TL: Hua

Chapter 3: Courting Death

Zhou Jian briefly explained the situation over the phone. After ending the call, You Xingyue immediately hailed a taxi and rushed to Chunjiang Flower Garden, where Zhou Jian was located.

Zhang Xuemei’s fainting spell had come too suddenly. Her consciousness drifted in a patch of darkness, unable to see anything or make any sound. Just as she was panicking, a faint, weak white light rubbed against her side.

The glimmer of light in the darkness gave Zhang Xuemei a slight sense of peace. The white light slowly drifted toward the left, and Zhang Xuemei subconsciously followed it. She ran faster and faster until she suddenly plunged headfirst into the white light. When she opened her eyes again, she was already lying on the sofa.

A middle-aged man dressed in a Tang suit, with an air of otherworldly wisdom, was gripping Zhang Xuemei’s wrist: “Mrs. Zhou, your Bazi is too weak. Have you crossed paths with something evil lately?”

Standing to the side, Cao Duo introduced him: “This is Master Wang, a very famous feng shui master.”

Having just woken up, Zhang Xuemei was trembling all over, clutching the red string You Xingyue had given her tightly in her hand. “Master, there is a dirty thing in this house!”

The middle-aged master scoffed softly. “You are overthinking it. I have observed this villa; although its feng shui is poor, the owner has accumulated virtue through good deeds. How could there be dirty things?”

Seeing that he didn’t believe her, Zhang Xuemei grew incredibly anxious. “There really is! Where is Master You? Hasn’t he arrived yet?”

Zhang Mei quickly comforted her elder sister. “Brother-in-law already called him. Shouldn’t we head to the hospital to get you checked out first?”

Just now, Zhang Xuemei had fainted so suddenly, but she had responded when Zhou Jian called out to her and woke up within a few minutes, so they hadn’t called for an ambulance yet.

Zhang Xuemei shook her head violently, gripping her sister’s hand tightly with one hand. “There is a dirty thing in this house!”

Master Wang knitted his brows in displeasure.

Cao Duo hurriedly intervened, “Master Wang, my sister-in-law is easily frightened. She was probably just startled just now. Please don’t mind her.”

Master Wang said indifferently, “Since Mrs. Zhou already has a familiar master, I won’t disturb you further.”

Cao Duo laughed. “Master Wang! Please have a seat. We still have business to discuss. The golden toad I got from you last time was truly miraculous!”

Master Wang thought about it. “Then I shall stay here and see the capabilities of that other master.”

Just as the few of them were in a chaotic mess, Zhou Jian received a call from You Xingyue and hurriedly ran out to welcome him into the villa.

In less than ten minutes, the main door of the villa opened, followed by the sound of two pairs of footsteps. One pair of footsteps was remarkably light and slow, pacing unhurriedly across the floor.

Master Wang sat on the sofa, holding his teacup as he looked over.

He saw Zhou Jian walk out from the foyer along with a very young man. The man was quite tall, wore a pair of thin-rimmed glasses, a long-sleeved sweatshirt, and jeans. Rather than a master, he looked more like an overly beautiful celebrity.

Most importantly, not a shred of spiritual aura could be detected on his entire body.

Master Wang narrowed his eyes: And here I thought he was some kind of master; he’s clearly a fraud. But since he’s just a charlatan, I can set my mind at ease.

The moment You Xingyue’s figure appeared before Zhang Xuemei, tears couldn’t help but stream down her face. “Master!”

You Xingyue frowned the second he laid eyes on Zhang Xuemei. Only a few hours had passed, but the murky black energy between her brows had grown significantly denser. Being startled by a ghost encounter wouldn’t reach this severity. This looked more like… she had been possessed.

Bu Liuke closely flanked You Xingyue’s side.

He was worried You Xingyue would skip out on their deal, so he insisted on staying right next to him. Fortunately, although he was weak, he was indeed neither a ghost nor a demon; he could not be seen by ordinary people, nor did he fear sunlight.

Bu Liuke said softly, “There are antiques here that have gained spiritual awareness, two of them.”

You Xingyue was surprised, but at this moment, the living person was clearly more important. He walked over to Zhang Xuemei’s side. “Auntie Zhang, let me see your hand string.”

Zhang Xuemei handed over the red string.

The red string had not come undone at the knot; rather, it had snapped directly, and there were even black burn marks at the break.

The red string had been hand-woven entirely by You Xingyue and carried by him for a long time, so it had naturally absorbed some of his power. Even if it had warded off a calamity, it shouldn’t have broken so easily.

You Xingyue put away the broken red string and replaced it with a new one for Zhang Xuemei. “Did you see something, Auntie Zhang?”

