Chapter 13 Blood Orchid of the Breath of Earth ①①·The Fang Family's Seven Treasures, Scratch-off Lottery...

Lan Shuyin clicked on the creator's homepage again.

The IP address is displayed as "Qinyang".

The number of followers has exceeded 50,000 and is still slowly growing.

Apart from that, the entire homepage is empty, filled with the default state of a new account: a gray avatar provided by the system, zero followers, no personal profile, like a blank sheet of paper, with no useful information at all.

At this moment, Wu Yang's messages popped up one after another:

[Sister Yin! There really is a Blood Orchid of Breath of Earth in this world!]

[Last night, chaos erupted in Qigu Village! Several blood-red orchids sprouted overnight from the ancestral hall! It's said that the person who posted the video got there first and picked all the evil flowers! A large group of people arrived later, only to find nothing!]

"You think the person who did this... could be Kui Li?"

Lan Shuyin's heart skipped a beat, and she typed: "Why do you suspect it's him?"

As soon as the message was sent, Wu Yang's voice call request popped up immediately.

After the call connected, he lowered his voice, his tone filled with barely suppressed excitement and a hint of awe:

“Sister Yin, after I got back yesterday, the more I thought about it, the more I felt that Na Weili was not simple. So I asked about it in our hiking group, and a very senior brother said that it was the way of the ‘treasure hunter’, and the kind that is extremely powerful in the unorthodox way.”

"Then I searched for treasure hunters... Goodness, these people are knowledgeable in Yin and Yang and the Eight Trigrams, and they are well-versed in the mountains and rivers. They can observe the Qi, identify water, listen to the wind, and identify treasures. They can even control some spiritual creatures. Their methods are so mysterious that they are almost supernatural! However, what they are pursuing is not ordinary gold and silver treasures, but 'heavenly treasures' that have been created by heaven and earth and have absorbed the spiritual essence of the sun, moon, mountains and rivers."

"Most importantly, these people are usually lone travelers, their whereabouts are unpredictable, and they appear in places that are either remote, desolate mountains and wilderness or abandoned, gloomy ancient temples and tombs..."

"So it's definitely not a coincidence that Kui Li appeared in Qigu Village. He went there specifically for the things in the ancestral hall!"

"Sister Yin, I'd like to go check on the situation, shall we come together?"

Lan Shuyin politely declined Wu Yang's invitation, wanting only to return to Beijing as soon as possible and get away from this place of trouble.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly today. Half an hour later, Lan Shuyin was sitting comfortably on the high-speed train speeding back to Beijing.

She leaned against the car window, scrolling through her phone out of boredom.

Sure enough, various marketing videos and so-called popular science articles about "Xirang Blood Orchid" sprang up like mushrooms after rain, with all sorts of seemingly plausible claims.

Even the extremely secretive profession of "treasure hunters" has been dug up and heavily promoted by some "insiders," making it seem like everyone knows about it.

This scene reminded her of an experience from her childhood when she followed the shaman who had adopted her into the mountains to collect herbs.

At that time, she saw several outsiders busy around an old well, saying they were cleaning the well for the benefit of the villagers. However, after their "treatment," the once clear and sweet well water became bland and tasteless.

Later, some elderly people in the village sighed and said that they had encountered a treasure hunter who stole the "treasure" that contained the spiritual energy of the well water.

But upon hearing this, the shaman scoffed disdainfully. Lan Shuyin could still recall his words, which were both contemptuous and extremely solemn:

"Those are at best second-rate treasure thieves. They broke the rules. Do they even deserve to be called treasure hunters?"

"There are seven rules for keeping treasures: do not take unclaimed treasures, do not disturb guardian spirits, do not violate the taboos of the heavens, do not reveal the secrets of the earth's veins, do not deceive fellow practitioners to take the lead, do not betray your conscience with greed, and do not sever the blessings of future generations."

"Following these 'seven prohibitions,' one walks on the edge of yin and yang, seeking treasures where none exist, seizing opportunities in perilous places, and always leaving a sliver of life for the world before acquiring treasure. One must not violate human harmony or defy the laws of nature; only then can one be worthy of the title 'treasure hunter.'"

Unfortunately, despite traveling extensively and exploring numerous places, Lan Shuyin had never encountered a single person who reminded her of treasure hunters.

The appearance of Wei Li made her think that she had glimpsed the tip of the iceberg of this legendary profession.

However, Wu Yang said that his practice of picking all the Blood Orchids of the Breath of Earth without leaving any room for others seemed to go against the principle of "leaving a way out when taking treasure".

Is he a treasure hunter or just one of those unscrupulous "treasure thieves" who will stop at nothing to pursue profit?

Her thoughts raced through the air like the scenery outside the window. Lan Shuyin sat on the high-speed train for nearly four hours, but it felt like time had flown by.

As she stepped out of the Beijing high-speed railway station with the flow of people, a clear, melodious female voice, like a nightingale's song, pierced through the noise and reached her ears precisely—

"Yinyin! Over here!"

Lan Shuyin looked up and saw her friend Xuan Bingbing standing not far away, waving vigorously at her.

She was a little surprised, quickly put away her phone, pulled her suitcase and walked over briskly, her face beaming with undisguised joy, "Why are you here?"

"It's all because of Li Yang; she's worried about you." Xuan Bingbing smiled as she took the handle of her suitcase, leading her towards the parking lot while asking with concern, "How was your trip? Did you have fun?"

Both of her friends thought that her trip to Qigu Village was just another instance of her being unable to bear the loneliness and going off to have fun in the wilderness.

"Hmm..." Lan Shuyin deliberately dragged out her words, a mysterious expression on her face, "Let's go find Li Yang first, I have some amazing news to tell you!"

