Ch 135: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

Only powerful cultivators can perform a soul takeover—“soul takeover” itself is practically a mythical technique. Zhou Yunxuan had never heard of Ling Zhi being capable of it. Where had he learned such an evil art?

Ling Zhi charged into Zhou Yunxuan’s sea of consciousness. She had no time to think, only to fight desperately, resisting his attempts to devour her soul. Ling Zhi launched a series of violent attacks, each one causing her unbearable pain, her head throbbing so intensely that she clutched it while rolling on the ground, screaming in agony.

But Zhou Yunxuan found solace in one fact—soul takeovers could only occur within the sea of consciousness, preventing the use of spells or magical artifacts. Otherwise, as someone without cultivation, she would have been completely powerless against him. Now, however, Ling Zhi was gravely injured and weakened, and since her own sea of consciousness was deeply rooted and stable, their battle was evenly matched.

Ling Zhi gradually lost strength, unable to fully devour Zhou Yunxuan and seize her body. But at the same time, Zhou Yunxuan, as an ordinary person without spiritual power, had also been drained to her limit. She was too weak to expel Ling Zhi from her sea of consciousness or completely eradicate him.

The two of them fought until their strength was utterly exhausted, eventually passing out. When they woke up the next day, both their souls had suffered irreversible damage. Zhou Yunxuan stared at her pale face in the mirror, furious. “What the hell did you do?”

Ling Zhi, now weakened, let out a mocking chuckle. “This soul takeover method was incomplete—of course, there are consequences. Normally, a successful takeover would allow the conqueror to absorb the victim’s soul as nourishment, minimizing any damage. But since you fought back, we both ended up in a mutually destructive deadlock, and now we can’t recover.”

“Ling Zhi! You’ve been a plague in both of my lives! You’ve ruined me twice! The first thing I should’ve done after my rebirth was kill you!” Zhou Yunxuan was on the verge of collapse. She had just inherited a massive fortune and planned to travel the world, yet now she was faced with this disaster. Why was her fate so miserable?

Ling Zhi, who had gained access to her memories while invading her consciousness, laughed wildly. “For someone who was once a cultivator, it’s pathetic how much you envy the life of a rich housewife. A kept bird in a gilded cage, a parasite clinging to wealth, completely incapable of protecting yourself. At any moment, someone could snuff you out.”

This struck a nerve with Zhou Yunxuan. “What do you know? I was fooled by their facade. If everything had been real—endless wealth, a loving husband, a filial son, and affectionate in-laws—what would be so bad about that? That would be the happiest life!”

Ling Zhi couldn’t comprehend her thinking. “Are you stupid? Do you really believe that good fortune falls from the sky? Even your biological parents wouldn’t treat you that well, and you expected a rich man to? You’ve seen so many vengeful ghosts, but all you ever cared about was how to use them. You never truly listened to their stories, never thought about why they became ghosts in the first place. Haven’t you realized how many tragedies exist in this world? Do you really think anyone has a life that’s all sunshine and rainbows?”

Zhou Yunxuan knew she had been blinded by envy and greed, but she refused to admit it. Instead, her resentment deepened. “I believe Shen Yunxian’s life is good because I can see the fortune surrounding her. I know she’s different from the rest. Even with my cursed fate, just being near her improved my life. So why is it surprising that she’s thriving after getting rid of me?

I just never expected—”

“You didn’t ‘never expect’—you only saw what you wanted to see. You’re an idiot. You were born with Yin-Yang Eyes, able to perceive the fate of others, and yet you never learned how to use them properly. Instead, you resented them. You were gifted with immense potential but threw it away just because you didn’t like your predestined fate, choosing to swap lives instead. You always focus on the negatives and never think about how to play to your strengths.”

Ling Zhi sneered. “Look at Shen Yunxuan—she was dealt the same hand as you. Did she complain? No. She was thrilled that she could cultivate, excited about her Yin-Yang Eyes, and she seized every opportunity to train, reaching Foundation Establishment and securing an unshakable position in this world.”

Hearing the admiration in Ling Zhi’s voice, Zhou Yunxuan’s jealousy flared. She mocked him, “You’re just her defeated enemy—don’t act like you know her so well.”

