Chapter 40

Ling Yue raised her eyebrows, almost laughing, she hadn't forgotten the purpose of this trip.

The exhausted feng shui fish just wanted to keep sinking, sinking lower; it stayed above only because it was utterly unwilling.

"Wuu wuu wuu so dirty so dirty! Why is there so much filth? Fishy doesn't want to strive anymore!"

Ling Yue instinctively glanced at the fish tank; the crystal-clear water showed good water quality—so what did it mean by "dirty"?

Ling Yue pinched her fingertips, pondered a moment, her gaze fixed on the feng shui fish, when a sudden exclamation rang out, interrupting her thoughts.

"Oh my god, my stuff QAQ"

Ling Yue turned her head to see the floor in utter chaos, shards of porcelain and mashed pastries everywhere; the worst off was Song Xi, drenched head to toe in soup, and even Ling Yue didn't know how he managed that.

The nearby servant promptly handed over a large towel: "Young master."

Seeing his father glare, Song Xi instantly wore a bitter face: "I'm doomed!"

"I just wanted to bring the streamer some snacks, who knew I'd slip..."

Song Han furrowed his brows at this troublesome son, waving his hand: "Alright, go change your clothes, in the cabinet you usually use."

Song Xi glanced reluctantly at Ling Yue, looking dejected; he shouldn't have overestimated his luck, and for a moment even the pink hair on his head seemed to droop.

As he walked away he muttered: "Why am I so unlucky? How many years has this been? QAQ"

Seeing him leave, Ling Yue's eyes flashed with realization; when in doubt, just Baidu—Song Han, Song Xi, the top domestic entertainment conglomerate with assets over ten billion, many famous stars hail from their company.

This is a small company?

Ling Yue blinked; over there Song Xi had already completed the whole routine, come downstairs, this sequence was almost too practiced, taking less than ten minutes.

Song Xi noticed his gaze, blinked slightly, then smiled, bearing a resemblance to the master's foolish son, which vexed Song Han greatly.

But he hadn't forgotten the purpose of this trip: "Miss Ling, what do you think of this feng shui fish?"

Ling Yue glanced at the feng shui fish, hovering between death and life, struggling back and forth; she actually saw reluctance in a single fish.

Ling Yue suddenly asked him: "Has Song Xi always been this unlucky?"

Song Han blinked, nodded; before he could say anything, Madame Song beside him, hearing mention of her son, immediately launched into a tirade.

Song Xi is her and her husband's only son, who should have been raised with countless blessings, but he's been unlucky since childhood—whatever he does fails, whatever he undertakes goes bankrupt; even getting a job at the company and scouting a few minor artists are all "one-in-a-million" paragons!

Here "paragon" means extremely selfish character and awful temperament, yet thanks to good packaging, Song Xi took a liking to them, causing the company's stock to drop several points.

Thereafter, Song Han dared not let him enter the company again.

Nowadays, Song Xi has become a notorious wastrel and jinx in the circle; many people even avoid associating with him, fearing his bad luck will rub off.

By contrast, the Song conglomerate is thriving.

Some even suspect the couple sacrificed their son to heaven; otherwise how could his luck be so awful, practically cursed beyond belief!

One must admit, superstition runs rampant in the entertainment circle; they don't care, yet they also feel a bit stifled—even keeping a feng shui fish is for their son, isn't it supposed to ward off evil and turn fortune? They specially paid a high price to buy one from a friend's Dragon Fish Manor.

Unbeknownst to them, Madame Song, under Ling Yue's deliberate prompting, spoke at length; after listening, Ling Yue glanced at the feng shui fish in the aquarium, her pupils near-ink black, the Spirit-Pupil obtained from the Black Cat Queen—certainly not just that.

In an instant, the whole house came into view, instantly transformed!

Countless wisps of black smoke coiled around the house, sticking together like a silk-thread cavern, murky and gloomy; Ling Yue frowned, the only clean spot being the aquarium emitting a red glow.

The feng shui fish floated above, constantly swimming, using its innate ability to change the Song family's fortune and dispel evil; yet the darkness, accumulated over years, what could a single fish possibly do?

