Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Mother-in-Law Is Astonished

Xuan Chan gazed at Chen Yang with a grave expression. “But there are rules in the temple.”

“I don’t care about any ridiculous rules,” Chen Yang said loudly. “I’m not concerned with how many people you’ve swindled before, but the fifty-five thousand you cheated from my mother-in-law—you must pay back every single cent.”

Xuan Chan’s brows knitted tightly. After two seconds, a slip of white powder suddenly slid from his right sleeve into his palm. Of course, this white powder was nothing else but poison, capable of causing breathlessness with just a whiff.

By now, Xuan Chan was seething with rage towards Chen Yang. He had never been a compassionate monk who sought to save all beings; his eyes were set only on his own interests. Anyone who dared infringe upon them would have to pay the price.

He swiftly moved his right hand, intending to poison Chen Yang. Yet, to his utter shock, just as he made his move, Chen Yang anticipated him, suddenly grabbing his wrist and, with a gentle twist, broke it.

Xuan Chan let out a miserable scream, and the white poison in his hand scattered to the ground.

His disciples, witnessing the scene, all showed grave expressions.

Xuan Chan, gritting his teeth and full of unwillingness, demanded, “Why—how did you notice?”

Glancing at the white powder on the floor, Chen Yang’s lips curled into a disdainful sneer. “When I was learning how to instantly discern an enemy’s intentions, you were probably still idling away your days in some temple, weren’t you?”

“Who exactly are you?” Xuan Chan looked at Chen Yang with a solemn face. After several encounters, it was obvious Chen Yang was no ordinary man.

To Xuan Chan’s inquiry, Chen Yang replied with a cold laugh, “It’s better you don’t dig into my background. But I’ll tell you this: I’m someone you absolutely cannot afford to provoke.”

By now, Xuan Chan was resigned. After all, he had lost every bout with Chen Yang. He realized that, although this young man was much younger, his skills were in no way inferior.

Not wanting to continue the confrontation, Xuan Chan turned to his senior disciple. “Go to the finance office, refund his money at once.”

The disciple hurriedly bowed with a Buddhist gesture. “Yes, Master.”

As the senior disciple left in haste, Chen Yang looked back at Xuan Chan, a cold smile on his lips. “I seem to have told you before: stop all your deceits. Did my words just pass in one ear and out the other?”

Xuan Chan frowned. “It’s a matter of survival, benefactor. Please be tolerant.”

“I have no tolerance for evil or wrongdoing. I’m telling you again—don’t swindle people any longer. This is my second warning. They say things don’t happen thrice. I don’t want to warn you a third time. If you still won’t listen, I’ll demolish this temple myself. Do you understand?”

Xuan Chan’s face was full of misery. “But if I don’t tell fortunes, how will the temple survive? Where will the income come from?”

“That’s your problem, not mine,” Chen Yang replied coldly.

Xuan Chan shook his head in gloom. “How is my temple supposed to survive, then? How can we go on?”

Hearing this, Chen Yang couldn’t help but sneer in contempt. For such a large temple to depend on deceit for survival—how pathetic.

Although Xuan Chan’s face was etched with distress, Chen Yang felt not the least bit of sympathy.

In any case, his words had been made clear. If Xuan Chan ever tried to deceive anyone again, he would destroy the temple—he certainly had the power to do so.

Ignoring Xuan Chan’s laments, Chen Yang waited until the temple’s finance office transferred the money to his phone. He then gave Xuan Chan a cold look. “Those who do evil will be destroyed by it. I’ve said what I needed to say. If you don’t believe I can raze this temple, just try cheating someone again. Remember my words.”

Xuan Chan’s brows stayed tightly knit, his face twisted in pain. To Chen Yang, he deserved every bit of it.

After leaving the temple, Chen Yang headed straight for Huading Corporation.

On the way, he considered calling his mother-in-law Han Qin to share the good news of retrieving the money. But then he thought, if he broke the news so plainly, it would be no fun. With her character, if she got the money too easily, she’d probably forget his efforts by the next day.

