Chapter 9
By the Gregorian calendar, it was nearly December; darkness fell early. The botanical garden lay deep in shadow and dimness. No one noticed that two more figures had appeared within its grounds. Like dumplings tumbling into boiling water, they couldn’t wait, scrambling one after another over the perimeter wall.
When one person begins to panic, the crowd easily becomes infected.
Xue Sibo kindly pulled Xie Yubo away from the charging boys, step by step retreating toward the well.
The well’s opening was one meter in diameter, large enough for an adult man to fall into.
As he walked, Xue Sibo reached for something, and soon a bottle appeared in his hand. Strange runes adorned the bottle—black and swirling with such malevolent energy that a single glance could drag one’s soul into its vortex.
Murder is a grave crime, and the victim is a young master from a wealthy family; if this isn’t handled properly, Xue Sibo will face imprisonment and being blacklisted.
But the botanical garden is so noisy; once he finishes, he can climb out together with that group of boys, ensuring he isn’t the last one left. Even if the Xie family takes their anger out on him, it doesn’t matter—someone has promised to keep his path to stardom smooth and unobstructed.
These mental preparations flashed through his mind only briefly. When he heard the wind in the botanical garden reach its peak, Xue Sibo pulled the cork from the bottle.
Xie Yubo watched calmly as Xue Sibo did all this—watched him take out the bottle, watched him raise his hand.
He nimbly stepped back, dodging Xue Sibo’s hand.
Xue Sibo, who had been about to push the person into the well: “…”
In disbelief, he grabbed again, but Xie Yubo dodged as if he weren’t blind. A trace of panic finally appeared on Xue Sibo’s face; his eyes widened, and he trembled as though seeing a vengeful spirit.
“You… you can see!”
With things having reached this point, Xue Sibo had no way out. Deciding to go all in, he stepped forward, seized Xie Yubo, and prepared to use force. Suddenly, a wave of heat surged through his chest. Glancing down, he saw a talisman pasted there.
The paper was light as a feather, yet the force behind it was mountain-toppling; Xue Sibo watched helplessly as Xie Yubo knocked him down with a single finger.
Xie Yubo stepped on his shoulder as if crushing a straw, looking down from above: “What do you think you’re doing?”
Xue Sibo writhed beneath his foot, stirring up the rotting scent of dried leaves on the ground.
Xie Yubo felt as though he were stepping on decaying flesh; with a look of disgust, he lifted his foot, placed a talisman underneath, and stepped down again.
“Why can’t I move! Who are you? Help! Liu Fei, Zhou Yue…” Xue Sibo shouted the names of every boy he knew from Class Two, but alas, having placed a sealing barrier on the door himself, no one could hear his conversation with Xie Yubo.
Xie Yubo, seeing no response from him, snatched the bottle from his hand to examine it closely and remarked, “How ugly.”
He then tossed it into the well; with a loud crash, the porcelain shattered, yet the sound felt oddly dull and lifeless.
Xie Yubo turned his gaze toward Xue Sibo, narrowing his eyes: “Oh, I see now. A rebellious commoner stole something belonging to this Imperial Astrologer and is now attempting to return it.”
With a sigh of regret, he looked at Xue Sibo again: “Tsk tsk. In ancient times, stealing from this Imperial Astrologer would have earned you execution along with nine generations of your family.”
Xue Sibo was rendered speechless by his bizarre logic and, surprisingly, went along with it: “I haven’t committed murder or arson! Damn your entire nine generations!”
“Presumptuous!” The Grand Imperial Astrologer sternly rebuked, “Is this how a tyrant addresses his Imperial Astrologer?”
Xie Yubo rubbed his fingertips together, and the talisman in his hand instantly erupted with blue flames. Leaning forward to close in on Xue Sibo, he demanded, “Confess honestly, or I’ll stuff this into your mouth. Merely bearing the surname Xue tells me what you’ve done. Now, I’m giving you a chance to confess leniently.”
Those blue flames were somehow even more scorching than ordinary fire, as if merely approaching them would engulf one’s very soul.
