Chapter 560 - 560 Coincidence or Fate
Ye Qing still remembered the situation as described by Lin Dade's uncle at the time, Chen Xueru's daughter had two marks on her body. There was a small wound on her left shoulder and a mole behind her neck, and now, all of these matched up. Could this Zhou Guiting be Chen Xueru's daughter?
Ye Qing was stunned for a while before suddenly turning his head to look at Lin Dade, saying, "Brother Lin, this Zhou Guiting, what's her maiden family's background?"
Lin Dade said, "They are also from Xishan City. I heard that her parents didn't like her much, and she was raised solely by her grandmother from a young age. Later when she married Zhang Jun, it was because her parents wanted to exchange her for a bride-price to get their son a wife, so her own family didn't care for her at all. Look, even now, at such a time, her family hasn't come to see her once. She actually wanted to go back and stay with her maiden family, but they kicked her out, leaving her no choice but to come here to rent a room. Ah, what kind of parents in this world could be so heartless!"
These words made Ye Qing even more emotional. If it really was one's own child, there's no reason not to be concerned. Could it be that Zhou Guiting isn't actually the biological child of her parents?
"Do you know where her family actually lives?" asked Ye Qing.
"Just over by the machine factory, her father's name is Zhou Binglin…" Lin Dade gave Ye Qing an address and then looked at him, puzzled, "Young Brother Ye, what do you plan to do? If you're thinking of finding them, I'd advise you not to bother. To be honest, those people from her maiden family are utterly inhumane; even if you find them, they definitely won't come to visit her in the hospital!"
Ye Qing, of course, had no intention of making them visit Zhou Guiting in the hospital anymore; he just wanted to confirm if his suspicions were true. If they were true, it would truly be a case of finding something sought without even trying!
Obviously, Ye Qing also hoped it was true. The fate of this mother and daughter was too tragic. If they could find their biological father to cherish them, it would be a good thing for them, as well as for Liu Changping!
On the other side, Old Wang Ba didn't rush to the hospital directly but walked out of the poor district where Lin Dade lived with a grave expression. Passing through the crowded streets, he eventually slipped into a secluded, dark alley and pulled out his phone to dial a number.
After several rings, a deep male voice came from the other end of the line, "What's up?"
"Where are you?" Old Wang Ba asked in a deep voice.
The man replied, "Lingbei."
Old Wang Ba was surprised and asked, "What are you doing in Lingbei?"
The man said, "Someone reported that the Bloody Monk was spotted here, so I came over to check."
"Humph, aren't you afraid it's just a hoax?" Old Wang Ba snorted coldly, "The Bloody Monk hasn't shown up for over a decade, why would he suddenly appear? Don't forget, he's on the run, not vacationing!"
If anyone else had heard this, they would undoubtedly be shocked. Even the Ghost-faced Judge Cui Yu, the Ghost King Li Ruoyuan, and the Demon Queen He Qinghua didn't know why the Bloody Monk had been missing for so many years, yet Old Wang Ba knew. Moreover, the Bloody Monk was fleeing for his life—who could possess such strength to force this Peak Master, esteemed as celestial by masters like Cui Yu, Li Ruoyuan, and He Qinghua, to be on the run for over a decade?
The man's voice remained calm, "If he dared to show himself, it means he's fully prepared."
"Fine, I won't waste words with you!" said Old Wang Ba with a stern voice. "Do you have any men in Xishan City who could come and help me?"
"What happened to you?" The man's voice finally showed some surprise, and after a moment, his tone changed as he said solemnly, "What on earth have you done?"
Old Wang Ba replied, "If I'm asking for your help, what do you think I've done?"
"You're insane!" The man's voice suddenly rose, and he exclaimed loudly, "You should know that changing someone's fate comes with a price. Have you forgotten how the Iron Calculation Sect fell?"
"Of course, I know, but I have to do this!" Old Wang Ba said impatiently, "Will you help me or not? The Iron Calculation Sect was once kind to you; you wouldn't just stand by and watch me die, would you?"
"You haven't gotten into trouble yet, and it's still early enough to let go!" The man said sternly, "Old Wang Ba, I don't have many people in Xishan City, but escorting you out of there shouldn't be a problem. Stop this madness and leave immediately!"
"I can't," Old Wang Ba insisted firmly, "I have to do this!"
After a pause, the man said, "Just who is this person that makes you, the most cunning fox of all, willing to risk your life?"
"The last disciple of Third Master Li!" Old Wang Ba replied.
There was an even longer silence before the man asked, "What about Third Master Li?"
"He's no longer around," Old Wang Ba said. "This is his handpicked successor; Third Master Li bet all his stakes on him, I can't let Third Master Li down!"
Upon hearing of Third Master Li's passing, the man sighed, "Is he really worth your investment?"
