Chapter 18 Part 1

Yin Ming and Hou Feiguang packed away the magical artifact and then registered Chu Yi’s information.

According to them, the Special Affairs Office generally did not interfere with sorcerers’ activities, but if they used their special abilities for evil or dabbled in crooked paths, the Special Affairs Office would step in.

It was clear that the higher-ups at the Special Affairs Office did not take Chu Yi seriously. Not only had they sent two ordinary people to handle the handover, but the registration process was also sloppy. They probably saw him as some lucky fraud.

Chu Yi did not mind. After seeing off Yin Ming and Hou Feiguang, he turned his attention to the remaining three people.

Yu Qingxian turned his head and said, “Director Mo and A’Yuan, you two head out first. I have something to discuss with Mr. Chu.”

Director Mo had no suspicions and obediently got up to leave. Ouyang Yuyuan, however, glanced at his cousin in surprise, wondering what could be so secretive that he could not hear it.

Soon, only the two of them remained in the living room. Yu Qingxian showed good patience and did not get straight to the point. Instead, he brought up something else: “Ying Lin has been taken away by the Special Affairs Office people. The film crew is looking for a replacement. If Mr. Chu is interested, you could give it a try.”

The imperial envoy role that Ying Lin played was only the third male lead, but he served as the archetype of a scholar from a humble background. He crossed paths briefly with the male lead, the future emperor, and later became the emperor’s left and right arms, a pillar minister. His screen time far exceeded that of the minor antagonist, the Canal Transport Governor’s son.

“No thanks. I don’t like effeminate scholars. Too hypocritical,” Chu Yi refused without hesitation.

Of course, that was only one reason. Another was his self-awareness. Compared to a role heavy on scheming dialogue, the minor antagonist suited him much better.

Moreover, he was the one who exposed Ying Lin’s raising of the little ghost. If he then took over the role… No matter how others saw it, he would be the beneficiary.

Chu Yi understood all too well how once you got tangled up in something, it became impossible to explain clearly. So, anyone could play the role, but he absolutely would not touch it.

Yu Qingxian curled up the corner of his mouth. He had deliberately suggested the role switch to Chu Yi, and in response, he discovered yet another trait in him that he admired: young and exceptionally capable, yet neither arrogant nor greedy.

He had managed an entertainment company for so many years and had seen countless cases of people who bit off more than they could chew. Those individuals often came from modest backgrounds and, once they tasted success, became inflated, lost sight of themselves, threw tantrums, double-booked roles, tested legal boundaries… Naturally, their endings were rarely good.

Chu Yi looked to be in his early twenties. How was he so steady?

While Yu Qingxian sized up Chu Yi, Chu Yi was also observing him. President Yu indeed had the physiognomy of someone born into wealth. Not only wealthy origins, but also handsome features, tall stature, long legs—a true dragon among men.

He probably had not done anything wicked either. His gaze was sharp and clear, his spirit full, black hair thick, skin healthy and lustrous. A man like this should have no worries.

And indeed, as Chu Yi observed, not only Yu Qingxian himself, but even his relatives and friends showed no issues. Not even a minor illness or disaster.

“Has Mr. Chu noticed anything?”

Chu Yi was straightforward: “Sorry, I haven’t seen anything. President Yu’s physiognomy and fortune are both normal. The problem isn’t with the house, ancestral grave feng shui, or anything like that… Apart from the soul wandering, has President Yu encountered any other unusual events?”

A master had already asked this question before, and Yu Qingxian shook his head firmly: “No.”

Chu Yi also checked Yu Qingxian’s palm lines, then said regretfully, “There are countless strange arts in the world. President Yu’s issue has stumped me. If my sect were still around, we might have gathered to discuss it…”

“Where is Mr. Chu’s sect?” Yu Qingxian’s eyes lit up. “Distance is no issue. Even if it’s in some deep mountain forest, we can fly in by helicopter.”

Chu Yi glanced at Yu Qingxian. He knew distance was no problem, but the issue was a five-hundred-year gap! Even if he found descendants of the Tianji Sect, who knew if they had degenerated like Master Zhang?

All of Chu Yi’s regret boiled down to one sentence: “It’s gone.”

Yu Qingxian was at a loss. Chu Yi had introduced his master as a wandering healer, lost for so many years—who knew if the old man was even alive? As for the master’s other disciples, finding them would be pure luck…

Fortunately, he had only come to try today. After all, even the master in Witch City could not see anything, so he had been mentally prepared beforehand.

Yu Qingxian walked down the hotel corridor with Ouyang Yuyuan, lost in thought about his own matters and paying no attention to his side. Ouyang Yuyuan’s greeting to an oncoming person snapped him back.

Ouyang Yuyuan said, “It’s you. Looking for Yi Ge?”

Liu Shengqing first glanced at Yu Qingxian nervously. “Yeah, Director Mo asked me to deliver some things to him.” He nodded toward Yu Qingxian: “President Yu.”

That look in his eyes was peculiar, like anticipation mixed with something else.