“I don’t know her well,” Ling Zhi admitted. “But I do know that she and I are alike in one way—we both turn disadvantages into advantages, taking full advantage of every opportunity around us.” Then, as if struck by sudden realization, he laughed madly. “I see now! I understand why she streams fortune-telling, why she donates so much! She’s accumulating merit—using the fastest, most effective way to amass enough virtue to suppress her ‘Calamity lone star Fate’!

That’s why she always says ‘good and evil will be repaid in kind’! That’s why I’ll never be able to cultivate the way she does—because her cultivation is tied to acts of kindness, and I have never done a single good deed in my life!”

Ling Zhi sounded both triumphant and devastated, as if he had finally cracked the mystery but realized it was useless to him. He fell silent, as if he had never been there at all, but Zhou Yunxuan knew he was still lurking in her sea of consciousness.

Now that she could fully control her body again, she didn’t bother acknowledging him. Instead, she checked the time, applied a flawless layer of makeup, and left to attend the final recording of the romance show.

From Ling Zhi, she had learned that he had used a substitute technique, meaning Shen Yunxuan and the others likely believed him to be dead. If Ling Zhi had no chance to report her to SAD, she had nothing to fear. Her confidence grew—she was determined to leave a perfect impression on the audience in this last episode before taking her wealth and disappearing overseas.

Ling Zhi was becoming weaker and weaker; Zhou Yunxuan was certain she could eventually wear him down until he perished. Her own soul had already suffered severe damage, and she had no idea how long she had left to live. She just wanted to enjoy life while she still could. After all, her original goal had been to become a wealthy housewife and indulge in luxury. Looking at it that way, she had already achieved her dream.

Whether it was just a psychological comfort or genuine acceptance, by the time she arrived at the filming location, her mood was excellent, and her smile was even sweeter than usual.

She greeted Shen Yunxuan and then, in a soft, apologetic voice, said, “I’m sorry, Yunxuan. When Ling Zhi tried to kill me, I had no choice but to tell him that your cultivation was exceptional. I said if he wanted to reach Foundation Establishment, he should seek you out. I wasn’t intentionally directing danger toward you—I knew your cultivation was a whole level above his, and he would never be your match. That’s why I did it.

I didn’t expect him to have so many magical artifacts, nor that he would destroy Idle Cloud Temple and nearly harm you. How about this—I’ll compensate for the damages to Idle Cloud Temple. I hope you can be the bigger person and not hold a grudge against me.”

Shen Yunxuan was genuinely impressed by Zhou Yunxuan’s thick skin. After everything she had done to scheme against her, she could still show up as if nothing had happened, spouting lies with a straight face. Did Zhou Yunxuan really think everyone but herself was a fool?

Shen Yunxuan examined Zhou Yunxuan’s face and immediately noticed that she carried two souls in one body. Ling Zhi had clearly entered her sea of consciousness. A smirk appeared on Shen Yunxian’s lips as she said, “You were forced into this, so you shouldn’t have to bear all these losses. You don’t look very well. Since we once exchanged fates, I’ll give you a protective talisman.”

Shen Yunxuan handed her a talisman, placing it in her palm. Zhou Yunxuan hesitated, looking down at the talisman, and her first instinct was suspicion—Shen Yunxuan must be trying to harm her.

But in her past life, she had been a cultivator herself, and she could tell at a glance that the talisman was real. In fact, its quality was far superior to the ones she had once drawn herself. It was a genuinely effective protective talisman. Her emotions turned complicated. She didn’t want to accept Shen Yunxuan’s kindness, but she also couldn’t bring herself to reject something so useful. Then, anger welled up inside her. If she hadn’t switched fates, she should be the one drawing such powerful talismans, not the one receiving them as charity!

Still, she ultimately kept the talisman. She was currently fighting Ling Zhi for control of her body, and having an extra protective talisman could only be beneficial. It also gave her an idea—perhaps she should hire someone to buy more of Shen Yunxuan’s talismans for backup. Just because she despised Shen Yunxuan didn’t mean she couldn’t use her talismans.

The program recording began. Since Shen Yunxuan had recently been in danger, Minister Zhou was concerned that Ling Zhi might come after her again. He assigned Mao Ximing to stay by her side under the guise of an assistant. As soon as Mao Ximing saw Zhou Yunxuan, he sent Shen Yunxuan a message, asking if she wanted to have Zhou Yunxuan taken in for questioning.

