Chapter Sixty-One: Breaking the Curse

When we exited the airport, someone was already waiting to pick us up.

On the road, I finally learned about the last thing Master Wei had asked Old Ma to handle—he was sent to the northern part of Guangxi to capture the Old Changeling Woman, a legendary ghost creature spoken of in Guizhou and northern Guangxi. They flew a helicopter straight into the deep mountains. With nowhere to land, they hovered above a lake and had the team jump directly from the helicopter.

Old Ma never told me exactly what happened; in the end, they didn’t even catch a glimpse of the Old Changeling Woman.

The car brought us to a solitary villa on the outskirts. The luxurious décor and grand exterior made me think that Old Ma, a man of rare talents, must have connections only with the wealthy and powerful.

The villa was empty save for a single housekeeper, a woman in her thirties with gentle features and a kind gaze. She arranged our rooms and explained that Mr. Meng wouldn’t return until early the next morning due to business. Her name was Liao Xiaomei, though everyone simply called her Sister Mei or A-Mei, and she told us to do the same. Mr. Meng owned more than one villa, so she didn’t usually work here; she came this time only to tidy up and host us.

While Sister Mei went to fetch tea, I asked, “This place is rather secluded. Why are we staying here? Is it near where the incident happened?”

“It’s all for your sake, kid!” Old Ma replied. I looked at him, puzzled, and he continued, “Breaking the ghost curse on you isn’t easy. I specifically requested a place with few people.”

So that was it. I chuckled, “Sir, when will you help me break the curse?”

“We’ve been traveling all day—rest first. Tonight, I’ll help you. Don’t worry,” Old Ma reassured me.

At last, there was hope. I felt a small relief, though I still feared something might go wrong.

I examined the living room and thought Old Ma and Mr. Meng must be quite close for such arrangements to come so easily. I asked, “Your old friend is Mr. Meng?”

Old Ma nodded and sighed softly, “He’s been a friend for many years. He once helped me greatly. I try my best to help him whenever I can.”

His expression was wistful, as if recalling something from the past.

Sister Mei brought the tea, and as we rested and drank, she explained the villa’s layout. After we’d recuperated, she led us to our assigned rooms.

Old Ma stopped me from entering my own room and called me into his.

The guest room was excellently furnished. Old Ma sat by the bed, the wrinkles on his face betraying a sly glint, his eyes darting mischievously. His expression clearly showed he had something up his sleeve—and it wasn’t anything good.

He coughed lightly, putting on a facade of seriousness: “You’ve worked hard this trip. That Wei kid’s reward ought to be shared with you. There’s not much this time—how about I give you a hundred thousand? What’s your bank number? I’ll transfer it later.”

Was this why he called me in—to split the reward? Since when did this old man become so generous? I sized him up. He avoided my gaze, clearly hiding something.

A hundred thousand was already a lot for me. But Fu Yong had said earlier that the reward could be as much as needed. If Old Ma was willing to give me that amount, he must have received far more himself.

Seeing my silence, he stammered, “What, not enough? Well, since you ended up in the hospital, I’ll add fifty thousand more for nutrition. Don’t say I didn’t take care of you! You’re new to all this; that’s plenty for a rookie!”

I stared straight at him and asked, “Why are you giving me money?”

I wasn’t his apprentice, just an outsider who had asked for his help. Even if he dragged me along and I contributed, he had no reason to pay me. Something felt off, a feeling that had nagged me since he first invited me along.

His expression flickered, then he snapped, “Don’t want the money? Are you daft? I’m offering a share for your trouble—take it or leave it! Saves me from splitting it! I’m going to rest now—out, out!”

“A gentleman takes wealth in the proper way. If it’s not mine, I won’t feel comfortable taking it. I’ll trouble you tonight.” With that, I got up and left.

Back in my own room, I wondered why the old man was so eager to share the reward. What was his real intention?

I took out the new phone I’d been given, opened the package, and found a SIM card already installed. That was a nice touch.

I called Wen, worried about the shop after being away so long.

The phone rang for ages before he answered. Upon hearing my voice, Wen paused, then his voice shot up with surprise, “Finally! What happened to your old number? I called several times—sometimes no answer, sometimes weird noises after someone picked up.”

His words sent a chill down my spine. “You called my old number? Someone answered?”

“Yes, is there a problem? Did you lose your phone?”

That phone was left on the Red-Headed Ghost Ship! Who picked up? Was it even a person?

“I got water sounds and coughing after someone answered,” Wen continued obliviously.

My heart went cold. I didn’t dare tell him the truth, only saying, “This is my new number. Don’t call the old one anymore.”

Wen asked how I was doing.

I briefly explained what had happened.

Learning that my troubles weren’t resolved, he sounded regretful and somewhat guilty.

As night fell, Old Ma began preparations to break the ghost curse for me. Instead of feeling excited, my nerves tightened. After all this delay, it was finally about to begin, but I worried something might go wrong, or he might fail, leaving me with nothing but false hope.

Sister Mei, following Old Ma’s instructions, prepared various items for us, never questioning their purpose and always ready to assist with whatever we needed.

Breaking the ghost curse was complicated and couldn’t be done indoors, so the courtyard was chosen.

Old Ma first sprinkled water infused with pomelo leaves across the area to dispel evil and drive away gloom. He then laid a square meter of red cloth, lighting a red candle at each corner. I sat cross-legged, bare-chested, on the red cloth. The courtyard lights glowed dimly, mingling with the flickering flames.

The firelight, four red candles, and the red cloth beneath me gave the impression of some uncanny ritual for a ghostly wedding.

Old Ma held a willow branch, beside him a basin with still-warm rooster blood.

“To break a ghost curse isn’t as simple as drawing a seal or reciting a spell. First, I must use the willow branch and rooster blood to drive out the ghostly energy inside you. It will hurt a bit, so bear with it,” Old Ma said.

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