Xue Sibo was terrified. He had no idea why the seemingly harmless Xie Yubo had suddenly turned fierce. Before the flames could lick his lips, Xue Sibo screamed, “I’ll talk! I’ll talk! I borrowed your fate!”
Since Xie Yubo had already pointed out his surname was Xue, there was no point in denying it.
“Borrowed? Wasn’t it stolen?”
“Yes, yes, yes, it was stolen!” Xue Sibo stammered incoherently, spilling everything like beans tumbling from a sack.
It turns out that Xue Sibo is a distant cousin of Xie Yubo, related through the Xue Jing side of the family.
Though they were called relatives, in reality they were barely connected. Xue Sibo’s parents were so difficult that they had offended numerous relatives back in their hometown, forcing them to leave early and sever all ties.
Xue Sibo’s mother, Liu Meiping, was deeply superstitious; she frequently prayed to gods and Buddhas, thereby associating with a group of ill-intentioned individuals.
When Xue Sibo was born, he was dark-skinned and tiny, with an extremely high infant mortality rate. Liu Meiping hired a fortune teller to assess her son’s fate. Upon seeing Xue Sibo, the fortune teller declared that he would not live long. To alter his destiny, they must borrow fate from another boy of the same clan and age, who must possess a noble celestial mandate destined for great wealth, honor, and widespread reverence.
Although Liu Meiping had egged her husband into cutting all ties with their hometown, she still kept tabs on them from time to time, secretly hoping they were all faring poorly.
Xue Jing was one of the people she monitored. That woman had actually married a businessman, borne two sons in succession, and just last month gave birth to a third—another boy. Liu Meiping, who had endured endless hardships to give birth to Xue Sibo alone, turned green with envy. The moment the spirit medium spoke, she set her sights on Xie Yubo.
First, Xie Yubo and Xue Sibo are the same age; second, Xie Jianming’s business is thriving, guaranteeing him immense wealth and status in the future, and his son will share the same fate.
Xue Jing is educated and thus difficult to manipulate directly, so they decided to start with her superstitious mother-in-law instead.
The youngest son, now three months old, neither cries nor smiles, barely even opening his eyes. He only reacts when being fed; at all other times, his silence is unnerving. Under her mother-in-law’s persistent influence, Xue Jing gradually began to waver. However, while she was willing to drink the so-called talisman ash herself, she absolutely refused to experiment with it on her son.
Liu Meiping grew anxious. A newborn is utterly dependent on its mother, their bodies and souls inextricably linked. By drinking the talisman water, Xue Jing had effectively consented to lend her vitality; now all that remained was to feed a mouthful to the boy as well.
While Xue Jing slept, the spirit medium, colluding with Xie Yubo’s grandmother, forced a bowl of dark liquid down the infant grandson’s throat. That very night, both mother and child were admitted to the hospital.
After that, Xie Yubo remained in a daze until he turned eighteen. Meanwhile, Xue Sibo sailed through life, beloved by all; after entering the entertainment industry, everything he acted in became a hit, earning him the title of “the nation’s son” while still young.
In two more months, Xue Sibo would also turn eighteen.
What is borrowed must be repaid. Recently, things haven’t been going smoothly for Xue Sibo: his company launched a new boy group, replicating his career path, and as his advertising contracts expired, suddenly no one approached him for renewals.
At first, Xue Sibo was unaware of all this. Only after casually complaining to his mother did he learn the full story. He finally understood why his life had been so smooth-sailing—despite neither his looks nor his acting skills being particularly outstanding, directors insisted on casting him, and audiences adored him.
Not only was the dazzling spotlight intoxicating, but his mother also told him that his health had improved only after borrowing a fate destiny; if he truly had to repay it, he might die.
Xue Sibao immediately sought out that same spirit medium again, hoping to repeat his old trick, but Xie Yubo was no longer the helpless infant at everyone’s mercy.
Facing this terrifyingly powerful original soul, Xue Sibao clearly felt something vital slipping away from within his body.
