Chapter 376 375: Illusion Talisman

Master Huo's eyes darted around for a moment before he slowly nodded.

"That's right. I'm afraid this is the only way."

Qiao Canhua's heart burned with anxiety. This meant his investment in the project would all go down the drain. He asked, "Master, is there really no other way?"

Master Huo said, "None. I've already racked my brain for you, but minor changes can't alter the layout of the entire place. It's a truly difficult situation."

Qiao Canhua sighed deeply. "Well, if that's the case..."

His heart truly ached. The building was already finished. It wasn't just a bare shell; the pipelines and wiring were all installed. Tearing it all down to start over would mean tens of millions down the drain.

He didn't have the final say in the group, either. A loss of this magnitude would definitely have people cursing up a storm.

"Master Huo, I'm begging you. Please, think of something else!"

"I've already told you what can be done. If you don't believe me, then there's truly nothing left."

Qiao Canhua's heart was bleeding, but he could only do his best to force himself to accept reality.

Mu Lin walked over and said, "Uncle Qiao, these people's falls have absolutely nothing to do with feng shui. Don't listen to him."

Master Huo's face instantly darkened. Qiao Canhua was shocked and hurriedly said to Mu Lin, "Mu Lin, don't talk nonsense!"

Huo Changsheng was a famous Yin Yang Master from Di Yang. How could he possibly be wrong?

"Heh," Huo Changsheng sneered. "Chairman Qiao, where did this little punk come from? Are you intentionally trying to look down on me? To think I'd be shown up by some kid?"

Qiao Canhua said hastily, "Master Huo, please don't misunderstand. It's not like that. Mu Lin is my junior. I brought him here today to broaden his horizons."

"He's young and speaks his mind without a filter. Please, don't hold it against him!"

Qiao Canhua shot Mu Lin a look, telling him to shut up for now.

But Mu Lin just spoke even louder. "This man is a charlatan! Uncle Qiao, you can't let him swindle you!"

This sent Qiao Canhua into a panic, and Huo Changsheng flew into a rage. "Chairman Qiao, stop putting on this little act! If you have a problem with me, just say it. Why resort to such tactics to humiliate me? If you don't clear this up, I'll find someone else to judge the situation. From this day forward, you can forget about ever finding anyone to read your feng shui again!"

Qiao Canhua was frantic. As a real estate developer, he couldn't afford to be without the art of feng shui.

Huo Changsheng was a top figure in the field. Offending him meant that practically everyone else would shut their doors on him.

'How am I supposed to do business then?'

But he didn't want Mu Lin to be wronged, either.

Mu Lin chuckled. "Uncle Qiao, don't worry. He can't blacklist you. In fact, I'd say he's not far from total ruin and disgrace himself!"

Mu Lin took out a soft-tipped ink pen, walked to the wall, and made marks in several places.

"See? Knock down this section of the wall, and their little trick will be exposed!"

Qiao Canhua was quite hesitant, but seeing the confidence in Mu Lin's eyes, he couldn't help but want to give it a try.

As someone who made a living reading feng shui, Huo Changsheng was an expert at reading people. Seeing Qiao Canhua waver, he immediately roared:

"Qiao Canhua, I think you've lost your mind! I'm done here! From this day on, don't come looking for me, and my disciples certainly won't be serving you either!"

With that, Huo Changsheng turned to leave. Mu Lin gave Meng Fang a subtle signal, and Meng Fang immediately stepped in front of Huo Changsheng, blocking his path.

"Elder Huo, you can't leave just yet. I'm a Patrol Officer. You'll have to wait here for a bit. If we find out this was a mistake, I will of course apologize to you."

Huo Changsheng sneered, "A Patrol Officer? You think that's so great? If you so much as lay a finger on me, I'll have you stripped of that uniform!"

He had close ties with the higher-ups, so he had the confidence to back up his threat.

But Meng Fang didn't budge. Compared to losing his uniform, he was more afraid of letting a criminal get away.

If he could prove Huo Changsheng was guilty, it would be a meritorious achievement, and he certainly wouldn't be fired.

If Huo Changsheng was indeed innocent, and he got fired just for offending him in the line of duty, then this Patrol Team wasn't worth staying in anyway.

It was that simple.

With the situation already this tense, Qiao Canhua finally made up his mind, gritting his teeth.