Shen Yunxuan replied: [No need. Master and disciple will torture each other to death—this is their karma. We don’t need to interfere and risk unnecessary complications.]

Shen Yunxuan had long known Zhou Yunxuan was a reincarnator and that she had become Ling Zhi’s disciple, so she suspected there was a deep entanglement between them in their past lives. Now that they were sharing a single body, she could see it clearly—their fates were tightly intertwined. There was even a karmic red thread between them, but instead of a bond of love, it was a cursed connection.

They had likely been drawn to each other at some point, but mutual misunderstandings and selfishness had turned that connection into hatred. Both of them were too self-centered to trust anyone, like two creatures covered in spikes, destined to wound each other every time they got close. The more they hurt each other, the more suspicion and resentment grew. In their past life, Zhou Yunxuan had probably been responsible for Ling Zhi’s death, which was why, in this life, Ling Zhi was clinging to her even as he neared his own demise, dragging her soul down with him.

Originally, since Zhou Yunxuan had stolen Shen Yunxuan’s good fortune, she should have been able to suppress Ling Zhi in the end, either consuming his soul or simply outlasting him until he faded away. But because Zhou Yunxuan had continually tried to harm her out of jealousy and resentment, Shen Yunxuan saw no reason to let her off so easily.

That was why she had just given Zhou Yunxuan a special “gift”—a talisman with the same effect as the cursed red packets she had once given to trolls. Shen Yunxuan accumulated merit by doing good deeds, which aligned with the natural order. But when Zhou Yunxuan, who harbored malicious intent, accepted her kindness, it went against the natural order, resulting in divine punishment. She would now absorb part of Shen Yunxuan’s misfortune as a consequence.

With this misfortune dragging her down, Zhou Yunxuan would struggle to defeat Ling Zhi. The two of them, equally matched, would be locked in an endless cycle of suffering until they inevitably perished together.

Having unknowingly exacted her revenge on Zhou Yunxuan, Shen Yunxuan put the matter behind her. During the show’s recording, she remained completely composed, showing no intention of settling old scores. Seeing this, Zhou Yunxuan relaxed as well and began focusing on commenting on the dating show’s participants.

After replacing the problematic cast members earlier in the season, the new guests were all personally selected by Shen Yunxuan. Initially, viewers thought the show was a disaster—first the panelists had problems, then the contestants started facing bizarre incidents. People joked that the show was cursed, and anyone involved would suffer misfortune.

But to everyone’s surprise, after the problematic contestants were replaced, the show became overwhelmingly sweet and heartwarming!

In the first few days, the remaining house members—particularly the older woman, the female university student, and the fitness trainer—had lost their enthusiasm for romance. The five newcomers were unfamiliar with the existing members, creating an initial awkwardness that had audiences curious about how they would get along, especially since they would be living together for quite some time.

However, the show quickly implemented an icebreaker challenge: each contestant had to showcase a personal talent, followed by an outdoor camping trip where they would set up tents and have a barbecue together.

The participants were utterly embarrassed. They weren’t celebrities or art students—what kind of talent were they supposed to perform? But since they were on the show, they had to cooperate with the production team. Despite their initial awkwardness, they earnestly prepared, expecting an overwhelming amount of secondhand embarrassment at the event. However, to their surprise, the atmosphere was filled with laughter and enthusiastic applause.

Regardless of who performed, everyone cheered loudly and showered them with praise, creating a highly supportive environment. Even mistakes turned into cherished moments rather than sources of embarrassment. The eight young people bonded like teammates overcoming a shared challenge, growing closer in the process. Afterward, they enjoyed an outdoor barbecue, working together to set up, cook, and eat, making the evening even more fun and lively.

The next day, the production team arranged one-on-one dates. After spending a few days together, each participant had gradually found someone they were interested in and wanted to spend more time with. Surprisingly, the eight of them naturally paired off into four couples, with no competition or overlap. They even secretly coordinated with each other to ensure everyone got to spend time with their preferred person.

The university student paired up with the passionate and handsome band leader. The sophisticated older woman matched with a smart, humorous younger man. The fitness trainer connected with the shy yet adorable girl. And the highly intelligent female manager hit it off with an equally brilliant professor.

