FI CH17: The Second Client

The venue remained silent for a few seconds.

It wasn’t until Meng Yuanping frowned in confusion that someone finally greeted him in a low voice:

“President Meng… are you also here for the Dao Discussion Conference?”

“Yes.”

Meng Yuanping responded casually, then smiled warmly. “Yesterday, Lin Xiaoyou called and invited me to attend Master Xue’s conference.”

His tone carried a natural sense of familiarity and closeness.

The crowd immediately became restless—

After all, just a moment ago, they had been questioning Lin Su’s legitimacy. Yet now, the branch president of the Heavenly Master Association, a symbol of orthodoxy and authority, had personally appeared!

In an instant, the gazes toward Lin Su became noticeably more fervent.

Xue Nima commented: [They must be wondering—who exactly are you? To have three powerful figures wrapped around your little finger and firmly in your grasp!]

“…” Lin Su remained composed. “Speak properly.”

[Ah, the mental energy is rising again. Did you specifically call Meng Yuanping yesterday just for this scene?]

“Of course, not just for this.”

Ahead, Meng Yuanping turned and reached into his pocket. “Oh, right, your Heavenly Master certificate—I brought it along.”

Lin Su smiled. “Many thanks, President Meng.”

The timing was just right—the certificate should have been issued by now.

Qi Zhuang had definitely investigated him in advance, but he wasn’t going to leave anyone with even a single weakness to exploit.

As the certificate was handed over, the golden edges caught the sunlight, flashing briefly.

Suddenly, a low gasp came from the side:

“…It’s gold!”

Lin Su, “?”

What now? Was there some kind of legendary golden item here too?

He hadn’t fully familiarized himself with the new Heavenly Master Association yet—until he overheard a few murmured conversations:

“…Gold means he holds an honorary position in the association… or has special privileges…”

Lin Su lowered his eyes. “???”

The gold-edged certificate gleamed in his hand. He glanced at Meng Yuanping’s expression, which remained completely normal, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Something about this Xiao Meng… seemed off.

However, in this situation, the golden certification was certainly imposing.

Lin Su accepted it with an air of nonchalance.

Meanwhile, Xue Zhibai wasn’t idle either. He leisurely glanced over, straightened his posture dramatically, and spoke with deliberate exaggeration:

“Hey, what’s the deal with the gold certification? I haven’t been keeping up with the association’s updates. Can someone explain?”

Then, with a smile, he turned to Qi Zhuang. “Family Head Qi, you must know, right?”

Qi Zhuang had been silent ever since Meng Yuanping appeared.

Now, being publicly called out, his face flushed with embarrassment. His last ace had been revealed. Forcing himself to stay composed, he gritted his teeth and said:

“…Impossible! I checked—the official website of the Heavenly Master Association doesn’t have any record of him!”

Meng Yuanping immediately understood the situation.

With a stern expression, he declared, “The system was under maintenance. What website doesn’t have the occasional bug? Crashing now and then is normal.”

The crowd: “……”

Lin Su gave him a long look—indeed, those who accomplished great things could truly talk nonsense with a straight face.

Xue Zhibai sneered, “Since President Meng is here, Family Head Qi should now explain the matter of the soul-swapping and fortune-stealing.”

The crowd’s attention turned sharply toward Qi Zhuang.

Qi Zhuang remained frozen, his knuckles turning white from clenching his fists.

Lin Su was watching the scene leisurely when he suddenly noticed something. His gaze sharpened, and the next second, he gripped his bamboo brush.

“Watch out!”

As his voice rang out, smoke erupted!

Qi Zhuang swiftly vanished into the cloud of smoke—he was actually trying to escape!

For a moment, chaos erupted.

Lin Su quickly sketched a Thunderfire Talisman with his bamboo brush. Beside him, Xue Zhibai cursed under his breath, pulling Qi Jiachu behind him while tossing a Purification Talisman forward—

A wave of clear energy surged outward, instantly dispersing the thick dust and smoke.

Lin Su had just turned his head when a figure suddenly broke through the dissipating haze.

Gray-haired, dressed in a neatly pressed tailcoat—

It was the Qi family’s butler, emerging from who knows where!

A dagger gleamed in his grasp, his eyes sharp and focused.

Xue Nima urgently shouted: […Lin Su!]

No wonder he hadn’t seen anyone from the Qi family all day—they had been waiting in the shadows.

Lin Su’s fingers twitched, just about to make a move.

But before he could act—

Bang!

A perfectly executed side kick sent the butler flying across the courtyard.

A familiar figure landed in front of him.

Lin Su blinked. “Lao Zhang!?”

Kong Fu’s long robes billowed as he turned and flashed him a smile before immediately giving chase.

Lin Su: “……”

Unbelievable—so Lao Zhang really knew kung fu!

But since Kong Fu was here, didn’t that mean—

As if to confirm his thoughts, the next second—

THUD! A heavy object crashed to the ground.

