FI Ch2: The First Client
Xun City First High School.
As the top-ranked high school in Xun City, the school was spacious and elegant, with abundant greenery, and the teaching buildings stood in orderly rows.
However, in the classroom at this moment,
Instead of paying close attention to the lesson, students were stealing glances at a figure sitting by the window in the back row—
It was the new transfer student who had just arrived today. With a handsome face and relaxed brows and eyes, he was propping his head up with one hand and dozing off. The white shirt of his school uniform reflected the sunlight, making him appear almost radiant.
The gazes around gradually shifted away. It turned out there really was someone who looked like they were wearing a filter…
By the window, Lin Su’s brow twitched as he spoke in his mind:
“Damn it, did you give me some light?”
A hazy glow materialized in front of him: 【Yeah.】
This was Lin Su’s psychic energy manifested as spiritual awareness. When his awareness was first born, he had found an animal encyclopedia and let it choose its own form. His spiritual awareness did not disappoint—
Out of millions of animals, it immediately chose a Xue Ni Ma.
…
At that moment, Xue Ni Ma was still basking in its own glory: 【Aren’t you sleepy? I turned on the sleep light for you.】
“You’re too considerate.” Lin Su couldn’t help but praise it, “If it were any brighter, I might just fall into a deep slumber.”
The holy light shone, sending him straight to heaven.
Xue Ni Ma immediately became sensitive, alerting him: 【Don’t say unlucky things! You can’t fall asleep again.】
Lin Su had just awakened from a long sleep that lasted 17 years.
He was a “Fate Immortal” in the three thousand worlds, responsible for restoring the fates of those who had been tampered with. However, 17 years ago, a large-scale “reverse fate alteration” had suddenly erupted in the world of feng shui, causing countless destinies to change in an instant.
With more and more people’s fortunes being drawn into the chaos,
Time was pressing, and Lin Su didn’t have the luxury to correct each one individually; he could only forcefully restore the fates of tens of thousands in one stroke. From then on, everyone’s destiny returned to its proper course.
Yet, he had exhausted his psychic energy in the process and fell into a deep slumber.
…
Lin Su pulled his thoughts back from the brief recollection, resting his chin on one hand. The weariness caused by the lack of psychic energy brought a hint of languor to his brow, but his gaze remained gentle yet resolute:
“My fate is determined by me, not by heaven.”
…Darn it, it really is determined by you! It’s just sleeping all the time, right?
Xue Ni Ma looked at him, unfazed and seemingly oblivious, as if it were staring at the foolish son of a landlord:
【You can’t keep wasting your psychic energy like this.】
【Aren’t you feeling sleepy and cold? That’s all because your mental strength is too strong, and your current body can’t handle your divine essence.】
【The urgent task now is to absorb psychic energy to repair your tattered body!】
Lin Su raised his eyes in amazement, “…” Xue Ni Ma really knew how to talk.
Xue Ni Ma continued, blissfully unaware: 【Psychic energy comes from ‘faith.’ Others’ admiration, trust, and submission to you… can all be transformed into your psychic energy.】
Lin Su rotated his wrist, eager to try, “Got it, I’ll start being the school bully from today.”
Xue Ni Ma’s voice suddenly came to a halt.
Just then, the class bell rang.
“Ding-ling…” Lin Su stood up and took two steps forward, turning back to smile affectionately at the increasingly terrified expression of Xue Ni Ma, “Just kidding, silly.”
【……】Xue Ni Ma.
He looked up, and his gaze fell upon the birth dates and fortune charts neatly arranged above the heads of everyone around him.
Lin Su pulled out his phone, the screen lighting up to reveal a webpage.
The page was simple, with the character “宿 (Su)” in the upper left corner.
[Client: Pei Jing]
[Identity: Student, attending Xun City First High School, Class 3 (1)]
[Status: Order Accepted]
“Let’s go.” Lin Su tucked his phone away and stepped out of the classroom, a hint of pale gold glimmering in his eyes.
“Let’s meet our first client.”
–
The senior building was next door.
An old-fashioned fan creaked overhead, and a few gusts of wind flowed through the open doors and windows, dissipating the stuffiness.
Lin Su stood outside the back door and casually called to a student, “Hi, I’m looking for Pei Jing.”
“You’re looking for Pei Jing?” The student was a bit surprised and turned to look toward the front of the classroom. Following his gaze, Lin Su saw a tall figure with a straight back, looking like a resilient poplar tree.
“Wait a minute.”
The student said and entered the classroom.
The monotonous and tedious life of senior year could trigger everyone’s nerves at the slightest commotion—let alone anything related to the “study god” Pei Jing.
