Forcefully Doting On You - v3c15

 

Chapter 71

Qin Zhongjin restrained himself from questioning Mu Cai.

No matter what, Cai Cai was right by his side now, and he wasn't someone who would easily step aside. Most importantly, Qin Zhongjin felt a deep-rooted fear in his heart. He was afraid that if he asked, the answer would be what he least wanted to hear.

Qin Zhongjin lifted Mu Cai up, and as he naturally wrapped his arms around his neck and rested his chin on his shoulder, he felt his heart lighten considerably.

Cai Cai might not be aware yet, but he had already started to subconsciously depend on him and not reject his closeness.

After the two had dealt with the situation, they began walking back to their previous room.

Upon entering the room, they saw that Zhang Rongfa, who was previously lying face up on the ground, had awakened.

When Zhang Rongfa had first woken up and saw the scattered black limbs all over the floor, he would have fainted again if Li Kun hadn't timed a harsh kick just right.

At this point, the remaining Heavenly Masters were cleaning up the battlefield. The bodies of the little ghosts were swept up with a broom, put into bags and carried off by a bespectacled man and a man with monkey cheeks, who were on their way to process them in the courtyard.

Just as Qin Zhongjin and Mu Cai entered, they encountered the two men. After exchanging a few words, the man with monkey cheeks claimed that he knew the Rebirth Mantra, which could help the little ghosts pass on. The bespectacled man seemed skeptical about his claims, while Qin Zhongjin remained neutral, simply making way for them.

Upon seeing Qin Zhongjin walk in, Zhang Rongfa hurriedly greeted him with enthusiasm. Li Kun and the bespectacled man had previously exaggerated the events that happened in the room to him. Just hearing the description was enough to terrify him. Knowing that this revered Master Qin had merely swung his sword a couple of times to cause such massive destruction, Zhang Rongfa was now viewing him as a deity.

Stepping forward, his chubby face filled with a flattering smile, he said, "I am deeply grateful for Master Qin's grand kindness in saving my life."

At this point, Zhang Rongfa's face showed a trace of sorrow. His gaze shifted to his mother, who was still unconscious on the bed, and he couldn't help but say, "Master Qin, would you please take a look at my mother…."

Recalling the scene he'd earlier witnessed—his mother's mouth opened so wide it was almost horizontal, and the little ghost was about to crawl inside—Zhang Rongfa shivered, glancing fearfully at his mother's belly.

Qin Zhongjin's expression was calm, "Your honorable mother has had the little ghost in her belly for many days; it is difficult to separate the two. If I rashly remove the ghost, it might put your mother's life in danger."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Rongfa’s face turned pale, "Absolutely not!" He wanted to save his mother, not let her die. Not to mention how his mother had raised him, but he'd also gathered many Heavenly Masters to inspect her condition, a matter that was well known in his circles. His previous dealings with the little ghost was not a well-kept secret either.

Although Zhang Rongfa had always cited the purpose of inviting the little ghost was for exorcism, if his mother were to die shortly after the ghost's invitation, who wouldn't doubt his real intentions? His reputation would be ruined! Moreover, in the business world, people were cunning and suspicious; if the news was spread, it would negatively impact his future business dealings.

Thinking of this, Zhang Rongfa quickly pleaded, "Master Qin, please, in your great kindness, consider the hardship my mother went through to raise me. I implore you to help."

Mu Cai was nestled in Qin Zhongjin's arms, looking at the changing expressions on Zhang Rongfa's face. He felt it exhausting to deal with such a man, who had such a complicated and twisted mind. Disinclined to look at the latter's greasy, pudgy face, Mu Cai instead turned his head and nuzzled it against Qin Zhongjin's shoulder.

Qin Zhongjin was very clean; he hardly perspired, and he hadn't even touched the little ghost. Therefore, his clothes still carried the faint fragrance of laundry detergent—it was quite pleasant.

Mu Cai couldn't resist taking a sniff.

Qin Zhongjin stiffened slightly.

His hands tightened around Mu Cai, and his throat bobbed a little before he responded, "It's not completely hopeless, but you'll need to pay a certain price."

Zhang Rongfa quickly said, "Please advise me, Master."

Qin Zhongjin explained, "The ghost energy has entered your mother's body. The first thing she needs is to consume a fine powder made from grinding an exorcism charm every morning. Secondly, you need to do more good deeds."

Hearing this, Zhang Rongfa felt the price was not high, entirely acceptable, and said hurriedly, "Thank you for your guidance, Master."

