Halfway up the mountain, in the darkness, Master Qinglian suddenly looked up.

Something's not right.

Seeing him stop, Chu Yuqi pursed her lips, walked over, and took his arm: "...Dad, what's wrong? Are you tired?"

Master Qinglian slowly shook his head, glanced at Chu Yuqi, and reminded her again: "...No, be careful."

For a fleeting moment, he felt a sticky and sinister gaze.

But only for a moment, the other party withdrew their spying.

It's unclear whether they noticed someone had infiltrated the group or it was just a routine check.

Chu Yuqi glanced at the makeup on Qinglian Daoist's face, smiled and nodded, but didn't really care.

With two Heavenly Thunder Talismans by her side, what did she have to fear?

Today, Master Qinglian and I are playing a father and daughter on the verge of bankruptcy, and she did both of our makeup.

Taoism emphasizes five arts: mountain, medicine, destiny, physiognomy, and divination. Chu Yuqi is most accomplished in physiognomy. In addition, she is very good at makeup, which can change her appearance and conceal her secrets, making her difficult to detect.

Didn't the two people in charge of guiding them notice anything amiss?

——

The mountain was not quiet late at night; birdsong could be heard from time to time in the darkness.

The weather has been getting warmer these past few days, and the spring breeze is intoxicatingly gentle, putting everyone who went up the mountain in high spirits.

Even though the group walked for almost an hour along the mountain path, no one felt tired. Instead, they chatted and laughed, as if they were on a spring outing.

The atmosphere was quite relaxed and pleasant.

Those in charge of guiding the group led them around the front yard. Although it was night and the lights were off, the moonlight was beautiful, illuminating the outlines of the buildings. Many of the sights were familiar to everyone.

It's a popular spot for online influencers, with tons of photos posted online. A simple search will yield a huge number of results, so even if you've never been there, it feels very familiar and welcoming.

"The scenery here is really nice, ancient and dignified. If I hadn't been short on time, I would have liked to take pictures," someone joked.

"There are too many people during the day, so you can't appreciate the beautiful scenery," someone remarked.

A group of about twenty people were chatting merrily.

Those responsible for guiding people acted like attentive tour guides, quietly waiting for them to visit.

However, when his gaze occasionally drifted down, a hint of disdain inevitably crept into his eyes.

Mingzhuo stood at the very back of the line, playing the role of a quiet and obedient nouveau riche daughter, rarely even glancing around.

Du Fenglang was quite clever in his conversations with those around him, behaving in a moderate way, neither outstanding nor overly inconspicuous.

"Alright, it's almost time, we should go in." Finally, someone took the initiative to remind us.

Seeing that the group had spontaneously maintained order, the guide continued to lead the way.

After passing through several gates and exiting the front yard, we circled around and entered the villa through a small door in the corner of the wall, which led us into the back yard.

The architecture and decor of the backyard are very similar to those of the front yard, and there are traces of incense and candles burning in the yard.

The guides led everyone into the largest room in the backyard, where a gilded statue of a deity was prominently displayed.

Mingzhuo had just thrown over the statue of the God of Luck. Compared to that statue, this one was a larger version, almost reaching the ceiling, making people look up at it.

With the ever-burning lamps and incense burning nearby, the flickering flames created a solemn and sacred atmosphere.

Mingzhuo restrained himself from looking at the statue for too long.

A person walked over and said in a low voice, "Don't you think this statue is a bit eerie?"

Mingzhuo: "You know it's weird, why are you still looking? Look down!"

Li Wenhe lowered his gaze.

His companion suddenly brushed aside his bangs and winked at Mingzhuo.

Mingzhao: "..."

Can anyone tell her why He Wangyao came too, and why she's dressed as a girl?!

She looked at the two of them with a troubled expression, and Li Wenhe said in a cold voice, "It wasn't my idea."

"It was my own idea," He Wangyao said softly. "After all, I'm a minor internet celebrity. Who knows if anyone at the scene will recognize me? It's better to disguise myself."

Mingzhuo felt she needed to calm down, so he thought for a moment before asking, "Why are you here too?"

He Wangyao: "Axu asked me to come and help you."

He really didn't want to come, after all, he was terrified of those ghostly things, but since Ah Xu had already spoken, what could he do?

Ah Xu never asks for help, and this is the first time he has expressed his concern so clearly. He Wangyao had no choice but to sneak in so that they could support each other.

Mingzhuo was somewhat surprised. She wondered if Mr. Gu had some misunderstanding about her abilities, and whether she looked like someone who needed help.

“Ah Xu said that since you are a girl, there are some things that are inconvenient for you to do, but I can fill in,” He Wangyao explained softly.

Now you understand, right? No matter how capable you are, boss, you still lack experience when it comes to certain things.

Before Mingzhuo could figure it out, a middle-aged Taoist priest walked out from inside.

The hushed discussion among the crowd abruptly ceased.

As soon as the middle-aged Taoist priest came out, several assistants dressed as lay Buddhists lined up behind him, and the group respectfully bowed and kowtowed three times and nine times to the statue of the deity.

After that, the middle-aged Taoist priest took the whisk, flicked it with an air of otherworldly wisdom, and slowly scanned the area, lingering on the women for a few seconds before speaking.

"Since you have all come to participate in today's invocation ceremony, you must have come with sincerity. The God of Fortune is willing to help every devout believer, so during the ceremony to come, you need to pray sincerely and not have any disrespect in your hearts."

Everyone nodded repeatedly, indicating that they understood the rules and would not dare to be insincere.

The middle-aged Taoist priest said, "After the ceremony, everyone will need to write the name and birth date of their enemy on yellow paper in blood and throw it into the fire basin. Then you can take out the offerings and receive the statue of the god."

Du Fenglang frowned; the version of events here was completely different from what he had heard on WeChat.

It was clearly stated before that a beneficiary other than oneself could be listed. If the transfer mechanism is the same for all, wouldn't those people be cheated?

This is terrifying. Many people unknowingly write down the names of their loved ones, only to end up harming their families.

The others also realized what was happening, and a chill ran down their spines. They were then relieved that they had spent extra money to come in person!

Otherwise, who would have thought that the fortune-changing deity absorbs luck from his closest relatives?

I couldn't help but feel even more reverent towards the statue above my head.

No one wants to see themselves lucky while their enemy suffers.

Mingzhuo chuckled silently. As expected of a cult leader, his ability to bewitch and brainwash is top-notch.

By simply revealing a "truth," a group of people were completely bewitched and became even more devout to the fortune teller.

But these people don't even consider that if the fortune teller can deceive others, why can't he deceive them?

Just because you gave me a few hundred thousand more? That's why I get preferential treatment?

What a pipe dream! We're all just韭菜 (a metaphor for being exploited).

Luck is something that can't be quantified. The more benefits a person experiences in the early stages, the more deeply they become poisoned. When they discover that luck is no longer working, they will desperately offer up more money and a larger list of enemies.

Since they are all "enemies" anyway, and it's all about harming others for personal gain, there's absolutely no need to feel guilty.

When the harvest comes in the end, who can remain unscathed?