A sharp scream pierced the courtyard air.

“AHHH!!!”

Through the rising dust, they saw a gleaming Tang blade piercing straight through Qi Zhuang’s thigh, pinning him diagonally to the ground.

A group of enforcers dressed in the uniforms of the Supervision Association flooded the courtyard.

He Zhenling emerged from behind them, his expression cold and imposing. His pristine formal attire exuded restraint and discipline, but the lifted hem revealed the rigid sheath of his blade.

Lin Su turned his head. Look at that—the fourth person Qi Zhuang had offended had arrived.

Xue Nima commented: [Not gonna lie, He Zhenling looks pretty cool like this.]

Lin Su agreed, “Yeah, makes me want to…”

Xue Nima immediately cut him off: [No, you don’t.]

He Zhenling strode forward in a few swift steps.

Qi Zhuang lay on the ground, drenched in cold sweat from the pain. “He Zhenling! There’s no official verdict, how dare you use your blade on me!?”

He Zhenling pulled the blade out in one fluid motion, his voice indifferent. “Take him away.”

“Yes, President.”

His subordinates dragged Qi Zhuang up.

One of them, looking at Qi Zhuang still shouting in protest, sneered and slightly lifted the small coffin in his hand—caught red-handed. Then, without another word, they hauled away the now pale-faced Qi Zhuang.

Xue Nima muttered: [See? True despair isn’t about shouting—it’s the big bosses who never need to raise their voices.]

Lin Su ignored its commentary and observed, “He Zhenling moved fast.”

With both Qi Zhuang and Jiang Yafei absent from the Qi household, it was the perfect time to raid their residence.

Meanwhile, the enforcers of the Supervision Association were handling the guests.

Lin Su walked up to He Zhenling. “Just arrived?”

He Zhenling had just finished wiping down his blade before sheathing it. Hearing this, he turned his head slightly. “Mm.”

“I thought you were just waiting outside for a grand entrance.”

“……”

Silence stretched between them for a few seconds.

He Zhenling remained expressionless, his cool gaze on Lin Su.

Lin Su couldn’t help himself. “You’re so distant today—almost like we never loved each other.”

A subordinate happened to walk over at that moment.

Hearing these words, he abruptly stopped in his tracks, his face a picture of shock!

He Zhenling’s temple twitched ever so slightly. Then he coldly chuckled, “And you’re so passionate today—almost like we actually did.”

Subordinate: “……”

Lin Su: “………”

He let out a subtle sigh of relief—this felt normal.

…

The subordinate was still frozen in place, unsure whether to proceed or retreat. His silhouette wavered slightly as if trapped in an internal crisis.

He Zhenling pressed his fingers against his temple. “Just report.”

Since He Zhenling had asked for the report directly, Lin Su didn’t leave.

“Ah… Yes, President.”

The subordinate then provided a summary of the arrests and how the scene was being handled. Finally, he asked, “What should we do with the captured Qi family members and the sorcerers?”

“The sorcerers will be crippled and detained according to protocol.”

He Zhenling’s voice was cold and unwavering. “As for the Qi couple and their younger son, lock them up together. Let the family reunite.”

The subordinate hesitated. “But that’s just a paper figurine…”

Now that the illusion had faded, the paper effigy was nothing more than a crude cutout, with facial features barely drawn in. Locking it up with the Qi couple—it was hard to say if it would scare them senseless.

He Zhenling remained indifferent. “Why would it? They love their son so much—I’m sure they won’t mind.”

Then he added, “Qi Zhang, who was captured in the back courtyard—lock him up right next to them.”

Without the Qi family’s protection, the man naturally had to go back into custody.

Lin Su lightly added, “Make sure it’s the kind of ‘next door’ where they can chat and keep each other company.”

The subordinate: “………”

Seeing that his superior didn’t object, he simply nodded and left to carry out the orders.

Once the subordinate was gone—

Lin Su was still casually imagining the cozy life of a reunited family when he suddenly felt a gaze on him.

He looked up and saw He Zhenling’s eyes slightly lowered.

His face was sharp and elegant, his tall nose casting a faint shadow, and his thin lips parted slightly as he spoke,

“Did you do it on purpose? Want me to hand you the scissors?”

Lin Su’s eyes flickered slightly, and he looked away. “…What on purpose?”

His voice drifted lightly, “Making a paper figurine substitute, afraid of breaking the rules—so you made me your accomplice?”

“……”

So, he had noticed.

Lin Su said calmly, “You’re overthinking it, Officer… He.”

A brief silence followed.

Then, as if he had chuckled lightly, He Zhenling murmured, “Is that so? After all, you did seem quite eager to get electrocuted.”

Lin Su: “…………”

Xue Nima: [?]

Lin Su pursed his lips and said quietly, “Broad daylight… What are you even talking about?”

[Heh.]

—

Fortunately, this dangerous conversation was quickly interrupted.

Meng Yuanping approached them. “President He, Lin Xiaoyou.”

