The previous case had not been truly solved.
The upper echelons issued orders to continue the investigation, no matter how long it took, to recover all the lost cultural relics. This was an unyielding command from above. Although Captain Lin knew it would be difficult to uncover any real leads, he had little authority and no choice but to keep pursuing the case.
“Why are you so eager for him to be involved? All the evidence suggests that Shui Miao had nothing to do with this case,” Chu Miaoyi had also experienced a great deal of hardship and fatigue while working on this case. She really wanted to close it quickly so she could return to her normal job and resume a normal life.
“Shui Miao is no ordinary person! To have the three most powerful business tycoons in Zhonghai as his apprentices, serving and obeying him at will—do you have that kind of ability?” Captain Lin shook his head slightly at Chu Miaoyi. “Therefore, I suspect that Shui Miao obtained something from those relics and cultivated some special abilities. That’s why the higher-ups are taking this case so seriously.”
“Special abilities?”
Chu Miaoyi looked puzzled. “Isn’t it just about Taoist cultivation?”
“Perhaps…”
Captain Lin gazed out the window, lost in thought as he murmured, “With five thousand years of Chinese culture, the mystical arts are profound and deep. There are many highly accomplished masters of the arcane within important national departments, and they believe that an earth-shattering secret lies hidden within that ancient tomb. That’s why we must relentlessly pursue this case. All signs point to Shui Miao possibly having benefited from something, so we must follow up closely. Once we find solid evidence, we’ll report it to the higher-ups and let those masters of mysticism take over.”
“No, Captain! You can’t report this to them without clear evidence—they will kill Shui Miao!” Chu Miaoyi suddenly became very anxious. She had some knowledge of that mysterious department and was deeply afraid of it. She strongly disliked the idea of Shui Miao being captured, dissected, and studied.
Captain Lin looked at Chu Miaoyi and nodded gently, speaking in a kind tone, “Child, I understand. If I were going to report this, I would have done so already. Let’s wait a little longer. Shui Miao is a good kid.” Captain Lin was also tired of this case. He had considered reporting it to the higher-ups several times so that the mystic masters could handle it, but for Shui Miao’s sake, he hadn’t. He had secretly observed Shui Miao for a long time and knew that he was a very considerate, kind-hearted, and principled young man.
※※※
Inside the Hummer
Shui Miao sat with his eyes closed, focusing his mind and trying several times to circulate his immortal energy. However, nothing happened—his energy seemed completely unresponsive, as if it no longer obeyed him.
With no other choice, Shui Miao concentrated and reached out mentally to communicate with Zhuge Abacus.
Upon learning of Shui Miao’s condition, Zhuge Abacus exclaimed in shock, “Brother, you’ve been cursed by dark magic!”
“Dark magic?”
Shui Miao’s heart trembled. Zhuge Abacus was extremely intelligent, and if he was so certain, then it must be true.
“Yes, dark magic,” Zhuge Abacus explained calmly. “The heavens have yin and yang, and people have good and evil. The righteous force is eternal, but so is the evil. The natural law is relative—where there is yin, there is yang; where there is good, there is evil. Righteousness can suppress evil, but evil can also disrupt righteousness. That ‘dog-eyed Taoist’ you mentioned must have been a practitioner of dark arts. You were too careless—if you had been more cautious, you wouldn’t have fallen into his trap. Fortunately, you informed me in time. I’ll immediately contact Sima Zongheng and Old Cai—they’ll help capture the Taoist’s soul. Once we have his soul, we can force him to reveal the method to break the curse.”
“So complicated?”
Shui Miao thought to himself, “Isn’t there another way to remove the curse?”
Shui Miao had always thought exorcism wasn’t difficult, but now he realized it wasn’t as simple as he thought.
“Brother, never underestimate dark magic. Like spiritual energy, dark magic also comes in many forms. Ordinary dark magic can’t even approach you, but the curse you’ve suffered is extremely powerful and mysterious. Since it was able to trap you, it can’t be removed by ordinary means.”
“…”
Hearing this, Shui Miao immediately opened his eyes and told Jiang Zhihao to find a place nearby to stay overnight—they wouldn’t continue today.
After speaking, he closed his eyes again and sent out a mental message, instructing Jintianzi to find Old Cai and Old Qin, while the Black Snake Demon went to notify Sima Zongheng, asking them all to help capture the Taoist’s soul.
Xiaohei and Jintianzi didn’t hesitate and immediately left to carry out the orders.
This arrangement was made because Shui Miao considered that Zhuge Abacus’s cultivation had not yet fully recovered, and since he was so intelligent, it would be a huge loss if something happened to him. Therefore, Zhuge Abacus had to stay behind, and Shui Miao also wanted to ask him some other questions.
Since his master had ordered them to stop, Jiang Zhihao didn’t hesitate and immediately complied.
Just ahead was a bend in the road, with farmland and open fields to the north. Jiang Zhihao immediately called to have the convoy drive into the fields, set up tents, and prepare for the night.
