Chapter 4: The Nine Palaces Divination

Since this place was once a mountain forest, uninhabited and not a cemetery, and had no supernatural beings causing trouble, Luo Li was baffled as to how the "Deep Water Prison Trap" could have appeared here.

It doesn't matter if he couldn't figure out the reason; he had to solve this situation. Liu's celestial appearance was full and his life palace was rosy and broad, but his impression hall was dark, and both his children's and spouse's palaces were free of any injuries. This did not align with his circumstances. The ominous aura of death was particularly puzzling. Luo Li was skilled in physiognomy, including feng shui, but the face could also show signs due to changes in the feng shui environment, which made Liu's situation particularly strange.

Liu's wife worked at the town post office. Luo Li remembered that she had come from a poor background and had used a loan to finish her secondary education. She was friendly and efficient. Recalling her face from when he collected parcels at the post office, it seemed far from that of a debauched or malicious person. Instead, it matched the profile of someone with a consistent and loyal fate.

There must be something fishy going on.

If it wasn't the environment and it wasn't a supernatural being, then it must be people. Thinking of this, Luo Li turned back to Liu's house.

The door was locked. Luo Li was surprised, as he clearly remembered that he hadn't locked the door when he left. He knocked, but no one answered.

"Liu Laoshi! Liu Da Ge!"

There was no response. He moved to knock on the window, which was also shut. The kitchen light was still on.

Something was increasingly wrong. He climbed into the balcony and attempted to enter through the window. The sky wasn't completely dark yet, and through the glass, he saw someone lying at the kitchen door.

Liu Laoshi?

Not caring about anything else, he broke the glass and climbed in, trying to help the person up. It was indeed Liu Laoshi, but Liu Laoshi suddenly flipped over and stood up, brandishing a knife towards Luo Li's face.

Luo Li was unprepared, but with quick reflexes, he barely avoided the blade. Still, he was unable to dodge completely, and the knife grazed his left ear, causing blood to drip onto Liu Laoshi's hand, which was tightly gripping the knife. Liu Laoshi's expression cleared up immediately as he looked at his own hand in surprise.

"What is going on?"

Both of them spoke at the same time. Luo Li opened his mouth and pulled Liu Laoshi back into the kitchen.

He said, "Liu Laoshi, someone must have tampered with your home. Think back, before these problems started, did anyone unusual visit? Perhaps someone who had never come before? If not, consider the people who visit often."

Liu Laoshi came to his senses and realized something was wrong. Despite feeling despondent after the disaster, he found it shameful and cowardly to commit suicide. He had an elderly mother and couldn't entertain such selfish thoughts. However, why had he recently been so inclined to use the knife? And why had he tried to attack Luo Li?

Upon hearing this, Liu Laoshi asked, "Is this the reason for my family's misfortune? But who would want to harm me?"

"For now, we don't know the exact cause. I suspect it might not be due to personal enemies but rather related to having been wronged by someone else. And it was done very discreetly, so it's hard to detect. I noticed your new piano—it's the same as one I saw on TV, a luxury brand, and the wood is cedar. With your income, you shouldn't be able to afford it. How long has your daughter been learning the piano?"

"It was sent by someone who had never visited before." Liu Laoshi's eyes flared with anger. He nearly smashed the piano, clearly convinced by Luo Li's words.

"Here's a long story. The child's grandmother lived to eighty years old when she passed away. The child's mother was the youngest daughter among four siblings, and her mother gave birth to her at forty. Shortly after she was born, her father died while working by the river."