Chapter 62

Chapter 62

In the world of mysticism, Gu Dongting was like an unapproachable flower on a high cliff, rarely approached by anyone.

Even family members wouldn't speak so close to his ear.

This new sensation was intriguing yet not unpleasant, though somewhat embarrassing. Gu feigned composure, “It’s too hot.”

Immediately, Yu's father, still bantering with his son, chimed in, “I’ll lower the air conditioning a bit more, it is quite warm today.”

Not mentioning that the air conditioning had already been set very low since they got into the car.

Gu Dongting, with a stern face, responded, “Thank you.”

Shen Wang, struggling to suppress a smile, leaned slightly on Gu's shoulder and whispered, “Indeed, it is a bit hot today.”

He sounded partly serious, but the rest was all in jest.

For the first time, Gu Dongting experienced a loss for words and abruptly turned, giving Shen a quick glance.

For the first time, a hint of annoyance flickered in those ever-calm, untroubled eyes.

That fleeting emotion caused Gu Dongting's icy facade to melt away, revealing an unwittingly captivating vulnerability.

Shen Wang's gaze shifted subtly, halting his teasing. It was unclear whether he stopped out of tact or guilt.

Under Shen's direction, the Yu father and son drove back to C City. Their expressions grew increasingly perplexed as they approached a familiar neighborhood, stiffening as they entered a particular community.

Qin You Rong scratched his head in confusion, peering out the window, "Isn’t this the place from yesterday…?"

Indeed, they were in the very neighborhood where Yu Cailiang's home was located.

Having learned of Mr. Song's ordeal, Yu's father had braced himself for the possibility that the curse might have been cast by someone close to him.

But entering the neighborhood confirmed his suspicions, stirring an uncontrollable anger in his eyes.

Stepping out of the car, Shen Wang followed his instincts, his surroundings growing more familiar until he stopped before a house, clicking his tongue.

Yu Cailiang exclaimed in shock, “The Tang family?!”

The house they had stopped at belonged to none other than the Tang family!

Yu's father, staring at the familiar place, asked heavily, “Master Shen, are you sure the person who cast the curse is in there?”

Shen Wang closed his eyes to sense his surroundings and affirmed, “It’s here.”

The Yu family had cooperated with the Tang family for years and had a good relationship until they discovered the Tangs' lack of integrity, leading to the termination of their partnership.

This was a typical business decision, both logically and ethically.

Yu's father never imagined that the Tang family would be the ones to target him.

Qin You Rong pondered before saying, "The Tang family established their standing in the metaphysical world with their special talisman papers, becoming elders in the Metaphysical Association, a position that holds prestige nationwide."

"However, their descendants have been declining in ability; not only are their cultivation levels low, but even the talismans they produce are far less effective than before."

Nowadays, the Tang family finds themselves in an awkward situation.

Although they are nominally one of the top ten metaphysical families, they are no longer recognized as such in reality.

Hearing Qin You Rong's words, everyone present showed varied expressions.

Shen Wang slightly raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "No wonder they are so desperate to revitalize their family."

They even forsook their biological son in favor of a fake son who was capable of cultivation, all for the sake of family revival.

Yu Cailiang, unable to hide his astonishment, asked, "Master Qin, what do you mean? Are you saying that the Tang family has always... been involved in these things?"

Qin You Rong nodded, "Yes."

Yu Cailiang fell silent for a few seconds before speaking with difficulty, "Then Tang Jiu..."

"Tang Jiu is also one of us in the circle," confirmed Qin You Rong.

For a moment, Yu Cailiang didn’t know what to say. His mind was a mix of emotions as he bitterly smiled, "I never knew."

He never knew that the Tang family was a metaphysical family.

He never knew Tang Jiu practiced metaphysics.

Even though he realized after the true and false heir incident that Tang Jiu was not the person he thought he knew, Yu Cailiang was shocked to discover that Tang Jiu had concealed such a significant aspect of his life, never breathing a word of it to him.

Yu Cailiang couldn’t help feeling downcast.

It was only then that he finally understood why Tang Jiu, despite coming from a similar background, always maintained a distant aloofness, exuding an air of arrogance.

Yu Cailiang used to think that Tang Jiu's pride stemmed from his academic excellence, feeling inferior in every aspect.

Now, he mumbled to himself, "Perhaps, we were never on the same path."

From their very first encounter as children, Tang Jiu never really considered him a friend.

Yu's father, witnessing his son's despondence, was too shocked and furious to offer comfort.

After all, it was he who had encouraged his son to befriend Tang Jiu and sought to build a rapport with Tang's father... only to unknowingly invite a wolf into their home!

Taking a deep breath, Yu's father realized that his family had probably been a joke in the eyes of the Tangs.

Qin You Rong stepped forward and pressed the doorbell.

The door opened to reveal Tang Jiu, who was taken aback at the sight of Shen Wang, Qin You Rong, and the Yu family standing together.

Qin You Rong immediately flashed his badge, "Special Department investigation. We suspect you're harboring a malevolent practitioner and need to conduct a search."

Tang Jiu's eyes flickered, but he remained at the doorway, "Harboring a malevolent practitioner? Do you have any proof?"

Qin You Rong, accustomed to dealing with obstinate suspects, replied unflinchingly, "In a Special Department investigation, everyone must cooperate unconditionally. Failure to do so will result in my reporting to my superiors for enforced compliance."

