Just How Terrifying Is a Dimensionality-Reduction Strike?

My father was the master of a Daoist temple, but I knew he was a jianghu swindler.

Only after coming down the mountain did I discover that every face I casually read was accurate.

Every hexagram I casually cast came true.

Later, big shots from every direction gathered at the school gate, just to meet me, the great master’s daughter.

Good heavens. Was my dad really a divine fortune-teller?

1

My father was the master of a Daoist temple.

But our temple had only two people in total.

My father and me.

After my mother died, he took me to live in the mountains, under the fine-sounding pretext of cultivating body and mind.

But I knew he’d simply taken a fancy to the wild ginseng on that mountain.

When no one was around, he’d sling a tattered cloth bag over his back and dig on the mountain all day.

But the moment visitors arrived, he’d immediately take his treasured Daoist robe from the cabinet and go out to greet them with a sanctimonious air.

I didn’t know how my father fooled them, but those people treated him with the utmost respect and showered me with affection, too.

I was terribly scared, though. Scared that one day, what came to our temple’s gate wouldn’t be luxury cars.

But police cars.

I wanted to leave the mountains, so I studied hard.

Who knew that after casually taking the college entrance exam, I’d actually get into a 985 university?

Translator’s note: 985 universities are China’s top-tier schools from the elite Project 985. Getting in “casually” is quite the flex.

The day I received my admission letter, I was so happy I ate five bowls of rice in a row.

My father, however, knitted his brows.

He didn’t want me to leave the mountain.

Long ago, he’d told me I was a genius in the mystic arts and that our family’s enterprise could flourish in my hands.

I’d rolled my eyes right then.

He wanted me to become a swindler?

No way—

I ran down the mountain in the night, only to meet my father halfway down.

Never mind how slovenly he usually looked. Once he put on that navy-blue Daoist robe, he really did have a bit of an immortal’s bearing.

He stroked his nonexistent beard and glanced at me, guilty as a thief.

“Water over Mountain: Obstruction. Kan above, Gen below.”

Pointing to the six copper coins in his hand, he explained, “Girl, it’s not that your old dad won’t let you go. I’ve calculated it. I’m afraid you’ll encounter many troubles on this trip.”

Me: …

Hogwash.

Keep on spinning it.

I didn’t take half a word of what he said to heart.

But as soon as I came down the mountain, his crow’s mouth came true.

Three vicious-looking stray dogs blocked my way, eyeing the meat buns in my hand like tigers…

I won’t elaborate on the grand scene of my battle with those three dogs.

In short, I didn’t lose.

In the end, no one got to eat the buns.

It was just a pity about the outfit I’d carefully chosen for a dazzling debut before my new classmates. It had been completely wrecked in the dogs’ mouths.

There was nothing I could do.

I found a public restroom, planning to dig a couple of clean pieces of clothing out of my bag and change.

But…

The instant I opened the bag.

I was dumbfounded.

I rubbed my eyes and stared at the heap of junk inside.

An altar-command block, an ancient copper-coin sword, a diamond compass… and this gold-thread-embroidered Daoist robe I was holding.

Good grief.

What was going on?!

Only after staring blankly for a while did I realize—

I’d been in such a rush before leaving that I’d mixed up my bag with my father’s!

2

Bracing myself, I changed into my father’s Daoist robe and hurried toward school, dusty and bedraggled.

Along the way, either the car broke down or I got splashed with water.

In short, not one thing went smoothly.

After finally reaching school, I actually tripped on level ground right at the gate and fell flat on my face!

Giving everyone around a free show.

Just as I was about to get up, I heard the low rumble of a car engine.

It stopped not far from me.

“Wow! A Bentley!” someone in the crowd exclaimed.

I turned.

A winged B was this close to sticking itself in my face.

Then I looked at everyone’s astonished, envious expressions and was utterly confused.

I saw this kind of car outside our temple every day.

Was it really that unusual?

The next second, someone got out of the Bentley.

I looked carefully.

A beauty.

She had long, straight, glossy black hair, a clean white dress, and delicate sandals with slender heels. She walked straight toward me.

“Classmate, are you all right?”

As she asked, she held out a hand to me.

With her support, I limped to my feet.

Probably because of everything that had happened, I was dusty and looked very miserable.

So when the beauty saw my face, she covered her mouth and quietly laughed, then handed me a handkerchief. “Quick, wipe your face. How did you end up like this?”

I pressed my lips together, really not knowing where to begin.

Taking the handkerchief, I was about to thank her when someone in the crowd exclaimed loudly again, “Holy crap! That’s a GUCCI handkerchief! Zhen-xuejie is so generous! Beautiful and kindhearted!”

Translator’s note: Xuejie = a female senior at school. Jie (jiejie) = older sister, also used for any slightly older girl.

Only then did I curiously look at the cloth in my hand.

That logo…

It was exactly like the one on the big bag my father carried to dig ginseng.

I couldn’t see anything special about it.

Too lazy to bother with the people nearby, I first wiped my face, then tidied my bird’s-nest hair.

At that moment, the noise started again.

“Hey! Look at her…”

“My god. Why is she… kind of pretty…?”

“Yes! She looks like a celebrity… So beautiful!”

The crowd chattered and pointed.

I couldn’t be bothered. Since I was little, the uncles who visited my father had practically praised me into a heavenly immortal.

I was long since immune.

I put the handkerchief away, intending to wash it before returning it to the beauty.

When I looked up, I unexpectedly discovered a cloud of black mist hovering over her forehead…

Seeing me stare at her, the beauty didn’t understand why, but simply smiled. “You must be a freshman, right? I’m your xuejie. My name is Zhen Yue. You don’t need to return the handkerchief. Be more careful when you walk from now on, okay?”

Then she made to leave.

“Wait!”

I hurriedly stopped her.

“Classmate, is there something else?”

Zhen Yue stopped and turned around.

