Chapter 333

Chapter 333

◎Share the Wealth◎

There were many ways to escape. Ji Nanxing could leave by separating his soul from his body and break through the energy field outside the door, just as he had done when entering—temporarily sealing off the earth’s energy here would cause the door to open briefly, just enough time for him to drag Xia Junyan out.

But Ji Nanxing had no intention of doing that. Xia Junyan was unreliable, and soul separation meant leaving his physical body vulnerable. In a place like this, where safety couldn’t be guaranteed, any mishap during the process would lead to serious trouble.

If they couldn’t break through from the outside, then they’d have to destroy it from within.

As Ji Nanxing scanned the surroundings, searching for weak points in the formation, Xia Junyan pointed weakly at several locations nearby: "Check these spots."

After speaking, he collapsed against the door, gasping for breath. That one piece of candy hadn’t helped much with restoring his strength, but during the days he’d been trapped here, he hadn’t simply waited idly. If Ji Nanxing could spot internal flaws at a glance, so could he—though it had taken him a day or two of being stuck to figure it out. Still, he’d managed.

Once he realized the house was essentially a giant coffin, he’d started looking for places where the structure might be vulnerable.

Why couldn’t a coffin be opened easily? Because coffins were sealed with nails, and removing them required skill. In ancient times, some were even more carefully constructed—the nails were placed according to the deceased’s birth chart and time of death, making them even harder to remove.

The spots he identified were areas where the energy fluctuated slightly. But finding them had already pushed his abilities to their limit. His knowledge of the occult was too limited to do much more than that.

Xia Junyan’s findings saved Ji Nanxing a lot of time. The house wasn’t overly large, but it wasn’t small either—excluding the landscaped gardens outside, the interior spanned about two to three hundred square meters (approximately 2,000–3,000 square feet).

While the exterior was built in the shape of a coffin, the interior was more complex, with a main chamber, side rooms, and even a shrine filled with ancestral tablets of the Lu family. Judging from the incense ashes in the shrine, the Lu family likely visited two or three times a year to pay their respects.

Ji Nanxing quickly sketched the layout on his phone, marking the spots Xia Junyan had found. He realized it formed an Eight-Directions Lock Formation—a powerful suppression array. The yang-world-yin-coffin structure itself was a form of suppression; the House Guardian, forged using extreme yang blood, was also part of the suppression. Even the towering fir trees symbolized worship, yet from another perspective, their dense canopy was yet another layer of suppression.

To someone who knew better, this was a place enshrining ancestors. To the uninformed, it might seem like a ferocious beast was trapped here, bound under layers of magical restraint.

Unlike Xia Junyan, who had found the key points but still couldn’t escape, Ji Nanxing pasted talismans on each marked location before returning to the entrance to form hand seals.

As he recited the Taoist Nine-Word Mantra—one character at a time—the energy field of the Lu family’s ancestral home began to shift. The clash between spiritual energy and the talismans caused the entire house to tremble. Ji Nanxing could feel the resistance building with every word, and by the time he reached the final syllable, he had to remove his bracelet and grip it tightly in his palm.

The engraved runes on the bracelet glowed with spiritual light under the surge of power. One by one, the Taoist beads lit up, and when the runes connected into a single line, Ji Nanxing clapped his hands together, gripping the ritual implement firmly as he shouted, “Break!”

With a thunderous boom, the spots where he’d placed the talismans erupted. Bricks shattered, walls exploded outward, and Ji Nanxing kicked the door open, dragging Xia Junyan out as they sprinted away.

Finally bathed in daylight again, Xia Junyan was nearly moved to tears. “Only you could’ve pulled this off! I really thought I’d never see the sun again.”

Ji Nanxing gave him a look. “Save your energy. I’ll take you to the hospital first. Once you’ve rested, you can explain how you got tangled up with the Lu family and ended up trapped inside.”

Xia Junyan waved a hand dismissively. “No hospital needed. Just a full meal and a good sleep will do.”

In their line of work, this wasn’t the first time he’d nearly been trapped to death. His body wasn’t fragile enough to need medical attention over something like this. Still, while being dragged away, he warned, “The Lu family isn’t to be trifled with. If we go to a hotel, they might detain us. There’s no Bureau of Supernatural Affairs here—we need to be careful.”

Ji Nanxing glanced at his pitiful face. “You think I’m as careless as you?”

If the Lu family dared to lay a hand on him, they’d be destroyed even faster than if their ancestral graves were desecrated.

