Chapter 86: The Law of Destiny Conservation of the Saint

The holy one’s lingering soul in Xiao Ming’s necklace now wore a grave expression, for his crisis had arrived.

The crisis was not that he himself was in trouble, but that he felt Xiao Ming was about to be.

Because Xiao Ming was a genuine destiny-born child, and in just two days on the job, he had cracked a major smuggling case.

The most absurd part was that the lead had been discovered by Xiao Ming entirely by accident.

Xiao Ming had been desperate since joining the Ministry of Justice, eager to solve big cases—like the Crown Prince’s death—because solving one would guarantee a rapid promotion.

The holy one’s lingering soul had been speechless then, telling him he was overreaching—he was an outsider, how could he possibly handle cases of that level?

The cases assigned to him were naturally small ones, like catching thieves.

After the holy one’s earnest advice, he still went to catch them.

But when he caught the thief, the man leapt over a wall into a courtyard, and Xiao Ming followed him inside.

Not only did he catch the thief there, but he also found smuggled salt in one of the rooms.

What had seemed like a minor case turned out to be much larger—the Ministry of Justice traced the leads and arrested several officials from the Salt Administration.

Xiao Ming had even caught the attention of the newly appointed Minister of Justice, Pang Jin, and was likely to be officially hired soon.

And it had all started with him chasing a petty thief.

The holy one’s lingering soul figured the guy must have been hoarding destiny for a long time, and it had just exploded all at once.

But the holy one’s lingering soul was used to this—Xiao Ming had often encountered such things before.

Like falling off a cliff with severe injuries, only to hang on a tree and survive, then discovering a hidden treasure cave nearby.

Being chased by demonic beasts, then accidentally stumbling upon a wounded cultivator, and so on.

But today, luck had come again.

Based on the holy one’s lingering soul’s study of Xiao Ming’s destiny, whenever this kid left a woman, another one would appear after a while.

And sure enough, on his way home from work today, he’d stumbled upon a perfect chance to play the hero and save a beauty.

And the woman was stunningly beautiful—her face, her figure—undoubtedly one in ten thousand.

That was why the holy one’s lingering soul felt Xiao Ming’s crisis had arrived.

If he followed his old habit and went running after her like a lapdog, he’d likely waste his small progress right away.

Why did the holy one’s lingering soul think this? Because Xiao Ming had already put on his signature lapdog face and started flirting with Wu Nanzhi.

What was a signature lapdog face? According to the holy one’s lingering soul’s summary, it meant seeing a woman and freezing in place, instantly forgetting what he was supposed to do next, wanting only to stay with her longer.

But there was no helping it—in Xiao Ming’s eyes, this beautiful woman had the figure and face of a mature older sister.

He’d just recovered from a painful relationship—wasn’t he exactly in need of an older sister’s comfort?

Xiao Ming said: “Bandits are common in the capital at this hour, miss. Where are you headed? If it’s far, I can escort you.”

Because Xiao Ming had helped Wu Nanzhi out of trouble, she thanked him and pointed to the shop beside them: “Thank you for your kindness, but my home is right here.”

It was their first meeting—he didn’t want to linger too long by her side.

He quietly memorized the shop’s name; after all, it was on his way home—he’d find chances to interact more later.

They exchanged a few polite words, then bid each other farewell.

Only after watching Wu Nanzhi step inside the shop did Xiao Ming finally leave.

At that moment, the holy one’s lingering soul’s solemn voice surfaced in his mind.

“Disciple, have you forgotten your original reason for joining the Ministry of Justice? Chu’s girl is still in dire straits—have you already begun to shift your affections?”

Xiao Ming quickly explained: “Master, you misunderstand—I could never forget my promise to Ruoyan. I’m merely fulfilling my duty, living up to this uniform.”

Upon hearing this, the holy one’s lingering soul’s lips twitched slightly.

Yesterday you didn’t even want to work—why are you suddenly interested today?

The holy one’s lingering soul no longer believed Xiao Ming’s lies—he’d think of a way to provoke him again when they returned.

As soon as Xiao Ming left, Wu Qi returned to the shop—he had prepared his gift for the Chu family.

“What? Ma Gao came to the capital and is harassing Auntie? Tell me where he is—I’ll break his legs right now!”

Wu Qi had a fiery temper; hearing his aunt had been bullied at the shop door, he couldn’t tolerate it.

