"Master! Master, you've finally appeared! Help, Master!"
As soon as the call connected, Xu Zifan heard Jiang Dong wailing and howling. He took the phone away from his ear and put it on speakerphone. "What's wrong? Tell me slowly."
"It can't be delayed! Master, where are you? I'll send someone to pick you up right away, okay? Please come and save me, Master! My sister and I almost died last night!"
"Okay, I'm at the Shengjun Hotel. Call someone over."
Xu Zifan vaguely heard a woman's voice on the other end of the phone saying that Jiang Dong was feudal, superstitious, and gullible. He hung up the phone and went to take a shower. While he was showering, the hot water suddenly stopped, and the water on his body was icy cold, especially since he hadn't rinsed off the soap yet!
Xu Zifan shuddered, cursed under his breath, and finished washing up, his face turning white from the cold.
[This is so tragic, Shaohua! Have you finished reading all those novels? Is there any reliable solution?]
[Shaohua: Host, I've finished reading. Based on similar plots, I infer that doing good deeds and accumulating merit is the most important aspect of all these stories, as it can offset many negative impacts. Perhaps you could give it a try.]
[Xu Zifan: Okay, from now on, we'll add one rule to Qingfeng Temple: Do one good deed every day.]
[Shaohua: Host, what are the other sect rules?]
As Xu Zifan changed his clothes, he said, "[Nothing for now. We'll add it when we think of something. Let's go. We can't mess up our first deal; we need to make a name for ourselves.]"
He walked out of the hotel and saw Luo Cheng waiting for him at the door. He knew that Jiang Dong's matter this time was serious. He then said to Shao Hua, "[Retrieve all the fortune-telling and feng shui books I've saved in the cultivation world. Relying on cheat codes alone won't work; we need to learn some real skills.]"
[Shaohua: Host, the metaphysics section has been divided into a separate category; you can view it at any time.]
Xu Zifan once again thanked his past self for being so decisive in accepting the system, this all-powerful assistant; otherwise, he wouldn't know how much suffering and effort he would have had to endure.
"Master." Luo Chen looked at Xu Zifan's noble demeanor and awkwardly called him "Master." He really didn't look like him.
Xu Zifan nodded to him, then got into the car without saying a word. "What happened? Is it serious?"
Luo Chen drove off, his expression turning serious. "Yesterday was Jiang Dong's birthday, and a group of us friends were celebrating with him at a restaurant. On his way to the restroom, the restaurant's headlight suddenly fell off. If Tian Xin hadn't noticed something was wrong and rushed over, the headlight would have hit him on the head! By the way, Tian Xin is Jiang Dong's sister, and she's a police officer. We were so grateful for her quick thinking yesterday."
Luo Chen's face turned pale as he spoke of the incident. He didn't want to recall the terrifying scene at all. He looked at Xu Zifan expectantly, "Master, do you have a way to break this?"
Xu Zifan replied frankly, "No, we need to see him, check Jiang Dong's house and everything related to him, and investigate little by little to find out."
"Okay, I'll take the master to the Jiang family now. Jiang Dong's whole family is here." Luo Chen considered for a moment and said tactfully, "We couldn't contact the master after the incident. This matter is really strange, so we found other masters. Tian Xin is a police officer and called the police immediately. There are quite a few police officers at the Jiang family now, so it might be a bit chaotic."
Xu Zifan sensed that he was afraid of offending him by being temperamental, so he gave an indifferent smile and said, "It doesn't matter. The ancestral teachings of our Qingfeng Temple are to do good deeds and accumulate virtue. I came here because I have a connection with Jiang Dong. I don't care about anything else."
Luo Chen was stunned for a moment, "Qingfeng Temple...didn't you say yesterday that you went up the mountain to Qingfeng Temple to make a wish?"
