Chapter 28
In an obscure livestream room on an unknown platform, more and more curious onlookers from the feng shui community gathered. The atmosphere grew increasingly lively.
Many had anticipated witnessing Xu Sichao’s astounding performance.
[That black dagger is extraordinary! Even through the screen, I can smell the battle-worn blood. And the masked youth who wields it — remarkable! The crow perched on his shoulder doesn’t seem ordinary either… perhaps a mystical crow?]
[Xu Sichao is easily defeated? Front-row seats selling sunflower seeds, soda, and orange cats.]
[Wow, so handsome!]
[This… snake… my goodness, my legs are jelly. Xu Sichao can only summon a snake as thick as his little finger?!]
[We might be witnessing history.]
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Wen Xingze’s slow retrieval of thirty yuan visibly infuriated Xu Sichao!
“You’ve gone too far!” Xu Sichao roared. “Do you think I’m afraid of you?”
Ignoring the feng shui practitioners’ attempts to dissuade him, Xu Sichao crushed a jade slip. Wen Xingze suspected it was akin to a short-term power boost item in a video game.
Indeed, after the jade slip shattered, the venomous insect formation that Dahei had previously flattened swelled and surged once more. The enlarged scorpions, brandishing their pincers menacingly, emerged again. Then—
Snap!
The crow, Wen Xingze’s backup, disdainfully stepped on a scorpion with its delicate leg.
The scorpion deflated once more.
Next, the bald-headed crow hopped onto Wen Xingze’s back, frantically wiping at the corner of his clothes to clean itself.
Wen Xingze: “…”
Xu Sichao: “…”
Although Emergency Rations appeared timid in front of Chi Yan, it still had some dignity as a Blood Clan familiar. It patted Xu Sichao’s raised butt with an air of superiority.
Xu Sichao’s eyes rolled upward.
“Master Xu, please remain calm!” A nearby feng shui practitioner quickly supported the nearly fainting Xu Sichao. He rallied, saying, “He must be using… magic! Yes! Otherwise, with your expertise, how could you be bested by an unknown yellow-haired kid?”
Xu Sichao felt a figurative stab to his heart.
Fortunately, after several rounds of self-brainwashing, Xu Sichao finally regained his composure and weakly restored his resolve:
“Hmph, I still have an ace up my sleeve. You can still run.”
“Could you hurry up?” Wen Xingze glanced at his watch apologetically. “I’m pressed for time — I need to get back to recording a variety show.”
Xu Sichao took a deep breath: “…”
His face turned as red as an about-to-explode tomato.
“Hah!” Xu Sichao produced an even larger jade slip and smashed it on the deck. This time, the visible crimson spiritual energy rapidly converged.
After all, this was Xu Sichao’s legendary trump card — the lifeline he kept for critical moments. Wen Xingze now understood that he needed to take this seriously.
In the center of the blood-red spiritual energy, a massive centipede gradually took shape. At first glance, it was as thick as Dahei!
The centipede had numerous tiny legs that wriggled in the air, triggering intense arachnophobia.
Disgusting.
Wen Xingze and the crow retreated in unison, their expressions full of disdain: “Ugh—”
Only Dahei curiously tilted its head, observing the centipede.
Finally recovering from his fear of Wen Xingze, Xu Baijing saw Wen Xingze step back and assumed he was scared. He stood with hands on hips:
“Hahaha, scared now? This is the secret technique passed down by my father’s ancestor. It’s unique in all of China—”
“Ah.” Dahei opened its mouth and swallowed the centipede’s head.
Xu Baijing instantly turned into a chicken being strangled.
His face alternated between pale and green.
Mi Mingyou and the journalists: “…”
Wen Xingze: “Dahei, too dirty. Spit it out.”
Dahei reluctantly loosened its grip.
The large centipede trembled like a sieve, losing all its grandeur and cowering in a corner. Blood flowed from its head, and it passed out.
Feng shui practitioners: “…”
This was supposed to be a fight, right? Did they even want to fight properly over there?
“I’m really pressed for time,” Wen Xingze said.