As time passed, the black mist loomed at the edge, eyeing hungrily, and began to harm the feng shui fish; judging by the current red light's brightness, Ling Yue calculated that if she hadn't come today, the Song household could last at most another year or so.

Beside them, seeing her absorbed, the Song family held their breath, braced for action; though they'd merely come to look at a fish, Ling Yue's solemn expression made them tense involuntarily.

"Streamer? What's wrong with the dragon fish?" Song Xi clenched his hands, his fingertips whitening from tension without even noticing.

Ling Yue gave him a deep look, her eyes flickering; if one were to say who holds the villa's darkest gloom, there's no doubt it's the person before her—the very source of the villa's misfortune.

As she spoke, a puff of black gas sprayed from her mouth.

Along Ling Yue's path, Song Xi is essentially a massive misfortune generator; describing him as black enough to smoke is entirely accurate.

If he were to leave the villa, the Song couple inside would still meet trouble, for their family's bloodline has long been intertwined, closely kin—not just empty words.

Ling Yue said calmly: "The dragon fish is fine; just move it out of the house for ten days or half a month, and it will recover on its own—but—"

"You lot might run into trouble."

The instant those words were heard, the three startled; Song Han's face grew grave, a merchant's intuition having already made him suspect—otherwise he wouldn't have summoned a feng shui fish, and behind the scenes he'd long consulted the so-called masters of the circle.

They had begged for a pile of talismans, offered incense at temples and Daoist observatories, to no avail; on one occasion, Song Xi almost crashed while driving because a talisman blocked his view.

They have only this one son, not planning any more children, constantly worried; at this rate, the unlucky son could very well destroy himself.

Song Xi disbelieved: "Streamer, you're not a pet consultant, are you? How…"—just like those fraudulent masters we used to hire!

He held his breath till his face flushed red, never managing to finish the latter half of his sentence.

Ling Yue had already guessed his meaning, she turned to the adult of the household: "Mr. Song, you should know whether I'm alarmist; if I'm right, the Song family's situation is also poor—prosperity inevitably declines, and their recent glory was merely to lull you into complacency."

Song Han directly said: "Miss Ling, I believe you!"

Ling Yue slapped three talismans into their hands; holding them, they clearly felt their bodies lighten, the long-standing heaviness vanishing at once.

Never mind any psychological effect; they are three adults with their own judgment, their gazes toward Ling Yue shining with varied colors.

"Master Ling." Song Han even switched to calling her "Master Ling."

"What on earth is going on with our family?"

Ling Yue didn't rush to speak, she waved her hand in a gesture of "please calm down": "Let's first move the dragon fish outside."

She looked at the near-dead dragon fish; a few servants lifted the aquarium and placed it outside the house—during which Ling Yue didn't even touch it—and once outside, the dragon fish touched sunlight and instantly became lively.

"Ah ah ah, I'm finally alive again!"

"I'm moved to tears; before that was what kind of damn days—just as the Human 007 schedule was being drafted, poor Fishy had already toiled for years, wuu wuu, I never want to turn my luck again, just let me lie like a salted fish!"

Ling Yue couldn't help but glance; indeed, it had been worn out.

The feng shui fish's role in the villa is more like a living purifier, but the black qi is too much—like installing only one air conditioner in an 800-square-meter mansion; no matter how strong the effect, what use could it have?

The aquarium bubbled nonstop, its lively appearance astonished everyone—who didn't know the dragon fish was on its last breath, how could it suddenly recover?

The Song family had already realized; it must be the villa that's problematic, leaving them shocked and angry—the villa cost a fortune, top-tier property, it simply shouldn't have gone wrong!

Ling Yue heard the words, looked surprised: "Something wrong with the villa? No."

She looked at "Xiao Heiren" Song Xi, who shuddered violently, instinctively feeling something was off.

"The one who had an accident should be Song Xi."

Outside, there were many people talking; Ling Yue and they returned to the villa, placing the dragon fish Jinjin in the original aquarium spot—actually any spot would do, as feng shui fish are living creatures, especially the dragon fish Jinjin that Ling Yue had carefully raised.

Even though Jinjin was just a juvenile, dealing with this patch of black qi only took a few flips; in an instant, the black qi was swept away by it.

Everyone only felt the air instantly become fresh.

