Chapter 12: It’s Really Not Easy to Smile Until the End

The moment those words were uttered, Lin Xiuer and Chen Rang, who had been watching the surveillance footage, immediately rushed over to peek at the documents in Xu Jiangshan’s hands.

“Is it that knife-barterer—the one who sells knives on credit, leaves behind a prophecy, and only collects payment when it comes true?” Chen Rang asked.

Xu Jiangshan nodded.

“No way!” Lin Xiuer stopped chewing her gum, found a tissue to spit it into, wrapped it up, and tossed it into the trash. “You mean the only remaining heir of the Tu Shan family, the one fated to die before the age of twenty-two?”

“Xiuer!” Xu Jiangshan warned.

Lin Xiuer immediately zipped her lips and made a sealing gesture.

Xu Jiangshan shifted his gaze back to the report and paused on the name of the person who filed it.

“May I ask which one of you is Comrade Zhang Xuefeng?”

Zhang Xuefeng had been watching them carefully. When he heard the man referred to as Elder Xu call his name, he immediately stood up and saluted. “Elder Xu, I’m Zhang Xuefeng.”

Xu Jiangshan gave him a once-over.

For some reason, just from that gentle, seemingly kind look from Xu Jiangshan, cold sweat broke out on Zhang Xuefeng’s back. It felt as though his soul was being dissected.

Xu Jiangshan sat down and softened his tone. “No need to be nervous. Can you tell us the exact circumstances when the knife-barterer came to you?” He motioned for him to sit. “You can sit and explain.”

Zhang Xuefeng was briefly stunned but quickly caught on.

They knew what a knife-barterer was!

Ten minutes later, the three of them had fully understood the entire situation. After stating they would be taking over the case, they left.

Ren Hongtao saw them off, then returned to the conference room, where everyone was still staring at him expectantly.

Everyone was waiting for an explanation.

Ren Hongtao cleared his throat and spoke in a warning tone:

“From now on, no one is to pursue this case any further. Also, Elder Xu will be heading to the high-speed rail station with his team. The railway police need to cooperate. Once they’re finished, the G3197 train will resume operations tomorrow morning. Alright, it’s late. Everyone, head home and get some rest. Good work today.”

With that, Ren Hongtao turned and left the room.

Leaving everyone in stunned confusion.

Zhang Xuefeng furrowed his brows and suddenly remembered what Zhang Yue had said earlier.

“Master, do you know something?” he asked quietly as Zhang Yue packed his things.

Zhang Yue’s hand paused. “What could I know? I only know you don’t need to come back to Yun City with me.”

“Why?” Zhang Xuefeng felt like something was wrong with his ears today—he couldn’t understand anything anyone was saying.

Seeing the look of abandonment on his face, Zhang Yue sighed and explained, “An order just came down. You’re to report to Nancheng’s Criminal Investigation Division next Monday. From now on, when we meet again, I’ll be calling you Deputy Captain Zhang.”

Zhang Xuefeng was completely dumbfounded by the sudden news.

Zhang Yue thought his apprentice was a bit of a blockhead. If it weren’t for the fact that his case-handling ability had improved so much over the years—enough to stand alone—there was no way he’d be letting go.

But in all honesty, out of all the apprentices he had trained, this one was the most meticulous. No matter how small the detail, he never overlooked it.

Just like this time. Most people wouldn’t have taken the knife-barterer’s words seriously. But Zhang Xuefeng had followed up anyway, refusing to miss even the smallest possibility—even if he didn’t really believe it.

That was professionalism.

He was born for this job.

Zhang Yue was proud of the man he had become.

Of course, none of this was said aloud—he was afraid the kid would get too full of himself.

…

Early the Next Morning

As the sun began to rise, Tu Shanju woke on a two-meter-wide white bed.

Stretching lazily, she sat up and sighed, “That was such a good night’s sleep. A quality bed really makes a difference!”

They’d returned to the Xie residence around 1 AM.

But Tu Shanju had a built-in body clock—no matter how late she went to bed, she always woke on time for morning practice.

The morning is the most important part of the day, especially when the sun first rises. That’s when Yang energy rises—perfect for cultivating vital energy.

She slipped on her slippers and walked across the soft, long-pile white carpet to the bathroom.

Afraid that she might be uncomfortable in the new home, Xu Airu had made meticulous preparations in every regard. Even the toothbrushes came in multiple types—manual and electric. The skincare products were all from different high-end brands, still unopened and neatly arranged.

Tu Shanju had noticed this yesterday and felt a warm ripple in her heart.

Her parents had died in an accident when she was ten.

She had been raised by her grandfather ever since.

Oh, and her grandmother had also died in an accident.

But what could she do? The Tu Shan family—the knife-barterer clan—was constantly revealing heavenly secrets. Naturally, they attracted all sorts of “accidents.”

To smile and survive to the end really wasn’t easy.

Still, her grandfather had lasted longer than most.

Being a man, he couldn’t attend to the more delicate needs like a mother could.

And her own mother… during the Underworld examination, she had accidentally filled out the wrong form and ended up in Meng Po’s unit—the busiest one. She was constantly on the move and didn’t even have time to visit her in dreams.

Even the first time she had her period, it was her grandfather who went to the back mountain to find a female ghost to teach her how to use a sanitary pad.

So, for all the thoughtful care from Xu Airu, she was sincerely grateful.

After finishing her morning routine, she changed clothes and headed downstairs into the garden.

The old Xie residence was built in a traditional Chinese garden style—pavilions, rockeries, flowing water. Every tree was planted with intention, forming an excellent feng shui layout.

With the powerful destiny aura of Xie Shiyu added to the mix, this house was practically the ideal place for gathering spiritual energy.

Tu Shanju found a peaceful spot in the garden, sat facing east, and began to meditate cross-legged.

The morning sun bathed her in golden light, making her glow with a holy radiance. Dressed in pure white, she looked ethereal and otherworldly.

If someone happened to walk by, they would likely tiptoe past for fear of disturbing the cultivation of a celestial being.

That was exactly what Xie Shiyu saw when he came out for his morning jog.

He instinctively slowed his pace and stopped.

Wiping the light sweat from his forehead, he walked to a nearby pavilion and sat down, quietly observing Tu Shanju meditating on the grass.

Yesterday’s events had given him a whole new understanding of her abilities.

Setting aside their brief childhood encounter, the current her was… very interesting to him.

He was sure of one thing—now that she was here, life in the Xie family was going to be a lot more fun.

Suddenly, Tu Shanju snapped open her eyes and met his gaze.

“Ah no! I think I forgot to give the Third Brother his evil-warding talisman yesterday!” she exclaimed.