Zhang Xuemei pointed at the golden toad ornament on the curio shelf. “It’s that! I saw a massive toad crouching on top of it. I was so scared I didn’t dare move, but who knew it would suddenly pounce right onto me! I can’t remember clearly what happened after that.”

Cao Duo said unhappily, “Big Sister, this is a golden toad I invited back at a heavy price. It’s incredibly miraculous, and several of my business deals have gone through because of it.”

Master Wang stroked his beard. “Indeed, the golden toad is a spiritual object that attracts wealth and treasures. This particular piece is a treasure that has been consecrated. Mrs. Zhou, you crossed paths with something evil a few days ago, so your Yang energy is low, causing you to hallucinate. Besides, if the golden toad were truly causing trouble, why did it only scare Mrs. Zhou?”

Master Wang turned to You Xingyue. “Young friend, my surname is Wang. From whom did you inherit your teachings?”

You Xingyue shook the red string in his hand. “Just an ordinary person. I happened to help Auntie Zhang once. Her Bazi is weak, so I’ve been worried. Since something happened, I couldn’t just ignore it.”

Master Wang stared at the red string but couldn’t detect anything unusual about it.

Zhang Xuemei said with tears in her eyes, “It’s true! Little Sister, didn’t you say you’ve been having frequent nightmares lately too? And hearing strange noises.”

Unfortunately, Zhang Mei didn’t quite believe in ghosts and gods. “I think it’s just because the house is old. Doesn’t the internet say that reinforced concrete makes noises when it ages?”

You Xingyue gave Zhang Xuemei a reassuring smile. “Don’t be nervous, Auntie Zhang. I’ll go take a look.”

The golden toad was displayed on the curio shelf, holding a copper coin in its mouth. Its head faced away from the window, looking directly at the sofa set in the living room. There were several darkened red dots on the belly of the ornament.

You Xingyue caught a faint, fishy scent of blood.

Crouching right next to the golden toad ornament was a translucent shadow. This was its vessel spirit.

Vessel spirits were different from ordinary ghosts and demons; generally speaking, they were very difficult to see. The golden toad thought You Xingyue couldn’t see it, so it stared intently at Zhang Xuemei’s stomach.

The golden toad vessel spirit was wrapped in several dark red threads, one of which was connected to Master Wang.

Bu Liuke tugged at You Xingyue’s sleeve. “This is one vessel spirit, and there’s another one upstairs. But the one upstairs is very weak; it seems to be… a small Pixiu¹A Pixiu (貔貅) is a famous Chinese mythical creature. It has the head of a dragon, the body of a lion, and often small wings. In traditional Feng Shui, the Pixiu is a fierce guardian beast that eats gold and silver but has no anus. This means wealth is “taken in but never let out.” People use it as a charm to attract money and ward off evil., and it’s on the verge of disappearing. My senses aren’t very clear.”

While You Xingyue was observing intently, Master Wang scoffed in his heart: Putting on an act!

Master Wang maintained his immortal demeanor and said, “Young friend, have you seen anything? Vessel spirits are different from ordinary ghosts and demons; they either need to manifest themselves or can only be seen by those fated to do so. This golden toad has been consecrated, has a history of over two hundred years, and is full of spirituality.”

Bu Liuke looked up as well. “He’s wrong. This big golden toad is over four hundred years old. Because it has enjoyed sacrifices, it can already be considered half an evil deity.”

After thinking about it, Bu Liuke said worriedly, “Although evil deities are created by human worship, they are still not minor demons or monsters. They are extremely vicious. You must be careful.”

When certain vessels receive improper worship, they often give birth to an evil deity with heavy malevolence, which can no longer be categorized simply as a vessel spirit.

You Xingyue gave Bu Liuke’s hair a comforting pat.

For a moment, neither You Xingyue nor Bu Liuke could judge what level the golden toad’s cultivation had reached. However, for it to burn the red string with a single pounce meant it was bound to be troublesome.

Cao Duo believed it without a shadow of doubt. “Exactly. After I invited the golden toad back, not only did I win my bids, but also even the projects on hand have gone smoothly! Little Master, you mustn’t speak without thinking.”

Zhang Mei: “…That is indeed true.”

The family had only struck it rich in recent years, especially in the past month, during which Cao Duo had locked down some incredible major contracts.

Master Wang said smugly, “The golden toad possesses spirituality. It shares a fate with Mr. Cao, and sure enough, as soon as Mr. Cao invited it back, wealth poured in from all sides, and any problems encountered were readily solved.”

It was precisely because Cao Duo had tasted the sweetness brought by the golden toad that he followed Master Wang’s words blindly and was utterly convinced.

Cao Duo’s smooth sailing and success in his career could not be ignored, so Zhang Mei hadn’t suspected the golden toad at all. She looked hesitantly at her sister. “Sister, Brother-in-law said you haven’t been sleeping well lately. You must have seen it wrong, right?”

