Chapter 10: Taking the Initiative

In the Lin Family Old Mansion in Rongcheng.

Second Uncle Lin was very surprised that Lin Ziyan would bring a stranger to the old mansion so late at night.

Tonight, Second Uncle Lin was interviewing “masters” at the mansion. As one of the few obedient children in the Lin family, Lin Ziyan wouldn’t normally cause trouble during such an important event.

Second Uncle Lin looked at Xie Sui, then at Lin Ziyan, who looked so guilty he didn’t even know where to put his hands. After a moment of contemplation, the uncle set aside his work and walked toward them.

“S-Second Uncle…” Lin Ziyan stammered, stepping in front of Xie Sui.

Although Xie Sui had said in the car that he would handle the communication with the family elders himself, Lin Ziyan knew his own family best. He was well aware of how stubborn his second uncle could be. Furthermore, since Xie Sui had been invited by his older brother’s own initiative, Lin Ziyan, as an “accomplice,” felt he had no reason to stay out of it.

“This is the master Brother Zixin invited…”

Lin Ziyan was interrupted before he could finish.

“Nonsense!”

The middle-aged man, dressed in a black Zhongshan suit¹, strode quickly toward Lin Ziyan and Xie Sui.

Second Uncle Lin was tall and upright. He looked to be only about forty-five, yet his temples were already streaked with white.

A deep furrow formed between his brows. His eyes, sharp as a hawk’s, swept over the two of them with extreme displeasure as he said coldly, “Ziyan, why are you and that boy Lin Zixin causing more trouble for me? Do you think the Lin family doesn’t have enough problems already?”

After scolding Lin Ziyan, Second Uncle Lin turned his gaze to Xie Sui and let out a disdainful huff. “Heh, look at this ‘master’… Even if he does have some skill, how old is he? What could someone his age possibly achieve? He’s likely just another frivolous youth who gets a bit of talent and immediately starts showing off with smug satisfaction.”

With disasters striking both the family and the company, the family business was on the verge of collapse. No matter how good Second Uncle Lin’s temper might normally be, he had no patience left to indulge the whims of these juniors, especially since this person was introduced by that troublemaker Lin Zixin.

Xie Sui was momentarily stunned by Second Uncle Lin’s explosive temper. He hadn’t realized that the metaphysics circle², much like a hospital, suffered from age-based discrimination.

Facing Second Uncle Lin’s skepticism, Xie Sui replied bluntly, “But the facts show that the ‘older’ masters you’ve invited over the past two months were all useless trash, weren’t they? Don’t always judge everything with the experience and arrogance of an elder, Uncle. The world doesn’t revolve around your perceptions. Can’t you give a young person a chance?”

For Xie Sui, communicating with Second Uncle Lin was much more difficult than facing the toxic barrage of comments in a livestream. This was because Second Uncle Lin was a living, breathing person, and one roughly the same age as his superiors at the television station.

When talking to this type of high-ranking figure, Xie Sui, who had a touch of social anxiety, would become very nervous. Whenever he got nervous, he would subconsciously enter a defensive state. His defensive mode consisted of a sharp tongue and a cold, mocking expression. Because of this, he had frequently offended the leadership at the station.

Xie Sui’s outburst made Lin Ziyan’s legs go weak.

Second Uncle Lin managed the Lin family’s largest shipping company and had always been an absolute authority within the clan. This Mr. Xie was truly brave to dare talk back so directly.

Hearing Xie Sui’s blunt, almost insulting remarks, Second Uncle Lin laughed out of sheer anger. “Arrogant brat. I’ll see what skills you actually have! Come in.” With that, Second Uncle Lin turned and led the way into the main hall.

Lin Ziyan breathed a long sigh of relief and looked at Xie Sui with admiration.

The man his brother found was truly strong, in every sense of the word. Even if Xie Sui’s ghost-catching skills weren’t as miraculous as Lin Zixin had boasted over the phone, the mere ability to get Second Uncle Lin to let him in with a single sentence was enough to earn Lin Ziyan’s admiration.

As soon as the two young men entered the room, they drew everyone’s attention.

Quite a few people had already gathered in the main hall. At a glance, they all looked like masters with transcendent airs, white hair, and youthful complexions. The youngest among them appeared to be at least in his forties.