They hadn’t gone far when Xiao Ye, who had been waiting outside, rushed over at the sound of the explosion. Worried that Xia Junyan might crush his little desk buddy, he quickly took Xia Junyan from Ji Nanxing.

Xia Junyan was touched once again. “You came too? I used to think you had it out for me, but I guess I was just being petty—sorry for misjudging you.”

Xiao Ye’s lips twitched expressionlessly. This grown man was completely useless, forcing his Ji Naonao to come rescue him.

After leaving the Lu family’s house, they headed straight to the place Xiao Ye’s friend had lent them. Knowing Xiao Ye was borrowing the house, his friend had arranged for it to be cleaned in advance, stocking it with food and drinks and telling him to make himself at home.

Exhausted, Xia Junyan didn’t even bother showering. After wolfing down a few bites, he collapsed on the floor and fell asleep immediately.

Ji Nanxing threw a blanket over him, leaving him to rest on the couch without further ado. After having Xiao Ye send him the photos he’d taken, he buried himself in his laptop, absorbed in whatever he was working on.

Xiao Ye had given Xia Junyan instant fast food—just a few cups of instant noodles—but he couldn’t be so careless with Naonao. Fortunately, the fridge was stocked with fresh vegetables and fruits, and soon three dishes and a soup—two meat-based and one vegetable—were ready.

Placing the food next to Ji Nanxing, Xiao Ye handed him the rice bowl and chopsticks before saying, "Eat while you keep working. Judging by Xia Junyan’s condition, he’ll probably sleep until tomorrow. Should we take him with us later or stay here?"

Ji Nanxing replied, "Contact the driver—we’ll leave soon. My brother has a place here; we’ll go there. This place won’t stay peaceful for long."

Xiao Ye asked, "Have you figured out how to deal with the Lu family?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head. "I don’t need to."

He turned his laptop screen toward Xiao Ye. "This is something I just got from someone. These are wealthy businessmen living here—from minor celebrities to CEOs of listed companies. Among them are several from enterprises ranked highly in the country. If they find out what the Lu family has been doing, I won’t need to lift a finger to solve this."

The problem with the Lu family wasn’t easy to resolve. They had deep roots here, their energy fused with the land. To deal with them would mean ripping them out by the roots entirely. It wasn’t impossible, but the aftermath would be troublesome.

This was also where the Lu family showed their cunning. If they hadn’t harmed anyone and simply relied on feng shui to boost their fortune—even if it was through heretical methods—the Bureau wouldn’t be able to do much beyond dismantling their feng shui setup and sealing the tomb-house built atop the spiritual node, nothing more.

But if Ji Nanxing stepped in directly, it would mean pitting the entire Ji family against the Lu family. If their feng shui was broken and they suffered backlash, dropping dead instantly would at least eliminate the threat. But if their remaining luck shielded them from that backlash, the Lu family would surely retaliate.

If Ji Nanxing were alone, he wouldn’t fear their retaliation, but he didn’t want to bring trouble to his family.

Besides, if the Lu family dared to do such things, they shouldn’t fear retribution either.

Xiao Ye asked, "You’re planning to expose what the Lu family did?"

Ji Nanxing nodded. "I won’t do it directly. The elite circles have their own trusted Taoists. Letting those Taoists expose the truth avoids trouble for me while solving the Lu family issue—kill two birds with one stone."

Xiao Ye glanced at the man passed out on the sofa. "Then why did they trap him in that house?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head. "I don’t know. There were no lingering ghosts inside, yet they built a structure meant for the dead. What were they trying to suppress? And why trap Xia Junyan there?"

He turned to look at Xia Junyan. "It couldn’t be human sacrifice, could it?"

If it was, then the Lu family had truly lost their minds—targeting a Bureau Taoist was no different from killing someone in front of the police at a station.

Ji Nanxing didn’t think the Lu family was that stupid, but whatever their goal, it was doomed to fail.

Ji Nanxing acted quickly. He compiled the photos he’d taken and his analysis of the formation into a dossier, first sending it to Bai Yilong, who was well-connected in entertainment circles. With his extensive connections and frequent interactions with wealthy businessmen, he was the perfect starting point.

Bai Yilong called immediately after receiving the files, asking if it was true. If it was, the Lu family would be offending countless people—and these weren’t just anybody they were crossing.

Ji Nanxing said, "I just pulled Xia Junyan out of there. The Lu family used *Fushan*’s terrain to set up a feng shui formation, using others' fortune and wealth to nourish the mountain’s energy. Their ancestral tomb-house sits on the spiritual node of the formation—essentially stealing luck. Everyone living on Fushan is affected. This is the Lu family’s debt to them. Let them settle it themselves."