Qin Zhongjin continued, "In a moment, I will write an exorcism charm for you. Yet, due to the heavy ghost energy in your mother, I fear one exorcism charm will not suffice. You'd better do a good deed immediately."

Upon seeing that Master Qin was speaking in a roundabout way, Zhang Rongfa became as frantic as an ant on a hot pan, "How immediately is immediately. Can it be done today? I will donate to the Hope Project right away!"

Qin Zhongjin quickly stopped him, "The settlement of the good deeds is not counted when the money is donated, but when that money is put to use and truly makes a difference. Therefore, it might be too late to donate to the Hope Project now. However, I do have a solution, that is if Mr. Zhang is willing to let go."

Other Heavenly Masters who had cleared the battlefield earlier in the day were now secretly eavesdropping on their conversation. Upon hearing this, people began to doubt their previous knowledge. When did the settlement of good deeds become such? If according to Qin Zhongjin's logic, if a charity organization embezzles the fund, then the good deeds of kind-hearted people wouldn't count anymore?

Due to his age, Yang Dechang seemed to see through Qin Zhongjin's trickery. Despite Qin Zhongjin's serious demeanor, he had a knack for swindling the nouveau riche.

But then again, after glancing at the maliciously obese man, Yang Dechang felt it would be best not to expose the truth. Cause and effect go hand in hand—perhaps one of Zhang Rongfa's retributions was Qin Zhongjin.

Zhang Rongfa, blinded by admiration and fear, anxiously said, "Please speak, Master Qin! As long as it's something I, Zhang Rongfa, can do, I will do it immediately."

Although he was somewhat reluctant to part with his money, if he could save his reputation in trade, then he believed that where there are hills, there is firewood—he could always make more money later.

Only then did Qin Zhongjin get to the point, "From your countenance, Mr. Zhang, I can tell that you have both a son and a daughter. However, your wife's appearance shows that she has no sons in her future. It seems that there are rifts in your relationship with your wife, and today is a workday. Why not divorce your wife, remarry, and give her a house and some wealth as compensation? Your wife's health is frail, representing a vulnerable group. Helping her would be a meritorious deed, and it could also earn you a good reputation, Mr. Zhang. What do you think?"

Zhang Rongfa was kind of pained at the idea. Giving a chicken that did not lay eggs a house and a fortune was just unbearable. However, once Master Qin had spoken, he thought it over and felt like there really was no better solution, so he nodded in agreement.

Qin Zhongjin further added, "I know that real estate in Yongdi is expensive. You can give her some of your spare properties in the surrounding county towns. As for wealth, the more, the merrier, as it will contribute more to your merit and enhance your reputation."

It was only now that Li Kun and the bespectacled man understood the intentions and exchanged glances, they both saw the joy in each other's eyes. Even Su Yao had to admit that Master Qin was not as detached from the mortal world as he seemed, and his consideration was full of twists and turns.

Mu Cai, hearing this, thought whether this person was still as sly as before, but this time the trickiness was quite on point, which met his expectations and can be considered a good deed. Thinking of this, he reached out, wrapped his arm around Qin Zhongjin's neck, and as a reward stroked his hair.

Qin Zhongjin's body shuddered as if a current of electricity passed through him, leaving him speechless.

Fortunately, he had said all that needed to be said. After Zhang Rongfa understood, he immediately set out to arrange it.

By the next morning, the terrifying sounds of the night before had disappeared as the daylight began to shine. The woman had already gotten up with her child and after a series of negotiations with Zhang Rongfa, she successfully divorced him, got a house in a county-level city under Yongdi, and had 10 million transferred to her account.

The woman decided to leave this house that had given her countless pain and humiliation that very day. Before leaving, she took her emaciated daughter and looked back at Mu Cai, who was standing on the stairs.

The beauty in red waved at them from a distance, and his smile was breathtakingly mesmerizing.

The woman solemnly held her daughter in her arms and bowed deeply to Mu Cai. Then, without looking back, she left the house and embarked on her new life.

________________________

Qin Zhongjin quickly drew an exorcism talisman for Zhang Rongfa. A thin piece of paper burned to leave a pile of black powder, which was poured into water and fed to Zhang's mother.

After drinking the talisman water, Zhang's mother, who had been unconscious since the previous night, finally woke up. Her already murky eyes were bloodshot, and it seemed that there were even more black spots on her exposed skin. She cried out and hugged her son, "My child, I have such a hard life!"