No, it wasn’t just the fate destiny—the destiny had already fled several days ago. Xue Sibao’s pupils dilated in horror: it was his very life force ebbing away! He was destined to die young!
Xie Yubo had deceived Xue Sibo; he could never calculate anything related to himself, yet this very situation had now befallen Xue Sibo. He only sensed something familiar about Xue Sibo, so he started with the surname to intimidate him.
“No! No! I beg you, lend me one more year! I have many fans; I haven’t even said goodbye to them yet…”
Xie Yubo asked him, “Where is that spirit medium now?”
Xue Sibo replied, “In my hometown. Her name is Jin Mei; she taught me everything.”
“Was the ugly bottle also given by her?”
“Yes.”
“Only her? Did no one else say anything to you? For instance, promise you some benefits?”
The anniversary incident doesn’t seem like Xue Sibo’s doing; he lacks the capability. Just look at how he personally handled that ugly bottle today.
Xue Sibo’s eyes flickered. “No.”
Xie Yubo pondered for a moment. A person’s soul and spirit are one entity; although traditionally subdivided into seven hun and six po, under normal circumstances they are bound inseparably to one’s fate and reside within a single body, sharing the same destiny. There was no way someone would generously lend them away just by drinking a few sips of black water.
Unless, that is, the person’s circumstances were unusual, with their soul and spirit already in a scattered state.
The spirit medium Xue Sibo described sounded much like an ordinary middle-aged woman pretending to perform shamanic rituals just to swindle money. Xie Yubo didn’t believe she possessed such abilities.
Xie Yubo was certain that his soul from his previous life had already dissipated, making reincarnation nearly impossible. Thus, even after narrowly managing to be reborn, his spiritual consciousness remained fragmented and inherently unstable. After being hospitalized due to that bowl of talisman water, he hovered near death, unable to stabilize his vital essence—could it be that his fate itself drifted away, stolen by someone?
Does this mean he didn’t suddenly transmigrate at all? Perhaps for the past eighteen years, he merely existed in a state of chaos, truly nothing more than a fool?
The day before the anniversary celebration marked Xie Yubo’s eighteenth birthday.
Now, Xie Yubo’s spiritual consciousness has stabilized; no one can harm him anymore.
Unless he were to face a life-threatening situation just like eighteen years ago, there would be only a sliver of an opportunity.
One’s fate determines their fortune; this Imperial Astrologer has indeed been somewhat unlucky lately.
Xie Yubo recalled how his Heavenly Eye failed him while using the restroom, causing him to stumble before the laws of science and get caught by his brother, who dragged him off to the massage parlor… In short, it all seemed explainable!
The Great Imperial Astrologer’s mood instantly lifted, and the lingering shadow of that embarrassing failure vanished completely.
Xie Yubo pretended not to notice Xue Sibo’s unease and said, “Wear this talisman. I’ll give you two days to announce your retirement to your fans. After that, whatever fate awaits you will simply be a return to the proper course.”
Watching Xie Yubo leave, Xue Sibo decisively jumped into the well to retrieve the bottle.
The well was filled with shards. Xue Sibo found one piece bearing an intact pattern, clenched it in his palm, and a sinister glint flashed in his eyes. He ripped off the yellow talisman that had immobilized him and scorched his spirit with blazing flames.
He would not give up so easily. If Xie Yubo thought he could control life and death with this talisman, he had another thing coming.
This pattern can absorb a person’s fate; he only needs to find an opportunity to insert it into Xie Yubo, achieving the same effect as the bottle.
..
Xie Yubo emerged from the botanical garden; all the boys from Class Two had already climbed out.
Liu Fei spotted Xie Yubo and exclaimed dramatically, “What are you doing here too?”
“I heard you calling and came over to take a look.”
Upon hearing this, the group of teenagers all lowered their heads. At the well’s opening, they had noticed green stone slabs covering it and attempted to lift them. Then they saw inscriptions on the slabs, resembling fragments of tombstones, with more scattered on the ground. The boys hurriedly flipped over every single slab, only to find that each one bore characters.
There is a stone-paved path in the botanical garden, and surprisingly, all the paving stones are tombstones; once flipped over, the garden instantly resembles a mass grave.
