Chapter 26: Chen the Great Philanthropist
The two stepped out of the emergency ward, one with a gauze pad pressed against his forehead, the other clutching a plastic bag filled with medicinal herbs and bandages. There was little concern over mixing up their prescriptions—after all, aside from their names, their injuries and treatments were identical.
Rather than venturing far, they found a small teahouse nestled within the commercial district beneath the hospital. Such was the convenience of private establishments, where commerce flourished even in places of healing. Below the grand halls of medicine, one could find convenience stores, patisseries, and cozy cafés catering to every need.
The teahouse was sparsely populated. Chen Yan ordered a cup of hot cocoa for himself and another for Lu Si Si. Once seated, he studied her carefully, noting the tension in her shoulders and the way her gaze darted about, as if fearing an unseen specter. Activating his Heaven’s Eye Qi-Observing Technique, he peered at her aura.
As expected, a dense black miasma coiled around her like an unbreakable curse, regenerating endlessly. However, it seemed their recent ordeal had disrupted its form—a small section of it had been torn away. Yet even as he observed, the severed void began to mend, fresh tendrils of misfortune sprouting anew.
The girl was absentminded, lost in her own shadowed world. Chen Yan cleared his throat deliberately.
“You said earlier… you’ve always been unlucky? From childhood till now?”
It was as though he had struck a nerve. At the mere mention of her plight, Lu Si Si’s eyes reddened with unshed tears.
Chen Yan slapped a napkin against her face before she could let them fall. His voice was a quick and sharp reprimand: “Don’t cry! You’ll have the hospital guards swarming us, thinking I’m some scoundrel harassing you! Just tell it to me properly!”
Choking back her emotions, she murmured in a trembling voice, “But… I really have been unlucky… ever since I was a child.”
And so, Lu Si Si unraveled the tale of her cursed existence.
From a poetic perspective, her life had been fraught with tribulations.
From Chen Yan’s perspective, however…
She must have been a walking disaster in her past life!
Since birth, Lu Si Si had been plagued by illness. At the tender age of five, she had barely survived a bout of pneumonia. Minor ailments like colds and fevers visited her with unnatural frequency, as if her body was perpetually at war with the world.
And then there were the accidents—an endless, absurd parade of misfortune.
On the school field, she was inexplicably struck by rogue balls during sports. Running, she tripped. Walking, she collided with bicycles. Even stationary objects conspired against her—lamps fell from ceilings, street potholes opened at the exact wrong moment, and new clothing barely survived two wears before being ruined by inexplicable incidents.
Even technology abandoned her. New phones mysteriously vanished or shattered beyond repair. The neighbor’s dog, friendly to all, lunged at her with inexplicable hostility. Any money she was given disappeared within days, as though fate itself found amusement in robbing her.
Thus, she grew up navigating life like a wary rabbit, forever mindful of lurking predators. Her habits reflected years of self-preservation—she avoided new clothes, opting for second-hand ones. She used old, battered phones. She adored small animals but kept a respectful distance. Her bag was always stocked with emergency medicine, from fever reducers to antiseptics and even Swift-Healing Elixirs.
She had even taken the time to master the Solitary Heimlich Maneuver, ensuring she could dislodge food from her own throat—because, naturally, she had nearly choked to death on several occasions.
Now, at eighteen, Lu Si Si had endured this relentless tide of misfortune for so long that she had ceased resisting. She simply endured.
Yet the cruelest twist of all was not her own suffering, but what happened to those around her.
She had long discovered a terrible truth—her misfortune was contagious.
Anyone who grew close to her, be it a friend or a passing acquaintance, soon found themselves ensnared in calamity. Sickness, injuries, accidents—they came unbidden, one after another.
Over time, people took notice. And so, she was marked.
The Star of Misfortune.
Classmates avoided her. Whispers followed her steps. Friends drifted away, terrified of the unseen specter that lurked within her presence. No one dared express fondness, let alone affection.
Alone, forever alone, Lu Si Si walked through life like a ghost. Trapped in solitude, she dared not form new bonds. The shadows of others’ suffering haunted her. And so, she shrank further into herself, her spirit caged by fear.
Now, in university, as her peers basked in youthful camaraderie, forming new friendships and embracing life’s joys, she remained apart, watching from the edges of society. She hid, avoided, recoiled from any warmth offered to her.
Even her own family, bound by blood, treated her differently.
For Lu Si Si’s origins were… unique.
Her mother hailed from the illustrious Jin Ling Prefecture, while her father was a man of Harbor City, where trade and fortune intertwined like the currents of the sea.
Many years ago, Lu Si Si’s father had journeyed to Jin Ling Prefecture to expand the family business. It was there that he met her mother, and their fates became entangled in the bonds of love and marriage. From their union, Lu Si Si was born—a girl of quiet demeanor, yet burdened by an unseen shadow.
