Chapter 111: If It’s Like This, It’s Terrifying! Believe In Science!
Ma Qi received the telephone call and naturally rushed to the hospital at once. As soon as he entered the ward, he heard his wife and child crying out in pain.
It was heartbreaking to hear.
He asked the chief physician in charge, “Director Fu, what on earth is going on?”
Director Fu shook his head and said, “This is also the first time I’ve seen something like this: cut it off the first night, and it grows back the next day.”
“So how should we treat it now?” Ma Qi asked anxiously.
Director Fu thought for a moment and said, “We’ll operate and cut it again. If that doesn’t work, we’ll send them to the city for treatment. Our county has limited medical equipment.”
“There’s no other way, then.” Ma Qi nodded helplessly.
Because he had to go to the Chen Clan today, after his wife and son were sent into the operating room again, he had no choice but to leave, meet up with colleagues from the two offices, and head to the Chen Clan together.
…
The Chen Clan.
Under the pavilion of the Three Old Elm Trees.
Chen Lin, Chen Dagou, Chen Shuisheng, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Mi all opened their eyes in disbelief.
That substance wrapping their bodies seemed to have stopped, the sense that every cell in their bodies was breathing and being nourished had disappeared.
But now they felt their physical condition had become incredibly good.
Was this the miraculous effect of the Feng Shui Formation Eye?
No wonder.
One by one, they looked again at Chen Han and saw that his eyes were still closed. He seemed to have truly entered samadhi as people online said. According to that Chen Daoist Priest, only mages who had achieved success in cultivating the Dao could do morning class samadhi practice.
Chen Lin and the others might now understand why he could study so many things from the Chen Clan’s books and even discover the underground Feng Shui array of the Chen Clan. It was because he truly had talent for cultivating the Dao.
At such a young age he was already at the mage level described by that Chen Daoist Priest as someone who had achieved success in cultivation.
They understood what morning class was. When they were young, they had learned it from the elders, but had abandoned it early on. Just now they had tried it too, and in that comfortable state, when they sat cross-legged they only felt sore legs and could not enter the samadhi that Chen Daoist Priest spoke of at all.
Perhaps this was the gap in talent.
“Don’t disturb Xiao Han.” Chen Lin quietly instructed the others. He now understood why Xiao Han had asked him to fence this place off again.
Protecting the Feng Shui Formation Eye was a must so that no one would intrude and affect the Chen Clan’s Feng Shui array.
At this time, quite a few tourists had arrived around them, pointing their mobile phones toward the pavilion to film. It was probably because the video had been posted online yesterday. Even though netizens knew it was morning class, tourists still came to check in.
“Greetings, everyone!” Chen Lin led the others out of the pavilion and did not forget to greet the tourists.
Afterward, he also instructed Xiao Yu and Chen Dagou, “Go handle your own tasks first.”
When Chen Han finished refining the spiritual energy he had absorbed and opened his eyes, only Xiao Mi remained outside the pavilion, clearly waiting for him to get up.
Their gazes met, and it seemed they understood each other. After Chen Han left the pavilion, they wordlessly walked away together and soon entered Chen Han’s courtyard.
Once inside, Xiao Mi pulled him up to the attic room and very proudly pushed out her chest. “Try it. They really got much bigger. What you gave me works amazingly.”
Chen Han was not someone who knew how to refuse. If Xiao Mi asked him to try, he would definitely try.
Who could refuse that pale, full…
“Mm, they really did get much bigger… and whiter too!”
…
Driving the bureau’s ancient runabout, Ma Qi and his two colleagues arrived at the Chen Clan. When they got out of the car, they saw that the Chen Clan’s market already had many tourists wandering around.
As they entered the Chen Clan, they happened to see that ox walking inward to greet guests. They hurriedly took out their mobile phones to film the scene as material to use later in the PowerPoint report.
This ox was now an internet celebrity. Tourists all knew it would come out to receive guests. Many Chen Clan visitors said in the Chen Family Head’s videos that they looked forward to being greeted by this ox, and some people said that being guided by an ox in a Daoist sect was a lucky thing in itself.
“This ox is so smart, it even looks back to see if the tourists are following,” one colleague said in amazement.
Ma Qi nodded, but compared to what Director Chen had said about the Feng Shui, this did not seem that shocking.
