Chapter 226

Chapter 226

◎Host's Prophecy◎

Zou He was tangled up in several incidents, but fortunately, most of them have been resolved. As for the chaos abroad caused by the fall of a master, which led to a power struggle, it has nothing to do with Ji Nanxing. He’s just your average high school student who worries about homework and exams every day, and international affairs are beyond his concern.

After the Grudge in the Zhao family was dispelled, they shifted from disbelief to frequent offerings at the Yuchun Taoist Temple. It is said that during the time they were plagued by the Grudge, the family went through a lot of hardship.

Tripping while walking, being hit by bird droppings when going out, choking on water, nearly suffocating, and finding all sorts of strange things in their food almost every day. When Zhao Yu distributed the talismans given by Ji Nanxing to everyone, their streak of bad luck finally ended.

However, Ji Nanxing, being such a powerful master and the fourth son of the Ji family, is naturally not someone they can see whenever they want. But after this incident, the family has indeed developed a certain reverence for metaphysics, feeling restless unless they take action.

Zhao Yu sought out Ji Nanxing once more, and Ji Nanxing suggested that their family could go to the Yuchun Taoist Temple to offer incense, attend lectures, and cleanse their spirits when they have time.

Now, the Zhao family has become devoted followers of the Yuchun Taoist Temple and has participated in several charity events with the temple. According to Zhao Yu, his grandfather has mellowed out a lot recently, and their family's reputation, which had declined due to the previous incidents, has slightly improved because of their charitable activities.

However, the heavy burden of the Zhao family now falls entirely on Zhao Yu's shoulders. He has been frequently dining and drinking with Ji Nanxing's eldest brother, seeking advice while venting his frustrations.

The Zhao family is slowly developing, but the Zhou family is beyond saving.

Ji Nanxing had previously said that their punishment was only starting, and they indeed took his words to heart. However, they weren’t about to give up everything. So, after Ji Nanxing left that day, the patriarch of the Zhou family scoured for masters everywhere, hoping to find someone who could help them overcome this crisis.

Unfortunately, before they could find a reliable master, their comeuppance came.

When the Yulan City experienced another temperature drop and officially entered winter, a building constructed by the Zhou family earlier sank, and cracks appeared in the structure due to the sinking.

Buildings that fail to meet inspection standards are not allowed to be delivered. However, in this day and age, money talks. With various shady documents, and the fact that the area is neither in an earthquake zone nor has its underground minerals been depleted, the foundation was considered up to standard.

No one expected it to sink. Fortunately, the building only sank partially, did not collapse, and there were no casualties.

But the absence of casualties now doesn't mean the house will be habitable in the future. Who’d want to live in a sinking building? Yet, houses are often the result of the hard work and savings of two or three generations. Now that this has happened, many might end up homeless, which is unacceptable.

Thus, the homeowners directly sued the developer who built the place, and that developer was the Zhou family.

After the incident, the Zhou family tried several times to contact Ji Nanxing, but he just said, "Sorry, can’t help you," and hung up the phone.

He had already pointed out the way for them before, but they were unwilling to take it. Now that they have no way out, they come to him again. He is not a deity who can turn back time before the incident. It can only be said that they’ve dug their own grave.

While the Zhou family's news was trending all over social media, the results of the first midterm exams for the second year of high school were also released.

The rankings were posted on the bulletin board in the second-year area, and as soon as the bell rang, a crowd rushed over.

Xiao Ye, taking advantage of his height, stood outside the crowd and immediately saw the name Ji Nanxing in first place. Except for physics, where he scored two points lower than the second place, all other subjects were top scores, and his total score was nearly twenty points higher than the second place.

After checking Ji Nanxing's results, Xiao Ye looked down the list and found his name in ninth place. He didn't even have time to check his individual subject scores before dashing back to the classroom like the wind.

"Ji Naonao! We agreed that if I made it into the top ten, you would accompany me to watch the sunrise at the mountain top!"

Ji Nanxing put down his pen and looked at him: "What place?"

Xiao Ye hooked his index finger: "Ninth!"

Ji Nanxing smiled: "Alright then, you can go book the hotel."

Zhang Yuan raised his hand: "Book a room for me too."

Xiao Ye, who was all smiles, instantly changed his expression: "What are you dreaming about?"

Zhang Yuan grinned at him: "It's the Cold Clothing Festival. I didn't go last year, but this year I want to see what it's like. Just book an extra room, and Chen Shiyi, Jiang Tangtang, and I will split the cost."

That mountaintop hotel is quite pricey, and Xiao Ye definitely wouldn't let Ji Nanxing stay in a standard room. It’s definitely a high-end suite, probably costing four to five thousand a night. At that time, he and Chen Shiyi could share a room, with the girls sleeping in the inner room, and he and Chen Shiyi could make do on the sofa for the night. Besides, with the heating on, it won’t be cold.

Xiao Ye hooked his arm around Zhang Yuan's neck and whispered, "What are you doing! You're not supposed to be such a cockblock!"

Are we even brothers? Not only are you not creating opportunities for us, but you're also taking them away?

