The private room was spacious, but only two people were inside.
Beyond Song Lian, who was dressed in a sharp suit, there was a middle-aged man in blue Taoist robes. He sported a long beard and held an exquisite nanmu wood box containing tortoise shells and copper coins.
Yuyin looked up. Well, well—not only a peer, but an acquaintance.
This man went by the name Yunyangzi. By seniority, he should have called her "Junior Aunt-Master." He was a disciple of her senior sister, Xu Meirong, but after only a few days of study, he had left the mountain to chase profit as a fortune-teller. Later, he was expelled from the school and had since become a popular internet fortune-telling guru.
During his brief time at the Lianxi Taoist Temple, he had relied on his family’s wealth to act arrogant, looking down on the dim-witted Yuyin and, of course, never bothering to remember her face.
"What did you overhear?" Song Lian narrowed his eyes, gripping her arm tightly.
He mistakenly assumed Yuyin had followed him and felt a surge of revulsion.
"I heard everything. You sent people to investigate me. Actually, if you wanted to know something, you could have just asked. No need to waste money on a private investigator!" Yuyin winced in pain. She could have easily broken free, but she was afraid of hurting him.
Song Lian guiltily let go and dropped the subject. He had investigated Yuyin because he wanted to know if she was the one manipulating the Cheng Family's fortune.
In recent years, the Cheng Family’s luck had been ferocious; no matter what they did, they turned danger into safety, leaving Song Lian with no way to intervene. He had consulted masters who suggested the Cheng Family was "borrowing" someone else’s luck, which was why he had turned his suspicions toward Yuyin.
Yunyangzi, missing the gravity of Yuyin’s words, took her for an ignorant waitress. "Where did this little brat come from? Get out of here!"
Oh? Her nephew-disciple didn’t recognize her? Then why had he been talking about reading her fortune earlier?
She was in a hurry to find Sheng Anguo and didn't want to cause trouble, so she didn't expose him on the spot, deciding to let him jump around a bit longer.
Seeing that Song Lian wasn't pursuing the matter, Yunyangzi angrily tried to block Yuyin. "Mr. Song, heavenly secrets must not be leaked. Since this damn girl heard our conversation, the reading is no longer accurate."
"Or perhaps it’s just that you aren't accurate?" Yuyin smiled at Song Lian, intentionally dropping a hint.
"What a joke! I was invited here by President Sheng himself; I am a guest of honor. The late Master Huian was my grandmaster, and her first disciple, Xu Meirong, is my master. You’ve heard their names—they are legendary figures..."
"I’ve heard of them. But apart from Master Huian, your master's name isn't exactly legendary. If Mr. Song hadn't helped out this afternoon, your master would have perished in a sea of fire," Yuyin said with a cold sneer.
Yunyangzi looked up in shock; his master hadn't mentioned this to him.
Song Lian stood in the doorway, hands in his pockets, feigning composure, though he realized he had been played. "Yuyin, don't misunderstand. I only investigated you for personal reasons. I won't hurt you."
As the two were entangled, Yunyangzi, standing in the corner, heard her name and his eyes went wide.
He clearly saw the grandmaster’s Dharma Artifact on Yuyin’s wrist—the string of twenty-four red agate prayer beads. Only the successor of the Lianxi Taoist Temple could possess those.
Yunyangzi couldn't believe it. The fool who couldn't even speak properly back then had actually attained wisdom and inherited the grandmaster’s legacy?
By seniority, he would have to call this girl—young enough to be his granddaughter—his "Junior Aunt-Master"!
No, that couldn't be right. It certainly wasn't the Yuyin from the Lianxi Taoist Temple; it must be a coincidence of names.
Refusing to accept it, Yunyangzi turned back and pointed at Yuyin, scolding her. "Where did this fraud come from? How dare you impersonate my Junior Aunt-Master? Aren't you afraid of bad luck or cutting your life short? Get out before I lose my temper!"
Yuyin smiled silently. The man was brazenly calling her a fake—he seemed quite shaken.
Song Lian noticed the shift and became suspicious of Yunyangzi’s identity. He blocked the man’s path and dragged him back. "This is the Yuyin I mentioned. Since the real person is here, give her a reading."
