Yunxuan believed in reciprocating goodwill. She had always been this way, both in her past life and this one. It was her principle and the reason she had come so far.

Lin Zixiao hadn’t expected his gesture of gratitude to result in such a pleasant surprise. He admired Shen Yunxuan even more. Despite her young age and the hardships she’d faced, she remained calm and insightful. No wonder her destiny was tied so deeply to the Dao.

Excited, Lin Zixiao informed his father and personally drove Shen Yunxuan to the Lin family estate.

The Lin family’s estate was enormous, resembling a manor, with a mountain at its back and a river nearby. The location should have boasted excellent feng shui. But as they approached, Shen Yunxuan noticed a dark, oppressive mist hanging over the Lin estate. No one else could see it—only her upgraded yin-yang eyes, a benefit of reaching Foundation Establishment, made it visible.

Lin Zixiao noticed her expression change and felt a pang of anxiety. “Is it possible someone tampered with my family’s feng shui?”

Shen Yunxuan stared at the gray mist for a long time. In her eyes, the dull haze slowly formed a sluggishly rotating vortex that extended into the distance, drawing away the Lin family’s fortune!

She frowned, disgusted by the act of siphoning others’ luck. “Your family’s problem is far worse than what was happening at your company. This is malicious. Later, I’ll need to check your father’s company. I suspect someone is siphoning your family’s fortune, albeit very slowly and in small amounts, making it difficult to notice.”

Lin Zixiao was shocked. “Is it like what Fang Dehai did—stealing the fortune of children to boost his own? Someone’s stealing my family’s fortune to benefit someone else? No wonder no matter how hard my father tried, the company hasn’t advanced for years and has only maintained its current level. It turns out someone’s been taking our fortune!”

As soon as they entered the house and saw Father Lin, Lin Zixiao relayed the situation. Lin’s father had recently heard rumors that Xuantian Sect was involved in helping Fang Dehai harm others. Unease gnawed at him, fearing that Xuan Yang’s work for his family might also have crossed the line. He was eagerly awaiting Shen Yunxuan’s arrival, but the news was far worse than he had imagined. The feng shui adjustments he had commissioned from Xuan Yang were actually draining his family’s fortune!

Suppressing his anger, Father Lin asked, “Master Shen, can you tell who Xuan Yang was transferring the fortune to? Was it for himself?”

Shen Yunxuan was taken aback. “Xuan Yang set up your family’s feng shui? No wonder he came up with such a despicable idea, ensuring Lin’s company repeatedly failed.”

Father Lin felt a twinge of embarrassment. After all, he had agreed to Xuan Yang’s proposal. Thankfully, Lin Zixiao’s small company wasn’t a target, and aside from sabotaging his business, Xuan Yang hadn’t caused direct harm. In fact, the workers in the company had become healthier.

But the Lin family’s foundational business was a different matter. For three generations, the Lin family had been in the pharmaceutical industry. Their ancestors were once the wealthiest in their province before relocating to Beijing during a tumultuous period. By donating large amounts of medicine to the country, they preserved their business and allowed it to flourish. Under Father Lin’s leadership, the company had thrived even further, reaching its peak.

In recent years, the company’s progress had stagnated. Father Lin assumed it was due to his aging and inability to keep up with the times, which was why he had been pressuring Lin Zixiao to take over the family business. Little did he know it was all due to Xuan Yang’s meddling.

Shen Yunxuan suddenly thought of the Xie family. She had always been puzzled—why would people like Xuan Qing and Xuan Yang, so wicked, in her previous life, help the Xie family draw on her fortune instead of directly benefiting themselves? Was it simply because the Xie family paid more? Surely fortune was more important than money?

Now, seeing the Lin family’s situation, she realized the truth: Xuantian Sect was deliberately obscuring the workings of destiny.

By fostering relationships with their targets—encouraging people like Fang Dehai to adopt children and treat them well—Xuantian Sect ensured the fortune transfer appeared to be a fair exchange. They then siphoned a portion of Fang Dehai’s fortune for their own use, hiding it under the guise of financial transactions and emotional bonds. This made it nearly impossible for the workings of fate to detect the manipulation.

The same applied to the Xie family. By helping the Xie family treat Shen Yunxuan kindly—rescuing her from an exploitative company and providing her a warm home—they ensured she willingly allowed the Xie family to draw on her fortune. Xuantian Sect then took a portion of the Xie family’s fortune.

The Lin family was another example. Their abundant fortune made them an ideal target. Xuantian Sect helped Father Lin resolve family conflicts, earning his trust and gratitude, and subtly siphoned the Lin family’s fortune under the guise of goodwill.

Although Shen Yunxuan hadn’t yet confirmed this with the Fang and Xie families, her reasoning was almost certainly correct. The Fang family’s case occurred more than twenty years ago, the Lin family’s situation arose in recent years, and the Xie family’s involvement was only months old. Over the past two decades, Xuantian Sect had likely been seeking similar opportunities, targeting countless wealthy families.

Each family lost only a small portion of their fortune, making it nearly imperceptible. This gradual accumulation, however, resulted in an immense concentration of fortune for Xuantian Sect. No wonder the sect had maintained its position as the top sect for decades. She had always found it odd—why was the government, despite having comparable Golden Core cultivators and even more Foundation Establishment practitioners, at a disadvantage against Xuantian Sect?

The answer was simple: Xuantian Sect’s immense fortune allowed them to turn misfortune into blessings and danger into opportunity, making them untouchable.