"Oh, that's because I was afraid that if I told you I was the abbot of Qingfeng Temple, you wouldn't believe me and wouldn't let me ride. Actually, I am the current abbot of Qingfeng Temple, and I take it upon myself to do good deeds and accumulate virtue, specializing in helping people exorcise evil spirits and ensure peace. You can also call me Qingfeng Daoren." Now that he's started working, introducing himself is a must; he's taken over the position of abbot to revitalize the Taoist temple.
Luo Chen gave him a complicated look, finding it increasingly absurd, but his concern for his brother ultimately prevailed. He didn't show the slightest doubt, and instead respectfully led Xu Zifan to the Jiang family. He couldn't afford to underestimate any possibility of resolving the trouble.
The Jiang family is a long-established business family, and Jiang's father is the third generation. The family has a deep foundation and is one of the top families in Yanjing. Therefore, Jiang Dong's experience of two life-and-death crises in just a few days has attracted great attention. As soon as Xu Zifan entered the villa, he saw bodyguards standing guard every ten steps, keeping a close watch at all times.
Inside the house, the situation was even more chaotic, with at least twenty police officers busily searching for any clues that might have led to Jiang Dong's death.
Jiang Dong sat on the sofa, next to a neatly dressed girl with a police badge pinned to her clothes; she appeared to be Jiang Dong's sister, Jiang Tianxin. Opposite them sat a Taoist priest in a robe, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance, with a young man beside him, who seemed to have come with the priest.
Seated at the head of the table was a middle-aged couple, exuding a calm and noble air; they were likely Jiang Dong's parents.
Luo Chen quickly stepped forward. "Jiang Dong, I've brought the master here. Uncle, Aunt, this is the master who saved me and Jiang Dong that day. He's the one who saw that Jiang Dong was in danger of bloodshed."
Jiang Dong, who had been looking bored, immediately stood up, walked up to Xu Zifan with a smile, and grabbed him, "Master, you've finally arrived! I was getting so anxious if you hadn't shown up."
"Xiao Dong! Don't be rude." Fearing the Taoist priest would be embarrassed, Jiang's mother quickly interrupted Jiang Dong. The Taoist priest had said so much, and Jiang Dong had only been a little curious at first, but later he just ignored them, but now that a young man has been invited, they can't wait to rush over. What is the Taoist priest supposed to think?
Mrs. Jiang stood up with a friendly smile and said to Xu Zifan, "Are you Mr. Xu? Thanks to your reminder, Xiao Dong was able to avoid that truck. Thank you so much. Please sit down, Aunt Wang will serve you some tea."
Xu Zifan sat between Jiang Dong and Luo Chen, and nodded to them with a smile. "Mrs. Jiang, you are too kind. It was Luo Chen and Jiang Dong who took me with them first, which enabled me to resolve their crisis. It's all fate."
The Taoist priest opposite him sized him up, stroked his beard, and said, "I am Xuantong, young friend. May I ask which master you are a disciple of, and what your name is?"
Xu Zifan smiled faintly and said, "Master Xuantong, I am the new abbot of Qingfeng Temple, and my Taoist name is Qingfeng."
Xuan Tong was taken aback and frowned. "If I remember correctly, Qingfeng Temple was destroyed ten years ago, and Daoist Qingfeng also perished. Young friend, what is this..."
The young man beside him said with a mocking look, "Master, he must have seen that Qingfeng Temple is deserted, so he's using Qingfeng Temple's name to swindle people. Mr. and Mrs. Jiang, since you've already invited my master, what's the meaning of inviting this Master Qingfeng as well? Don't you trust my master's abilities?"
"Xiaofeng, don't be rude." Xuantong said lightly, but he didn't mean to reprimand or discipline them. He was obviously also very dissatisfied with the fact that they had found someone else.
This was indeed inappropriate. Jiang's parents hadn't expected Jiang Dong to suddenly bring someone over, making the situation so awkward.
