TGA Chapter 52

The sudden situation left everyone dumbfounded.

Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing each called their families to notify them before following the leading man in black into a car, accompanied by the driver of the extended limousine.

Inside the car, the man in black sat in the driver’s seat, the Tan family driver sat in the passenger seat, and Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing sat in the back. The scene was utterly absurd.

The Tan family driver casually rested his arm on the window. Glancing out at the street and then at the man in black, he said nonchalantly, “Can you drive? If not, I can take over.”

The man in black gripped the steering wheel tightly, feeling as if he were back in driving school. He quickly replied, “I can, I can…”

There was no way he’d let the other man take the wheel. Who knew where they’d end up if he did? He was already worried about the possibility of a scuffle during the drive.

The two high school students in uniforms sat in the back. Chu Qianli turned to look at the massive convoy trailing behind them and marveled, “Is this how you go to school every day? I never noticed before!”

Tan Muxing replied awkwardly, “…Yes. Uncle Qi used to drive my cousin; now he’s in charge of taking me.”

Uncle Qi was the driver of the extended limousine, now sitting in the passenger seat. The “cousin” Tan Muxing referred to was the daughter of his uncle, essentially his older cousin.

Chu Qianli said, “Is this the joy of being rich? You must look so cool going to school!”

Tan Muxing’s face turned bright red as he quickly denied, “No, no, no. Actually, my cousin wanted to refuse Grandma when she was in middle school. She thought it was so embarrassing, like we were flaunting wealth. She even argued with Grandma, saying no one in the capital kidnaps kids; that’s just ridiculous…”

The man in black: “…”

“She also said that going to and from school like this would make her lose all her friends, and all those cars idling would harm the environment. Anyway, she didn’t want Grandma to do this, and the two of them weren’t on good terms for a while…”

Chu Qianli asked, “And then she convinced Grandma with the environmental angle, so Uncle Qi started driving you?”

Tan Muxing shook his head. “No. Then Grandma funded an ecological public forest project, saying it would offset the emissions from our cars. After my cousin went abroad for university, Uncle Qi began driving me.”

Chu Qianli: “?”

Tan Muxing lowered his head in frustration. “My cousin spent all of middle school arguing with Grandma about this, but nothing came of it. So I didn’t bother trying.”

Tan Muxing wasn’t as assertive as his cousin. If she couldn’t manage to stop it, how could he?

Sitting in the passenger seat, Uncle Qi glanced at the man in black and casually said, “You can call the old lady later. I bet she’ll be thrilled about this for the whole evening.”

Tan Muxing complained, “…And then she’ll video-call my cousin to brag about it?”

Outside the suburban villa, everyone inside was waiting for news. When they saw the vehicles outside, they quickly turned to report, “Master Wan, they’re here!”

Wan Ketang had been waiting patiently. He nodded slightly, ready for Chu Qianli to appear.

Others standing by the railing had peculiar expressions. “Huh? Wait a minute. Why are there so many cars?”

“Did anyone call for this many people?”

“It looks like a scene from a movie where the police show up.”

Five or six unfamiliar cars were blocking the villa’s entrance, but those stepping out of them weren’t men in black.

The villa security guards rushed over, visibly upset but holding back their temper as they shouted, “We have rules in this neighborhood. Each household has a limit on the number of cars allowed in. Even if it’s for a wedding convoy, you still have to notify us in advance!”

“You’ve blocked the road completely. What about the other residents?”

Uncle Qi stepped out of the car and, facing the angry security guard, patted the man in black on the shoulder. He said calmly, “Tell him. I’m not familiar with this. I wasn’t planning to come.”

The man in black quickly tried to mediate. “I’ll handle it, I’ll handle it. Let me see how to arrange this…”

Uncle Qi and his team refused to move their cars into the underground parking lot, insisting on waiting at the villa entrance for the two kids. The scene was a chaotic mess.

This was supposed to be a meeting full of intrigue, but now it was filled with chaotic noise.

Wan Ketian stood on the third floor of the villa, looking down at the commotion below with a furrowed brow. He muttered, “Even the people surnamed Xu don’t have her level of clout!”

Wan Ketian had seen many wealthy and influential people, but he’d never encountered such an overbearing peer. Most of them were pretentious and carried an air of a master; none had ever blocked the door with a whole convoy. That was something only ordinary people would do.

Downstairs, Chu Qianli also felt that such extravagance was unnecessary. But, in the end, who could resist the vanity of the mundane world? Occasionally putting on a big display was understandable. If someone were flattered like that every day, anyone could lose touch with reality.

Someone stood at the entrance of the villa, ushering Chu Qianli and Tan Muxing inside, with Uncle Qi insisting on having someone follow them in to ensure their safety.

The interior of the villa was decorated in a classic and grand Eastern style, featuring wooden furniture and an assortment of feng shui tools in the corners. For some reason, the atmosphere felt chillingly eerie.

The moment Tan Muxing entered the villa, he felt the surrounding noise subside, as though stepping into a silent temple or Taoist shrine. The oppressive stillness made it hard to even breathe. He frowned slightly, instinctively uncomfortable, and trailed closely behind Chu Qianli.

When the group reached the second floor, their guide suddenly stopped and said, “Master Chu, beyond this point is Master Wan’s private meditation space. Unrelated individuals should not proceed further.”

Before Chu Qianli or Tan Muxing could respond, Uncle Qi interjected forcefully, “Then why don’t you just have him come downstairs to talk? That way, no one will disturb his meditation.”

The guide snapped, “What kind of nonsense is that? Don’t you have any manners?”