In the early days, her parents cherished her dearly. Yet, as time flowed on, like a river carving through stone, misfortune clung to her like an ominous mist, seeping into every crevice of their lives. It was not long before even her parents, bound by blood and duty, began to keep their distance, their once-warm gazes now laced with an unspoken fear.
A few years ago, they welcomed another child into the household—a younger sibling who bore none of the ill omens that shrouded Lu Si Si. Meanwhile, in the far reaches of Harbor City, her father’s family still refused to inscribe her name into the ancestral records. She was an outcast to her own bloodline, exiled not by word, but by silence.
The reason? A moment etched into the annals of family history.
At the tender age of five, Lu Si Si had accompanied her father back to Harbor City, where she was to partake in the grand ancestral rites. She had followed the solemn guidance of her elders, kneeling with reverence before the tablets of her forebears. With utmost devotion, she lowered her head to kowtow.
Crack!
The ancestral tablet before her split apart on the spot!
Chen Yan: “……….”
Though he dared not voice it aloud, even he had to admit—this was a calamity beyond the realm of reason.
To be frank, if he were the clan’s patriarch, he wouldn’t have dared to inscribe her name in the family registry either!
With misted eyes, Lu Si Si whispered, “My father’s surname is Yang. When I was born, I was given the name Yang Si Si. But after that incident… the family refused to acknowledge me. They forbade me from carrying the Yang name, and my father, under their pressure, had no choice but to yield. So when I turned six, my name was changed. I took my mother’s surname and became Lu Si Si.”
She sniffled, her delicate features marred by sorrow.
Chen Yan exhaled, deep in thought, before something occurred to him. “The people of Harbor City are known for their belief in mysticism, especially among the old bloodlines. Given the incident at the ancestral hall, did your father’s family… consult an Eminent Master?”
At his words, Lu Si Si paled. Her fingers trembled as she murmured, “They did. After that day, my father’s clan sought out a renowned master of Harbor City, one versed in fate and destiny… and he read my life’s path.”
Chen Yan straightened, his interest piqued. “Oh? And what did he say?”
Her lips parted, her breath unsteady, as she whispered, “He said I bear the fate of the Seven Absolutes.”
A cold shudder coursed through Chen Yan’s spine.
Seven Absolutes—the most cruel of destinies. A path forsaken by the heavens and feared by the mortal world. A life destined to sever all ties:
Severed from kin.
Severed from friendship.
Severed from wealth.
Severed from blessings.
Severed from prosperity.
Severed from longevity.
Severed from descendants.
Hearing those seven accursed words, even Chen Yan, who prided himself on a heart of steel, felt his blood turn cold.
After a long silence, he finally spoke, his tone resolute.
“Take out your phone.”
“Ah?” Lu Si Si blinked, confused.
“Just do it,” he commanded, pulling out his own device and bringing up his WeChat payment code. “You have money in your bank account, right?”
The girl’s wariness grew as she peered at him hesitantly. “I… I have a little.”
“Good. Transfer some to me.”
“???”
She stared at him, wide-eyed, as if he had sprouted a second head. But her timid nature prevented outright refusal. Instead, she asked in a small voice, “H-how much?”
“As much as you see fit,” Chen Yan said with a casual wave. “Three coins or thirty thousand, it matters not. Give whatever your heart allows.”
Seeing the utter confusion on her face, he sighed and offered an explanation. “It’s not about the money. The path I walk, the arts I practice—there is a rule: To take payment is to take responsibility. A task undertaken without compensation is a task left half-finished. I must receive something in return, no matter how small.”
She was silent for a long moment before whispering, “I… I don’t have much left. It’s nearly the end of the month, and I already spent most of my living allowance. And… after what happened with your friend, I had to buy a second-hand phone… so now I barely have four hundred left.”
Chen Yan sighed. “I told you—it doesn’t matter how much. It’s a gesture, not a fee. Don’t overthink it.”
She lowered her head, voice barely a whisper. “I… I’m just afraid it won’t be enough.”
He said nothing more and instead turned, striding toward the counter. After borrowing a pen and paper, he returned and placed them before her.
“Write down your birth date and the time you were born. If you don’t know the exact time, just estimate.”
“I do know,” Lu Si Si said softly. “The Eminent Master in Harbor City calculated my birth chart long ago.”
“Good. Write it all down.”
She obediently picked up the pen and wrote, her delicate strokes revealing years of discipline. Chen Yan watched her quietly, noting how fate had carved such a frail, hesitant nature into her soul.
Eighteen years of misfortune… It was no wonder she had grown so meek.
When she was done, Chen Yan nodded. “Transfer me a hundred.”
“…Ah?”
She hesitated, then nodded. “O-okay.”
Just as she was about to complete the transfer, she suddenly paused.