As soon as Lin Su finished speaking, a few boys in the back row turned and whispered:
“… Hey, is he looking for Pei Shen?”1Shen means God.
“Still calling him ‘Pei Shen’? Didn’t you see how poorly he did on the last two tests? He’s already fallen from grace.”
“Tsk tsk… no wonder he’s been so grumpy lately.”
【Do they have a grudge against Pei Jing?】 Xue Ni Ma floated in the air.
“No.” Lin Su swept his gaze over their fate charts, analyzing their tone as they anticipated the drama, “There are always people who enjoy watching a grand building collapse.”
Xue Ni Ma understood: 【… Are they all demolition residents?】
“……” Lin Su couldn’t help but compliment, “You’re smarter than my spiritual awareness.”
In the midst of their conversation, the voice from the back row suddenly rose in excitement:
“Hey, what was uploaded on the forum can’t be real, right?”
“What?”
“They said Pei Jing must have cheated before… otherwise, how do you explain his consistent top scores suddenly dropping?”
As soon as one person heard this, he immediately chimed in, “Actually, I’ve wanted to say this for a long time! Someone like him, coming from a small county, must have some dirty tricks.”
A surprised voice suddenly came from the side:
“Then why didn’t you say it earlier?”
“……”
Turning around, Lin Su saw himself leaning against the door, a curious expression on his face.
A few chuckles leaked out from around him.
The boy was left speechless, his face turning red instantly. He glared at Lin Su, filled with anger and embarrassment, “Who are you? What does it have to do with you—”
His words abruptly cut off. He looked up and locked eyes with Pei Jing’s dark gaze.
His clean school pants had faded slightly from washing, and his broad shoulders held up a thin shirt.
Pei Jing already had good looks, with thick brows and deep-set eyes. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t rested well lately, his eyelids bore a hint of dark circles, making him appear a bit intimidating when stared at directly.
The group immediately fell silent and looked away, “Tsk…”
Pei Jing averted his gaze and walked toward the back door, stopping in front of Lin Su. He spoke, his voice hoarse as he said “Thank you,” and then asked,
“Are you looking for me?”
Lin Su nodded, “I’m here to fulfill your request.”
Pei Jing froze in surprise.
He scrutinized Lin Su, his gaze cautious, “…What do you mean?”
Lin Su stood in front of him, wearing the same school uniform. He looked slender, with a pale complexion, appearing to be just an overly handsome “junior” with a hint of frailty.
But when their eyes met, the light in Lin Su’s pale-colored eyes seemed to pull Pei Jing in.
【He still doesn’t believe you.】 Xue Ni Ma perched on Lin Su’s shoulder: 【After all, your shell looks too…】
“Too young and pretty.” Lin Su interjected.
Xue Ni Ma fell silent.
Lin Su took out his phone and displayed the order page to Pei Jing, “Here’s your order.”
Pei Jing held his breath, his hand clenched by his side. His gaze lingered on the screen for a few seconds, as if finally wavering. He gestured for Lin Su to follow him to the end of the corridor.
“…Let’s talk over there.”
A few vague glances from the classroom behind them followed.
One gaze was particularly intense. Lin Su pretended not to notice, nodding in agreement, “Sure.”
…
Upon reaching the end of the corridor.
With no one around, Lin Su got straight to the point, “You’ve been haunted; it’s been about seven days now.”
Pei Jing abruptly raised his eyes, “How did you—”
He hadn’t mentioned his nightmares to anyone.
The nightmares that plagued him night after night wrapped him in a thick, black fog, plunging him into indescribable terror.
By day, it felt like a veil had descended over his mind, causing his grades to plummet. Suddenly, he was ensnared in a dense web of sympathy, speculation, and schadenfreude from all directions… Under the double pressure, his nerves had long been stretched to the limit—
His friends couldn’t bear to see him like this and suggested he consult a feng shui master.
Pei Jing had never believed in such things.
But, like a lifeline in a desperate situation, whether he believed or not, he had to grasp it.
Now, he felt as if his worldview was being reshaped.
Lin Su glanced at the Eight Characters above Pei Jing’s head. A pale golden light flickered in his eyes as he arranged the chart for a moment.
“Someone has tampered with your official star.”
Pei Jing instinctively tensed, asking, “What does that mean?”
“Though you have a wounded official star, it should be your favorable element, which indicates you were meant to be a top scholar. Now, someone has altered your fate…” Lin Su glanced at the black energy coiling around Pei Jing’s heart, exactly where the lord fire was located.