Master Wang wore a smug expression.

Seeing that her sister’s family all believed Master Wang, Zhang Xuemei looked anxiously at You Xingyue.

You Xingyue’s eyelashes lowered slightly. Upon hearing this, he smiled faintly, raised his gaze, and swept it across Cao Duo. “There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Mr. Cao, after you invited the golden toad back, did you really not do anything else?”

Cao Duo was startled. Does this young man actually have real ability?

Avoiding You Xingyue’s gaze, he mumbled, “No.”

You Xingyue: “Then what is this?”

As he spoke, You Xingyue reached out and wiped the belly of the golden toad, then spread his hand open in front of everyone.

The faces of Cao Duo and Master Wang changed simultaneously. They saw a streak of red smeared across You Xingyue’s cold, fair fingertip, emitting a bloody stench that was hard for ordinary people to detect.

You Xingyue rubbed his fingertips slightly, lowered his head, and sniffed. “Livestock blood. Sir, you invited this golden toad from Master Wang, and the method of sacrificing fresh blood and raw meat to the golden toad was also taught to you by Master Wang, wasn’t it?”

The golden toad was connected to Master Wang by a thread, indicating a link between them. It could basically be concluded that Master Wang was the one who gave the golden toad to Cao Duo.

Cao Duo was profoundly shocked. He hadn’t told this young man about the golden toad’s origin!

Cao Duo’s attitude grew a bit more respectful. “Is there something wrong with that?”

You Xingyue pulled out a tissue to wipe his fingers. “Think about it carefully. How many households sacrifice raw meat and blood to the deity statues or spiritual objects in their homes?”

Cao Duo’s face grew panicked as a bad premonition arose in his heart. He muttered, “It… it does seem rare, but it happens. I’ve seen it! The deities in Taoist temples are also worshiped with pig heads…”

By the time he finished speaking, his voice had grown quieter and quieter. Cao Duo’s eyes shifted, avoiding You Xingyue’s gaze.

As the saying goes, a person’s greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. Cao Duo wasn’t entirely ignorant of the golden toad’s sinister nature, but unfortunately, greedy thoughts had won out, and he had still welcomed the golden toad into his home.

You Xingyue lost interest. “The golden toad’s wealth-attracting properties are miraculous, so it naturally must extract sacrifices and offerings as compensation.”

Cao Duo: “Then it should be fine as long as we keep sacrificing to it, right?”

Master Wang hurriedly said, “Exactly. As long as you keep offering sacrifices, the golden toad will bless Mr. Cao with rolling wealth and a smooth career.”

You Xingyue tilted his head, his gaze filtered through his lenses looking somewhat cold. “Is that so?”

Master Wang didn’t dare meet You Xingyue’s eyes and subconsciously glanced at the golden toad. To his surprise, the golden toad’s eyeballs rolled, locking into a cold glare with Master Wang.

Master Wang’s heart leapt into his throat, and he immediately retorted, “Naturally! The golden toad is a spiritual object, not an evil deity or a demon.”

Taking in the silent exchange between Master Wang and the golden toad, You Xingyue smiled. “So-called evil deities are originally born from greed. Mr. Cao’s method of worshipping the golden toad is virtually identical to how evil deities were sacrificed to in the past. In ancient times, the evil deity Wutong was once prevalent in the south. In the later stages of worship, it would demand young children and beautiful women from its believers as sacrifices.”

Young children and beautiful women?

Aside from Master Wang, everyone present shuddered.

Master Wang tried his best to argue, “Absurd! Mr. Cao, think about it. When has the golden toad ever made an excessive demand? The golden toad is a deity that has received incense offerings and possesses the ability to grant the wishes of its believers. This is a rare treasure.”

The gaze he directed at You Xingyue flashed with a trace of ferocity, warning him not to meddle in others’ business.

Cao Duo’s suspicion toward Master Wang wavered once more. In his heart, he yearned to obtain more money and began to deceive himself. “Indeed… the golden toad only asked for some beef and mutton.”

You Xingyue remained unmoved by the threat. “Is that so? Mr. Cao, what did the golden toad demand for its first sacrifice, and what did it demand for its most recent sacrifice?”

Cao Duo recalled carefully, “The first time was a plate of fresh steak meat, and the last time was… half a pig.”

Cao Duo’s voice gradually weakened as he forced out the last three words.

He suddenly broke into a cold sweat. Indeed, at the beginning, Master Wang had only required him to offer a small amount of raw meat. In less than a week, the demand had escalated to half a pig or even a whole sheep!

Perhaps after a while… no, it didn’t even require waiting. A few days ago, Master Wang had already told him to offer live animals!

