I drew a talisman to save the sun from its bleeding state.

Chapter 52 Actually, I'm not that close to my dad.

Zhou Zheng stood there for ten minutes before he recovered and the stinging pain all over his body finally dissipated.

He quickly thanked Lei Zu, then returned to the sofa in the hall and lay down to recover. Although the bestowal of the reward was brief, it had a profound impact on his mind and spirit.

A shock in a physical sense.

Xiaoxue sat beside him, holding Zhou Zheng's hand tightly, trying to offer him warmth and comfort.

Zhou Zheng sat up, feeling much better: "I'm fine now, Brother Liu. Is Lei Zu's reward always this quick and accurate?"

Liu Zhen laughed so hard his legs trembled: "This is truly a great favor from the Thunder Ancestor! I never expected such a reward. With such an opportunity, as long as you don't court death during your tribulations, it'll be a piece of cake. Besides, look how good the Thunder Ancestor is to you; he even kept your hair! Hahaha!"

Zhou Zheng hugged his face, feeling the buzzing in his head subside a lot: "Okay, I'll practice... never mind, I don't want to practice anything, I want to lie down until noon."

I lay back down, but this time there was a pair of tender legs behind my head, and when I looked up, I couldn't see the ceiling.

Wow, such a strong sense of confidence. No wonder Xiaoxue is so confident.

Zhou Zheng shrank back slightly, looking into Xiaoxue's eyes.

Xiaoxue wrapped her arms around Zhou Zheng's head and said with a grin, "Darling, this is a real treat to have your head resting on my legs. Doesn't it feel like being hugged by an anime heroine?"

Zhou Zheng looked at her, raised his hand and drew a Rejuvenation Talisman and a Medicine King Talisman for himself, then sat up and took out six coins from his storage ring, holding them in his palm: "Happiness has arrived, I'll continue training."

Xiaoxue was shocked: "Happiness is about continuing to struggle? Haji Zhou, shouldn't you be captivated by my charm, then ask me out to trigger the affection level event, get married after the affection level is full, discuss the meaning of life, have a son and a daughter, and finally live happily ever after?"

Zhou Zheng: "Shh, be quiet, I need to practice my divination."

Xiaoxue: "Damn it, I went to train and got caught in this mess!"

After a morning of hard training, I only improved my proficiency in divination; there was no fundamental change.

After lunch, I called Xu Fan and arranged to meet at the Poison Lizard Warehouse.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Around 2 PM, Zhou Zheng, along with Xiao Xue, Liu Zhen, and Tang Ying, arrived at the former Poison Lizard Cursed Demon Factory in the suburbs. The area had been sealed off, and outsiders were not allowed to approach.

Xu Fan had been waiting for a while, squatting on the ground inspecting the stones and such. He only stood up and clapped his hands when he heard the car.

Zhou Zheng got out of the car: "What did you do with Shen Gang's family?"

Xu Fan shrugged: "I've submitted the report to my superiors and they're going through the procedures. They'll give me a response. Whatever the outcome, they won't bother me again."

Zhou Zheng: "Tsk, you're still too soft-hearted. If it were me, if someone threatened the person I love, I would kill their entire family without hesitation."

Xu Fan: "...So you're the real boss, and I'm just an ordinary soul hunter. Anyway, Zhou-ge, why did you ask me to meet you here?"

Zhou Zheng took out six coins from his storage ring: "Using fate deduction to find clues, more clues are always a good thing... even though I accidentally blew this place up."

Xu Fan nodded: "Okay, I'll help look for clues too. The sooner we find clues, the sooner I'll feel at ease."

Zhou Zheng took out a specially prepared notebook from his waist bag and threw it over. Xu Fan caught it, looking puzzled.

Zhou Zheng nodded: "It's for warding off evil spirits, dispelling bad luck, and neutralizing the effects of Tai Sui. The name and precautions are written on it. After you get home, stick it up in your house according to the instructions. Generally, evil spirits won't come near your house. But remember, this thing is useless against people. If you encounter bad people, call the police immediately and ask them for help."

Xu Fan beamed, "Thanks, Brother Zhou."

Zhou Zheng waved his hand, then walked down the stairs and entered the pit, holding six coins in his hand to enhance his fate prediction and gather more clues.

Xu Fan put away his notebook, examined the scattered stones nearby, and recorded the array patterns on them.

Liu Zhen walked around the scene with his arms crossed, occasionally kicking up a piece of floorboard to check its texture.

Tang Ying put on gloves, took out her phone and started taking pictures and recording, clearly showing her experience.