Looking at her face, my heart sank.

It really was an ominous sign.

Only I could see the black mist on her forehead.

To everyone else, her face was fair and flawless, with red lips and white teeth. An unmistakable great beauty.

But to my eyes, her facial reading was in disarray. Especially her nose, which had clearly been altered later.

The Health Palace lay beneath the glabella, in the middle section of the nose, also called the Mountain Root. It governed one’s innate constitution, accidental injury, natural disasters, and man-made calamities.

If the Health Palace changed, there would certainly be a bloody calamity soon.

And now, faint blue-black mist was rising from this face’s Health Palace.

To explain it plainly:

This person was about to have terrible luck.

Growing up with my father, I’d absorbed these things through constant exposure.

But I’d often watched him fool others and had never tried it myself.

I didn’t know whether it was accurate.

In the past, I definitely wouldn’t have said anything.

But Zhen Yue had just helped me out and kindly given me a handkerchief.

Following our family teaching of repaying kindness, I decided to read her fortune.

“Your glabella is dark. You’ll suffer a bloody calamity today. And it’ll be within a quarter of an hour.”

Boom—

As soon as I finished, exaggerated laughter erupted around us.

“I’m dying! ‘Your glabella is dark’… Have you been watching too many TV dramas?”

Zhen Yue’s expression wasn’t good either, but before she could speak, the short-haired girl beside her rushed out and shoved me hard.

“Are you sick in the head? Yueyue-jie kindly helped you, and you’re actually cursing her?!”

How could this count as a curse?

I was clearly just giving a kind warning.

“Although… it might not be accurate. But better to believe there is something than assume there isn’t. Zhen-xuejie, you should still be careful.”

I felt in my pocket, wanting to give her a protective talisman. “Oh, right, this might block it…”

“Psycho!”

Before I finished, the short-haired girl slapped my hand away.

She grabbed Zhen Yue and turned to leave.

But before they’d taken more than a few steps, a basketball suddenly flew over and hit Zhen Yue square in the face!

In an instant, her nose went crooked.

The black mist on her forehead vanished.

It became two unstoppable streams of blood from her nose.

3

Zhen Yue was taken to the infirmary building.

The looks around me changed from mockery to horror.

I hadn’t expected it to actually come true either.

I only hoped Zhen-xuejie would be safe.

After finally finding my dorm, I discovered that the short-haired girl and I were roommates.

As luck would have it, I was the last to arrive.

The moment I entered, their discussion stopped abruptly.

The short-haired girl was shocked for a second, then lifted her chin and told the other two, “That’s her. The one playing at gods and ghosts.”

Then, when I wasn’t paying attention, she snatched the bag from my shoulder and dumped everything out.

My father’s junk scattered across the floor with a clatter.

Seeing it, the short-haired girl immediately yelled at the top of her lungs, “Heavens! What is all this stuff?”

I glared coldly at her. “Pick my things up.”

“I won’t. What are you going to do? Curse me, too, if you’re so capable!” She laughed mockingly and gave me a contemptuous glance.

“Fine.”

I carefully gathered my father’s treasures, pressed my tongue against my back teeth, and looked at her.

“Name.”

“Hu Li!”

I picked the diamond compass up off the floor and earnestly cast a hexagram for Hu Li.

After reading it, I couldn’t help frowning.

Actually, when Hu Li shoved me earlier, I’d already noticed her luck today was bad.

Originally, since she wanted me to “curse” her, I’d thought I’d satisfy her.

But I hadn’t expected her fortune to be this bad.

I hesitated, unable to bear telling her the reading truthfully.

Although she really was annoying.

But…

Seeing me frown, Hu Li said smugly, “I knew you couldn’t tell fortunes at all! You’re just a fraud! Earlier, a blind cat happened to run into a dead mouse. Now you’ve got nothing to say, huh?”

“Who knows where you learned these tricks. Don’t your parents keep you in line?”

OK, FINE.

I took back my earlier softheartedness.

I looked up at Hu Li and spoke without hesitation.

“You have a pimple on the tip of your nose, you’re in a bad mood, and you easily get into arguments with people. Also, there’s a calamity in your fate, and it’s today. I advise you to stay away from vehicles and save your life first.”

After a moment’s thought, I quickly added, “Believe it or not. Up to you.”

Mm. Actually, it wasn’t… wasn’t necessarily accurate.

Hu Li froze for two seconds, then burst out laughing.

“You really can make things up. When did I argue with anyone?”

“Right now. With me.”

Choking on that, Hu Li paused, then awkwardly raised her brows.

The other two roommates exchanged looks and whispered.

“Stay away from vehicles? Does that mean a car accident?”

“No way. How did she know Hu Li isn’t staying on campus tonight…?”

Hu Li’s lips moved. “Bullshit. Don’t listen to her nonsense!”

Although she said she didn’t believe it, a trace of panic clearly showed on her face.

Seeing that, I hurriedly finished.

Looking at the reading on the compass, I knitted my brows solemnly.

“The hexagram says there may be a way to resolve this calamity, but you must lose wealth to avert disaster.”

“Lose wealth?”

“Mm. A major loss. The bankruptcy kind…”

“I’m dying. Your head could break before my family goes broke!”

Hu Li sneered and said smugly, as if she’d finally grabbed my little braid, “My family has a listed company. It goes bankrupt just because you say so?”

“Let me guess. Next, you’ll make me pay you to avert disaster, right? Don’t tell me you’ve got talisman paper to pull out and sell me, too? Hahaha…”

“Here. Talisman paper.”

Hu Li: …?

Before she’d even finished speaking, I’d picked a paper talisman from the pile of junk and held it in front of her.

A life was at stake. I couldn’t bear to stand aside.

I put away the compass and said seriously, “I won’t charge you for the talisman. And I don’t have time to perform any ritual for you. This may help block the calamity, but if you preserve your life, you won’t preserve your wealth. Money or life. Choose for yourself.”