It was only 1 PM, and many people were confused, but when the boss gave an order, what could they do?
Shui Miao continued his mental conversation with Zhuge Abacus.
They had just finished discussing the nature of righteous and evil energies.
Shui Miao asked thoughtfully, “Brother Five, what do you think is fate?”
“Hehehe…”
Zhuge Abacus chuckled slightly. “That’s simple. To put it plainly, fate is determined by the moment of birth—the eight characters of one’s birth date and time.”
“The eight characters determine fate?” Shui Miao found this slightly surprising.
Zhuge Abacus nodded. “As ordinary people say, before you can determine life, you must first determine death. Life is unpredictable, but by calculating the time of birth, you can determine the time of death. Because the elements of the five phases vary in each time period, and different combinations of these elements form different fates. All of life’s experiences are already contained within one’s fate. Therefore, time determines the elements, the elements determine the fate, and fate determines destiny.”
“I see!” Shui Miao felt a slight stirring in his heart. “But I still don’t quite understand—does that mean everything I’m experiencing now was predetermined by fate?”
“Fate only applies to ordinary people, those who live within the rules and follow the norms of life. Their destinies are entirely dictated by fate, with little room for change. However, there are others who are naturally hardworking and strong-willed. Through their relentless efforts, they improve their lives and change their circumstances. These people, through their own determination, can alter certain aspects of their fate, although fate still influences them greatly. Then there are the virtuous and the cultivators who cultivate their hearts through goodness, maintaining a peaceful mind. When faced with fate, they can calmly face and resolve various calamities. Over time, fate no longer affects them negatively but instead strengthens their destiny, making it easier for them to change it.”
“Free from fate’s influence, yet able to change fate itself?” Shui Miao frowned, thinking deeply, muttering to himself, “This sounds somewhat similar to the Buddhist concept of emptiness, but as a human being, how can one truly ignore everything and remain unaffected? If one is alive, one has desires; with desires come conflicts, and conflicts bind one to fate. If one truly sits in meditation like a wooden statue, unmoving, then wind will still blow against you, and rain will still fall upon you. Even if you endure for a while, you still have to face the world. In that case, no matter how still you sit, it will be of no help.”
Zhuge Abacus waved his hand. “That’s not quite right. For example, imagine you’re meditating in the mountains. The wind blows against you every day. At first, you might feel very uncomfortable and desperately want to find a place without wind to hide. But hiding only means that when you come out again, you’ll still be unable to endure the wind. So you must calm your mind and not regard the wind as a problem. Let it blow as it will. Over time, your ability to withstand the wind will increase, and you’ll no longer be affected by it. In other words, if you remain unaffected by fate, your destiny will grow stronger. When your destiny reaches a certain level, you will become even more powerful.”
“…”
Hearing this, Shui Miao felt a bit confused. “Brother Five, according to what you’re saying, don’t those who transcend the three realms have to sit in meditation for a very long time?”
“Of course. Every master who transcends the three realms has endured immense suffering. Without an incredibly strong will, it would be absolutely impossible to endure.”
Shui Miao finally understood how to transcend the three realms and strengthen one’s destiny.
However, he still found it difficult to accept this passive approach and asked doubtfully, “Brother Five, is it really impossible for ordinary people to defy fate and change their destiny?”
“Defy fate and change destiny!?”
Zhuge Abacus was slightly taken aback. He furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, and then shook his head. “That’s extremely difficult—far more difficult than transcending the three realms. It’s easy to change minor aspects of fate, but to change major aspects is extremely hard. If you truly want to completely alter your destiny, you must possess enough strength to overthrow everything and become the most powerful being in the heavens and earth. Only then would your words become law, and everything in the world would be under your control. But you know very well, that is simply impossible.”
Overthrowing all the strongest beings in the heavens and earth was indeed impossible.
It was like asking Shui Miao to shake the stars in the sky—it was pure fantasy.
Shui Miao couldn’t help but sigh softly, shaking his head with a faint smile. Yet, the idea of defying fate and changing destiny still lingered in his mind, refusing to fade away.
※※※
Deep in the wilderness, a ghostly wind swept quickly through the ditches and weeds, finally extinguishing beneath a large tree filled with crows’ nests…
A few seconds later, a ghostly figure emerged from the roots of the tree. It peeked out, watching the busy black-clad bodyguards. In the center of nine Hummers, one vehicle sat with Shui Miao meditating inside…
It seemed to be searching for something…
Soon, it appeared to have found what it was looking for.
Then, it slowly sank into the earth.
Shortly afterward, hundreds of crows flew in from all directions, landing on nearby trees. A dark mass of birds stared toward the direction of the off-road vehicles, cawing eerily…
More than ten minutes passed, and a rustling sound arose from the wilderness. Many weasels began gathering beneath the tree…
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Suddenly, the clear sky turned windy, and a chilling breeze blew through the tents, making them flap violently.
“Bang!”
Suddenly, one of the tires exploded with a deafening sound, startling everyone.
Shui Miao was jolted awake. He quickly opened the door and got out of the car…
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