The family took their young son to the hospital for a full physical and psychological checkup. The results showed the child was physically healthy, but due to the child's lack of cooperation during the examination, accurate psychological assessments were impossible. They could only speculate that the child had experienced some significant trauma.
The police investigation and interrogation of the kidnappers revealed that they had indeed abducted the little boy, but they had no recollection of what happened in the following two days, feeling rather dazed and confused.
The outcome was eerily strange. Normally, they would have assumed the kidnappers weren't telling the truth, but given what Xu Zifan had said, they couldn't help but feel that the matter might be related to something sinister.
Cheng's father was unaware of the Special Affairs Bureau, and it wouldn't be appropriate for someone of his status to openly seek out a master. He could only ask the butler to invite the master to examine the little boy.
The Special Affairs Bureau was already aware of the matter, and Liao Cheng had even called Jiang Tianxin to inquire about the situation. After Jiang Tianxin explained the child's strange behavior, Liao Cheng sent a subordinate to make contact with the housekeeper and go to the Cheng family to investigate. They found nothing, except that the child harbored deep hostility towards Cheng's mother.
The housekeeper then found another master, who turned out to be a fraud. He set up an altar at the Cheng family home, performed rituals, and even made Cheng Zhuang and the little boy drink talisman water. After several days of this, nothing worked; in fact, the situation worsened. The little boy became increasingly agitated, and Cheng's mother's complexion deteriorated, showing signs of turning bluish.
Cheng's mother couldn't take it anymore. She had been Cheng's father's mistress for seven or eight years and only married into the Cheng family because she got pregnant with his son. What would she do if something happened to her son?
Moreover, she felt that Cheng Zhuang must have been tainted by something unclean, which had harmed her son when he returned home. She dared not tell Cheng's father this, so she secretly took her son to Qingfeng Temple. She wanted to make her son return to the obedient and lovely child he used to be, the child who was loved by Cheng's father.
Jiang Tianxin was asking Xu Zifan about cultivation when she heard the young Taoist say that Cheng's mother had arrived. She immediately felt disgusted and said, "This family is really clueless. They ask for help but act all high and mighty. Master, you don't know, their family has only stayed in Yanjing for so long because Cheng Zhuang's grandfather saved the old commander once."
Others gave them face out of old friendship, but they became arrogant, considering themselves to be among the highest class, especially looking down on us merchants, as if their families had never been in business before. They were particularly annoying.
Otherwise, let's just leave their family alone. They might even think it's our honor to help them. It's just that the kid is quite pitiful; I don't know what happened to him.
As Jiang Tianxin was talking, she noticed Xu Zifan staring at her and smiling. She touched her face in surprise and lowered her voice, "What's wrong, Master? What are you laughing at?"
"I'm laughing at you, you're almost becoming a chatterbox now. I didn't realize you were such a talkative person." Xu Zifan looked at her with a smile, feeling that she seemed a bit more lively than before. Was it because she was happy to be able to go out and run errands on her own?
Jiang Tianxin lowered her head shyly, "If Master finds it annoying, I won't say it."
"How could that be? I love listening to you talk. You can say whatever you want when you're with me. It's best to be your most authentic self." After Xu Zifan finished speaking, he suddenly felt a sense of nurturing. All the changes in his little apprentice were because of him, and he felt a strange sense of accomplishment.
Remembering that Cheng's mother was still waiting outside, he decided to take care of business first and called out to the young Taoist priest to invite Cheng's mother and child in. Seeing that Jiang Tianxin disagreed, he smiled and said, "This may not be helping the Cheng family, but rather helping myself to sort out some things. That lady of the Cheng family... is actually my birth mother."
Jiang Tianxin's eyes widened instantly, her face filled with shock!
Xu Zifan chuckled and said, "I just found out myself. It doesn't really matter. I'm way past the age of looking for my mother. But since we've run into each other, it's better to resolve this relationship completely to avoid future entanglements. I don't want to continue seeing her."
Jiang Tianxin found it hard to process this news. She recalled the scene from that day's meeting, "So, Master, you asked her name because of this?"
Xu Zifan nodded. "She probably doesn't know, but I'm quite curious why someone as arrogant as Cheng Jia would let her into the family, you know?"
"I'm not sure. I only heard my mom mention that she got pregnant out of wedlock, and maybe she got ahead because of her son." Jiang Tianxin looked at him worriedly. "Master, will you be upset? That little boy… he might be considered your brother."
"No, it's not someone I care about, so how could it affect me? But since that child is related to me by blood, I still need to find out what's wrong with him. Putting everything else aside, we can't miss this opportunity to do good deeds. There are too few supernatural events in the world, and good deeds are hard to come by."
Just as Xu Zifan finished speaking, Yu Cailan and her child arrived. Unlike the Cheng family, Yu Cailan wasn't arrogant; she knew how to ask for help. Upon entering, she bowed respectfully and carefully said, "We were so rude last time. I apologize to the Taoist priest on behalf of my family. Please forgive my rudeness and save my son. I'm not young anymore, and he's my only precious son. If anything happens to him, I can't go on living. Please, Taoist priest, save him..."
Yu Cailan cried pitifully, portraying a loving mother deeply concerned for her son with remarkable depth, hoping to gain Xu Zifan's sympathy. However, Xu Zifan's acting skills were already superb, and in his eyes, Yu Cailan's appearance was full of flaws.