At this moment, Cao Duo finally realized what kind of thing he had invited into his home. Turning around, the golden toad entering his sight once more suddenly appeared hideous.

Cao Duo grabbed You Xingyue’s wrist. “Master! Although I am greedy for wealth, I wouldn’t dare harm anyone! Master, please save us!”

You Xingyue’s brows knit briefly. Though he looked slender, his grip was exceptionally strong, and he easily pried Cao Duo’s fingers off. “Naturally.”

Master Wang’s features twisted.

Never in his wildest dreams did he think his smoothly progressing plan would be ruined by a wet-behind-the-ears kid!

Master Wang’s face flushed red as a bizarre, bloody stench emanated from behind him.

Bu Liuke said in a panic, “The vessel spirit has manifested!”

The light in the villa dimmed at some unknown point. A completely golden toad leaped onto Master Wang’s right shoulder, its eyeballs rolling as its grim gaze locked onto You Xingyue.

With the manifestation of the golden toad, evil and yin energy flooded the entire villa. Zhang Xuemei, whose Yang energy was weaker, fainted on the spot.

Zhang Mei was so terrified that she fell to the floor, tightly covering her mouth. Heavens! There really were spirits and demons in this world! And one was actually inside her home!

With the golden toad pressing down on his body, Master Wang’s eyes instantly lost focus. The figure of the golden toad rapidly merged into Master Wang’s body, completing the possession in the blink of an eye!

Looking up, Cao Duo lost his voice and shrieked, “Demon—!”

Master Wang rolled his eyes back to show the whites, dropped down on all fours, and fiercely pounced toward Zhang Xuemei in the posture of a toad!

Zhang Xuemei was still unconscious. Zhou Jian tightly embraced her, hoping to use his own body to shield her from the golden toad.

The husband and wife closed their eyes, every second stretched out into a long, agonizing ordeal. After about tens of seconds, Zhou Jian still hadn’t felt any pain. Trembling with fear, he opened his eyes, only to be struck speechless by the sight before him—

Countless red threads centered around You Xingyue, crisscrossing horizontally and vertically throughout the entire first floor of the villa. Master Wang was pinned to the ground by the red threads. The golden toad immediately shook itself free from Master Wang’s body and pounced toward Zhang Xuemei once more!

You Xingyue’s brows knit tightly. Why is this golden toad so obsessed with Auntie Zhang?

He clenched his five fingers, and the red threads coiled toward the golden toad in tandem with his movements.

Caught completely off guard, the golden toad was bound tightly. Its golden eyeballs rolled as it suddenly expanded several times in size, its thick, short hind legs struggling with all their might!

The golden toad was an evil deity after all; even if its power had waned, it was not to be underestimated. That force quickly tore the red threads to shreds, exposing a hole large enough for the golden toad to squeeze through.

Bu Liuke almost screamed out loud, hurriedly covering his mouth in fright.

Without the slightest hesitation, You Xingyue raised his right hand. The red threads cut several wounds into his palm, and fresh blood extended along the lines. The originally chaotic red threads suddenly came to life, writhing and separating from each other. At the crucial precipice, they abruptly elongated and snatched the golden toad.

The threads soaked through with blood became even tougher and more flexible, forcibly dragging the golden toad vessel spirit back toward the ornament.

You Xingyue flicked a talisman out from his sleeve: “Heaven and Earth change naturally, filth and foul energy disperse… Malevolence and filth be destroyed, the Taoist energy endures forever. Promptly fulfill this command!”

You Xingyue was not fully adept in Taoist cultivation and only knew some common incantations. He truly didn’t have much talent in spiritual energy, so his talismans were mostly used to assist his threads.

The golden toad let out a sharp, bizarre shriek: “Ribbit—!”

The moment the yellow talisman pressed down on the golden toad, the vessel spirit was suppressed back into the ornament.

The sunlight was sliced into tens of thousands of pieces by the red threads, casting a dense, vaporous red hue within the villa.

You Xingyue stood amidst the layered red threads. He was so fair he looked somewhat cold, yet he stood within the dense, pale-red sunlight, displaying a hint of ambiguous charm amidst his sternness.

“Courting death.”

You Xingyue’s chilly voice tore through this warm-colored facade.

Looking up at the threads, Bu Liuke revealed an expression of utter shock: You Xingyue can actually make the threads manifest in front of ordinary people?!

YOU CAN PURCHASE FIRST HALF OF THE TRANSLATION (Ch 1-80 in Epub format) HERE. The second half is coming soon ~

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  A Pixiu (貔貅) is a famous Chinese mythical creature. It has the head of a dragon, the body of a lion, and often small wings. In traditional Feng Shui, the Pixiu is a fierce guardian beast that eats gold and silver but has no anus. This means wealth is “taken in but never let out.” People use it as a charm to attract money and ward off evil.