...

"What?! You won 200,000 yuan in a scratch-off lottery?!"

In the 50-square-meter old apartment, Xuan Bingbing and Li Yang exclaimed in unison, their faces filled with disbelief.

Li Yang, holding onto the sofa armrest, struggled to sit up on one side, her pale face filled with worry. "Yinyin, you...you haven't been scammed, have you? There are so many scammers these days!"

Li Yang was thin and had a delicate appearance. Years of illness had left a lingering sense of fragility between her brows, but her words revealed a straightforwardness and even a fierceness that was quite different from her appearance.

"How could that be! The 100,000 yuan has already been deposited into my account. I'll go and cash the remaining 100,000 yuan in a couple of days."

Lan Shuyin sat down beside her, gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her voice was gentle yet firm, "That's perfect. We'll pay off the Fang family's debt in one go. It'll save Fang Xin from using that excuse to bother you."

Li Yang was taken aback, "Yinyin..."

“Listen to me.” Lan Shuyin gently patted her hand. “We finally got a heart transplant and got through the recovery period. Everything is moving in a positive direction… Your ‘white moonlight’ senior will be back at the end of the year, right? I know you haven’t let go of him. Since that’s the case, you shouldn’t let irrelevant people hold you back.”

Lan Shuyin paused, her tone becoming more resolute, even tinged with a touch of pride, "The old saying goes, 'He who takes a man's money is bound to be obligated,' but things are different now. I'm incredibly lucky; I won a big prize while sightseeing in Qinyang. What does that mean? It means that even God is on our side!"

Li Yang looked at her, her eyes instantly reddening. She was so moved that she couldn't say a word, and could only hold her hand tightly.

Lan Shuyin smiled and comforted her a couple more times, then got up and went to the kitchen to show off her culinary skills.

As soon as the kitchen door closed, the forced smile on Li Yang's face faded, replaced by deep worry. "Bingbing, do you think Yinyin really won this money from a lottery ticket?"

“I understand what you mean.” Xuan Bingbing, who had been watching coldly with her arms crossed, spoke up. “After all, Yinyin’s luck is terrible. She managed to get ‘thank you for your patronage’ three times in a row on the supermarket’s prize wheel that’s supposed to guarantee a 100% win rate. It’s really hard to believe that someone like that would suddenly have such good luck.”

She paused, then changed the subject, saying, "But as the saying goes, fortunes change, and who can predict luck?"

Xuan Bingbing's analysis sounded reasonable, and Li Yang's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

Lan Shuyin opened the refrigerator and, using the available ingredients, skillfully prepared four dishes and a soup.

Ever since she could remember, she has been very good at cooking, as if she was a culinary god in her past life. However, she is usually lazy and relies on takeout for eight out of ten meals.

However, every time she returns from a trip, she always cooks for herself and shows off her skills.

The small dining table was soon filled with fragrant dishes.

Li Yang was very supportive, praising how delicious it was. Xuan Bingbing was also in high spirits, asking her how her trip was.

Lan Shuyin pulled up the video on her phone and showed it to them. "Isn't it amazing? I just went to this place yesterday, and these kinds of flowers have sprouted up today."

"Cures all poisons and heals all wounds...tsk, if it's really that miraculous, wouldn't that place be in an uproar?" Xuan Bingbing became more and more interested as she looked at it. "It's too bizarre...it suddenly opened up like this, and it just so happens to be growing under that haunted chair. Could it be some kind of special effect?"

"I don't know, and I haven't seen any other videos posted online. Some people who were clamoring to go and see for themselves haven't done anything yet."

Xuan Bingbing's eyes suddenly lit up, and she winked at Li Yang, "Hey, why don't we send this video to the Fang family? Fang Xin is sick, isn't he? It'll be a good opportunity to annoy them."

The conversation naturally turned to the Fang family.

"Is Fang Xin sick?" Lan Shuyin asked casually.

Li Yang ate her food in small bites and shook her head gently, "I don't know the specifics, and I haven't inquired about it."

Hearing this, Xuan Bingbing, who was quick to speak, put down her chopsticks and snorted, "If you ask me, he's faking illness! His brother actually came to our door yesterday, insisting that his brother's illness was strange and that he was acting strangely, and he insisted on dragging Li Yang to see him."

Xuan Bingbing's tone was clearly displeased, "Shouldn't you see a doctor if you're really sick? You're treating Li Yang like a magic cure, the whole family is crazy!"

Li Yang's brows immediately furrowed, a hint of annoyance and reluctance flashing across her face. She gently stirred the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks and said in a low voice, "Alright, Bingbing, stop talking and eat."

Lan Shuyin understood and didn't ask any more questions, naturally steer the conversation elsewhere.

After the meal, Xuan Bingbing escorted Lan Shuyin downstairs.

As they reached the entrance of the building, Lan Shuyin couldn't help but ask, "What's the situation with the Fang family? Is there something you haven't told me?"

Xuan Bingbing sighed, glanced at the upstairs window, and said in a low voice, "I heard that Fang Xin's illness this time is a bit strange. He cries and laughs and talks nonsense all the time. His brother is like a headless fly, looking for masters everywhere to see what's wrong."

"They probably came to see Li Yang because she had a serious illness a few years ago, had a heart transplant, and recovered remarkably well. They think she has some kind of 'special constitution'."

She pursed her lips, her tone helpless and dissatisfied, "If you ask me, it's just a case of grasping at straws when you're desperate, you're not thinking straight anymore. Anyway, I'll stay at Li Yang's place for the next few days, so that guy won't come here and go crazy again."

A note from the author:

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