At first, Zhang Rongfa patiently comforted her for a while, but eventually, he couldn't take it anymore and called the nanny in. Then, he hurriedly escaped outside. His mother had been sick for only a few days, and before that, his ex-wife had been taking care of her, so he didn't feel annoyed. Now that it was up to him, Zhang Rongfa couldn't stand it anymore.

He thought of his charming and lovely mistress who lived elsewhere. She was already pregnant and had been checked that it would be a boy, with her due date approaching. After the baby was born, if the child was healthy, Zhang Rongfa decided to marry her and let her take care of his mother.

It hadn't been easy for his mother to raise him from a young age, and it was his wife's duty to be filial and take care of his mother. The girl was gentle and amiable; she definitely wouldn't be like his ex-wife, clumsy, and unable to do anything right.

Thinking of this, Zhang Rongfa felt elated. He went out to thank Qin Zhongjin repeatedly, but Qin remained indifferent and aloof.

Qin Zhongjin asked, "Mr. Zhang, can you tell me about the circumstances when you purchased this house? The more detailed, the better."

Zhang Rongfa had just resolved all his problems and was in a terrific mood. Furthermore, he had a particular admiration for Qin Zhongjin, who had saved him from a predicament. He quickly responded, "This house is rebuilt by me. When I bought this piece of land, there was only a very old house which was before the founding of the nation. However, that house wasn't the first one here either. It's said that the Feng Shui arrangement dates back to the Great Liang Dynasty. The Feng Shui master I hired told me that this piece of land has a very intricate Feng Shui setup, which is a large concentration of energy formation, and it's great for those who live here."

The usually indifferent face of Qin Zhongjin suddenly showed a smile, "Indeed, it's quite good."

Zhang Rongfa instantly became proud and began to boast, "I believe Master Qin also agrees with me, I always knew my judgment was splendid..."

He boasted for quite a while, and the Daoist priests present no longer wanted to hear him speak. Li Kun interrupted him without any hesitation and started to take her leave. The rest followed soon after her.

With no choice left, Zhang Rongfa had to call his assistant to see the guests off, all the way to the main gate of his courtyard.

Li Kun, in a hurry, led the way. After bidding farewell, she got into his car and drove away into the dust. The bespectacled man and the man with monkey cheeks also politely said goodbye and left.

As for Yang Dechang, although he had walked to his car, he did not rush to get in.

After Qin Zhongjin settled Mu Cai in the backseat of the car and watched Su Yao sit in the passenger's seat, he didn't hurry to get in. He could see that Yang Dechang had something to say to him.

Yang Dechang hesitated for a moment and had to mentally prepare himself before speaking, "Master, I'm not sure what your intention is, but raising ghosts ultimately goes against the natural order."

Normally, after death, human souls enter the perpetual cycle of reincarnation. However, those with heavy lingering attachments in life may have their souls stay in this world. Among them, some transform into malevolent spirits, escaping the cycle of reincarnation and committing evil acts in the world, necessitating Daoist priests to quell them; while some do not harm others, yet due to their attachments, remain in this world until their desires are fulfilled, or they eventually succumb to the forces of reincarnation, their soul gradually fading away, dissipating.

The red-dressed beauty, observing his soul, has never done evil, and should theoretically belong to the latter category. He was wearing a dress style of a period of multifarious warfare and has survived hundreds of years. By now, his soul should have dissipated, or at least become extremely faint.

Yet, not only has the red-dressed beauty's soul not become faint, it has actually solidified to the point where even ordinary people can see him. If it weren't for some Daoist priests with some cultivation or special individuals, ordinary people would only consider him... a curiously-dressed mortal.

The red-dressed beauty is not an evil spirit and does not harm others to strengthen himself. There's only one explanation: someone is sustaining him. Moreover, this person is doing a fairly good job, sparing no effort.

When Qin Zhongjin heard Yang Dechang's words, his expression did not change. He simply said, "I know."

After Speaking, he got into the car and shut the door. At Qin Zhongjin's instruction, the assistant drove off.

Only Yang Dechang was left standing in the same spot, sighing to himself.

Zhang Rongfa's mansion was in the suburbs, quite remote, and it would take at least an hour to drive into the city. Mu Cai, lazy on Qin Zhongjin's lap in the car, looked at him and asked, "What exactly is the deal with that nouveau riche?"