Bai Yilong scrutinized the photos—the towering trees along the mountain path, the aerial floor plan of the house, the Ghost Gate and Yin Path, even a makeshift Naihe Bridge. The more he saw, the more shocked he became. The Lu family’s audacity was staggering.

Trusting Ji Nanxing’s judgment and the photographic evidence, Bai Yilong’s first call was to an acclaimed actress (literally “TV queen”) living on Fushan. She had two films nominated this year, both of which she’d taken pay cuts to star in, hoping to win Best Actress.

Both films were critically acclaimed, and everyone—including herself—believed the Best Actress trophy was practically hers. Yet, in the end, she went home empty-handed.

As soon as the call connected, Bai Yilong cut to the chase. “Ms. Xia, are you still living in your Fushan house?”

Xia Ling checked the caller ID, confirming it was Master Bai, and frowned slightly. “Master Bai, why do you ask about my Fushan house? Yes, I’m still there.”

Bai Yilong said, “Your loss at the awards might be due to drained luck. Take a look at this.”

He sent her the dossier. Having been in the industry for years, Xia Ling had grown to believe in such things despite initial skepticism. As she read, her face paled. She never resorted to dark arts to boost her luck, but that didn’t mean she’d tolerate someone siphoning it!

Soon, word of the Lu family’s deeds spread through elite circles. Many Fushan residents, alerted by friends and connections, learned the truth.

Some, currently at home, wanted to see for themselves—“seeing is believing.” They sent bodyguards to inspect the Lu family’s property. The formation’s intricacies might be lost on them, but the grounds were overrun with weeds, and the house was unmistakably coffin-shaped—facts that couldn’t be denied!

What businessperson doesn’t care about luck and fortune? Buying property means checking the feng shui, setting up a company involves feng shui considerations, and even the arrangement of office desks and chairs often prompts some big bosses to bring in masters for on-site inspections. Now, to have their luck stolen right from under them—who could tolerate that?

If business owners react this way, those in the entertainment industry would only take it even more seriously. Making it big depends on fate, and how long you stay famous depends on fortune. If their luck is stolen, it’s like their career is over. Who could stand that? They’d pull out all the stops and use every resource to reclaim what was taken.

Before the Lu family caught wind of the news, the commotion among the wealthy elite was quickly followed by tremors within the Taoist community. The latter wasn’t shocked by the Lu family’s methods—rather, many Taoists were caught off guard as the business moguls they knew flooded them with calls, urgently requesting inspections of their homes’ feng shui.

Those who knew powerful masters immediately sought their help—some from Rongcheng, others from influential figures in different provinces. Those who couldn’t reach their usual masters scrambled through connections to find alternatives. Even if they knew their luck had been stolen, they couldn’t resolve it themselves—they needed experts to assess just how severe the damage was.

After transferring the still-unconscious Xia Junyan to his brother’s place, Ji Nanxing checked his phone to find the Taoist group chat flooded with messages.

“What’s going on? My master was urgently summoned with a hefty fee—left in such a hurry, even took a private jet!”

“I was just escorting a lingering ghost to its rest when I saw several Taoist priests from Yuchun Temple being escorted into cars by black-suited bodyguards.”

“The Taoist Management Bureau is overwhelmed today—heard something major went down in Rongcheng. Checked the flights and trains—completely booked solid.”

“Heard from a well-connected friend that someone used underhanded methods to siphon luck and pissed off a lot of people.”

“Today I had a class with my teacher, but it was suddenly postponed.”

“Same here—a talisman master I know was halfway through an online lecture when an assistant whispered something, and the class ended abruptly.”

Though the Rongcheng incident hadn’t fully spread, the wealthy’s frantic search for Taoists through their networks was impossible to ignore. Ji Nanxing skimmed the chat but found nothing particularly noteworthy.

Xiao Ye wasn’t in the Taoist group, but he followed the Human Realm Network forum, where discussions about the sudden surge in Taoist summons were already trending: “This is blowing up big time—these people won’t let the Lu family off easy.”

Ji Nanxing: “You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes.”

Xiao Ye chuckled and glanced at him: “I thought you’d handle it yourself.”

Ji Nanxing: “Even if I did, I’d have to report it to the Management Bureau and request backup. Might as well lay it all out in the open. With so many Taoists involved, a few working together could dig up whatever the Lu family’s suppressing.”

Besides, taking everything on himself would only earn so much merit. By spreading the task, though the individual gain might be smaller, everyone could benefit—money and merit for all, while avoiding unnecessary trouble. A win-win all around.