As always, the Fated One stepped into the true god’s temple—only to find that the previously empty hall was once again filled with the scent of incense.
He paused, then his eyes lit up. He quickly walked to the entrance and bowed low. “Senior, you’ve returned?”
A faint, misty voice drifted out.
“…Mm.”
The Fated One relaxed and began to speak with a smile about what had happened in the half-month since the True God had left. After going through some trivial matters, he suddenly changed the subject and said with emotion, “In the past half month since your departure, I’ve come to realize a few things.”
The True God responded coldly, “Oh?”
“What you pointed out to me before was right. I’ve decided to admit my past wrongs to those I deceived,” said the Fated One. “Once I’ve atoned for my mistakes, I hope you’ll continue to guide me in achieving my wish.”
Jiang Luo replied slowly, “If you’re truly willing to change, of course I’ll help you.”
Everywhere the Fated One looked, all he saw were countless invisible characters for “god”. These character spirits were eroding his rationality day and night, deepening his obsession with becoming a god again and again. After receiving a positive response, the Fated One decisively said, “Seven days from now, the Heavenly Master Residence will hold an open lecture. On that day, I will admit my mistakes to show my sincerity.”
“Then go,” the True God said indifferently. “Let me see how far you can go.”
After the Fated One left, Cyril chuckled. “Jiang, you’re pushing him to admit his mistakes—are you doing this for Chi You?”
Jiang Luo was busy making phone calls to arrange personnel, and he let out a snort-laugh. “For him? You tell me—do you think it’s for him?”
Cyril pursed his lips. Once Jiang Luo had finished giving his instructions with enthusiasm, he suddenly smiled darkly. “Fated One, I’ve finally waited for this day.”
The way he smiled startled Cyril—he thought Jiang Luo looked like a devil at that moment.
…
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
The Heavenly Master Residence held two to three public lectures each year, and every time they were packed with attendees.
Because of his sensitive identity, Jiang Luo didn’t attend in person and had to stay reluctantly at Dazhao Temple.
Though he couldn’t go, his companions could blend into the crowd and transmit the event’s data to him and the research bureau’s logistics team.
Dean Xu led Lu Youyi and the others into the Heavenly Master Residence. Not far in, they ran into the old Heavenly Master. The dean greeted him warmly, and the old Heavenly Master glanced behind him. “That kid didn’t come?”
Dean Xu played dumb, though he knew what the old man meant. “Which kid?”
The old Heavenly Master chuckled, “Don’t play dumb with me… Forget it. Maybe it’s better he didn’t come.”
Each of Lu Youyi’s group wore a pinhole camera, allowing Jiang Luo to watch everything through the feed. Bored by the polite small talk, he shared the video with Chi You. “The Fated One is about to pull something big. Aren’t you going to watch in person?”
Chi You sent him a photo from the event.
Jiang Luo was surprised. “Whoa, you really went? You haven’t fully recovered. Aren’t you afraid of being noticed by the big shots?”
Chi You replied calmly, “I have many puppets.”
He didn’t need to be there physically—he could see everything through his puppets’ eyes.
Even a bird or a bug could become the eyes of an malicious ghost.
Jiang Luo was legitimately jealous.
A few minutes later, Chi You sent over a video clip.
Jiang Luo clicked it out of curiosity and saw Feng Li, looking cold and rushed, leading Zhou Wudu and a few disciples into view. He approached Dean Xu, glanced behind him, and then asked icily, “Why isn’t Jiang Luo here?”
The tone was unmistakably accusatory.
Dean Xu remained composed. “Heavenly Master, Jiang Luo just happened to be unavailable today.”
Feng Li sneered, “He doesn’t dare face me?”
The video ended there. Chi You also sent over a short voice recording—just a soft, cryptic chuckle.
Jiang Luo: “…”
The laugh made Jiang Luo’s skin crawl.
He returned to the live surveillance feed.
Dean Xu was saying something to Feng Li, and the atmosphere had become tense. The old Heavenly Master slowly spoke, “Dean Xu is right. Jiang Luo no longer has any connection with you or the Heavenly Master Residence. Whether he comes or what he’s doing has nothing to do with you.”
Feng Li had grown thinner, his facial features more defined, his eyes darker than ever. His aura had become sharper, and his gaze carried an invisible pressure. He now resembled a drawn dagger—blatant and intimidating.
Hearing the old Master’s words, Feng Li didn’t even flinch. “He skips something as important as the open lecture—what a waste of his talent. Is this how Baihua University spoils and indulges its students?”
Dean Xu laughed heartily, “That’s still better than forcing growth and ruining potential.”
Feng Li stared at him deeply, then turned and left with his disciples.