He decided, instead, to wait until after work when he got home, and then tell Han Qin. And he wouldn’t just tell her plainly; he’d make it a surprise, so she’d remember it well.

Pondering this, Chen Yang, sitting in the taxi, couldn’t help but smile with delight. “Mom, just wait for your rollercoaster of emotions tonight.”

In a blink, the workday passed.

At six o’clock sharp, Chen Yang returned home. Han Qin, who’d been sitting on the sofa watching TV, immediately stood up and asked, “Chen Yang, did you go for the money today?”

“Yes, I did,” Chen Yang replied, deliberately putting on a disappointed look.

At his words, Han Qin’s expression instantly grew grave. Qin Guoshan, too, furrowed his brow. He wasn’t a fool; from Chen Yang’s manner and tone, he guessed the outcome wasn’t good.

Han Qin also sensed as much, and in frustration, slumped back onto the sofa, muttering, “I told you so—what’s the point of sending you? What use are you?”

At this, Qin Muxue, who’d been standing behind Han Qin, asked, “Chen Yang, what did the temple say when you went today?”

Chen Yang shook his head. “They refused to return any money. They said once money enters the temple’s treasury, it never comes out.”

“What kind of temple is Guanshan Temple, acting like this?” Han Qin complained, her eyes full of coldness. Clearly, she was truly, deeply upset.

Qin Guoshan, though pained by the loss, was after all a man who could take things in stride. He tried to comfort Han Qin. “Alright, it’s just money for a lesson learned.”

“A lesson? What lesson costs over fifty thousand?” Han Qin said angrily.

Qin Guoshan glared at her. “Didn’t you bring this on yourself? If you’d been a little calmer back then—”

“Oh, so now you’re blaming me? When I wanted to buy the jade pendant for Muxue, weren’t you all for it, too?” Han Qin shot back.

Knowing he’d lose this argument, Qin Guoshan wisely fell silent.

At this, Qin Muxue also chimed in to comfort her. “Mom, Dad’s right. Just consider it a lesson. What else can we do?”

“My fifty thousand—my fifty thousand!” Han Qin wailed in anguish.

Chen Yang took in Han Qin’s look of disappointment, regret, and heartache, thinking that the moment was ripe. He suddenly smiled. “Alright, Mom, don’t be upset. I was just teasing you earlier. I’ve already got the money back.”

His words stunned the whole family.

Qin Muxue stared at him in surprise, frowning. “You got the money back?”

Qin Guoshan and Han Qin both looked confused, unsure if he was telling the truth.

Chen Yang chuckled. “Of course. Actually, I got the money back this morning. But I wanted to give it to you in a special way—just like this, to make it memorable.”

“Chen Yang, how dare you make fun of me?” Han Qin said, frowning.

Chen Yang looked at her earnestly. “Mom, if I’d just handed you the money this morning, it wouldn’t have made much of an impression. But now, you’ll remember it, won’t you?”

Han Qin’s eyes showed a complicated mix of emotions. She hadn’t expected Chen Yang to be so creative. Just helping her get her money back, and he turned it into such a spectacle—he really was something.

Chen Yang then took out his phone. “The money’s right here. Mom, give me your bank card number and I’ll transfer it to you now.”

Still skeptical, Qin Muxue walked over to check his phone. Sure enough, she saw a balance of fifty-five thousand in his payment app; she had to admit that Chen Yang truly had recovered the money.

Her face lit up with delight as she turned to Han Qin. “Mom, Chen Yang really did get the money back!”

Han Qin rolled her eyes. “Chen Yang, if you were going to get my money back, you could’ve just done it. Why all the theatrics?”

“Mom, isn’t this more fun? If I’d just handed the money over quietly, it wouldn’t have meant as much,” Chen Yang laughed.

At this, Qin Guoshan also said, with a complex expression, “Chen Yang, you really are something.”

“Of course, Dad,” Chen Yang replied cheerfully.

But just then, recalling Xuan Chan’s cheating at Guanshan Temple, he turned to Han Qin with a serious expression. “Mom, after what happened this time, are you still going to spend large sums on so-called talismans for peace from these ‘masters’?”