Li Guangyue looked at her momentary breakdown without the slightest surprise in his eyes, nor did he answer her question directly.
"It doesn't matter how I know," he said, his voice steady but with a gentle power. "What matters is that the first 'debt lock' obstructing your marriage is rooted in this."
He paused, letting the conclusion settle in her mind, before continuing to explain in a clear voice: "That child who never saw the light of day, on the level of destiny, forged a heavy 'child debt' with you. You must have been quite far along when you gave him up, otherwise, such karma wouldn't exist. And it's not karma in the usual sense, but more like a rule-based shackle formed from an unfulfilled natural contract based on blood ties. This lock quietly formed the moment you decided to give him (or her) up."
Li Guangyue’s words struck at the heart of the issue: "Therefore, your feeling of emotional 'draining and sealing' is not an illusion, but this lock at work. It's like an invisible barrier, not only sealing your own passage to future offspring (making it extremely difficult, at least until this debt is resolved), but also emitting a magnetic field of 'refusal to establish deep intimate relationship', making it hard for you to be moved, and causing potential romantic connections to feel a strange sense of distance and discomfort, ultimately ending without resolution. This… is the primary reason why you have been unable to remarry."
The woman listened to this unheard-of explanation, which, however, resonated perfectly with her own feelings. She felt as if struck by lightning, slumping onto the chair, her face ashen. Tears silently streamed down her cheeks. She finally understood that the pervasive emptiness and stagnation weren't because she wasn't good enough, nor was it bad luck, but because she was carrying such a heavy 'debt'.
"Then… what should I do?" her voice trembled, "Can it… be undone?"
Li Guangyue looked at her, his gaze devoid of blame, only the profound depth of someone accustomed to Karma: "Since it is a 'debt', there is a way to repay it. Since it is a 'lock', there is a key to open it. But the key is not in my hands; it lies in how you face this deficiency and how you resolve the lingering resentment. This requires sincere repentance to appease the lingering spirit and a true reconciliation with this past in the depths of your heart."
He then looked towards the second, faintly visible gray chain, his tone becoming more solemn: "However, the 'debts' you carry are not just this one. While this 'child debt' is heavy, it only locks a part of your romantic fate. The other one… seems to be somewhat connected to this. It's a bit strange, could it be…"
Li Guangyue frowned slightly, as if sensing extremely subtle energy differences, "…the aura is faintly connected to this 'debt', yet not of the same origin. The strange thing is, it doesn't seem innate, but rather… as if it was later entangled by external forces."
He pondered for a moment, a clear pattern emerging in his mind. These two chains, one originating from her own choice, the other like an external response, were intertwined, forming this impenetrable cage. He had a basic confirmation of the origin of the latter. He looked up at the woman, who had not yet fully recovered from the shock of the 'child debt', and asked: "After your first marriage ended, did you pay any attention to, or hear about, your ex-husband’s situation?" He wanted to find a real-world anchor for this second chain from her.
The woman still seemed lost in the shock and bewilderment of her secrets being exposed, her gaze unfocused. Hearing his question, she paused for a few seconds before shaking her head absently, her voice weak, as if from a survival: "My ex-husband… After we divorced, I deliberately cut off all contact and poured all my energy into work, hoping to… numb the discomfort and confusion after the divorce. I never inquired about his affairs, and… I didn't want to know."
Her words conveyed a determination to completely sever ties with the past, yet also hinted at deeper emotions hidden beneath her deliberate avoidance.
Li Guangyue understood as he observed her subconsciously evasive attitude. This second chain often grows in the soil of 'not wanting to know' yet being unable to truly 'let go'.
"Although you don't want to know, some Karma does not disappear just because you cover your ears and close your eyes," he said, his voice steady but with an irrefutable penetrative force. "The source of this second shackle is tied to your ex-husband. Moreover, observing his aura, it carries intense resentment and unwillingness. This is not the ordinary resentment after a divorce, but more like… he later encountered some major, continuous misfortune, and attributed the root of this karma to the breakdown of the marriage, to you…"
Li Guangyue paused, his gaze fixed on the woman's instantly bloodless face, and slowly uttered his cruel conjecture: "More critically, the form of this resentment is something a living person cannot bear and project… Your ex-husband, I fear… is no longer among the living. Furthermore, at the time of his death, he must have harbored extreme hatred towards you and that broken marriage. This intense negative energy formed a karmic shackle that spans the yin and yang, like a parasite clinging to life, which in turn tightly wraps around your romantic life."
This conclusion struck the woman like a thunderbolt out of the blue. "Wha… what?!" She suddenly sprang from her chair, her body shaking violently. If she hadn't clutched the edge of the table, she would have collapsed. The color drained completely from her face, her lips trembled, and her eyes were filled with extreme horror and confusion.
"No… it's impossible! He… he was always in good health! How could…" She babbled a denial, but deep down, a sense of unease she had deliberately ignored surged like a tide—yes, with his personality, if he were well, why had there been such silence all these years since the divorce?
"He… how did he…" she stammered, barely daring to ask the question.
Li Guangyue's gaze remained fixed on the second chain, trying to decipher the information it contained: "The deathly stillness carries a sinking sensation and the heat of flames… It was not a peaceful end. It seems to be related to fire, and the process might have been quite sudden, even… somewhat suspicious. This further confirms the depth of his resentment at the time of his death, allowing such a firm karmic entanglement to form."
