For a magnate in the mining industry like Zhuo Wujin, everyone had fought their way through the tumultuous martial world of the past.
Though the old man maintained his composure well now, he was once a decisive business elite.
It was only in recent years, plagued by illness that also afflicted his family, that his sharp edges had been smoothed.
However, the situation was different now. The health concerns plaguing his family had been eradicated by Ling Tian, allowing Zhuo Wujin to focus on investigating and dealing with the mastermind behind it all.
“Ling Tian, can you think of a way to help us find this mastermind? This matter almost led to the annihilation of our Zhuo family.”
Ling Tian pondered. The person who targeted the Zhuo family employed sinister and vicious methods, likely belonging to the crooked paths, perhaps even in league with that Gu King.
After all, in the martial world, there were scoundrels not only among martial artists but also in every other profession.
Furthermore, Ling Tian was eager to gain experience. Perhaps through this matter, he might encounter some fortuitous encounters.
Ling Tian needed to improve himself as much as possible now, only then could he quickly open the spiritual realm space, uncover its secrets, become stronger, and avenge the deep-seated hatred of the Ling family!
“Old sir, I can help, but we need to be clear about a few things upfront!”
“Divine Doctor Ling Tian, please speak freely. As long as our Zhuo family can manage it, we will do anything, even face death!”
“That’s not necessary. First, I cured your family members, and this matter of helping you find the root cause must be kept secret. I don’t want anyone to know about this, as your Zhuo family might have provoked formidable adversaries. If they discover that I thwarted their plan, they might seek revenge on me!”
Upon hearing Ling Tian’s words, Zhuo Wujin nodded solemnly.
“Rest assured, I can’t guarantee anything else, but when it comes to keeping secrets, we Zhuo family members are absolutely capable of doing so!”
“Secondly, I will only help you identify the problem, but I will not take action! As for how to resolve the issue, I can only offer a suggestion, and the rest is up to you!”
“Naturally. Our Zhuo family’s revenge will be exacted by our own hands!” Old Master Zhuo Wujin replied very decisively.
“Good. In that case, let’s withdraw for now. Tomorrow, I will meet with your people here again!”
Zhuo Wujin personally arranged for someone to escort Ling Tian back to his residence. Ling Tian did not rest upon his return; he opened a tablet computer and brought up the satellite map of the villa in Beishan.
Then, he fetched paper, a pen, and a ruler, and began to deduce based on the relevant locations marked on the map.
After half an hour, Ling Tian finally stopped. He had found a suspicious point!
The next morning, a Zhuo family car arrived at Ling Tian’s hotel. Ling Tian followed the car, traveling for more than two hours before arriving at the villa in Beishan.
At this time, more than 30 people had gathered inside and outside the villa.
These individuals were all burly and broad-shouldered. Ling Tian could tell that many of them were former soldiers, and quite a few were martial artists.
This was not surprising. The Zhuo family was in the mining business; without some martial prowess, they would likely not even be able to protect themselves in this line of work. It was not unusual for the Zhuo family to possess such strength.
The old master was not present today. After all, he was old and had suffered from illness for many years. Having finally found relief, his two sons had to put in considerable effort to persuade the old man to wait for news at his temporary residence.
When Zhuo Gang saw Ling Tian arrive, he introduced two men in their thirties to Ling Tian.
One of them, a burly man with a military bearing, was named Zhuo Wu. He was an orphan raised by the Zhuo family from a young age and was responsible for training and managing the Zhuo family’s martial forces.
The other man, in his early thirties, was named Zhuo Ying. He was also adopted by the Zhuo family from a young age, and both were fiercely loyal to the family.
Zhuo Ying possessed exceptional talent in martial arts. The Zhuo family had rigorously cultivated him from a young age, making him arguably the Zhuo family’s top enforcer.
Upon seeing Ling Tian, both men remained silent, but Ling Tian’s age inevitably led them to harbor a degree of disdain.
Ling Tian paid no mind to this and took out a piece of paper, which contained his calculations from the previous night.
“Brother Zhuo Gang, is it very windy and very cold in the woods behind your house?” Ling Tian asked.
“Yes, you are absolutely right. That forest is eerie; even wearing long sleeves inside during summer, one would feel cold.”
Ling Tian nodded and brought over the drawing he had made.
“In that case, my deduction holds true. You see, the feng shui arrangement of the villa’s location is a ‘Nine Yin Gathering煞’ (Nine Yin Gathering Malice). Yin energy from all directions, along with some spiritual energy from heaven and earth, gathers here at the villa! It is precisely because of this that the people residing in this villa are eroded by the cold Yin energy. It’s no wonder they fell ill!”
“So that’s how it is. This is too bizarre…”
“Oh my goodness, no wonder. It does seem to be the case; those who live in the house permanently seem to have not escaped…”
The crowd buzzed with discussion after hearing Ling Tian’s words. Many quick-witted individuals had already connected many dots.
“The Yin energy gathered in the villa, after being partially absorbed by the villa itself, is released directly from the back and guided far away through this forest! Look at the positions of the buildings in your courtyard; they are designed to gather Yin energy… Then, we follow this forest to trace the direction of the Yin energy, and ultimately, I can confirm that the vast amount of Yin energy from this residence ultimately terminates here!”
Ling Tian pointed to a spot on his hand-drawn map, then picked up his phone.
“Look, the location here is where the Earth God Temple is!”
“Are you saying that the person living in this Earth God Temple is the culprit? But you must know that there is no one living in the Earth God Temple, and the incense offerings there are lit by the surrounding villagers spontaneously,” Zhuo Tie questioned from the side.
“Heh, I didn’t say there was anyone in the Earth God Temple, but this Earth God Temple is definitely connected to the calamity your family has encountered!” Ling Tian stated with great certainty.
Elder Brother Zhuo also chimed in.
“Second brother, what are you dawdling about? Who cares if that broken temple has people or not? Since Master Ling Tian has already shown us the way, we just need to go. If someone is indeed causing trouble there, then we’ll deal with them! If there’s no one there, then we’ll just tear down this demonic temple!”
“Yes, elder brother is right. Let’s go!”