Zhang Yuan: "We're not competing for the room with you. No matter what, you’ll definitely be rooming with Ji Nanxing. There will be plenty of opportunities to be alone. Other times, we can all have fun together. The more, the merrier, right? Plus, we can help and coordinate. Going solo isn’t as good as having four or five wingmen backing you up."

Xiao Ye looked at him suspiciously: "No sabotage?"

Zhang Yuan elbowed him: "Do we look like the kind of people who’d sabotage?"

Worried that his firm refusal might make Ji Nanxing overthink, Xiao Ye reluctantly agreed.

Ji Nanxing watched as Xiao Ye glanced at his phone screen and then glared at Zhang Yuan, looking like a big, reluctant but obedient dog, his slightly curly hair giving off a cute vibe.

Xiao Ye originally planned to book two rooms but felt it might still be inconvenient, so he ended up booking three. Two were standard, but he upgraded the room types using account points, making the stay comfortable without breaking the bank. His grandpa often went hiking with friends and stayed at the mountaintop for a couple of days, so he was a top-tier VIP with tons of points to burn.

The Cold Clothes Festival just happened to be on a weekend, and the weather was quite nice. Since Chen Shiyi wasn’t in great shape and couldn’t climb the mountain, Ji Nanxing had his family’s bodyguard drive him straight to the hotel via the mountain road. Zhang Yuan, Jiang Tangtang, and a few others would hike up to Yuchun Taoist Temple with him and Xiao Ye before heading to the mountaintop hotel.

With the popularization of various folk cultures over the past two years, the once obscure Cold Clothes Festival has started to get some attention.

As they climbed, Xiao Ye pulled Ji Nanxing aside to avoid the crowd: "There seem to be more people this year compared to last."

There were quite a few people last year, but it wasn't as crowded as this year, where climbers were practically shoulder to shoulder.

Zhang Yuan, walking behind them, panted: "It's not that there are more people this year, it's that Yuchun Taoist Temple has become famous."

Jiang Tangtang, the walking encyclopedia, said: "I know! There was a film crew that was supposed to hold some kind of opening ceremony, and they even had a master pick an auspicious date and spot."

Xiao Ye, already half a member of the mystical community, was curious: "Then what? What happened?"

Jiang Tangtang: "Everything was ready—offerings, a pig’s head, fruits, you name it. There were also many reporters scheduled to attend the ceremony. Just as they were about to light the incense, a Taoist from Yuchun Taoist Temple told them to leave immediately, saying it was dangerous."

Lin Yi, who was too tired to speak and could only gasp for breath, leaned on her knees and looked at Jiang Tangtang with admiration: "Aren't you tired?"

Jiang Tangtang waved her hand: "Don't interrupt me. Then something dramatic happened. The crew had so many people and so much equipment there. After the opening ceremony, there was supposed to be a press conference. They couldn’t just leave. They didn't listen, and I don't know who the Taoist contacted, but soon people came to drive them away. The crew even threatened to pursue the matter, saying they had paid to rent the venue."

"Just as they were being driven down the mountain, the weather turned bad. Not only did it pour rain, but a lightning bolt hit a century-old tree, splitting it in half. The fallen half smashed the stage set up for the press conference."

Jiang Tangtang even pulled up photos on her phone: "Look, this is it. Isn’t it scary? Isn’t it dangerous? If the Taoist from Yuchun Taoist Temple hadn't driven them away, such force would have surely caused casualties."

The entertainment industry is always under scrutiny, and such a dramatic and mystical event naturally spread quickly. Thus, Yuchun Taoist Temple became famous. Whether one's wishes come true is another matter, but at least they have real skills.

After finishing her story, Jiang Tangtang stopped and took a deep breath: "I’m beat. I should’ve just ridden up with Chen Shiyi."

Xiao Xiao, who had been silently climbing without a word, said: "Didn't you say that climbing up yourself shows sincerity?"

Jiang Tangtang looked up and wasn't surprised to see Xiao Ye not even breaking a sweat, but seeing the academic god also looking unfazed, she couldn't help but say: "Is this still our fragile academic god? Look at Zhang Yuan, he's panting like a dog."

Zhang Yuan, who was just a bit out of breath: "Who's panting like a dog? It's just you girls who don't like exercise, getting tired from such a small climb."

Jiang Tangtang immediately rolled up her sleeves: "What do you mean we girls don't like exercise? Who labeled girls as not liking exercise? Zhang Yuan, are you asking for a beating?"

Zhang Yuan quickly begged for mercy: "I was wrong, I was wrong. It's not that girls don't like exercise, it's just you few who don't like exercise, okay?"

Jiang Tangtang: "That's still not okay!"

After shouting, she chased after Zhang Yuan to hit him.

Lin Yi and Xiao Xiao exchanged a glance and smiled helplessly: "They're really energetic."

Xiao Ye fed Ji Nanxing a few sips of water and asked, "Are you hungry?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head: "I had a big breakfast, so I won't be hungry for a while."

