Chapter 97: She Doesn't Have Many Days Left to Live.

Guo An recounted the matters concerning Ji Ruolan and the Ji family as much as he could, then said, “Ji Ruolan has been very cooperative in confessing. We haven’t mistreated her, yet last night she suddenly vomited blood and fell unconscious. After finally waking, she kept insisting on seeing you. I suspect she has something important to tell you.”

“Oh, is that so?” Xu Lin leaned back, her tone indifferent. “But I didn’t know her before this. What could she possibly want to tell me?”

“After she regained consciousness, she kept saying the Ji family’s Fortune Shifting Array was broken. She suspects you were the one who destroyed it and wants to confront you face to face.” Guo An didn’t hide anything, relaying all that Ji Ruolan had said.

Whether it was superstition or not, Guo An felt that a tradition passed down for thousands of years might hold some truth. Besides, Ji Ruolan was under the Truth Talisman—whatever she said had to be true; she dared to spill any secret.

It was only at this point that Guo An and his team learned just how vile some of the Ji family’s methods were. Some of those whose fortunes had been swapped were people he knew, and their fates had been tragic—either laboring on farms or shoveling manure in barns.

At first, Guo An thought it was all coincidence, but after investigating the situations of those people according to Ji Ruolan’s account, he was shocked.

Before their fortunes were swapped, these individuals, if not exceptional, were at least outstanding among their peers. Their downturns only began after the swap—luck, vitality, and spirit all plummeted at once.

Some became so unlucky that even drinking water could break a tooth, and walking down the street, they’d either trip or be struck by debris. The most absurd was someone in an open square, with nothing overhead, being hit by bird droppings.

Their misfortunes were endless—like an old woman’s foot wrap: long-winded and foul, a tale that could go on for days and nights.

“Did you know? Among the Ji family members who received these fortune transfers, every one of them that we’ve managed to investigate is remarkably lucky, whether in officialdom or wealth. As for those who fled to island nations or Hong Kong, we are still investigating their fortunes.” Guo An shifted his posture and asked, “Dr. Xu, do you believe the Fortune Shifting Array is real?”

“I have no idea. I’m just an ordinary little doctor. How would I know about such mystical things?” Xu Lin spread her hands, feigning innocence. “Real or not, I should be asking you, Captain Guo.”

Her eyes sparkled with an air of innocence, making Guo An’s head ache.

From Ji Ruolan’s words, he knew Xu Lin was no ordinary person. Ji Ruolan had fallen into her hands. Moreover, Xu Lin had not tried to hide her abilities—otherwise, Ji Ruolan would never have confessed.

Most importantly, Guo An suspected Ji Ruolan’s unusual cooperativeness was also due to Xu Lin. He had heard that powerful metaphysicians could control both the living and the dead. Perhaps Xu Lin possessed such unpredictable means.

Yet, given the current circumstances, such methods couldn’t be discussed openly. So be it—best to put this aside for now and focus on building rapport with Xu Lin.

A master proficient in both medicine and metaphysics—making an enemy of her would be courting death. As Ji Ruolan had said, the harm a metaphysician could inflict was impossible to guard against.

Soon, the car arrived at the investigation team’s office, and Guo An personally escorted Xu Lin to see Ji Ruolan.

Seated behind the interrogation table, Xu Lin watched as Ji Ruolan entered, shackled hand and foot, her eyes flashing with surprise.

Ji Ruolan, already unattractive and resembling an old witch, now looked even worse—truly frightening, the kind of face that could make children cry in terror.

Was this the backlash at work?

At the sight of Xu Lin, Ji Ruolan immediately became agitated, struggling to lunge at her and shrieking, “Was it you? Was it you who destroyed the Ji family’s fortune?”

“It was you! It must be you! You, you, you’ll never have a good end!” Ji Ruolan was forced into a chair, and as she couldn’t break free, she could only point at Xu Lin and curse, her eyes bloodshot with hatred.

Facing Ji Ruolan’s outburst, Xu Lin spread her hands in innocence, shrugged her small shoulders, and replied with a harmless expression, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t know? How could you not know?” Ji Ruolan, bound to the chair, became even more agitated, trying to hurl herself forward with the chair.

The guards had to restrain her forcefully and threatened, “Ji Ruolan, behave yourself. If you keep this up, we’ll lock you away.”

“Yes, yes, if she doesn’t behave, just give her chili water,” Xu Lin said with a smile, provoking Ji Ruolan to the brink of madness.

After struggling desperately for a while, until she was drenched in sweat and exhausted, Ji Ruolan finally calmed down.

Guo An waved the guards away, then asked sternly, “Ji Ruolan, you asked to see Dr. Xu. She’s here now. If you have something to say, speak quickly—your time is limited.”

He picked up his pen, ready to take notes.

Xu Lin tilted her head, eyeing the disheveled Ji Ruolan with curiosity. What more did she want to ask?

Even if she knew Xu Lin had broken the Fortune Shifting Array, so what? A cripple with her powers ruined and suffering backlash, what could she possibly do?

“I just want to know—was it her who destroyed the Ji family’s Fortune Shifting Array?”

“No,” Xu Lin answered calmly, without the slightest guilt.

Her composure left Ji Ruolan dumbfounded. Could it really not have been Xu Lin?

Then who? Who had broken the Ji family’s array?

Ji Ruolan’s eyes showed a moment of confusion, but she quickly recovered. Regardless of whether it was Xu Lin or not, the fact remained—Xu Lin had captured her and destroyed her powers. She was destined to be the Ji family’s enemy.

Thinking of her own loose tongue, Ji Ruolan’s hatred for Xu Lin deepened even further. She was now the Ji family’s traitor.

“Oh? You’re so concerned about this. Are you planning to pass a message to the Ji family?” Xu Lin clicked her tongue, glancing at Guo An and fanning the flames. “Captain Guo, it seems your team is not as clean as you thought.”

How was Guo An supposed to respond to that?

But Xu Lin had a point—why was Ji Ruolan so eager to know? Could she really send out a message?

Recalling what the Ji family had done, he immediately asked, “Who contacted you?”

“I don’t know. I just received a slip of paper,” Ji Ruolan blurted out, immediately wishing she could slap herself. Why couldn’t she keep her mouth shut? Someone had slipped her a note right under their noses—who was it?

A flash of murderous intent appeared in Guo An’s eyes. This fish had to be caught and dealt with.

Seeing that look, Ji Ruolan was so distraught she was nearly in tears. Not only had she failed to get answers from Xu Lin, but now she might get someone else in trouble as well.

Who could she possibly complain to now?

“She doesn’t have many days left. If you have questions, you’d best ask them now,” Xu Lin suddenly remarked.

Ji Ruolan’s triangular eyes widened in shock—she didn’t have long to live? She was going to die?

The blow left Ji Ruolan reeling. She had lost her powers and sat in prison, but she still didn’t want to die.