Chapter 21: **Chapter 21: Buying the Ancestor’s Golden Bowl**
Li Chengfeng massaged his throbbing buttocks, still reeling from the surreal encounter. The purple bruises confirmed it: **Ancestor Master Guo Pu** had indeed visited him—and kicked him *twice*. The threat of being dragged to the underworld hung over him like a guillotine.
He scrambled to the altar, where the portrait of Guo Pu now glared sideways, lips twisted in displeasure.
"Ancestor Master!" Li Chengfeng kowtowed frantically. "I'll replace your smashed bowl with *solid gold*! Just… don't take me yet!"
The portrait's expression softened—a barely perceptible nod.
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**Dawn's Rush**
At sunrise, Li Chengfeng limped into **Shenghai Gold & Jewelry**, trailed by a bewildered Ye Mengyao. He pointed to a **24-karat golden incense burner** shaped like a lotus. "That one. And the dragon candlesticks. And those peach-shaped offering plates."
The clerk tallied the sum: **¥820,000**.
Ye Mengyao arched an eyebrow but swiped her black card without hesitation. "For someone who charged grieving parents ¥200, you've expensive tastes."
"Not for me." Li Chengfeng hugged the golden artifacts like sacred relics. "For *him*."
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**The Reforged Altar**
Back at the Hall of Serendipity, Li Chengfeng arranged the golden offerings beneath Guo Pu's portrait. The ancestor's painted eyes seemed to gleam approvingly.
"Eighty-two万啊!" Li Chengfeng lit sandalwood incense, hands trembling. "Ancestor Master, this better keep you happy. My wallet's crying!"
Ye Mengyao watched, torn between fascination and concern. "You… talk to paintings often?"
Unseen by her, the portrait winked.
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