He and his colleagues walked around once and could not help feeling emotional that the Chen Clan’s buildings were truly excellent and very attractive. At a glance, they had an antique charm that made a strong impact, no wonder there were so many positive reviews from tourists.
After that, he led his colleagues to the Chen Clan tourist service center to check out the Feng Shui rooms.
Since Director Chen had reminded him, he could not ignore it, and they also had to be careful in future promotion.
Huang Yanfang was now the person in charge of guest rooms at the service center. Facing people from the county culture and tourism bureau, she led Ma Qi and his group to several Feng Shui rooms to take photos. Because Xiao Yu had told her that the county culture and tourism bureau would cooperate with the Chen Clan to run a national style event for a while, they also had to cooperate with the bureau.
After seeing several Feng Shui rooms, Ma Qi was truly shocked.
If Director Chen had not reminded him, he might have kept wondering where the air conditioning system of the Feng Shui rooms was installed. Once he had the hint, he realized it was not that he could not find it; there simply was no air conditioning system.
The Chen Clan really had something.
Thinking this, he took out the number Director Chen had given him and dialed the Chen Family Head’s telephone, not forgetting that his task this time was to cooperate well with the Chen Clan and help make this national style event a success.
…
Chen Han’s courtyard.
Xiao Mi walked out of the attic with a broad smile, tidied her somewhat disheveled chest area, and did some simple covering.
Because her vest had become tight, she did not wear it. When she came out, she was wrapped only in a Hanfu apron, but…
She could not help looking back up at the second floor.
No wonder they say men are lechers till death. With so little time, and still so…
Thinking of this, sadness surfaced uncontrollably on her face, and she even began silently praying in her heart in the direction of the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation Hall.
As long as he could get better, she was willing to accept anything.
At that moment, her telephone rang. It was Xiao Yu calling. When she answered, a complaint came through. “Xiao Mi Jie, we agreed to film videos together. I’ve been looking for you forever, and you didn’t pick up your phone.”
“I’m coming. I was just talking with Min Min and the others about the national style event, wanting to invite them to help out,” Xiao Mi hurriedly lied into the phone, then quickly left the courtyard.
On the second floor, Chen Han came out of the bathroom, dressed, feeling somewhat helpless.
In broad daylight…
Honestly.
He picked up the sexy apron from the ground.
This was a bit troublesome.
After pulling this thing off, where was he supposed to put it?
In the end, he could only store it in the game warehouse. The key point was that he could see the remark information:
【This is an intimate belonging left behind by the Hundred Flowers Palace Fairy. It seems to still carry a faint flower fragrance from the fairy’s body!】
Damn, even this was possible.
Just as he was thinking this, his mobile phone ringtone sounded.
It was an unfamiliar number. He answered, and the other side introduced himself. “Chen Family Head, I am Ma Qi from the county culture and tourism bureau, specially responsible for cooperating with the Chen Clan national style event this time.”
Hearing it was someone from the county culture and tourism bureau, Chen Han left the courtyard to find him. When they met, they exchanged polite greetings.
His first impression of Section Chief Ma was very good. The man was quite humble.
“Chen Family Head, I wonder if there is anything your Chen Clan needs our help with?” Ma Qi did not forget the serious matter. After chatting for a while, he went straight to the point.
Chen Han smiled and said, “We really do need help from the county. There should be many tourists coming for the national style event, and many may stay in the county. Please help open a bus route to make it easier for tourists staying in the county to travel back and forth. Also, put the words ‘Chen Clan Spirit Ferry’ on the buses, and I will shoot a video with that as material.”
“That’s no problem,” Ma Qi said with a smile. “Spirit ferry fits the abstract style that you, Chen Family Head, have always had.”
But abstraction was not what was terrifying. What was terrifying was that he had something real behind all that abstraction.
Chen Han then thought of the consecration and said, “Section Chief Ma, our Chen Clan has created a flower sea for flower offerings, arranged according to the Eight Trigrams, with a statue of the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation at the center. But the new statue needs to be consecrated. The Chen Clan is preparing to hold a ritual event, which can also be seen as an opening ceremony for the flower sea. When the time comes, please help promote it and make it lively.”
“The Chen Clan even made a flower sea? Chen Family Head, can we take a look?” Ma Qi’s eyes lit up immediately. The Chen Clan ancient architecture was good, but as a scenic spot it was too monotonous, with few projects.
