“I’m going…”
Shui Miao’s heart sank instinctively, his scalp tingling. He sincerely hoped he had misheard, sincerely wished that Yao Kang hadn’t actually called him.
Now, besides knowing some Feng Shui and natural laws, Shui Miao didn’t possess any other special abilities. Once he accepted someone’s money, he would be obligated to help resolve their issue. If he failed to track down the real culprit behind the damaged tomb, it would become a serious problem.
Therefore, Shui Miao frowned with concern but did not turn around.
Yao Kang hurried over, “Master, I’ll give you two hundred thousand first. You help me investigate first while I contact all my relatives and gather them here. I can definitely raise a million within three days!”
Two hundred thousand upfront!
Upon hearing this, Chen Bing’s heart raced. His eyes locked onto Shui Miao, fearing that Shui would say no.
Yet Shui Miao remained cold-faced. After a pause, he shook his head. “Sorry, Uncle Yao, I don’t like haggling. Let me leave my phone number with you. If you can’t raise the money by five o’clock this afternoon, I’ll have to head to Zhonghai City. You can find someone else. Oh, and by the way, my grandfather is old and sometimes his mind gets confused. This is a big matter for your family, so it’s best not to bother him. He needs peace and quiet for his health.”
Sighing in relief, Shui Miao handed Yao Kang his phone number.
Truthfully, Shui Miao would rather not take the two hundred thousand than help Yao Kang track down the person who damaged the tomb. Shui Miao had two objectives. One was to disrupt the Feng Shui of Yao family’s ancestral tomb. Since Yao Kang’s ancestral tomb had already been damaged, his first objective was already achieved. Therefore, helping Yao Kang find the culprit was out of the question.
As for money, Shui Miao wasn’t particularly greedy. Wang Yong’s one hundred thousand should suffice for a while.
“…”
Yao Kang was taken aback, not expecting Shui Miao to be so unyielding.
Shui Miao walked ahead briskly and quickly left.
Chen Bing followed behind, scratching his head anxiously, clearly disappointed.
“Wait…”
Suddenly, Yao Kang called out again.
Yao Kang, sweating profusely, caught up once more. “Master, how about this? I’ll give you two hundred thousand, and you don’t have to help me find the culprit. Just help me dispel this negative energy.”
“Fifty thousand.”
Shui Miao raised one hand and shook it. “Do you think dispelling this kind of negative energy is a small matter? It’s like directly confronting the evil person, which is very risky! Fifty thousand, take it or leave it. Either pay now or find someone else, Uncle Yao. Also, Uncle Yao, although this isn’t exactly walking into gunfire, it’s still a life-threatening matter. You must understand that there are very powerful evil-doers in this world, especially those who meddle with tombs. Things like corpse gas, poisonous gas, and venomous insects—those deadly, disgusting things—could take my life at any moment! Also, you saw that big black cat earlier. Cats are already spiritually attuned creatures, and black cats are even more ominous. Why would it come out of that tomb hole? Because there’s a special energy there that attracted it! Anyway, I won’t explain more—I’m in a hurry.”
In truth, Shui Miao was already tempted.
However, he wanted to push Yao Kang for even more money.
That’s why he deliberately said things here and there to unsettle Yao Kang’s mind, making him anxious and confused.
“No, no, no, Master, hear me out. Actually, I can gather the money, but most of it is tied up elsewhere. I can only get my hands on two hundred thousand cash right now. If that’s not enough… I’ll just give you my car as collateral?” Yao Kang’s luxury car was worth more than three hundred thousand.
Shui Miao frowned. “I know how to drive it, but I don’t have a driver’s license! I think I’ll pass…”
“No, no, no! Master, leave the driver’s license to me. I’m not bragging, but I can get it done within an hour and have it right in front of you.” Seeing that Shui Miao was interested, Yao Kang immediately took out his phone to make a call.
It turned out that Yao Kang had connections in various government departments, some of them quite deep.
With just a word from him, matters like a driver’s license could be handled instantly without any exam.
Seeing Yao Kang’s quick response, Shui Miao nodded. Coincidentally, he had been wanting to get a driver’s license himself.
What followed was much smoother.
First, the three went to a bank. Shui Miao opened an account, and Yao Kang transferred two hundred thousand. Then they went to transfer the car ownership. By the time the transfer was completed, a call came in confirming that the driver’s license was already processed—and it even showed three years of driving experience.
As for Wang Yong’s bankbook, Shui Miao wasn’t in a hurry. He didn’t even look at it, confident that Wang Yong would eventually give him the password.
Driving the car, Shui Miao brought Yao Kang and Chen Bing back to the Swan Lake Cemetery in the western part of the city, where Yao Ye was already waiting.
