Chapter 148 – Extra 9 – How Yao Wei Met Zeng Jingxuan 4

The true Taoist circle is actually quite small. The inheritances of various sects and schools are all interconnected, with some even tracing their lineage back several generations. After the upheavals of modern warfare, the surviving families and sects know each other inside and out. As long as one is part of the circle, they will have some understanding of each family’s unique abilities. Therefore, sometimes there’s no need to introduce oneself; once one’s skills are displayed, their background and origins naturally become clear.

The Yao Family of Laoshan Mountain is no exception. Not only have they inherited many minor Taoist techniques from Laoshan, but they also possess a unique skill called “Spiritual Vision.” Spiritual Vision isn’t a true form of sight but rather a special ability akin to a sixth sense, typically used for avoiding misfortune and uncovering the truth. Given that Laoshan’s Taoist methods are already known for their strangeness, the descendants of the Yao Family are even more shrewd, cautious, and slippery—the type who would never willingly involve themselves in trouble. However, the person who stumbled upon the exorcism while secretly filming was clearly a far cry from “cautious.”

Having been exposed and now being scrutinized with such a doubtful gaze, Yao Wei showed no sign of embarrassment. Instead, he chuckled and said, “Everyone has their own path. Not every member of the Yao Family has to strictly adhere to ancestral teachings. Brother Zeng, aren’t you the same? The Zeng Family of Sanliao Village—since when do they moonlight as ghost-catching masters?”

This statement was somewhat provocative, but it hit the mark. Like the Yao Family of Laoshan, the six surnames of Sanliao Village are unmatched in the feng shui circle, yet they have no reputation for exorcising spirits or eliminating evil. It’s simply a matter of specialization. Therefore, whether it was him, a part-time private detective from the Yao Family of Laoshan, or the part-time ghost-exorcising Zeng Family member across from him, both were classic examples of not sticking to their primary roles.

Seeing the other man’s eyebrows rise, as if impatient with his glib tongue, Yao Wei quickly put on a smile and stepped closer, reintroducing himself: “My name is Yao Wei, and I am indeed from the Yao Family of Laoshan. This time, it was truly a coincidence. While my Taoist skills may not be top-notch, I do have some other abilities. So, what’s the plan now?”

Zeng Jingxuan glanced at him and walked toward the bedroom. By now, the balcony glass was shattered all over the floor, and the alarm had likely been blaring for some time. The security systems in upscale villa areas are typically robust, and the earlier commotion was far from small. In a few more minutes, not only would the security guards arrive, but the police might show up as well. Zeng Jingxuan quickly walked to the bedside, bent down to examine the woman lying there, and let out a soft sigh. He then took out his phone and dialed a number.

Yao Wei also followed him in, and only now did he have the chance to pay attention to the person lying on the bed. The once dignified middle-aged woman was now unrecognizable, her body swollen to at least twice its normal size. Her bruised and swollen face made it impossible to distinguish her features, and several sturdy restraint straps pinned her to the bed. Beneath the partially covered hospital gown was a massive, pus-filled sore resembling a human face, complete with a mouth, nose, eyes, and eyebrows—truly a horrifying sight. This must be the legendary Blood Fetus Curse, Yao Wei thought, clicking his tongue. As expected, simply eliminating the malevolent ghost wasn’t enough; they would also need to find the corpse of that madwoman.

On the other side, Zeng Jingxuan had already hung up the phone and turned to him, saying, “Someone will be here soon. We’ll stay here tonight and set out first thing in the morning.”

This was what had been agreed upon, so Yao Wei shrugged and didn’t argue. A few minutes later, someone arrived—not a direct descendant of the Song Family, but the elder brother of the victim, the brother-in-law of Mayor Song, Lei Rui. Seeing the Cinnabar Formation, shattered glass, and the bloodied, lifeless cat in the room, Lei Rui’s expression was beyond description. He cautiously asked, “Master Zeng, has the matter been resolved? It seems the sore on Ziquan’s body hasn’t subsided.”

“The malevolent ghost that cursed Madam Lei has been eliminated, but we still need to find the corpse of the person who cast the curse. After cremating it, we’ll apply the ashes to the wound. It should heal within three days,” Zeng Jingxuan replied steadily, clearly not the first time he had explained this.

Seeing Zeng Jingxuan’s calm demeanor, Lei Rui inexplicably felt relieved. He glanced at the bearded stranger standing to the side and tentatively asked, “And this gentleman is…”

“He’s an assistant I brought along, surnamed Yao. It was thanks to his help last night that we were able to resolve the malevolent ghost issue. He’ll be coming with me tomorrow to find the corpse,” Zeng Jingxuan replied without any hint of abnormality, as if Yao Wei had truly been invited by him.

