The driver had received a message from Mother Lin to discreetly observe everything and report back.

Although Xia Liang's words had already convinced Lin Xiaolan, her parents, who had never met Xia Liang, definitely wouldn't believe him. If Lin Xiaolan chose the second option on the spot, her mother would probably try desperately to stop her.

「…」

After returning to Qingyun City, Xia Liang didn't go to the Lin Family's house. Instead, he went straight to his shop. As for burning offerings for the deceased that night, Xia Liang didn't want to get involved. He gave Liu Zhendong's phone number to Lin Xiaolan, asking her to have him find someone to help.

Upon returning to the shop, Xia Liang found a familiar face sitting inside, chatting with Zhang Xiaokui.

"Great Monk, how come you've arrived at my shop so soon after we parted this afternoon?" Xia Liang smiled. "I told you to drop by when you're free, but I didn't expect you to come so quickly!"

The two were already quite familiar, so they spoke much more casually. Xia Liang sat down with a smile and gave Su Qianyun a knowing look. Understanding the cue, Su Qianyun quickly brewed a pot of tea and brought it over.

"Amitabha, Master Xia Tian is jesting," Monk Ruoshan said with a smile. "I was planning to return to the monastery this afternoon, but a friend suddenly entrusted me with a task that requires me to go somewhere."

"Where are you going?" Xia Liang asked, slightly surprised.

Just as Monk Ruoshan was about to speak, Xia Liang raised his hand to stop him and chuckled. "Don't tell me, Great Monk. I'll know as soon as I do a calculation!"

"You'll know from a calculation?" Monk Ruoshan laughed lightly. "Master Xia Tian, the fate of people like us can't be calculated."

Xia Liang's smile deepened. "That rule doesn't apply to me."

It's often said that healers can't heal themselves, and the same holds true for fortune telling.

Monk Ruoshan laughed as well. "Since that's the case, then please, Master Xia Tian, do a calculation for me."

Xia Liang simply observed Monk Ruoshan for a moment, and a smile crept across his face.

"Have you figured it out, Master Xia Tian? Why would an old monk like me stay in Qingyun City?" Monk Ruoshan looked at Xia Liang with a smile, obviously skeptical that Xia Liang possessed such an ability.

Xia Liang smiled faintly. "I have. Is it regarding Philanthropist Xue?"

"Oh? You really figured it out!" A strange light flashed in Monk Ruoshan's eyes. After all, the destiny of practitioners like them was different from that of ordinary people.

"Master Xia Tian, please say more. In my nearly forty years of life, I've never met anyone who could perform divination for those in our line of work. You're the first!" As he said this, a look of respect appeared on Monk Ruoshan's face.

Xia Liang smiled faintly. "Xue Ren is Qingyun City's number one philanthropist and one of the city's top ten outstanding figures. He's planning to build a public museum pro bono. Many fortune tellers in the city are willing to help him for free, since it's a good, virtuous deed. You, Great Monk, are no exception. For a fortune teller, helping select a location with good feng shui for such a charitable endeavor is a good deed that relates to one's own karma."

After saying this, Xia Liang winked. "Am I right?"

"My goodness, you hit the nail on the head!" A look of surprise flashed in Monk Ruoshan's eyes. Then, rubbing his belly, he said with a laugh, "To be honest, Master Xia Tian, I also came here this time to invite you to come along."

"Invite me to come along? I'm not going!" Xia Liang flatly refused.

After all, such a free task might be an opportunity, or even a karmic reward for people like Monk Ruoshan, but for Xia Liang... it had absolutely nothing to do with him. He naturally wouldn't engage in thankless jobs.

Monk Ruoshan looked astonished. "Master Xia Tian, don't you realize how great the karmic rewards would be if this works out?"

Xia Liang just shook his head indifferently.

As if suddenly realizing something, Monk Ruoshan asked, "Did your master never tell you about karmic rewards?"

Xia Liang shook his head again. "I don't have a master. I'm self-taught."

"He is too, also self-taught," Xia Liang said, pointing to Zhang Xiaokui.