The old Heavenly Master sighed again.
At the last open lecture, it had been the old Heavenly Master who spoke. This time, it was Feng Li himself.
It was obvious—far more people had come to this lecture than before. The old Heavenly Master had become a figure of the past; Feng Li was now the pillar of the metaphysical world.
Dean Xu let the students roam about and looked at Feng Li’s retreating figure. For once, he spoke candidly: “While you’re alive, you can still restrain him. Once you’re gone, he’ll do whatever he pleases. Who’ll be able to stop him then?”
The old Heavenly Master smiled. “You’re worried about Jiang Luo?”
Dean Xu said with puzzlement, “It’s not like he’s the only disciple out there—plenty of people would love to be Feng Li’s student. Why is he so hung up on Jiang Luo? A teacher-student relationship is a lot like a marriage—forcing it doesn’t work.”
“You don’t need to hint at me,” the old Heavenly Master said. “Do you think I told him to cling to Jiang Luo?”
Dean Xu knew the old Master had done what he could. Still, he had to think about his student’s future. “See if you can come up with a way to stop this once and for all.”
The old Heavenly Master was silent for a moment. “You don’t need to worry. He… can’t touch Jiang Luo.”
***
Half an hour later, Jiang Luo received a message from Zhuo Zhongqiu: “The Fated One is here.”
Jiang Luo opened the video. In the footage, the Fated One had found the old Heavenly Master. The old Heavenly Master clearly hadn’t expected him—his surprise was written all over his face. Then the two of them entered a room alone.
Zhuo Zhongqiu waited outside for a while, and soon, the old Heavenly Master and the Fated One came back out. The old Heavenly Master’s face was clouded with uncertainty. He whispered a few words to a disciple, then led the Fated One toward the lecture hall.
Feng Li was giving a lecture.
As the youngest Heavenly Master of the Heavenly Master Residence, Feng Li rarely taught personally. His words were concise, terse, and emotionless. If something could be explained in nine words, he would never use ten.
As a result, his teachings were cryptic and difficult to understand. The young attendees below were dazed and confused, but no one dared to interrupt or ask questions. All they could do was bury their heads in their notebooks, trying to jot down every word the Heavenly Master said.
Yet despite their efforts, Feng Li still seemed disappointed. His eyes swept coldly over the students bent over their notes, the corners of his lips pressing downward. Though he said nothing, it felt as if the word “useless” was etched across his face.
Watching this, Jiang Luo actually started to feel sorry for those poor students.
Feng Li was someone wholly unsuited to being a teacher.
His disciples were highly gifted. While he might have taught them some elite ghost-banishing and feng shui techniques, there was never any true teacher-student bond between them—not even a sense of closeness.
—Except with Jiang Luo… Jiang Luo’s expression darkened slightly as he forced down those distasteful memories.
What he hated most in this world was when someone approached him as a friend or family member, only to later reveal ulterior motives.
It was disgusting. It reminded him too much of Xia Qin.
The lecture was originally scheduled to last two hours, but Feng Li finished everything in just half the time.
Zhou Wudu and Wang Santan followed closely behind their Master. Wang Santan cautiously asked, “Master, did you spot anyone with exceptional talent?”
Feng Li replied coldly, “What did the old Heavenly Master say to you this time?”
Wang Santan flinched, exchanging a glance with Zhou Wudu. He swallowed and replied, “The old Heavenly Master said… if you’re still hung up on your former disciple, you might as well take on another. So you… so you can return to how you used to be.”
Feng Li paused mid-motion while wiping his hands. He turned slightly, just about to speak, when he noticed the old Heavenly Master’s disciples hastily inviting senior members of the metaphysics world to the inner courtyard.
What was going on?
Feng Li told Zhou Wudu to go ask. Zhou Wudu quickly returned and reported honestly, “Master, they said the Old Heavenly Master invited a few friends to sit in the backyard.”
Feng Li frowned.
The Old Heavenly Master hadn’t told him about this at all.
But when it came to the Old Heavenly Master’s matters, Feng Li had always shown a degree of deference. He didn’t think too much about it and led his people back to the study.
***
Dean Xu was also among those invited to the inner courtyard.
Before he left, Wenren Lian gently patted the button on Dean Xu’s sleeve, attaching a tiny surveillance device, and smiled as he said, “Come back soon.”
Dean Xu gave him a meaningful glance and lowered his voice. “Kid, tell me, is this thing safe?”
Wenren Lian replied just as quietly, “Absolutely. State-issued, embedded with formation spells. No one will detect it.”
Especially since those attending the meeting were a bunch of elderly men—and one ancient existence, the Fated One, who had lived for over two hundred years. Not a single one of them could detect such a tiny button-sized device.
