Chapter 28: Sinister and Ruthless
Chen Yan lay on the ground for a full ten minutes before finally regaining his breath. Slowly, he sat up.
As for the true target revealed by the Curse Tracking Technique, the so-called Harbor City, and Lu Si Si’s Eight Characters and Fate Pattern, he set them aside for now.
After all…
How could another’s affairs be more important than his own?
The first thing he did was raise his thumb, upon which rested the Emerald Thumb Ring, and scrutinized it carefully.
During the casting of his spell, the Paper Effigy had devoured a massive amount of energy. He had been completely drained, on the verge of collapse. Yet, at that critical moment, an inexplicable surge of Vital Energy had flowed out from this ring, sustaining him just long enough to complete the technique.
And once the spell was fully executed, the Vital Energy vanished without a trace, and the ring returned to its ordinary state.
Narrowing his eyes, Chen Yan pondered.
The Old Madam had indeed left him a treasure.
However… if you’re going to leave something this powerful, could you not at least provide an instruction manual?!
With that thought, he adjusted his posture into a cross-legged stance and activated his Vital Energy Circulation Method, gathering energy bit by bit into his body. Once he had accumulated a sufficient amount, he attempted to channel it back into the ring.
The result was the same as before.
The ring absorbed his energy effortlessly, as though it were a bottomless abyss—no matter how much he poured in, it swallowed everything whole.
Chen Yan remained seated, tirelessly experimenting for over an hour. Yet, despite repeated attempts, he could not unravel the secret of the ring.
His legs had long since gone numb. Realizing further efforts would yield no answers, he finally sighed, stretched his body, and reluctantly slipped the ring back onto his thumb.
Only then did he turn his attention to the Paper Effigy lying on the floor, inscribed with Eight Characters.
During the spell’s activation, the effigy had floated mid-air, stepping forward as if it walked upon an invisible path. The moment the technique ended, it fell to the ground.
Chen Yan walked over, picked it up, and inspected it for a moment before shaking his wrist lightly. As he silently recited an incantation, the Paper Effigy ignited in his palm, turning to ash in an instant.
“Since I’ve intervened, I may as well see this through.”
Chen Yan set aside his thoughts and returned to his workbench, recalling every detail of the spell he had just performed and piecing together the emerging clues.
Could a person have two different Fate Patterns?
Not exactly.
A person’s Fate Pattern could indeed change—one born under an ill-fated star could encounter a great twist of fortune, meeting an esteemed benefactor or stumbling upon a miracle that reshaped their destiny.
But no one could simultaneously possess two conflicting Fate Patterns at the same time!
Which meant that Lu Si Si’s situation was anything but simple.
A person could not be both blessed with Double Blessings of Fortune and Prosperity while simultaneously doomed with the Seven Absolutes Fate.
That Paper Effigy, infused with Lu Si Si’s own blood and hair ash, was genuine. It had undoubtedly linked to her very Primordial Spirit.
But the Eight Characters written upon the paper…
Lu Si Si had provided those details herself. She was an honest girl—not one to fabricate such things.
Yet, those Eight Characters had been determined long ago by an Eminent Master from Harbor City during her childhood.
Could those Eight Characters be fake?
Unlikely.
Lu Si Si had clearly recalled her exact date, month, year, and hour of birth, and had conveyed them with certainty. Chen Yan recalculated them himself and confirmed—
The Eight Characters were authentic.
And they indicated a Superior Destiny of Wealth and Nobility—a life of smooth sailing, prosperity in career and fortune, a peaceful home, and descendants to carry on her legacy. Not the pinnacle of fate, but certainly among the best for a mortal.
True Supreme Destiny of Wealth and Nobility belonged only to those who reached the heights of political or financial dominion—ministers of the highest order or magnates controlling vast wealth.
Beyond that lay the Emperor’s Destiny, a realm beyond the reach of common fate.
Even such Supreme Destinies were not without flaws, for the heavens dictated balance—no one could be flawless in every aspect.
A person blessed beyond measure in one domain must bear weaknesses in another.
Which was why Chen Yan found Lu Si Si’s Superior Destiny of Wealth and Nobility to be ideal. It was an untroubled mortal fortune, neither excessive nor overly burdensome—akin to a well-balanced hexagonal warrior in a grand chessboard of fate.
So how could such a Superior Destiny suddenly transform into the Seven Absolutes Fate?
Chen Yan let out a cold chuckle.
The Eminent Master from Harbor City had assigned both the Eight Characters of Prosperity and the Seven Absolutes Fate.
A Fate of Fortune had somehow become a Fate of Doom.
And just moments ago, when he used the Curse Tracking Technique, the true possessor of Lu Si Si’s Eight Characters was…
In Harbor City.
“Stealing fate… swapping destinies?”
A chill crawled up Chen Yan’s spine.
