“What did he say?” I asked.

Xu, the boss, said, word by word, “Master Qin said that no one can get away with owing a debt. What is owed must eventually be repaid.”

“That’s all?”

“That’s all.”

“What does it mean?”

“That’s what I don’t understand, which is why I came to ask a master. Master Qin has already entered closed-door cultivation and will no longer see anyone, not even old friends. No one knows when he will come out. I must find another expert, or I’m afraid I won’t be able to get through this.

You are the last person Master Qin saw before entering closed-door cultivation, and you also reminded me twice, once in Hongyuan and once in the provincial capital. If anyone can help me, it must be you, sir.”

I was taken aback. “You saw me in Hongyuan?”

“Sir, you may have had a special reason for not showing your true face at the time, but you are like a pearl in the sand, and you gave me advice twice. How could I not recognize you?

“Interesting.” Boss Xu didn't grow a prosperous face for nothing; he really knows how to talk.

“Do you owe Qin Shuguang money, a favor, or something else?” I asked.

Boss Xu told me seriously that he really couldn’t think of anything he could owe Qin Shuguang. He and Qin Shuguang had known each other for more than twenty years and were old friends and partners. Qin Shuguang had helped him with feng shui many times, and he had paid all the promised rewards. During holidays, he would also send separate gifts. He really couldn't owe Qin Shuguang anything.

Boss Xu wasn’t short of money, and not just money. He was also very clear that one shouldn’t be too greedy and that one should be willing to spend money to avoid disaster. In many people’s eyes, he was a muddle-headed boss who turned a blind eye to many things. Whether it was to business partners, employees, or family members, he had never been harsh. He didn’t owe Qin Shuguang anything, nor did he owe anyone else anything, at least, that's what he believed.

“Master, I wouldn't dare to say that I have lived in this world for so many years and owe absolutely nothing to anyone, but I really can't think of who I owe. If you know, please enlighten me. I will repay what I owe and sincerely apologize to them.”

Boss Xu spoke very seriously, not like he was lying.

“I understand what you mean. After talking for so long, what you want to express to me is that you have been in business for many years, you are wealthy, but you are definitely not a奸商 (jian shang – unscrupulous merchant), and you have always lived with a clear conscience, right? I’m speaking directly, and I’m not good at beating around the bush. Please forgive me, Boss Xu.”

Boss Xu quickly said, “Sir, you are too polite. Sir, you are naturally forthright and direct, which is what we businessmen lack. If Mr. Wan sees anything, please speak directly.”

“I haven’t seen anything yet. Tell me specifically what kind of trouble you’ve encountered.”

Boss Xu sighed and said, “I am now being invaded by阴寒 (yin han – cold evil energy), and my body is ill. You must have already seen that, right?”

I nodded, saying that I had indeed seen it, but this was not the main reason Boss Xu came to me.

Boss Xu admitted, “Indeed, there is something even more unacceptable to me, which is that many women are pregnant.”

“What do you mean? Many women are pregnant with your child?” This Boss Xu is quite capable; he has sown a large number of seeds at once.

Boss Xu quickly said, “Sir, you misunderstood. It’s that many employees in the building are pregnant. These children are not mine.

It’s said that other people’s women being pregnant with other people’s children has nothing to do with me, but they all work in my building, and they all got pregnant after going to that building. Suddenly, so many people are pregnant, and this matter is not so normal.

I am the owner of that building, but it is not my own company that operates in that building. I rent it out. Some are newly established companies, some are old friends, and some are companies that are expanding their scale and changing office locations.

It can be said that each company's situation is different, and those employees are also, each has their own life.

Some are college students who have just graduated and are participating in work for the first time, some are company officials and veterans, some are middle-aged women who work while taking care of children, some live with their boyfriends, some are divorced from their husbands, and some have just finished maternity leave.

So many people are suddenly pregnant together. Don't you think it's a bit too coincidental?

It is normal for female employees to get pregnant, and companies should understand this and give sufficient maternity leave, but if all the female employees are pregnant and will be on maternity leave in a few months, this will be difficult to handle, and many companies will not be able to operate at that time.

