“The Heavenly Killing Intent?”
Lu Chen’s pupils suddenly contracted.
Yu Feng nodded slightly and slowly walked to the edge of the shimmering Carp Pond.
A hundred golden carps leisurely swayed their tails in the pond, glistening under the sunlight.
He casually picked up the bait placed by the pond and scattered it into the water.
In an instant, the previously calm surface erupted into a frenzy. A hundred carps scrambled for the food, stirring up waves and splashes.
Yu Feng stood with his hands behind his back and said in a deep voice, “As the saying goes: when Heaven unleashes its killing intent, stars shift and constellations change; when Earth unleashes its killing intent, dragons and serpents rise from the land; when Man unleashes his killing intent, Heaven and Earth are overturned! These are the three calamities of Heaven, Earth, and Man. If any one of them is triggered, disaster is inescapable. And the Heavenly Killing Intent can manifest in people, in objects, or even in all living beings!”
Lu Chen’s heart tightened: “Sir, do you mean that the former prefect’s wife brought this heavenly punishment upon herself because she committed many wrongdoings?”
But Yu Feng shook his head: “Wrong. Not only has this prefect’s wife never done evil, but she has spent her entire life doing good and accumulating virtue. She is a person of profound merit.”
“Then… could the problem lie with the former prefect, Zheng Changguo?”
Yu Feng shook his head again, turned around, and fixed his gaze on Lu Chen: “You’re wrong again. You’re still young, so it’s understandable that you don’t know this great figure. You should know that Jiang Province’s current standing—proudly leading the nation and the envy of all—is largely thanks to Prefect Zheng! In his thirty years governing Jiang Province, it wasn’t just an era of economic boom and leaps in people’s livelihoods—it was also a golden age for the rise of all the major families.”
He paused, his tone growing even heavier: “During his tenure, he achieved ten great feats spanning economics, people’s welfare, military affairs, public security, and many other fields. If we’re talking about merit, throughout Jiang Province, if he’s second, no one dares claim first!”
Upon hearing this, Lu Chen secretly curled his lips.
Really?
Then why couldn’t my family even afford meat before?
And the rent was ridiculously high.
Anyway, Lu Chen certainly didn’t feel like life was as good as they made it sound.
But then he thought again—the other party was talking about the bigger picture.
Indeed, from a macro perspective, Jiang Province’s rapid development over the years was there for all to see and undeniable.
Forget it—even sages can’t cover everything, let alone ordinary people…
Just as he was pondering, Yu Feng’s voice rang out again: “Now you should understand why a seemingly simple medical task comes with such a high military merit reward, right? The imperial court naturally wants to do everything it can to protect someone with such outstanding contributions.”
Lu Chen frowned deeply: “Sir, if what you say is true—that both Prefect Zheng and his wife are the kindest of people—then why would they still suffer the calamity of the ‘Heavenly Killing Intent’? That… wouldn’t that mean good people don’t get good rewards?”
“Heavens above, watch your words!” Yu Feng sharply interrupted, then let out a heavy sigh: “What we call calamity is simply a destined misfortune. It’s not just Prefect Zheng and his wife—you, me, and all living beings have fates we cannot escape.
Look at those who do good and accumulate virtue—they often face a life of hardship. While the worst villains enjoy peaceful lives to a ripe old age.
Aren’t there plenty of examples like that?
Perhaps in this life, Prefect Zheng and his wife are fated to endure this.
In their next life, I believe they will surely enjoy every happiness.”
Lu Chen, however, found it hard to agree: “If the merits of this life only serve as a dowry for the next, then what’s the meaning of this life?”
Yu Feng was startled by this.
For a moment, he was at a loss for words.
His gaze sank along with Lu Chen’s words, as if savoring the deeper meaning in them.
After a long pause, he sighed deeply: “Enough, let’s not explore this question further. I’ve told you the truth—think it over carefully. In short… Heaven’s will is hard to defy.”
Lu Chen still felt doubtful and pressed further: “Sir, are you absolutely sure it’s the ‘Heavenly Killing Intent’?”