Dean Xu nodded thoughtfully. Wenren Lian added, “No matter what you see or hear, don’t be afraid.”
Dean Xu understood. He went to find Ji Yaozi, and together they sought out the Old Heavenly Master.
Ji Yaozi seemed distracted, and since Dean Xu was also pondering the Old Heavenly Master’s intentions, the two quietly entered the reception hall.
The hall was already filled with over a dozen elderly men—each one a top figure in the metaphysics world.
There was Master Chengde, a few elders from the Xuanling Committee, and several nearly-retired heads from the twelve universities.
Dean Xu greeted them one by one and then asked, “This kind of lineup isn’t ordinary. Does anyone know what the Old Heavenly Master wants to say?”
Ji Yaozi scanned the room and was startled.
These were all people who had known about the Fated One’s prophecy back then. But notably missing were members of the Qi family, the Chi family, and the Lian family.
He had heard from Jiang Luo that something had happened to the Lian family, but didn’t know the details. Ji Yaozi asked instinctively, “Is Daoist Elder Wei He not here?”
Dean Xu gave a curious sound, “Yeah, and I don’t see any of the younger generation from the Lian family either.”
Someone brushed it off casually, “The Lian family’s been in seclusion for a while now. No need to mind them. I’m just curious what the Old Heavenly Master’s up to. Why isn’t he here yet?”
Just as the words fell, a loud voice called out, “Here.”
Two figures entered the room.
At first, no one paid much attention—but the moment they saw the Fated One beside the Old Heavenly Master, surprise rippled through the crowd. One by one, the elderly men trembled as they stood up.
“The Fated One?”
Upon seeing the Fated One, Ji Yaozi’s eyes darted away uncontrollably. A chill of fear crept into his heart.
He instinctively stepped back and hid at the rear of the group.
The Fated One swept his eyes over everyone present, gave a gentle smile, and said unhurriedly, “I asked the Old Heavenly Master to invite you all here to reminisce and talk about the past.”
Outside the window, a bird flitted onto a branch. Its beady black eyes peered inside.
At the same time, in an underground room elsewhere—
Liao Si sat cheerfully next to Daoist Elder Wei He, opened a video on his phone, and slung an arm around Wei He’s shoulders like an old buddy.
“Master specifically asked me to show you this, Daoist Elder Wei He. Let’s watch it together?”
The moment the video started, familiar faces appeared onscreen. Daoist Elder Wei He was momentarily stunned and focused his attention.
When he saw the Fated One appear in the video, his emotions were mixed. Even though he had already thrown his lot in with Chi You and Jiang Luo, seeing the Fated One again stirred feelings of guilt and unease.
But the Fated One’s next words shattered that guilt.
“Everyone present knows that I made a prophecy thirty years ago,” the Fated One said. “I told you then that prophecy’s content. I said Chi You would destroy the metaphysical world.”
The scene mirrored what happened thirty years ago. Back then, to become a god, the Fated One used his Word of Command to convince everyone present to believe in his prophecy.
Now, thirty years later, for the same goal—godhood—the Fated One was about to overturn what he once said.
This line felt like the opening to a nightmare. One of the elderly men couldn’t help asking in a shaken voice, “Didn’t Chi You die? Has the prophecy still not faded?”
“Yeah, he’s dead! Didn’t he get killed by Chi Zhongye and the others?”
Several elders from the Xuanling Committee spoke in serious tones, “Everyone stay calm—let’s hear what the Fated One has to say. Why bring up the prophecy now?”
The Fated One continued smiling, as if what he was saying was a trivial matter. “There’s no need to worry. The content of that prophecy will not come true.”
The dozen or so tense elders immediately relaxed, even Dean Xu let out a breath.
Thank goodness. So it wasn’t going to happen.
But then the Fated One added, “Because that prophecy… was a lie.”
The room froze. Everyone stared at the Fated One in disbelief.
“I never prophesied the future of the metaphysics world,” he said, sighing as if genuinely remorseful. “I only ever prophesied my own future. And in my prophecy, he posed a threat to me. So I changed the content, deceived you, and used you to eliminate that threat.”
The bird outside the window stared at him unblinking.
In front of the video, Daoist Elder Wei He’s breathing suddenly grew labored, as if something had lodged in his throat. His vision blurred, and sweat beaded on his forehead.
At that moment, everything he had held onto for the past thirty years—his clan’s devotion to the Fated One, and what he had done to Chi You’s soul—rose up like a tide, cloaked in guilt.
Overwhelming pain and fury flooded his entire being. Daoist Elder Wei He’s eyes turned bloodshot, and he suddenly stood and overturned the table.
“Fated—One—!”
