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

As the shadowy figure's voice faded, the black life patterns within the Hall of Inquiry surged once more.

[The Return of a Collateral Branch]

[The Fate Talisman Unleashes its Killing Power]

The blood-written words on the "Record of Destiny" look as if they've just been pulled out of blood.

Chen Bufan stared at those eight characters, his eyes chillingly cold.

Side branch.

The talisman of destiny.

Chen Daoyuan.

These three clues finally came together.

Inside the Wenxuan Hall, Bai Yunhe had blood on the corner of his mouth, yet he smiled in an extremely eerie way.

Zhang Shouyuan's face was grave.

The old Taoist Qingyang and the other senior members of the Xuanmen sect also fell silent.

This name, like a stone that had been pressing down for twenty years, was finally lifted.

There is no dust beneath the stone.

is blood.

Chen Bufan looked at Zhang Shouyuan.

"Go on."

Zhang Shouyuan remained silent for a moment, then sighed.

"Chen Daoyuan is indeed from a branch of the Chen family."

"He is also your father Chen Daoheng's cousin."

"Back then, many people in the Xuanmen knew that the main branch of the Chen family had Chen Daoheng, and the side branch had Chen Daoyuan."

"A judge."

"A talisman."

"If the two of them had been of one mind, the Chen family of that generation should have suppressed the entire Xuanmen."

Chen Bufan's voice was deep:

"But they are not of one mind."

Zhang Shouyuan nodded.

"different."

"Your father, Chen Daoheng, upheld the ancestral precepts of the Chen family."

"Life may be taken, but not sold."

"Disaster can be averted, but marriage is not advisable."

"Life may come to an end, but it cannot be taken away."

"But Chen Daoyuan is different."

He felt these rules were too rigid.

He said that if the Taoist sect only follows the rules, it will be eliminated by the times sooner or later.

The wealthy seek longevity, the powerful seek a better life, businesses seek wealth, and celebrities seek fame.

"These are all opportunities."

"The Chen family clearly has the ability, but they choose not to do it."

"In his view, this is not being aloof."

"That's foolish."

Bai Yunhe replied with a cold laugh:

Is he wrong?

"If the Chen family had been willing to take on jobs from those important figures back then, why would they be stuck with a dilapidated ancestral home?"

"Chen Daoheng possessed the 'Record of Heavenly Mandate,' but he only knew how to predict disasters for the poor and interpret the fates of ordinary people."

"What kind of orthodox fortune teller is this?"

"This is such a waste!"

Zhang Shouyuan looked at him coldly.

"That's why people like you were able to have your fate altered."

Bai Yunhe's face darkened.

Zhang Shouyuan continued:

"Chen Daoyuan was extremely talented back then."

"He learned the art of talismans extremely quickly."

"It takes an ordinary talisman master three years to get started and ten years to become a fully-fledged master."

"He can draw the basic destiny talisman for the Chen family in just one year."

"We can independently establish a presence within three years."

"By his early twenties, he was already able to deduce the fragments of the 'Destiny Talisman Classic'."

"If he hadn't gone astray, the Chen family's talismanic arts might have been revived in his hands."

Chen Bufan looked at the name on the list.

Chen Daoyuan.

Representative of a collateral branch of the Chen family.

He brought half a scroll of the "Destiny Talisman Classic" with him when he joined the association.

His fingertips gently pressed on the paper.

Why does he hate my father?

Zhang Shouyuan said:

"Because he was always overshadowed by your father."

"Chen Daoheng did not contend."

"But as long as he stands there, Chen Daoyuan will never be the number one person in the Chen family."

"At the Xuanmen Conference, when others mention the Chen family, the first thing they always say is Chen Daoheng, the destiny master of the Chen family."

"The second sentence is about the collateral branch talisman master Chen Daoyuan."

"The word 'collateral branch' weighed on him for many years."

Lin Wanqing stood to the side, listening calmly.

She understood.

This is not an ordinary family conflict.

It is a long-standing grievance between power, inheritance, ability, and identity.

Chen Daoyuan is talented.

But he is not the main force.

He can make talismans.

But he cannot judge fate.

He can change the situation.

However, the Chen family rules required him to be bound by the "Destiny Record".

For a proud and arrogant person, this is a shackle.

Chen Bufan's voice was cold:

"So he switched sides with Lu Changsheng?"

Zhang Shouyuan said:

"Before the Xuanmen Conference, Lu Changsheng had already met many people."

