The lawyer asked, "Are you sure the child often goes to the neighbor's house?"

Ma Yihao nodded.

He had already called several villagers to testify. When they were brought up, Ma Yihao was stunned. The lawyer asked a few questions, and the neighbors honestly answered, revealing that Xiaonizi had never visited the neighbors, rarely going out, and not playing with other children in the village.

The lawyer questioned Ma Yihao, who changed his testimony, saying he had made a mistake due to the long time elapsed. The lawyer defended him, and he calmed down.

But when the lawyer asked more questions, Ma Yihao appeared restless again. Suddenly, he erupted, "Didn't I answer many times? Why keep asking? Her mother left the child with me and left. How could I teach a child at twenty-one?"

Lawyer: "Have you ever hit the child?"

Ma Yihao became increasingly agitated, "It was accidental, not intentional. She was naughty, so I hit her."

Lawyer: "Did you kill the child?"

Ma Yihao: "I didn't mean to, not intentionally. I didn't want to kill her..."

Ma Yihao abruptly stopped, his face pale. Why did his emotions suddenly become uncontrollable? He felt annoyed and blurted out everything.

At this point, no defense was useful. The trial proceeded simply. A few jurors deliberated, and the verdict was reached.

Ma Yihao was found guilty of murder and sentenced to fifteen years. His wife received a thirteen-year sentence.

This was a highly satisfying outcome. As they left the courthouse, Gu Qin looked up at the sky and couldn't help but chuckle. Fifteen years, neither too much nor too little. However, she would ensure he wouldn't live that long, with the yin-sa qi inside him causing him excruciating torment.

News of Ma Yihao's conviction quickly spread online, with most people cheering. Occasionally, a few dissenters would argue that they could treat their own children however they wished. Netizens responded by asking, "How come your parents didn't beat you to death?" The thread eventually deviated entirely, becoming a platform for everyone to criticize these dissenters.

Gu Qin read through the comments and merely laughed it off.

Throughout the entire process, Gu Qin never mentioned this matter to her family. Cheng Yixiang was pregnant and couldn't hear such things. Qin Xiansheng was aware and accompanied her to court, but he didn't intervene much. It was all handled by Gu Qin herself.

By November, the weather gradually turned cooler. Wearing a light jacket, Gu Qin's life remained unchanged. The case involving Joanna had concluded, with Feijian Guo and the involved parties all punished. Qin Brother's senior or junior (whichever) lost all cultivation and was reduced to an ordinary person, spending the rest of his life in prison. Xiao Yao from the police station had fully recovered from his injuries, astonishing the professors and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners at the hospital. They frequently invited Gu Qin to treat critically ill patients at the hospital.

Gu Qin never refused. Saving a life was equivalent to building seven levels of a pagoda. If they weren't evil people, she was willing to save them, but her time and energy were limited.

Only a few people knew about Gu Qin's ability to heal using qi. These included a few old professors and TCM practitioners at the hospital, along with a handful of doctors who had witnessed her healing Xiao Yao. They were strictly warned not to reveal this secret. Otherwise, too many people would seek her help, and she wouldn't be able to manage.

Despite their concerns, they kept this secret. Some were genuinely worried, while others had ulterior motives, thinking who could guarantee that no one in their family would get sick. If someone got seriously ill in the future and sought help from Gu Qin, they might not be able to find her.

However, despite their reservations, a doctor soon approached her.

This doctor had observed a patient being treated by Gu Qin, initially skeptical. The patient was supposed to die within days, but after two weeks, the patient woke up and eventually recovered after another month.

The doctor was Jiang Changlin, around forty years old, married to someone close to his age, with a ten-year-old son. This situation had nothing to do with Jiang's family; it was about his sister-in-law's brother.

Jiang's wife was named Wang An, and her brother was Wang Xin. The Wang family had good conditions earlier, but Wang Xin's high-interest lending business failed due to crackdowns. His gambling losses nearly depleted the family's wealth, leading to chaos. The sick person was Wang Xin.

He had lung cancer, advanced stage, and it was spreading uncontrollably. Doctors recommended palliative care.

Wang Xin was being treated at Jiang's hospital, and Jiang also advised against continuing treatment. Wang An, his sister, cried and blamed Jiang, saying a big hospital couldn't cure two patients.

Wang An was good to her brother. After his business failure, she helped him financially. Jiang knew this but hadn't spoken much about it.

Recently, Wang An became more distressed upon learning that her brother could only wait to die. She yelled at Jiang and moved their son to her parents' home.

Wang An was strict but good at household management. Jiang returned home to find everything clean and meals prepared. Without Wang An, he couldn't bear the empty house and missed his son.

Finally, Jiang couldn't hold back and called Wang An, "An, come back. I know someone who can treat your brother."

Wang An didn't believe him, "Jiang, don't fool me. You just want me to come back to cook and clean. I won't come back until my brother gets better. I'll stay at my parents' house to take care of him..."

She started crying.