He smiled faintly and said, "Mrs. Cheng, I don't like unnecessary things. I'll say what I mean and what I say. If you want my help, please put away your fake emotions."
Yu Cailan's tears frozen in place, unsure how to respond, Xu Zifan had already gotten up and walked over to the little boy.
Yu Cailan was afraid the little boy would kick or hit her, so she tied him up with soft strips of cloth and gagged him as well. In her opinion, her son was possessed by some evil spirit, and she tied him up without hesitation; this was like binding a ghost.
But the little boy was in great pain, struggling incessantly, his face turning bright red.
Xu Zifan untied the gag from the little boy's mouth, and his fingers inevitably touched the boy's face, a scene flashing before his eyes.
Yu Cailan tried to coax the little boy into playing with a toy car, but wouldn't give it to him. She asked the little boy, "Baby, what are you going to say to your dad later?"
The little boy said, "Dad, I miss you so much. Dad, are you tired? I'll massage your shoulders. I love you the most, Dad..."
"Yes, yes, you're so smart, baby. Here, take this model. If you guess right, Mommy will tell you a nice story tonight."
"I'm sure I'm right!"
The clip ended, and Xu Zifan frowned. His birth mother's character was truly appalling; she used the child to curry favor with her husband. Now, her anxiety was probably due to fear of losing her position. What kind of maternal love could a mother who could so heartlessly abandon her child possess?
He didn't want to see the little boy's past anymore, so he gave up his seat to Jiang Tianxin, saying, "Xinxin, help him untie it, be gentle."
"Okay." Jiang Tianxin smiled at the little boy. "Don't be afraid, I'll get you something delicious later."
The little boy turned and glared at Yu Cailan, angrily saying, "You don't deserve to have children! I don't want you as my mother! You're not a good mother, I don't want you!"
Yu Cailan felt only a little sadness; she was mostly embarrassed and angry, as well as afraid of being stared at by the boy. She anxiously asked, "Is he possessed? Cheng Zhuang said he was possessed by a ghost in Haishi. Is it because of him that the ghost has possessed my son again? Please, Taoist priest, help him exorcise the evil spirit!"
Xu Zifan sat at the table, tapping his fingers on the surface, and suddenly said, "It seems that Mrs. Cheng is destined to have more than one son. I met a young friend by chance who looks a lot like Mrs. Cheng. His surname is Xu. I wonder if Mrs. Cheng remembers him."
Yu Cailan's expression changed, and she immediately said, "No, I don't know anyone surnamed Xu. I only have this one son."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Tianxin gave her a disgusted look.
Xu Zifan smiled and said, "Mrs. Cheng, as I said, if you want my help, don't lie. Otherwise, I won't be able to help you if I don't know the truth." He looked at Yu Cailan's face carefully and said with surprise, "If I'm not mistaken, Mrs. Cheng is destined to have three sons. The eldest son's life is full of hardships, the second son never had a chance to be born, and this young master Cheng is your third son."
Yu Cailan gripped the tissue tightly, her whole body tense. "What exactly do you want to ask? What does this have to do with the baby?"
"Don't be nervous. I just want to say that in this world, good deeds are rewarded and evil deeds are punished. Sometimes, when you encounter trouble, doing good deeds can solve the problem." Xu Zifan paused, then looked up at her. "Mrs. Cheng's eldest son has been living under someone else's roof for many years, treated like a servant, and has had a very difficult life. If Mrs. Cheng takes him back and gives him a normal life…"
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Yu Cailan stood up excitedly. "Aren't you good at divination? How come you couldn't tell that he's a jinx? He's a jinx, bringing misfortune to his parents. His bad luck is all his own fault, it has nothing to do with me. I can't possibly acknowledge him!"
Jiang Tianxin said coldly, "Mrs. Cheng! Take back what you said. It's too much to talk about your own child like that!" She hurriedly looked at Xu Zifan's expression and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he was not sad. However, her disgust for Yu Cailan increased several times over!
Yu Cailan was startled by her words, but she calmed down and stammered, "I really can't acknowledge him, Daoist Master. Please help me think of another way. I... I can donate money. Would that help the baby get better?"
Xu Zifan probed again, "If your eldest son had changed his fate, no longer bringing misfortune to his mother, but instead becoming a lucky star, would you be willing to acknowledge him?"
Yu Cailan shook her head without hesitation, "I can't acknowledge him. Daoist, you know I'm Cheng Zhuang's stepmother. I, as Mrs. Cheng, can't do whatever I want. The Cheng family will never allow me to acknowledge my original son. Besides, twenty years have passed, and I have long lost any motherly bond with that child. We are from two different worlds. It would be bad for anyone if we acknowledged each other again."
Xu Zifan curled his lips and looked at her with a smile, "Ms. Yu Cailan, do you mean to sever your mother-son relationship with your eldest son and never acknowledge him again?"
Yu Cailan found the question strange, but that was exactly what she meant, and she answered "yes" without any hesitation.
Xu Zifan felt that a mysterious connection between the two of them had been severed, and he immediately smiled happily, "Perfect, he doesn't want to acknowledge you either. After today, you have no chance to back out."