“W-what nonsense… You think I’ll believe this rubbish?!”

“Mm. I only calculated it casually. It might not be accurate.”

I slipped the talisman into Hu Li’s pocket.

When I checked in with my class that afternoon, everyone looked at me strangely. I stopped a classmate and asked why.

It turned out Hu Li and the others had spread the story of me predicting her calamity throughout the school. They also said I was practicing feudal superstition…

I really hadn’t expected this route to fame ah!

That night.

I was sleeping soundly when the dorm suddenly grew noisy.

“Gu Weiwei! Wake up! Stop sleeping!”

“What’s wrong?”

I opened my eyes groggily and checked the clock. Midnight already.

In the mountains, there wasn’t much nighttime entertainment. I went to bed at nine.

I hadn’t expected city people to stay up so late.

“It’s Hu Li… She’s been in a car accident!”

“Huh?” I perked up at once.

“I just saw the news. Eight cars in a chain collision on the overpass! I think she was in the second car!”

“Fortunately, she’s okay. I saw her WeChat Moments post. Her injuries don’t seem serious… Her life is seriously hard to kill!”

The other roommate nodded. “Yeah. She was in the second car… Rounding it off, that means she got hit six times and didn’t die! That’s no ordinary luck…”

“Hey, look! She posted again!”

Hearing them chat excitedly, I climbed out of bed, too.

I leaned over for a look.

Hu Li had posted a photo on Moments. The talisman I’d stuffed in her pocket during the day was two-thirds burned away, leaving only the top corner.

The caption read: “Thank heavens. The talisman saved my life.”

It seemed the talisman really had blocked a calamity for her.

I sighed in relief.

Then the roommates changed subjects.

“My god! Everything Weiwei said today came true?!”

“Right! She said Hu Li would argue. Accurate. Warned her to stay away from vehicles. She didn’t listen and had an accident! Accurate again!”

“Then next, losing wealth to avert disaster… Could Hu Li’s family company really go bankrupt?!”

4

Hu Li’s family really did go bankrupt.

Early the next morning, the news appeared on television.

When I woke, I saw the two roommates standing hesitantly below my bed, as if they wanted to say something.

“Weiwei…” Seeing me awake, one of them immediately spoke up. “You’re amazing! So you really can tell fortunes! Could you read ours, too? Please!”

“And that talisman paper! Could you give me one for protection? I can pay!” the other added.

I scratched my head, confused.

Just yesterday, these two had followed Hu Li around saying I practiced feudal superstition.

Had my personal charm conquered them in a single night?

“Hu Li’s family really went bankrupt! Weiwei, everything you said was accurate! You’re so uncannily accurate!”

Me: …

Honestly, even I hadn’t expected my calculations to be that precise.

Those tricks my father taught me to fool people…

Didn’t seem to be for fooling people after all!

Downstairs.

The instant I appeared, students swarmed around me.

I’d only seen a scene like that at the zoo.

From far away, I heard Hu Li’s shrill voice. “Move! Everyone move! I want to see Gu Weiwei!”

She who comes is not friendly. This one was definitely here to make trouble because her family had gone bankrupt.

I turned to leave, but Hu Li broke through the crowd and grabbed my arm.

Thinking she was about to hit me, I shrank my neck and squeezed my eyes shut.

But—

“What the hell? What’s Hu Li doing?”

“Weren’t she and Gu Weiwei at odds just yesterday? How come today…?”

I opened my eyes.

Hu Li bent at ninety degrees before me and bowed deeply.

“My benefactor! Thank you for saving my life!”

She took the talisman’s remaining charred corner from her pocket and held it up for everyone. “Look! This is what Gu Weiwei gave me yesterday! My dad even asked a master about it. This talisman blocked the calamity for me!”

“Really? Is it that miraculous?” someone questioned.

Hu Li immediately shot back, “Of course! You have no idea what I went through yesterday! An eight-car pileup! Apart from me, everyone from the scene is still in intensive care, fighting for their lives!”

“Right, right! I saw it on the hot search list. It was terrifying…”

“Intensive care? My god…”

Everyone’s gaze changed.

Before I could speak, Hu Li hooked her arm through mine.

“Anyway! From now on, Gu Weiwei is my lifesaving benefactor! Anyone who goes against her goes against me!”

Then she looked at me. “Weiwei, don’t worry! I’ve got your back at school. Absolutely no one will dare bully you!”

“…Really not necessary.”

All thanks to Hu Li.

Everywhere I went that day, people pointed and talked.

After finally enduring until class ended, I stepped outside and was blocked by her again.

“What is it?”

“To thank you and treat you to dinner, of course! Come on, to my house. My dad happens to want to meet you, too.”

“But I…”

I had no chance to speak. In a blink, Hu Li had dragged me into her family’s car.

I was uneasy the whole way.

Especially after seeing her stern-faced father at the detached villa.

I felt even less sure.

“Dad, she’s Gu Weiwei, the one I told you saved my life. She’s incredibly capable!”

“Mm.”

Father Hu grunted through his nose, glanced at me, then turned and smiled ingratiatingly at the man standing behind him. “Liu-daozhang, please sit! This is authentic Da Hong Pao tea. Have a taste.”

Translator’s note: Daozhang = a respectful address for a Daoist priest.

Hearing “daozhang,” I instinctively looked over.

A man in Daoist robes with a mustache in two drooping strokes, like the character 八, waved a hand and swept around the living room like someone performing a spirit-possession dance.

Then he said earnestly, “Mr. Hu, this residence has too much baleful qi. It must be remodeled! If you delay, I’m afraid it won’t be as simple as bankruptcy. Your family could be ruined and your people dead!”

“What?! Th-this… Liu-daozhang, you must help us!”

“Easily done, easily done. As long as your sincerity is sufficient…”

I’d seen my father fool plenty of people on the mountain.

Never had I heard such clumsy patter.