Yu Feng smiled faintly: “At first, everyone thought it was just an ordinary illness. Prefect Zheng consulted renowned doctors far and wide, but none could help. Later, when the imperial court learned of this, they specially sent the chief imperial physician to treat her. They exhausted every method and prayed to several divine pharmacists, but they could never receive a blessing. In the end, the Imperial Observatory was ordered to calculate Madam Zheng’s fate, and only then was it confirmed to be the calamity of the ‘Heavenly Killing Intent.'”
“I see…”
“What, you still won’t give up? You still want to try?”
“Yes!” Lu Chen said resolutely.
No kidding—he’d already paid the “deposit.”
How would he know without trying?
The corners of his mouth lifted: “Sir, not to brag about myself, but I specialize in tough cases!”
Yu Feng was about to laugh at his youthful arrogance, but then he thought again—the mission in Longhu County had been resolved so easily by him.
Could it be…
Yu Feng’s heart stirred, and his expression immediately turned serious as he carefully studied Lu Chen.
Only when Lu Chen started feeling a bit unsettled did he finally speak: “Then… do you have any solution?”
“Sir, I haven’t even met Madam Zheng yet—how could I have a solution?” Lu Chen chuckled.
Yu Feng thought for a moment and said, “How about this: tomorrow, you’ll come with me to Qianjiang City. I have some official business to attend to anyway, and while I’m there, I’ll visit my old superior and introduce you to him. Whether it works out or not… let’s just treat it as trying everything we can.”
Lu Chen’s eyes lit up, and he clasped his fists: “Thank you, Lord City Master!”
Yu Feng reminded him seriously: “But let me be clear—Prefect Zheng and his wife are of noble status. You can try, but whatever you do, don’t act recklessly!”
Lu Chen nodded solemnly: “Rest assured, sir. I know my limits.”
After agreeing on the departure time for the next day, Lu Chen took his leave from the City Lord’s Mansion.
…
On his way home, Lu Chen thought about having a good talk with his elder brother about this matter and hearing his insights.
But halfway through the ride, he received a call from his father, Lu Jianming.
“Son, where are you? Come back quickly. Today, Aunt Wang and the others went to the Sun Family Temple again, and they heard that Uncle Wang and the others have settled well down below. The house is packed with people right now, all waiting for you.”
“Alright, I’ll come over now.”
After hanging up, Lu Chen said to the driver, “Driver, please change the destination to Nanshan Residential Area.”
“No problem!”
Soon, Lu Chen arrived back at the Nanshan Residential Area home.
The house was already packed to the brim, with people even standing in the hallway.
Lu Chen sat on the sofa, with a pile of thank-you gifts from the neighbors in front of him.
Having just gone through a round of enthusiastic gratitude, he felt a little embarrassed under everyone’s eager gazes.
“Son, you said yesterday that there were follow-up arrangements—what exactly is the plan?”
As soon as Lu Jianming asked this, it was like dropping water into hot oil—the room instantly buzzed with chatter.
Lu Chen smiled: “Uncles, aunties, and everyone—please bear with me for a moment.”
With that, he got up and walked into his room, then came back out carrying a tall stack of the specially folded [Large Silver Notes] he had prepared earlier. He placed them on the coffee table with a thud, which drew curious looks from everyone.
“Xiao Chen, these are…?” Aunt Wang leaned in curiously.
Lu Chen picked up one of the [Large Silver Notes] and explained: “Everyone, I’ve already reached an agreement with Lord Yama. From now on, you can buy these specially made [Hell Bank Notes] and burn them for your ancestors below. They’ll then be able to use this money to purchase various daily necessities in the underworld. In simple terms—we spend a little money here in the living world to ‘send wages’ to our loved ones below.”
“Whoa!”
At these words, the entire room erupted.
“You can do that?”
“I’ve never heard of such a thing!”
“Xiao Chen, this… does it really work?”
Lu Chen smiled: “Aunt Zhang, at this point, I don’t think there’s any need for doubt, is there?”
Aunt Zhang quickly waved her hand: “Xiao Chen, don’t misunderstand—Aunt Zhang didn’t mean it that way.”
Lu Chen shook his head, indicating that he took no offense.