Ling Yue looked at the drowsy dragon fish; Jinjin just opened its mouth, and a big burp came out.

"Master, I'm holding on, but I'm a bit tired and can't hold on."

After saying that, it fell asleep directly.

Ling Yue helplessly withdrew her gaze, focusing on solving the Song family's troubles.

The most nervous was Song Xi, as if nails were stuck under his bottom, unable to sit still: "I, I had an accident?"

Ling Yue: "Strictly speaking, you are the source of misfortune, and the reason you are so unlucky……"

Ling Yue lifted her long, dense eyelashes; above Song Xi's head, fine golden threads like hair continuously flowed forward, including his close relatives Song's father and mother, which was the same.

"Borrowing luck."

Ling Yue's face grew solemn; this was a Daoist art she had heard and learned from her feng shui turtle master—a practice most shameless for cultivators, using the selected person's luck entirely to nourish the borrower, like dodder silently strangling the trees it clings to; borrowing luck is even crueler than dodder, lightly causing serious injury, heavily leading to family ruin and death.

Suddenly, the guard at the villa spoke: "Sir, Madam, your younger brother Mr. Song Ya has arrived."

Ling Yue's words were cut off, and she hadn't prepared to continue.

Song Han was anxious, but the one who came was his own younger brother; the two families were on good terms, mainly because the brother had a good son who, at a young age, had already founded his own company, a very courteous young man.

Upon meeting, Second Uncle's gaze fell on Song Xi, and he instantly broke into a grin: "Hey, my big nephew, where did you get this head? How so trendy!"

Everyone knew he was joking; Song Xi puffed up in anger, and the tense atmosphere in the room eased a bit.

Second Uncle then explained his purpose—nothing major, just that his son was getting engaged, to a girl from the Huo Family, which is slightly smaller in scale than the Song Family.

Song Han was very surprised, and Song Xi even more shocked: "The Huo Family's only daughter? Wow, cousin, you're amazing."

That's none other than their generation's famous white swan, who started ballet from a young age, exceptionally talented, now even more renowned internationally as a ballet goddess, studying at a foreign royal academy, truly a pretty, rich, beautiful young lady.

Seeing him say that, Second Uncle's smile deepened: "I also happened to know." He looked at Song Han: "Brother, you also know that this kid Ruizhi has had proper intentions since childhood, and we two don't understand anything; we couldn't dissuade him, and back then we even worried that, now grown, he'd just keep guarding the company, possibly ending up marrying his work."

"Who would have thought he'd silently tell me he wants to get engaged to the Huo family's young lady; we both heard it and couldn't believe it!"

Song Han comforted his brother, and Second Grandfather's gaze fell on Song Xi: "Little Xi, you're grown up too—do you have a girlfriend?"

In an instant, Song Xi felt as if an arrow had pierced his chest, and his parents' gazes, dense as needles, turned him into a hedgehog—was it that he didn't want to? He simply couldn't.

With his luck, what sin would a girl have committed to follow him into misfortune?

Song Xi chuckled: "Um, I'm not in a hurry yet."

Second Uncle nodded, as if asking casually, his main purpose being to deliver the invitation: "The engagement banquet—Brother, you and your family must definitely come!"

Song Han naturally had no reason to refuse.

Second Uncle came and went quickly, throughout ignoring Ling Yue—a stranger, a pretty girl—but he never even thought of Song Xi having a girlfriend.

Who doesn't know Song Xi's current situation.

After stepping out, Second Grandfather's smile deepened—isn't this a joke? It's said that his eldest nephew doesn't date; when a girl tried to get close, that very day a rear-end collision occurred, lightly injuring her and landing her in the hospital; ever since, no one dares to approach Song Xi.

This isn't the God of Wealth, it's the Plague God!

Second Grandfather sighed: "Ah, my good elder brother, I don't know how much longer I'll have to toil."

Inside the villa.

Ling Yue told the truth straightforwardly, and the Song family members were all stunned.

"Borrowing luck?" Madam Song sprang up, involuntarily raising her voice: "According to Master Ling's meaning, our Xi Xi is so unlucky because someone has borrowed her luck?"