“Even Xu Daochang from Qianmen can come down from the mountain. Why can’t your Master Wan come downstairs? Are you trying to fool us amateurs?”

“…You know Daoist Xu?”

Chu Qianli added, “Of course. Xu Daochang even lives on my ancestors’ mountain.”

The Tan family had been dealing with Qianshan Daoists for years and were probably the least impressed by such “masters.”

After all, the Qianshan Daoist Temple was renowned nationwide. The family figured if Qianmen Daoists didn’t put on such airs, why would an outsider dare to act so superior?

Unable to argue with Uncle Qi, the guide stormed upstairs to report.

Tan Muxing stood on the second floor, surveying the unfamiliar surroundings with concern. “What does Master Wan want to talk to you about?” he asked.

Chu Qianli, meanwhile, was staring blankly at the corner where a candle flickered. On a small table nearby were several golden lamps, their warm yellow light swaying faintly in the dim space. Seven lamps in total. The surrounding area was decorated with intricate talismans and strange formations, resembling an altar for some kind of ritual.

“Oh…” Chu Qianli snapped out of her thoughts and replied, “I have a rough idea, but he might end up disappointed.”

Just then, the guide returned from upstairs, his face calm. “Master Chu,” he said, “Master Wan said if you’re afraid, you can cast a divination now to see if anyone’s lying in ambush on the third floor.”

“Ah, a fellow practitioner’s way of thinking,” Chu Qianli remarked. She turned to Tan Muxing and said, “Alright, let’s go up. Uncle Qi and the others can wait here.”

“Unrelated individuals cannot go upstairs,” the guide interjected.

“He’s not unrelated,” Chu Qianli mumbled. “Besides, his schoolbag is so heavy with homework I can’t carry it myself. Have some sympathy for a high school senior.”

The guide was speechless.

Chu Qianli continued, “He’s allowed to act all old and stubborn and not come downstairs, but I’m just a blooming flower of our nation. Can’t I have someone carry my bag?”

“…Fine, you both can go up,” the guide relented.

As the two headed upstairs, Uncle Qi called out, “If anything happens, just shout, and we’ll rush right in.”

“No, no, no!” Tan Muxing quickly protested. “Uncle Qi, you’re no longer in the military. You can’t just charge in randomly…”

Using the excuse of helping Chu Qianli with her bag, Tan Muxing followed her up to the third floor. As the guide went ahead to announce their arrival, Chu Qianli crouched down, retrieved something from her bag, and discreetly handed it to Tan Muxing before slinging the bag back over her shoulders.

Tan Muxing stared blankly at the object in his hands. “This…”

Before he could ask further, the guide returned from the room, prompting him to instinctively hide the item.

The guide said calmly, “Master Chu, please come in.”

Chu Qianli followed him in, muttering, “Talking for three minutes, but setting up a scene for two hours. They’re acting like they’re filming a movie.”

Tan Muxing stayed outside, watching the guide close the door.

The third-floor room was squarely laid out with excellent lighting, a stark contrast to the dim second floor. Paintings and calligraphy adorned the walls, with a prominent piece of vigorous Taoist script at the center, a perfect setting for meditation.

The air was fragrant with the scent of tea mingled with sandalwood.

At the tea table, an elderly man with a deeply wrinkled face was making tea. Nearby, a small incense burner emitted faint, curling wisps of smoke.

Wan Ketian looked up, meeting Chu Qianli’s gaze.

In that instant, they both cast their divinations, racing against time in their minds to deduce the situation.

Outside, a bird flapped its wings and soared past the window. Inside, sandalwood smoke swirled, and tea leaves floated up and down in the cup. Everything moved, yet everything seemed still. Everything could be interpreted as an omen.

This brief moment seemed to stretch across time—short as a spark, yet impossibly long.

Chu Qianli was the first to act. She casually set down her bag and sat boldly at the tea table.

Wan Ketian’s expression was complicated. “Chu Yilie actually let you come here on your own?”

Chu Qianli replied frankly, “What’s the use of him worrying? He can’t crawl out of his coffin. At most, he could haunt you in a dream at night.”

Wan Ketian was stunned. “He’s dead?”

“Yeah, didn’t you divine that just now?” Chu Qianli smiled knowingly. “Oh, now I see how good you are. It’s hard to be precise about people you haven’t seen in years, right?”

“Hmph, his tricks were endless. I thought it was just another fake death.” Wan Ketian’s eyes turned cold, and he sneered. “I don’t know if he’s dead, but you, little girl, are very close to it.”

Wan Ketian, upon seeing Chu Qianli, was deeply disappointed. Her grand arrival had been impressive, but up close, her appearance clearly showed signs of an early death. He had been unsure whether Chu Yilie was still alive, but after observing her, he was now certain the man must be gone.

Wan Ketian wanted to intimidate Chu Qianli, but to his surprise, she remained unfazed and even calmly countered with a sharp remark of her own.

Chu Qianli, unhurried, said, “It’s fine, no rush. I’ll outlive you, so I can still burn offerings for you. Old man, let’s not laugh at each other—we’re both in the same boat, so why bother?”

Wan Ketian, enraged, snapped, “You—”

“I don’t want to drink this. Can I order a bubble tea instead?” Chu Qianli glanced at the pre-Qingming tea on the table, then at Wan Ketian’s furious expression, muttering, “Alright, don’t be stingy now. Buy me a bubble tea, and next year when I visit your grave, I’ll bring your favorite. Fair exchange.”

Wan Ketian: “!!?”