Chapter 2: The Strongest of the Tushan Clan

Tushan Jiu still found flying quite novel.

Her grandfather had always been stingy—whenever they went out, it was always in their beat-up old minivan.

He passed away earlier this year. Even though she was already nineteen, she hadn’t bothered to get a driver’s license.

Compared to driving, she found it much more convenient to use various modes of public transport to collect debts.

Once the plane leveled off, she did her best to relax her stiff body.

“Whew—what a thrill!”

She thought to herself, If I manage to master the art of teleportation, I bet it would feel just like taking off in a plane.

Doing her best to ignore the inquisitive gaze from Zhang Xuefeng sitting behind her, she looked out the window at the clouds below and let out a soft sigh.

She had known since she was a child that there was a debt she had to collect before she turned twenty-two.

The day her grandfather’s soul departed, he reminded her again and again—so much that her head throbbed from hearing it.

And sure enough, last night he came to urge her again in a dream.

It wasn’t like she’d forgotten. She just hadn’t felt like moving. Besides, wasn’t she still a few years away from turning twenty-two? What was the rush?

Tushan Jiu was the 283rd generation Blade Debtor, possessing metaphysical talents that far exceeded anyone else in the family.

In recent decades, Blade Debtors had grown fewer and fewer. In her generation, she was the only one left.

But she—wasn’t going to live long.

Why?

Well, that story went back a hundred years.

A century ago, the Tushan family was at the height of its power.

Even though they weren’t the strongest in combat or spells, their divination skills were unrivaled.

In the metaphysical world, no matter how powerful a practitioner you were, you’d eventually run into evil beings you couldn’t track or defeat.

But Blade Debtors could pinpoint their weaknesses through precise divination and take them down in one move.

Because of this, countless metaphysical practitioners came to them to “pawn blades” and request a prophecy.

As time passed, more and more people owed the Blade Debtors payment for fulfilled prophecies. No one dared provoke the Tushan family.

But as the saying goes, the tallest tree attracts the wind—there were always jealous people who refused to believe in their power.

Yet they couldn’t beat the Tushan family head-on, because the Tushan could always divine their weaknesses and defeat them.

So, these people came up with a sinister solution—a curse.

No one knew how they learned the Tushan family’s secret: every time a girl was born into the family, she would be the strongest of that generation. Her prophecies were 100% accurate. She was born with a Heaven’s Eye and could communicate with spirits.

Even the weakest techniques and combat skills of a Blade Debtor, she would instinctively know without instruction.

Those envious of the Tushan family couldn’t bear to see their continued dominance, so they placed a curse on them.

The Tushan clan had always had more males than females. How rare were the females?

Once in a hundred years.

Unfortunately, Tushan Jiu was that unlucky “lucky one”—the girl born under the curse.

But the Tushan family hadn’t just sat back and waited to die. Since her great-grandfather’s generation, they had been trying everything to break the curse.

Thankfully, Heaven helps those who help themselves, and they finally found a solution:

She must marry someone blessed with immense destiny, and under the overwhelming fortune of that person, the curse would naturally collapse.

Sounds ridiculously melodramatic, doesn’t it?

But in metaphysics, the truth is that someone with immense destiny really is the natural nemesis of curses and evil forces. There’s no debate about it.

Of course, people like that weren’t easy to find.

They were just as rare as she was—once in a century.

Yet somehow, her grandfather, through sheer dumb luck, actually found one.

Thus: The blade is proof. Words are bond. When prophecy comes true, it is time for collection.

And the “collection” was her marriage to this so-called bearer of great destiny.

At first, she resisted. So what if I die? she thought. She’d just follow in Grandpa’s footsteps and become a civil servant in the afterlife—wouldn’t that be nice? What if the guy didn’t like her? Why force it?

And frankly, if he wasn’t her type, she’d be miserable too.

But the moment she had that thought, eighteen generations of her ancestors descended in her dreams.

Can you imagine? She was dreaming of dating a hot guy when suddenly the scenery shifted, and her great-great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, uncles, and aunts all appeared above her, arms crossed, scolding her with ghostly spit flying.

The gist of it? Tushan Jiu, you’re the last of our line. Do you want to end the Tushan legacy?

Same old story: “If the incense line ends, you have to continue it.”

Fine, fine. Ghosts outnumber her, so they win.

She’d continue it!

And so, after yet another round of her grandfather’s ghostly nagging, she finally set off.

Her train of thought broke off as she noticed someone had taken the seat beside her.

She didn’t even need to look. She knew it was Zhang Xuefeng.

Zhang Xuefeng pulled out his phone and opened a notepad app. “Ahem. Young lady, I need to take your statement now. Please cooperate.”

Tushan Jiu didn’t care. Cooperating with police is every citizen’s duty—whatever your profession, you’re still a citizen of Huaguo first. “Alright, ask away.”

Zhang Xuefeng was momentarily surprised by how cooperative she was, but he quickly regained his composure and began asking:

“Name, age, occupation.”

“Tushan Jiu. Nineteen. Blade Debtor.”

Zhang Xuefeng still didn’t really know what the heck a “Blade Debtor” was.

But he didn’t press further. He typed it into his notes.

Yes—he was genuinely taking a statement, not just acting out of personal curiosity.

He continued, “Do you know Lin Fenglian?”

The name of the fugitive child trafficker they were after was Lin Fenglian.

“Nope.”

“Then how did you know Lin Fenglian’s location?”

“I calculated it.”

“You… calculated it?”

At this, Tushan Jiu finally turned to look at Zhang Xuefeng.

She nodded, then raised her index and middle fingers like scissors and mimicked snipping twice in the air. Ka-cha, ka-cha.

Zhang Xuefeng was stunned, half-understanding.

How the heck was he supposed to follow up on that?

But her eyes radiated such calm confidence that people couldn’t help but believe her.

The flight from Yun City to Nancheng was about three hours.

The high-speed train was slower by about two and a half hours.

But Lin Fenglian had boarded her train an hour before their flight took off.

And thanks to air traffic control delays at takeoff, their plane waited on the runway for over forty minutes. Factoring everything in, by the time they landed in Nancheng, news from the train station should have already arrived.

She always forgot to collect debts—so any that could be collected on the spot, she’d rather get them now. Her ledger was practically out of space!

This transaction was simply to provide the target’s location.

As for the rest… that could wait till next time.