Xiaoxue followed Tang Ying and learned some experience in field investigation.

This busy period lasted until 6 p.m.

Zhou Zheng climbed out of the pit, stretched, and said, "Time to go home."

Xu Fan looked up helplessly: "Fine, I'm off work. Brother Zhou, are you really not in a hurry?"

Zhou Zheng: "Today wasn't a complete waste of time. We collected some formations and techniques used by the Nine Schools, so we can recognize them at a glance next time we encounter them. But... let's grab a bite to eat first, and then work a little overtime to find that artist who made the fake painting."

The Nine Schools' shielding methods remain advanced, making them undetectable by ordinary deductions. However, the traces left behind cannot be erased, and there is still some relevant information worth recording.

Xu Fan was surprised: "Overtime? Brother Zhou, you actually have to work overtime?"

Zhou Zheng sighed, "I didn't want to work overtime originally, but when I did the calculations, I realized that it would be even more troublesome if we went two days later, so I had no choice but to work overtime."

Xu Fan asked curiously, "Why would it be more troublesome if we waited two days?"

Zhou Zheng: "I don't know, that's what the divination says. Let's go eat, and then we'll go find that painter."

Divination works like this: it tells you the result and whether it's auspicious or inauspicious, but it doesn't tell you the process.

Xu Fan had no choice but to get in the car and head to the old noodle shop for dinner.

After dinner, Zhou Zheng deduced the name and current address of the creator of the fake immortal portrait, and everyone took a car straight to the antique street.

The deduction shows that the creator of this fake is named Lan Yutian, a skilled forger who is now over seventy years old. He runs an antique shop in Liangcheng Antique Street, and has children and grandchildren. He is enjoying a comfortable old age.

The car was parked in a parking lot near the antique street, and the group walked towards Lan Yutian's antique shop.

Xu Fan complained, "This is unbelievable. How come bad people live such a comfortable life while good people like me suffer so much?"

Zhou Zheng: "There's nothing wrong with that. You're carrying the burden while others ride on your backs and enjoy themselves. Shen Gang harmed your sister for profit, and Lan Yutian made fake paintings that harmed the Xu family for profit. As for you, you haven't harmed anyone. You work hard every day, getting up early and working late, repairing appliances for local elderly people, and even buying and picking up packages for them. You don't make money from these things; you're earning good karma."

And you're still alive, yet you won't be able to enjoy much of the benefits of good deeds. Oh, I forgot you used the good deeds you accumulated to extend your sister's life; you'll still be a wicked ghost even in death.

Xu Fan: "..." I really want to sew Zhou Ge's mouth shut. His words are like a leaky vent, which makes people feel warm and blush.

Upon arriving at the antique shop, Zhou Zheng glanced around to confirm there was no evil aura before stepping inside. It was just an ordinary antique shop, nothing particularly noteworthy.

As I entered, my eyes immediately fell on a statue of the God of Wealth enshrined on the side of the hall. I couldn't help but chuckle: "Look at them, they even worship the God of Wealth, plant money trees, and keep goldfish. Their feng shui is way better than yours. No wonder they're rich while you're suffering. All the money's going to these unscrupulous bastards."

"Guest, is it not nice to come in and start cursing us for being unethical? My Blue Mountain Antique Shop has always treated people with honesty and integrity." A middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit, with an angry expression and holding a small teapot in his hand, had just come down the stairs from the second floor.

There were two waiters in the store, a man and a woman, and they both looked unhappy. The male waiter even rolled up his sleeves slightly and walked over quickly, while the female waiter took out her phone, ready to call the police at any time.

Zhou Zheng looked at the middle-aged man.

Lan Shou (Antique Dealer)

Zhou Zheng: "Your name is Lan Shou? What's your relationship with Lan Yutian?"

Lan Shou snorted: "My own father, guest. If you're looking for trouble, you've come to the wrong place. I, Lan Shou, have a clear conscience. If you think you can bully my Lan family because it's a small family, you're just dreaming."

Zhou Zheng: "I have your father's fake painting."

Lan Shou's face stiffened, and he hurriedly raised his hand to signal the two waiters to stop. "I'm not that close to him, sir. Let's talk inside. Xu'er, close the door, we're not welcoming guests today. Please don't be angry, sir. We can discuss this inside. Bring me the best tea!"

My dad's past misdeeds have come back to haunt me again. What a rip-off! I wonder how much he'll have to pay this time. It's been almost twenty years since I made any counterfeits, how come people are still coming after me?