Chapter 51
He Zhen was gripping Cheng Xuyuan's hand tighter and tighter, making him feel uncomfortable. With a slight exertion of strength, Cheng Xuyuan broke free from his grip. The next moment, a powerful aura emanated from him.
He Zhen instantly found himself unable to move. His breath hitched as he stared unblinkingly at the "fox demon." His voice was tinged with shock. "You're actually using a spell on me!"
Cheng Xuyuan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He waved his fist in front of He Zhen, then pulled back. "You know you're no match for me, so why waste your breath in front of me. Besides, I'm not a fox demon."
He Zhen was speechless and wanted to say something, but Cheng Xuyuan had already walked away.
Five minutes later, He Zhen's body was finally released from the spell. As he sighed in relief, he was silently annoyed. His ability, highly praised by his master, was turned out to be insignificant before this little monster.
He Zhen, who had always mentally referred to Cheng Xuyuan as a little monster, had long forgotten his previous comments to Tang Yunxian about "the big demon on your body".
I will see your true form sooner or later. He Zhen secretly made up his mind.
Cheng Xuyuan went back to the table and continued eating the roast suckling pig. Tang Yunxian stealthily glanced at him, his mood involuntarily improving.
It seemed that as long as the young man was by his side, he could feel a sense of belonging and security that he hadn't felt in a long time.
Maybe it's because Tai Sui is very powerful, Tang Yunxian thought so.
It wasn't long before He Zhen returned to the dining table as well. His gaze was slightly awkward as he glanced at the young man, no longer filled with the hostility that they had earlier, which surprised Tang Yunxian.
At this moment, Chen Yiyun suddenly stepped out to take a phone call. When he came back, he spoke to everyone, "Earlier, you guys told me that the Feng Shui in the house was deliberately altered by someone. So, I invited the classmate who recommended the Feng Shui master to me, hoping to clarify the situation in person."
He Zhen nodded gently, "We should indeed get it cleared up. Maybe he's a victim too."
Chen Yiyun's college classmate was named Lu Tan, his sworn brother during their time at university. They not only lived in the same dormitory for four years but also kept in touch after graduation, cherishing their valuable friendship.
In theory, Lu Tan should not have harmed Chen Yiyun.
Ten minutes later, Lu Tan appeared in the restaurant. Although he was dressed in a suit and leather shoes, he looked exhausted, his face was off, and his eyes filled with flickering emotions, not daring to look directly at everyone.
After taking his seat, Chen Yiyun first exchanged a few warm words with Lu Tan, then went straight to the point. "Lu Tan, do you still have the contact information for the Feng Shui master you recommended to me last time?"
"Why... What happened?" Lu Tan's fingers holding the wine glass trembled slightly, a few drops of liquid spilled out, "Is Yiyun not satisfied with him?"
He Zhen, sitting beside him, watched him with a cold eye and suddenly spoke, "That Feng Shui master you recommended is very impressive. He almost caused the death of the Chen family."
Everyone present stared intently at him.
Lu Tan was obviously startled. He stared wide-eyed at Chen Yiyun and began trembling as he explained, "Yiyun, I... I would never intend to harm you... You know our relationship best, how could I...?"
"I thought it was impossible at first too." There was a hint of doubt in Chen Yiyun's eyes, "But these masters all agree that the Feng Shui in my house has been severely damaged. Don't you think you owe me an explanation?"
Lu Tan's already pale face lost all its color, looking thin and pitiful, like a paper man.
Suddenly, tears welled up in his eyes, and he choked out, "Yiyun, I never...never intended to harm you..."
"Speak the truth." Cheng Xuyuan set down his bowl and chopsticks. His obsidian-like eyes held an undeniable command, forcing Lu Tan nearly breathless.
Under this imposing pressure, Lu Tan faltered and finally revealed the truth.
Two months ago, Lu Tan started having nightmares every night. The dreams were extremely bloody which often caused him to wake up in the middle of the night and throw up. He sought a dream interpreter who told him that the cause was the exhaustion of his blessings, and that he needed to reclaim the Qi luck he had given out.
That's when Lu Tan thought of Chen Yiyun.
When they had just graduated, Chen Yiyun's family was not well-off. With Lu Tan's encouragement, Chen Yiyun started his own business promptly catching the trend of that era and quickly gained wealth.
Lu Tan had always been genuinely happy for Chen Yiyun's success. But when he heard that he had given his Qi luck to someone else, he found himself caught between a rock and a hard place.
In the end, tortured by nightmares, Lu Tan chose to protect himself above all.
Lu Tan consulted a Feng Shui master on how to reclaim the Qi luck from Chen Yiyun. The master told him that destroying Chen's family Feng Shui would reclaim all the Qi luck.
Lu Tan believed him. Coincidentally, during that time, Chen Yiyun had engaged Mr. Yimu Wu to conduct Feng Shui consultations for his home.
Therefore, Lu Tan directly recommended the Feng Shui master to him, with the intention of completely sabotaging Chen's family Feng Shui.
Of course, Lu Tan was cautious too. He didn't dare to harm his good friend, so he repeatedly confirmed with the Feng Shui master, assuring him that this would not cause loss of life.
The Feng Shui master assured him that at most, it will result in a period of bad fortune for the Chens. Once Lu Tan's Qi luck is recollected, he can help undo the harm.
After doing all of this, the Feng Shui master took the money and vanished.
However, Lu Tan still had nightmares every day, without any signs of improvement, and hence, he didn't reveal the truth to Chen Yiyun.
"I truly believed, that doing this would just bring a bit of misfortune to your family..." The guilt which had been pressing on Lu Tan's heart finally broke free, "I definitely didn't intend to harm the lives of the Chen Family. If I'm lying by even a half-truth, I would..."