This was a method truly sinister and ruthless.
The so-called Eminent Master from Harbor City who had proclaimed Lu Si Si’s fate… was undoubtedly involved.
—
Meanwhile, Lu Si Si had returned to school.
She was still in her first semester of university, and with the winter break approaching, final exams were in full swing. The dormitories were nearly empty.
At this time of year, whether top scholars or struggling students, everyone was cramming away in the library.
The former, as expected, pursued excellence.
The latter, desperate to scrape by, clung to whatever last-minute salvation they could find.
Lu Si Si stepped into her dormitory, only to be greeted by an empty room. She placed her belongings down, then went straight to wash her face.
Gazing into the mirror, she studied the scrape on her forehead, a faint worry creeping into her heart. Would it leave a scar? But then, she laughed at herself, a wry, bitter chuckle.
[What does it matter if I have a scar? As if my fate would ever allow something as trivial as romance.]
She shook her head.
Back when she first entered university, her delicate, rabbit-like charm had drawn the attention of many young men. Her soft features, coupled with her gentle demeanor, had made her a natural magnet for admirers. During the military training, quite a few male classmates would go out of their way to look after her, bringing her water and offering their support. Even a senior had gifted her a drink and, on the final day of training, publicly presented her with flowers.
Yet, misfortune followed those who showed her kindness.
The very next day, the classmate who had been attentive to her collapsed from heatstroke during training and hit his head—he suffered a concussion and was bedridden for days.
As for the senior who had given her water? He injured himself while playing basketball, tearing his meniscus. For the next two months, she would see him hobbling across campus on crutches.
Fear rooted itself in her heart. She withdrew from people, avoiding any interactions with male students. Soon, whispers spread among her classmates—Lu Si Si was aloof, unwilling to socialize. With time, the male admirers dwindled. Even the girls in her dorm remained distant, not out of malice, but indifference.
[You avoid me, so why should I bother with you?]
Lu Si Si sighed and carefully arranged her hair in front of the mirror. Then, she treated her forehead wound, securing a fresh piece of gauze over it.
Her gaze drifted toward the bag on her desk, where a stack of yellow talismans lay. She hesitated.
[That man, Chen Yan… He is odd, but there’s something undeniably strange about his skills.]
And after all, she had paid for them.
[Why not try?]
She pulled out a candle from her drawer—one she had bought during a power outage last month. Her dormmates had mocked her for it.
“Who even buys candles anymore?” they had laughed. “Doesn’t your phone have a flashlight?”
She hadn’t bothered arguing. [Clearly, they had never faced a blackout with a dead phone battery.]
She lit the candle and recalled the technique Chen Yan had taught her for activating the talisman.
Right hand clenched in a fist, index and middle fingers extended together, gripping the yellow talisman between them. She brought it close to the candle flame.
—Shua!—
She flinched.
The yellow paper ignited in an instant, vanishing in a flash of flame.
Startled, her fingers trembled, and she let go. The talisman was gone, reduced to a single wisp of curling blue smoke.
Before she could react, the smoke drifted into her nose.
—Achoo!—
She sneezed.
A strange sensation rippled through her body. A shudder coursed down her spine, followed by an inexplicable warmth, spreading from the depths of her being.
[So… is that it?]
Still dazed, she gathered her things. It was time for dinner.
Before leaving, she checked her meal card, meticulously shut the dorm window, locked the door, and double-checked the switches for the lights and water.
Descending the dormitory stairs, she moved carefully, one step at a time, watching her feet.
As she stepped outside, a cold wind suddenly blew against her. Instinctively, she turned her head away.
—Plop!—
Something white splattered onto the ground beside her.
Lu Si Si: “……”
Bird droppings?
She lifted her gaze toward the tree branches above, then back at the fresh stain on the pavement. Had she not turned her head in time, it would have landed on her clothes.
A spark flickered in her eyes.
[Did I just… avoid misfortune?]
For the first time in eighteen years, something fortunate had happened to her.
A tiny thrill of excitement stirred in her chest. It was curiosity, yes, but also the faintest glimmer of anticipation—of what, she wasn’t sure.
With a newfound energy, she headed toward the campus dining hall, keeping her head down as she walked along the road.
A few dozen meters ahead, something dark appeared in her peripheral vision. A small, rectangular object.
She stopped and bent down.
A wallet?
Her eyes widened. She glanced around, then picked it up.
“Whose… whose wallet is this?” she called hesitantly, holding it up.
Her voice was soft, barely carrying in the evening air. Few people were around, and no one responded.
She hesitated before opening the wallet.
Inside were two bank cards and an ID.
That was all. No cash—unsurprising, given that few people carried physical money these days. In fact, even wallets themselves had become obsolete among the younger generation.
She examined the ID photo.
A kind-looking elderly woman stared back at her.
And the name—
“Professor Zhao?”
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