When he had wielded the dagger to stab the scorpion earlier, the Mermaid's Blessing had already activated. Although Wen Xingze wasn’t quite adept at using it, he felt more attuned to water. He sensed he could even breathe underwater, especially through his ears… Wait, why did he feel scales behind his ears? Could using the filter too much turn him into a mermaid?
Wen Xingze was a bit shocked.
Xu Sichao intended to confront Wen Xingze head-on: “I’ll fight you to the end! Baijing, you run first—”
He had initially meant to tell Xu Baijing to run first, but when he turned around, Xu Baijing had already sprinted more than twenty meters, almost reaching the interior passageway.
Xu Sichao’s heart sank, and he glared at Wen Xingze.
The red rope tied to Wen Xingze’s wrist moved without any wind.
Meanwhile, Xu Baijing was nearly at the interior, a relieved expression on his face. He pulled open the cabin door but suddenly felt a pungent odor hit him.
“Roar!” The door didn’t lead to the interior corridor; instead, it opened to an endless deep sea, complete with a crimson-mouthed great white shark.
“Ahhhh!!!” Xu Baijing’s legs turned to jelly, and his eyelids rolled upward.
The waves beside the cruise ship responded to the call of the Sea God Beads, transforming into lifelike ropes that bound the feng shui practitioners led by Xu Sichao—
Xu Baijing recalled the fear of being controlled by bats, and he wailed, “Help! I know I was wrong!”
Xu Sichao glanced at Xu Baijing, growing anxious about his son: “You... you should fight me!”
Xu Baijing replied, “Yes, go after my dad!”
Xu Sichao: “…”
Previously, Xu Baijing had always idolized Xu Sichao, but after repeatedly embarrassing himself today, Xu Baijing’s attitude had done a complete 180-degree turn. Xu Sichao felt a mix of emotions…
Wen Xingze asked, “I have a question: What are you all here for?”
Xu Baijing retorted, “None of your business!”
Wen Xingze pondered for a moment and deduced the situation. In the original novel “The Wealthy Koi and His Lavish Life,” Xu Sichao excelled at a formation that could seize people's luck.
Wen Xingze said, “From what you’ve mentioned — jade hairpin, formations — it’s related to Fang Ruxue, isn’t it? Are you trying to harm her? Has she done anything to hinder you?”
Xu Baijing’s weak willpower led him to spill the truth. Tearfully, he confessed, “It’s all your fault! I used to rely on stealing your luck. Now, because of you, my koi luck has vanished. I’m worse off than an ordinary person! If not for this, I wouldn’t have thought of stealing her luck… You’re the one who harmed her!”
Mi Mingyou and the eavesdropping journalists were shocked.
Although Xu Baijing’s words were a bit convoluted, they revealed significant information. So Xu Baijing had been stealing other people’s luck all along? No wonder he was strangely famous despite having no talent or virtue…
Wen Xingze was equally astonished and asked, “If the formation had succeeded today, what would have happened to Fang Ruxue?”
Xu Baijing replied, “What else? She would have ended up like you — poor, unlucky, and eventually losing her modeling career due to scandals. Finally, she’d marry some—”
“Enough.” Wen Xingze regretted asking that question. Fortunately, Fang Ruxue had entrusted him with the jade hairpin. Otherwise, if they had secretly found Fang Ruxue using the hairpin, it would have been disastrous.
In the novel “The Wealthy Koi and His Lavish Life,” Xu Baijing’s values were already skewed, and his materialistic tendencies were severe. But now, he seemed even more malicious and twisted than in the original plot. Wen Xingze wondered if there was something wrong — was he a character from another book? Or had there been a mistake in the previous events?
Wen Xingze was still pressed for time, so he snapped his fingers and issued a threat:
“Never do this again. I’ve left a curse on you. If you dare harm others again… you understand.”
The sea currents that had bound the feng shui practitioners unexpectedly transported them directly from the cruise ship’s deck back to their original boat, securing them along the ship’s edge.
And then…
A fish leaped out of the water, flicking its tail across Xu Sichao and Xu Baijing’s faces before diving back in.
Another fish followed suit, slapping their faces and returning.
Physical face-slapping.