The group was clearly puzzled by the two newcomers. Their scrutinizing gazes felt almost physical, like needles pricking at Xie Sui, making him very uncomfortable.

Second Uncle Lin didn’t give Xie Sui any special treatment, simply pointing to an empty chair in the room and gesturing for him to sit.

Once everyone was seated, Second Uncle Lin cleared his throat and got straight to the point.

“I presume you all know why I’ve asked you here. I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve sought out many ‘masters’ over the past two months, but most of them were incompetent frauds lured in by the high commission fee.”

Second Uncle Lin scanned the masters in the room and said ruthlessly, “Let me be blunt. If there are any frauds among you still trying to pull a fast one, this is your last chance to leave. If I catch anyone swindling me after this, it won’t be settled easily.”

“While our Lin family isn’t some powerful clan, we do have a bit of money. Sending a fraud to prison is no difficult task for us. Once you sign the contract, I will transfer the five hundred thousand yuan commission directly into your accounts. Five hundred thousand… a fraud case of that amount is enough to land someone in prison for ten years. I suggest you think carefully before accepting this commission.”

Including Xie Sui, there were eight “masters” in the hall. As soon as Second Uncle Lin finished speaking, two of the masters sitting across from Xie Sui began to look restless.

Under Second Uncle Lin’s piercing gaze, those two were the first to crack under the pressure. They covered their faces with their wide sleeves and scurried out of the hall in disgrace.

With those two leading the way, another three began to look hesitant. They seemed conflicted, weighing whether their abilities were enough to safely claim that five hundred thousand. After a moment of silence, the three of them exchanged glances, rose together to cup their hands in a respectful salute to Second Uncle Lin, and walked out.

Now, only Xie Sui and two men in their sixties remained in the hall.

Xie Sui didn’t care much about the departing “masters.” His mind was entirely captivated by the five hundred thousand yuan commission Second Uncle Lin had mentioned.

He hadn’t expected such an incidental windfall… Was a shipbuilding company really this wealthy? Five hundred thousand sounded like fifty bucks coming from Second Uncle Lin’s mouth, given away without a second thought.

With this five hundred thousand plus the two hundred thousand from Lin Zixin’s side, he wouldn’t have to worry about things back home for a while, and the burden on his father’s shoulders would be significantly lightened.

The child with the missing heart valve and the one with the hepatic hemangioma could have their surgeries immediately, and the child with extensive burns wouldn’t have to wait for the end… If he were still a TV host, even if he worked overtime until he dropped dead, he wouldn’t be able to raise this much money in such a short time. It was a good thing the TV station fired him! If he hadn’t been let go, he never would have started streaming, met Lin Zixin, or taken this commission.

Xie Sui felt an immediate surge of excitement. He gripped the armrests of the armchair, his eyes shining as he looked at Second Uncle Lin.

The Lin family were true philanthropists. He was definitely taking this job.

Xie Sui’s reaction once again caught Second Uncle Lin by surprise, and he took another look at the young man.

Regardless of whether this person had actual skill, his courage was certainly commendable.

Second Uncle Lin looked at the remaining three. Aside from Xie Sui, the other two were Taoist masters of Xuanmen. One went by the Taoist name Xuanxu, and the other was called Ganchen.

Taoist Master Xuanxu looked incredibly professional. He wore Taoist robes, held a horsetail whisk³, and carried a peach wood sword and a compass on his back. Although his hair and beard were completely white, his face was devoid of wrinkles. His complexion was ruddy and he looked hale and hearty, appearing even more energetic than a middle-aged man in his forties like Second Uncle Lin.

On the other hand, Taoist Master Ganchen looked much more ordinary, no different from an old man taking a stroll downstairs in a residential complex. He was dressed simply in a dusty grey padded coat, with layers upon layers of wrinkles on his face. Perhaps because the heating in the main hall was too high, he leaned back against his chair with his eyes squinted, looking somewhat drowsy.

Taoist Master Ganchen had been introduced by a friend of Second Uncle Lin. After two months of frustration, Second Uncle Lin had already given up on searching for masters at Taoist temples himself… Those people selling tickets at tourist attractions were all frauds.