“…and has even placed a nightmare on you.”
The other party intended to ruin Pei Jing’s future entirely to prevent him from turning things around.
Xue Ni Ma shrank back: 【So malicious.】
Pei Jing pressed his lips together, “…Is there any way to break it?”
Lin Su looked at him, “First, hand over what’s in your pencil case.”
Pei Jing reacted, “Are you talking about the ‘Wenchang talisman’?” He frowned, “Everyone in the class has one; it was obtained by our homeroom teacher last week. He wouldn’t—”
Lin Su replied casually, “It passed through someone else’s hands along the way.”
“…The class monitor.” Wei Dong.
If he didn’t secure a recommendation, Wei Dong would be the substitute.
Pei Jing understood in an instant. He clenched his fists, suppressing his anger and maintaining his composure.
“Do I need to hand it over to you privately?”
“No need.” Lin Su recalled that intense gaze and smiled slightly, “Just hand it to me directly.”
–
Lin Su took the Wenchang talisman and went back.
In the classroom, Wei Dong stood up immediately as soon as Lin Su left. From the moment Lin Su appeared at the classroom door, he felt inexplicably uneasy.
And now Lin Su had taken the Wenchang talisman.
Only he knew what “things” were placed in that talisman.
Could it be that Pei Jing had noticed something?
Wei Dong, feeling guilty, couldn’t sit still and walked a few steps to Pei Jing’s side, pretending to probe, “Pei Jing, why did you give the Wenchang talisman the homeroom teacher got for us to someone else?”
Pei Jing coldly stared at him for two seconds, his eyes pitch black.
Wei Dong took a step back, startled, and Pei Jing turned to leave.
A boy next to them saw this and patted Wei Dong on the shoulder, saying, “Forget it, forget it; don’t mind him. Pei Jing has been in a bad mood lately.”
Wei Dong immediately put on a compromising smile, pretending to give way to Pei Jing, “It’s my fault; I shouldn’t have brought it up. And with the recommendation situation… he probably doesn’t want to talk to me anyway.”
“Tsk, being good at studies isn’t your fault.”
While they were talking, the class monitor, He Qian, suddenly felt uncomfortable and interrupted:
“Pei Jing hasn’t mentioned the recommendation situation, right?”
Wei Dong suddenly fell silent, awkwardly laughing as he returned to his seat.
His underlying anxiety grew stronger.
But thinking of Pei Jing’s gaze, he didn’t dare to probe further. He could only find another way to break through:
That student who came looking for Pei Jing seemed rather weak.
–
At his desk, Lin Su pinched the talisman in his hand.
The red thread wrapped around his fingers, and Xue Ni Ma disdainfully reached out a claw:
【Bad luck, burn it quickly.】
Lin Su put it away, “Not in a hurry; it still has its uses.”
The complex gaze cast over him was filled with judgment: 【… You really are frugal.】
You have to hoard everything broken and worthless.
“……” Lin Su looked at it indulgently: Xue Ni Ma, also known as roe deer. What could he expect from it? He didn’t explain much, and when Xue Ni Ma saw this, it poked him:
【Don’t act all pretentious; be careful the ‘Inspector’ punishes you.】
Lin Su nearly forgot, “By the way, what did you mean when you mentioned the ‘Inspector’?”
When he had just awakened, he had heard that the “rules” sent down an “inspector.”
【It’s because you exhausted your mental energy and fell into a deep sleep last time; to avoid a repeat, they specially sent a big shot to supervise you.】
“A big shot?” Lin Su rested his chin on his hand nonchalantly, “What kind of big shot?”
How big? How old?
Xue Ni Ma suddenly burst into a clear laugh: 【Box~】
“?” Lin Su sat up straight, frowning, “What are you laughing at?”
【Box box box box box box box……】
“……” Heh.
With one hand, he squeezed the spiritual awareness.
As Lin Su squished and flattened Xue Ni Ma, a class period passed by.
Before he could engage in a deeper discussion, he heard a classmate calling him:
“Lin Su, someone is looking for you!”
He looked up and saw Wei Dong standing at the classroom door.
Upon meeting his gaze, Lin Su suddenly radiated a hint of brilliance. Xue Ni Ma immediately stood on guard:
【…What are you planning to do?】
“Didn’t you say you wanted to absorb mental energy to repair my broken body?”
Lin Su leisurely got up, “You know, fear and reverence can also make people submit.”
___
Author’s Note:
Lin Su: Let’s get to work!
Xue Ni Ma generally refers to roe deer, belonging to the deer family. Commonly known as a foolish roe deer.
Footnotes:
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