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

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded very old.

She is also very mute.

Like a dull knife, slowly sharpened on sandpaper.

"The Chen family boy."

"You finally ran into them."

Chen Bufan sat at the table, his fingers resting on the cover of "The Record of Destiny".

The sky outside the window was already turning white.

The city wasn't fully awake yet; occasionally a car would drive by downstairs, its tires making a soft rustling sound as they rolled over the wet pavement.

He didn't speak immediately.

The person on the other end of the phone didn't urge us.

The two sides remained silent.

A full seven or eight seconds passed.

Chen Bufan then said calmly:

"Who are you?"

A soft chuckle came from the other end of the phone.

"Didn't your master mention me to you?"

Chen Bufan's eyes darkened slightly.

"You know my master?"

"Know."

The old man's voice was slow and deliberate.

"He has a terrible temper and a stubborn personality, and he's also unlucky in life."

"I tried to persuade him back then."

"You are the only remaining member of the Chen family. We shouldn't have left the 'Record of Destiny' to you."

Chen Bufan's fingers tightened little by little.

The old copper coin on the table trembled slightly.

"You also know about the 'Records of Destiny'."

The old man sighed.

"Know."

"I know too much, that's why I've been hiding all these years."

Chen Bufan leaned back in his chair, his voice flat.

"Tell me your name."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"Chen Lao Jiu".

Chen Bufan narrowed his eyes.

"Your surname is also Chen?"

"Not from your Chen family."

Chen Lao Jiu said:

"In the world of martial arts, who doesn't have a few fake names to make a living?"

"My name is Chen Lao Jiu, simply because I was the ninth child in my family back then."

Chen Bufan did not respond.

Chen Lao Jiu continued:

"I watched the live broadcast tonight."

"Shen Qingyue, Wang family, Zhao Qiming, Jiang Kun."

"You broke four traps."

"It also puts me in their shoes."

"The key to changing one's fate?"

"Um."

Chen Lao Jiu seemed to take a puff of his pipe, and a very soft breathing sound came from the other end of the phone.

"Those guys, after all these years, they've still come out."

"I originally thought they would hide for a while longer."

"I didn't expect you to be so lucky. You've only been streaming for a short time, and you've already beaten them several times."

Chen Bufan stared at the "Record of Destiny" on the table.

"Who exactly are they?"

Chen Lao Jiu chuckled.

"It's too early to ask that now."

"Knowing the name is enough."

Chen Bufan said:

"not enough."

"That still needs to be enough."

Chen Laojiu lowered his voice.

"Chen Bufan, listen to my advice."

"Don't easily try to change your destiny."

"You're not qualified yet."

The air in the room seemed a little chilly.

Chen Bufan lowered his eyes, his emotions unreadable.

Whether someone is qualified or not is not up to you to decide.

There was silence for a few seconds on the other end of the phone.

Then, Chen Laojiu laughed.

This time, there was something else in the laughter.

It's like reminiscing.

It also seems like a sense of helplessness.

"picture."

"So similar."

Chen Bufan asked:

"Who does he look like?"

Chen Laojiu did not answer.

He simply said:

"Back then, your Chen family members were just as stubborn."

"Knowing full well that the Gate of Fate is not something to be trifled with, I still rushed headlong into it."

"And then?"

"The ancestral home burned down."

"Everyone is dead."

"You're the only little thing left, and someone has to carry you out."

"Who carried me out?"

There was no sound on the other end of the phone.

Chen Bufan pressed further:

"Was it you?"

Chen Laojiu did not deny it.

They did not admit it either.

He simply whispered:

"Some things, you'll know when you're old enough to ask for the answers."

Chen Bufan smiled.

The smile was cold.

"You made this call just to stop me from investigating?"

"Yes."

Chen Laojiu answered very decisively.

"If you continue investigating now, you'll only die."

"The Book of Destiny is not a panacea."

"Your master forbade you to touch the Fate-Changing Gate back then because he knew that those people knew more than just evil magic."

"They have powerful backers."

"Rich people."

"Those in power."

"A person whose life is about to end, yet who cannot bear to die."

"You think you've only broken a few minor issues."

"But you're threatening their livelihoods."

Chen Bufan fell silent.

Chen Lao Jiu continued:

"They extend the lives of the wealthy."

"Promoting the fame of celebrities."

"Transferring disaster to capital."

"Boosting the luck of online celebrities."

"Which of these people isn't burdened with karma?"

"You break up a trap, and save a few people."

"But if they lose a source of income, someone will want your life."

Chen Bufan said calmly:

"Then let's go."

Chen Laojiu sighed.

"Young man, don't risk your life."

Chen Bufan said:

"I'm not doing this out of spite."

"I'm here to settle accounts."

The other end of the phone went silent again.

After a long time, Chen Laojiu finally spoke:

"Your father said the same thing."

Chen Bufan's fingers suddenly stopped.

"Do you know my father?"

"know."

"What's his name?"

Chen Laojiu remained silent.

Chen Bufan's voice turned cold.

"explain."

A low cough came from the other end of the phone.

Chen Laojiu coughed for a long time, as if he had a long-standing injury hidden in his lungs.

After the coughing stopped, he slowly said:

"Chen Bufan".

"Don't ask your father now."

Asking won't do you any good.

"So what did you want to say when you called today?"

Chen Lao Jiu said:

"The Fate-Changing Sect already knows that you possess the 'Record of Destiny'."

"Next, they will gradually force you to take action."

"The case will get bigger and bigger."