One glance told me the compass in Liu-daozhang’s hand was a shoddy piece of junk.

Even the one I’d played with as a child was more refined.

Just as I wanted to hear how he’d carry on swindling, Hu Li suddenly pulled me before her father.

“Dad, Weiwei can cast hexagrams and read faces, too. Why don’t you let her take a look?”

“Uh… I’d better not.”

Smashing someone’s rice bowl was like killing their parents.

That was something I couldn’t do.

I quickly shook my head.

But Hu Li wouldn’t let it go. “Aiya! Just say something! Your reading for me yesterday was so accurate. I believe you! Liu-daozhang might not even be as good as you!”

Hu Li’s EQ was really something else.

Hearing that, Liu-daozhang turned and looked at me coolly. “Oh, so this young lady is a fellow practitioner? Forgive my disrespect! May I ask which school you trained under?”

“Hardly, hardly. I just casually learned a little from my father.”

“In that case, why not share your esteemed opinion?”

“N-no, I’d better not.”

I declined politely.

But the Daoist kept latching on to me. “Since you’re here, it’s fate. Take a brief look and see whether what this humble Daoist said was true. If you’re really as capable as Miss Hu says, I can learn from you!”

His aggressive manner clearly meant he was bothered by Hu Li saying I was better than him.

Out here swindling money and still so arrogant. It was hard to watch.

I hesitated, swallowed, and spoke word by word.

“Hu-shushu must have consulted a feng shui master when building this villa. I don’t think much needs changing. I only have two small suggestions for Hu-shushu’s reference.”

Translator’s note: Shushu = uncle, and ayi = auntie. Kids call any adult of their parents’ generation this.

“First, in feng shui, having a square pond before the entrance is unfavorable. A square pond means a square or rectangular pool. Seeing it before the door leads to frequent mistakes. In that case, the right angles need to become rounded corners. Rounded pool corners accord with feng shui principles. Also, the water must stay clean and clear. Murky water can’t generate wealth.”

Before I’d even finished, Father Hu’s gaze seemed to change.

He frowned. “We only had this pool built at the start of the year. Ever since, things at the company haven’t gone smoothly… Hearing you say that, it really might be the pool!”

I nodded and continued.

“In a residence, planting the wrong tree, digging a pool in the wrong direction, choosing the wrong floor, and so on can all cause the residents’ family fortune to decline. Milder cases bring household disputes and physical and mental exhaustion. More serious ones bring ruined homes, illness, or even bankruptcy and debt.”

“So the layout of a residence still requires care.”

“Yes, yes. That makes sense!”

Father Hu eagerly asked, “You said two suggestions. What’s the second?”

“The white elephant.”

I pointed to a white elephant statue in the courtyard.

In the Hu courtyard, a blue-green lion statue and a white elephant statue stood one to the south and one to the north.

The arrangement was meant to lock in the family’s wealth.

But for some reason, a layer of interwoven black and red mist shrouded the white elephant.

I’d seen it the moment I arrived.

Seeing me point, Father Hu asked in confusion, “What’s wrong with the white elephant?”

“Baleful qi surrounds it. A petty villain is at work.”

At that point, my confidence faltered. I lowered my voice, hesitating.

“Hu-shushu, although I might not be right, I still suggest you… smash this white elephant.”

“Smash it? You absolutely can’t! You can’t!”

Before Father Hu could respond, Old Madam Hu stormed over angrily.

Hu Li asked her curiously, “Nainai, it’s just a statue. Why can’t we smash it?”

Translator’s note: Nainai = grandma (on the father’s side).

“Miss Hu, there’s something you don’t know!”

Liu-daozhang smilingly stroked his beard. As if he’d finally found his chance to shine, he gave me a smug look.

“In my view, although this young lady does know a little superficial feng shui, she’s still too young and lacks experience.”

“This white elephant is large and dignified. That is the image of a supporting mountain, which strengthens the home’s fortune. An elephant’s trunk draws in water. In feng shui, water is wealth, so its trunk can also be regarded as a wealth-drawing trunk. Like a pixiu, it attracts wealth and guards the home. It’s auspicious. In this courtyard, it also forms a superior feng shui arrangement with the blue-green lion statue to the south.”

“How can such an important object be casually destroyed on a young girl’s word?”

Liu-daozhang thought he’d gotten one up on me, and his whole face shone with grease.

Old Madam Hu hurriedly chimed in beside him, “Yes, yes! Liu-daozhang is the knowledgeable one! I consulted many people before choosing this white elephant. It’s auspicious! We absolutely can’t smash it!”

After hearing Liu-daozhang out, Father Hu also gave Hu Li a reproachful glance. “Xiao Li, I don’t think your classmate is as capable as you claimed. This white elephant has been in our home for years. How could it be the problem? Let’s listen to Liu-daozhang and see how to remodel!”

…Fine.

I’d said what I should. If they didn’t believe me, there was nothing I could do.

Hu Li tugged my hand and whispered, “Weiwei, do you really think the white elephant has a problem?”

I rubbed my nose. “I’m not actually that good at it. I’m just saying things casually. It might not be accurate.”

But Hu Li looked at me firmly. “Every time you say it might not be accurate, it is. I believe you. There must be something wrong with the elephant.”

“Wait a moment.”

Before I could react, a crisp crack rang out—

Accompanied by Old Madam Hu’s cry.

Hu Li swung a nearby hammer and smashed the white elephant to pieces!

6

With the white elephant shattered, Old Madam Hu was so distressed she nearly fainted on the spot.

But just then, Hu Li picked a short bronze sword from the fragments.

“Th-this… What’s this thing?!”

I went over to look. A bamboo slip was tied to the sword.

On the slip, a name was written in blood-red characters.

“This… This is my…”

Father Hu’s face instantly went deathly pale.

“That’s it, then,” I explained.

A sword was a weapon, and its feng shui taboos were strict.

