A single divination predicts life and death; the entire internet begs me to start a live stream.

The complete invitation letter from the Xuanmen Association was delivered to Chen Bufan's rented apartment via Fengshun Express early the next morning.

It was written very politely.

It was so polite it sounded like an academic letter.

[Mr. Chen's assessment:]

[Recently, the Xuanmen (Taoist sect) has been embroiled in various troubles, sparking much discussion among outsiders.]

The Xuanqing culture, the ghost marriage case, and the longevity and health care hospital are all issues that have stirred public opinion.

The Xuanmen Association, as a legitimate organization dedicated to the transmission of folk culture and fortune-telling, cordially invites Mr. Chen to the meeting to discuss the orthodoxy and heterodoxy of Xuanmen, clarify right and wrong, and set the record straight.

At that time, all factions will be present.

I hope Mr. Chen will not hesitate to offer his guidance.

Signature:

Xuanmen Association

An electronic seal is affixed below.

Compass pattern.

Three thin lines.

It is exactly the same as the insignia on the cuffs of the gray-robed man.

The back has the detailed address and date.

Chen Bufan put it back on the table after reading it.

The invitation letter did not mention Chen Laojiu.

There was no mention of the word "blood".

They only spoke of the many troubles within the Xuanmen (Taoist) sect, and discussed the distinction between right and wrong.

The meaning is quite obvious.

They had no good intentions.

It means you should go and be interrogated yourself.

The invitation from the Xuanmen Association looks like a respectable discussion.

But between the lines, there is only the knife.

Xuanqing Culture has run into trouble.

Xuan Qingzi is dead.

Xuanmingzi was arrested.

In the case of the bride in red, the sorcerer who performed the ghost marriage was from the Xuanmen (Taoist school).

In the Longevity and Wellness Hospital, the Longevity Array and the incomplete "Life Talisman Scripture" also involve Xuanmen magic.

As these incidents came to light one by one, the entire Xuanmen (Taoist) circle was thrust into the spotlight.

When people talk about Xuanmen now, they no longer think of feng shui, fortune telling, or traditional culture.

It was a ghost marriage.

Buying a life.

Extend one's lifespan.

Evil magic.

If the Xuanmen Association doesn't come out and make a statement soon, many people will start to suspect:

Is there any difference between the so-called righteous and mysterious sects and the sects that change one's fate?

So they panicked.

They want to hold a "Taoist Forum".

The surface is to clarify right and wrong.

In reality, it was in front of all the factions that Chen Bufan was suppressed.

Make him admit that Xuan Qingzi is nothing but a scoundrel.

He was forced to admit that the ghost marriage case had nothing to do with the Xuanmen Association.

We need to get him to admit that the techniques used in the Longevity Hospital are heretical and not orthodox.

It would be best to make him admit that his live-streamed pronouncements and public interrogations were due to youthful impetuosity and a violation of the rules.

In this way, the Xuanmen Association can regain its position as the "right path".

And Chen Bufan would become what they called "the one who disrupts the order of the Xuanmen Sect".

But it didn't come earlier or later; it just so happened to be the time when Chen Bufan announced that he would publicly try Lu Changsheng.

It's hard to guess what ulterior motives are behind this.

The phone lit up; it was a call from Lin Wanqing.

"I checked the publicly available information from the Xuanmen Association."

"Its registered name is the Folk Culture Research and Inheritance Association."

"Established 27 years ago."

"We have a formal office address."

"Many branch offices are listed below."

"The advisory board includes professors, intangible cultural heritage inheritors, entrepreneurs, and religious culture researchers."

"The surface is very clean."

Changing the subject, she said:

"The colleague who was keeping watch over you this morning sent me a message saying that your invitation letter has been uploaded to our city's Public Security Bureau's internal database."

"It's not about monitoring you, it's about protecting your personal safety."

Chen Bufan simply hummed in response, without any further thought.

He picked up the invitation, his gaze lingering on the words "All Fellow Paths are Present".

After thinking for a moment, he spoke.

"They're not just trying to suppress me."

"We also want all Xuanmen people to see that even the Chen family's fortune tellers have to bow down before the association."

Lin Wanqing said in a deep voice:

"Then you definitely can't go alone."

"I'll arrange for a colleague from the Municipal Bureau to go with you."

Chen Bufan did not agree immediately.

Lin Wanqing frowned:

"You want to go alone again?"

Chen Bufan hummed in agreement and hung up the phone.

I had just hung up when the phone rang again.

It was Qin Ruoxue calling.

Chen Bufan answered the call.

"Did the Xuanmen Association send you an invitation?"

Chen Bufan said:

"You're quick to respond."

Qin Ruoxue said:

"The Qin family has previously collaborated with many people from the Xuanmen Association on their projects."

"In their circle, news travels faster than in the capital market."

"Now, we've truly tied the Qin family to you."

Chen Bufan asked:

"Are you aware of this debate?"

"Know."

Qin Ruoxue continued.

"I just received news that the Xuanmen Association has invited quite a few people this time."

"There are Feng Shui schools."

"They come from a family with a long history of fortune telling."

"There is a lineage of talismans."

"There are also some metaphysical masters who have long served as consultants for the wealthy."

"They claim to be discussing right and wrong together."

"But some people have already made comments privately."

