Old Master Zhao sighed, "I'm not afraid you'll laugh, but my unfilial son, still unmarried in his forties, is completely devoted to his career.
I introduced him to many nice girls before, but he wouldn't consider any of them.
Who would have thought, a few months ago he went on a business trip abroad and fell for a woman from country R. Although I didn't experience war in my childhood.
But the peace we live in today was earned by the older generation with their blood and lives. Even my grandfather fought enemies in his youth and was shot, he was a hero of the Anti-Japanese War!
But of all people, he had to find a woman from a country with a deep-seated enmity towards us.
While peace is advocated now, those hatreds are not so easily erased.
I can't control what others do, but my son, Zhao Dewang's son, can never marry a woman from country R or have children with one. Otherwise, when I die, how will I face my deceased relatives?"
After hearing Zhao Dewang's words, Liu Yifeng could understand his feelings. Honestly, deep down, he also couldn't accept a woman from that country.
Because his ancestors also produced Anti-Japanese War heroes, and many died on the battlefield.
So, even though the two countries have reconciled, he would never find a woman from country R as his wife.
It's just that matters of the heart are not something one can control; when fate arrives, it cannot be stopped.
"Elder Zhao, don't be too anxious. The more you force Mr. Zhao to break up with his girlfriend, the more rebellious he will become.
Perhaps you can have a calm conversation with him another day. I believe Mr. Zhao will listen."
He could only comfort him like this. But frankly, seeing Mr. Zhao's attitude this morning, their feelings for that woman were likely already very deep. It would be difficult to break them up unless there was a rift in their relationship.
"I've said all I can to him. I don't know what has possessed him; he insists on marrying this woman.
He even showed me her photo. She's not pretty, and she's almost forty years old. I truly don't understand what he sees in her," Zhao Dewang thought, his heart aching.
If she were beautiful, he might have understood. After all, he had been young once too, and who didn't like pretty girls.
But this woman, who made his son defy him, was not only not beautiful but also older. He couldn't fathom what kind of charm she possessed to make his son so infatuated.
This was their family affair, and Liu Yifeng couldn't interfere much. Just as he was about to eat his meal, Tongtong's voice rang out.
"Grandpa Zhao, Uncle Zhao will not break up with that woman. You should be mentally prepared!"
If it were an ordinary child saying this, Zhao Dewang would not have paid much attention.
But Tongtong was not an ordinary child; he was a disciple of Master You Li Zi.
Master You Li Zi understood physiognomy, which is to say, reading faces to predict future events.
As his disciple, Tongtong would undoubtedly know a little. He had seen his son's face that morning and combined it with what he had just said. Perhaps he had seen something.
So, hearing this, his heart sank, and he hastily asked, "Tongtong, tell Grandpa Zhao, why do you say that?"
"Because it's the truth!" Tongtong replied heartily.
This drove Zhao Dewang to desperation. "I mean, how did you figure out that he can't leave that woman? Is there any way to separate them?"
Tongtong said without hesitation, "I can read faces. Uncle Zhao's eyes look a little strange!"
Zhao Dewang immediately panicked. "Tongtong, don't speak in fragments. Quickly tell Grandpa Zhao everything you've seen from his face."
Liu Yifeng was also very curious. He hadn't noticed anything unusual about Mr. Zhao that morning, except that he seemed a bit short-tempered.
And Tongtong had only glanced at him then. To have already found a problem would be incredible.
Seeing both their eyes fixed on him, Tongtong finally put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "His eyes look dull and hollow, and the color of his pupils is slightly reddish. This is a classic sign of being afflicted by a love蛊 (gu). That's why Uncle Zhao is so devoted to that older lady."
Zhao Dewang asked with a solemn expression, "What is a love gu?"
He knew it couldn't be anything good, but it was also the first time he had heard of such a thing as a love gu.
Tongtong then explained, "A love gu is a type of gu sorcery. With the gu as a guide, it can stimulate supernatural power to make the afflicted person fall hopelessly in love with the caster.
The love gu is also the ultimate form of gu. Anyone who is afflicted by it becomes like a puppet, completely subservient to the person who cast it.
If the afflicted person has relations with another woman, they will die on the spot. It is very cruel."
After hearing Tongtong's explanation, Zhao Dewang was so frightened that his chopsticks fell. "I knew there was something wrong with my son, how could he be so devoted to that woman, it turns out he was enchanted.
What is Shu Bo doing? How did he get targeted and enchanted by that woman after going abroad? What should we do now!"
"Elder Zhao, don't rush. It has already happened. We need to think of a way to lift this enchantment," Liu Yifeng said, also hearing about this for the first time.
It was hard to believe such a thing existed in reality.
Wouldn't it mean that anyone who is unrequited in love could cast this gu? It sounded terrifying, as if the world would descend into chaos.
Tongtong seemed to read his thoughts and immediately said, "Dad, a love gu cannot be cast easily. The caster needs to feed the gu with their vital blood for forty-nine days.
Moreover, if the gu becomes uncontrollable, it will backfire on the owner, eventually draining all their blood and causing death.
So, ordinary people don't dare to cast this gu, and very few people know how to do it."
"Since casting it is also dangerous to oneself, why would that woman cast it on my son? Isn't that harming herself as well?" Zhao Dewang became even more indignant after hearing this, yet he was helpless. He knew nothing about this and had only heard of it for the first time today.
Seeing that Tongtong knew so much, Liu Yifeng curiously asked, "Tongtong, did that old grandfather teach you this too?"
Tongtong nodded. "Yes, that old grandfather gave me a book about insect gu. I read it once, so I remember it all!"
Liu Yifeng knew his son had a photographic memory. Thus, whatever he learned in kindergarten, he could remember in one go.
He just didn't expect that Master You Li Zi would impart so much knowledge to Tongtong. He still didn't know what Tongtong didn't understand.
Zhao Dewang's eyes lit up after hearing Tongtong's words. "Tongtong, does that book have any methods to lift the enchantment?"
He had placed all his hopes on Tongtong, as there was no one around him who understood this.
Tongtong did not disappoint him and immediately nodded. "If there is an enchantment, there must be a way to lift it."
"Really? Then quickly tell Grandpa Zhao how to lift the enchantment. I'm willing to do anything if it can be lifted," Zhao Dewang had been very disappointed in his son, even considering disowning him.
Now that he knew his son was so devoted to that woman because he was enchanted, all his anger turned into deep concern at this moment.
He wasn't afraid of anything else, except that the gu might become uncontrollable and harm his son as well.
"To remove the love gu, there is only one way: to make the caster willingly kill the gu. Once the gu dies, the gu in Uncle Zhao will also turn into a pool of blood and die.
However, people who cast a gu generally do not want to lift it because killing the gu will severely weaken them, possibly leaving them bedridden for life," Tongtong said.
"Besides this method, is there really no other way? Wanting the caster to lift it, how difficult is that? Otherwise, she wouldn't have taken such a big risk to cast it," Zhao Dewang's burning hope was immediately extinguished.
"No, this is the only way!" Tongtong shook his head. Although he understood this, he couldn't help lift it.
Because in such matters, the one who tied the knot must be the one to untie it.
"Then what should we do? This woman fed the gu with her vital blood for forty-nine days. Now, asking her to willingly kill the gu, how is that possible!" Zhao Dewang had never imagined that such a bizarre thing would happen to someone close to his son.
"Elder Zhao, don't get too worked up. Regardless, having a way to break it is better than having no way at all. Let's think harder, and we'll surely come up with a solution," Liu Yifeng consoled him.
How could Zhao Dewang not be anxious? As long as the gu was not lifted, his son would be in danger for one more day.