Keeping an unsuitable sword in the home could not only cause financial loss, but bloody calamities and even shorten lives.

As for the blood-written name, the principle was the same as the ancient practice of stabbing a little effigy.

Neither was anything good.

That was why the Hu family kept running into trouble.

“Hu-shushu, investigate carefully. See who’s touched this white elephant recently…”

After the matter was resolved, Father Hu and Old Madam Hu treated me to a lavish meal.

Seeing me wolfing down rice with my head buried, Hu Li pushed a bowl of soup toward me.

“This is matsutake soup! You must never have had it.”

Me: …

I really wanted to tell her that on our mountain, we could dig up a sackful of this stuff at a time.

I’d drunk so much of it I could puke.

Before I left, Liu-daozhang looked at me with open admiration. “Miss Gu truly is capable. This humble Daoist admires you! May I ask which fellow Daoist your father is? Does he have a name he’s known by?”

I flapped a hand. “He’s just an old man who likes digging wild ginseng. Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning!”

“Digging wild ginseng?” Liu-daozhang’s tiger body shook. “Could your father be…”

Before Liu-daozhang finished, Hu Li had already pulled me into the car.

“Come on, let’s go back to school!”

After the white elephant incident was resolved, the Hu family reorganized the bankrupt subsidiary, adjusted its business strategy, and preserved its core operations. This let the shareholders see hope, which brought in new capital and pulled them out of the bankruptcy crisis.

The entire Hu family was thoroughly convinced of my ability. Hu Li, in particular, kept stuffing things into my hands every few days.

“This is the car my father bought you. Here are the keys.”

“This is the jadeite necklace my grandmother wore as part of her dowry. Take it.”

“This is a co-branded card for our family’s mall. Go swipe it.”

…

They were good things, but none suited me.

After I declined them one by one, Hu Li cried.

Holding a megaphone, she praised me as a beautiful, kindhearted living Lei Feng.

Translator’s note: Lei Feng was a PLA soldier held up as the national model of selfless good deeds.

If I hadn’t stopped her, she was even going to borrow the school broadcasting room to play my “heroic deeds” on a twenty-four-hour loop.

Thanks.

Thanks a whole lot, really.

A week later was Old Madam Hu’s seventieth birthday.

She personally came to the school gate to give me an invitation. I couldn’t easily refuse.

But what birthday gift should I bring?

I dug a piece of calligraphy out of my father’s bag.

Mm. This one.

On the day of the banquet, the Hu family specially sent a car to pick us up at school.

All sorts of luxury cars filled the space outside their home. It looked very lively.

I followed Hu Li inside. The moment I entered, I heard a familiar voice.

“Nainai, may your blessings be like the Eastern Sea and your longevity like the Southern Mountain!”

I craned my neck.

It was actually Zhen-xuejie!

Zhen Yue saw us, too, and smiled as she greeted Hu Li.

But when her gaze reached me, her face instantly darkened.

“Gu Weiwei? I didn’t expect you to come, too.”

“Hello, Zhen-xuejie.”

After being hit in the face by that basketball, Zhen-xuejie had taken over a month off. I’d heard she’d gone sightseeing in South Korea.

Today, she wore a little formal dress that brought out her poise, following obediently beside her mother, the very image of a well-bred young lady.

Even Old Madam Hu liked her immensely.

They chatted back and forth.

I couldn’t get a single word in and felt rather superfluous.

Finally, the birthday banquet began.

Hu Li brought me to the main table, right beside Old Madam Hu.

Because of what had happened last time, everyone in the Hu family was very polite to me. Old Madam Hu was especially attentive.

But perhaps the atmosphere was too restrained. I had little appetite and was full after only three bowls of rice.

Fortunately, the gift-giving that followed piqued my interest.

Old Madam Hu liked antiques, paintings, and calligraphy, so everyone catered to her tastes.

The gifts varied widely and were mostly high quality. Although some inferior pieces were being passed off as better ones, they were gestures of goodwill.

No great harm done.

Until the Zhen family presented theirs.

One look at the gift box in Zhen-xuejie’s hands tied my brows into knots.

Sure enough, the moment it opened, dense black baleful qi rushed out impatiently, extraordinarily dangerous.

Yet the Zhen family knew nothing of it.

Mother Zhen presented the box to Old Madam Hu. “Old Madam, my husband bought this jade ruyi at a high price from an overseas auction house. We’ve already had it appraised. It’s absolutely genuine. With this jade ruyi, everything will go as you wish, and you’ll enjoy long-lasting fortune and longevity!”

“Oh! Such a valuable gift! How could I accept it?”

Although she said that, Old Madam Hu was clearly already unable to put the jade ruyi down.

Hearing it was an auction piece, the guests gathered to feast their eyes.

Seeing everyone’s interest, Zhen Yue became as proud as a colorful peacock and hurriedly added, “That’s not all, Hu-nainai. To prepare this gift, my mother specially sought out Cangfeng-dashi to consecrate the jade ruyi! The flowers carved from gemstones set into it symbolize abundant blessings and longevity. You must accept our heartfelt gift!”

Translator’s note: Dashi = great master. A ruyi is an S-shaped ornamental scepter whose name means “as you wish.”

“Cangfeng-dashi?!”

At that name, the knowledgeable guests exploded.

“I heard Cangfeng-dashi has been living in seclusion in the mountains for years! Madam Zhen actually managed to find him?! That’s incredible!”

“Oh, Madam Zhen, could you introduce me? My family is relocating our ancestral graves, and I’ve been worrying about which master to ask to inspect the feng shui. If we could invite Cangfeng-dashi, I’d pay any amount!”

“Yes, yes! I’d also like him to read my fortune. Madam Zhen, could you…”

For a while, guests competed to ask Mother Zhen for help.

The banquet’s atmosphere reached a peak.

Only I sat in my chair, dumbfounded.