Old Wang Ba said, "There is an ancient saying, 'First is fate, second is luck, third is Feng Shui. Fate is given by heaven, luck follows power, and Feng Shui is man-made. He was born with the Life Grid of a coiling dragon, carrying the Crouching Tiger Feng Shui. With the dragon coils and the tiger sits, he is the Supreme Emperor. As long as I borrow great luck for him, this world shall surely be his!"
The man said sternly, "Luck follows power, and where power trends, so does destiny. If you insist on changing the trend to borrow luck for him, you will surely encounter backlash from the great trend. The greater the borrowed luck, the greater the price you must pay. If you intend to borrow the greatest fortune of the world for him, I reckon even your life will be at stake. Is it worth it?"
Old Wang Ba said, "When Iron Calculation Sect was exterminated, my life should have been lost. Clinging on for more than twenty years, all just to repay Third Master's life-saving grace. I am willing to give up my life; having lived an extra twenty-some years, I've already profited, so what's there to talk about worthiness?"
The man remained silent for a while, then sighed slowly and said, "Since you've decided, I won't try to persuade you any longer. Tell me, where to go, what to do? I don't have many people in Xishan City, I can only try my best to help you. Take care of yourself!"
"Since I've decided to do this, I am prepared to pay the price. Seeking your help is just to minimize the loss!" Old Wang Ba laughed, "Don't worry, I won't die so easily. If I don't borrow this defiance-of-heaven luck for him, I won't rest in peace even in death!"
The man said, "If you die, Iron Calculation Sect will truly be gone, you need to think it through!"
Old Wang Ba said, "Heh, I've got it all planned. Before I die, I will definitely find a disciple to pass on Iron Calculation Sect!"
The man sighed softly, Old Wang Ba's tone seemed relaxed, but in reality, he was arranging his own affairs. The man didn't know what to say, so could only speak softly, "Take care!"
"No problem!" Old Wang Ba hung up the phone and sighed. Although he sounded relaxed while talking to the man, his mood was in fact quite heavy.
Ye Qing's coming to Xishan City was all arranged by him. So-called coincidences were actually all pre-arranged by him, he had a clear understanding of all events, he just couldn't outright say it. Such a destiny must be achieved by Ye Qing himself to truly belong to him. Moreover, the secrets of heaven must not be revealed, this is the decree. If he directly told the outcome, it often turned out the opposite, and the luck would instead become bad luck.
Of course, since he could not say it outright, there was a price to pay. Moreover, he already knew where he would pay the price, but he had no choice but to face that outcome!
"Ye Zi, don't you dare let your Old Eight down!" Old Wang Ba sighed, walked out of the alley, and strode towards the hospital.
Ye Qing left the hospital and headed straight for the machinery factory. Just as he arrived at the factory, he received a call from an unknown number.
Ye Qing answered the phone, and a chilling voice came through, "Who are you?"
Ye Qing briefly hesitated, then quickly realized that the person on the other end must be Lu Jiangong.
"Have you seen the present I sent you?" Ye Qing countered.
"What the hell do you want?" Lu Jiangong said in a deep voice, "Do you want money, or something else?"
Ye Qing said with a faint smile, "I don't want any of that, I just want to ask you one question!"
"A question? What question?" Lu Jiangong said, surprised.
Ye Qing said, "More than twenty years ago, a catastrophic flood occurred in Erhe Village, most of the people were washed away to sea, you know about this, don't you?"
Lu Jiangong fell silent for a while, and then said, "Who exactly are you?"
Ye Qing said, "Who I am is not important, what is important is what I hold in my hands, which could see you dead several times over. So, you had better answer my question properly!"
"Do you really think you can kill me with just a few torn photos?" Lu Jiangong raised his voice and laughed coldly, "Judging by your voice, you must be a young man. Hmph, young man, you know too little about this society. I, Lu Jiangong, have stood tall in Xishan City for so many years, do you think I don't have enemies? How many have tried everything to bring me down, how many have come at me with so-called evidence trying to knock me off my perch, yet no one has succeeded. You're not the first to threaten me like this, it's a pity those who threatened me before have all met gruesome ends. Do you wish to be buried alongside them?"
Ye Qing furrowed his brows, it seems the assessments of these people were quite accurate. This Lu Jiangong wasn't just a deputy director of a city bureau, he was practically a thug, even darker than the underworld. He, having evidence of his crimes, dared to be so arrogant, even saying such things, revealed his usual style and habits!
"Director Lu, if you feel we have nothing to talk about, then I might as well send the rest of the material to the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission. The rest is up to you to handle, I won't keep you company any longer, what do you think?" Ye Qing replied coldly.
Lu Jiangong was silent for a while, then said in a deep voice, "How much money do you want, just say it!"
"I told you, I don't want money, I just want you to answer my question!" Ye Qing said firmly, "You know about the incident at Erhe Village, don't you?"
"Who exactly are you?" Lu Jiangong was even more suspicious.