Cai Cai lay on his lap, turning his head to look at him. He seemed to have no awareness, his eyes shining like morning stars as they watched him, his breathing gently caressing...

Qin Zhongjin's throat moved a bit, forcing himself to calm down. He explained, "As I told you before, Zhang Rongfa's physiognomy foretells a son and a daughter. His ex-wife only had a daughter, so the remaining son must be in someone else's belly. Zhang Rongfa has an extramarital affair, and the woman even gave birth to a son. He probably considered various factors like wealth and reputation, and eventually chose not to divorce, but tried to kill his ex-wife in secret."

At this point, he added, "He wouldn't dare to do such a thing openly, he must have hired someone from Southeast Asia. They are not knowledgeable about the Eight Characters, and tried to help Zhang Rongfa set up a scheme to kill his ex-wife. Unfortunately, she was weak and lived in the worst room. His mother, on the other hand, lived a life of luxury and lived in the largest bedroom, thus their Qi overpowered the ex-wife's, and the ghosts present automatically identified her as the mistress, ending up harming her."

Mu Cai angrily stated, "Helping such a person, we have indeed let him off easily. If I had known, I would have rushed in to teach him a lesson, and made him face the consequences of his evil deeds!"

Qin Zhongjin reached out and gently stroked Mu Cai's head. HIs hair was very soft and a bit cold to the touch. The red-dressed beauty was in anger, his eyebrows resembling distant mountains knitted together, his pearly teeth biting down on his elegant red lips, his facial expression was vivid, stunningly beautiful.

Unable to help himself, the corners of Qin Zhongjin's mouth turned upwards, "No worries, he will indeed face the consequences."

At this point, he lifted his head and pointed to a mountain range up ahead, gesturing to everyone, "Look at the angle of those mountain peaks, and the surrounding formation."

As Mu Cai lifted his head to look, all he could see was a continuous stretch of mountains and trees. He didn't understand what she was seeing but couldn't shake off a familiar feeling.

On the other hand, Su Yao seemed to have an idea, "Such a large Qi gathering formation!"

Qin Zhongjin continued, "Yes, and there's a locust tree on that mountain."

At that point, Su Yao instantly understood, "This...this's a huge ghost nurturing formation!"

Qin Zhongjin was quite satisfied, "This is a naturally formed enormous ghost nurturing formation. Zhang Rongfa has also set up many wealth-gathering formations in his courtyard, which help gather more Qi. This is why Cai Cai felt comfortable after entering that house, and it's the reason why Zhang Rongfa's ghost was so powerful."

He proceeded to add, "There are still several ghosts in Zhang's mother's stomach that cannot be dealt with by symbolic water alone. If Zhang Rongfa does not make full amends for his past mistakes, in this environment, he will inevitably face retribution."

But would Zhang Rongfa make amends for his past mistakes?

Could such a ruthless man, heartless towards his own wife, and even unwilling to take care of his own yelling and clinging mother, truly realize what he's done wrong?

The thought of this made Su Yao fully realize the dreadfulness of Qin Zhongjin.

As a Heavenly Master, he naturally followed the rules of Heavenly Masters, helping others to solve their problems, while also punishing evil and promoting good. However, Qin Zhongjin's method of punishment appeared to give the person a chance to survive, but ironically built that opportunity upon the person's weakness.

If the person truly realizes his mistakes and reforms, the victims can also receive maximum compensation. If the person fails to recognize their wrongdoings, what awaits him is destruction.

In doing this, Qin Zhongjin doesn't accumulate any evil karma himself but ensures that evildoers receive the punishment they deserve.

In short, the other party has cheated the Heavenly Dao.

What a profound scheme indeed!

But Mu Cai didn't pay attention to what they were saying next.

Because he finally remembered why this mountain seemed so familiar to him.

The familiar mountain, combined with the land that had been passed down from the Da Liang dynasty. This place was where his original identity resided after being exiled from the capital!

Previously, there weren't so many locust trees on this mountain! That is to say, after his death, someone deliberately planted locust trees, changing the Feng Shui of this place, and transforming it into a huge ghost nurturing formation.

And the one to be nurtured was him!

Mu Cai didn't know who would do such a thing; could it be his Brother Zhongyi?

________________________

Author's note:

Yang Dechang: A scheming person!

Li Kun & Bespectacled Man: Scheming ancestor!

Su Yao: Scheming genius!

Qin Zhongjin: I’m not targeting anyone, I’m just saying that everyone here is a jerk.

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