Just as they were about to smooth things over, Jiang Tianxin, who had been silent all along, said coldly, "My brother almost lost his life, so it's normal for him to be nervous. This Master Qingfeng saved my brother, so naturally my brother will rely on him. Please forgive me for any offense, Master Xuantong."
Presumably, both Taoist priests are highly capable and wouldn't mind such a small matter. Our police station will also investigate as soon as possible; if there truly is a villain at work, catching them is the most important thing right now. Regardless of the outcome, the Jiang family will sincerely thank the two Taoist priests."
Xu Zifan looked at her and sensed a subtle irritation between her brows. It seemed she truly didn't believe in metaphysics at all; otherwise, she wouldn't have spoken so bluntly, unafraid of offending people. Perhaps in her eyes, all so-called masters were just swindlers and fraudsters?
However, she still made all the necessary polite statements, indicating that even if she didn't believe it, she wouldn't embarrass anyone. From her words, it seemed she meant her family could do whatever they wanted, but she was going to lead the police team in a genuine investigation.
Since Jiang Tianxin had already said so, Xuantong would seem petty to continue indulging his disciple, so he stopped his disciple from speaking and generously said with a smile, "Then let's begin. I wonder if you would like to watch together or each of you watch separately?"
Xu Zifan casually took a sip of tea, not in a hurry at all. "Let each do their own thing. I'll talk to Jiang Dong about the specifics of that day. Please, Master Xuantong."
"Please, young friend."
Xu Zifan didn't care at all about Xuan Tong's deliberate attempt to put him down. He believed that such things required real skill, and what was the point of arguing or bickering? Xuan Tong's character wasn't up to par yet, and he couldn't attain enlightenment.
Mr. Jiang accompanied Xuan Tong to inspect the feng shui of the villa, while Mrs. Jiang stayed behind to entertain Xu Zifan, her benefactor and master.
As soon as Xuan Tong left, Jiang Tianxin's sharp gaze fell on Xu Zifan, and she asked bluntly, "Master Qingfeng, may I ask why you were on Qingshui Road at 1 p.m. three days ago? Do you live at Qingfeng Temple on the mountain, or do you live in Yanjing?"
Jiang Dong said unhappily, "Xin Xin, are you interrogating a suspect? I know you don't believe in these things, and I didn't believe in them before either, but I've experienced it firsthand, and the master is really effective."
Xu Zifan waved his hand, "It's okay, there's nothing I can't say. I used to have a home in Yanjing, but I moved to Qingfeng Temple a few days ago. That day I happened to be going down the mountain and saw the car, so I thought I could hitch a ride. Then I noticed that the two of them looked strange, so I reminded them to avoid the truck."
"Officer, you can check. I had no prior contact with that truck driver, and I never went to the restaurant where Jiang Dong had the accident. My ability to tell he was in danger is purely due to the true teachings of Qingfeng Temple."
Jiang Tianxin nodded politely, "I will investigate. Thank you for your cooperation, Master Qingfeng. I am a police officer and only believe in scientific investigation. Your appearance and behavior are too coincidental with my brother's two consecutive crises. As is customary, the police need to ask you clearly. I apologize if I have offended you."
But I can't believe in such mystical things. If Master Qingfeng is going to perform a ritual, please don't make my family do anything strange or dangerous, or drink anything unsanitary like talisman water. My colleagues will be watching this place.
"Xin Xin!" Jiang's mother hurriedly stopped her, somewhat regretting that she had invited the master while her daughter was at home.
Xu Zifan shrugged. "Officer Jiang's request is reasonable, don't worry."
Jiang Tianxin greeted them and then went over to ask her colleagues if they had found anything. Xu Zifan thought she must be their leader, which explained why she spoke with such authority.
He chuckled and patted the nervous Jiang Dong on the shoulder. "What are you doing? Afraid I'll get angry? A true master never cares about such trivial matters. Tell me about your family. Have you ever had any mortal enemies throughout history?"