"You're my senior sister?" I picked at my ear, wondering if I'd misheard.
I had studied Yin Gua with Master for ten years, but he had never mentioned having any other disciples! Even if Master had kept it from me that he had other apprentices, how could an apprentice not see Master for ten years? Did he not call for ten years, was calling so difficult?
"Why don't you believe me? If I wasn't your senior sister, how would I know so much about you?" Chen Yun swerved the steering wheel, parking the car directly into a spot in front of her shop, her gaze fixed on me.
"Who knows how you know, my Master never said he had another disciple. If you don't want to pay, just say so, don't use some crooked reasons to fool me." As I spoke, I opened the car door and got out. As I was closing the door, I said to her, "I won't ask about your secrets, and I don't want the money. From now on, we don't know each other. I hope you take care of yourself." With that, I closed the car door, giving her no chance to speak.
This woman was too good at deceiving people. Not only did she deceive me, but she also deceived Hu Yuan. How could Hu Yuan, as the young master of the Hu family, not understand how to read people? But the result? He was still completely fooled by a tuft of hair? For the sake of my own life, it was better to stay away from her. Otherwise, I wouldn't even know how I died.
After getting out of the car, I hadn't walked a few steps before Chen Yun caught up, blocking my path and saying, "Why are you like this? You promised to protect me for 24 hours, and now you're regretting it before even 12 hours have passed?"
I changed direction, sidestepped her, and said as I walked, "Forget about protecting you. I know my own abilities. I can't protect you. With a mind that turns eight hundred times, you'll sell me out one day, and I'll still have to help you count the money. Do you really think I'm an idiot?"
This time, Chen Yun didn't follow. She let me walk ahead. Just as I turned the corner and was about to disappear from her sight, she threw another bombshell.
"I am from the Hu family."
The Hu family? I stopped abruptly. This piece of news was quite unexpected. Everyone in the Hu family surname is Hu, when did it change to Chen? Then I laughed. Her specialty was deceiving people, so how could she be telling the truth? I shook my head inwardly and continued walking.
"I took my mother's surname. The old man you saw in Beishan Mining Town is the real Hu family member."
Beishan Mining Town?
I hadn't told anyone about this matter. Besides me and Zhang Dabiao, only Huang San and Bai Ling'er knew about it. Even Zhang Dabiao's wife didn't know.
I stopped and turned to her, "How do you know about Beishan Mining Town? How do you know I met that old man?"
Chen Yun didn't answer. Instead, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said seriously, "We can have a good talk now. This is not a place for discussion. Let's go upstairs and talk!"
After thinking for a moment, I nodded in agreement, but I added, "You can't lie to me."
"Don't worry, from now on, everything I say will be the truth."
We returned to Chen Yun's office. She didn't hurry to explain. First, she opened all the screens that were set up around the room, placing a handprint on each one. She only stopped after all thirty-two screens were unfurled. Then, she took out a pile of bottles and jars from a hidden cabinet and placed them by the window and the door. After everything was done, she walked up to me.
Looking at the white porcelain bottle in her hand, I looked at her confusedly. Before I could ask what she was doing, Chen Yun directly opened the bottle and made a powder that emitted a pungent smell from whatever was inside, pouring it onto my head.
"What are you doing? Are you crazy?"
I patted the pungent powder from my head, regretting why I had been so foolish to believe her nonsense.
But before I could finish speaking, I saw sesame-sized insects jumping out from my pant legs and various parts of my body. Some of the insects turned into black water as soon as they came into contact with the powder, emitting a foul odor. Only when there were no more insects on me did Chen Yun, with some pain, carefully put away the porcelain bottle.
"You can ask any questions you have now." She then took out a small bottle, opened it, and a fresh scent immediately cleared away all the surrounding stench. She sat in a chair and looked at me.
Her display of skill left me at a loss for what to ask. Judging by the insects that had come out of me, I had been tricked. As for how I was tricked and when, I had no idea.
"What are these insects, and when was I tricked?"
"These are witchcraft insects. You were tricked when you made eye contact with the middle-aged man."
"Witchcraft insects? I've never heard of them!" I frowned, racking my brain through all the books I had read, but I couldn't find any mention of witchcraft insects. Instead, I knew about Gu worms.
"Witchcraft insects are a branch derived from shamanism. Not many people know about them. They are somewhat similar to the Gu worms raised in the south, but with some subtle differences. I'm not too clear about the specific differences." Su Dan Novel Network.
I thought about it and didn't press further. After all, this was a form of sorcery, and she wouldn't really explain it to me. After thinking for a moment, I continued to ask, "Aren't you surnamed Chen? Why do you say you are from the Hu family?"
Chen Yun frowned, as if this question was difficult to answer. After thinking for a moment, she explained, "I should be surnamed Hu, but for some reason, I took my mother's surname."
Chen Yun clearly didn't want to talk about her background. I had to continue asking why she knew so much about me. This was the question that concerned me the most. If the people who had experienced these events with me weren't people I trusted the most, I would suspect there was a ghost among us. No one wanted a traitor around them, right?
"Hong Niang, did Hong Niang tell you about me?"
"Who is Hong Niang?"
Chen Yun shook her head and smiled, saying, "I can't tell you that for now. You'll know when you meet her."
I looked at her displeasedly, "Didn't you just say you'd tell me everything you know? Why are you going back on your word in the blink of an eye?"
"I said you could ask any questions you have, but I didn't promise to answer all of them. Some things are not for you to know now. You'll know when it's time for you to know."
"Sly! Then explain to me, what's going on with Xiao Yun?"
"That's Xiao Yun's destiny. Your Master calculated her fate. Only with your cooperation can she obtain this destiny. I didn't expect your Master to be so accurate, and she actually waited for it..."
Master? From her words, it seemed like Xiao Yun's destiny was arranged by Master, and it required my cooperation. What was going on?
Just as I was about to question her further, Chen Yun suddenly stood up, her eyes fixed on the space behind me, her expression grave. I turned around and saw that the wall behind me had somehow turned into a monitor. Seven or eight cars were lined up at the entrance.
"They caught up so quickly. Such speed."
"Who is here?"
"Who do you think?"