Not far away, various fish lined up, eager to take their turn.
Emergency Rations flew over to supervise with an imposing demeanor.
For the next three hours:
All the feng shui practitioners, journalists, and the hundreds of thousands of onlookers from the feng shui community watched helplessly as the Xu father and son were repeatedly slapped by countless fish.
Initially, they had cursed and berated Wen Xingze. But soon, both father and son wavered, begging for mercy:
“We know we were wrong! We won’t harm anyone again!”
“Please stop! Please!”
“Ahhhh—have mercy!”
Soon, both of them had swollen faces like pigs and fainted…
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Xu Baijing and Xu Sichao had passed out, but everything was far from over.
In fact, the online uproar was just beginning.
Mi Mingyou’s live stream on an anonymous website had accumulated hundreds of thousands of viewers by the end.
Although most were feng shui enthusiasts, a few ordinary people had also joined. While the recorded video might not be publicly available, for those who had witnessed the entire live stream, it undoubtedly reconstructed their worldview…
And Xu Baijing had actually confessed to stealing other people’s luck?!
—Due to the involvement of supernatural forces, this matter couldn’t be openly discussed. Although it didn’t trend on Weibo, anonymous forums and various gossip groups were already buzzing!
Chen Xiaoli was an ordinary entertainment gossip enthusiast. That day, when she opened the anonymous forum as usual, she saw a name she had almost forgotten.
“Xu Bailian? What kind of mischief is he up to now? Why hasn’t he learned his lesson?” (Note: wordplay on Xu Baijing's name, 白莲 [Báilián] = white lotus, someone who pretends to be innocent and sweet, but is actually manipulative and scheming)
Chen Xiaoli’s grandfather was a feng shui master, so when Xu Baijing first rose to fame, she had sensed something was off.
Xu Baijing’s inexplicable good fortune had always puzzled the public. For instance:
Despite having five wealthy fathers, Xu Baijing’s character was far from admirable. Yet, these five fathers remained devoted, aiding and abetting him.
He once shared a language exam answer sheet where he barely answered the short questions with three or four words each, yet astonishingly aced all the multiple-choice questions! What kind of feat was getting every single one right out of thousands of questions?
During his debut reality show appearances, his opponents consistently faced stage accidents, microphone malfunctions, sudden fevers, or stomach upsets. Xu Baijing effortlessly advanced to the finals each time.
Any celebrity who dared compete with him for resources would mysteriously vanish from the industry within a month, their scandals quietly buried.
The world’s luck was generally distributed evenly, occasionally favoring outliers. However, it never deviated too far from the norm; otherwise, chaos would ensue. Xu Baijing’s “good luck” had clearly come at a cost.
While other celebrities had cultivated their “lucky” personas, Xu Baijing’s koi-like fortune was truly otherworldly. It couldn’t be explained away as mere coincidence.
Unfortunately, his team’s relentless marketing and PR campaigns had drowned out any dissenting voices. Whenever someone criticized him, the army of fans would aggressively counter with accusations of jealousy: “Are you envious?” “Apologies, but that’s just how lucky Baijing is…” Consequently, when he eventually stumbled, the internet mocked him mercilessly. Chen Xiaoli, an entertainment gossip enthusiast, found nothing strange about it. After all, not flipping the script would have been the real surprise.
Anonymous forums and gossip groups buzzed with messages, and public opinion was overwhelmingly against Xu Baijing. The depth of resentment he had accumulated over time was evident.
“I knew he was dabbling in some shady practices! Just as I suspected!”
“My idol faced bizarre technical glitches during that talent show. I suspect Xu Bailian stole his luck. It’s hard to let go of that grudge. If he had won, things would’ve turned out very differently.”
“Did you all see the photo of Xu Bailian and Xu Sichao tied to the shore, getting slapped by fish tails?”
“Haha, Xu Bailian got what he deserved.”
“If this hadn’t blown up, Xu Baijing would’ve probably pretended to be dead until the public forgot about that live stream incident and then made a comeback. But now, he’s done for. Let’s light some incense for him.”
________________________
The anonymous forums harbored quite a few prophets.