He naturally knew Ma Gao—he’d fought him before.

“He’s already gone. A passing official helped me out.” “He got lucky. Auntie, be careful from now on. I’ve got to go to the banquet—goodbye.”

With that, Wu Qi changed clothes and hurried off.

Meanwhile, in the Ministry of Justice courtyard, Pang Jin was reviewing Xiao Ming’s file.

“This kid’s family was wiped out—he walked all the way from the border to the capital, mixed in the cultivation circles without ever associating with dangerous figures, and his cultivation is solid—he’s definitely worth cultivating.”

Pang Jin felt Xiao Ming might be a good piece for the scheme he planned to set in motion soon.

Because this scheme required players who could operate unseen by those hiding in the shadows—and Xiao Ming clearly fit that role.

Of course, Pang Jin didn’t rely solely on Xiao Ming—he only counted him as one among many.

As long as one of these pieces detected the enemy’s trail, it would be enough.

The holy one’s lingering soul could never have imagined that the Crown Prince’s death case would actually land in this kid’s lap.

Night fell, lanterns glowed, and the luxurious first ring of the capital was bathed in brilliant lights.

At this moment, inside and outside the Chu family compound, lanterns hung, red carpets stretched, and the scene was joyous—more festive than the New Year.

!

The Chu family’s housewarming banquet was undoubtedly one of the grandest events in Chu family history, even a milestone.

At the compound gate, two towering lanterns stood, emitting soft, warm light.

A red carpet extended from the gate deep into the courtyard, flanked by all manner of flowers, their fragrance intoxicating and refreshing.

Chu Jingsong, head of the Chu family, wore an elegant brocade robe, neatly dressed, smiling as he stood in the courtyard, personally greeting every guest.

His face radiated pride and joy, his smile impossible to suppress—as if, at this moment, he were the brightest presence in the entire capital.

“Abbot Li Qingyun of Qingyun Martial Temple presents a thousand-year snow pine—wishing the Chu family joy in their new home, may fortune flow endlessly!”

A loud voice rang out at the gate; a burly middle-aged man entered the Chu compound with his retinue.

His attendant opened the gift box, revealing a snow pine emitting a faint chill.

The snow pine’s branches and leaves were lush and emerald green—clearly an extremely precious gift.

Next, a Ministry of Rites official entered, dressed in official robes, his attendant holding a gift box and announcing loudly: “Vice Minister Zhao Yuande presents a pair of blood jade bracelets—wishing the Chu family prosperity in their new home, rising step by step!”

The blood jade bracelets were crystal-clear, glowing faintly red—obviously priceless.

This guy had just finished work and hadn’t even changed his clothes before coming.

Or perhaps he’d deliberately come in his official robe.

Then two more heavyweight figures arrived in succession.

One was Qian Wanguan, chairman of the Capital Merchants’ Guild, who presented a pair of gold vases inlaid with gems—symbolizing boundless wealth and a household overflowing with riches.

The other was a famed general of the capital, who presented a divine steed—symbolizing the Chu family’s radiant ascent and brilliant future.

Chu Jingsong, watching these precious gifts, felt deeply moved—the more valuable the gifts, the more the guests respected this grand banquet.

He personally stepped forward to chat with each guest, thanking them for their presence.

Those invited also wore smiles, warmly shaking hands with Chu Jingsong.

Inside the Chu compound, they moved about, greeting one another.

Some were already acquainted within the circle; others sought to expand their social network.

Regardless, this housewarming banquet was undeniably lively.

Yet some people had not been invited by Chu Jingsong—but came anyway.

Among them were neighbors living nearby—those who resided here naturally held some status.

It wasn’t that Chu Jingsong didn’t want to invite them—he simply didn’t know them and couldn’t bring himself to beg for their attendance.

But since the Chu family’s eldest daughter was an imperial consort, many sought to curry favor with the Chu family, presenting gifts that delighted Chu Jingsong.

Of course, there were also people like Wu Qi—familiar faces, unknown names, not invited.

Chu Jingsong welcomed them all warmly—guests are guests.

Didn’t uninvited guests prove the family’s influence?

Besides these, there were also those who had longstanding grievances with the Chu family.

Take this one now arriving—Qiu Kangning, head of the Qiu family, one of the capital’s top clans.

(End of Chapter)