"An, it's true," Jiang said, "I'm not lying. There's someone who can treat your brother. Come back, and I'll tell you more."

Wang An told her parents about this and said, "He's trying to trick me back. The hospital chief said cancer can't be cured."

Her mother seized this opportunity, "An, why don't you go back and see? Maybe Jiang knows some miraculous TCM practitioner who can cure cancer with herbs."

Wang An thought for a moment, "Okay, Mom, I'll go back and see what's going on."

Back home, Wang An asked Jiang, who explained, "Don't tell anyone. Two months ago, our hospital admitted a critically ill patient. They saved him."

Wang An was surprised, "You're lying. How could someone with internal organs shattered still be saved?"

Jiang said, "Not shattered, but severely injured. He was barely alive, and they stabilized him immediately. Otherwise, he would have died."

"This doesn't make sense. Who could be that skilled? Could it be your hospital?"

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"Not our hospital. It was a young girl who used qi to treat him. She healed him in about two months, and he recovered completely."

Wang An didn't believe him and scolded Jiang. Jiang was frustrated, "I'm not lying. Sometimes she treats patients for free, sometimes charges millions. But every time, the patient recovers."

"Really?" Wang An was still skeptical. Qi, wasn't that qigong? It had been exposed many times as a scam.

"Yes, I'm not lying. I have her contact. Why don't we ask her?"

"Okay..."

The next day, Jiang called Gu Qin. He got her number from a professor by secretly checking his phone.

Gu Qin answered, "Hello, is this Miss Gu? This is Jiang Changlin..." After Jiang explained the situation, Gu Qin said, "Alright, I'll come and check the situation."

She usually checked on requests like this.

Jiang was delighted and told Wang An the news.

Wang An asked a few questions and learned Gu Qin would come the next day. She went straight to her parents' house, where Wang Xin was seriously ill, in severe pain, and unable to get out of bed.

Gu Qin arrived early the next day as agreed. She knew the requester was a doctor from the hospital, Jiang Changlin, and the patient was his younger brother-in-law.

At the Wang family home, Gu Qin rang the doorbell, and it was opened by a thin middle-aged man wearing glasses—Jiang Changlin.

"Miss Gu, you've arrived," Jiang Changlin greeted her respectfully, "Please come in."

After inviting her in, he asked if she wanted water. Gu Qin declined and asked, "Where is the patient? I'd like to see him first." She pointed to the room on the left, which exuded a heavy, oppressive aura.

Wang An, looking at the young girl in front of her, doubted her abilities and became irritable, pulling Jiang Changlin aside to whisper, "Such a young girl, isn't she a fraud?" Without seeing it firsthand, she found it hard to believe.

The Wang family members were also skeptical.

Jiang Changlin whispered, "Stop it. Just wait and see. You won't believe me anyway."

Jiang walked beside Gu Qin and said, "Excuse me," before opening the door. The room smelled unpleasant, though the windows were open. Various medicines and the scent of the patient filled the air. The patient, a man in his thirties, was emaciated and lying in bed, barely conscious.

Gu Qin approached and took his pulse. She said, "The patient has been sick for about two years, and it worsened six months ago. You probably noticed it then. If discovered earlier, Western medicine could have controlled it, but now it's too late."

Jiang Changlin asked, "Miss Gu, you can...?"

"Yes," Gu Qin interrupted, looking at him, "I can treat him and guarantee he will recover within half a year. But I need five million yuan for medical expenses. Can you afford it?"

"What?" Wang An exploded, "You young girl, how dare you...?" Jiang Changlin tried to pull her back, but he couldn't stop her. "How dare you, a young girl, demand five million yuan? Why don't you just rob us!"

Gu Qin said, "I don't cheat people. Five million yuan can cure him." Her fees varied; some people paid nothing, some paid whatever she asked, and others paid tens of thousands to millions. Essentially, she charged based on the patient's karma. This patient had done many bad deeds, including breaking legs to collect debts and indulging in drinking, gambling, and promiscuity.

Therefore, she charged. Five million yuan would nearly bankrupt the Wang family. Wang Xin had made money from high-interest loans but lost it all. He had bought a house worth around five million yuan, so unless they sold it, they couldn't raise five million.

She gave them a simple choice: use all their savings to save him or keep their remaining assets and let him die.

She donated all the money she earned from treating these patients to those in need.

Jiang Changlin hesitated, "Miss Gu, isn't this too expensive?"

Gu Qin said, "Is five million yuan for a life too expensive? This is your brother-in-law. Whether you choose to save him is up to you."

Jiang Changlin was silent. Wang An's mother hesitated, "Girl, if you can save my son with five million yuan, I'll give it to you. I have no other options. If my son dies, I might as well die too. Let's try trusting you once."

Wang An was doubtful, "Mom, aren't you afraid it's a scam?"

Wang An's mother whispered, "An, I have no other choice. If she can't save him, we won't pay."

Wang An hesitated but ultimately agreed, as long as it could save her brother.

Wang An's mother was about to discuss with Gu Qin when the door opened, and a woman in her thirties entered.

