Chapter 74: A Union of Fate?
The company set out in the morning, yet by the time they arrived, the sun had already climbed past its zenith—it was well past one in the afternoon, and not a morsel had been touched for lunch.
A man like Chairman He, whose wealth spanned vast enterprises, would naturally never fall short in the realm of social grace. In the grand halls of his ancestral manor, a banquet had been meticulously prepared in anticipation of their arrival.
Chen Yan followed Chu Ke Qing into the dining chamber, Assistant Zhao trailing behind them.
Chairman He himself did not appear—after all, a man of such stature would hardly find it necessary to personally host a meal for Chu Ke Qing. However, propriety dictated that his absence be balanced by the presence of his wife, who had come to the dining table as their hostess.
This Madam He, though bearing no striking features, was by no means unpleasant to behold. Her presence carried a quiet dignity, unadorned yet refined. She was clad in garments of subdued color, a mark of mourning for the recent passing of the household’s matriarch. Her face was untouched by cosmetics, but her skin was smooth, her countenance still youthful for a woman of her years—she could scarcely have looked older than forty.
Her form, pear-shaped and full, bespoke the robust fertility prized in rural circles. It was whispered that she had given Chairman He both a son and a daughter, though neither resided in the country. They had returned briefly to pay respects at the funeral before departing once more to their studies overseas. Now, with the disturbance at the old matriarch’s grave, there had been no summons for them to return.
Madam He’s hair was thick and lustrous, her eyes clear, her cheeks carrying the natural flush of one with abundant Qi and blood—or, as modern parlance might put it, a woman whose monthly cycles flowed without obstruction.
She spoke little, her voice soft and measured, entirely absent the brashness of common village women. There was a quiet reserve about her, hinting at some level of education or, at the very least, a temperament naturally given to introspection.
This was not her first meeting with Chu Ke Qing. As she sat with them at the table, she exchanged a few words, reminiscing about the old matriarch’s days and offering quiet lamentations over the shocking desecration of her tomb. Her eyes, reddening with grief, betrayed no pretense—she mourned sincerely.
Chen Yan cast a silent glance at her through his Qi-observing technique. Her sorrow was genuine, without even a trace of deception. It seemed that, in life, the matriarch and her daughter-in-law had shared a harmonious bond.
Chu Ke Qing, ever attuned to the currents of human sentiment, immediately recognized the sorrow in Madam He’s expression. She set down her chopsticks and reached across the table, clasping Madam He’s hand in a gesture of comfort, offering words of solace.
Chen Yan, in contrast, remained an island of stillness, methodically savoring each bite of his meal—playing the role of a young disciple from the sect, indifferent to worldly affairs.
It was only in the rhythm of their conversation that he caught a small but telling detail: Chu Ke Qing addressed Madam He as “Sister Chen.”
—
When the meal had ended, Assistant Zhao came to summon Chu Ke Qing—Chairman He wished to speak with her privately in his study.
This was not a discussion into which Chen Yan could insert himself, so he remained in the main hall, his gaze sweeping the old He family residence with quiet scrutiny.
The estate was not lacking in occupants.
During the matriarch’s lifetime, Madam He had resided here, tending to her filial duties. Though her children had been sent to the city for schooling, she had remained. And Chairman He, for all his wealth and success, ensured that the household was well-staffed.
Beyond the matriarch and her daughter-in-law, the household retained three maids, one of whom served as the dedicated cook.
Two female assistants, both trained in martial arts, had also been assigned to permanent residence—guardians stationed close to the family. A man of Chairman He’s standing could not afford to leave security to chance.
And yet, for all its grandeur, this sprawling manor housed but seven souls.
Not a single man among them.
It was said that the matriarch had spent half her life widowed and had grown unaccustomed to male company in her home. Even Madam He, though wife to one of the richest men in the region, lived here year-round, apart from her husband. Should Chairman He station a male attendant in the house, tongues would surely wag with gossip.
It was not long before Chu Ke Qing and Chairman He emerged from the study. His face bore a stormy countenance, his brows knit with barely restrained anger.
“Prepare the cars,” he commanded.
The time had come to visit the desecrated tomb.
Chen Yan stood immediately, following Chu Ke Qing to the black business vehicle that had brought them here. Chairman He, his assistant, and the driver took another.
The He Family Ancestral Tombs lay atop a nearby mountain, some distance beyond the village.
The road there twisted past a highway, requiring a short drive before they would reach the trailhead.
As they rode, Chu Ke Qing spoke in a hushed tone. “Chairman He shared no new insights. He merely recounted the events once more. His fury is barely restrained—anger and grief coiling together, kept in check only by years of cultivation and restraint.”
Chen Yan nodded in understanding. Had it been his own mother’s tomb that had been defiled, his own blood kin’s body missing from the grave, he too would have burned with rage.
That Chairman He had not flown into a rage on the spot was, in itself, commendable.
Still, something gnawed at Chen Yan’s thoughts.
“You used your Qi-observing technique on him, didn’t you?” he asked abruptly.
Chu Ke Qing gave a small nod. “I did. I even cast a reading of his fate. His Qi appears unscathed. In fact, his luck should be strong—his fortune speaks of growth, prosperity. And yet… this happened.”
Chen Yan mulled over the words, recalling his own glance at Chairman He’s Qi. What he had seen puzzled him: the man’s fate shone bright with opportunity, unmarred by sickness or calamity.
And yet, here they were, driving to the site of his mother’s ruined grave.