Tang Jiu's eyes twitched. Backed by the government, Qin You Rong’s authority left him no choice but to reluctantly step aside.

However, as Qin You Rong entered, Tang Jiu blocked the others, "You're from the Special Department, so I'll allow your search. But the rest, as far as I know, aren't department personnel, right?"

Tang Jiu's gaze met Shen Wang's, his eyes brimming with hostility.

Shen Wang quickly hid behind Gu Dongting, whimpering, "He's so scary, I'm really frightened."

Gu Dongting: "......"

Everyone else: "......"

Gu Dongting spoke calmly, "Mr. Yu and his son are victims and family members. Shen Wang is a consultant affiliated with the Special Department."

Shen Wang nodded enthusiastically, gloatingly adding, "Gu Shi Xiong is absolutely right!"

Tang Jiu was infuriated by Shen Wang's attitude, yet he was powerless to do anything.

Watching Tang Jiu begrudgingly step aside, Shen Wang strutted into the house he had once lived in for a few months with an air of triumph.

The Tang residence looked the same as before, and Shen Wang casually headed towards the guest room after a quick glance around.

But just a few steps in, Tang Jiu swiftly blocked his path: "Shen Wang, do your search, but there's no need to disturb our Tang family's guests."

Tang Jiu emphasized the words 'Tang family', making it abundantly clear that it was his domain, not Shen Wang's.

"Tang Jiu, harboring malevolent practitioners, who knows where you've hidden them. I need to check everywhere," retorted Shen Wang with a smirk. "Even if you gave me this dump, I wouldn't take it."

Qin You Rong nodded in agreement, adding, "We're just doing our job. Not everyone is covetous like you."

Tang Jiu's breath hitched at Qin You Rong's words, his gaze turning icy as he started to retort, only to be cut off.

"Tang Dao You, your special talismans are sold through the Xuanxue Association and the Special Department, right?" Qin You Rong said with a smile. "You know, the Association is just that, an association."

After all, it's the Special Department that's the official governing body for practitioners.

In this tense atmosphere, the guest room door suddenly opened.

A plain-looking middle-aged man stepped out: "Get your servants to prepare some food for me..."

As soon as he saw Shen Wang, Gu Dongting, and the others, his expression changed drastically.

Shen Wang's eyes lit up and he shouted, "That's him! Gu Shi Xiong, it's all yours!"

Before anyone could grasp what Shen Wang meant, Gu Dongting had already drawn his sword, a chilling blade gleaming.

The man instinctively stepped back, narrowly avoiding Gu Dongting's attack, and exclaimed in disarray, "Gu Dongting!"

In the entire world of Xuanxue, only Gu Dongting wore such striking white robes, had such a youthfully excessive appearance, and a sword aura almost piercing the skies.

Gu Dongting's swordsmanship was unrivaled, leaving no one a chance to escape from under his blade.

Despite the man's desperate attempts to flee, he was ultimately pinned down by a long sword at his throat, kneeling on the ground. He tried to defend himself: "Gu Qianbei, I don't know what I did wrong to warrant your personal intervention. I assure you, I will fully cooperate with any investigation!"

Gu Dongting maintained control over him, radiating a chilling sword intent all around.

Shen Wang stepped forward, looking down at the man: "Where did you acquire such knowledge? Curses? Witchcraft? Or maybe the art of hexing?"

The man's pupils dilated, suddenly looking at Shen Wang: "It's you!"

The one who had broken two of his curses!

"Yes, it's me," Shen Wang admitted with a slight smile. "I see the cloudiness in your eyes and the Yin energy on you. Tomb raider, aren’t you?"

"In your youth, you made your fortune through tomb raiding, betraying and murdering your comrades over unequal loot distribution, leaving them buried in the ancient tombs... While you, inadvertently acquiring a fragment of a legacy, learned the art of cursing."

"Hmm, are you doing this for money? No..." Shen Wang pondered for a few seconds, calculating, "You don’t lack money, but having been in the Xuanxue world for years, you've remained insignificant. You needed a backer."

Shen Wang's voice wasn’t loud, but as he continued, the man's complexion turned increasingly pale: "How could you possibly know all this!"

The sword blade at his neck pressed slightly, nicking his skin. The man inhaled sharply, filled with regret.

Damn it, he'd spoken too much! As he regretted his slip, he was also struck with astonishment.

Those past events, by all means, should have been buried with the bodies of his comrades in the sunless ancient tombs.

How could this young man possibly know about those things!

Shen Wang straightened up and spoke nonchalantly: “Do you think the saying ‘heaven's net is wide but lets nothing through’ refers to surveillance cameras?”

The man looked up at Shen Wang, his sinister eyes filled with a hint of confusion.

“The paths you’ve walked and the deeds you’ve done never truly disappear. Those karmic effects are hidden on your face…” Shen Wang looked down at the man, “One day, karma will come full circle.”

This man had committed countless evils, responsible for more than one death, and deserved no pity.

But there was still one thing…

Shen Wang turned to Tang Jiu, his gaze seemingly curious yet scrutinizing: “The Tang family, hiring assassins to kill, how should that be dealt with?”

Tang Jiu's face changed, blurting out, "I don't know anything about this!"