Yao Wei didn’t stand on ceremony either. He directly extended his hand to greet Lei Rui: “Brother Zeng’s matters are naturally my matters as well. Mr. Lei, don’t worry. We’ll definitely take care of everything tomorrow.”

With such a guarantee, Lei Rui finally felt at ease and began carefully conversing with Zeng Jingxuan. Standing to the side, Yao Wei watched with interest. The handsome man from Sanliao Village had shed his earlier cold demeanor, instead displaying a subtle sense of restraint. He was quite skilled at steering the conversation and maintaining his composure, leaving Lei Rui respectful and not daring to show any sign of disrespect. It seemed he had already made a name for himself, earning the treatment of a grand master. But then again, with his abilities, social skills, and striking appearance, Master Zeng was truly born for this line of work.

Lei Rui had also brought along a number of medical staff, who began frantically applying various medical devices to Madam Lei. By this point, it was almost midnight, and Yao Wei, seeing that there was nothing more for him to do, headed to the side bedroom to sleep. The mattress in a wealthy household was indeed different; he fell asleep almost as soon as he closed his eyes.

The next day, before dawn, Yao Wei was woken by a voice: “It’s time to set out.”

Struggling to open his eyes, Yao Wei looked at the person standing by his bed and sighed helplessly: “Brother, it’s not even five o’clock yet. Can you let me sleep a bit longer?”

“Madam Lei won’t last more than two days,” Zeng Jingxuan said curtly before turning and walking out of the room.

Watching the retreating figure, Yao Wei let out a deep sigh and climbed out of bed.

After a hasty breakfast, the two left the villa area. Looking at the still dark and shadowy mountain in the distance, Yao Wei clicked his tongue: “Is there really no Yin Gathering Pool around here? Searching like this, our legs are going to give out.”

Both of them understood the implication. The True Form Malevolent Ghost from yesterday was abnormal. For a ghost to manifest its true form just days after death, aside from its own overwhelming resentment, the burial environment was also crucial. Such a phenomenon couldn’t be caused by a simple burial site; it had to be an extremely yin place like a Yin Gathering Pool or a mass grave. However, the nearby area was just a small hill with no special geographical features, leaving them with no leads. Neither of them was particularly skilled in divination or prediction. While Zeng Jingxuan’s feng shui and geomancy skills were solid, his ability to locate dragon veins and pinpoint burial sites was lacking—he was more of a technical feng shui master, adept at formations. As for Yao Wei’s Spiritual Vision, while useful, its range was limited. It worked well within a radius of one or two miles, but beyond that, it was practically useless. Therefore, their immediate priority was to first determine the direction.

At this point, Zeng Jingxuan had returned to his almost indifferent demeanor from the previous day. He took out a compass, carefully observed the celestial stars and the markings, and then pointed to one side: “Last night, the malevolent ghost came from the south. Let’s head over to the mountain first and take a look.”

Yao Wei stroked his beard but didn’t argue, following Zeng Jingxuan as they walked toward the nearby hill. The situation was somewhat awkward for both of them. Yao Wei had indeed disrupted Zeng Jingxuan’s plan the previous night, causing dangerous situations and a lot of trouble. However, if he hadn’t been there, the outcome might not have been any better, given the unexpected appearance of a True Form Malevolent Ghost. The Soul Summoning Formation that had been set up earlier might not have fared well either. This was all a matter of coincidence, and given Zeng Jingxuan’s smooth and diplomatic personality, he shouldn’t have been so cold toward Yao Wei. Yet, when the two were alone, Zeng Jingxuan became as silent as a clam. Was it because he disliked Yao Wei, or was there some other reason?

However, being treated this way only piqued Yao Wei’s curiosity further. It was like encountering a white-feathered crane—one couldn’t help but want to reach out and touch it, to see if it was truly as aloof and proud as it seemed. This was indeed a flaw in his character, but without this flaw, Yao Wei wouldn’t have become a private detective and a paparazzo in the first place.

While his mind wandered through these chaotic thoughts, the two of them moved quickly, soon crossing the ridge of the hill. Yao Wei was familiar with this area—it was a patch of fruit trees and artificial fish ponds planted by local farmers. Nowadays, with the emphasis on ecological and natural practices, they had even come up with a gimmick called “Peach Blossom Fish,” claiming that flowers from the orchard falling into the pond would impart a floral fragrance to the fish, making their flesh more tender and flavorful. It was unclear whether this idea had been inspired by the poem “Peach blossoms flow downstream, fattening the mandarin fish.”