"He knows who is greedy for money, who is afraid of death, and who is unwilling to accept defeat."

"For him, Chen Daoyuan is the best breakthrough point."

"Because Chen Daoyuan understands the Chen family best."

"And I hate the Chen family rules the most."

Bai Yunhe chuckled.

Is it wrong to hate the rules?

"Rules are made by people."

"Since the Chen family rules make the Chen family poor, marginalize them, and force them to cling to a bunch of skills that can't be monetized, why can't they be changed?"

Chen Bufan looked at him.

"So you changed the rule from 'no one can risk their lives' to 'whoever has the money can have their life extended'?"

Bai Yunhe choked for a moment.

He then sneered:

"That's just how the world is."

"Whoever has money has more choices."

"Whoever has power has more opportunities to survive."

"Chen Daoyuan simply understood this earlier than Chen Daoheng."

Chen Bufan ignored him.

He looked at Zhang Shouyuan.

What did Chen Daoyuan do at the Xuanmen Conference?

Zhang Shouyuan said in a deep voice:

That year, Lu Changsheng raised a topic.

Can fortune-telling be applied to worldly affairs?

He believes that the Taoist sect should no longer guard its mountain gates and ancestral precepts.

"Instead, we should cooperate with the wealthy, capital, and powerful."

"Using astrology, feng shui, and talismans to change the current state of reality."

"That sounds nice."

"Call him Jishi (meaning 'savior of the world')."

"In reality, it's about risking your life."

Chen Bufan sneered.

"Lu Changsheng has always been like this."

Zhang Shouyuan nodded.

"Your father objected on the spot."

He said that once fortune-telling is tied to power and wealth, the first to die will definitely be the powerless and insignificant.

"Because the wealthy won't risk their lives to save a life."

"The powerful and wealthy will not trade their lifespan for wealth."

"They only know how to use other people's lives to buy their own benefits."

Many people in the Hall of Questioning Mystery fell silent.

I said that twenty years ago.

Twenty years later, the three underground floors of Changsheng Health and Wellness Hospital have proven it.

driver.

nanny.

assistant.

Fetal soul.

Offerings to those who wish to prolong their lives.

Children receiving assistance.

All the tragedies confirmed Chen Daoheng's judgment back then.

Zhang Shouyuan continued:

"But Chen Daoyuan stepped forward."

He said, "The Chen family can't forever be the guardians of the weak."

"If fortune tellers cannot hold power, they will be trampled to death by those in power sooner or later."

He said that if sacrificing a few unfortunate people could bring more resources, more opportunities for survival, and more power, then it would be worthwhile.

The coldness in Chen Bufan's eyes grew stronger.

He had heard this line far too many times.

Lu Changsheng said that.

Gu Huai'an once said that.

Bai Yunhe also said that.

It turns out that Chen Daoyuan had said this twenty years ago.

Zhang Shouyuan looked at Chen Bufan, his voice even deeper:

"Your father only replied with one sentence at the time."

Chen Bufan looked up.

"What?"

Zhang Shouyuan said:

"If you start putting a price on other people's lives, one day your own life will also be put on a price."

The Hall of Inquiry fell silent once more.

Chen Bufan repeated in a low voice:

"Even your own life can be put on a price tag."

Zhang Shouyuan nodded.

"From that day on, Chen Daoyuan completely broke ties with your father."

"Before the conference ended, he took out half of the 'Scripture of Destiny'."

He said, "Since the main branch refuses to engage with the world, then the side branches will."

"Since the Chen family refuses to change their fate, then Chen Daoyuan will change it."

"Your father immediately wanted to take back the 'Life Talisman Scripture'."

"But Lu Changsheng and several elders of the Xuanmen sect stepped in to stop them."

"That conference ended on a sour note."

Lin Wanqing asked:

"And then the Chen family ran into trouble?"

Zhang Shouyuan nodded with a sorrowful expression.

"Shortly after the conference, the Chen family was wiped out."

"Chen Daoyuan has gone missing."

The whereabouts of the "Ming Fu Jing" are unknown.

"Lu Changsheng also disappeared from the Xuanmen's sight for a period of time."

Chen Bufan stared at the list.

Is Chen Daoyuan still alive?

Zhang Shouyuan did not answer immediately.

The black mist inside the main hall moved slowly.

Bai Yunhe's lips curled into a sneer.

