Taboo Mage - Chapter 1 - The Peach Blossom Amulet
Have you ever heard of a Buddha amulet1? In Thailand, they are specifically used to ward off evil and bring good fortune, often with spirits for protection. In China, we have a similar amulet called the Yin-Yang2 amulet.
Unlike the Buddha amulet from Thailand, the Yin-Yang amulet focuses on the harmony of yin and yang, the interdependence of all things.
Whether the Yin-Yang amulet works depends on the compatibility between the spirit within the amulet and the person wearing it.
My family has been in this business for generations.
The business was fairly prosperous and well-known until Grandfather suddenly died, and Father forbade me from touching these kinds of things ever again.
He said that fate is determined by heaven, and everything has a Cause and Effect. When we alter someone’s fate, we are forcibly changing this Cause and Effect. If someone creates the cause, someone else must bear the effect. If it’s not others, it will be us.
At first, I didn’t quite understand what he meant by this, until my Father also died before my eyes. Only then did I realize that the life amulet is not something an ordinary person can bear.
I heeded Father’s last wishes and stopped learning about the life amulets.
I thought life would continue like this, but unexpectedly, when I turned twenty, Mother was suddenly diagnosed with mid-stage cancer.
It was treatable but required a large amount of medical expenses.
At the time, I was just a poor student who had just entered University. Where could I possibly get that much money?
After seeking help from all our relatives to no avail, I had no choice but to turn to the idea of life amulets once again.
This was the only quick way I could think of to make money.
After all, sometimes fortune can change a person’s life.
Probably because the business had halted for too long, there wasn’t a single customer in the first few days after reopening.
Seeing the hospital already urging for the inpatient fees multiple times, I gritted my teeth and used the last 200 yuan I had to let Fatty Ling from the neighbor help me find a customer.
Fatty Ling is the leader of the local gang, and he never fails in what he promises. As long as I had the first business, I wouldn’t need to worry about the rest.
Sure enough, that afternoon, Fatty Ling brought a customer back.
She was a charming woman with a seductive figure. Seeing her dressed in designer clothes and carrying an LV bag, I quietly guessed she was a wealthy lady.
Fatty Ling winked at me a few times, signaling me to take good care of the woman, and then he swiftly left.
I forced a friendly smile at her, “Hello, may I know your name?”
The woman gave me a once-over and coolly stated her name was Xu but I felt like her gaze lingered the longest in the direction of my private parts.
Maintaining my polite demeanor, I continued, “Xu-Jie3, how can I assist you?”
Xu-Jie gave a seductive smile and asked if we were really going to stand and talk. I thought, if not standing, then lying down? Nevertheless, I politely invited her to sit in a chair.
I had never seen a woman this enchanting and seductive before. When the thought of lying down crossed my mind, my eyes involuntarily drifted to her chest. It was so large, firm, and round that it seemed to almost draw my eyeballs out of their sockets.
She laughed softly, covering her mouth, and asked if I liked what I saw. My cheeks flushed instantly, and I gave her an embarrassed smile but didn’t answer.
This woman was overwhelmingly seductive; every glance and smile was filled with allure. Her features were so exquisitely carved, and her fair face added a gentle elegance to her looks.
She narrowed her eyes, mocking, “Judging by your reaction, you probably haven’t been with a woman before, have you?”
Did I swallow hard? Maybe. But who said I hadn’t touched a woman before? At least, as a child, I was held by many aunts, and in elementary school, I even held hands with my deskmate.
Sipping water to hide my awkwardness, I didn’t dare respond to her tease and instead asked again how I could assist her.
Xu-Jie said, “Fatty Ling told me you could help me save my marriage.”
So, she was married? I suddenly wondered if all mature women were this bold and daring, flirting with an innocent guy like me.
I asked her to explain the situation, and she revealed she used to work as a hostess in a coastal city. After making quite a bit of money, she returned to her inland hometown and started a successful trading company.
During this time, she met her current Husband, who was also a successful young entrepreneur.
However, her Husband somehow found out about her past as a hostess. After a big fight, he left home. Even when he returned, they slept in separate rooms. Recently, he had even paraded his mistress into their home and flaunted their affair, pushing for a divorce.
I was stunned. No wonder she had the audacity to mock me like that. Yet, I couldn’t help but let my eyes wander over her delicate body, imagining scenes of her making love. Thinking of such a stunningly beautiful and seductive woman having been a hostess was truly a pity.
With her extraordinary beauty, it didn’t take much imagination to realize many men would have been willing to pay a lot to spend time with her. Countless men must have fallen at her feet, which explained how she had quickly made a fortune. That face and those legs, truly incomparable.
If I were a woman and had such looks, I might have made the same choices to quickly get a large sum of money.
She admitted everything was her fault for hiding her past and didn’t blame her Husband. She asked if I could help her win back his heart.
I suddenly fell silent.
If I were in her Husband’s shoes, I might feel murderous. Who could bear the thought that their partner was once a hostess? Just imagining her under countless men, screaming in pleasure, was intolerable and sickening.
I wanted to refuse, but failing my first client would damage my reputation.
The situation had gone too far from simple reconciliation. After thinking for a while, I finally said, “We can try the peach blossom amulet.”
Xu-Jie fixed her gaze on me and nodded without hesitation.
This task of saving a marriage was more acceptable to me. Using a peach blossom amulet, after all, was more about doing good than harm, unlike the life amulet, which involved Cause and Effect and could bring retribution.
Xu-Jie was already beautiful, and the charm from wearing the peach blossom amulet would make it even easier to win back her Husband.
I explained the purpose of the peach blossom amulet to her, suggesting she give it a try, and if it didn’t work, we could think of something else.
Xu-Jie listened intently, somewhat surprised, “Peach blossom amulet?”
“Yes, it’s a wooden amulet you wear around your neck. This amulet can ward off evil, eliminate bad luck, enhance one’s personal charm, and change one’s fortune. Once you have it, your Husband will definitely notice you again. However, about the price…”
To my surprise, Xu-Jie immediately got excited upon hearing it could help her win back her Husband’s heart. She grabbed my hand eagerly and said, “Money is not a problem…”
She stood right in front of me, her breath fragrant, her hair brushing against my face, releasing an intoxicating perfume that aroused me.
She stared at me, her face just a hand’s breadth away from mine.
Footnote:
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- Buddha amulet(佛牌):A Buddha amulet is a small, often pendant-like object that people wear for protection and good luck.
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- Yin-Yang(阴阳):Yin-Yang is a key concept in Chinese philosophy that describes how seemingly opposite forces are actually interconnected and complement each other. Yin represents qualities like darkness and passivity, while Yang represents light and activity.
Xu-Jie(许姐): In Chinese culture, it is common to address people with their family name followed by a term that indicates respect or familiarity. ‘Xu’ is the family name, and ‘Jie’ means ‘elder sister’ in Chinese.
