Chapter 27: The Tree Removed, the Malady Healed

Li Chengfeng hurriedly retreated two steps, his eyes filled with terror as he stared at the ghost fire before him, his voice trembling as he asked, "Y-you, what do you want?"

Li Daqiang and the workers beside him were so frightened that their legs shook uncontrollably; the most timid among them even lost control of their bladders, soaking their trousers. Some tried to run, but their legs refused to obey, leaving them no choice but to squeeze their eyes shut, afraid to look.

Just then, a kind yet hollow voice of an old man emanated from the ghost fire. "Young Celestial Master, thank you. Thank you for saving our Ye family. We will surely repay your kindness."

The ghost fire, floating in mid-air, vanished back into the grave as soon as the words were spoken, disappearing without a trace. Seeing that the ghost fire had no intention of harming him, Li Chengfeng let out a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that the old fellow had nearly scared him to death just to say thank you.

A worker nearby panted heavily and said, "That was terrifying! Absolutely terrifying! I’m never taking a job like this again, no matter how much they pay me."

"Haha..." Some of the bolder men couldn't help but laugh.

Li Chengfeng offered a faint smile. Before dawn, he chose a spot and replanted the locust tree. Once everything was done, he, Li Daqiang, and the workers gathered their tools and returned to where the vehicles were parked.

Ye Mengyao was waiting anxiously by the car. Seeing Li Chengfeng swagger toward her, she hurried over and asked, "Mr. Li, has the tree been moved?"

Li Chengfeng did not answer. Looking exhausted, he said, "Let these men tell you about it. I’m a bit sleepy and want to take a nap."

With that, he opened the car door, then paused as if remembering something. He turned to Ye Mengyao and said, "Those three men who went into the coffin to clear the roots—I promised them an extra 20,000 each. Please settle their wages."

"All right, I will pay them in a moment."

Li Chengfeng then climbed into the car, lay down on the back seat, and fell into a deep sleep, leaving everything else outside to be dealt with.

Li Daqiang and the workers took turns describing what had just happened to Ye Mengyao. She listened in disbelief, still unable to accept that ghost fire had actually emerged from the grave. "Impossible, I don't believe it. How could ghost fire come out of a tomb? And even if it could, it wouldn't listen to his commands!"

"Miss Ye, we are telling the truth," one worker insisted. "There were so many of us, and we all saw it with our own eyes. We’re just simple, rough men—even if you asked us to make up a story, we wouldn't have the imagination for it! Mr. Li is truly amazing. He told the ghost fire to leave, and it left. He told it to come back, and it did. It was simply miraculous. I’ve lived for more than half a century, and I’ve never seen anything so bizarre."

Ultimately, Ye Mengyao chose to believe them. She truly wished she could have seen for herself how Li Chengfeng commanded those spirits, but as a woman, she could never participate in such matters; doing so would surely invite great trouble.

It must be said that Ye Mengyao was a very kind woman. After transferring the 60,000 yuan to Li Daqiang and the two other workers, she sent an extra 10,000 yuan for them to have a good meal.

Ye Mengyao still felt a sense of unease. With the locust tree on her great-grandfather’s grave removed, she didn't know how her father and aunt were faring. She was deeply worried that even after moving the tree, their illnesses might not improve, and that there would be no other way to save them.

She sat in the car, watching Li Chengfeng sleeping in the back seat, and was struck by how handsome he looked. She wondered, if he really did heal her father and aunt, how should she repay him? Was one million yuan enough for such a great favor? Should she offer her hand in marriage? It seemed like the only way to repay such profound kindness.

Just as Ye Mengyao was lost in her thoughts, her phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number. She didn't want to answer—most unknown numbers were just telemarketers—but as she reached to hang up, she accidentally tapped the answer button. She quickly moved to end the call, but a familiar voice came through.

"Mengyao, where are you?"

Ye Mengyao fell silent. Hearing that voice, tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn't believe she would ever hear it again in this lifetime.

The phone rang again, and the same voice repeated, "Mengyao, can you hear me? If you can, please respond."

"Father! Father, I hear you! I hear you!" Ye Mengyao exclaimed, overcome with emotion. "Father, are your eyes and your health better?"

"Yes! I'm better! I don't know how it happened, but when I woke up this morning, I suddenly found I could see again, and I could speak. My legs and lungs are also healed. It's truly bizarre."

Ye Gucheng had regained his health; his illnesses were completely gone, leaving him immensely excited. As he was speaking to Ye Mengyao, the hospital room door was pushed open, and Ye Wushuang, dressed in a hospital gown, ran in, looking overjoyed. "Brother, my eyes can see, and I can speak!"

"Yes, I see!"

Ye Wushuang stood frozen, staring in astonishment at Ye Gucheng. He had spoken, his eyes could see, and his health was restored.

Over the phone, Ye Mengyao described what had happened. When Ye Gucheng learned that the locust tree had been removed from the tomb, he suddenly realized that his illness had indeed been linked to it. The moment the tree was moved, his body had returned to normal—it was simply miraculous. It could not be explained by medicine or science; Chinese culture was truly profound.

He marveled silently that Li Chengfeng was so young yet so capable—no, not just capable, but immensely gifted. He was the great benefactor of the Ye family; without him, the Ye family's assets would have been seized by the collateral branches.

Ye Gucheng asked urgently, "Mengyao, where is Mr. Li now? I want to see him."

"He is sleeping in my car. I will bring him over right away."

"Good! Bring him here immediately."

While Ye Gucheng waited for Ye Mengyao and Li Chengfeng, a major event was unfolding at the Ye family estate in the capital. The head of the family, Ye Qingtian—Ye Mengyao’s grandfather, who had been ill for two years—woke up suddenly from a dream. He had dreamt of his father, who had passed away many years ago. His father had said with a stern expression, "The Ye family has survived this catastrophe entirely due to the merit of the Celestial Master Li. Our descendants must not be ungrateful; you must repay Celestial Master Li well."

Ye Qingtian was confused, and just as he was about to ask which Celestial Master Li his father meant, he woke up. Why would his father visit him in a dream, and who was this Celestial Master Li? He thought it was strange—could it be that his end was near?

As he pondered, he blinked and looked out the window. When the bright morning sun hit his eyes, he was struck dumb. "My... my eyes! I can see!"

Ye Qingtian hurriedly stepped out of bed and was amazed to find that his illnesses had vanished overnight. He couldn't believe it was true, so he rubbed his eyes hard and looked at the sun again. "It's true, it's really true! I can see!"

"Haha..." Recalling the dream, he marveled at the mystery. What was going on? Who was the Celestial Master Li his father spoke of? Was his miraculous recovery related to this person? Countless questions swirled in his mind.

At the same time, the direct descendants of the Ye family woke up to find their own illnesses gone. What had happened overnight? The Ye family had spent so much money, hired so many people, and wasted so much effort, all to no avail. Yet, after just one night, all the direct descendants had recovered their health.

As they regained their strength, they rushed to check on the other family members, only to find that everyone had recovered. The balance of power in the Ye family of the capital was about to shift, and a struggle between the direct and collateral branches was inevitable. The collateral descendants, seeing Ye Qingtian and the direct line fully recovered, felt only resentment and anger. They had been on the verge of victory, only to have it all fall apart. How could things have turned out this way?