"The bureau will become increasingly dirty."

"Every time you use the 'Destiny Record,' it will take another look at you."

Chen Bufan frowned.

"it?"

Chen Laojiu did not explain.

He just whispered:

"remember."

"If you don't need to use it, then don't use it."

"If you can see with your eyes, don't turn the pages of a book."

"If you can decide a shallow fate, don't bother with deep cause and effect."

"Otherwise, you'll lose your life before you even finish reading the book."

As soon as he finished speaking, a gust of wind suddenly came from the other end of the phone.

It's like someone standing in a very open space.

Chen Bufan asked:

Where are you now?

Chen Lao Jiu smiled.

"Hiding from debt."

"Whose debt are you hiding from?"

"The debt of changing one's fate."

"And there's also the debt owed to your Chen family."

Chen Bufan's eyes flickered slightly.

"What do you owe the Chen family?"

Chen Laojiu lowered his voice.

"I owe you a life."

"Whose life?"

"Your Chen family's fate."

Just as Chen Bufan was about to press for more information, the person on the other end of the phone suddenly said:

"Alright."

"I've said enough today."

"Young man of the Chen family, let me give you one last piece of advice."

Don't trust everyone who approaches you.

"Especially the rich."

Chen Bufan was taken aback.

"What do you mean?"

Only a very soft laugh came from the other end of the phone.

"Because rich people seek life."

"They are often the most willing to exchange other people's lives for them."

Snapped.

The phone hangs up.

Chen Bufan held his phone and remained seated.

On the screen was an unfamiliar number with no registered address.

He called back.

The number is invalid.

That phone call just now has never happened before.

The "Records of Destiny" on the table lay quietly.

The dark red marks on the cover appeared even deeper in the morning light.

Chen Bufan looked down at it.

Chen Lao Jiu.

Changing one's fate.

The Chen family's old case.

And that line—

Don't trust everyone who approaches you.

Especially the wealthy.

Just then, my phone vibrated again.

This time it wasn't an unfamiliar number.

It's Shen Qingyue.

She sent me a message.

Mr. Chen, is this a convenient time? Someone wants to contact you.

Chen Bufan glanced at the time.

6:17 a.m.

He replied:

【who?】

Shen Qingyue replied quickly.

Qin Ruoxue is the current CEO of the Qin Group.

Then, another one.

She's been going through a lot lately, and has consulted many people, but nothing has helped. Knowing about my past, she's asking for your help.

Chen Bufan looked at the four characters "Qin Group" and recalled what Chen Laojiu had just said.

The rich pray for their fate.

They are often the most willing to exchange someone else's life for theirs.

He didn't reply immediately.

Shen Qingyue sent another business card.

Qin Ruoxue.

Executive President of Qin's Group.

Below is a private number.

Not long after, that number sent me a friend request.

The note consists of only one sentence:

[Mr. Chen, I am Qin Ruoxue, introduced by Shen Qingyue. I need your help.]

Chen Bufan looked at the words "help".

He did it through a friend.

The next second, the other party sent a message.

Mr. Chen, I apologize for disturbing you.

I know you have a lot of rules, but I really have no other choice right now.

The Qin family has recently been plagued by a series of misfortunes.

Three months ago, the Chengnan project collapsed, and the partner absconded with the funds.

A month ago, the group's vice president was in a car accident on his way back to the company and is still in the ICU.

Two weeks ago, the company's finance department discovered a funding shortfall, almost causing the cash flow to collapse.

Last night, one of our employees jumped from the 19th floor.

I don't believe in metaphysics, but these things are happening far too frequently.

Shen Qingyue said, "You can see."

I would like to ask you to take a look at the feng shui of my company.

Messages kept coming in.

His tone was very steady.

There was none of the typical crying and shouting of someone seeking help.

But every line of text carries a sense of exhaustion that is about to break.

A few seconds later, Qin Ruoxue sent another photo.

The photo shows an extremely spacious CEO's office.

Floor-to-ceiling windows.

Black desk.

A full-wall bookcase.

A golden Pixiu was placed on the table.

Outside the window are the high-rise buildings of Haicheng CBD.

The renovation was very expensive.

To the average person, it just looks impressive.

But Chen Bufan frowned after just one glance.

The office layout is incorrect.

The desk faces the floor-to-ceiling window, with no support behind it.

The bookcase on the left is oppressive, while the right side is empty and lacks energy.

Most importantly, in the corner of the photo, there is a half-dead green plant.

Beneath the greenery, there was a black stone.

That rock was inconspicuous.

But along the edge of the stone, a wisp of extremely thin black smoke, like a snake, snaked its way up the table leg.

Chen Bufan zoomed in on the photo.

Beside the black stone, there was a faint red spot.

It's not just decoration.

It is cinnabar.

This is not just ordinary bad feng shui.

This is a scheme orchestrated by humans.

Moreover, it's a dead-end situation.

Qin Ruoxue sent another message:

Mr. Chen, have you figured anything out?

If it's convenient, I can send a car to pick you up now.

You name the price.

Chen Bufan ignored the "price".

He stared at the photograph, his fingers lightly pressing against the copper coins on the table.

The coin did not spin.

Instead, he simply collapsed.

Snapped.

Turn it up.

fierce.

Chen Bufan picked up his phone and replied to Qin Ruoxue.

Don't come to the office tonight.

The other party replied almost instantly.

Why?

Chen Bufan looked at the black stone in the photo.

The sound seemed to reach Qin Ruoxue's ears through the screen.

He slowly typed out three words.

People will die.