Records of the Halls of Ten Thousand Affairs: Chapter 23: Haunted Hotel (PART 6)

Records of the Halls of Ten Thousand Affairs: Chapter 23: Haunted Hotel (PART 6)

Since her adoptive parents passed away, Miaoyin had not dreamed of them for a long time. Yet in last night’s fragmented dream, she saw them again, the warm scene of them eating together.

When she woke, her face was wet with tears. She hurriedly washed up and went downstairs to wait for Chen Jiu to wake up and discuss matters.

Unexpectedly, after waiting outside the door for a moment, Chen Jiu came out with her bag, looking like she was preparing to leave.

Miaoyin hadn’t expected her to move so decisively. She rushed to block her path: “Master Chen, why are you leaving so soon? Was the food not to your taste, or is there something uncomfortable about the room?”

“No, your hospitality was very good. But yesterday, Boss Zhao said he would seek another expert. I think there is no reason for me to stay here?” Chen Jiu raised an eyebrow, her attitude still mild.

She held Su Xiaoyu’s hand in her left hand and carried a small bag on her right shoulder, everything neat and tidy, nothing left behind.

Miaoyin was not willing to let her go: “No, no, no. Boss Zhao didn’t mean it that way. He just wanted to invite the original Qingxu master to discuss with you. There is no intention of asking you to leave. Ah, is it that the price is not satisfactory? These things can all be negotiated. Please sit down and let’s chat?”

“Manager Miao, let me advise you on a few things.” Chen Jiu lowered her voice, signaling Miaoyin to come closer.

Miaoyin did as she was told and leaned in to listen. Chen Jiu said softly: “Your boss is not what he appears to be. His wealth comes from ill-gotten gains. The fire on the seventh floor back then was no accident. If you continue to linger here, you will sooner or later be tainted by his bad luck.” After speaking, she swept a glance at Miaoyin’s expression and said: “So, this job I cannot take.”

A few sentences left Miaoyin somewhat confused. She found it hard to believe: “How, how is that possible? Our boss is a well-known philanthropist. Every year, he donates to help many poor students. Could it be… is there some misunderstanding? I can explain. I myself am one of the students he sponsored.”

Chen Jiu carefully observed her face and asked: “Are you not related by blood? Then why are you so devoted to him?”

“…Not related at all.”

Miaoyin froze, then stammered: “Master Chen, I don’t not believe you. I believe you, but…”

Someone she had admired since childhood, an elder she had looked up to like a father how could he be such a despicable person? In the business world, it was inevitable to have some gray areas, but even if his methods of making money were not entirely proper, could it really be as malicious as Chen Jiu described?

There must be some misunderstanding, right?

“Master Chen, can you stay one more day for me?” Miaoyin pressed her palms together, making a pleading gesture: “This time, it is I who am commissioning you.”

Su Xiaoyu listened on the left and right, her heart softening quickly. She tugged at Chen Jiu’s sleeve, her big eyes blinking, also pleading along with Miaoyin.

In the simple world of a ten-year-old child, that uncle was bad, this sister was good, and of course the boss should help the sister!

Xu Xin walked out from behind, also carrying a large and small bag, having packed her luggage. She asked: “Why are you all standing here? Not leaving?”

“Well…” Chen Jiu rubbed her nose and said: “Stay one more day.”

Xu Xin’s entire person deflated: “I already packed!”

“It’s all my fault, my fault.” Miaoyin quickly stepped forward to take her luggage, smiling apologetically: “Miss Xu, we still have beauty services and massage services downstairs, all provided free of charge for you. If you need anything, please feel free to come over.”

Speaking of which, Xu Xin was still easygoing. Being coaxed with a few good words, her temper vanished, and she herself felt a bit embarrassed, explaining: “I’m not angry at you, I just have a bit of a morning temper.”

To speak ill of Zhao Fusheng, naturally one could not do so under his nose. Miaoyin quietly took Chen Jiu out through a side door of the hotel and drove to a cafe across the street.

“Master Chen, to be honest with you, I originally had adoptive parents. But as you said, I am a child of bad luck…” Miaoyin began, somewhat sadly.

Chen Jiu almost spat out a mouthful of coffee: “Hey, I didn’t say you were a child of bad luck. I just said your fate is shallow.”

Miaoyin laughed bitterly and said: “My adoptive parents also died in a fire. After they died, an anonymous kind person sponsored me through school until I graduated from university. Only then did I learn that this kind person was Zhao Fusheng.”

“Hmm…” Chen Jiu asked: “Don’t you find it a bit too coincidental?”

Miaoyin smiled bitterly: “It is indeed somewhat coincidental. But when my adoptive parents died, they were working in the south, thousands of miles away from here. No matter how I think about it, it’s just a coincidence. Moreover… I can’t think of any reason, what motive would a wealthy man like Boss Zhao have to harm a working-class couple?”

Chatting outside, Miaoyin had clearly relaxed, saying just a few sentences but providing a lot of information.

