Chapter Seventy-Three: The Fate of Restraint (Five Chapters in Total, Here Is the First)

Shen Jiangchuan is dead!

He jumped from the rooftop of his own office. When Yue Leiting heard the news, he was speechless for a long time. A man as proud as Shen Jiangchuan would never be one to choose death so easily.

"Are you sure it was suicide?!" Yue Leiting asked, unable to believe it.

Liu Hao nodded, answering with certainty.

"Someone saw him jump from the building himself. There's no possibility of foul play."

"Why would Shen Jiangchuan, who was perfectly fine, suddenly jump off a building?" Yue Leiting frowned, pacing back and forth. "That night, Uncle Gu let me decide his fate, but anyone with eyes could see Uncle Gu wanted to spare his life. If he really wanted him dead, he wouldn't have beaten him so severely."

"So it wasn't Uncle Gu who arranged it?" Liu Hao pondered, whispering in Yue Leiting's ear. "Since Shen Jiangchuan was in league with Su Lengyue, maybe Su Lengyue saw no further use for him—and he knew too much about their affairs. She could have killed him to silence him. That woman is sly and versed in witchcraft; if she wanted Shen Jiangchuan dead, ordinary people wouldn't even notice."

Leaving the casino, it became apparent the rain was falling harder. Night winds carried droplets that stung the skin with a biting chill. After finishing his conversation with Liu Hao, Yue Leiting finally noticed me, silent and seated nearby, rain dripping from the eaves onto my shoulder, soaking my clothes.

Yue Leiting handed me an umbrella, snapping me out of my trance.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm waiting for someone," I replied in a low, expressionless voice.

A subordinate ran over and whispered a few words in Yue Leiting's ear. His brows furrowed in confusion.

"Shen Xiang? Shen Jiangchuan has just committed suicide, and instead of handling his father's affairs, he comes here? What for?"

"He’s here for me," I said, standing up with a faint smile.

Shen Xiang emerged from the rain, looking utterly desolate, drenched to the bone, yet the heavy smell of alcohol clung to him. His bloodshot eyes were filled with resentment and murderous intent, and the stubble on his chin made him appear aged by many years overnight.

Though he held a knife in his hand, his entire demeanor lacked any trace of resolve—like a lost dog, terrified and aimless.

"Qin Yan Hui, you killed my father. Today, I’ll take your life to avenge him!" Shen Xiang raised his knife at me, but whether from drunkenness or innate cowardice, his hand trembled.

Yue Leiting paused, his face darkening as he spoke coldly.

"Shen Xiang, whatever Shen Jiangchuan did to me, we were brothers once. Now he’s gone, and the dead should be honored—the past grievances wiped clean. For Shen Jiangchuan’s sake, I won’t hold it against you. If you want to act drunk, find another place."

"People say you, Yue Leiting, keep your word, loyal and trustworthy. Ha!" Shen Xiang sneered, head held high, unrestrained. "You pretended to be merciful in front of Uncle Gu, letting us go, but stabbed us in the back, letting Qin Yan Hui kill my father. The hatred of a murdered parent can never be forgiven. Today, it’s either you or me."

Yue Leiting couldn’t understand what Shen Xiang was saying, about to question him, when I stepped forward.

"Feng shui and metaphysics can help people, but they can also harm. I have never used them to commit any evil deed. Shen Jiangchuan’s death was not caused by me."

"You helped them lift my Heart-Eating Curse, gaining their trust, then altered the feng shui of the room so Shen Jiangchuan would jump to his death. Do you still dare to say you had nothing to do with his demise?"

The voice came from behind Shen Xiang, and without looking, I knew who it was. Su Lengyue, whose face always wore a charming smile, appeared beside Shen Xiang, with Miao Renhuan holding an umbrella for her.

Yue Leiting frowned, turning to me in confusion.

"What...what’s going on?"

"If you can’t explain, let me do it," Miao Renhuan spoke, his voice as cold as his demeanor. "The Hidden Dragon Drinking Water formation in Shen Jiangchuan’s office was set up by my brother, Miao Renyu. While the arrangement was meant to stir enmity between Shen Xiang and you, it was not intended to cost anyone their life. You seemed to help them break the feng shui in the room, but you also had the Taishan stone moved. Miao Renyu died by your hand, proving your metaphysical skills rival his. Miao Renyu could see Shen Jiangchuan’s fate: this year, the Grand Duke star enters his destiny, Death Door star sits in his palace—he faces a calamity of life and death. You couldn’t have missed it, yet you deliberately moved the Taishan stone, with sinister intentions, ultimately causing Shen Jiangchuan’s untimely death."

I looked Miao Renhuan in the eye, answering calmly.

"Miao Renyu placed the Taishan stone to keep Shen Jiangchuan stable this year. I moved it, so Shen Jiangchuan would face misfortune, but not mortal peril. His unnatural death wasn’t caused by anything I did, but by something Shen Xiang did."

