Chapter 6
As soon as Wang Ping stepped outside, he felt the warm autumn sunlight and was so moved he nearly embraced the earth.
The car had just started moving when he noticed a hot drink vendor next door and said to Xie Yubo, “Young Master, let me get you a cup of hot milk.”
The young master exerted great effort to subdue the ghost and needs to replenish some protein and calories.
“Thank you, Uncle Wang.” Xie Yubo picked out a book on the history of technological applications from the trunk and began devouring new knowledge with insatiable hunger.
His fortune-telling business was finally showing promise; he had to seize the moment to understand science, lest he tarnish his own reputation.
As Xie Yubo read on, he became increasingly captivated. Science, this enchantress, was truly formidable!
Capable of soaring to the skies and diving into the depths, it enhances the well-being of all humanity. Compared to his ability to alter merely a small fragment of one person’s fate, science is truly magnificent.
Xie Yubo clicked his tongue in wonder. Though his memory wasn’t quite photographic, he read with extraordinary speed, turning page after page like a child flipping through picture books in the backseat of his father’s car, brimming with curiosity about the world.
He seemed to have seen refrigerators at home before; air conditioners and washing machines were also familiar.
The airplane is impressive; I want to buy one.
Nice yacht. I want to buy it.
The aircraft carrier is impressive; I’m thinking..
Xie Yubo looked up from his book and suddenly spotted a black four-wheeled vehicle with unfamiliar license plates speeding down the opposite lane to his left. In the passenger seat sat none other than his older brother, wearing an expression that screamed he was there to catch his younger sibling skipping class!
Xie Yubo quickly pulled a talisman from his pocket, leaned out, and pressed it against the front windshield.
A simple illusion spell could render the car effectively invisible amidst the city crowd—its shape visible, yet impossible to distinguish clearly.
Xie Yubo felt utterly confident.
A minute later, the black sedan pulled straight into the parking spot right in front of him.
Huh? A blind cat catching a dead mouse.
You reckless driver, this Imperial Astrologer will remember you.
As the car turned the corner, Xie Chenbo looked around. “Huh? The GPS says this is the place, but I don’t see Xiao Bo’s car.”
Shang Yange glanced at him in confusion and offered a concise reply: “The one behind.”
Xie Chenbo focused his gaze again, more carefully this time. The license plate matched. Strange—had he been blind just moments ago?
Just as Xie Yubo concluded that his brother couldn’t possibly see, the car door opened. A pair of long legs clad in suit trousers emerged, followed immediately by the suddenly clear visage of his brother, Xie Chenbo!
Even through the bulletproof glass, he could see his brother’s displeased expression. Ever since he had become the Imperial Astrologer, no one except the tyrant emperor had ever dared to treat him so harshly.
What should I do? Big Brother looks a bit fierce.
In a flash, Xie Yubo tossed all the superstitious props from the back seat to the front, then with a click, shut his Heavenly Eye and refused to look at anyone.
Oh well, now I can’t see Big Brother’s expression anymore.
Pretending to be blind to avoid Big Brother, just like covering one’s ears while stealing a bell.
Wang Ping returned holding two cups of hot milk, only to come face-to-face with President Xie outside the car, so startled that he spilled the milk.
The driver approached, the car doors unlocked automatically, and Xie Chenbo, wearing a stern expression, yanked open the rear door in one swift motion. “Xiao Bo, you…”
Though his face looked fierce, his voice was exceedingly gentle; he was merely pretending to be a strict older brother through his expressions, taking advantage of the fact that his younger brother couldn’t see him.
A certain imperial astrologer stumbled upon the truth by sheer luck.
Xie Chenbo lowered his gaze and saw his younger brother, dressed in a school uniform, struggling to use his phone’s camera reading function while dutifully perusing a popular science book.
What a coincidence—the scientific content happened to be about satellite positioning technology.
Xie Chenbo felt a wave of awkwardness, rubbed his nose, and asked, “How did you end up visiting so many places today?”
Xie Yubo’s dark, slender lashes fluttered slowly as he lifted his head from the book and whispered, “My classmates have started discussing their university majors.”
Xie Chenbo clutched his heart.
“Older Brother says fortune-telling is forbidden, so I want to study blind massage therapy.” Xie Yubo lowered his thin eyelids, his tone firm. “I wish to become someone useful to society.”
Xie Yubo recited the editor’s message to the youth from the preface of “History of Technological Applications.”
