Chapter 42

Sitting in Mo Yongxing's Hummer, Qin Yu's thoughts were in a whirl. After coming out of Tongboshan, he had a secret talk with Mo Yongxin. He didn't really care about He Ping's matter, as it was only related to the Mo family, and Mo Yongxin already had her own ideas, so he didn't want to say too much.

Regarding the matter of the Thousand-Foot Divine Lord, he only hinted a little to Mo Yongxin. However, with her sharp mind, she should be able to figure it out. Both of them tacitly avoided talking about what happened in the Nine Stars and Three Talents Array. After leaving Tongboshan, Mo Yongxin returned to her cold demeanor, making Qin Yu feel as if the Mo Yongxin inside the array was not the one in front of him.

"Qin Yu, what exactly happened between you and my sister down there? And why does she want me to monitor He Ping?" Mo Yongxing, driving the car, couldn't hold back his curiosity as they were about to enter the county town, where Qin Yu's home was located.

"Why don't you ask your sister about these things?"

"My sister would have told me if she wanted to. Why would I need to ask you?" Mo Yongxing rolled his eyes. His sister was tight-lipped and didn't mention anything about what happened, only repeatedly instructing him to arrange for a reliable person to monitor He Ping's every move.

"Just monitor He Ping, then. I can tell you that his background is not simple and somewhat mysterious. Once you find any clues, your sister will likely tell you everything." Qin Yu sat up straight and said seriously.

"You guys can keep your secrets, but don't think I won't investigate on my own." Mo Yongxing smirked, slammed on the brakes, and Qin Yu, caught off guard, crashed into the front seat, exclaiming, "How do you drive!"

"We're at your house. Do you think I wouldn't brake?" Mo Yongxing looked smug and pointed to the house outside the window.

"Really, we're here." Qin Yu looked out and saw that they were indeed at his house. He didn't dwell on Mo Yongxing's sudden braking and got out of the car.

This trip to Tongboshan lasted about a week, and there was no signal in the mountains. He didn't know how worried his parents must have been, unable to contact him. Since starting university, he had spent very little time with his parents. During the holidays, he was busy with class reunions, and the days he spent at home were few and far between.

Qin Yu entered the courtyard and found his parents in the living room. Seeing him, they looked delighted. His mother, Zhang Mei, said, "Xiao Yu, why did it take you so long to come back from Tongboshan? Your cousin Zhang Hua called you many times."

"Cousin Zhang Hua called me?" Qin Yu was puzzled. What could his cousin in Guangzhou want? He took out his phone and saw that it had been on standby due to no signal and was now dead.

"This child, you didn't even know your phone was dead. Use my phone to call your cousin." Qin Yu's mother, Zhang Mei, handed him her phone. Qin Yu smiled awkwardly, realizing he had been careless.

"Hello, Auntie, what's up? Is it because Xiao Yu is back?" The call was answered quickly, and his cousin spoke directly.

"It's me, Xiao Yu. Cousin, why did you call me?"

"It's Xiao Yu! I've been waiting for your call. Where have you been these days? Hold on a moment." Hearing Qin Yu's voice, Zhang Hua's voice rose several decibels. The background was noisy, and it was clear that Zhang Hua was planning to find a quiet place to talk.

"Xiao Yu, something has happened here!" His cousin's voice came through the phone again.

"Something happened?" Qin Yu was puzzled.

"There's been an accident at the construction site. Several workers died while building a skyscraper. Do you remember the spirit-suppressing talisman you gave me? I stuck it inside the building, and it glowed intensely. Didn't you tell me that the more intense the glow, the more severe the negative energy in the place?"

"And the strangest thing is that the spirit-suppressing talisman fell off the wall two days ago. According to what you told me, this means the negative energy has reached a terrifying level. I've already suggested to the boss to temporarily stop construction, but you know, stopping construction causes huge losses, and we can't afford it! I hope you can come to Guangzhou to see what's wrong with the construction site."

"Cousin, your decision is correct. The spirit-suppressing talisman falling off means the building is very dangerous. Don't let the workers get close to it. I'll buy a train ticket and come to Guangzhou tomorrow to check it out."

Qin Yu thought for a moment. The matter of the Thousand-Foot Divine Lord in Tongboshan wasn't urgent; it wouldn't petrify and revive so quickly. However, the spirit-suppressing talisman falling off indicated that the situation was extremely dangerous, and the negative energy had reached a significant level.

