Chapter 026: It Truly Is a Matter of Feng Shui

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“What is it? Xiao Wei, what’s wrong? Did you notice something?” Shang Wuyong, who had already given up, rushed over and asked as soon as he heard my words.

“I’m not sure yet. I just have a theory—I need to test it. Quickly, get me a small knife!” I instructed him.

“Knife! Knife! Find a small knife, quick!” Shang Wuyong turned and shouted to Zhou Beitang.

Zhou Beitang was stunned for a moment, then called out to his female assistant, “Quick, find a small knife!”

The assistant asked, “What kind of small knife?”

Zhou Beitang turned to Shang Wuyong, “What kind of knife?”

Shang Wuyong looked back at me, “What kind of small knife?”

Damn, we’re all in the same room, practically sitting next to each other. Is there really a need to play telephone like this?

I nudged Shang Wuyong aside and spoke directly to the female assistant, “Anything sharp will do, just make sure it’s a bit sharp.”

Better to talk straight to her than let them repeat it again.

“Um… will a utility knife do?” she asked.

“Yes!” I nodded.

Zhou Beitang’s assistant was quite efficient. She quickly opened a cabinet, pulled out an unused utility knife, and handed it to me.

I took it, grabbed a tissue from the coffee table, and extended the blade. Then I pressed down on the dead man’s ear and carefully examined the dark blood threads behind it.

Seeing my focus, Shang Wuyong commented, “What’s up? Something wrong with the blood threads? The previous victims had them too, and the forensic examiners checked them. It was just dead blood, nothing special.”

“Quiet!” I snapped, my eyes fixed on the threads.

“But—” Shang Wuyong wanted to say more, but Shang Wuwei pulled him aside. “Let Xiao Wei check first.”

I stared intently at the threads. Suddenly, I saw them squirm. Quickly, I slashed the blade across the dark lines.

Immediately, I pressed the tissue against the cut.

“What is it?” Everyone craned their necks to look at me.

I stepped to the coffee table, set down the knife, and slowly opened the tissue.

The center was already soaked in blood. As I fully unfolded it, my heart sank.

Just as I suspected.

Damn it, it’s exactly as I thought.

I let out a long breath and stepped back.

“What is it, Xiao Wei? Is there a problem?” Shang Wuyong asked.

“See for yourself,” I pointed at the tissue on the coffee table.

Everyone leaned in to look.

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“It’s just blood, what’s the big deal?” Shang Wuwei said.

“Look closer!” I urged.

No sooner had I spoken than the female assistant let out a gasp, “Ah! There’s a bug! A tiny worm!”

“That’s right, there is a worm!” Shang Wuyong shouted, having seen it too.

Exactly.

There, amid the blood in the tissue, was a small worm. Now I was certain how this person had died.

Honestly, I never expected to encounter something like this.

“Xiao Wei, what’s going on? How can there be a worm?” Shang Wuyong asked.

Zhou Beitang turned to me as well, “Mr. Yu, could it be… this worm killed the man?”

“Wait a moment!” I said, then turned and left the room.

My bag was still downstairs. When I heard about the death earlier, I hadn’t brought it up.

I hurried downstairs, got my bag, brought it back, and placed it beside the coffee table. I took out a blank talisman paper and spread it out.

Then I told Zhou Beitang and the others, “Come here. Bite your ring finger and let a drop of blood fall onto this paper.”

“Xiao Wei, what’s going on? Hurry up and tell us!” Shang Wuyong pressed.

“Don’t rush. I’ll explain once I’m sure,” I replied.

In my heart, I already knew the cause; I just hadn’t found the source yet.

At my request, Zhou Beitang and his subordinates each pricked their ring finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the talisman paper.

When Zhou Beitang added his drop, I pursed my lips and said, “Mr. Zhou, I know where the problem lies.”

Before Zhou Beitang could speak, Shang Wuyong anxiously asked, “Really? Where’s the problem?”