Xie Dage was hit hard by the realization; he had forgotten his brother’s unique circumstances. He had assumed that, given the Xie family’s status, he could easily provide his brother with a life of comfort, yet he overlooked the fact that Xie Yubo was also a grown man with his own pride.
His first instinct was to vehemently oppose the idea; how could something as rough as blind massage be suitable for his delicate younger brother? Yet now, Xie Chenbo opened his mouth only to find his throat tight, rendered speechless.
He had already objected to Xie Yubo practicing fortune-telling; if he now opposed him learning massage as well, wouldn’t that crush his brother’s self-esteem even further?
“So you came out on your own to look for a massage parlor?” Xie Chenbo guessed. “It’s too chaotic out here; let me help you find one.”
Xie Yubo twirled the edge of a page between his fingers: “I want to find a master on my own.”
Xie Chenbo compromised again within a second; after all, he could still oversee things from the shadows.
Wang Ping stood dumbfounded, watching helplessly as Xie Yubo, with just a few effortless words, persuaded the young master.
Xie Chenbo shot Wang Ping a warning glance: “Do not take the young master to any dangerous places.”
Wang Ping nodded vigorously, even though it was the young master who had taken him to that dangerous place.
“You go to class; I still have matters to attend to at the company.”
“Goodbye, Brother.”
..
Shang Yange did not get out of the car. He defined his role merely as the driver who had brought Xie Chenbo here; meddling in another family’s private affairs might wound the young master’s pride.
Furthermore, he needed to sort out the reason why he had suddenly followed along.
Shang Yange tapped his knuckles against the steering wheel while reflecting, feeling a tightness in his chest; he rolled down the window to get some fresh air.
It was just for fresh air—certainly not to eavesdrop openly on the conversation of those brothers over there.
Xie Yubo had half his body hidden inside the vehicle; from Shang Yange’s angle, only a small section of his school uniform sleeve was visible.
His fingers swiped across the screen a few times, and the map application displayed the addresses of five nearby massage parlors.
Hmm… The distance between us is definitely too great for any in-depth interaction; at best, we can exchange a few words.
At this moment, President Shang demonstrated an exceptionally high level of detective skill.
Upon hearing Xie Chenbo agree to take Xie Yubo as an apprentice, his brows knitted tightly together.
Massage therapy requires physical strength and is unsuitable for the young master; having never lifted a finger to do even the simplest chores, he is incapable of performing such laborious work.
The bloody fingers from the bathroom floated before his eyes, and a familiar surge of irritability rose within him.
Shang Yange gripped the steering wheel tightly, the veins on the back of his hand taut.
The car door creaked open; Shang Yange concealed the tangled turmoil in his gaze.
Xie Chenbo climbed into the car, shedding his confident demeanor from business negotiations, resembling a defeated lion. “I actually agreed to let Xiao Bo learn blind massage.”
Shang Yange remarked indifferently, “Being an apprentice is exhausting; you shouldn’t have agreed to it.”
Xie Chenbo faintly detected a hint of frustration, as if someone were disappointed that iron hadn’t been forged into steel.
He had truly tried his best.
..
At 5 p.m., the sky indeed began to turn overcast. With high school dismissing at 5:30, Wang Ping had already arrived early at the school gate to pick someone up.
Before the torrential rain, lightning flashed and thunder roared; at the first crack of thunder, Wang Ping felt a sudden inspiration and began silently counting.
One, two, three…
Forty-three!
The dark clouds remained heavy; Wang Ping held his breath, awaiting the next clap of thunder.
Weather phenomena are endlessly variable; a butterfly flapping its wings could alter the climate itself.
The young master claimed there were forty-three strikes in total, but Wang Ping found that hard to believe.
Yet, as if rushing off work to get home for dinner, the Thunder God suddenly ceased all activity, not producing another sound.
Incredible! The young master’s prediction was spot on!
The school bell vibrated, and the torrential rain ceased.
Wang Ping, having undergone a spiritual cleansing akin to a storm, walked with even steadier steps.
He made his way back to the classroom door, where the young master was waiting obediently for him.
“Let’s go find Boss Wang first.”
The heavy rain left slight flooding across the city. As cars drove by, their front and rear wheels sliced through the water, creating white, wave-like splashes that occasionally溅 onto storefronts.
