Chapter 173 - 172: Pursuing Karma

Chapter 173: Chapter 172: Pursuing Karma

Before long, the bodyguards returned, escorting a European woman and Po Ben Kang.

The two of them didn’t look like they had suffered much. Aside from their messy hair, their faces even wore defiant expressions.

Gu Qingyin blinked, finding it quite the eye-opener. ’Just how brazen can they be?’

She waved her hand, signaling the bodyguards to let them go.

Jenny’s expression was arrogant. She calmly straightened her clothes and hair, then scoffed contemptuously at Qin Peilan. "You can’t change anything."

Qin Peilan ignored her. She had seen plenty of people like this; the more you engaged them, the more insufferable they became.

Sure enough, seeing that she was being ignored, Jenny’s face twisted further. She had successfully managed to piss herself off.

Brandt Kang was also perfectly composed, as if the woman before him wasn’t his mistress and the boy wasn’t his illegitimate son.

Gu Qingyin sighed at how messy the lives of the rich were while sizing up the mother and son, trying to find a connection between them and the person behind the scenes.

But after only a few glances, she couldn’t help but cover her eyes. ’This woman’s karmic threads are a complete mess.’ Pinching the bridge of her nose, Gu Qingyin sighed and forced herself to keep looking.

For a full five minutes, no one spoke. Everyone was secretly sparring with their gazes.

Take Po Ben Kang and Kangkang, for example. The former was provocative, while the latter’s eyes glinted coldly as he contemplated how to kill him.

Abroad, with their family’s power, getting someone killed was all too easy.

Suddenly, Gu Qingyin stood up, walked over to Po Ben Kang, and made a scooping motion near his shoulder before rubbing her fingers together quizzically.

To those without the Yin Yang Eye, her actions seemed completely bizarre—like a brief and tedious pantomime that left onlookers utterly confused.

"Auntie, did she find something?" Kangkang whispered to Huo Xingchen beside him.

Huo Xingchen narrowed his eyes. He could only see a little, and the feeling was ethereal.

"She probably found the person who cast the spell on you."

Gu Qingyin was still thinking. This small wisp of karma felt very familiar, as if she had encountered it somewhere before. She was surprised as she tried to recall it.

’To run into an acquaintance even while abroad.’

She mentally sifted through possibilities, sorting by timeline and familiarity, and finally, after a minute, she found an aura similar to this wisp of karma.

Xian Yu Fei. Her former martial uncle, who had betrayed their sect to become an Evil Cultivator.

He’d actually gotten involved in matters abroad, too. ’Was it a monetary transaction? Or was there a deeper purpose?’

Gu Qingyin’s expression turned serious. She turned to Qin Peilan. "Excuse me, I need a completely quiet space."

Qin Peilan stood up at once. "Please, follow me."

Before leaving, Gu Qingyin looked at her son. "Go play with your friend for a while. I have some business to attend to."

Huo Xingchen nodded, then, following a premonition, he asked, "Can you take me to your study?"

Kangkang, of course, didn’t refuse. When they got to the study and he saw Huo Xingchen take out a vermillion brush and yellow paper, his eyes lit up with utter amazement.

Meanwhile, Gu Qingyin was led to an empty room.

"This was originally a guest room, but it hasn’t been used in a long time. The old furniture has all been cleared out, and no one usually comes here." Qin Peilan paused. "Does it meet your requirements?"

Gu Qingyin nodded. "Thank you. Please don’t let anyone disturb me until I come out."

Qin Peilan smiled elegantly. "Of course. I guarantee no one will enter."

After she left, she immediately ordered the bodyguards to seal off the area. Compared to Brandt Kang, she was clearly more invested in resolving the life-swapping issue and setting things right.

’After all, she, Qin Peilan, was the legitimate wife. The heir to the Kang Family could only be her son. If an illegitimate child were to inherit everything, what would become of her dignity, and the dignity of her family?’

Inside the room, Gu Qingyin used the Soul Mirror to suspend the wisp of karma in mid-air. Then, she took out peach wood nails and began to set up an Array to trace the karma back to its origin.