Ling Yue: "Not only that, because your family is harmonious, with deep bonds between mother and son, father and son, the borrower also took your luck; a person's luck can only increase, not decrease—otherwise, various negative emotions and filthy things will actively cling."

Hearing his words, Song Han's brows knotted tightly; he instinctively reached for a cigarette, but froze the moment he caught sight of Ling Yue.

Having weathered the ups and downs of the business world for years, he is no fool or simpleton; otherwise he could not have held onto such a vast fortune.

Someone had turned their scheme against him, even family; his anger surged, and a hint of menace appeared on his face: "Master Ling, is there a way to break it?"

Ling Yue: "Yes."

"They can borrow fortune, and we can just as well create it. Fortune is the same—there are those like Young Master Ling with deep fortune, and there are those whose fortune wanes, a lifetime of bad luck… losing wife and troops, I don't know what you think?"

The parts Ling Yue omitted were ingeniously done; it all depends on how this family intends to act.

What else could they think?

Upon suddenly hearing his idol streamer say he was not an unlucky one but a lucky one whose fortune had been stolen, Song Xi covered his face, on the verge of tears.

He is not generous at all; the only things he loves are his parents and himself. As a child, whoever bullied him, he would surely fight back; later, as his luck worsened, he dared not move rashly. Now someone suddenly tells him it's because his fortune was too good and someone stole it!

Song Xi pleaded eagerly: "Streamer, save my life! Not only must I get it back, I also want to investigate thoroughly—who set this trap!"

All his life. Those who have never experienced misfortune have no idea—drinking cold water makes them choke, eating fish always gets a bone stuck, their favorite things inevitably break; the key is that it drags down the parents, what grudge, what resentment!

Song Father's eyes were deep and dark; he patted his wife's shoulder: "I'm here."

After Ling Yue spoke the truth, he took it to heart; within a few minutes, he reviewed every suspect—business rivals, old enemies bearing grudges, defeated subordinates—but none matched.

To borrow fortune for over twenty years, the scheme must have been set in motion from the time Song Xi was born, or even earlier—just who is that person?

Like a snake lurking in the dark, furtively watching his family, even someone as refined as Song Han could not help but feel anger rise from his heart.

Courting death!

Seeing his brow unrelieved, Ling Yue volunteered: "Perhaps you could start with those who have good fortune—the best kind where fortune suddenly bursts, making everything go smoothly; it's been over twenty years. Borrowing fortune isn't as simple as wanting to borrow; first there must be a distance, and ideally the one whose fortune is borrowed had previously been in close contact with another fortune-borrower, which yields better results."

Upon hearing this, the Song family fell silent.

Song Mother gripped her husband's hand, doubtful: "Husband, it can't be, right?"

Song Han was also slightly stunned, meeting his wife's panicked gaze; a heavy gloom instantly enveloped his head, his cheek muscles twitched, and he could not describe his feelings at all.

Probably only this silly kid Song Xi, head lowered, deep in thought, repeatedly raking through over twenty years of life memories, wondering who had ever been close to him, his head aching QAQ

Ling Yue saw this and knew the family must already have an idea in mind; she slightly curled her lips: "Maybe they've already moved away, but if we can't find them, it's fine—we can first break it."

In an instant, all three stared at her with burning eyes.

Ling Yue got up and went to Jin Jin's fish tank, looking at the dragon fish snoring loudly; she couldn't help tugging at the corner of her mouth, but before she could send a mental message, she learned that Jin Jin was digesting the black qi it had just swallowed.

Ling Yue also learned for the first time that feng shui fish ward off evil and protect the house, counteracting evil qi—not only because of their extraordinary innate talent but also because of their strange appetite; a powerful dragon fish can suck dry the black qi of an entire villa in one gulp, and Jin Jin only absorbed one‑fifth of it.

"The solution isn't hard; the effect will be a bit slow, because you've had your qi fortune drained for over twenty years—turning your fortune around can't happen instantly."

Song Han had no complaints about this result—laughing, faced with the life‑or‑death of the whole family, this was simply great news; just waiting a while was already enough to make him happy.

Ling Yue added: "I have other methods here—do you see it?"

Ling Yue indicated with her eyes: "I can lend you something to worship for ten days; after ten days, the qi fortune will come on its own."