Rather than being paralyzed by fear, it was better to take a risk and help Mu Lin uncover the truth.

He immediately contacted the foreman and told him to bring a few workers over.

"Master Huo, please wait a little longer. If this is a misunderstanding, I will apologize with a hefty sum."

"You think you can just pay me off? Let me tell you, I'm not that cheap!"

Huo Changsheng still tried to leave, but Mu Lin said coldly, "Trying to run? Let me tell you, my people are outside. Even if you get through this door, there are plenty of others to stop you. An entire squad from the Military Suppression Bureau."

Hearing the words "Military Suppression Bureau," Huo Changsheng's expression changed again and again. "You're from the Military Suppression Bureau?"

Mu Lin tilted his head. "What do you want me to say? If I say yes, are you going to kowtow and beg for mercy? If I say no, are you going to fly into a rage and curse me out?"

Mu Lin's words left Huo Changsheng completely baffled.

He was at a loss for words. If the Military Suppression Bureau really was outside, there would be no escape.

The workers came upstairs. Qiao Canhua pointed at the wall where Mu Lin had drawn the lines and said, "Right there. Smash it!"

The workers didn't find this difficult at all. With a single swing of a hammer...

A hole immediately appeared in the wall.

And then?

Seeing nothing unusual, Huo Changsheng's confidence surged. "See? Go ahead and slander me! Let's see how you're going to clean up this mess! What do you have to say for yourselves now? Say something!"

Qiao Canhua felt his own confidence waver. There was no sign of anything. He had no idea what this evidence Mu Lin spoke of was supposed to be.

"Master Huo, please calm down. Mu Lin is a young man. We should give young people a chance... I..."

"Give young people a chance? Does that mean they can just slander their elders whenever they please?" Huo Changsheng shot back.

That shut Qiao Canhua up.

Just then, a piece of pale yellow talisman paper fluttered out from inside the wall. A Talisman was drawn on it with dark red ink.

The entire room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop.

'You've got to be kidding me...'

Mu Lin glanced at Huo Changsheng and sneered, "Master Huo, and you still say you had nothing to do with this?"

Looking at the talisman paper, Qiao Canhua had a feeling this wasn't something an ordinary person would use. He asked urgently,

"Mu Lin, what is this?"

Mu Lin replied, "An Illusion Talisman. Anyone nearby who meets certain conditions will be controlled by it and walk in a specific direction."

He pointed to the other side of the wall, which was exactly where the fatal falls had occurred.

"And what are those conditions? What Meng Fang said gave me an idea. The victims were all tall workers, between five-foot-nine and five-foot-eleven."

"'Could it be that it's designed to target only them?' I wondered."

"And I'll be damned, it really was."

"After all, the conspirator didn't want to lure everyone up to a high place to fall to their deaths."

Meng Fang also had a moment of realization. He had played a part in cracking the case by providing the clue, and he felt a sense of shared honor. He was overjoyed.

He couldn't help but marvel at Mu Lin's incredible skill. To think he could see through the method with just a single glance.

No wonder Team Leader Jiang from Nanjiang Province had given that certificate to Mu Lin. He truly had the skills to back it up. With so many talents combined, it was an absolute windfall.

"So, you see, the talisman paper's influence is the root cause. Forcing it to be about feng shui is just a plain old scam."

"Everyone else said the feng shui was fine. Why was Master Huo the only one to claim the location was off? Was it the location that was off, or was it his conscience?"

Mu Lin's accusation should have sent Huo Changsheng into a rage, but he was utterly speechless.

He was terrified. He was afraid that this time, he wouldn't be able to handle the consequences.

Qiao Canhua's face was ashen, and unstoppable rage blazed in his eyes.

He had been tricked again.

Now, Mu Lin really had to choose a specific course of action.

Heaven knows what that would be.

"Master Huo, how do you explain this? The truth is out now. You can't just say your skills are lacking, can you?"

"You said so many things scolding Mu Lin, calling him a reckless youth who knows nothing. What about you?"

Qiao Canhua felt he had been more than fair to Huo Changsheng. Even now, he was still treating him with courtesy, which was more than enough.

Huo Changsheng said, "It was a matter of my skill level. I didn't see it. That's perfectly normal. But don't you dare accuse me of harming people! I did no such thing! I have no idea where that talisman paper came from!"