Monk Ruoshan was momentarily stunned. "Now *that* makes me see things with new eyes. After all, for someone as uniquely gifted as you, Master Xia Tian, being self-taught isn't so difficult to believe. But this young man is also self-taught? I had always assumed he was your disciple."

Monk Ruoshan glanced at Zhang Xiaokui and chuckled softly. Before Xia Liang had arrived, I could already tell that this young man's ability to discern fortune and misfortune is no worse than my own!

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaokui turned around with an honest smile. "I'm just working here... oh no, I'm employed here, that's all."

When he heard this, a storm surged in Monk Ruoshan's heart as he watched Xia Liang's smiling face and mused inwardly. Such a powerful master is just an employee here?

Xia Liang said with a smile, "Xiao Kui, tell Master Ruoshan who your ancestor was."

Zhang Xiaokui blushed and stammered, "My grandpa was a Taoist. My ancestor was Taoist Zhang Tong."

"Zhang Tong?" Monk Ruoshan shot to his feet. "Could it be *the* Taoist Zhang Junbao?"

"Yes," Zhang Xiaokui said with a naive smile. "According to my grandpa, our Zhang family's Taoists were actually most skilled in alchemy, but sadly, that knowledge wasn't passed down." At this, Zhang Xiaokui scratched his head sheepishly.

"So you are a descendant of the great Taoist Zhang Junbao! Forgive my earlier disrespect!" Monk Ruoshan brought his palms together. "Amitabha, Master Xia Tian, your shop is truly a gathering of hidden talents!"

Xia Liang smiled faintly. Having cultivated the Great Fate Technique, I've long since transcended the so-called Five Elements. He then said to Monk Ruoshan, "Great Monk, I won't be getting involved in Xue Ren's affairs."

Monk Ruoshan shook his head. "If that's the case, so be it. I was hoping that if you came, Master Xia Tian, you could perform some fortune telling for the Taoists there."

With that, Monk Ruoshan sighed in regret and prepared to leave.

However, at that moment, an idea struck Xia Liang. Fortune telling for Taoists? Why didn't I think of that? It might trigger a few system tasks!

Noticing the sudden shift in his demeanor, Monk Ruoshan paused, taken aback. "Master Xia Tian, you're willing to come along?"

With that thought, Xia Liang waved his hand with a smile. "Let's go, Great Monk. I'll drive."

「An hour or so later.」

Xia Liang arrived at their destination with Monk Ruoshan. It was a place of picturesque scenery, with clear streams and lush vegetation. The crisp, pleasant birdsong and the sound of the babbling brook made one feel instantly at ease.

Xia Liang smoothly parked the car, and a vintage-style manor appeared before them. Without a doubt, this was where Xue Ren resided. At the entrance stood two guards, ramrod straight. Their gazes shifted to the pair, sweeping over them with caution.

Monk Ruoshan bowed slightly. "Amitabha. This humble monk is here to see Benefactor Xue Ren."

The guards, hearing this, immediately let him pass. Clearly, Xue Ren had already instructed them not to stop him.

However, just as Xia Liang was about to enter, the two guards moved to block the doorway.

Xia Liang's eyes narrowed slightly. "What's the meaning of this?"

One of the guards replied, "Apologies, sir, but Boss Xue said that only the feng shui master may enter." After speaking, he even gave Xia Liang a respectful salute.

Xia Liang shook his head with a smile. "Who says I'm not a fortune teller?"

The two guards didn't say anything, but their eyes glanced toward Xia Liang's BMW. Their expressions seemed to say it all. We've seen fortune tellers before, but never one who drives a BMW to a job!

At that moment, Monk Ruoshan spoke up. "Gentlemen, this Master Xia Tian's abilities far surpass those of an old monk like me. Please, let him pass!"

The two guards exchanged a glance before one took out a walkie-talkie and mumbled a few words into it. Only after receiving instructions did they finally step aside and grant entry.

"This manor's owner is certainly doing well for himself," Xia Liang muttered, taking in the surroundings.

While the estate wasn't as expansive as the Meng Family's, its decorations were far more exquisite. The plants were all rare trees of grade two or higher, and there were even some foreign species that had clearly been air-freighted in for transplantation.

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