Viewers shipping the couples were overwhelmed—how often does a dating show feature four perfectly matched, genuinely sweet couples? And as time passed, their relationships only got sweeter. If the audience hadn’t watched their journey from awkward strangers to loving partners unfold in real time, they might have suspected the show was scripted.

In fact, the earlier dramatic incidents with former panelists and contestants now served as proof that the show had no script. The police had issued multiple statements, there were undeniable scandals, and even high-definition exposés had surfaced. No production team—no matter how wild—could have written something like that. So this love? It was real!

Now, on the final episode, it was confession day. Every viewer rushed into the livestream, eager to witness the conclusion. The number of online viewers shattered records.

Watching the well-dressed contestants head to their confession spots, He Jing felt nervous yet excited. “We’ve been following them for so long; I feel like I personally know them. I really hope they succeed in confessing.”

Aunt Li nodded. “I don’t think there’s any doubt. They’ve all been incredibly sincere, putting their whole hearts into getting to know each other. I’m sure they’ll develop into something real.”

Even Zhou Yunxuan, despite her personal experiences, admitted, “After everything I’ve been through, I don’t really believe in love anymore. But I do believe in these four couples. Maybe it’s just the fan in me talking, but I really want them to be happy.”

He Jing turned to Lin Zixiao and asked for his thoughts. Lin Zixiao chuckled, “Watching them these past few days has made me want to fall in love too. Can I reserve a spot for the next season? Let me join the house.”

He Jing laughed. “Boss Lin, do you really need to go on the show to find love? Just ask Master Shen to read your fate and tell you where your true love is! Master Shen, what do you think of these couples? You’ve talked about their strengths and weaknesses over the past few days. We all know that liking someone is easy, but maintaining a long-term relationship is the real challenge. Do you think they’ll be happy?”

Shen Yunxuan nodded firmly. “I believe in them. Barring any major unforeseen events, they’ll be happy together.”

Everyone smiled at her response, and He Jing gasped in amazement. “Does this mean we’ve got an official blessing? A guarantee from a metaphysics master? That’s worth its weight in gold!”

On the livestream, the male contestants, each carrying flowers or gifts, had found their respective partners and were nervously confessing their feelings. Their nerves led to plenty of comedic moments, but in the end, every single one of them received a yes. The show successfully formed four real couples!

The entire observation panel jumped to their feet in shock. He Jing was stunned. “I knew they were sweet together, but I never expected every single confession to succeed! Is this real? They’re not pranking us, right?”

Shi Peng, a first-time guest on a dating show, was equally bewildered. “So… they’re all officially couples now? Like, in real life? This isn’t just for the show? There were exactly eight of them, and they just happened to form four perfect pairs? This is… this is unreal! I can’t even find the words!”

Then Aunt Li suddenly had a realization. “Master, you handpicked the last few contestants, didn’t you? Did you match them based on their romantic fate?”

Shen Yunxuan finally revealed a smile. “That’s right. Since we had to replace some contestants, and this is a dating show, why not use their fate lines as a guide? Everyone who joins this program is looking for love, so instead of letting them waste time with the wrong person, I figured we could help them meet their true match and create a truly special experience.”

He Jing covered her mouth in awe. “Oh my god, that’s so romantic! Our show has documented their entire journey—from meeting to falling in love. Someday, when they get married or grow old together, they can look back at this footage. And since we’re live-streaming, every single viewer watching right now is a witness to their love story! Master Shen, you’re incredible!”

Shen Yunxuan, unaccustomed to such effusive praise, felt a bit embarrassed. “The credit goes to the production team. Three of the contestants didn’t even want to join at first. It was thanks to the production team’s efforts and their trust in me that they were convinced in such a short time, which led to this outcome.”

From off-camera, the director quickly called out, “That’s only because Master Shen is famous across the land! We used Master Shen’s name, and that’s why they agreed to participate!”

The phrase “famous across the land” made everyone burst into laughter, filling the entire observation room with joy.

Zhou Yunxuan’s expression stiffened slightly as she watched Shen Yunxuan bask in the spotlight, adored by everyone. She had planned to announce her plans for a world tour here, to conclude her reborn entertainment career with a grand and glamorous farewell. But instead, this moment had become another highlight for Shen Yunxuan. The fact that such sweet CPs were actually matched by her readings created a legend in the history of dating shows. From now on, whenever people mentioned dating shows, they would remember this moment. No matter what Zhou Yunxuan said now, no one would pay attention.