I glanced at him. “Your original judgment was correct—it’s a feng shui issue.”

“Huh? Didn’t you just say there was no problem? And now it’s feng shui again? Is the worm connected to the feng shui problem?” Shang Wuyong asked doubtfully.

“Yes. I did say earlier this building’s feng shui is fine,” I replied.

“If there’s no problem here, then where is it?” Shang Wuyong asked.

“At his house,” I pointed at Zhou Beitang.

“What? You’re saying my home has a feng shui problem?” Zhou Beitang looked incredulous.

“That’s right. Let me ask you—do you have a lotus pond, swimming pool, or fountain at your door?”

Zhou Beitang looked flabbergasted. “Er… yes. There is a pond at my door. But—”

Before he could finish, I interrupted, “Has it been neglected for a long time?”

“Yes, but how did you know?” Zhou Beitang replied.

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I ignored his question and continued, “Has the pond’s shape changed for some reason? Is it no longer what it used to be?”

“Yes, it was originally round, but we expanded the road and filled in half of it,” Zhou Beitang nodded.

“That’s it. The pond is the problem,” I said with certainty.

“But Xiao Wei, that doesn’t explain why people are dying here. And what about the worm?” Shang Wuyong asked.

“I’ll tell you. This kind of worm is called a Thousand Nether Blood Worm, also known as a Fear Blood Worm. It’s a toxic entity that emerges when a residence’s feng shui is corrupted,” I explained.

“That still doesn’t make sense. If Zhou’s home has bad feng shui, why are his subordinates dying?” Shang Wuyong pressed.

“It’s simple. The mother worm is in him. The deadly worms are all offspring. The offspring seek out people with strong life force to parasitize. Usually, within twenty shichen—about two days—the offspring mature in the host’s body by the thousands,” I explained.

“When the offspring mature, they erupt all at once, causing the host to experience intense hallucinations and plunge into deep terror. The worms then devour every ounce of fear, channeling it back to the mother worm. That’s why the victims die with terrified expressions, as if scared to death.”

“After draining the terror, the offspring pass the energy to the mother and die. Their bodies are made from the host’s blood and energy, so the forensic doctors can’t detect anything wrong.”

“The mother worm uses the accumulated fear to spin a cocoon. Once it succeeds, it evolves. When the transformation is complete, it emerges as a Thousand Nether Blood Bat,” I finished.

No sooner had I finished than Zhou Beitang’s legs buckled, and his chubby frame collapsed to the floor. “Mr. Yu… are you saying the mother worm is inside me?”

I didn’t want to scare him, but what I said was the truth. The mother worm was inside him and probably close to cocooning. Normally, once the offspring claim nine victims, they collect enough terror for the mother’s transformation. Today’s was the seventh.

“Don’t panic. Now that I know the cause, I’ll help you resolve it,” I reassured him.

“But… it’s just a pond! How can it be so serious?” With the assistant’s help, Zhou Beitang managed to stand.

“Don’t underestimate feng shui, Mr. Zhou. Many seemingly harmless issues can kill without a trace,” I said.

“But… why did everyone die here?” Zhou Beitang asked.

“That’s a question for you. Have you been staying here constantly lately?” I asked.

“Yes, ever since the first death, I’ve been here every day except to sleep at home. If I didn’t stay, I’d have no way to answer to the other shareholders,” Zhou Beitang replied.

“There you have it. Since you’re here, the deaths occur here,” I said.

“Ah? This… this…” Zhou Beitang’s forehead was already drenched in sweat.

“See? That obvious worm just now—it’s gone, right? Turned into a bloodstain,” I pointed at the tissue.

They all hurried over to check.

“Hey… it’s really gone.”

“Damn, this is unbelievable. I’ve never heard of anything like it!”

Shang Wuyong and the others marveled at the discovery.

I turned to Zhou Beitang. “Mr. Zhou, the police will be here soon. Have someone handle things. Now, take me to your home. I need to see what kind of feng shui pattern led to this disaster.”