Chen Yiyun, interrupted Lu Tan who was about to swear an oath, saying, "Enough, don't I know you? Among all of our university dormitory mates, you're the kindest. If it weren't for being driven to despair by nightmares, you wouldn't have done this."
"Qi luck can't be loaned out or reclaimed." Cheng Xuyuan felt sorry for Lu Tan, "You encouraged Chen Yiyun to venture into business then, and his success must have brought blessings to you. Doing a good deed is definitely not loaning out Qi luck as the dream interpreter suggested."
He Zhen nodded slightly in agreement.
Lu Tan stared at Cheng Xuyuan, asking hesitantly, "Then, what exactly is going on?"
Chen Yiyun also turned to everyone, saying with a furrowed brow, "Lu Tan is definitely not a villain. I beg you all, out of compassion, please help him out of his predicament."
Tang Yunxian looked at Lu Tan, asking seriously, "Does this only occur to you in your family?"
Lu Tan nodded, "Two months ago, my wife accompanied our child to attend a summer camp abroad, and ever since they left, I started having nightmares. Initially, I thought it was due to not being accustomed to sleeping alone at home, but then the nightmares became more and more frequent..."
"What kind of nightmares?" He Zhen couldn't help but ask.
A twinge of fear flashed in Lu Tan's eyes, but he held back and painstakingly described his dreams.
"There are several scenes that keep recurring. A palace ablaze, warriors bisected at the waist, a young boy in white being burned alive... I can't make out their faces, but they all cry so tragically..."
Tang Yunxian suddenly frowned, feeling a brief moment of pain in his brain, as if a piece of fragment stabbed into it, but it immediately vanished.
Cheng Xuyuan told Lu Tan, "Mr. Lu, why don't we head to your place right now?"
Chen Yiyun glanced at the emaciated Lu Tan, compassionately suggesting, "Let him eat something first."
Swallowing hard, Lu Tan's voice was hoarse as he said, "I have no appetite for food..."
"Eat," Chen Yiyun pushed the bowl and chopsticks in front of him, "You often went hungry in college, now that your living conditions are much better, don't starve yourself anymore."
Tears streamed unchecked once again from Lu Tan's eyes as he apologized to Chen Yiyun through his sobs, "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry... I didn't mean to harm you, I had no other choice..."
Chen Yiyun didn't say anything more but served him some food, his gaze full of understanding.
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One hour later.
Lu Tan's home was in downtown. Although it wasn't as lavish as Chen Yiyun's villa, it still spoke of a comfortable middle-class life.
Entering Lu Tan's apartment, the moment they opened the door, an eerie, resentful aura hit them.
The resentful aura was too potent, so much so that even Chen Yiyun, who knew nothing about Feng Shui, frowned. He said to Lu Tan, "It seems there is some dampness in your house..."
Lu Tan sighed helplessly and said, "This only started happening after my wife and child left. Despite buying several dehumidifiers, it hasn't helped. Can you believe this is happening in the Capital?"
The climate of the Capital is typically dry, making the conditions inside Lu Tan's home unusually eerie.
As soon as Tang Yunxian and the others crossed the threshold, they immediately sensed something was off.
This resentment seems to emanate entirely from a shelf on the living room wall.
The shelf was fixed to the wall, filled with various ornaments that seemed quite expensive. Among them, a golden compass is most prominent, emitting a faint glow.
"Mr. Lu, what's the story with the compass on that shelf?" He Zhen asked, his brow furrowed. Judging by the patina, the compass had at least a millennium's worth of history, and was not something an ordinary middle-class family could afford to collect.
A gentle smile played on Lu Tan's face, and he said, "This compass was given to me by my wife and child. I have always had a hobby of collecting antiques, but I don't have a lot of spare money. They, however, understand my inclination."
Tang Yunxian furrowed his brows and asked, "When did they give it to you?"
Caught off guard, Lu Tan answered, "Just before they left for summer camp..."
"Let's take a look at it." Cheng Xuyuan suggested with a twinkle in his eye. "We've never seen such a precious item before."
Chen Yiyun also looked expectantly at Lu Tan.
Pleased, Lu Tan walked over to the shelf and took down the ornate golden compass, setting it on the coffee table. He told everyone, "Have a good look while I make some tea."
As soon as Lu Tan left, Tang Yunxian's full attention was captured by the compass.
He Zhen examined the compass intently, and suddenly said, "The pattern on this compass is a dream tapir. This must have been crafted by a skilled artisan at the command of an ancient nobleman who wished for a peaceful sleep."
Just as he finished his sentence, Tang Yunxian, shockingly, reached out for the compass.
Cheng Xuyuan's heart pounded uncontrollably.
"Mr. Tang, what are you..." Chen Yiyun looked at him in surprise.
Tang Yunxian's slender fingers touched the surface of the compass. Both the pattern and the concentric circles on it flashed brightly, startling everyone present.
All the eerie atmosphere within the room seemed to vanish at this moment, and even the air became instantly crisp and sweet.
Tang Yunxian's eyes began to lose focus.
Just as He Zhen was about to say something, his attention was instead drawn to the youth next to Tang Yunxian.
"Kid, you, you..."
He Zhen stared at the youth's handsome face, particularly into his gleaming obsidian eyes, in disbelief, "Are you crying?"
Cheng Xuyuan snapped back to reality, only to feel the chill on his face and an unstoppable flood of tears from his eyes.
"I- What's happening to me..." Cheng Xuyuan stammered, touching the tears on his face in surprise, "I'm not crying..."
Before he could even finish his sentence, Tang Yunxian's fingers slipped from the compass and he collapsed onto the couch, fainting.
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Author's note:
What's with our protagonist, Tang Yunxian, fainting all the time?
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