Song Han's eyes lit up immediately.

Madam Song asked: "This is the master's fish—what if we clumsy folks can't take good care of it?"

Ling Yue: "You don't need to look after it—just change the water regularly, no feeding required; just keep it safe… uh, safe and sound."

When Ling Yue said that, she glanced at Jin Jin's big tail and paused—she knew best the force of that tail, because at first it wasn't this fish tank but a large aquarium that later broke.

How did it break? Jin Jin got excited for a moment, flicked its tail, and the glass of the large aquarium was smashed straight into a big hole, so Ling Yue had to switch to a reinforced fish tank.

She tapped the glass, and Jin Jin instantly woke up, looking at Ling Yue.

Ling Yue looked at the Song family: "Stand here, don't move, hold my talisman in your hand, close your eyes."

The three stood in a row; Ling Yue looked at Jin Jin and communicated mentally: "Jin Jin."

"Your time has come."

Jin Jin blinked, still a bit dazed: "Huh? Me? What can I do?"

Ling Yue chuckled: "Bestow Luck!"

This is the dragon fish's innate gift; as the future dragon fish king, Jin Jin is outstanding among them, and after swallowing black qi it becomes even more remarkable—its big tail, red with a purple sheen, faintly edged in gold, so subtle that ordinary people need a magnifying glass to see it.

This is the manifestation of fortune solidified.

Perhaps one day it will leap over the dragon gate and transform into a dragon.

Anyway. Ling Yue will assist it with Dao arts; as long as Jin Jin bestows luck, the tool is a single water droplet hanging on the dragon fish's tail—golden leaps out of the water, the tail flicks hard!

Originally an ordinary tiny water droplet faintly glints gold, accurately touching the three people's foreheads—this is bestowing luck; the powerful qi fortune instantly cuts the supply line, Ling Yue then adjusts, and afterwards all that's needed is for Mr. Song to find the most unlucky unlucky person, and it's done.

Ling Yue has changed borrowing luck into reverse—it will only draw misfortune, so one can imagine what fate awaits the borrower.

As for the evil daoist who aids tyrants, they will suffer even more from backlash of the art.

The three Song family members only felt their brows dampen; in an instant the cold turned warm, making them involuntarily sigh in comfort.

Ling Yue left Jin Jin at the Song family villa; Jin Jin was like a mouse that fell into a granary, blissfully oblivious to home.

Ling Yue watched, shook her head and laughed helplessly: "You heartless little thing!"

As for the Song family's payment, Ling Yue didn't need to speak; the other side directly handed over a check: "Master Ling, this is a token of thanks!"

He wouldn't think his family's lives were worth less than a bit of money.

Song Xi was even funnier, gazing eagerly at Ling Yue: "Streamer, streamer, this is an invitation to the Jing Shi auction—apparently there's an emperor‑green bracelet, perfect for a pretty lady like you!"

Madam Song looked at her son, eyes full of relief—at last she hadn't raised him in vain.

Ling Yue's gaze lingered, about to wave her hand, when she suddenly remembered something and asked: "You said this auction—does it accept items?"

A cheerful bell rang; Ling Yue pressed it, dazed for a moment, looking out at the gorgeous sunset outside the window, then suddenly startled awake.

Today is Monday, live‑stream time has arrived.

At the same time, the notification "Your followed pet‑consultation live stream is now open" instantly appeared on countless netizens' phones.

In just a few tens of seconds, Ling Yue's live‑stream room shot straight to first place; countless traffic flooded in, and the excited fans were almost in tears.

【Sniff sniff sniff finally waited for you! Glad I didn't give up!】

【Upstairs, how can you send voice messages?】

【One day without seeing you feels like three autumns—ah ah ah, streamer, I miss you!】

Just then, dozens of suns popped out at once.

【A prodigal son tipped streamer Ling Yue fifty suns—everyone hurry to the live‑stream to pick up the sunshine! ^_^】

【Thanks, streamer, for saving my dog's life!】

An ultra‑big, ultra‑cool VIP font seized the screen, and countless netizens couldn't help widening their eyes.

【Holy crap, a big spender!】

【I've seen this brother before—we agreed to be non‑lucky together, so how are you using money power?!】