If it spreads that female employees get pregnant as soon as they come to my building, this building will be ruined. Even if it doesn’t spread, I can’t just watch the companies operating in my building encounter big problems. So, Shopkeeper Wan, please be sure to take a trip.”

“This is indeed a major event. If you don’t figure out the matter of the female employees getting pregnant, even if your building is not used for office work, you wouldn’t dare to worship the Child-Giving Goddess here with peace of mind.”

Boss Xu immediately said, “Yes, yes, that’s exactly the logic. The Child-Giving Goddess is a proper deity, and everyone naturally likes the children bestowed by the Goddess. Although this building is even more effective than the Child-Giving Goddess, who knows where those pregnant children come from? How can this make people feel at ease?”

“Wait for me a moment, I’ll go upstairs and explain a few things, and then I’ll go to the provincial capital with you.”

“Thank you, Shopkeeper Wan.”

I left Boss Xu downstairs and went upstairs to find Ding Kan, telling him that I was going out again and would have to trouble him to take care of the house again. I told him to get along well with the evil spirits in my house and that he could occasionally feed them some dog food, but not too much, because too much dog food can cause indigestion.

Ding Kan asked me curiously, “What are you going out to do again? Aren’t you going to investigate your big event? Didn’t you say that you want to find out what conspiracy the Mí Tiān Great Gods are playing before the competition officially starts? Instead of doing such an important thing, you’re going to help Boss Xu investigate what’s going on with the women getting pregnant. Don’t you think you’re being a bit negligent in your duties?”

“No, this is precisely my proper business. Investigating the conspiracy of the Mí Tiān Great Gods and investigating the matter of the women getting pregnant in Boss Xu’s building is actually the same thing. If I understand why the female employees in Boss Xu’s building suddenly all got pregnant, I may understand what the Mí Tiān Great Gods are going to do.”

Ding Kan looked at me like I was an idiot, and even reached out and touched my forehead. “You don’t have a fever, why are you talking nonsense? What does the female employees getting pregnant have to do with the Mí Tiān Great Gods? Do you think those women are pregnant with children who aren’t human, but the children of the Mí Tiān Great Gods?”

“That’s not necessarily the case, but it’s not impossible. I think these two things are related because Boss Xu came at too good a time, and that sentence of his was too coincidental.”

“You mean that sentence about owing a debt must be repaid? Did you understand what that sentence meant?”

“It’s not certain yet, but it’s close enough. That sentence was not said by Qin Shuguang at all, nor was it said to Boss Xu. It was Mí Tiān Ying who planned to say it to someone who understands.

I previously thought that Qin Shuguang was controlled by Mí Tiān Ying only after opening Mí Tiān Ying’s coffin, but now that I think about it, Qin Shuguang may have already been controlled by Mí Tiān Ying, including going to open his own coffin, which was also arranged by Mí Tiān Ying. The feng shui of Boss Xu’s building was viewed by Mí Tiān Ying.

Mí Tiān Ying not only left a strange sentence, but also set up a局 (ju - trap/scheme) in Boss Xu’s building. If I understand this 局 (ju - trap/scheme), I will know what Mí Tiān Ying specifically wants to express.

Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Sort of, anyway, it doesn’t matter whether I understand or not, as long as you understand it yourself.” Ding Kan made that signature gesture again, waving his hand at me like he was swatting a fly, telling me to get lost if I had nothing else to do and not disturb him.

If I can settle everything before the competition and cancel the event directly, that would be best. If I can't settle it, he will have to participate in the competition and enter the Mí Tiān Realm to investigate in person. Now he has to quickly recuperate his body and doesn't have time to listen to my nagging.

“Okay, it’s right to recuperate your body. You should quickly recuperate your body so you can leave my shop. During this time, my shop has been ruined by you. You should quickly recover and get out of here.”

Without lingering with Ding Kan, I went to tell Mo Li Hua a few words and took a look at Eight Miss before going to the provincial capital with Boss Xu.

I asked Boss Xu to find me a few employees who were easier to talk to so I could learn more about the situation of the people involved.

Boss Xu was very efficient and called to contact them on the road. As soon as we arrived at the provincial capital, there were three women waiting to be interviewed by me.