Xiao Ye packed the water bottle into his bag and then reached out to Ji Nanxing: "Let me help you up, save some energy."

Although not tired, Ji Nanxing didn't refuse and placed his hand in Xiao Ye's palm, allowing him to pull him as they continued to climb.

After their playful scuffle, the two looked up to see the School Bully and the Academic God walking far ahead, but upon seeing their hands clasped together, their eyes lit up.

Usually, they don't ship real people because they're not as attractive as anime characters. Those who are too unattractive are hard to ship. But the School Bully's obvious crush on the Academic God and their stunning looks make it hard not to ship them.

Finally arriving at Yuchun Taoist Temple, they found a long queue at the entrance. Today was the Cold Clothes Festival, and the crowd included festival-goers and tourists drawn by the temple's recent fame, making the place super crowded.

Fortunately, Ji Nanxing had a management bureau ID and could enter through a side gate without going through the main entrance.

Attending the Cold Clothes Festival meant burning offerings for relatives. Even Chen Shiyi had prepared some paper offerings beforehand. Though not as lavish as Xiao Ye, who bought several villas, the total amount of offerings was still considerable.

Xiao Ye, familiar with the process, helped the staff with management bureau badges to move the items. Zhang Yuan smiled at Ji Nanxing: "He's already buddy-buddy with your colleagues, huh?"

Ji Nanxing: "Quite familiar."

He mainly interacted with a few team leaders and had only simple collaborations with other team members. Over the years, they never had a meal together.

But Xiao Ye had already had meals with members of the first and third teams several times. He hadn't met with the second team much because he had fewer collaborations with them. If it weren't for his strong yang energy preventing him from seeing ghosts, he might have even mingled with the ghost colleagues at the management bureau.

Zhang Yuan shook his head: "His social skills are nothing short of a bandit's."

The Lingering Ghosts were arranged in a separate area, just like last year, with a dedicated zone for burning paper offerings to relatives.

It was Zhang Yuan and his friends' first time attending such a large-scale ritual. The sight of a group of Taoist priests in their robes was quite awe-inspiring.

Watching the orderly arrangements, Zhang Yuan whispered to Xiao Ye: "This mountain must be really pure."

Xiao Ye also whispered back: "If you ever get into trouble and Naonao and I can't help you in time, come here for help. It could save your life."

Once the ritual started, they stood quietly on the side, not daring to move around. When it came time to burn the paper offerings, they silently made wishes in their hearts. Since Yuchun Taoist Temple was so effective, their ancestors would surely receive the offerings.

Once the offerings were received, they hoped their ancestors would help their wishes come true.

After the ritual, they stayed at Yuchun Taoist Temple for a staff meal.

In the past, the temple did not serve meals to visitors. The temple was small with no recreational facilities, so people usually came to offer incense and then left, not needing to eat.

But as the temple's fame grew, more and more people came, some with families, some attracted by the scenery for inspiration. The most common suggestion in the suggestion box was the need for a cafeteria. The temple took the public's advice and actually set up a cafeteria.

The cafeteria at Yuchun Taoist Temple turned out to be surprisingly tasty.

Jiang Tangtang whispered to Xiao Xiao and Lin Yi: "Good thing this isn't a Buddhist temple, or we'd be stuck with vegetarian food."

Xiao Ye said: "There's a Buddhist temple with excellent vegetarian food."

Ji Nanxing glanced at him, and Xiao Ye immediately added: "But it's not as good as here. Taoist food is better—at least we can eat meat."

Ji Nanxing: "When I went to handle a case once, a master told me I had a strong connection with Buddhism. If my master hadn't introduced me to Taoism early, I might have gone to a Buddhist temple to practice."

The others exclaimed in awe: "So you're the legendary Buddha's child, huh?"

Only Xiao Ye slammed the table: "What's so good about Buddhism? It's not good at all! Helping others and then getting yourself angry? Naonao, Taoism is the way to go. Our master has worked hard to train a disciple, and he's getting old. You mustn't say such things again, or if Master hears this, it would really hurt his feelings."

The others stifled their laughter as Ji Nanxing added a serving of food to Xiao Ye's plate, saying, "Just eat."

Once they had eaten and drunk their fill and once they had enough energy, the group decided to hike directly to the hotel at the mountain peak. By the time they arrived, Chen Shiyi had already taken a nap.

"How come you're only arriving now? I thought you guys had gone missing halfway."

Jiang Tangtang rushed to the balcony of the room, exclaiming how beautiful the scenery from the mountaintop hotel was, with lush greenery and stunning blue skies—it's absolutely beautiful!

Lin Yi and Xiao Xiao collapsed on the sofa, rubbing their legs: "They felt they hadn't climbed enough in the morning and refused to take the cable car, insisting on reaching the summit on foot."

Chen Shiyi brought them some drinks. The room was well-heated and quite warm, making the cold drinks just perfect. He then took his phone and ran over to Ji Nanxing: "Nanxing, look, there's an online personality here predicting that there will be a murder at the Maple Leaf Hotel tonight. I wonder if it's true or not."