Chapter 75: Chapter 75: Breaking the Rules
All was clear now; the second young lady was indeed Ms. Chun’s lost child. That year, the Feng Family had bought Ms. Chun from Master Bai for a hefty sum of silver, and to avoid bad feng shui, they had secretly purchased this child as someone to offset their debt of life.
There was no need to think about it; this would have pleased Master Bai as well, after all, it earned him a large sum of silver out of thin air, and it spared him the trouble of dealing with the child—a win-win situation.
In this matter, Master Feng had been deceived by Master Bai once again. Master Bai must have boasted that the child was his dear little daughter and so on. It’s likely that during the price negotiations, he didn’t skimp on tears and sobs, thus fleecing Master Feng even further.
But Master Feng, who bought this child, disliked the girl’s fate, or perhaps for some other reason, had invited an expert in yin techniques to alter the child’s birth chart. From then on, the girl was raised in the mansion as a child bride.
And this child, born with little fortune and shallow fate, couldn’t support such an addition to her destiny, resulting in a backlash. This was exactly why the second young lady had been manic in her childhood and why Master Feng had kept her confined in the mansion for medical treatment daily, forbidding her from leaving and meeting people.
Now everything was clear, and the solution lay before them; they only needed to return to the Feng Mansion, looking for an opportunity to hand over Ms. Chun’s belongings to the second young lady.
"Manager Liu, just bring the belongings before the child’s eyes, and that’ll suffice, right?" Yang Xiao was making a final confirmation.
Hesitating for a moment, Manager Liu shook his head, "It’s not that simple. After all, the child’s birth chart has been modified. You’ll still need to cut open the child’s body, allowing blood to drip on these clothes. The blood of mother and daughter is connected; the relic will be able to feel it."
Kuang Hongyi stepped forward in place of Yang Xiao to give a fist-and-palm salute, "Thank you, Manager Liu, for the guidance!"
Having asked all their questions, there was no point in staying any longer. Moreover, Kuang Hongyi felt a deep fear of this blind Manager Liu from the bottom of his heart. Although the man had lost his sight, Kuang was unsure if he could handle him, should the old manager of the coffin shop choose to act.
"We’ll forever be grateful for your great kindness, Manager Liu. We need to attend to other matters, so we will take our leave now!"
But before Kuang Hongyi and Yang Xiao could turn around, Manager Liu suddenly interjected coldly, "Wait!" After a pause, he continued, "You two go outside and wait; I have something to say to my daughter."
Manager Liu bore no malice towards Su Tingting, that much Yang Xiao and his companion could see. Without further ado, the pair stepped out, followed by the little apprentice who supervised them like a foreman, escorting them out of the coffin shop. Standing at the door, he watched them coldly, as though he feared they might eavesdrop.
"Godfather." Su Tingting knew this might be their last meeting, and as she looked at Manager Liu, who had lost his sight, she truly did not want to part with him.
Manager Liu reached out shakily, and Su Tingting hurried forward, grasping his hand tightly. Manager Liu sighed softly, "Child, you’ve experienced too little; you don’t understand the wickedness of human hearts. Those two men out there have their own agendas; they’re using you. Let me ask you, did they have you inquire whether their birth charts are secretly perfect matches?"
Recalling Yang Xiao and Kuang Hongyi’s behavior, Su Tingting did not hide the truth, "Yes, it’s like that, but... but Mr. Chu, he..."
Raising his hand, Manager Liu cut off Su Tingting’s explanations and countered with a question, "Do you know why? Do you understand why they didn’t come to ask me themselves?"
"That’s because they know I will not tell them! Delving deeply into one’s fate has always been harmful to the harmony of heaven and interfered with our kind who rely on following the yin line to eke out a living. It is a taboo for us destined to a life of hardship. People who walk the path of yin do not question rights or wrongs; they simply take silver and get the job done. Moreover, unless it’s for a vendetta as serious as patricide or murdering one’s own teacher, those of us who follow the yin line never interfere with the schemes set up by our colleagues."
"Today, I, Liu Chengmu, have broken two prohibitions. I have intervened in Ms. Chun’s cycle of karma and destroyed a master’s meticulously laid plans to alter fate. In the future, I am sure to incur divine retribution."
Such heavy words stunned Su Tingting, leaving her speechless for a long while until she finally regained her composure, her eyes instantly welling up with tears, "Godfather, what should we do then? If we go back now and reunite Ms. Chun with her child, could it be...that you would no longer suffer any consequences?"
Manager Liu gave a bitter smile. The kindness and amicability he displayed now, like that of an ordinary aged man, was completely different from the cold demeanor he had shown to Yang Xiao and Kuang Hongyi. He softly said, "Child, it is fate that brought us together. You are good, truly good. Although I am somewhat renowned in the world of yin, in the end, I am alone. Fortunately, as my life’s flame dwindles, I have been able to acknowledge you as my goddaughter and use what I’ve learned throughout my life to help you. I have no regrets."
As he heard Su Tingting sobbing, Manager Liu raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes, "Good daughter, do not cry. There are a few things I need to entrust you with, and you must remember them."
"Though I have lost my eyesight, my heart isn’t blind. That Young Master Chu you mentioned speaks and behaves casually, but his guidance is extremely strong. He is a deeply contemplative person, far beyond what you can handle."
"I have some skill in palmistry and took the opportunity to examine his palm earlier. His fingers are slender, the tips thin and sharp, the sinews weak but not frail, and his palm lines muddled. This is no good omen; he is without parents and his life carries a sinister force. Though not entirely unrighteous, he is bound to be unfeeling. You must not get too close to him; he is doomed to a life adrift, a rare instance of the Lone Star destiny."
Su Tingting was startled after hearing this and hurriedly asked, "Do you mean that Young Master Chu...no, Mr. Chu will be in danger?"
Manager Liu was taken aback, then tasted the bitterness in his mouth, thinking that his dear daughter hadn’t absorbed a single word of his innermost thoughts. He couldn’t help but sigh deeply, his voice becoming hoarse, "I don’t care if he is in danger or not, but since ancient times, rulers have emerged where Lone Stars loom, often birthing heroes from turmoil. Ordinary dangers won’t afflict him. As for his ultimate fate, that is his own destiny to forge."
"Then...then, without harming you, is there a way to calculate his destiny?" Su Tingting was somewhat worried, "How about this, you tell me who among the yin line is skilled in this art, and we can pay silver to have someone divine it for us."
A moment later, Manager Liu shook his head, "I’ve tried, not for him, but for you; regrettably, even spending three years of my life, I could not discern your origins."
Upon hearing this, Su Tingting felt a chill in her heart. She knew her godfather’s capabilities were strong, but she didn’t realize they were to such an extent, the most important being the mention of three years of life..."
"Ahem...ahem-ahem..." Manager Liu began to cough violently, "Let’s not talk about that anymore. I won’t ask about your origins, and you shouldn’t tell me either. It’s not good for you, ahem...very, very bad."
"I am leaving you with a reminder. Your current fate is very unfortunate, clouds overcasting, the fate star dim and in danger of falling. This is an extremely bad omen, indicating that a blood disaster awaits you today. Good daughter, you must be careful!"
"I have figured out the last name of the person who will harm you. It’s written on this package of yellow paper. Look at it and remember to beware, but do not tell anyone the name. That includes me, as well as Mr. Chu outside."
Su Tingting took the triangular package of yellow paper with both hands, unfolding it bit by bit until a "Yang" character written in incense ash appeared inside.