“Wait… Today, you were injured because you saved me. I should cover your medical expenses.”
Chen Yan raised a brow.
“Oh?”
Chen Yan’s heart stirred as he gazed deeply into the young woman’s eyes. After a moment, he nodded and said, “Ah, yes, the medical fees… If you hadn’t mentioned it, I might have forgotten. But by the rules, one hundred coins won’t be enough.
A matter must be settled as it stands—medical fees are medical fees, and labor fees are labor fees. You should add a little more… a little more…” He pondered for a moment, then, seeing the girl’s pitiful expression, sighed in resignation. “Alright, just add twenty more. Send me one hundred and twenty in total.”
The young woman lifted her gaze and looked at Chen Yan, but without a word, she obediently took out her phone and scanned the code to transfer the amount.
Chen Yan only nodded when he saw the transaction notification appear on his phone. He reached into the inner pocket of his coat and pulled out a stack of talismans—seven or eight in total. They were identical to the Evil-Dispelling and Fortune-Enhancing Talismans he had sold to President Fang earlier. These were drawn just the day before at home, prepared in a single batch.
“Take these,” he instructed, handing them to the young woman. “Buy a candle and light it. Then, take one talisman and ignite it using your right hand.
Remember, when burning the talisman, your right index and middle fingers must be extended straight and held tightly together, with the talisman pinched between them. Bring it close to the candle flame and let it burn. This hand gesture is crucial!
Each morning when you wake up, burn one talisman as I instructed. Every talisman should keep you safe for an entire day.”
The reason for using the right hand was rooted in an old tradition: for men, it was the left hand; for women, the right. Moreover, the specific positioning of the index and middle fingers had its own significance. In Mystic Arts, this was called the Sword Finger Technique.
In principle, activating talismans required the use of Vital Energy Circulation, but Lu Si Si lacked the ability to manipulate qi. However, the Sword Finger Technique was one of the rare gestures that even ordinary people could use to trigger a slight flow of energy.
Lu Si Si listened intently, her curiosity growing with every word. She took the stack of talismans, studying them closely. “What exactly do you do?” she asked. “You seem a lot like those Feng Shui masters in Harbor City.”
Chen Yan smirked. “I’m a great philanthropist, naturally. This is all charity work.”
He shook his head, sighing in pain. This was a terrible loss! The same talismans—four of them had fetched over three hundred thousand from President Fang. Now, he had given eight to this little girl and only received a measly one hundred and twenty.
[Am I not the greatest philanthropist alive?!]
Starting today, he swore he would change his contact name to Chen the Great Philanthropist!
“Let’s be clear on this,” he continued, looking Lu Si Si in the eye. “This one hundred and twenty is neither a loan nor something I extorted or swindled out of you. It is my rightful payment. You paid me, and I helped you. Do you understand? That is my rule—it must be honored.”
Chen Yan then instructed her solemnly, “Alright, you can head back now. These talismans should last you more than a week. In the meantime, I’ll take my time calculating your fate, deciphering your Eight Characters, and figuring out a method to reverse your fortune.”
Lu Si Si widened her eyes. “That’s it? You’re just going to leave?”
“What did you expect? Do you think reversing fate is so simple? I need time to calculate and devise a method to break your ill luck.”
With that, he waved his hand dismissively. “Alright, I’m off. Just follow my instructions—burn one talisman a day for protection. I’ll contact you in a few days.”
Then, without another word, Chen Yan rose to his feet and walked straight out the door.
Lu Si Si watched his retreating figure and pouted.
[Even though he explained it like that…]
[Why does it still feel like I’ve been scammed?]
[Ugh… I hate myself. Why am I such a coward?]
[He asked for money, and I just obediently transferred it?!]
She lowered her head, staring at the stack of yellow talismans in her hands.
[Should I try burning one today, just to see?]
[After all, I already paid for them…]
Just as this thought crossed her mind, the café’s entrance was suddenly flung open. Chen Yan hurried back inside, moving briskly towards her.
“Ah! I almost forgot something.” He came to a halt before her and smiled mischievously. “Sorry about that. I need to take something.”
Before Lu Si Si could react, he grabbed a strand of her hair. The next moment, a glint of cold light flashed between his fingers—a razor-sharp blade. In one swift motion, he severed a lock of her hair.
Still stunned, Lu Si Si had no time to react before Chen Yan reached out and swiftly tore away the blood-stained bandage on her forehead. The sudden sting made her wince in pain, a soft cry escaping her lips.
With practiced ease, Chen Yan tucked the bloodied bandage into a plastic bag he carried.
“This has your blood. I’ll be needing it.”
With that, he waved once more and swiftly disappeared through the door again.
Lu Si Si sat there, utterly dumbfounded.
[Ugh… why do I feel like I’ve definitely been scammed?!]
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation