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"You said those seniors wanted to kill you?"

"But... they were clearly trying to save you."

Upon finishing her sentence, the on-the-verge-of-collapse Du Qianfan's mind went blank.

"Save... save me?"

Du Qianfan opened his eyes, meeting the girl's clear gaze.

A hint of confusion appeared on Chu Yuening's fair face. "Your forehead doesn't bear any ominous signs, and your eyebrows are thick and long, indicating good health and a long life. There's no sign of an untimely death in the near future."

There was some basis to her words.

Eyebrows represented the Life Palace in the twelve palaces of physiognomy. The thickness and length of one's eyebrows could reveal their vitality and lifespan.

Du Qianfan had very long eyebrows, showing no indication of a short life. Why would he suddenly fall victim to a violent death?

"The negative energy you carry isn't substantial; it's likely influenced by the offerings. If there were malevolent spirits intending to harm, the amount of Yin energy would be far more than what you have now."

Du Qianfan was puzzled: "If they don't intend to harm me, then why are they entangling me?"

Surely, when he was in Tang City, he would be haunted every night. How could the master claim that those things actually wanted to save him?

You must be joking.

Would a ghost save someone?

Chu Yuening remained unperturbed, offering a faint smile. "Let's start from the beginning."

"Your ancestors were likely scholars, and your birth chart indicates a profound cultural virtue and blessings. You're the youngest of two sons in the family, with an older brother. Your academic performance was commendable since childhood, and your birth chart reveals a scarcity of fire and abundance of water. This combination tends to make one cautious, making civil engineering the most suitable profession, as the elements of fire, water, and earth in this field complement each other."

"In other words, as long as you're in the right industry, you'll find success and your career trajectory will continue to improve. Judging by the patterns in your birth chart, your professional path indeed points towards progress. This implies that you've done well in civil engineering."

Du Qianfan was still in a daze.

He had just met Master Chu, yet how could the man know so much about him after only one encounter?

"Yes, many of my ancestors were poets and painters, quite renowned in their time. Our family still preserves numerous genuine masterpieces up to this day. As for my current occupation, I indeed work in civil engineering, and the reason for my return to the mainland was due to our company's collaboration with the upper echelons of Tang City for road construction."

Seeing that Chu Yuening had answered correctly, Du Qianfan felt less resistant when recalling the master's mention of ghosts saving people.

"Master, what exactly is going on here?"

Chu Yuening explained patiently, "Well, it actually has something to do with the road rollers you used during the road construction."

"Road rollers?" Du Qianfan was utterly bewildered.

"Master, why would encountering a ghost be related to road rollers? They seem completely unrelated to me."

The neighbors were also confused.

"That's right, Ning Ning. Why would encountering a ghost have anything to do with road rollers? Shouldn't it be related to the offerings given to the spirits?"

"Not necessarily," Chu Yuening interjected.

Chu Yuening twirled the teacup in her hand. "Of course it's related, and quite significantly so with steamrollers."

As she spoke,

she placed the cup on the table.

"Everyone should be aware of the great earthquake that occurred in Tang City during the 1970s, right?"

Upon mentioning this,

the atmosphere grew still.

No one could forget the catastrophic event that claimed the lives of 240,000 people in a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. That night was forever etched in the memories of many.

After the disaster struck, it tugged at the hearts of people across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

A sobbing voice suddenly echoed through the crowd.

"I know about that earthquake. So many people didn't even have a chance to escape while they were asleep. My aunt passed away that year."

Voices continued to emerge.

"The earthquake back then was truly devastating. I went to the site to help with the rescue efforts. So many elementary schools collapsed; I pulled out so many tiny hands and feet—those were still just children."

The speaker's eyes glistened with tears, likely stirred by memories she had long kept buried. She covered her eyes, feeling a wave of guilt, and waved dismissively. "I'll never be able to forget that scene. So many parents lost their children, and so many children lost their parents."

"There were teachers who never made it out after saving their students, couples embracing each other in death amidst despair, and an elderly person who held several children in their arms, shielding them from massive boulders. Sigh... they all didn't escape in the end."

"The day after the disaster, a large-scale burial was organized. They dug a huge pit near South Lake Park, layering bodies with lime, over and over until the pit was filled."

"Sigh, that catastrophic calamity back then... Tang City lost so many, so very many lives. It was almost emptied of its inhabitants."

Du Qianfan fell silent for quite some time.

He had actually been to Tang City before and had heard people there talk about the earthquake as well.

Recalling the nightmare, he saw the elderly and children covered in yellow mud and sand. Some children had bleeding heads, others were dismembered, yet all with their sorrowful eyes fixed on him, the atmosphere suffocatingly hopeless.

Suddenly, Du Qianfan said, "Master, were... they the victims of the earthquake?"

This time, Chu Yuening nodded. "Yes."

"At that time, there were many victims, but only one situation would warrant a monument. That was for the victims who participated in the rescue operation; their loved ones would reserve a spot for them. The reason why the graves you saw are in a row is because of this."

With so many deaths, having a burial plot was already the greatest respect.

Du Qianfan never expected such a story to be hidden behind it all.

His fear gradually subsided. "Master, how does being pushed by a ghost relate to a road roller?"

Chu Yuening calculated with her fingers and smiled. "The place where the road roller operates isn't far from where you live, right?"

"Indeed, not far at all." Du Qianfan nodded repeatedly, recalling those days tormented by the roaring noise. His expression turned wistful. "It's right behind my shack. You wouldn't know, but since the shack wasn't paved with concrete, it was just mud. The company was rushing to finish the project and didn't stop working at night. As a result, when the road roller was in operation, the surrounding soil would vibrate along with it."