"Alright, I'll book your ticket. You can just take your ID to the train station tomorrow and get on the train." Hearing that Qin Yu was coming, Zhang Hua said.

"Book my ticket? When did you become so fashionable, Cousin?" Qin Yu joked. Nowadays, tickets were booked online, and his cousin, who had left school after junior high and worked on construction sites, had never been known to book tickets online.

"Didn't I tell you I hired an accountant? She's a college graduate, and I asked her to book the ticket for you." Zhang Hua's voice was hesitant, as if he was a bit embarrassed.

"Cousin, what are you embarrassed about? Don't tell me you're really planning to...?" Qin Yu laughed. Could it be that his cousin had finally come to his senses? This would be good, as it would save his aunt from nagging. His cousin was no longer young, but he didn't know what the girl was like or if she was interested in his cousin.

"Don't say anything silly. She's here to work. I'm telling you, when you come to Guangzhou, don't say anything inappropriate, or you might scare her away."

"Don't worry, I won't scare away your future sister-in-law. Otherwise, your wife would hate me to death. She's been waiting to hold a grandchild for a long time, hehe!"

Qin Yu joked a bit more before hanging up. He noticed his mother staring at him with bright eyes and asked, "Your cousin Zhang Hua has a girlfriend? Where is she from, and what does she look like?"

His mother's rapid-fire questions made Qin Yu smile bitterly. This was completely off-topic. He had just found out himself, and it was uncertain whether anything would come of it. The girl might not even know his cousin's feelings. It seemed that not only his aunt but also his mother was very concerned about his cousin's marriage.

"Mom, I don't know either. Don't say anything to your sister. The girl might not agree, and if the matter isn't settled, your sister will start nagging."

"Since you're going to Guangzhou tomorrow, you can check it out. If you think she's good, ask him to bring her home. He's no longer young, and it's not right for him to remain unmarried."

His mother ignored the girl's opinion, leaving Qin Yu feeling helpless. He had to agree, but he knew his cousin would have to face this on his own. His mother would definitely tell his aunt, who would then nag his cousin. "Dead Daoist, not poor Daoist," his cousin would have to rely on his own luck.

"By the way, your Uncle also called you several times. When he couldn't find you, he called home."

"Uncle? I'll call him back once my phone is charged."

Qin Yu nodded. His uncle was probably calling about the county magistrate, but the ancestral tomb had already been moved. What else could there be?

"Take a bottle of old wine with you when you go to Guangzhou. Your cousin loves the homemade liquor from home, and don't refuse to drink when you're out." Qin Yu's father also chimed in, saying little but showing his concern.

"Father, I'll be careful. Don't worry. I'll go upstairs now."

In his room, Qin Yu plugged in his phone and turned it on. A series of missed call notifications and messages appeared. He went through them one by one. His cousin had called over a dozen times, and his uncle had called a few times. There was also a call from Meng Yao.

"Hello, Uncle, it's me, Xiao Yu. What's up? Oh, thank me and invite me to dinner? I just came back from Tongboshan and am going to Guangzhou tomorrow. I'm busy these days, so thank County Magistrate Hao for me. I appreciate his gesture."

Qin Yu's guess was right. His uncle's call was indeed about the county magistrate. County Magistrate Hao's family matter was resolved, and he wanted to invite Qin Yu to dinner to express his gratitude.

After hanging up with his uncle, Qin Yu dialed Meng Yao's number but didn't press the call button. It had been almost two months since they broke up, and he couldn't help but recall the times they held hands and strolled around the campus.

Her cute mini-skirt, revealing a section of her fair legs, her hands clasped around his arm, her face pressed against his chest—this was Meng Yao's favorite thing to do, saying it made her feel very happy.

But as he thought, the image in his mind changed. The girl pressed against his chest lifted her head, revealing a rosy, tender face, ready to be picked.

"Damn, why is it Miss Mo?" Qin Yu quickly shook off the image. The girl was Mo Yongxin, which was inappropriate. He hurriedly pressed the call button.

"Sorry, the number you dialed is out of service, sorry..." A series of English prompts came through. Meng Yao's phone was off. He shook his head, knowing he would have to find another opportunity to call her.