Chapter 0293: Pure Coincidence Xie Chengze, The Truly Damnable Brothers Combo

Xie Chengze had fled with his people.

They went to the next prefecture to repeat the same tricks.

In the new Xian Ju, Zhu Xiaobiao’s beautiful concubines secretly bought turmeric powder from the pharmacy, mixed it with oil and water to soak, continuously filtering out an orange-yellow translucent liquid, which they then used to dye newly purchased orange-yellow precious garments.

Meanwhile, San Niang, along with Da Dangjia and Er Dangjia, used dried rice straw and cinnamon bark to make alkaline water, stored in pig intestines for Xie Chengze to puncture and splash on himself during “prayers,” creating blood-red stains.

His disciple-nephew said this was something called a “chemical reaction.”

He didn’t quite understand it, but it seemed impressive.

Xie Chengze gave the local banknotes exchanged from Hu Lai to Wuhen and Wuji, instructing them to toss the notes from the eaves when commoners achieved the “two hundred followers milestone,” creating the illusion of “money falling from the sky.”

Then he took out the long boots with carved lotus patterns on the soles, smeared with red mud, and handed them to Zhu Xiaobiao, saying, “Clean these and use them again.”

As for the dragon-like clouds and lightning, the gales and torrential rain that day…

Pure coincidence!

During the second “ritual,” Xie Chengze, drenched by rain again, stubbornly insisted, “Coincidence, must be coincidence! Just my good luck!”

The third time, when the surrounding platforms were struck by lightning and set ablaze, and he nearly got hit by a thunderbolt himself, Xie Chengze muttered, “…Hiss, could there really be some mysterious power in this world?”

It couldn’t be…

Was Heaven giving him this much face?

Did Xie Chengze really have that much prestige?

Would it shorten his lifespan?

Xie Chengze figured it shouldn’t be a big problem—after all, he’d saved so many people. His accumulated merit should be enough to compensate, right?

Trembling with fear yet proceeding with familiar ease in his “rituals,” Xie Chengze resembled an office worker who knows working overtime might lead to sudden death but still chooses to drink goji berry health soup to prolong their life.

In every prefecture he passed through, he dazzled local gentry and wealthy merchants, then leveraged their influence to coax all the commoners into leaving the city.

The titles of Virtuous Fish Immortal Master and Virtuous Fish Cult Leader thus resounded far and wide across the great river’s reaches.

…

Jingcheng.

Directorate of Celestial Observation.

After joining the Directorate, Zhang Yuheng received a warm welcome.

Being well-versed in astrology and astronomy with extensive knowledge of geography, and given the Directorate’s belief that “the physically impaired” were individuals deprived of physical wholeness by heaven but endowed with extraordinary abilities—making them more focused and studious than ordinary people—Zhang Yuheng was regarded by the Directorate officials as nothing less than a “sect’s holy son.”

A future successor to the Ti Ling position.

Guo Ti Ling also subtly showed intent to mentor him, assigning him numerous tasks that often kept him busy until midnight.

One night, after recording celestial phenomena and preparing to return for rest, Zhang Yuheng habitually glanced downstairs and noticed candlelight still glowing by the third-floor bookshelves.

That arithmetic prodigy was burning the midnight oil studying again.

Zhang Yuheng ambled over. Thinking about it, since joining the Directorate, aside from distributing local specialties to officials upon his arrival, he hadn’t spoken with this fellow.

Approaching Su Qinghe from behind, he noticed the man clearly heard his footsteps but ignored him. Unable to resist, Zhang Yuheng extended his index finger and poked Su Qinghe’s spine.

Su Qinghe jolted as if singed by a flame, his body trembling violently before he turned his head, widening his eyes to stare at Zhang Yuheng.

“Z-Zhang… Brother Zhang… what is it?”

Why was this person stammering?

Zhang Yuheng reached over his shoulder to pick up a brush, glanced at the papers on the desk, and finally selected one covered in seemingly random scribbles to write: “Aren’t you resting yet?”

Su Qinghe’s vision nearly went dark.

