Taboo Mage - Chapter 127 - The Legendary Superstar

It was a fox! And not just any fox, but a spirit fox with hundreds of years of practice!

The little fox was kept at the Chan Guang Monastery, while the statue of the fox deity was enshrined in my store. In the serene grounds of the temple, the fox deity was merely a spirit; no matter how powerful it was, it could not receive the same devotional offerings as the Buddha.

Moreover, the statue of the fox deity was connected with the little fox’s spirit. As the little fox was exposed to the Buddhist teachings at Chan Guang Monastery every day, it naturally enhanced the spiritual aura of the statue.

Ever since the little fox went to Chan Guang Monastery with Jue Chi, Uncle Lin frequently went up the mountain to bring food for it. He even gave the little fox a name.

“Let’s call it Lina. After all, Xiao Meng is someone else’s name. It’s unique, not anyone else.”

However, only Uncle Lin used that name; I always called it the little fox.

Jue Chi didn’t even need to say a word. With just a gesture, the fawning fox would leap onto his lap on its own.

As for Lin Huan, whenever he accompanied me to the mountain, he’d hold the little fox and call it “Xiao Bai!”

Apparently, that was the name Uncle Lin chose when he initially took in the little fox, thinking it was a “samoyed.” But each time Lin Huan called it Xiao Bai, I could see the little fox rolling its eyes at him.

That morning, I got up later than usual. Lin Huan had already made breakfast and was knocking on my door. When I finally got up, I realized it was already past nine.

I got ready to open the store, and the little fox darted over, excitedly carrying one of my socks in its mouth. I patted its head. A couple of days ago, Jue Chi had to go to a nearby temple to discuss Buddhist teachings with some Master, so he temporarily left the little fox under my care.

I slipped on my slippers and went downstairs to eat. Lin Huan had already set the breakfast, with three plates on the table. Two contained scrambled eggs and noodles, and the other had a single sausage.

I picked up the little fox and placed it in front of the sausage. The little fox glanced at the sausage disdainfully, baring its teeth, and stretched its paw towards Lin Huan, who was sitting nearby.

“Lin Huan, it’s a fox, not a real samoyed. Why do you keep treating it like a dog?”

“Eat it or leave it. It’s already enough taking care of one big human, now I have to serve a fox too! Hurry up and give me a raise!”

Lin Huan put down his chopsticks and shouted. I picked up some noodles with chopsticks and placed them in front of the little fox, which began slurping and chewing with its head down.

We both ignored Lin Huan’s grumbling.

“Excuse me, is Mr. Gu here?”

A knock came from the door. I looked up and saw a man at the entrance, dressed in a yellow coat, wearing sunglasses and a mask, completely covered from head to toe.

“Yes, what do you need?” Lin Huan asked.

The man stepped in, turned to close the door, and after surveying the room, removed his sunglasses and mask.

I was sipping soup from my bowl, and when I looked up and saw who it was, I sprayed the soup out in surprise.

“Du Jun?”

Du Jun, a current superstar in film and music, had recently starred in a movie nominated for an international award. He had the face of an idol but the acting and singing skills of a true star, making him one of the hottest superstars today.

But why was he looking for me?

“Sorry for the abrupt visit. I heard about Mr. Gu and decided to come by,” Du Jun said as he sat on the sofa. The little fox lay sprawled on my lap, Lin Huan sat beside me, and the three of us focused our gaze on him.

I had to admit, Du Jun’s rapid rise to national fame was no accident. Just looking at his face was enough to outshine many young celebrities of today, and he was even more handsome in person than on TV.

“Well, since you’ve heard about me, you must know what I do. My business is about accepting payments and resolving troubles. If there’s something you need, you can tell me. We can discuss the price, and everything will be fine.”

I motioned to Lin Huan to bring over the price list from the store.

Du Jun waved his hand and said directly, “The matter I’m dealing with right now is quite tricky, but as long as Mr. Gu is willing to help, money is not an issue.”

I had heard that line many times before. Once, someone offered me thirty million upfront just to make a life amulet, and that was just the deposit.

I’ve seen a lot of money pass through my hands, but I’ve also learned one thing: usually, when someone offers money this easily, what they want done is nine out of ten times not something good.

“We have rules in our store. First, tell us what you want done. If it doesn’t break any rules, then we can discuss the price,” I said sternly, furrowing my brow.

Du Jun nodded. “Actually, my house is haunted. But it’s not exactly a haunting because the ghost was summoned by me.”

I stroked my chin. “What’s going on?”

I’d heard stories about celebrities who would do anything for their careers-spending money, even engaging in dubious practices like raising ghosts.

Raising ghosts is the quickest and surest method for them to boost their fame, but it’s also the most dangerous. The more powerful the ghost, the easier it is to fulfill their wishes, but it also makes them more prone to backlash.

Ghosts were once people, and human nature is greedy. Ghosts won’t help someone without a reason. If you’re raising ghosts, you must accept the conditions they set. It’s like a matchmaking event-both parties must see eye to eye before a deal can be made.

Although Du Jun looked young, he had been in the industry for over a decade. Proud and ambitious, he naturally didn’t want to curry favor with influential people to climb the ladder quickly.

But after working diligently for several years only to realize that opportunities were more important than talent in this industry, he understood that getting ahead wasn’t easy. Opportunities could be innate or acquired.

The struggle for acquired opportunities often blocks others’ innate chances. Especially after several easy opportunities slipped from his grasp because of so-called investor-backed replacements, Du Jun was fully awakened to the reality.

However, what he chose was a more secure yet more dangerous path.

A year ago, following advice from someone in the industry, Du Jun went to Thailand to seek an eminent monk, who gave him a Buddha amulet.

Since bringing the Buddha amulet back, Du Jun’s career took off, and within a year, he had become a superstar.

“But two months ago, there was a problem with the amulet.”

Du Jun took a red cloth from his pocket, unwrapped it, revealing a gilded Buddha amulet depicting a three-faced Buddha.

I took the amulet in my hand, and a searing sensation pierced my palm.

I frowned and tossed the amulet onto the coffee table.