Wang Fuyang had been sitting on his small stool all afternoon, eagerly waiting. Every time a luxury car approached, he would stretch his neck to take a look, his mood rising and falling until he was nearly driven mad wondering whether the little immortal would actually show up.
Another car pulled up steadily in front of the entrance. Recognizing the license plate number, Wang Fuyang patted his buttocks and leaped to his feet.
The little immortal has arrived!
He picked up the umbrella nearby, opened it, and waited for Xie Yubo to step out of the car. Then he held the umbrella over Xie Yubo’s head to shield him from raindrops falling off the landscaped trees.
Wang Ping felt utterly unworthy in comparison.
All the employees had been sent home by Wang Fuyang to rest. He handed over a cup of hot tea, saying, “Please sit down for a while, have some tea. No rush, no rush at all.”
Xie Yubo, seeing him so anxious he was nearly stamping his feet, gestured for him to sit down.
“When did this start?”
Wang Fuyang replied sorrowfully, “It’s been like this ever since I took over—about two years now. At first, it wasn’t too severe.”
His father lacked any talent for massage therapy; Wang Fuyang had been personally taught by his grandfather, who even praised him for surpassing his master. Who would have thought he’d end up faring even worse than his own father?
Xie Yubo: “So, this only happened after your father passed away?”
Wang Fuyang whispered, “I don’t think my father would hold a grudge against me.”
“Exactly. It might be you holding a grudge against him,” Xie Yubo comforted Wang Fuyang.
“If I may ask, how did your honorable father pass away?”
At this, a look of resentment flashed across Wang Fuyang’s face. “Two years ago, my dad went out to buy cigarettes. Just as he was crossing the street, he witnessed someone committing domestic violence in public. He tried to reason with them, but little did he know, that person was carrying a knife—”
Xie Yubo pressed further, “Was the murderer sentenced to death?”
“After stabbing his victim, he panicked and rushed onto the road, where he was struck and killed by a vehicle.”
Xie Yubo paused thoughtfully. Mere resentment from being murdered alone would not be enough to stir up such disturbances in a household. “Did your father and the killer harbor any past grudges against each other?”
Wang Fuyang hesitated briefly before replying, “I’ve heard… I’ve heard that when that scum was young, he had his eyes on my mother and even harassed her. But after my parents got married, he wisely disappeared from our lives. Regardless, a murderer is still a murderer.”
Xie Yubo ascended the stairs and tore off the yellow talisman from the spirit tablet. He had sensed since noon that two distinct yin energies were clashing with his spiritual power. One carried both resentment and benevolence; it was this presence that had been making noise at the offering table upstairs, targeting only Wang Fuyang. The other had been dragged along involuntarily, brimming with malicious intent, causing chaos in the massage parlor downstairs by indiscriminately driving away customers.
Benevolent resentment and sinful malice, which should naturally be as incompatible as fire and water, were nevertheless inseparable, as if they had been confined together within some vessel for so long that they had grown fused into one.
“If I am not mistaken, your father was cremated, his ashes interred in a cemetery, resting beside your mother.”
Wang Fuyang: “Ah, yes.” But what did this have to do with the current situation?
“As far as I know, crematoriums generally do not clean the furnace between uses. After cremation, they symbolically return a portion of the ashes, which may contain remains from the previous deceased.”
This was information the Grand Imperial Astrologer had secretly looked up that afternoon. To excel in this profession, one must be well-versed in both ancient and modern knowledge; he needed to hurry and study.
Xie Yubo looked down at Wang Fuyang. “Do you know who preceded your father?”
Struck as if by lightning, Wang Fuyang connected Xie Yubo’s earlier question and stammered, “That… that murderer?”
Dying on the same day is highly probable.
Who said cremating remains requires no preparation? One careless move, and you end up eternally entangled with your enemy.
Xie Yubo asked for the murderer’s name and birth chart, then nodded.
Wang Fuyang was speechless. So, his father’s ashes were mixed with those of a killer?
He even used a consecrated porcelain jar to seal the two of them tightly together?
And then buried that scum who lusted after his mother right beside her?
Damn it! No one could swallow an insult like that! Even as a ghost, he wouldn’t let this unfilial son off the hook!
Wang Fuyang slapped himself hard across the face, knelt before his father’s memorial tablet, and wept bitterly, “I’m sorry, Dad.”
He looked at Xie Yubo. “So, what do we do now?”
Xie Yubo offered a sincere suggestion: “Scatter the ashes into the sea.”