Why was she always Shen Yunxuan’s background character? Why did she always seem to have no luck whenever Shen Yunxian was around? Could it be that their proximity neutralized her own fortune?

Thinking along these lines, Zhou Yunxuan didn’t even have time to feel jealous anymore. As soon as the livestream ended, she left without saying a word. On the way home, she booked a flight and told the servants to pack her luggage.

She didn’t want to stay for even a moment longer. She wanted to leave this place, to say goodbye to everything familiar. Only then would she stop remembering the unpleasant events of her past life and truly be reborn. She would go somewhere completely unfamiliar, start a new life, and it would surely be wonderful.

Just as she had prepared everything and was about to head to the airport, she received a call informing her that there was an issue with her passport, preventing her from leaving the country anytime soon. Enraged, she spent a long time berating the driver and the servants, venting her frustration. Finally, she decided to go to a club and call for a few handsome young men to entertain her for the day. However, as soon as the car left the villa, it broke down. And when she stepped out, she immediately tripped and fell flat on her face—suffering a visible facial injury.

At that moment, Ling Zhi let out a mocking chuckle.

Zhou Yunxuan’s heart burned with fury. “Was this your doing?”

Ling Zhi, always perceptive, pieced together what had happened. He realized that Shen Yunxuan had used the same method she had employed against her haters. He also deduced that as long as Zhou Yunxuan didn’t sincerely apologize to Shen Yunxuan, she would continue to suffer misfortunes. But Zhou Yunxuan could never bring herself to truly apologize. This meant that her fate was sealed—she would be plagued by bad luck until her dying day.

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant! How could someone like Shen Yunxuan even exist? To come up with such a method of revenge? Zhou Yunxuan had been so careful in guarding against her, yet simply accepting a protection talisman had doomed her to misfortune.

Ling Zhi also realized that the talisman was specifically designed to protect Zhou Yunxuan from him, effectively cutting off his last chance at taking over her body. But he wasn’t about to tell her that. Instead, he said nothing in response to her accusations. Then, without warning, he launched a sudden attack on her consciousness, causing her to lose consciousness instantly—allowing him to take over her body.

Since he hadn’t actually harmed Zhou Yunxuan, only put her into a deep sleep, the protection talisman didn’t activate. His own soul was too weak to maintain control for long, so he immediately called Xuan Qing, briefly explained the situation, and then collapsed into unconsciousness.

When Zhou Yunxuan woke up a few minutes later, she had no idea what had just happened. All she knew was that Ling Zhi had attacked her, and the realization left her terrified. Seeing Ling Zhi unconscious, she assumed that the protection talisman had retaliated against him. Clutching the talisman tightly, she rushed to her computer and logged into Ling Zhi’s alternate account. Entering a private group chat for cultivators, she asked if anyone could help her remove a wandering spirit that was trying to take over her body.

The chat exploded instantly:

[What?! Two souls in one body? A ghost actually trying to take over a living person? How powerful must it be? Is it a ghost general?]

[I’ve never heard of something like this before! This is the stuff of legends—you only see this in ancient texts! Are you messing with us? Who exactly has two souls in their body?]

[To resolve this, you’d need a cultivator at least at the Foundation Establishment level. Honestly, Master Shen is probably the only one who can help.]

[I vote for Master Shen! She’s my idol—she can do anything!]

Zhou Yunxuan felt as if a lump of anger was stuck in her chest. Useless! They were all useless! None of them could actually help, and in the end, they still had to turn to Shen Yunxuan. How could she accept that? How could she possibly go to Shen Yunxuan for help, dragging Ling Zhi along with her? No, she had to think of another way.

What Zhou Yunxuan didn’t know was that Xuan Qing, after receiving Ling Zhi’s call, was already rushing to find her. This was the last chance Ling Zhi had to save himself. No matter how terrible a person he was, he was still Xuan Qing’s biological son. They shared the same bloodline. Xuan Qing had hidden Ling Zhi’s involvement the last time he helped the Xie family, so there was no way he wouldn’t come to his aid now.

Besides—this was a reincarnator they were dealing with! There was no way Xuan Qing wouldn’t be tempted by that.

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