Lin Su greeted him, “Apologies, President Meng. I invited you to a Dao Discussion Conference, and you ended up watching a circus instead.”

Meng Yuanping said, “It’s fine. I’ll just go say hello to Master Xue later.”

Lin Su narrowed his eyes. Oh, so this doesn’t bother him at all…

It seemed that Meng Yuanping had another reason for coming.

Tapping his fingers lightly, Lin Su asked, “President Meng, has everything been going smoothly for you lately?”

Meng Yuanping’s expression tensed for a brief moment before he sighed. “…I knew I couldn’t hide it from you, Lin Xiaoyou. There is indeed something I need your help with.”

Lin Su suddenly felt like his Heavenly Master certificate was burning a hole in his pocket.

“…Please, go on.”

“You specifically warned me about Sanqing Dyke, but in the end, there was still a problem.”

Lin Su frowned. “How could that be?” He had already pointed out all the key areas that needed attention.

Meng Yuanping explained, “I had my people tell the construction team to report anything they dug up within three miles north of the site. We were supposed to handle it. But later, they switched to a new foreman, someone who didn’t believe in these things, and he secretly kept some of the findings.”

Lin Su: “……”

After he finished speaking, both men fell silent.

He Zhenling turned toward them. “What was buried there?”

“Coins used to buy the dead.”

He Zhenling also fell silent.

After a brief pause, Lin Su shook his head. “Taking that money establishes a contract—we can’t interfere.”

Meng Yuanping sighed. “Even you can’t do anything about it?”

Well, there was a way, but that was someone else’s… or rather, some ghost’s problem to solve.

Seeing Meng Yuanping’s troubled expression, Lin Su thought for a moment and said, “President Meng, have your people slaughter two chickens, splash the blood onto a white cloth, and burn it. That will summon the spirit. Then, use an offering as a bargaining chip—ask the ghost if it’s willing to return the life it took. This kind of thing… has to be negotiated.”

“Alright.” Meng Yuanping immediately took out his phone and made a call.

As he spoke on the phone, He Zhenling turned to Lin Su and asked, “You warned them about this when you visited the Heavenly Master Association?”

Lin Su nodded. “Had to show them a little something.”

He Zhenling sneered. “And that ‘something’ wasn’t me?”

“……”

Lin Su quickly tried to smooth things over. “You were the first trick. This was the second trick.” He paused, then added diplomatically, “Both are equally important to me.”

Xue Nima: [That sounds just like saying, ‘You’re both my wings.’]

Sure enough, a cold “Heh.” came from the front.

Before Lin Su could react, Meng Yuanping had already hung up his call.

Lin Su took the opportunity to wrap up the conversation and turned to ask, “All set?”

Meng Yuanping frowned slightly and shook his head. “The Heavenly Master Association in Hui City took over. Sanqing Dyke happens to be on the border between our two cities. They said if we couldn’t handle it, they’d do it themselves… Whatever.”

Meng Yuanping was easygoing. “If they want to handle it, let them.”

Lin Su wasn’t the type to meddle needlessly, so he nodded. “That works too.”

For now, that matter was set aside.

They had barely spoken a few more words when—

“Lin Su!”

Xue Zhibai, having finished tidying up the disrupted venue, approached with Qi Jiachu in tow. After greeting Meng Yuanping, Lin Su asked,

“Took you long enough to clean up.”

Xue Zhibai didn’t respond, but Qi Jiachu said gently, “Master helped too.”

“……” No wonder.

Lin Su, kind and beautiful as ever, changed the topic. “The Qi family’s base in Li City—” He paused. “…That branch has been completely taken down. What are your plans now?”

Qi Jiachu adapted well to his phrasing. “I’ll stay with my master.”

Lin Su nodded, then added, “If you’re willing, you can visit the main Qi family in the capital and officially acknowledge your ancestry.”

The Qi family, renowned for their Feng Shui expertise, had abundant resources. And given that Qi Jiachu’s fate was tied to the family’s prosperity, while his immediate household had crumbled, the greater clan still remained.

Qi Jiachu seemed to consider this, then said, “…Alright.”

At that moment, someone cleared their throat.

“Ahem!”

Xue Zhibai lifted his chin slightly and, as if casually, remarked, “By the way, my disciple has an announcement to make.”

Everyone turned to look at Qi Jiachu.

Qi Jiachu smiled faintly, his demeanor as light as drifting clouds. “The past 22 years were a cage for me. Now that the Li City Qi family is gone, I no longer wish to keep this name.”

He spoke softly, “Since I am letting go of the past and starting anew, my new name will be—”

Lin Su: “Qi Jiran.” (Since)

He Zhenling: “Qi Suoyi.” (So)

“……”

Qi Jiachu took a slow breath and smiled. “I’ll be called Qi Wang.” (Forget)

__

Author’s Note:

Xue Zhibai (furious): “Are any of you even listening to what I say!?”