The fervent discussions continued until dawn, but this time, it wasn’t because Xu Baijing’s team was trying to salvage the situation.
Forum posts related to him were deleted, and his celebrity super-topic was permanently banned. His name seemed to evaporate from the internet, leaving minimal traces.
During the previous “Ghost 100%” livestream incident, the public had spontaneously boycotted Xu Baijing. If he had thick enough skin and the backing of capital, a comeback might have been possible — there were precedents. For a celebrity, internet mockery and livestream mishaps were manageable; after all, the internet had no memory when faced with a massive fan base.
However, the most dangerous territory was crossing the line.
This time, Xu Baijing had violated an untouchable taboo, leading to official intervention and a different outcome altogether.
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The Muse Empire was experiencing a sleepless night.
Lancer Star.
All the Merfolk set aside their terminals, their smiles now vanished.
Elder You, clutching his staff, repeated these four words: “Stealing luck?”
So, this was the truth of the matter.
His Majesty, hidden away in a damp, leaky basement, subsisting on instant noodles and collecting scrap, unable to afford even a fan.
Atlantis — the sea churned like a tempest, sweeping away the Elder’s veiled mermaid silk. As delicate as cicada wings, the silk disintegrated and vaporized in the chaotic energy.
In an instant, all the Merfolk on the entire planet were consumed by rage. The calm sea surface churned into terrifying hurricanes, while nearby planets and asteroids seemed to roar!
Similar scenes unfolded on many other planets.
Wen Xingze didn’t feel the need to defend himself. First, he had a good temper, and second, he believed people should look forward. His current life was happy, and he shouldn’t be shackled by the past. So, Wen Xingze didn’t dwell on Xu Baijing’s actions.
But the parents were different.
In this regard, the former enemies of the Muse Empire held the most authority. Those who had accidentally grazed their Emperor with a stray bullet on the battlefield, whether hunted to the ends of the earth or obliterated from the cosmic map — none met a good end.
Anything related to the Emperor... the parents were relentless!
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Simultaneously, on China’s largest feng shui forum:
[We’ve truly witnessed history. Haha, it feels like they didn’t even fight seriously, and everything ended! The actual face-slapping was epic.]
[This is the end of days… I can’t believe my eyes. Is this really something that can be done with spiritual energy? Are we sure it’s not Hogwarts next door?]
[The masked guy is rumored to be an idol? His skills are unmatched in the feng shui world. This is the legendary case of relying on looks despite having the ability. But seriously, he’s so handsome!]
[Justice served!]
[Xu Sichao used to be Master Jinghua’s disciple. Sigh, but he was manipulated by his adopted son to do those sinister deeds — stealing luck, oppressing the weak. Unfortunately for the sect.]
Xu Sichao had long accumulated grievances in the feng shui community. He dabbled in shady practices, aiding his adopted son, Xu Baijing, in various unscrupulous activities — stealing luck and bullying the vulnerable. However, because he was exceptionally powerful, no one dared confront him directly.
After all, it was the age of decline. Although Xu Sichao could only manipulate a tiny bit of spiritual energy, he was still better off than most feng shui practitioners. Plus, he possessed his own dark arts, capable of controlling venomous scorpions.
Who would have thought that he would crumble so easily under the young man’s hands? It seemed like he hadn’t even fought back before losing. And both father and son were now tied to the shore, getting slapped by fish tails… What kind of satisfying plot twist was this!
That night, the name “Wen Xingze” rapidly spread throughout China’s feng shui community.
The peculiar way of gaining fans increased once again.
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In the southwestern part of China, atop Mount Jing, stood an ancient mansion nestled deep within the mountains. Early in the morning, young disciples began their daily chores, sweeping and sprinkling water. This secluded place seemed cut off from the world, perpetually shrouded in mist, with footsteps of passing travelers barely audible.
The only modern touch was the medical equipment — a state-of-the-art ventilator, medical devices, and an oxygen chamber — always ready for emergency use on the elderly master.
Master Jinghua, residing here, was over ninety years old and the most senior figure in the feng shui community.
