As for why he was taken away, it was said that he was involved in a murder.
Early this morning, a corpse from the Mo family was discovered on the roadside.
The body was covered by a flag.
It was exactly the same flag that the so-called "Half-Sage" usually carried. So, this incident was somehow placed on the Half-Sage's head.
After hearing this, Chen Fan couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time.
He finished his steamed buns by the roadside and hobbled towards the yamen (government office).
If only he had removed the flag when he left last night, this incident wouldn't have happened.
...
In a world ruled by immortals, the government was extremely lazy.
Usually, they only cared about two things — neither of which they actually managed well.
So, Chen Fan didn't have to put in much effort. With some soft words and a bit of silver to bribe them, by nightfall, he had successfully bailed out the Half-Sage.
When the Half-Sage saw Chen Fan, his face looked so gloomy it was about to drip with water.
At the drinking table, he complained to Chen Fan.
He had good intentions, but things went wrong.
He didn't know who had killed someone and just left the body on the roadside, without caring at all.
Even if they had just dug a hole and buried it, he wouldn't have said anything.
Chen Fan quietly listened, not saying a word.
But from now on, when killing someone, he would add an extra step to ensure proper handling afterward.
Throwing the body on the roadside wasn't good — it was like urinating in public, making it seem uncivilized.
Chen Fan agreed with the Half-Sage's words.
So, he nodded slightly, occasionally sipping his drink.
While chatting, the Half-Sage suddenly pulled out fifty taels of silver from his pocket.
He insisted on thanking Chen Fan.
Although he had lost a little money, he could still leave the prison safely.
But the fact that Chen Fan came to rescue him after knowing about it made the Half-Sage deeply touched.
Because of this, the money should not be in vain for Chen Fan.
Chen Fan refused to accept it, saying that since he had killed the person, he felt too guilty to take the money.
However, one side wanted to give, the other side didn't want to take.
After pushing back and forth, it felt somewhat inappropriate.
Finally, the Half-Sage slapped his hand and took the money back.
"Brother, since you don't want my money, I, the Half-Sage, can't owe you a favor for nothing. How about this: I'll give you three divinations for free. I guarantee they are authentic, without any trickery."
Chen Fan thought about it and figured that the Half-Sage's half-baked skills wouldn't be worth much, so he agreed.
He sat down again, and the Half-Sage became serious.
He stared at Chen Fan's face for a long time, making Chen Fan feel a little uneasy.
Then, the Half-Sage nodded slightly and said:
"This first divination: 'Gen' is for mountain, 'Dui' is for marsh... Recently, you will face trouble due to earth. It's best to stay away from places with mountains and rivers; otherwise, you will encounter disaster…"
After listening to the Half-Sage's mumbling, Chen Fan was somewhat confused.
He understood every word the Half-Sage said, but when they were put together, he couldn't make any sense of it.
The only thing he understood was that he would face disaster soon and should avoid places with mountains and rivers.
Chen Fan didn't believe in this and just thought the Half-Sage was talking nonsense, so he smiled and brushed it off.
After three rounds of drinks,
The Half-Sage stumbled to his feet, his face flushed, already a bit tipsy.
He patted Chen Fan's shoulder with a broad palm.
The calluses on his hand made Chen Fan's shoulder ache, but he still held his cane and helped the drunk Half-Sage up.
The Half-Sage babbled:
"Brother, one more thing: Avoid earth, water, and wood. Keep it in mind."
After saying this, the Half-Sage lifted his foot and was about to leave.
However, right in front of Chen Fan, he tripped and fell flat on his face.
Having drunk so much, who would believe his words now?
Chen Fan went up and helped the Half-Sage up, sighed, and said:
"Where do you live? Let me send you back."
The Half-Sage was stubborn and waved his hand, saying he could walk on his own.
Then, after shaking his head three times, he staggered off.
Chen Fan watched him leave until he could no longer see his figure, and only then did he leave the tavern, leaning on his cane.
...
That night, the Mo family mansion was eerily silent.
The elderly head of the family had passed away, and it should have been a time for mourning and guarding the spirit, but the entire mourning hall was empty.
Inside the main house, the things had been smashed to pieces by Mo Renxing, and anything breakable was shattered.
Most of it was valuable items.
If they had been cheaper, Mo Renxing would have felt like it wasn't enough.
The housekeeper stood silently in the corner, not daring to speak, his eyes filled with a trace of disappointment.
The eldest son was incompetent, and the second son, still away studying, hadn't returned.
The Mo family, having lost its head, was on the verge of collapse.
Mo Renxing didn't think about sending his father on his final journey. Instead, his thoughts were only on the family property and his position.
The housekeeper even suspected that the second son had already been secretly eliminated by Mo Renxing and would never return.
Thinking about this, his heart grew cold.
He had worked at the Mo family for half his life, and now it was time to leave.
"How much longer until they arrive?"
Suddenly, Mo Renxing spoke.
The housekeeper calculated the time and quietly replied:
"Two hours have passed. They should be arriving soon."
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
A servant entered, leading two young men dressed in Daoist robes, each holding a sword.
When the door was opened, Mo Renxing, whose face was dark, immediately showed a smile.
He respectfully invited them in, offered them tea, and then cautiously spoke:
"May I ask the names of the two esteemed Daoist masters?"
"Liuyun Immortal Sect, Zhao Shan!"
"Zhao Huai!"
The two young men each clasped their hands in greeting, but never once looked directly at Mo Renxing.
Mo Renxing didn't dare show any displeasure and accompanied them respectfully, showing a bit of reverence and admiration:
"I invited you both to come…"
"Enough!"
Zhao Shan, on the left, raised his hand to stop Mo Renxing's words, his square face full of arrogance:
"Our Liuyun Immortal Sect does take some secular jobs, but not just anyone can afford to invite us!"
Zhao Huai nodded in agreement:
"From the moment we stepped out of the mountain gate, the fee began. If you want to kill, it's another charge—four thousand taels per head. Buy one, get one free!"
"In other words, from the moment you invited us, whether we kill or not, you must pay a thousand taels as a fee, no matter what. That's the rule!"
"Eh~"
Upon hearing these numbers, Mo Renxing immediately sobered up.
Four thousand taels per head, plus the travel fee, that's five thousand taels.
A full five thousand taels—this was equivalent to the revenue from his Mo family cloth workshop for an entire month.
But recalling Chen Fan's actions earlier, if he didn't deal with this, how could he still hold his position as head of the family?
After what happened, no one in Liuguang City would dare to provoke Chen Fan anymore, except for the Floating Kun Palace and the Liuyun Immortal Sect.
To treat this grievance, Mo Renxing was ready to go all in.
He gritted his teeth and waved to the housekeeper:
"Go get the money!"
The housekeeper opened his mouth as if to say something, but stopped himself.
He could only turn and go to the account room to fetch the money.
After Zhao Shan and Zhao Huai received the money, they inquired about Chen Fan's situation.
In the end, they simply left with a light phrase, "Wait for good news," and departed.
Their arrogant attitude and dismissive gaze made Mo Renxing's heart uneasy.
After the housekeeper completed everything, he also made up his mind to leave.
Returning to his room, he packed his belongings that night and took the savings he had accumulated over the years, quietly leaving the Mo family while the night was dark and the wind was strong.
Not going far, he suddenly remembered Chen Fan.
Chen Fan was innocent. Because of Mo Renxing, he had unnecessarily provoked the powerful Liuyun Immortal Sect. It was truly not worth it.
After some thought, the housekeeper decided to inform Chen Fan.
It was just a matter