Chapter 25: The Benefactor

With the backing of his wealthy benefactor, Han Lishan felt emboldened and began to mock Cheng Ziqiu with biting sarcasm.

"Some people," he sneered, "only know how to play petty tricks, fake things, and deceive the audience. Do they really think they’re something special? Hmph!"

[Teacher Han is right! This Cheng Ziqiu definitely has plants in the audience!]
[Exactly! How could anyone be that magical? It must have been staged in advance!]
[Justice-Seeker Brother is mighty! Down with the fraud!]

Seeing the shift in the comments, a smug smile curled the corner of Han Lishan’s mouth. He picked up a jade thumb ring and waved it at the camera.

"Listen up, folks! Look at this jade ring—it’s a treasure from the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty! It’s worth a fortune!"

"Look at this quality! This patina! Those who know, know! As for those who don’t, just keep following these charlatans and making a fuss!"

As he spoke, Han Lishan cast a sidelong glance at another screen, which displayed Cheng Ziqiu’s livestream. Cheng Ziqiu, however, seemed completely unfazed by the mockery; he even yawned.

"Alright, folks, we’ve seen enough of the junk at home. Let’s call it a day."

A wave of question marks flooded the chat.

[What’s going on? It’s over already? I was waiting to see Han Lishan get slapped in the face!]
[Wasn't this supposed to be a PK battle? Why is he chickening out?]
[Did Han Lishan actually hit the nail on the head? Is he feeling guilty?]

Chen Churan grew anxious. She leaned in close to Cheng Ziqiu’s ear and whispered, "Ziqiu, what are you doing? If you stop now, won't people think you're afraid of Han Lishan?"

Cheng Ziqiu gave a mysterious smile, breathed lightly against her ear, and whispered, "Don't worry, the good show is just beginning. I have my own ways."

He cleared his throat and spoke into the microphone: "Next, we move on to—the main event!"

The chat became even more confused.

[Main event? What main event?]
[What could be more important than appraising treasures?]

Cheng Ziqiu cleared his throat again, his gaze suddenly sharpening.

"Folks, is anyone interested in... grave robbing?"

As soon as these words left his lips, the stream went silent for a moment. Then, the comments erupted like a volcanic explosion!

[Holy crap! Grave robbing?!]
[Is this kid crazy? Livestreaming grave robbing? Does he have a death wish?!]
[Thrilling! I love it! The streamer is a legend!]
[666! Can't wait to see him eat prison food!]

Chen Churan was stomping her feet in frustration, grabbing Cheng Ziqiu’s arm. "Are you insane? Talking about grave robbing on a livestream? That’s against the rules!"

Cheng Ziqiu patted her hand to reassure her. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

With that, he gave the camera a wink.

"Calling all tomb raiders, gold-finding lieutenants, mountain-moving Taoists, and earth-shifting warriors: are you still struggling to find a good burial site? Still frustrated because you don't know the industry rules?"

"Today, I’m opening a free class to teach you everything I know and show you the ropes of this ancient and mysterious art!"

The stream went absolutely wild!

"Justice-Seeker" Chen Jianguo was dumbfounded. He had spent over a hundred thousand just to suppress Cheng Ziqiu, and yet this kid had ignored the script and pulled something even more extreme! How was he supposed to play against this?

Chen Churan had completely given up on trying to stop him, covering her face with a look that clearly said, "I don't know this guy."

Just then, a video call request popped up. Cheng Ziqiu glanced at the user ID: "Little Prince of Dragon-Seeking and Point-Locating."

"Little Prince, any advice?" Cheng Ziqiu answered with a smile.

The video connected, and a burly man with a thick beard appeared on screen, standing in the middle of a desolate, wild landscape.

"Master! Master! My ancestors were..."

"Stop!" Cheng Ziqiu interrupted him bluntly. "Looking for an ancestral grave, are you? Trying to collect your ancestors' remains?"

The bearded man was clearly stunned, then quickly recovered and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, exactly! The master truly has eyes like torches! I just want to move my ancestors to a better spot to bless my descendants with prosperity!"