This Cangfeng-dashi they were talking about… Surely it wasn’t my father?

But this wasn’t the time to worry about that.

Looking at the baleful qi wrapped around the jade ruyi, I felt uneasy.

After hesitating a moment, I tugged Hu Li’s sleeve and whispered, “Hu Li, there’s something wrong with that jade ruyi. After the banquet, you must find a way…”

“What? Something’s wrong with the jade ruyi?!”

Me: …

I’d only wanted Hu Li to wait until the banquet ended, find a chance to take the ruyi away from Old Madam Hu, and let me examine it carefully.

But I hadn’t expected…

Hu Li and her loud voice that couldn’t hide anything.

Her shout made everyone turn to us at once.

I looked up and met Zhen-xuejie’s round, glaring eyes.

“Gu Weiwei, you’re saying there’s something wrong with the jade ruyi my mother prepared?”

“Uh…”

The hall instantly fell so silent that not even a crow or sparrow made a sound. Everyone was looking at me.

When had I ever seen a scene like this? I was stunned on the spot.

Seeing me say nothing, Hu Li, with zero ability to read the room and never one to think a show was too big, kept pressing me, “Weiwei, say it. What’s wrong?”

I really, truly thank Q.

Helpless, I could only put it tactfully. “Although this jade ruyi looks translucent and lustrous on the surface, if you look closely, you’ll see a faint darkness inside. It doesn’t really look consecrated. It looks more like… a burial object dug out of the ground.”

“Burial objects carry heavy yin qi. If you keep one close for a long time, it can damage your fortune and shorten your life.”

Realizing what I meant, Hu Li sucked in a cold breath.

“W-what?!”

Old Madam Hu panicked and hurriedly put the ruyi back into its box.

7

Apart from the Hu family, however, everyone was doubtful.

Zhen-xuejie sneered. “Gu Weiwei, don’t think you can spout nonsense here just because you know a little face-reading and divination. How could the jade ruyi have yin qi? That’s ridiculous!”

This time, before I could speak, Hu Li immediately spoke up beside me, “Yueyue-jie, Weiwei is accurate every time… Could you and ayi have been tricked? Maybe there really is something wrong with the ruyi!”

“Impossible! Cangfeng-dashi consecrated it. He didn’t say anything was wrong. Gu Weiwei, are you more capable than Cangfeng-dashi, able to see what even he can’t?”

Her challenge silenced everyone.

Even Hu Li couldn’t find a rebuttal and could only stare helplessly at me.

“Hahaha, this little girl is too adorable. She actually thinks she’s better than Cangfeng-dashi!”

“Exactly. Cangfeng-dashi is practically a founding patriarch of the mystic arts! Although he follows his personal preferences and takes unconventional paths, he always stands on the side of righteousness. He’s greatly respected in the circle.”

“Oh, maybe she doesn’t even know who he is. She’s just an ignorant little girl. Don’t take her too seriously!”

…

Everyone sided with Zhen-xuejie, thinking I was simply talking nonsense.

I wasn’t in a hurry to explain.

On the way to the banquet, I’d cast a hexagram.

It showed that a powerful surge of heaven-spanning righteous qi would arrive at today’s gathering.

I’d originally thought Old Madam Hu had invited some important official, but I hadn’t seen anyone after entering.

It seemed I’d been mistaken.

Perhaps they weren’t coming to offer birthday wishes.

I checked the time.

They should be here soon.

“Old Madam, the police are here.”

At the police’s arrival, the lively banquet instantly quieted.

“Hello. We received a report that suspected stolen goods from a tomb-robbing case have appeared here!”

“Police-shushu, have you made a mistake? How could our family have stolen goods?”

Hu Li was confused, but the officers didn’t answer. They walked straight toward Zhen-xuejie and Mother Zhen.

The jade ruyi was still in the gift box in front of them.

The officer leading the team took one look and confirmed, “This is it. No mistake!”

“Huh? Officer, you’re saying this jade ruyi is…”

“Ma’am, please come to the station for questioning!”

Before everyone’s eyes.

Zhen Yue and her mother were taken away by the police.

The reason: the jade ruyi they’d given Old Madam Hu was stolen property from a tomb-robbing case, resold to the Zhen family.

Watching mother and daughter repeatedly protest their innocence as they were led into the police car, everyone present was dumbfounded.

Only Hu Li came back to her senses first and patted my shoulder. “Weiwei… Let’s just say, you’re seriously awesome!”

Me: …

The police’s arrival had somewhat spoiled the mood.

Seeing that Old Madam Hu didn’t look well, I quickly took my father’s calligraphy from my cloth bag.

“Hu-nainai, I prepared a gift, too. I hope you won’t disdain it.”

Hu Li looked curious. “Nainai, what did Weiwei give you? It must be special!”

With that, she and Father Hu worked together to unroll the scroll before everyone.

It was a piece of calligraphy.

The paper was good. The ink was good. But the writing…

It looked like a dog had crawled across it.

By the time I wanted to stop them, it was too late.

Everyone fell silent after seeing it. Even the dignified, composed Old Madam Hu showed a trace of embarrassment.

…

Just as I was about to say I’d written it myself and it was only a small token of my sincerity—

Someone in the crowd suddenly cried out.

“Wait! Is this… Cangfeng-dashi’s calligraphy?!”

“No way. How could that be…?”

The guests gathered around and saw the signature and seal.

“This… It really is Cangfeng-dashi’s seal…”

“Little classmate, where did you get this painting?!” A man in glasses hurriedly grabbed me and asked.

“Just… took it from home.”

“Your family even collects Cangfeng-dashi’s calligraphy? Oh my, that’s remarkable!”

Me: …

How should I put it?

“Collects” wasn’t quite the word.

When my father wasn’t digging ginseng, he liked writing with a brush.

Although I’d mocked his ugly writing more than once, he never thought it ugly.