“Qi does not lie,” Chen Yan murmured. “There must be some hidden force at play.”
He let the thought linger a moment before posing another question.
“That Madam He—how well do you know her?”
“Not particularly familiar,” Chu Ke Qing said calmly. “I’ve seen her twice before. Once, when I was called to examine the burial site and its feng shui. The second time was at Old Madam He’s funeral. Counting today, that makes three encounters in total.”
She hesitated, then asked with a trace of doubt, “Is there something wrong with Madam He?”
“No issue,” Chen Yan shook his head. “I also examined her with my Heavenly Eye Qi-Observing Technique.”
Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he asked, “You call her ‘Sister Chen.’ Which ‘Chen’ is it? The ‘Chen’ from time (?)?”
“Yes, the ‘Chen’ from time.” Chu Ke Qing nodded. “Her name is Sun Chen. She was named so because she was born in the ‘Chen’ hour. Her father used to be a teacher in the county, an educated man.”
Chen Yan gave a slight nod—no wonder Madam He carried herself differently from the average village woman. So she was the daughter of a scholar.
“Sun Chen also received an education,” Chu Ke Qing continued. “She studied up to high school. Back then, getting into university wasn’t easy. Unlike now, where universities are everywhere. In the early 90s, being admitted to a university was a rare feat.
She stopped studying after high school. Her father pulled some strings to get her a job in a county bookstore as a saleswoman. Later, she married into the He family.
She has a quiet disposition, gentle by nature. It’s said that she got along very well with Old Madam He, who treated her like her own daughter.
Understandably so—after all, this marriage was arranged by the old lady herself. From the very beginning, Sun Chen was the daughter-in-law of her choosing.”
A thought flickered through Chen Yan’s mind. “Do you know her Eight Characters of Birth and Fate?”
Chu Ke Qing shook her head. “That, I do not. When I examined the burial site, I did learn the Eight Characters of Old Madam He and Chairman He, but not Madam He’s.”
“Ask for it now,” Chen Yan said softly.
Chu Ke Qing was startled for a moment but didn’t question further. She took out her phone and quickly sent a message to Chairman He via WeChat.
A few minutes later, she nodded, put away her phone, and relayed Sun Chen’s birthdate to Chen Yan.
“I asked Chairman He for it,” she explained. “I told him it was to calculate the burial site’s influence on the entire household’s fate. I wasn’t sure of your intentions, so I avoided singling out Madam He—I also requested the birthdates of Chairman He’s children.”
Chen Yan gave her a glance, slightly surprised.
This woman was truly meticulous, leaving no loose ends.
With Sun Chen’s birthdate in hand, and recalling that she was born in the ‘Chen’ hour, Chen Yan quickly ran the calculations in his mind.
Moments later, he felt a shift in his thoughts.
Looking up, he found that Chu Ke Qing’s expression had also changed slightly.
Chen Yan chuckled. “You calculated it too?”
“Mm,” she nodded. “Madam He’s fate… is quite remarkable.”
Chu Ke Qing also provided Chairman He’s Eight Characters of Birth and Fate. After hearing them, Chen Yan let out a sigh.
Then, his lips curled into a peculiar smile. His gaze carried a hint of amusement.
“A match made in the heavens.”
—
Sun Chen’s Eight Characters alone indicated a solid fate—one that promised a smooth and peaceful life, with a hint of fortune.
But when combined with Chairman He’s Eight Characters—
It was nothing short of divine providence!
Had Sun Chen married any other man, she would have lived a life of steady fortune, free of illness or disaster, a respectable but unremarkable fate.
Yet, when paired with Chairman He—
Her destiny underwent a transformation.
The He household would prosper, wealth would flow abundantly, and their family line would flourish with many children and boundless blessings!
It was akin to a perfect alchemical reaction!
To put it plainly, Sun Chen possessed an extraordinary fate that elevated her husband’s fortune.
More precisely—
She was uniquely fated to bring boundless prosperity to Chairman He alone!
Chen Yan furrowed his brow in contemplation. “Did Chairman He seek out an Eminent Master before his marriage? This level of compatibility… I refuse to believe it was mere coincidence. This match was undoubtedly handpicked.”
Chu Ke Qing blinked. “That… I don’t know. All I’ve ever heard is that Old Madam He arranged the marriage. Whether or not she sought someone to calculate their fates, I can ask Chairman He about it later.”
She paused, then lowered her voice.
“But back then, Chairman He was far from the wealthy and powerful man he is today. He had earned some money, but compared to now, it was a mere fraction.
Logically, a family of that level wouldn’t be so meticulous in choosing a daughter-in-law. To find a fate as perfectly aligned as this—
It would be like searching for a needle in the vast sea. Only the most elite and powerful families would have the resources for such a painstaking selection. The He family simply didn’t have that capability back then.”
Chen Yan chuckled. “So… perhaps Old Madam He was a hidden master, quietly residing in the mortal world?”
“I don’t know…” Chu Ke Qing said slowly, deep in thought. “From what I’ve heard, she was just an ordinary widow in the countryside. Nothing suggested she was a master of the Mystic Arts.
Perhaps she simply sought out a skilled village shaman to calculate the fates?”
Chen Yan listened, then let out a quiet sigh.
[An ordinary village widow—who’s to say she couldn’t have been an Eminent Master?]
[You, Chu Ke Qing, simply lack the experience to recognize it.]
[Some of these old women—]
[Even the Black and White Lords of the Underworld might have to bow before them.]
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