As soon as Yao Kang got out of the car, Yao Ye shouted loudly, “Dad, are you crazy? They haven’t done anything, and you just gave them the car and money…”
“You brat, shut up!”
Yao Kang roared, quickly stepping forward, grabbing Yao Ye by the ear and dragging him aside to whisper urgently.
Shui Miao smiled indifferently and turned to Chen Bing in the front passenger seat, leaning closer and whispering, “Later, watch how I deal with this Yao Ye.”
“Brother Shui, you’re amazing! In such a short time, you’ve become a rich guy with a car and savings. Tell me about your dream! I appeared in your dream…”
Chen Bing was excitedly talking when Shui Miao suddenly took his own hand and placed it over Chen Bing’s mouth. “Brother, I’ll tell you what needs to be said. What I don’t want you to say, you mustn’t utter a word. Later, when we go to Zhonghai City, I’ll fund a small shop for you. You just need to live a good life and stay out of other people’s business.”
“Okay! Thanks, Brother!”
Chen Bing was thrilled. Finally, after years of working as an employee, he could become a small business owner.
“Alright, stay in the car and take a nap if you can. Leave the outside matters to me. Don’t be too curious about everything.”
Shui Miao opened the door and got out.
He had thought it through thoroughly. For his best friend, he would definitely ensure his safety.
Coming behind the grave of Yao Hongjun, Shui Miao concentrated and looked into the damaged dark hole. Suddenly, he vaguely saw a cat’s corpse!
“I’m going…”
Shui Miao’s heart skipped a beat, his scalp tingling with an instinctive dread. He sincerely hoped he had misheard, sincerely hoped that Yao Kang hadn’t called out to him.
At this point, aside from some knowledge of feng shui and natural principles, Shui Miao had no other special abilities. Once he accepted someone’s money, he had to help resolve their issues. If he couldn’t track down the culprit behind the desecration of the tomb, it would spell trouble.
So, Shui Miao frowned in frustration but didn’t turn around.
Yao Kang caught up to him: “Master, I’ll give you 200,000 first. You start investigating for me. I’ll contact all my relatives and gather them here. I can definitely scrape together a million within three days!”
200,000 upfront!
Hearing this, Chen Bing’s heart raced, his eyes fixed intently on Shui Miao, afraid he might say no.
But Shui Miao remained expressionless. After a pause, he shook his head and said, “Sorry, Uncle Yao, I don’t like haggling. I’ll leave you my phone number. If you can’t gather the money by 5 p.m. today, I’ll have to leave for Zhonghai City. You can find someone else. Oh, and one more thing—my grandfather is old. Sometimes his mind gets fuzzy. With something as serious as your family’s matter, it’s best not to bother him. He can’t help much anyway. He needs peace and quiet to rest and shouldn’t be disturbed.”
Shui Miao breathed a sigh of relief and gave Yao Kang his phone number.
Truth be told, Shui Miao would rather not take the 200,000 than help Yao Kang’s family track down the culprit behind the tomb’s desecration. Because Shui Miao had two goals: one was to disrupt the feng shui of the Yao family’s ancestral grave. Now that the feng shui was already ruined, his first goal was moot, and there was no way he would help the Yao family find the culprit.
As for the money, Shui Miao wasn’t particularly eager for it. With Wang Yong’s 100,000, it was enough to last him for a while.
“…”
Yao Kang was taken aback, not expecting Shui Miao to be so inflexible.
Shui Miao strode ahead, quickly putting distance between them.
Chen Bing trailed behind, scratching his head in frustration, looking utterly dejected.
“Wait…”
Suddenly, Yao Kang called out to Shui Miao again.
Sweat pouring down his face, Yao Kang caught up once more. “Master, how about this: I’ll give you 200,000. You don’t have to help track down the culprit. Just help my family neutralize this sinister, resentful energy.”
“500,000.”
Shui Miao raised a hand and waved it. “Do you think neutralizing this kind of sinister, resentful energy for your family is a small matter? This is like directly opposing that evil practitioner. The risks are enormous! 500,000, take it or leave it. Either pay up now, or find someone else, Uncle Yao. And Uncle Yao, although this isn’t exactly walking into a hail of bullets, it’s something that could cost me my life at any moment. You have to understand that evil practitioners in this world are powerful, especially those who tamper with graves. Corpse energy, poisonous gas, gu insects, and all sorts of disgusting, deadly things could kill me at any time! And that big black cat you saw earlier—cats are the most spiritual animals, and black cats are even more sinister. Why did it come out of that hole in the tomb? Because it was attracted by the unusual energy inside! Anyway, I won’t say more. I’m in a hurry.”
In truth, Shui Miao was already tempted.
But he wanted to squeeze every last penny out of Yao Kang.
So he deliberately threw out comments here and there to unsettle Yao Kang and leave him flustered.