He even insisted on stamping it, framing it, and hanging it all over the house…

Huh! No way!

The Cangfeng-dashi they were talking about really was my dad?!

8

I got a teeny bit of a fright. A hundred million teeny bits.

Before, when my father told me how many people below the mountain admired him, I’d thought he was boasting.

But now, it seemed true.

After several days of recovery, I’d just accepted that my father was a big shot.

Then explosive news stunned me again.

The news said police had cracked a major tomb-robbing case and followed the trail to arrest an international gang trafficking cultural relics.

They also released a photo. The mountain was our mountain. The temple was our temple. The old man was our…

Wait!

Why did the old man in the photo look so much like my father?!

“Hey, did you see the news? That Cangfeng-dashi seems to have been taken away by the police!”

“I saw it! The hot search list blew up. There’s no hard proof yet, but everyone says that master is the gang’s leader! Apparently they found lots of stolen goods in the temple, too!”

…

Hearing my roommates, my mind went completely blank.

All these years, I’d worried every day that my father’s swindling would get him arrested.

Had it really happened this time???

Burning with anxiety, I immediately called him.

“Hello. The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable…”

Just then, Hu Li excitedly pushed open the dorm door.

“Big news! Big news! Yueyue-jie is home from the police station. She just called and told me the Daoist who tricked her has been arrested!”

“You mean that Cangfeng-dashi?”

“That’s him!” Hu Li looked up at me. “Weiwei, doesn’t your family have some of Cangfeng-dashi’s paintings and calligraphy, too? He didn’t cheat you out of money, did he?!”

“I…”

As for whether my father had cheated me out of money…

I frowned and defended my dad. “Hu Li, actually, Cangfeng-dashi isn’t what people online say. He absolutely has nothing to do with those tomb robbers.”

“Weiwei, you’re too naive! Everything’s been exposed, with witnesses and physical evidence! Why are you still speaking up for that old fraud of a Daoist?!”

Me: …

Her words sounded familiar.

It seemed I’d been belittling my father in the same way not long ago.

But jokes were jokes.

I absolutely didn’t believe he was truly a villain who colluded with tomb robbers!

I stopped arguing with my roommates and kept scrolling my phone, following the case.

Fortunately, although photos online showed him being taken into a police car, the suspect announcement didn’t mention him.

The posts claiming stolen goods had been found at the temple were all rumors unconfirmed by police.

Seen that way, things weren’t as serious as they said.

I thought and thought, then hurriedly counted on my fingers to cast a hexagram for my father.

Great fortune.

Even though it showed he’d be completely fine this time, I was still terribly worried.

I barely slept all night.

Early the next morning, the first thing I did after opening my eyes was check my phone for developments.

With a toothbrush in her mouth, Hu Li mumbled as she woke the other two.

“Hey, hey, hey! Get up! Time to eat melon!” “What’s going on? It’s so early…”

“Someone’s speaking up for Cangfeng-dashi!”

Hu Li spat out a mouthful of foam and went on, “Look at this! A Hope Primary School principal is giving a firsthand account. Over the years, Cangfeng-dashi donated toward building more than a thousand Hope Primary Schools!”

“Really?” another roommate replied. “I think I saw something, too. A Red Cross post said he’s been donating to a rare-disease foundation all along…”

“Ugh, my feed’s totally flooded. It’s all posts whitewashing Cangfeng-dashi!”

“Let me see…”

My roommates were discussing it in full swing. I’d seen all those reports, too.

A Hope Primary School principal posted a photo of my father with the children.

In it, he wore his tattered undershirt, surrounded by a large group of children, grinning like a flower so far into bloom it was about to fall apart.

For some reason, the instant I saw that photo, my eyes stung a little.

I sucked in a breath, unable to hide the pride in my words—

“See? I told you. Cangfeng-dashi absolutely isn’t a bad person!”

After people online came forward one after another to speak for him, public opinion finally began to shift.

But plenty still said he’d only done those good deeds to conceal his crimes.

“An old fortune-telling Daoist—where’d he get so much money to donate? Obviously suspicious!”

“Maybe he’s done so much tomb robbing that his conscience hurts, so he’s doing good deeds to accumulate virtue!”

“Our school’s Zhen-xuejie was cheated by him! Don’t you know? An antique supposedly consecrated by him was actually stolen from a tomb!”

After class, I sat in the cafeteria eating.

Hearing all that ugly gossip, I felt awful inside.

After only a few bites, I put down my bowl and ran somewhere outside with fewer people, then called my father again.

Two calls. No answer.

Just when I thought I wouldn’t reach him today either, the third call actually connected.

“Hey, girl, what’s up!”

My father’s cheerful voice finally came through the receiver.

For a moment I couldn’t hold it together, and the tears came pouring down.

I didn’t make a sound. Thinking the signal was bad, Dad called out a couple more times—

“Hello? Hello? Girl! Can you hear me?”

“Hello? Anyone there?”

That afternoon, police released an official announcement.

It stated that on that day, the police had gone up the mountain to the temple not to arrest the gang leader. They’d gone to invite Cangfeng-dashi of Mount Yuling down the mountain to help solve the international cultural-relic trafficking case!

At the same time, the cases my father had previously helped police solve were revealed online one by one.

Big and small, more than a hundred in total!

The jade ruyi matter was clarified, too.

It turned out the “Cangfeng-dashi” Mother Zhen had painstakingly found through intermediaries was an impostor.

The police had already thrown him into prison.

My father received a medal of honor and posed for a commemorative photo with the officers.

Looking at that little old man surrounded by tall, long-legged police officers, my eyes reddened again.

I was proud of him.

9

As the school anniversary approached, every class prepared actively.

Our class hadn’t been selected for a talent performance. Hu Li suggested we set up an accessories stall at the anniversary fair instead, then use the earnings for a class barbecue.

I counted on my fingers.

Mm. There was wealth, profit, and fame in it.

“Do it!” I nodded decisively.