Throughout his life, Master Jinghua had never pursued wealth, fame, or power. In his early years, he strategized for the nation, and later, he served the people. His reputation was impeccable, and even the most influential figures in China addressed him as “Master.”
His only regret was his former disciple, Xu Sichao.
Master Jinghua had always known that Xu Sichao’s heart was not pure, but he accepted the responsibility of raising him upon the request of a deceased friend. Unfortunately, this decision led to a great calamity.
It had been over twenty years since Xu Sichao was expelled from the sect. Master Jinghua had sworn off taking new disciples, even depleting his wealth in remorse.
Xu Sichao delved into forbidden arts, stealing life patterns and manipulating destinies. His power grew, and even the usual rules of the feng shui community couldn’t restrain him anymore.
Master Jinghua had long wanted to personally punish the wayward disciple, but age and frailty prevented him from doing so.
One morning, his great-grandson hurried into the sickroom. Master Jinghua was in good spirits today, amusing himself by the window, enticing a little bird while holding a teapot.
“Grandfather,” the great-grandson began, tears streaming down his face, “Xu Sichao has finally faced retribution!”
Master Jinghua’s mouth opened, and the teapot slipped from his hand, crashing to the floor.
After a moment, he gasped for breath, and the nearby servant rushed to help, patting his back to ease his discomfort.
Master Jinghua waved the servant away, shaking his head to indicate that he was fine. His aged eyes regained their luster. “Really? Who did it?”
The great-grandson handed him a tablet, showing a recorded live stream.
From the initial short blade to the subsequent black snake, crows, and finally the young man controlling sea currents and fish… Despite his unruly behavior, the young man’s immense power was evident.
The barrage of comments praised the depth of his abilities.
Master Jinghua donned his reading glasses, scrutinizing the video.
The footage continued until both father and son collapsed.
With this video, Xu Baijing and Xu Sichao’s past deeds were laid bare. But Xu Sichao might not stop there —Wen Xingze had spared their lives, and as long as there was profit in stealing luck, they would eventually target new victims.
Deep in thought, Master Jinghua suddenly closed his eyes, beckoning for the servant to retrieve a safe deposit box.
The great-grandson widened his eyes. “Grandfather, are you… accepting a disciple?”
Master Jinghua playfully tapped his great-grandson’s head, devoid of any airs. He laughed heartily. “This young man from the video? He’s almost qualified to be my disciple.”
It had been decades since his great-grandson had seen his grandfather smile like this. After the realization sank in, he was even more astonished.
Master Jinghua input his fingerprint to open the safe deposit box, retrieving a jade medallion. “Give this jade medallion to him. Although I don’t know if he’ll accept it.”
When the jade medallion emerged, the great-grandson felt like he was sleepwalking.
The jade medallion symbolized the identity of the First Heavenly Master and also represented a “code of conduct.” When Xu Sichao was under Master Jinghua’s tutelage, he could never violate the medallion’s rules without suffering excruciating pain. However, after being expelled, he gradually escaped this constraint. Although Xu Sichao claimed to be the First Heavenly Master, many feng shui practitioners still didn’t recognize him without the medallion.
Handing the medallion to the young man would be equivalent to bestowing upon him the title of First Heavenly Master and the associated code of conduct. He could command all feng shui practitioners in China.
Xu Sichao would once again be bound by the rules, especially after his public downfall during the live stream. It would be difficult for him to continue his malevolent deeds…
“Yes,” the great-grandson said, deeply moved, accepting the jade medallion while kneeling.
Master Jinghua nodded. Just as he was about to dismiss his great-grandson, he suddenly remembered something else. He retrieved another document from the safe deposit box and said, “This one, too, you should personally hand over to him. It represents another responsibility of the First Heavenly Master.”
The great-grandson received it with even more reverence. The document bore an official seal and read:
“Notice Regarding the Registration of Intangible Cultural Heritage for Feng Shui Practitioners and the Revision of Civilian Regulations.”
The first line stated: “In order to deeply study the Three Represents ideology and earnestly implement the Chinese Dream, the following regulations are hereby established for the feng shui industry—”
The great-grandson was left speechless.
“Socialist metaphysics??” he wondered aloud.
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Thanks for the hard work ~
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