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A short, plump man stood on the mound, holding a string of Buddhist beads. He watched the eerie spectacle with a somber expression.

"Brother Earthworm, what... what's going on here?" The father of the deceased approached agitatedly, grabbing the plump man by his arm. "Didn't you say that if we buried her hair, she would become my son's wife in the afterlife? That they'd be a loving couple in the Netherworld? Now, what does this burning mean?"

"My son wanted to get married before he died. Now, not only did he not get a wife, but he's been reduced to ashes. You'll pay for this!"

It was the first time Earthworm had witnessed such a scene. Pushing away the grieving relative, he composed himself and said, "Surely one of you must have dropped a lighter into the grave."

"In any case, you've already received her hair and birthdate. How is the burning my concern?"

With that, Earthworm made a swift exit. Upon returning to his shop, he found a crowd waiting at the entrance, each brandishing shovels and filled with anger. They were all there to seek an explanation.

"What's going on? My son has been buried for half a year, but when I went up the mountain just now, his grave had collapsed. When we dug it open, everything was turned to ash."

"Your son's grave was burned? So was my daughter's!"

"At the time, you guaranteed us that if there were any issues within a year of the ghost marriage, we could come to you!"

"We spent so much money with you. You have to give us an explanation!"

The earthworm had no idea what was happening, only that it seemed like the karma he had helped sow had been forcefully severed by some powerful figure.

He stared at the menacing individuals, drenched in cold sweat. Wanting to retreat into the shop, he was pulled out instead. A jolt of fear ran through him, and he quickly grabbed a stool by the door, swinging it wildly while glaring fiercely.

"You're all crazy! It's been a year, what more do you want?!"

The scene was chaotic.

Just then,

the police arrived with an arrest warrant, handcuffing the battered and bruised earthworm without hesitation.

The lead officer spoke with a stern expression.

"Based on solid confessions and investigative leads, we have reason to suspect your involvement in illegal transactions. Please cooperate with our investigation."

The earthworm's face fell.

It was over. He had planned to rely on ghost marriages to build his fortune and become a millionaire.

Now, everything was gone.

At this thought, the earth spirit's gaze turned to one of fury.

Who was it?

Just who had ruined his plans!

In another part of town.

Chu Yuening returned to Temple Street, where the onlookers approached her.

"Ning Ning, has everything been taken care of?"

"It has," Chu Yuening replied, sitting down and pouring herself a cup of tea. She smiled at the crowd and said, "Next customer."

The third client was a young girl, dressed in a sheer blouse with a cross-body canvas bag.

She carefully took out a thousand dollars from her bag and placed it on the table.

"Master, thank you for your trouble."

The girl didn't know Cantonese and spoke Mandarin instead.

Looking at her, Chu Yuening smiled reassuringly. "Don't be nervous."

"Okay." Chen Xi held the straps of her canvas bag tightly. After taking a seat, she scanned her surroundings, admiring the unique decoration style of this Hong Kong shop.

With an envious look, she said, "It's so beautiful. Master, it must be tough running the shop on your own, right?"

"Not really, it hasn't taken too much effort," Chu Yuening replied. "Aside from reading your face, I'll also need your birthdate and time. If you're comfortable proceeding, please share them with me."

"Oh, okay, sure." Chen Xi snapped back to reality and recited a string of numbers.

Chu Yuening calculated the birthdate and time, then said confidently, "Following the traditional method, let's first predict your family background."

"From your birthdate and time, your family situation isn't particularly prosperous. Your parents' health isn't great, and you have an older sister. However, your birthdate carries the influence of the Wenqu Star, indicating that you excel in academics."

Chen Xi nodded. "Master, you're correct. My parents do have poor health. I have an older sister, but she's already married."

"As for my academic performance." Chen Xi reminisced, her face lighting up with a nostalgic smile that gradually transformed into a wistful expression.

"I've always enjoyed studying and put in considerable effort. Since I was young, many relatives praised me for my abilities, and everyone believed I would surely pass the college entrance exam. Unfortunately..."

She let out a gentle sigh.

"I didn't make the cut."

Chapter 146

The neighbors grew puzzled.

"Didn't make the cut? That means you didn't get into university?"

"You look so intelligent, and the master even said you have the protection of the Star of Literature. How could you not have passed the exam?"

"Yes, yes, did something unexpected happen during the exam? Like a fever, perhaps? I have a relative in the mainland who had a fever during her college entrance exam, which affected her performance."

"There were no unforeseen circumstances."

Chen Xi shook her head regretfully. "I truly didn't pass the college entrance exam. During the time when admission letters were being delivered, I waited every day at the village entrance. Eventually, all my classmates received theirs, but mine never came."

"It's quite laughable," Chen Xi said with a bitter smile, her half-tied hair falling softly on her shoulders.

With this scholarly demeanor, if she were in the mainland, people would believe she was a university professor.

"Before the college entrance exam, I had ambitious aspirations. My hometown is in the mountains, a very poor and backward place. I saw that many children in Hong Kong had snacks, whereas in my hometown, it was already good for kids to have enough to eat, let alone any treats."

"I used to think that if I studied hard, I could contribute to my hometown after graduation. Unfortunately, when I failed the exam, all my ambitions came crashing down."

"At first, I refused to accept reality and wanted to retake the exam. I always believed in my ability to pass. But then, my father injured his back and could only stay in bed, causing financial difficulties for our family. There was no way we could afford another year of studying."