"They said you broke the rules of the Xuanmen sect."

Chen Bufan smiled.

"Whose rules were broken?"

Qin Ruoxue said:

"Their rules."

She paused for a moment, then continued:

"Chen Bufan, this is a trap."

"They're not asking you to reason with them."

"It's an invitation for you to be besieged."

Chen Bufan said:

"I know."

Qin Ruoxue's voice became even stronger:

"You knew that, yet you still went?"

Chen Bufan looked at the blood-written characters on the offering table.

"Chen Laojiu is in their hands."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

Qin Ruoxue knew who Chen Laojiu was.

He also knew what he meant to Chen Bufan.

After a few seconds, she whispered:

"What do you need the Qin family for?"

Chen Bufan said:

"Not for now."

Qin Ruoxue said:

"I can arrange lawyers and security."

Chen Bufan smiled.

"In the realm of metaphysics, lawyers aren't necessarily effective."

"What about security?"

"It's even less useful."

Qin Ruoxue remained silent for a moment.

"Then at least don't go alone."

"I know."

The call had barely ended when Shen Qingyue called again.

She was more direct than Qin Ruoxue.

"Chen Bufan, are you crazy?"

Chen Bufan said:

"You all showed a lot of concern for me today."

Shen Qingyue wasn't in the mood for jokes.

"I've heard people in the circle talk about those people from the Xuanmen Association."

"Many of them have connections with the wealthy, the entertainment, and the financial circles."

"He appears to be a master on the surface, but there's a lot more to him than meets the eye."

"You offended the Song family, the Longevity Foundation, and Xuan Qingzi's faction earlier."

"Now they're all inviting you."

"This isn't a discussion of principles; it's a hunt."

Chen Bufan said:

"You're a female celebrity, and your information network is quite impressive."

Shen Qingyue became anxious.

"I'm not kidding you!"

"You're not the same little streamer you used to be."

"You have affected the interests of many people."

"They may not dare to kill you openly, but they have plenty of ways to ruin your reputation."

Chen Bufan said:

"My account has been banned."

Shen Qingyue choked.

"That's the first step!"

"What happens next?"

"What if the Xuanmen Association publicly accuses you of being a heretical fortune teller, of abusing your magic, and of using cases to gain fame? What will you do then?"

Chen Bufan's voice was calm:

"Then I'll ask them who's in charge."

"Who is evil?"

On the other end of the phone, Shen Qingyue was silent for a few seconds.

In the end, he only said one sentence:

"I'll have the team keep an eye on it."

"I will speak out immediately if anything happens to you."

Chen Bufan said:

Thanks.

Shen Qingyue whispered:

"Come back alive."

Chen Bufan feigned nonchalance:

"Don't worry, you won't die."

The phone hangs up.

After thinking for a moment, he sent Lin Wanqing another message.

"You arrange for someone to go with us."

Lin Wanqing replied with an "ok" emoji.

Finally, things calmed down, and Chen Bufan lay down on his small bed.

I vaguely felt that Lu Changsheng made a statement that was true.

If you come into contact with too many people, you'll end up with too many connections.

Many lines will form a network.

When the network moves, all the wires will feel pain.

That's the truth.

But he miscalculated one thing.

Having more lines doesn't necessarily mean a weakness.

It could also be the rope that pulls him down.

Thinking about it, Chen Bufan turned over and picked up the invitation again.

Meeting place: Yunding Mountain, Wenxuan Terrace.

He knew the venue of the Haicheng branch of the Xuanmen Association.

It used to be called the Fate-Asking Platform.

Later, after the Chen family encountered trouble, they changed the name to Wenxuantai.

A few months ago, when he first became popular, people even invited him to participate in the local council.

The council organization is located at Wenxuantai.

The membership fee is only 20.

He was naturally not interested in this council.

I never expected that the Xuanmen Association would invite me to the meeting under such a pretext.

The "Record of Destiny" on the table suddenly moved, followed by a flash of white light.

On the clean back of the invitation letter, a very faint line slowly emerged.

It is not a compass mark.

It is not a three-line designation.

Instead, it was a ring of fine black runes.

Like ink seeping into paper.

It also resembles blood turning black after it dries.

That's right, it's the Black Fate Mark again.

"This is interesting."

The Xuanmen Association keeps saying that it wants to discuss right and wrong.

You must draw a clear line between yourself and the "Fate-Changing Gate".

But the back of the invitations they sent contained the Black Death Mark.

What does this tell us?

This indicates that at least some members of the Xuanmen Association have connections with the Fate-Changing Sect.

Or worse.

The so-called orthodox path of the Xuanmen has already been partially corrupted by the Black Fate Mark.

Chen Bufan sighed, not surprised at all.

Then I saw another message from Qin Ruoxue:

"Master Chen, a friend from within the Xuanmen sect just told me that this Dao discussion is more dangerous than you think."

"It should be dangerous."

"As long as it's not dangerous."

"How can it be called a Feast at Hongmen?" Chen Bufan replied.

He recalled the events of the past two days.

Ancestral tablets.

The incense ash has not yet dispersed.

The blood-written words were not yet dry.

The old servant's life hangs in the balance.

The traitors hid within the Xuanmen (mysterious gate).

"I will ask Xuan Tai myself."

"VIP."

"Asking about debts."

"The Gate of Mystery".