Director Chen had also mentioned this issue in meetings before. He had not expected the Chen Clan to have already thought of it and quietly created a flower sea for offerings.
“Of course, no problem. Section Chief Ma, come with me,” Chen Han said with a smile, leading him to the flower sea for offerings on the east side.
The flower sea was basically almost fully planted.
Besides personally taking three men that day to the Three Old Elm Trees to build a new fence wall, Chen Lin had more than ten men from the work hall planting the flower sea. They also paid masters from a flower planting base to help, so the progress was very fast.
The two-thousand-square-meter flower sea of mature plants filled the eye. Although the flowers had not yet bloomed, it was already lush and verdant. And because it followed an Eight Trigrams pattern in the center, the overall visual area was far more than two thousand square meters, with paths crisscrossing the middle.
For this, the Chen Clan had spent extra on the watering system.
The main reason was that the flower planting solution Chen Han had modified was limited and only so much could be used for irrigation, so he had given his uncle a death order.
Ma Qi squatted down to examine the flower plants. Seeing they were peonies, lilies, and so on, he felt it was a pity.
Though these were mature plants, it was clear they would not bloom so quickly.
Among them, several varieties of lily would not bloom until August, at least a month away, and peonies would take even longer to bloom.
Otherwise, having a bright flower sea before the national style event would be absolutely stunning.
He could only silently sigh at the pity once more.
In the middle of the flower sea there was a large gazebo with a large base inside.
That was actually the shrine.
After the statue of the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation was consecrated, it would be placed on that divine seat.
“Family Head.” When a middle-aged man of the Chen Clan saw Chen Han arrive, he immediately brought people over to greet him respectfully.
Chen Han greeted them in return and then led Ma Qi to the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation Hall. Inside, their aunt-grandmother was already leading people in preparing various items, like the sedan chair, dragon head, turtle snake hat…
These items had existed in the Chen Clan before but were old. Now the women of the family had been called by Chen Lin to make new ones.
“Chen Family Head, are these all needed for the ritual?” Ma Qi asked as he filmed material with his phone.
“Yes.” Chen Han nodded and explained the consecration ceremony to Ma Qi.
From time to time, Ma Qi glanced at the altar cloth in the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation Hall, thinking of his son’s wrongdoing.
Through this initial contact with the Chen Family Head, he had gained an initial understanding.
This person was very easygoing. Working with him to run the national style event should be pleasant. It was just that afterward he would indeed have to bring his wife and son to apologize.
As for wronging his wife and child? No such thing. When you make a mistake, you accept the punishment.
By late morning, Ma Qi and his colleagues had returned to the culture and tourism bureau and reported the Chen Clan situation to Chen Kai.
“It’s really a pity the flower sea can’t bloom in such a short time,” Chen Kai sighed. Then, very interested in the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation consecration ceremony, he asked, “Section Chief Ma, isn’t this consecration ceremony somewhat like many of those parading the gods events online? Do you think we could discuss with the Chen Clan about turning it into an annual event?”
Those very popular parading the gods events online were actually a kind of alternative tourism culture, all with support from the local official organizations.
Although the higher-ups opposed feudal superstition propaganda, they supported the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage. Such parading the gods belonged to traditional rituals and could promote integration of culture and tourism and economic development.
From Ma Qi’s account, the Chen Clan’s ceremony would be no worse than parading the gods.
Ma Qi thought for a moment and replied, “That depends on the response to this Chen Clan event.”
“Mm.” Chen Kai understood this.
Just then, Ma Qi’s telephone rang again. Seeing it was from the hospital, he answered immediately, then exclaimed after a moment, “What? It’s growing again? But it was just cut off last night!”
On the other end, the chief physician’s incredulous voice came through. “It is a bit unscientific, but it really has grown back.”
The word “unscientific” suddenly sent a jolt through Ma Qi’s mind. His scalp tingled as he thought of the Chen Clan’s Feng Shui, then of his wife and child making a scene in the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation Hall. Did that mean they had offended…
He did not dare continue the thought. It was too outrageous.
But if not that, how could hemorrhoids be cut twice in a row and regrow so fast, each time faster than the last?
Even wounds did not heal that quickly.
More importantly, if it was that, it was terrifying.
His heart was racing.
He had to take his wife and child to apologize first.
Without hesitation, Ma Qi left Chen Kai at once and rushed to the hospital.