These three women were all quite unique. One was thirty-eight years old, had no children, and prayed to gods, took injections, and took medicine every day, just wanting to have a child.

One was just nineteen years old, dropped out of school early, and had unclear relationships with many boys. She had just had a child aborted last month that no one claimed, and this month she was pregnant again.

The other was a widow who had been divorced for many years. Her son was already in his twenties and had started dating a girlfriend. Because of the matter of her future mother-in-law being pregnant, her son's girlfriend broke up with him.

Boss Xu told me about the situations of the three of them and asked me which one I wanted to talk to first.

I thought about it for a while and still felt that it would be easier to communicate with the young girl, so I asked Boss Xu to arrange for the nineteen-year-old girl first.

So, Boss Xu gave me a hotel address and told me to go there myself. Before leaving, he also told me to control myself. This woman was casual beyond imagination, and he told me not to do anything I shouldn't.

What he said made me seem like what kind of person? I’m going to her first to understand the situation, am I attracted to her youth and beauty?

Besides, this girl isn't pretty.

Although she's showing her chest, back, arms, and legs, and her face is covered in妖娆 (yao rao - seductive) makeup, her foundation is really not that good. Mo Li Hua could leave her in the dust.

Who said that only pretty women are casual? There are plenty of not-so-pretty women who are also casual.

I had just knocked on the hotel door a few times when a boneless voice came from inside, “Who is it?”

“A fortune teller, specializing in calculating marriage and offspring.”

“No, I don’t need to pray for children.”

“I can not only pray for children, but I can also pray for no children.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means exactly what it says. I can calculate how to have children, and I can also calculate how to not have children.”

“Then I need it even less. I know more than you do. If you want to listen, I can talk to you for three days and three nights.”

“Do you really think you know a lot? If you really knew a lot, if your method was really effective, then you wouldn’t have been hit repeatedly.”

“What exactly do you want to do?” The woman slammed the door open and glared at me fiercely.

I still said, “I am a fortune teller, specializing in calculating marriage and offspring.”

“Okay, then calculate it for me. Why did I take all the measures I should have taken? I used condoms, I took medicine, and I even timed things carefully. How did I still get hit?”

I didn't directly answer her question, but instead took out a small bottle. “Smear the water in this bottle on your eyes, and then look at the situation around you, and you will understand why you are so easily hit.”

The woman picked up the small porcelain bottle, looked at it, and then put it aside. “You want me to smear it, so I’ll smear it? Who knows what’s in this bottle? What if there’s poison inside and it ruins my eyes?”

“I can tell you directly that this bottle contains牛眼泪 (niu yan lei - cow tears). You should have heard of what 牛眼泪 (niu yan lei - cow tears) are for, right? 牛眼泪 (niu yan lei - cow tears) can connect you to the spirit world. After applying it to your eyes, you will be able to see some things that you can't normally see.”

The woman shuddered, subconsciously moved away from the porcelain bottle, and quickly looked around, feeling a little restless.

“You can’t see anything by looking like that. Apply the 牛眼泪 (niu yan lei - cow tears) to your eyes first, and then look, and you’ll be able to see him.”

“What do you mean? I’m warning you, don’t talk nonsense. If you act like a ghost again, be careful I call the police and arrest you. My boyfriend is a police officer who specializes in catching swindling charlatans like you.”

“If you’re scared, just say you’re scared. No need to say so much useless stuff. Since you don’t dare to face the facts, then you can wait to get pregnant again and again until you completely ruin yourself.”

I picked up the porcelain bottle and prepared to leave, but the woman quickly stopped me again. Playing hard to get really works.

“Um, Master, are you saying that there’s a ghost next to me? Can you see that ghost now? What does he look like?”

I didn't answer, but handed the small bottle over again.

This time the woman didn't refuse. She carefully smeared the 牛眼泪 (niu yan lei - cow tears) from the porcelain bottle on her eyes and trembled as she looked around.

“Ah…” The woman screamed and shrank into the corner of the bed. “Don’t come over, don’t come over. I don’t know you, don’t come over. I’m not your mother, don’t come over. I beg you, I really don’t know you…”

The woman kept shrinking into the corner, shrinking herself as small as possible, but there was still no way to avoid what she wanted to avoid.