After the initial excitement wore off and a cool breeze blew, the boys began to feel apprehensive. Leaving aside ghosts and spirits, even if they merely turned the botanical garden into such a state, the principal would never let them off.
Then someone discovered the door was locked from the outside and began to panic.
Losing face is simply losing face.
Liu Fei: “I don’t know which heartless person locked the door. You must be here to open it for us, right? Thank you! I thought you wouldn’t dare come, but turns out you’re the brave one! From now on, you’re the boss of our Class Two.”
Xie Yubo: “…”
The others: “…” Suddenly finding themselves acknowledged as an elder brother.
The botanical garden had indeed once been a mass grave. Xue Sibo’s choice to act here was deliberate, intending to harness the lingering yin energy of the departed. As all the tombstones were overturned, unknown creatures began to stir restlessly. Meanwhile, the young men leaped out one after another, causing the already scarce yang energy within the botanical garden to leak away along with them.
This trap was well laid; the spirit medium probably wouldn’t stand a chance.
Xie Yubo said, “Hurry up and flip the stone slab over before someone gets scared.”
“Let’s follow Big Brother’s lead.” Liu Fei, the shortest among them, was the first to act; the others couldn’t very well play coward now.
Liu Fei shuffled cautiously over to Xie Yubo’s side and whispered in explanation, “Actually, we didn’t mean to cause any damage. Just before we went in, someone posted a message on the No. 3 High School Tieba forum claiming their class had discovered a secret beneath this stone slab. They’re planning to discuss it together next week, and whichever class doesn’t show up will be called a bunch of cowards.”
Xie Yubo nodded in understanding, without asking what exactly “Tieba” was.
“Work hard, I’m heading home first.”
No. 3 High School has four classes in the afternoon, with the last one being a half-hour study period.
Xie Yubo said he would attend the study session, so Uncle Wang didn’t come to pick him up after the third-period PE class.
Xie Yubo found a spot and climbed over the wall to exit the school grounds.
The Third High School has many wealthy students, so a dedicated parking lot was built just outside the campus for drop-offs and pick-ups.
The parking lot was spacious and nearly empty. Xie Yubo crouched behind a car, waiting. Before long, he saw Xue Sibo emerge as well, talking on his phone.
Xie Yubo was certain someone was waiting outside to meet Xue Sibo. Since Xue Sibo and Xie Yubo shared blood ties, if Xie had died, his fate should have drifted to Xue Sibo nearby, just as it did eighteen years ago. Taking a bottle would have been unnecessary; clearly, it was meant to be handed over to someone else, allowing another to reap the benefits.
“It didn’t work.”
“Worthless trash, then how did you get out? Were you followed?”
Suddenly realizing it, Xie Yubo letting him go so easily—was he planning to tail him? He looked around, gripping the shard tightly. If Xie Yubo was nearby, he only had two days left; he didn’t know if he’d see him tomorrow. With such an opportunity delivered right to his doorstep, why not—
The person on the other end of the phone urgently asked again, “Did he recognize you?”
“Yes, as if it’s my fault—” Xue Sibao snapped irritably. Just as he was about to say, “Do you know he isn’t actually blind?”, a parked car suddenly reversed and crashed into him.
The accident happened in the blink of an eye; Xue Sibo was sent flying, the scene gruesome.
Just before dying, Xue Sibo suddenly saw the astonished expression on Xie Yubo’s face from afar; his vision had never been so clear.
Perhaps what he tore off was a talisman that could have saved his life, but he didn’t even have time to regret it.
From a hundred meters away, Xie Yubo was also startled, and then he understood.
Is he dead? Maybe he can still hold on for another second!
Xie Yubo was about to step forward when suddenly everything went dark; the Grand Imperial Astrologer found his head covered by a suit jacket.
Shang Yange had never been this angry before; fury rendered him speechless, his mind buzzing as if it were about to explode.
That car is still there—are they trying to get themselves killed?
Xie Yubo shook his head; which insolent commoner dares do this?!