Yuyin chuckled and leaned in. "Go ahead. I'll cooperate."
Yunyangzi walked over, his scalp tingling. Seeing Yuyin’s radiant, auspicious face, he didn't dare use his own Dharma Artifacts. If this woman really were Yuyin, his actions would be reckless. Fortune-telling for someone with greater mastery than his own would cost him his life.
"Mr. Song, you only paid for one reading. I can't do a second one." Yunyangzi was in a bind, wishing he could fall ill and vanish on the spot.
Song Lian’s gaze turned cold. "Do it. I’ll pay extra."
"It’s not about the money..." Yunyangzi was terrified. He was already half a century old; if this girl was truly his Junior Aunt-Master, he was doomed.
Yuyin saw that Song Lian was deliberately stirring up trouble, so she played along, thrusting her glowing, flushed face right in front of Yunyangzi.
"Read it!" they said in unison.
Yunyangzi broke into a cold sweat, trembling as he reached for his copper coins. He thought to himself: *I won't look at her face. I'll just toss the coins randomly and spout some nonsense.*
Yunyangzi coughed a few times, threw the coins on the floor, and didn't even dare glance at them.
"Wait," Yuyin said, stopping him as she nudged the tossed coins with her foot. "I recall Mr. Song asking for a face reading. That’s a basic requirement for anyone in the Xuanmen arts. Otherwise, you should stick to the simple, entry-level stuff."
Yunyangzi had no choice, grinding his teeth in frustration. He was forced to look at Yuyin, and suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"Your face shows nobility, and your parents are still alive... Wait, that's not right. The real Yuyin lost her parents in childhood. Since your parents are alive, you're a fraud!" Yunyangzi smirked, his mouth twisting in triumph.
Yuyin sneered; she hadn't expected Yunyangzi to be more than a charlatan—he had some real skill after all.
Thinking he had caught her, Yunyangzi laughed smugly. "Mr. Song, I have performed a second reading for her. This Miss Yuyin is destined for great wealth and has the face of a woman who brings prosperity to her husband."
"Prosperity to my husband?" Yuyin pursed her lips and smiled, deliberately looking at Song Lian, as if to ask if that was what he meant.
Song Lian hurriedly interrupted, "Nonsense! Is that what I asked you to read?"
A row was about to break out when the door creaked open and a young woman about Yuyin’s age walked in.
This was Yuyin’s first time seeing Sheng Feiyan in person.
She was beautiful and fair-skinned. Especially the cleavage peeking out from her black camisole—her figure was exquisite.
It was clear that the Sheng Family had raised her well; she was educated and refined, unlike the typical arrogant, stuck-up heiress.
Sheng Feiyan entered the room tipsy, her cheeks flushed a rosy red.
Her first move was to greet Song Lian. "Song Lian, thank you for coming to my birthday party. There were too many friends, so I had to toast them one by one. Please forgive my negligence. I’ll punish myself with a drink."
After downing a glass of red wine, Sheng Feiyan swayed and leaned into Song Lian’s shoulder, whether intentionally or not.
Song Lian stood still, tilting his body slightly toward Sheng Feiyan to make her more comfortable.
Yuyin’s eyes flickered, but seeing Song Lian’s calm expression, she looked away.
So, she had thought Song Lian liked Sheng Feiyan, but it seemed those were just rumors. With Sheng Feiyan being so proactive and him remaining so indifferent, it was obvious they were just friends.
Noticing a stranger in the room, Sheng Feiyan turned around, looking displeased, and draped a graceful arm over Song Lian’s shoulder. "And who is this...?"
Today was her birthday party, and the guests were all her close friends; she had even written the invitations by hand. But she did not recognize this woman in front of her, who wore no makeup.
Song Lian was about to introduce her, but Yuyin stepped forward first and took Sheng Feiyan’s hand.
"Hello, my name is Yuyin."
Sheng Feiyan’s expression shifted instantly. The wine glass in her hand hit the floor and shattered.
Dark red liquid splattered onto her white silk camisole, looking like fresh blood—vivid and piercing to the eye.