The anniversary celebration was lively.

Especially our class’s stall. A long line formed before we even opened.

But no one had come for earrings or rings.

They’d come for—me.

Of course, this was Hu Li’s idea, too.

She said to bundle the goods. Buy three, get one free. The free item was a talisman I’d made.

Academic talismans, health talismans, benefactor talismans, peace talismans… Everything was available.

Watching the accessories we’d just laid out get snatched up yet again, while the other classes’ stalls were nearly all so deserted you could net sparrows at their doors, Hu Li smiled so widely her mouth nearly met her eyebrows.

“Weiwei, as expected of you! Our class has first place in the bag!”

I forgot to mention: the stall earning the most also received prize money.

Everyone’s fighting spirit soared.

But just as we prepared to restock, the crowd suddenly surged. All the students rushed toward the school gate.

Even those lined up before our stall vanished in a flash.

“What’s happening? Did we run into a rival?”

“No idea. Should we look, too?”

“Okay.”

We tidied our things and followed the crowd toward the gate.

At the gate.

Rows of luxury cars filled even the basketball court.

A dense sea of bobbing heads blocked our view. Hu Li and I weren’t tall enough to see what was happening ahead.

We did see plenty of reporters nearby, wielding “long guns and short cannons” of camera equipment and desperately pushing forward.

Through gaps in the crowd, I saw that a long red carpet had actually been laid at the entrance. Many school leaders waited beside it, as though expecting some important figure.

Hu Li was desperately curious and insisted on pulling me forward.

Dragged into the crowd, I nearly had my shoes stepped off.

At last, we reached the entrance.

Just then, a car stopped at the gate.

Before anyone got out, the president hurried to meet it.

“Director Wang! The master—has the master come?”

Director Wang frowned, his face full of complaint. “Old Zhang, don’t blame me for saying it! I went to great trouble to invite the master and told you to keep it low-key! Why did you bring so many people?!”

“I’m sorry, Director Wang! I was so excited when I heard the master was coming… So I had a few extra drinks at dinner last night and mentioned it to some friends. I never expected… How did so many people come?!”

Hearing the school board director and the president talk, my heart sank.

Especially this scene, these cars, and the people in them…

They all looked familiar.

Before I could react, the car on the red carpet opened its door.

A figure stepped out, draped in the navy-blue Daoist robe I knew all too well…

“My god! Isn’t that Cangfeng-dashi?!”

“It’s him! It’s him! I’ve seen his photo online!”

“Why is he at our school? This is incredible! My god, am I dreaming…?”

The students chattered, more excited than if they’d seen a celebrity.

Only I stood frozen, screaming inwardly for help.

Help!

My father had actually come to school!

Help!

And made it this exaggerated!

Help!

Was there still time to slip away?

I’d only just turned around when I heard my father’s booming voice—

“Girl! Don’t run!”

Me: …

Good grief.

The noisy crowd instantly fell silent. Everyone turned to me.

Beside me, Hu Li was even more dumbstruck.

“Gu Weiwei??? You’re actually Cangfeng-dashi’s daughter!!!”

10

Thanks to my father, I blew up.

Every day, students crowded outside my classroom to look at me. Some even transferred just to attend the same school.

Of course, the happiest people were the publicity department and admissions office.

With me as a living signboard, younger students who’d just taken the college entrance exam flocked to list our school among their choices.

The teaching staff also grew stronger than ever.

Four years passed in a flash.

During that time, I helped countless people and made countless friends.

But in the stillness of night, I always thought of the days when my father and I lived in the mountains.

I missed that old man who carried a tattered cloth bag and dug ginseng.

Mm…

I missed home.

“Weiwei, what do you want to do after graduation? Are you really not considering that talent scout’s offer to act?”

“Uh…”

Ever since I’d changed from the utterly ordinary “Gu Weiwei” into “Cangfeng-dashi’s daughter,” countless people had come visiting, just to meet me.

My social life had also been fully exposed to public view.

Later, some marketing account wrote a piece titled “Gu Weiwei: A Beauty Seen Once in Ten Thousand Years.” Several major directors came knocking, too.

They wanted me to act, debut through a talent show, and, most absurdly, one television station even wanted to create a variety show tailored to me, themed around secret feng shui arts…

Of course, I agreed to none of it.

After four years of deep consideration, I’d decided.

“I’m going back to inherit my father’s Daoist temple.”

Extra

After graduating, I inherited my father’s mantle.

I became the temple master.

I’d thought returning to the mountains would let me escape those annoying reporters and directors.

Unexpectedly, someone wrote a report about our temple and posted it online, complete with its location.

The number of visitors coming because of our reputation only increased. In just one year, I’d had the threshold repaired more than a dozen times!

I felt this couldn’t go on.

Especially after seeing that stampede incident at some institution in some country.

An idea flashed through my mind!

I contacted Hu Li and had her introduce me to a professional talent.

The talent made me a mini-program. Following other attractions, we used reservations to limit visitor numbers.

Slots opened at four every afternoon. Only ten visitors a day.

Bliss!

Now, about my father.

The talent Hu Li had hard-sold me on also taught my dad, long-distance, how to livestream.

The day my father’s livestream account reached ten million followers, he asked me to invite the talent up the mountain for a meal, to thank him.

At first, the talent was a little hesitant.

But after Hu Li’s vigorous promotion, he finally agreed—

Mainly because his family was pressuring him hard to marry, but he’d never met anyone he liked. He wanted to ask me to read his marriage fate while he was here.

In short, after various difficulties, the talent finally made it up the mountain.

Before this, we’d always communicated by phone. I’d never seen what he looked like.

But today, looking at this handsome, 1.8-meter-tall man with red lips and white teeth before me!

My heart sped up.

My cheeks reddened.

I secretly counted on my fingers.

What a coincidence.

His destined romance had arrived.

And mine had arrived, too.

(The End)