“No, no, no, Master, listen to me. I can gather the money, but a large part of it is tied up elsewhere. The most I can get in cash right now is 200,000. If that’s really not enough… how about I mortgage my car to you?” Yao Kang’s luxury car was worth over 300,000.
Shui Miao frowned. “I know how to drive this thing, but I don’t have a license! I think we should just forget it…”
“No, no, no, leave the driver’s license to me. I’m not boasting, but I can get you a license within an hour.” Seeing Shui Miao’s interest piqued, Yao Kang immediately took out his phone to make a call.
It turned out Yao Kang had connections in various government agencies, some quite deep.
Something like a driver’s license—with just a word from him, you didn’t even need to take the test. They’d make one for you on the spot.
Seeing Yao Kang so eager, Shui Miao nodded. It just so happened that he wanted to get a driver’s license too.
After that, things went much more smoothly.
The three first went to the bank, where Shui Miao opened an account, and Yao Kang transferred 200,000. Then they went to transfer the car title. By the time that was done, a call came in saying the driver’s license was ready—and it was even an older license with three years of driving experience.
As for Wang Yong’s bankbook, Shui Miao wasn’t in a hurry. He didn’t even look at it, confident that Wang Yong wouldn’t withhold the password.
When Shui Miao drove back to the West City Swan Lake Cemetery with Yao Kang and Chen Bing, Yao Ye was already waiting there.
The moment Yao Kang got out of the car, Yao Ye shouted at the top of his lungs, “Dad, have you lost your mind? They haven’t done anything, and you’ve already given them the car and money…”
“Shut up, you brat!”
Yao Kang yelled, quickly stepping forward, grabbing Yao Ye by the ear, and pulling him aside for a hushed conversation.
Shui Miao smiled indifferently, then turned to Chen Bing in the passenger seat. Leaning in, he whispered, “Just watch how I deal with this Yao Ye later.”
“Brother Shui, you’re amazing! In such a short time, you’ve become a rich man with a car and savings. Tell me about that dream of yours. Was I in it…”
Chen Bing was chattering excitedly when Shui Miao took Chen Bing’s own hand and covered his mouth with it. “Little brother, I’ll tell you what you need to know. What I don’t want you to say, don’t breathe a word of it to anyone. Later, we’ll go to Zhonghai City. I’ll fund a shop for you, make you a small boss. Just focus on living well and stay out of other matters.”
“Okay! Thanks, bro!”
Chen Bing was thrilled. His buddy was really something—after all these years of grinding away as a laborer, he could finally become a small boss.
“Mm. Stay in the car and take a nap if you’re bored. Leave the outside matters to me. Don’t be curious about everything.”
Shui Miao opened the door and got out.
He was very thoughtful—his best friend absolutely had to be protected.
Arriving at the back of Yao Hongjun’s tomb, Shui Miao focused intently on the damaged black hole and suddenly vaguely made out the corpse of a cat!
At that moment, Yao Kang and his son walked over, though Yao Ye still looked somewhat defiant.
“Uncle Yao, have your precious son break open the back here.” Shui Miao took a few steps back, standing in the sunlight.
To Yao Ye, Shui Miao’s words sounded deeply insulting.
He was over twenty years old, and being called “precious son” was clearly sarcasm!
Yao Kang smiled at Shui Miao, then turned to Yao Ye, his expression suddenly stern. “Son, I called you from the car and told you to bring a sledgehammer and a shovel. Where are they?”
“I… I didn’t bring them. I came straight from the station.”
Yao Ye frowned, shooting a resentful glance at Shui Miao.
Shui Miao, while surveying the surroundings, said, “Uncle Yao, I don’t have much time. You must cooperate with me to get this done today. The tomb needs to be repaired before sunset. I’ll stay here until then to help you gauge the situation and handle any special circumstances. But once the sun sets, I’m leaving. After dark, the sinister energy from the tomb will emerge and harm people. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Ah! It’s that serious!”
Yao Kang’s eyes darted, and he quickly said to Yao Ye, “Hurry, go get the tools. I’ll call to arrange for workers to repair the tomb.”
“Okay…”
Yao Ye shot Shui Miao a dirty look, muttered under his breath, and turned to walk toward the car.
“Wait…”
Shui Miao immediately looked up and interrupted, “Uncle Yao, this matter must be handled by your precious son personally. Have him make the calls, spend the money, buy the supplies, and run the errands. Because he’s a police officer, wearing a uniform, filled with righteous energy. Evil cannot prevail over righteousness. With him involved, we can suppress all kinds of sinister energy. Also, that car is mine now. I have a habit—I don’t like lending my things to others.”
“You… you bastard! You’ve got nerve!”
Yao Ye was fuming, but Shui Miao’s words were undeniably reasonable.
“You idiot! How dare you speak to the master like that! I’ll teach you a lesson!”