“Xiao Chen, then how much are these hell bank notes?”
“Yes, yes, how much?”
“Each Large Silver Note has a face value of ten thousand hell dollars, which converts to one hundred yuan. I think that a monthly allowance of twenty to thirty thousand for our ancestors should be enough to maintain a decent life down there. Of course, if you want them to live even better, you can prepare more—buying however much is entirely up to you.”
“Xiao Chen, Uncle Number One will buy ten thousand yuan’s worth first!” Uncle Number One, who was sitting on the sofa nearby, didn’t hesitate at all. He pulled out a stack of cash from his pocket and slapped it on the coffee table.
“Uncle Number One, you don’t need that much—ten thousand yuan is a million hell dollars! Are you trying to make Aunt Qiu a tycoon down there?”
As soon as he said that, the room burst into laughter.
Uncle Number One was grinning from ear to ear: “Being a tycoon sounds great! Couldn’t do it in life, but it’s nice to enjoy it down below after death. Don’t try to talk me out of it—just give me a million hell dollars!”
“Well… alright then.” Lu Chen quickly counted out a hundred notes and handed them over: “But I should warn you—if everyone buys this much, there might be inflation down there. By then, your million might not be worth as much as it is now. Don’t blame me if the hell dollar depreciates too fast.”
“You kid…” Uncle Number One fumbled around his pockets and then said in frustration: “Ah, I didn’t bring enough money! I’ll go home and get another twenty thousand while the money’s still worth something, so I can stock up more for my little Shu.”
“Oh come on, Uncle Number One, that’s enough—ten thousand’s not enough already? Leave some chances for the rest of us!”
“Exactly, we want to buy some too!”
Seeing Uncle Number One so eager, the others couldn’t sit still either and scrambled to make their purchases.
For a hundred yuan, you could get ten thousand hell dollars. Although most households in Nanshan Residential Area weren’t well-off, a few hundred yuan was still within reach.
In no time, everyone was buying—some eight hundred, some a thousand—and Lu Chen’s stack of Large Silver Notes visibly shrank before their eyes.
In just a short while, he had sold over forty thousand yuan.
As for the cost… not counting labor, it was less than a hundred yuan.
“Oh, and by the way, everyone—uncles, aunties, big brothers, and sisters—if you could help recommend this to others, that would be great. If anyone can bring in a thousand yuan in sales, I’ll throw in two extra Large Silver Notes as a thank-you. But there’s one condition: absolutely no forcing anyone to buy or any cheating. Otherwise, the gods are watching, and if Lord Yama passes judgment, your Servant God rating might drop so low that you won’t be able to see your ancestors anymore.”
Lu Chen seized the moment to put out an advertisement, rallying the enthusiastic uncles and aunties in the neighborhood to help build up the hell bank note business.
“Don’t worry, Xiao Chen—leave it to us!”
“Do we even need to promote it specially? Once we start burning the notes and others see it, they’ll be fighting to buy some!”
“Exactly! Your hell bank note business is definitely going to boom!”
The neighbors chattered enthusiastically.
“Then thank you all so much!”
After seeing the neighbors off, Lu Chen left the more than forty thousand yuan he’d made with his mother to help with household expenses.
His mother didn’t refuse—she knew her son didn’t lack that bit of money now.
“Dad, Mom, I’ll leave the rest of these Large Silver Notes at home. If anyone wants to buy, sell them at this price. Don’t lower it, or it’ll make business harder later on.”
“Don’t worry, son—even if the Heavenly King himself shows up, it’s still one hundred yuan per note! Your dad knows what’s what!”
“Good!” Lu Chen nodded, then added: “Oh, and I’m heading to Qianjiang City tomorrow for some business. I might be gone for a few days, so don’t save any meals for me.”
“What are you going to Qianjiang City for?”
“To do a mission.”
By the time Lu Chen said this, he was already at the door: “And don’t save dinner for me tonight either.”
After handling the neighborhood affairs, Lu Chen hurried back to Yunding Mountain Villa.
Inside the villa, he lit a stick of incense before the statue of Lord Jun Cai and began his devout prayers…