Zeng Jingxuan seemed to have been here before as well. He didn’t pay much attention to the orchard and fish pond ahead, focusing instead on the compass in his hand. The readings were similar to those from a few days ago—there were some signs of yin energy, but they weren’t particularly strong. It was likely just a normal reaction caused by the shade of the mountain and the yin energy of the water. Frowning, he was about to take a step forward when Yao Wei suddenly grabbed his arm.

The move was so abrupt that Zeng Jingxuan’s eyebrows shot up. Before he could speak, Yao Wei had already pulled him forward a couple of steps. Yao Wei wrinkled his nose, either smelling something or sensing something, and suddenly turned to say, “There’s something off in the woods.”

“What did you sense?” Zeng Jingxuan immediately reacted. No one knew exactly how the Yao Family’s Spiritual Vision worked, but for it to have been passed down through so many generations, it must have some unique capabilities.

Like suddenly spotting a venomous snake in the grass, Yao Wei didn’t directly state what he had sensed. Instead, he hesitated for a moment before saying, “There might be something wrong with the fish pond.”

“This is a private fish pond, and it’s not very deep. There haven’t been any reports of floating bodies recently,” Zeng Jingxuan replied calmly.

This was the most basic information. If someone had truly died in the fish pond, the body would have surfaced quickly. Even if there was a reason it hadn’t floated up, the corpse’s toxins and the heavy yin energy would have caused the fish in the pond to die en masse, a phenomenon that would have been impossible to hide from the Song Family, who had been investigating the matter.

This was a perfectly logical response, but Yao Wei didn’t argue. Instead, he locked his gaze on the man behind him. Would he believe him or not?

Without hesitation, Zeng Jingxuan pulled his hand free and replied indifferently, “Let’s go take a look.”

Even more straightforward than Yao Wei had expected. His eyebrows shot up, and a grin unconsciously spread across his face as he followed Zeng Jingxuan into the orchard.

The sky wasn’t fully bright yet, and the woods were still shrouded in darkness. The branches of the fruit trees weren’t as straight as those of locust or cypress trees; instead, they twisted and turned in strange shapes. For some reason, the flowers here seemed to bloom later than those on the mountain, and most of the branches were bare, adding to the sense of desolation and eeriness. The woods were incredibly quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps and the occasional splash of fish in the pond breaking the silence.

Walking through such a forest, both men were naturally on high alert. Zeng Jingxuan no longer looked down at his compass, instead sensing the movement of the needle with his hand while scanning the surroundings with his eyes. Yao Wei, on the other hand, focused all his attention on the pond, trying to determine the source of the sense of danger.

The orchard wasn’t particularly small, with three large ponds arranged in a triangle at its center, almost like a natural formation… Wait, Zeng Jingxuan suddenly stopped and took a closer look at the orchard. Indeed, the layout somewhat resembled the Three Yang Formation, but the surrounding trees had reversed the formation’s yang energy flow, creating a weak vortex of yin energy. No wonder his compass had been trembling. However, since this was a naturally occurring formation, the yin energy here wasn’t particularly strong, and it certainly couldn’t have nurtured a True Form Malevolent Ghost. Could it be that the pond was blocking the yin energy?

Water is a peculiar element—it can both guide and block yin energy, depending on how it’s used in formations. While this fish pond wasn’t particularly remarkable, it might have been built over something that was blocking the leakage of yin energy. Combined with the nurturing properties of the water and the vitality of the fish, it could have created a natural barrier. Thinking this, Zeng Jingxuan didn’t hesitate and quickly walked toward the nearest pond. However, just as he did so, a soft “splash” sounded beside him, and a wet vine silently emerged from the water, swiftly wrapping around his ankle. The attack was so sudden that Zeng Jingxuan lost his balance and fell into the pond.

On the other side, Yao Wei, who had been staring at the fish in the pond, slowly furrowed his brow. This was indeed strange. Although it wasn’t yet dawn, the fish were acting as if it were feeding time, most of them floating near the surface as if driven by something. But how deep could this artificial pond be? Two or three meters at most—what could be hiding in there that was causing the fish to behave this way?

Just as he was pondering this, his heart suddenly clenched. He turned around and saw Zeng Jingxuan, not far away, lose his balance and fall into the pond. Without hesitation, Yao Wei sprinted toward the pond.