Cheng Ziqiu nodded with an air of profound wisdom. "Mm, filial piety is commendable. Come, show me photos of where you intend to move the grave. Feng shui is all about 'hiding the wind and gathering the qi'; you can't just bury them anywhere."

The bearded man hurriedly pointed his phone at the wild hills and sent over a few photos. Cheng Ziqiu squinted at them, muttering under his breath:

"Green Dragon on the left, White Tiger on the right, Vermilion Bird in front, Black Tortoise behind... mm, this place is interesting."

While speaking, he drew a few lines on the screen and began to analyze it with great seriousness.

"Look here, does the mountain range look like a coiled dragon? Does this rock look like a phoenix spreading its wings? This old tree, doesn't it look like a guardian deity? This place is definitely a feng shui treasure trove!"

The chat instantly exploded.

[Holy crap! The streamer is a genius! He can even see that?]
[This analysis, I’m completely mesmerized!]
[Mom asked me why I’m kneeling to watch the livestream!]
[666! Streamer, help me check my ancestral grave next time!]

Cheng Ziqiu’s mouth curled slightly as he continued the ruse. "However, the burial point isn't quite right; it needs a slight adjustment. Look here, here, and here—these all need to be changed..."

As he pointed things out on the screen, the bearded man nodded along, looking as if he were ready to grab a shovel and start digging immediately. Cheng Ziqiu secretly observed the man's background and asked casually:

"My friend, this place looks a bit familiar. Which province and city is this in?"

The bearded man, caught off guard, spilled it all at once. "Master, I’m in XX County, XX City, XX Province..."

Cheng Ziqiu was secretly delighted but kept his expression indifferent. "Mm, a good place, a good place. Friend, once you move the ancestral grave to the right spot, I guarantee your wealth will pour in and your descendants will flourish!"

The bearded man was so excited he was incoherent. "Thank you, Master! Thank you! Once I move it, I’ll definitely send you a silk banner of gratitude!"

Cheng Ziqiu maintained a professional, fake smile while feeling nothing inside. He had seen through the man’s charade long ago. Ancestral graves? Collecting remains? He was almost certainly trying to rob a tomb. These days, there were plenty of people who used the guise of "ancestral relocation" to commit illegal acts.

"It’s nothing, nothing at all. I’m just serving the people."

While speaking polite pleasantries, Cheng Ziqiu reached for his phone and secretly dialed the police.

"Hello, 110? I’d like to report a grave robbery..." Cheng Ziqiu whispered, quickly giving the address the bearded man had provided.

After hanging up, his smile grew even wider. "Friend, the burial point needs to be moved three inches to the left—yes, right toward that crooked tree..."

Cheng Ziqiu pointed at the blurry tree on the screen and blathered nonsense. "This is called 'Dead Wood Meets Spring,' do you understand? It implies your ancestors are about to welcome a new atmosphere!"

The bearded man nodded repeatedly, looking at him with utter worship. "The master is truly brilliant! I’ll move it right away!"

"Don't rush, don't rush." Cheng Ziqiu hurriedly stopped him. "Moving a grave is a major event; you need to pick an auspicious day and prepare offerings..."

He began to talk endlessly about the so-called "precautions." He rattled off a list of sacrificial animals, incense, candles, and paper money with such authority that the bearded man was completely bewildered, having entirely forgotten his original plan of "searching for ancestors."

In the chat, the audience was having a blast.

[The streamer’s talent for bullshitting is wasted if he doesn't become a shaman!]
[Streamer, help me check my ancestral grave too!]
[Streamer, check my house’s feng shui next time, things have been a bit... he-he-he...]

Cheng Ziqiu glanced at the chat, raised an eyebrow, and smiled meaningfully. "Feng shui is a matter of fate. If you folks want a reading, you can message me privately; we can discuss the price."

Time ticked by, and the bearded man had already begun using his shovel to mark the ground based on Cheng Ziqiu’s "guidance."

"Yes, yes, right there! Friend, you’ve got a good swing with that shovel; I can tell you’re made for big things!" Cheng Ziqiu praised him against his conscience, feeling gleeful inside.

Just then, the sound of police sirens echoed in the distance.