The old Taoist priest Qingyang said in a low voice:

"If he were just an ordinary person, he might still be alive after twenty years."

"But if Chen Daoyuan really joins the Fate-Changing Sect and learns their techniques..."

He didn't continue.

Zhang Shouyuan continued the sentence.

"It's not surprising that he's alive."

Chen Bufan's eyes were terrifyingly deep.

A genius from a collateral branch of the Chen family.

He took away half a scroll of the "Scripture of Destiny".

Seek refuge with the Gate of Fate.

Twenty years later, the shadows of the Chen family's talisman techniques appeared in the Black Fate Mark, the Life-Covering Talisman, the Yin Marriage Remnant Technique, the Life-Turning Array, and the Mystery-Sealing Array.

What does this tell us?

This suggests that the development of the "Fate-Changing Sect" to its current state is likely inseparable from Chen Daoyuan.

Chen Bufan suddenly remembered what Lu Changsheng had said at the birthday banquet.

—The real traitor in the Chen family is closer than you think.

close.

It doesn't refer to geographical proximity.

Rather, it's a blood relationship.

Chen Daoyuan is my father's cousin.

They are from the Chen family.

He understands the Chen family's techniques.

He also understands the rules of the Chen family.

Therefore, he knows best how to destroy the Chen family.

Bai Yunhe suddenly laughed.

The laughter was particularly jarring in the dark, billowing hall.

"You guys are having quite a lively discussion."

"Chen Daoyuan is a traitor, Lu Changsheng is evil, and he alters fate to harm people."

"But have you ever thought about this?"

Chen Bufan looked at him.

Bai Yunhe wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes cold and sinister.

"You think Chen Daoyuan is just a traitor?"

His smile deepened.

"Wrong."

"He is the one who understands the Chen family the most."

Chen Bufan's eyes turned cold.

Bai Yunhe continued:

"Chen Daoheng followed the rules, therefore he died."

"Chen Daoyuan broke the rules, so he survived."

"Chen Daoheng wants to preserve the Chen family's heritage."

"But the one who truly allowed the Chen family's magic to survive to this day is Chen Daoyuan."

"Even a black mark is fine."

"Even a life-saving charm would be good."

"The Longevity Formation is also good."

"The Sealing Mystery Formation is also good."

"Which of these things wasn't modified using the Chen family's talismanic techniques?"

"You hate him?"

"Without him, the Chen family's possessions would have been burned to ashes along with the ancestral home long ago!"

Upon hearing this, many people in the Wenxuan Hall changed their expressions.

Chen Bufan's gaze grew colder and colder.

Bai Yunhe stared at him, his voice like a venomous snake piercing his heart:

"Chen Bufan".

"You can open the second level of the 'Destiny Record' today."

"It relies on the judgment system left by Chen Daoheng."

"But altering your fate can force you to vomit blood time and time again."

"It's thanks to the destiny charm left by Chen Daoyuan."

"You think you're investigating a traitor?"

"No."

"You're investigating the other half of the Chen family."

Deep within the Hall of Mystery, the black life pattern suddenly lit up.

A hoarse voice, as if coming from a very far place:

"White Crane".

"You talk too much."

Bai Yunhe's smile suddenly froze.

The next second, the black talisman in his sleeve spontaneously combusted.

The flames are not red.

It is black.

Bai Yunhe screamed in agony as his entire right arm was instantly engulfed by black flames.

"ah--!"

Zhang Shouyuan's expression changed drastically.

"Silencer!"

Chen Bufan's eyes turned cold, and his life coin flew out instantly, slashing towards the black fire.

But the black fire was only suppressed by half an inch.

Bai Yunhe's right arm had been charred black.

He knelt on the ground, his face contorted in pain.

But he still stared intently at Chen Bufan, as if he had finally understood something.

"He...he's always been..."

Before he could finish speaking, black fire suddenly shot into his throat.

Bai Yunhe opened his mouth wide, but no sound came out.

Chen Bufan stepped forward and pressed the money against his brow.

"Who?"

Where is Chen Daoyuan?

Bai Yunhe's eyes bulged, and he squeezed out the last broken sound from his throat:

"He...is with you..."

boom.

Black flames exploded.

Bai Yunhe suddenly collapsed to the ground.

Inside the Hall of Inquiry, all the black life runes simultaneously went out for a moment.

And new blood-written words appeared on the "Record of Destiny":

[With the destiny talisman at your side]

The traitors are not far away.