Ah—! His freshly completed teaching notes!!!

Su Qinghe felt like crying but had no tears. He mourned over the characters on the paper for a moment before whispering, “…Almost done.”

“Then I’ll wait for you.” Zhang Yuheng continued writing, “We’ll return together.”

Su Qinghe didn’t quite understand why they needed to go back together. The dormitory was on the same floor—they didn’t even need to go outside, just turn right after the corridor.

Seeing Su Qinghe’s resentful gaze fixed on him, Zhang Yuheng tilted his head and wrote on the paper: “What’s wrong?”

“……” Su Qinghe offered a bitter smile, shook his head, and picked up his brush to rewrite his teaching notes.

His obsessive-compulsive tendencies couldn’t tolerate “flaws.”

He also harbored a faint hope of waiting Zhang Yuheng out.

Zhang Yuheng sat beside him, propping his chin as he watched Su Qinghe rewrite the notes. After a while, he realized the content was identical to what had been on the previous paper.

Zhang Yuheng: …

Ah! He was truly terrible!

He’d accidentally created extra work for someone!

His father had explicitly warned him not to cause trouble for colleagues!

Half an hour later, seeing Zhang Yuheng still hadn’t left, Su Qinghe had no choice but to set down his brush after finishing the notes. He stood and said to Zhang Yuheng, “Brother Zhang, I’m done. We can go now.”

Zhang Yuheng stood up. They exchanged polite gestures, both remaining rooted to the spot until Su Qinghe finally understood. Lifting the candleholder, he took the lead toward the staircase.

He thought Zhang Yuheng was such a strange person.

They weren’t close, yet he insisted on walking back to the dormitory together.

He’d even sat there idly for half an hour, doing nothing but watching him rewrite teaching notes.

Behind him, Zhang Yuheng stared at the back of Su Qinghe’s head.

He’d caused him trouble—how should he make it up to Su Qinghe?

Give him books? Buy new clothes? Or cook him a dish?

He didn’t know if Su Qinghe had dietary restrictions. Would it be too abrupt to ask suddenly?

Su Qinghe kept his head lowered while descending the stairs, with Zhang Yuheng following behind. Zhang Yuheng’s tall and burly frame made the wooden steps creak and groan under his heavy footsteps, causing Su Qinghe’s mind to wander.

Was Brother Zhang walking behind him because he wanted to push him down the stairs and murder him?

Should he switch positions with Zhang Yuheng?

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Su Qinghe’s feet met level ground—the staircase had ended.

Watching Zhang Yuheng naturally fall into step beside him, Su Qinghe felt a wave of shame over his earlier paranoia.

He was truly terrible!

He’d actually misjudged Brother Zhang!

Wanting to make amends, Su Qinghe moved the candleholder closer to Zhang Yuheng, allowing more light to fall on him.

Zhang Yuheng thought his arm was tired and directly took the candleholder from him.

Su Qinghe parted his lips as if to speak, but seeing Zhang Yuheng’s calm and serene expression, he ultimately pressed them together.

Never mind, he’d make some pastries as compensation when he had time.

Walking side by side, they reached the koi pond when Zhang Yuheng suddenly stopped.

He pulled out a small notebook and a pen from his chest, flipped to a page, and wrote, “Brother Su, I’ve always been curious—where does the hidden door behind the fish pond lead?”

Su Qinghe stared blankly at the notebook.

He had a notebook! And he was writing in his teaching materials!

As if sensing Su Qinghe’s silent internal collapse, Zhang Yuheng sheepishly withdrew his hand and continued writing, “My apologies just now, I didn’t mean to.”

Su Qinghe was merely feeling a faint melancholy. After encountering the Second Prince and colleagues from the Directorate of Celestial Observation, he had learned to promptly regulate his emotions and correct his former sentimentality. He quickly regained his composure and replied to Zhang Yuheng, “I’m not entirely sure either. I only know it’s a place where one can glimpse the Heavenly Decree.”

Legend has it that the Heavenly Decree protects all living beings.

And the Directorate of Celestial Observation can glimpse the Heavenly Decree.