In the ward, his wife and child’s faces were even paler.
“Husband, it hurts so much. Why is this happening?” Chu Fei was on the verge of collapse. She simply did not understand how she had gotten such strange hemorrhoids out of nowhere.
Looking at his wife, seeing no outsiders in the ward, Ma Qi asked seriously, “Honey, tell me again, word for word, what happened between you and our son in the Chen Clan Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation Hall, including what the Chen Family Head said.”
Chu Fei complained, “Husband, is this the time to be asking that…”
“Say it.” Ma Qi frowned and cut her off.
Seeing this, Chu Fei could only describe the situation again. “…When I left, the Chen Family Head also said, ‘You’re fooling around in the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation Hall, aren’t you afraid calamity will fall on you?’… When we left, he also said, ‘Blessing and disaster have no gate, they only…’”
As she spoke, panic appeared on her face, even fear.
Through a day and a night of torment, she had used her phone to investigate many treatments for hemorrhoids and found none that were like this.
As she talked, she began to suspect that it might be because she and her son had fooled around in the Chen Clan Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation Hall…
When Ma Qi saw his wife had realized it herself, even if he could hardly believe it, he felt it was possible. He immediately said seriously, “Come with me to the Chen Clan now, to find the Chen Family Head. Remember, your attitude must be sincere.”
“Mm, mm…” At this point, Chu Fei did not dare argue. She could only endure the pain and get up. Even though every step felt like glass shards scraping, she clenched her teeth and persisted.
If it really was that, if this could make her get this strange illness, it could also mean some other fatal accident.
She did not dare imagine it. Just thinking about it was terrifying.
Ma Qi picked up his son, but the movement made the boy cry out in pain again. He could not care about that now, and took his wife and son to the parking lot and drove straight to the Chen Clan.
…
The Chen Clan.
Chen Han, invited by his aunt-grandmother, had come to the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation Hall. Because the consecration ceremony required him, as the family head, to be the ritual host, he needed to first recite the Quiet Heart Art to keep his mind free of distractions, then during the consecration ceremony use the Consecrate Brush and consecration talismans, flicking the prepared enlightenment talismans toward the statue.
He had to scatter the drawn enlightenment talismans onto the statue. The true standard was for them to land on the statue’s heart area to signify consecrating the heart, then use cinnabar to dot the statue’s brow to guide the spirit.
Summoning the Heart and Guiding the Spirit would connect to the deity and complete the consecration.
But in modern times, no one could flick an enlightenment talisman to land on the heart area, so they could only walk up and press it on by hand.
Dressed in a Daoist robe, Chen Han listened to his aunt-grandmother’s instructions on points to note and practiced cooperating. He could not help thinking of the basic sword control technique he knew. He could not yet control a sword, but controlling a talisman sheet should be no problem, right?
At this moment, his phone rang. It was Section Chief Ma. He answered, “Section Chief Ma, is there anything that requires our Chen Clan’s cooperation?”
“Chen Family Head, I’ve actually come this time with a private matter that is hard to speak of. May I ask where you are now?” Ma Qi was really embarrassed and awkward, but there was no choice when his wife and child were half dead in the car.
“Section Chief Ma, I’m in the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation Hall,” Chen Han said, puzzled, sensing that Section Chief Ma had something to ask but not knowing what could be so hard to bring up.
Soon after, when he saw Ma Qi arrive with that pale-faced mother and son, he more or less understood.
He was very surprised. Section Chief Ma had struck him as very decent and humble, yet how could his family be so… hard to describe.
Now that they had brought the mother and son over, they had probably guessed the reason.
With an embarrassed face, Ma Qi said, “Chen Family Head, I am truly sorry. I only just learned that they misbehaved in this hall and brought punishment upon themselves. Now the mother and son have a strange illness that doctors cannot treat, so we have come to beg you and the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation for forgiveness.”
Chu Fei no longer had a trace of yesterday’s arrogance and was completely, utterly well-behaved. “Chen Family Head, I know I was wrong. I should not have misbehaved in front of the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation. Please forgive me.”
Hearing this, Chen Han thought to himself that it was indeed so. Looking at the two of them, he then said very seriously, “I don’t understand what you are talking about. You must believe in science.”
“Ah…” Chu Fei.
“???” Ma Qi.
The couple were stunned on the spot.
Clearly they all knew the reason, yet he refused to admit it?