About ten minutes later, the Array was complete.

Gu Qingyin put away the Soul Mirror and activated the Array. The Array lit up with a soft white light, and with a SWOOSH, it sucked in the wisp of karma, which then churned into billows of white mist.

The white mist churned ceaselessly, spinning faster and faster.

Gu Qingyin stared intently.

After an unknown amount of time, the white mist within the Array suddenly dispersed, revealing a hazy scene: a very typical European street.

There were few pedestrians on the road. The scene of the street then rewound rapidly, finally freezing on an Asian man.

The man had delicate features, skin as white as snow, and a ponytail tied at the back of his head. Even with the faint crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes, he possessed an androgynous beauty.

Almost simultaneously, the man sensed Gu Qingyin’s scrying and looked directly toward her.

Through the Array, across an unknown distance, the two of them met each other’s gaze in a bizarre confrontation.

The man let out a soft chuckle. "Soon, we will meet in person. When that time comes, this martial uncle will have a gift prepared for you."

Gu Qingyin’s pupils contracted. The voice was hoarse and deep, a stark contrast to his appearance, yet it was identical to the one she had heard before.

This person was, indeed, Xian Yu Fei!

As his words faded, the mist in the Array reappeared, blurring Xian Yu Fei’s figure.

The wisp of karma had been completely consumed.

"He really is in Europe." Gu Qingyin’s brows furrowed as she dismantled the Array.

Huo Yunjing suddenly appeared. "That street that just appeared... it looks a little familiar."

Gu Qingyin paused. "You know where it is?"

Huo Yunjing mused, "I used to travel abroad often back in the day. I went to many places... Let me think..."

Gu Qingyin didn’t dare to disturb him, watching him with anticipation.

After a good while, Huo Yunjing’s brow relaxed. "Germany. Berlin."

Gu Qingyin turned to leave but was stopped by Huo Yunjing.

"It’s too dangerous for you to go alone," Huo Yunjing said. "It’s best to find some backup."

Gu Qingyin frowned. "By the time backup from home gets here, he’ll be long gone. Don’t worry, I know my limits."

According to her master, Xian Yu Fei’s greatest strength was the Summoning Spirit Skill. But the primary condition for that skill to succeed is that the target’s soul power must be lower than the caster’s.

If there was one thing Gu Qingyin was confident about, it was her soul power. She wasn’t afraid in the slightest.

As for his other abilities, Xian Yu Fei was much more mediocre; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so jealous of Gu Ziqian.

Huo Yunjing still disagreed. So many years had passed; no one knew how much Xian Yu Fei’s power had grown. Rushing over rashly was not a wise move.

Gu Qingyin changed the subject. "Go call them over. It’s time to resolve this life-swapping business for good."

In truth, with both parties present, the life-swapping could have been resolved already. The only reason she had dragged it out was to find the caster behind the scenes.

Huo Yunjing was not pleased. He went out with a sullen look on his face.

A moment later, Kangkang, looking as calm as ever, and Po Ben Kang, his face filled with terror, came over.

Gu Qingyin walked up to Po Ben Kang, reached out, and yanked open his tightly fastened collar, using a peach wood nail to hook a red string.

Po Ben Kang wanted to resist, but one look from Huo Yunjing froze him to the spot, too scared to move.

At the end of the red string was a small vial. Gu Qingyin gave it a casual tug, and the string snapped.

She opened the vial and took out a slip of paper. On it were two lines of birth characters written in blood, surrounded by what were clearly sinister-looking patterns.

Gu Qingyin gave it a cursory glance, then with a slight flick, the paper slip burst into flames.

As the paper burned, Kangkang clearly felt a weight lift from his body, as if an invisible shackle had been unlocked.

He knew the life-swapping problem was solved.

Kangkang thanked her gratefully.

Gu Qingyin smiled. "You don’t need to worry about the Heavenly Master behind this. I will take care of it."

Kangkang thanked her again and then tactfully expressed that his mother wanted to thank her personally.

Gu Qingyin’s heart stirred, and she readily agreed.

’Only a fool would turn down wealth that comes knocking at the door.’