“Alright, since you are all willing to stay, let’s begin signing the contracts.” Second Uncle Lin gestured for the three to look at the paper contracts beside them. “Once the contracts are signed, I will transfer the commission fees to you, and then we will head directly to the ancestral hall tonight.”

Taoist Master Xuanxu and Xie Sui picked up their pens and efficiently signed their names and bank account numbers on the contracts, but Taoist Master Ganchen showed no reaction, appearing as if he were truly asleep.

Just as Second Uncle Lin was considering whether to wake Taoist Master Ganchen, the old man finally moved.

However, he didn’t pick up the pen to sign. Instead, he opened his eyes and turned to look at Xie Sui.

Taoist Master Ganchen’s eyes were bloodshot and looked incredibly cloudy, yet the pressure in his gaze was even stronger than Second Uncle Lin’s.

“Young friend, raising ghosts is an evil path. Tangling with spirits year-round not only damages your luck, but also depletes your lifespan and karmic merit⁴. I see that your Fate Pattern⁵ is extraordinary, marking you as a prime candidate for cultivation. Why not join my sect and let me guide you onto the righteous path?”

Hearing the words “Fate Pattern” come from an outsider’s mouth, Xie Sui was so startled he nearly stood up. But this defensive reflex only lasted for a moment before he quickly regained his composure.

If he were in his previous state, it was indeed possible for someone from Xuanmen to see through him. But now he had forty-nine Little Ghosts helping him hide, plus the breath-concealing talisman array. Even if the sect leaders of the Three Talisman Sects came in person, they might not be able to see through it at a glance… Besides, if people from Xuanmen saw his Fate Pattern, they wouldn’t just refrain from killing him on the spot, but would actually want to take him as a disciple? Don’t make me laugh.

The old man was definitely bluffing.

“No thank you, I have no interest in joining a sect. I’m doing just fine as I am,” Xie Sui replied coldly.

To Xie Sui’s surprise, Taoist Master Ganchen didn’t press the matter. He merely let out a soft sigh and said with some regret, “That is a pity. It seems there is no fated connection between us.”

He looked up at Second Uncle Lin. “I originally took this commission because I calculated a master-disciple connection in Rongcheng. Since this young friend is unwilling, I won’t trouble you further.” With that, he stood up to leave.

Second Uncle Lin panicked instantly. Among these people, Taoist Master Ganchen was the one he had the highest expectations for; the others were secondary. Who would have thought this master would act so impulsively, leaving just like that?

“If you leave, what will happen to our family’s ancestral hall? Please, stay a little longer. If you are unsatisfied with the commission, I can double it.” In front of Ganchen, Second Uncle Lin’s attitude was very humble. The imposing aura of a long-time superior had completely vanished.

“It is not a matter of the commission fee…” Ganchen turned back with his hands behind him and glanced at Xie Sui again. “It is that I have no fated connection with this place. Just let this young friend solve your family’s problem. With his abilities, he can handle this matter quite easily.” After saying this, he waved his hand and ignored Second Uncle Lin’s attempts to make him stay, departing without looking back.

Second Uncle Lin hurriedly chased after Taoist Master Ganchen and left the main hall with him. He needed to have a driver take the master home; the location of the Lin Family Old Mansion was very remote, and one couldn’t call a taxi here.

The level of importance Second Uncle Lin placed on Taoist Master Ganchen irritated Taoist Master Xuanxu. The expression on the little old man’s face was quite strange, filled with hostility. However, Second Uncle Lin was the client paying the commission after all, so he couldn’t vent his anger on the boss. Instead, he turned his sights on Xie Sui.

Taoist Master Xuanxu squinted at Xie Sui and said sarcastically, “Oh? I couldn’t tell, but it seems you’re a ghost-raiser, young friend. Might I ask which sect you studied under?”

Being targeted repeatedly made Xie Sui feel tired. His social energy for the day was nearly depleted.

Everyone was just a worker here to take a commission and earn money. Even if one person left, Second Uncle Lin wouldn’t double your commission, would he? Was there any point in acting out these jealous dramas?

Xie Sui looked at Taoist Master Xuanxu expressionlessly and replied in a monotone, deadpan voice, “I studied at the Nanyue University School of Journalism and Communication. I graduated three years ago. Do you have any advice?”

Translator’s Notes