"Me?! You mean I killed my own father?" Shen Xiang shouted in fury. "I didn’t expect you to be so ruthless and twist the truth!"

"If you don’t believe me, just listen," I said nonchalantly. "Miao Renyu knew Shen Jiangchuan was greedy, so he helped him find an office suitable for the Hidden Dragon Drinking Water formation, letting father and son amass wealth. But Miao Renyu overlooked your fate!"

Shen Xiang scoffed as I pointed at him.

"My fate has nothing to do with making money, nor with my father."

"You have the Wounding Officer in your annual pillar—it harms the father, and its influence peaks at twenty-five. You’re twenty-five this year. But Shen Jiangchuan’s fate is strong, so you cannot harm him—instead, he counteracts you. That’s why you lost your hand. Father and son would face hardship, but not mortal calamity. If there’s blame, it lies with Miao Renyu’s Hidden Dragon Drinking Water formation," I declared.

"Utter nonsense. My brother set up the formation to attract wealth for Shen Jiangchuan. What does that have to do with his death?" Miao Renhuan retorted coldly.

"Shen Jiangchuan’s brows are thin, pale, and sallow—those are the brows of a wanderer, meaning father and son are destined to suffer, wealth comes and goes, and his life is short. He doesn’t have the fate for legitimate wealth—too much money actually suppresses his destiny. Before Miao Renyu’s formation, Shen Jiangchuan only made what his fate allowed. But the Hidden Dragon Drinking Water formation attracts wealth from all directions—money beyond his destiny. The more he gets, the shorter his life, because he lacks the fortune to bear it. It’s like a snake trying to swallow an elephant—he’ll die from excess!"

Upon hearing this, Miao Renhuan lowered his head, exchanged a look with Su Lengyue, and did not refute.

"There’s another reason for Shen Jiangchuan’s death. He had a shipment seized by customs and asked me to help retrieve it. I found out the shipment contained concealed firearms. Needless to say, you provided them," I said, fixing Su Lengyue with a cold, righteous gaze. "Shen Jiangchuan had a rebellious nature—a person like him, no matter how well treated, would inevitably betray his benefactor. Even after I lifted the curse, he still plotted to recover the firearms for revenge. Moving the Taishan stone disrupted his fortune, but not enough to kill him. But if he harbored evil intentions, disaster would follow."

Yue Leiting now understood most of it, glaring at Shen Xiang with a cold smile.

"I spared you and your father, but you planned to recover and then stab me in the back. Well, good riddance. He died as he deserved."

"You’re talking nonsense! I don’t believe my father would die just because he retrieved that shipment!" Shen Xiang gasped, unwilling to accept it.

"As I told you, your fate penalizes Shen Jiangchuan, but his fate is too strong for you to harm him—because your birth chart lacks metal. Firearms are extremely inauspicious, belonging to the metal element, which fills the gap in your chart. With the Seven Killings star entering your fate, as soon as you encounter it, even Shen Jiangchuan’s strong destiny couldn’t withstand your influence!" I finished, smiling coldly at Shen Xiang. "The one who most wanted revenge was you, so you were the one to retrieve the shipment. Therefore, the person who killed Shen Jiangchuan wasn’t me, but you!"

Shen Xiang’s knife fell to the ground, his panicked expression lost, mumbling that it couldn’t be true.

Su Lengyue and Miao Renhuan, seeing Shen Xiang was no longer useful, glanced at him lying on the ground and left without a word.

I spoke calmly to Shen Xiang: "I won’t use metaphysics to harm others, but I can defend against those who would harm Leiting. If you and your father had not first harbored malicious intent, things would not have ended this way."

Yue Leiting’s eyes twitched. He glanced at Liu Hao; had I not made arrangements ahead of time, he might have died in a hail of bullets. Such a person cannot be allowed to remain. Moreover, Shen Xiang now blamed himself for Shen Jiangchuan’s death—keeping him around would only bring disaster. Liu Hao understood, his hand already gripping a knife.

I placed my hand on Liu Hao’s knife and shook my head.

"He’s no longer a threat and will never be able to harm you again. Let him go."

Yue Leiting considered this, his face dark, staring at Shen Xiang as he slowly nodded.

Shen Xiang raised his head in the rain, his expression numb.

"You let me go today, but I won’t be grateful. The murder of my father can never be forgiven. One day, you will pay for it a hundredfold, a thousandfold."

I ignored him, and as I walked past with Yue Leiting, I said quietly,

"To save others is to save oneself—a single thought creates a Buddha, another a demon. I hope you take care. Your fate brings the Peach Blossom with a blade—nine times out of ten, disaster follows romance. Beware of women. If my calculations are correct, your life will one day end at the hands of a woman."