Chen Jiu pondered for a moment, then asked: “Back then, only your adoptive parents… uh, met with misfortune?”

Miaoyin recalled: “I was too young at the time. I only heard what the adults said. It shouldn’t have been just them.”

“Since it was in the south, do you roughly remember which year, which city?” Chen Jiu asked.

Miaoyin seemed to become serious, as if she intended to treat Zhao Fusheng as a suspect for a moment, then hesitated again.

“Let me make a hypothesis, you listen.” Chen Jiu knew what she was thinking and said seriously: “Hypothetically, if your adoptive parents had not died, even if your material life were not as abundant as it is now, you would definitely be happier than you are now.”

Miaoyin’s pupils suddenly trembled a few times, then she bit her lip and slowly nodded.

She sat next to Chen Jiu, entered the year, location, and keywords from her memory into her phone’s search bar. Soon, the search engine popped up a bunch of fire-related reports from that year.

Chen Jiu also entered the same keywords into her own phone according to Miaoyin’s key information. The two investigated separately.

Soon, Miaoyin found a report that best matched her memory fragments, murmuring: “Yes, back then they couldn’t afford to stay in a hotel…”

198x, a hotel fire in a certain city: In the early morning of April 19, 198x, a fire broke out at a hotel in a certain city. The fire spread to 21 rooms, causing 17 deaths.

“This is the closest match.” Miaoyin said.

Chen Jiu responded with a sound, following the hotel name from the report to search for its current location. This location had indeed been renovated into a new hotel ten years ago.

Seeing the word “hotel,” Miaoyin’s heart already had a bad premonition.

Chen Jiu noticed her subtle change in expression but said nothing, continuing to check the actual controller behind this hotel. The webpage quickly loaded, and after swiftly scrolling past other names, the actual controller column clearly displayed three characters: Zhao Fusheng.

Miaoyin’s heart suddenly tightened, and she held her breath.

“Your luck is not bad.” Chen Jiu said: “Just relying on vague memories, you found the correct information. Now what do you want to do?”

Miaoyin’s tears silently flowed down. She stared blankly ahead and asked: “But how do you prove he deliberately set the fire? Can’t the police investigate?”

“The entire hotel was his. Tampering with it was simple, not to mention surveillance wasn’t as prevalent back then.” Chen Jiu said, her fingers tapping lightly on the table.

17, again 17. What did this represent? What conditions forcibly restricted him, so the death toll had to be 17?

Chen Jiu felt somewhat agitated, wanting to confront Zhao Fusheng directly, but afraid of alerting the enemy, forcing herself to suppress her anger.

She opened the group chat and sent a message again.

The group was still chatting about various topics, very lively. The most reliable second senior sister had not yet replied.

Master: Little Jiu, when are you coming back? You haven’t been back for so long.

Chen Jiu had not told the old man she was coming back, planning to give him a surprise. With this opportunity, she continued to act spoiled: Fate has its own timing, no need to rush.

Master: When you come back, remember to bring your master some good food.

Chen Jiu: Can your old teeth still chew?

Master: Go away, go away.

Master: What kind of evil technique are you asking about again? Seventeen lives, utterly heartless.

Chen Jiu: I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking you. Master, you haven’t made any progress all these years. What you know isn’t even as much as second senior sister.

The old man on the other side blew his beard and stared: Nonsense, how could your master not know? What Seven Evil Ten Absolute Formation, Nine Yin Ten Yang Formation, all require an exact number of souls, not one more or one less.

Chen Jiu: Then what formation can gather wealth?

Master: Most can reverse fortune. For a family in decline, using such evil techniques, wealth will flow continuously, but it greatly damages yin virtue and also shortens lifespan.

Chen Jiu: I understand, thanks old man.

Master: So disrespectful!

Screen off, Chen Jiu ignored him cursing on the other side.

Since it was eighty to ninety percent certain it was a soul-sealing formation, she only needed to find the formation’s eye to break it.

But after breaking it, the damaged fortune would rebound onto Zhao Fusheng. She didn’t know if this old thing had made any backup preparations, or if he had already invited the practitioner who helped him set up this evil technique back then?

Of course, even if they were to fight face to face, she was not afraid. If he had the skills, he could come at her.

Chen Jiu said “yes” decisively, stood up, and looked at Miaoyin who was still silently shedding tears, speechless for a moment.

Even if she had figured out all the causes and consequences, if Miaoyin couldn’t get past the psychological hurdle, no amount of urgency would help. As they say, the emperor is not as anxious as the eunuch.

Chen Jiu then sat back down honestly and asked: “Miaoyin, think it over and tell me. I still have plenty of time.”

As long as she was paid by the day, she could stay as long as needed. It was just that Su Xiaoyu might need to communicate with her teacher and ask for a short leave.

“Master Chen, I am willing to continue investigating.” Miaoyin took a deep breath, looked into her eyes, and said “If it can be proven that Zhao Fusheng is the murderer of my adoptive parents, I want revenge.”