Seeing his son repeatedly disrespect the master, Yao Kang also lost his temper. He started spanking Yao Ye on the spot. Yao Ye, beaten, turned and ran, with Yao Kang hot on his heels. The scene was both absurd and hilarious to Shui Miao and Chen Bing.
“Hm?”
Suddenly, Shui Miao turned unintentionally and saw, about ten meters to the right, the large black cat standing in the grass, its eyes fixed intently on him.
The black cat’s behavior seemed quite eerie.
Shui Miao calmed his mind, narrowed his eyes, and studied the black cat closely. Suddenly, he faintly noticed a faint black aura surrounding the cat!
What was that?
Shui Miao’s heart stirred, and he thought of sinister energy.
But he knew this black cat wasn’t a ghost—it couldn’t possibly have such strong sinister energy.
Could it be corpse energy?
Yes! It must be corpse energy—the corpse energy from the dead cat inside the tomb. They were connected!
Shui Miao retreated more than ten steps.
The black cat slowly approached the tomb.
Shui Miao continued to retreat…
The black cat slipped into the tomb and soon emerged carrying the corpse of another black cat.
It quickly ran off, carrying the corpse to the back of a tomb several dozen meters away, then let out a series of spine-chilling, strange cries. The cries sounded like the desperate wails of a child, heartbreaking and shocking.
What was wrong with this cat?
Shui Miao felt the cat’s behavior was somewhat abnormal.
He couldn’t help but wonder: what connection did this black cat have with the tampering of the Yao family’s tomb?
“Uncle Yao, have your precious son break open this back part,” Shui Miao said, stepping back a few paces to stand in the sunlight.
This remark clearly displeased Yao Ye.
He was already in his twenties, and being called “precious son” was obviously a taunt!
Yao Kang smiled at Shui Miao, then turned to Yao Ye, his expression suddenly changing. “Kid, I just called you in the car and told you to bring a sledgehammer and a shovel. Where did you bring them?”
“No, I didn’t bring them. I came directly from the bureau.”
Yao Ye frowned and shot Shui Miao two resentful glances.
Shui Miao, while glancing around, said, “Uncle Yao, I don’t have much time. Today, you must cooperate with me to finish this task. The tomb must be repaired before sunset. Before sunset, I’ll stay here to guide you and handle any special situations, but once the sun sets, I’ll leave because the evil energy from the tomb will emerge and harm people. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Ah! So serious!”
Yao Kang’s eyes turned, and he quickly said to Yao Ye, “Hurry up and go get the tools. I’ll call to arrange workers to repair the tomb.”
“Okay…”
Yao Ye gave Shui Miao a glare, muttered a curse under his breath, and turned toward the car.
“Wait…”
Shui Miao quickly looked up and interrupted. “Uncle Yao, this matter must be handled personally by your precious son. Have him make the calls, spend the money, buy the things, and do all the running around because he’s a policeman. In his police uniform, he radiates righteousness, and evil cannot overcome righteousness. Only through his involvement can various evil influences be suppressed. Also, that car is now mine. I have a habit—I don’t like lending my things to others.”
“You… you little brat, you’ve got guts!”
Yao Ye was furious, but he couldn’t deny the logic in Shui Miao’s words.
“You bastard, how dare you talk to Master like that! Watch me beat you to death!”
Seeing his son repeatedly disrespecting the Master, Yao Kang also became furious and actually started spanking Yao Ye on the spot. Yao Ye ran off with Yao Kang in hot pursuit. This scene left Shui Miao and Chen Bing watching with a mix of amusement and disbelief.
“Hmm?”
Suddenly, Shui Miao happened to glance to his right, about ten meters away, and saw the big black cat standing in the grass, staring at him with wide eyes.
The black cat’s behavior looked very strange.
Shui Miao calmed his mind, narrowed his eyes, and looked carefully at the black cat. Suddenly, he vaguely noticed a faint dark aura around the cat!
What was that?
A thought struck Shui Miao’s mind—he thought of yin energy.
But Shui Miao knew that the black cat wasn’t a ghost, and it shouldn’t have such strong yin energy.
Could it be corpse energy?
Yes! It must be corpse energy—from the dead cat inside the tomb. They must be connected!
Shui Miao took several steps back.
The black cat slowly approached the tomb.
Shui Miao continued to retreat…
The black cat entered the tomb and soon came out carrying the corpse of another black cat.
It ran quickly, taking the dead cat to the back of another tomb dozens of meters away, and then let out a series of eerie cries. The cries sounded like a child’s desperate weeping, heartbreaking and shocking.
What was wrong with this cat?
Shui Miao felt that the cat’s behavior was abnormal.
He couldn’t help but wonder—what connection did this black cat have with whoever had sabotaged Yao family’s tomb?
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