Shen Yunxuan immediately called Minister Zhou and shared her findings. Minister Zhou hadn’t expected yet another storm to brew so soon. If Xuantian Sect had indeed been orchestrating this, they couldn’t be allowed to continue—they had to be eradicated.

Minister Zhou entrusted Shen Yunxuan with full authority over the matter and authorized her to request personnel and resources as needed through Taoist Bai He. Shen Yunxuan didn’t hold back. She first enlisted Mao Ximing, who eagerly joined her, gathering talisman paper, cinnabar, and other tools.

Mao Ximing, treated like a glorified errand boy, had no complaints. On the contrary, he bragged to his colleagues about the opportunity, even spending his own money to buy extra supplies. He knew Shen Yunxuan was the most talented in the Taoist world, with the greatest potential to advance to the Golden Core stage and unmatched skill in solving problems. Many envied him and petitioned the government to add Shen Yunxuan to their Daoist group chat—they all wanted to learn from her.

Shen Yunxuan began by thoroughly inspecting the Lin family estate, identifying the location of the formation. She then visited the Lin family’s pharmaceutical group and found it, too, shrouded in the same gray mist. Next, she checked the Xie, Fang, Bai, and Wang families and their companies. As expected, all were enveloped in gray mist, their fortunes slowly being siphoned away.

Mao Ximing had cultivated for many years but had never encountered such despicable practitioners as those in Xuantian Sect. While most wrongdoers harmed a few individuals, Xuantian Sect targeted entire prominent families. And this was just what they had uncovered—who knew how many others were still hidden?

Furious, Mao Ximing called Taoist Bai He and, abandoning all composure, ranted about Xuantian Sect’s actions. Taoist Bai He, equally grim, responded, “For such a large-scale incident, we must proceed cautiously. Our first priority is ensuring the victims’ safety.”

Shen Yunxuan suddenly smiled. “Did you forget? This kind of operation is usually orchestrated by Xuan Yang. He acted as the conduit for these transactions, drawing fortune through deals. In other words, all the stolen fortune was funneled to him or passed through him to benefit Xuantian Sect.

And now that Xuan Yang is half-dead, if we break the formations tied to him, he’ll face backlash. If he can’t withstand it and dies, the conduit will disappear, and any formations we haven’t found will naturally lose their effect.”

“A conduit?” Taoist Bai He pondered her words and then brightened. “You’re right! That makes perfect sense. This should be done as soon as possible. Master Shen, let us know your plan.”

In other words, it was time to “strike while the iron is hot.” Although directly attacking Xuantian Sect would cause significant turmoil, delivering a severe blow through this method ignited a sense of justice and determination among the group.

Shen Yunxuan returned to the SAD and convened a meeting with practitioners at Foundation Establishment or higher. Including herself, they had just enough people to handle the task, each taking responsibility for one location. She thoroughly explained how the formations were set up, where they were located, the position of their cores, and the steps to dismantle them.

Having personally investigated each site, she had a clear understanding of the situation. Since the formations were designed to siphon fortune and were set up on the peripheries, they didn’t need to inform the victims. They could simply break the formations from the outside.

Using photos, videos, and maps, Shen Yunxuan assigned each person a location. She chose the Xie family for herself, worried that someone might inadvertently help the Xie family resolve the problem. Her goal was to deal with Xuantian Sect, not assist the Xie family.

Once everything was arranged, the team dispersed. At the designated time, everyone simultaneously dismantled the formations.

Breaking one formation might not cause significant backlash since the fortune stolen wasn’t excessive. But with so many formations broken at once, the backlash became immense.

Cheng Xuzi, who was focused on healing Xuan Yang, suddenly felt a violent surge within Xuan Yang’s body, akin to an earthquake or tsunami. Alarmed, he attempted to withdraw his spiritual energy, but it was too late.

Xuan Yang abruptly spat out a mouthful of blood and began coughing uncontrollably. Caught off guard, Cheng Xuzi bore half of the backlash himself. In the midst of channeling energy, his face turned pale, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth as he clutched his chest.

Cheng Xuzi touched the blood on his lips, momentarily stunned. Xuan Qing, equally shocked, rushed forward in panic to support him. “Master? How could this happen? You’re a late-stage Golden Core cultivator—how could you be injured?”

It was supposed to be a simple healing session. How could it result in injuries?

Meanwhile, Shen Yunxuan had identified Xuantian Sect’s location. With a wave of her hand, she lit a stick of incense and respectfully summoned a ghost officer. “I trouble you, honored official. Xuantian Sect has committed countless atrocities, and Xuan Yang is deeply sinful. To prevent them from refining malicious spirits to harm the world, I humbly request that you apprehend him.”

Cheng Xuzi, who had just reached out to check on Xuan Yang, saw the ghost officer materialize. With a flick of his chain, the ghost officer bound Xuan Yang’s departing soul, shot a cold glance at the group, and disappeared.

Xuan Qing was horrified. “My junior brother is dead? His soul has been taken by the ghost officer? Master…”

Cheng Xuzi raised his hand, stopping him from saying more. What else was there to say? They had already done all they could.

Feeling an ominous foreboding, Cheng Xuzi demanded a detailed account of everything that had happened over the past two decades. Xuantian Sect had flourished during that time but began encountering setbacks only recently when they crossed paths with Shen Yunxuan.

Cheng Xuzi solemnly performed a ritual to divine the situation.

When he saw the results, his expression changed drastically, and he seemed to age significantly in an instant. With a long sigh, he murmured, “The will of heaven cannot be defied. The Master of Idle Cloud Temple is the great calamity of our sect!”

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