Jian Guqin was taken aback and asked Wang Ma, "Mom, what's this?"

Wang Ma pulled the woman aside to speak in a low voice. After a while, the woman became agitated. "No, Mom. Who knows if she’s a scammer? What if it’s a scam? Five million, where do we get five million?"

"Isn't this house worth five million?" Wang Ma whispered.

"I disagree," the woman insisted.

At this point, Wang An couldn’t stand it anymore. "What right do you have to disagree? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking. You’re just hoping that once my brother dies, you can get half the house, right? Let me tell you, forget it. We’re definitely selling this house. My brother’s illness is definitely going to be treated. This house was bought by my brother."

The woman sneered. "But it’s still marital property, so I should get half of it."

This woman was Wang Xin’s wife. Their relationship had issues, which naturally made her unwilling to sell the house to save her brother-in-law.

Wang An said, "Ha, you really are dreaming. My brother isn’t dead yet. We all agree to sell the house to save him. On what grounds do you disagree? If you disagree, then leave."

The woman said, "I’m just worried about being scammed."

Wang An said, "They said they would only charge after curing him. So what if you’re worried about being scammed? Aren’t you just hoping my brother will die so you can get the house? Stop using the excuse of being afraid of scams."

The woman insisted that she was worried about encountering a scammer, but Wang An countered that there was nothing to fear since they would only be charged after treatment. Eventually, the woman had no choice but to agree.

Gu Qin remained silent throughout the entire conversation. After they finished arguing, she let Wang Ma take her to a room. Considering Wang Yin's condition, he wouldn't last more than a month. She didn’t say much, removed the patient’s clothes, took out some silver needles, and inserted them into specific acupoints, gradually transferring her energy into his body to eliminate cancer cells and repair damaged cells.

About an hour and a half later, Gu Qin stood up, slightly sweating. When she came out of the room, she saw everyone gathered in the living room.

Wang Ma stood up excitedly when she saw Gu Qin come out. "Little girl, how is my son?"

Gu Qin replied, "This is the first treatment. I’ll come every week or every two weeks, and it will take about six months. I also have some prescriptions here—Chinese medicine formulas and dietary therapy formulas—that must be followed strictly."

Seeing their hopeful looks, Gu Qin added, "These formulas are only auxiliary. Without proper treatment, they won’t help at all. So there’s no need to spread this information around. Each cancer patient’s situation is different, so these formulas are only suitable for him. There’s nothing else to worry about. Once the patient wakes up, you can push him outside to get some sun and engage in light exercise. Lying down all the time isn’t good."

Wang Ma nodded repeatedly. After Gu Qin left, she went into the room to check on her son and noticed that his complexion seemed better.

After a while, Wang Yin woke up and saw everyone gathered around him. He asked, "Why are you all in here?"

Wang Ma explained what had happened and asked if he felt any better. Wang Yin realized that he did feel less pain and more comfortable, but he wondered if it was possible to cure late-stage cancer. "Mom, could this person be a scammer?"

Wang Ma said, "Don’t worry. They said they would only charge after curing him, but it’s five million... sigh."

Wang Yin finally regained some spirit. "Mom, if this person can really cure me, even if it costs more than five million, I’d give it."

However, he still had doubts about whether such a person truly existed. Could someone really heal cancer patients with energy?

Gu Qin had just returned when she welcomed her first customer to the feng shui shop. Since the incident with Ma Yihao, her shop in Beijing hadn’t seen any customers, likely due to fear.

The customer was a middle-aged man in his forties, looking haggard. He greeted Gu Qin as Master and introduced himself. The man owned a construction materials business. Although not a true tycoon in Beijing, he was doing well enough, owning several properties and making a profit of a few million each year.

Despite his business dealings, he wasn’t entirely honest, occasionally needing help from people in the underworld. But this didn’t make him a bad person; he was kind to his family and friends and often did good deeds.

His name was Chen Zhonglian, and he came to see Gu Qin because his family members kept falling ill.

Gu Qin asked, "You said your family members are sick? Have they been to the hospital?"

Chen Zhonglian nodded. "Yes, I’ve taken my two sisters and daughter to the hospital. My elder sister has breast cancer, my younger sister has pneumonia, and my daughter recently had heart problems. My elder sister’s daughter has been suffering from severe colds that won’t go away." He sighed, "They’re all receiving treatment, but I still feel uneasy. It feels too strange, so I couldn’t help but ask. Master, is this because of our family’s feng shui?"

Gu Qin asked, "All females? Are the males in the family fine? Do you all live together or separately?"

Chen Zhonglian shook his head. "We live separately. The men in the family are fine. All the females are sick, so I find it strange..."

"It does seem strange," Gu Qin said. "I suspect you’re right. It’s probably due to the family’s feng shui, specifically the ancestral graves. Since you all live separately, it can’t be a problem with the home’s feng shui. Given that all the affected females are related to the Chen family, the only plausible explanation is a problem with the ancestral graves."