He looked at the nearly collapsing woman, his voice softening but with undeniable seriousness: "Now, the situation is clear. The two 'debt locks' on you are, one, the 'child debt' stemming from your own unresolved issues, and the other, the 'karmic lock' from your ex-husband's untimely death. The former seals the foundation of your romantic fate, while the latter is like a malicious curse, constantly draining your vitality, reinforcing this cage, and potentially even transferring some of his misfortune onto you."
He paused, allowing the heavy reality to completely crush her self-deceiving fantasies, before continuing: "Now, if you want to break free from this predicament and guide the unborn child to peace, resolving the 'child debt' is fundamental. But breaking this 'karmic lock' from the deceased is even more urgent! Otherwise, even if you clear your own debts, this external shackle will continue to drag you down. At best, you'll live a lonely life. For now, it's just a debt; don't let it completely transform into karma…"
The woman slumped back into her chair, her eyes vacant, tears silently falling. She had never imagined that the new life she strove for was entangled by such a terrifying and bizarre double shackle, one originating from herself, the other from the deceased. The path to salvation suddenly appeared more perilous and complex.
"Wh… what should I do?" Her voice was hoarse, filled with despair.
Li Guangyue pondered for a moment and said, "This matter cannot be rushed or handled carelessly. First, you must confirm the true circumstances of his death, and thoroughly investigate the specific cause of death and burial location. This is crucial. Second, you need to find a personal item he frequently wore, one imbued with his strong living aura, to serve as a medium for resolving karma."
He looked into the woman's bewildered and helpless eyes and added solemnly: "Finally, a specific time must be chosen, at the place of his death or before his grave, to perform the 'sever karma' ritual. The specifics will depend on the exact cause of his death, after which I can tailor a plan for you. You can come to me again then."
Seeing the woman's nearly collapsing state, hesitation etched on her face, Li Guangyue sighed softly, uncharacteristically offering more explanation: "It's not that I'm unwilling to help you now, but firstly, I don't know the reason for your ex-husband's death. Different causes of death involve different malevolent energies and karma, thus requiring entirely different methods of resolution. Acting rashly could be counterproductive. Secondly, your ex-husband harbored great resentment towards you before his accident. This resentment, amplified by his unexpected death, is what entangled you through karma. Thirdly…"
He paused slightly and admitted frankly: "…matters involving violent deaths of souls and resolving karma are extremely draining and require unusually prepared items, hence… the cost is quite high. We can discuss this further once you've confirmed the situation."
Hearing the Master's clear, logical, and to-the-point explanation, though still overwhelmed by immense fear and grief, the woman understood this was the only viable path at the moment. She nodded weakly, her trembling hand barely supporting her as she stood up.
…
"Thank you for your guidance, Master. I… I will go find a way to confirm it now…" Her voice was faint, as if all her strength was depleted. Under Baoli's silent guidance, she stumbled out. Her retreating figure was filled with the dread of facing a cruel truth, and a sense of the heavy, bewildered burden of carrying a dual 'debt'.
Li Guangyue watched her leave, his gaze returning to the stack of papers recording his 'performance'. He gently pressed his Mingtang acupoint. The continuous probing into the depths of destiny today had consumed far more mental energy than usual. The 'debts' in this world are truly varied, each more bizarre and difficult to deal with than the last, each heavier than the previous.
He couldn't help but let out a self-deprecating murmur: I opened my business intending only to help people with their marriages and fortunes, occasionally handling 'minor troubles' on trips, using some rhetoric and a bit of real skill to earn a hard-earned living from those who seek help and possess greed. But I never intended, nor do I have the capability, to be anyone's savior…
As Li Guangyue was using this brief moment of leisure to let his thoughts drift, allowing his overused mind and dry, aching eyes a moment of respite, Baoli gently pushed the door open and entered.
"Brother Guang," Baoli's voice was still steady, "The fifth client scheduled for today just messaged. They said a family emergency came up this morning and they can't make it. They're requesting to reschedule."
"Oh?" Li Guangyue almost subconsciously heaved a sigh of relief at this, raising his hand to pat his chest. "That's good. Fortunately, he didn't come. If another 'big client' like the one just now, involving yin and yang and full of hidden complexities, had shown up, I fear I would have been embarrassed and unable to carry on today."
"What? Was the consumption so high today?" Baoli sat down beside him, his voice filled with concern.
"More than high…" Li Guangyue pulled at the corners of his mouth helplessly. "Each of today's cases required Heavenly Eye to examine carefully. Some even needed a deep probe into the energetic pathways to find the root. My mind can't withstand this kind of toll. I feel completely drained."
He waved his hand, seemingly unwilling to dwell on the fatigue. "Let's not talk about this for now. I need to report today's 'performance' quickly and see if the 'feedback' from above can give me some relief."
With that, he took a deep breath, gathered his spirits, and reached for the stack of papers detailing today's various disputes and entanglements. The moment his fingertips touched the paper, he guided the slightly dimmed yellow halo in his sea of consciousness to slowly envelop the stack of 'performance' papers.
As if a faint stream of light flashed across the surface of the papers, they instantly caught fire. The flames consumed the few pages in an instant, and the remaining ash fluttered down, only to disappear before reaching the ground. After a moment, Li Guangyue felt wisps of faint, warm energy, like a stream, slowly flowing from the top of his head into the yellow halo in his mind, nourishing the overused halo and even soothing his dry, aching eyes. Feeling the warmth of the slightly replenished yellow halo in his mind due to the 'performance' feedback, the weariness on Li Guangyue's face vanished instantly.
Li Guangyue let out a soft breath. Indeed, effort yielded rewards, and there was some improvement; he finally didn't feel completely emptied. But why did it feel like the yellow halo had deformed slightly?