Taboo Mage - Chapter 137 - Facing Taka

r, it means that the person to be taken away tonight is me!

Because the one who has to face Taka is me.

Thinking of this, I became much calmer. I spent the entire day sitting on the bed, organizing tools that might be needed at night, and the rest of the time was spent staring out the hotel window.

Outside was a slum area; the hotel backed up to a stinking ditch. Countless ragged old people lay along the riverbank, holding decaying food in their hands. The flies buzzing around couldn’t tell if they were chasing the rotten food or the decomposing bodies.

But at this moment, I had no mind to consider such disgusting matters.

Until evening, I sat quietly on the edge of the bed. Neither Du Jun nor Liao Qing slept; they sat on the couch, exchanging glances, unsure of what to say.

I noticed that at noon, Liao Qing had removed the Buddha amulet from around his neck and discarded it somewhere.

The clock on the wall quietly pointed to midnight, and the door was about to be pushed open. The same scenario, this was the third time I experienced it, and I felt no panic.

On the contrary, Du Jun and Liao Qing sitting across from me were so frightened their legs went weak, nearly falling off the couch.

The sound of high heels approached from afar, and I looked up to see a woman in a red dress appearing at the door. A moment of hesitation flashed across her face when she saw the three of us, but she still walked in.

This was the first time I had seen a woman like this, with a plain face, but as cold as a corpse…

She walked up to me, looked down at me, and then asked in standard Mandarin, “Are you Gu Qingshu?”

I nodded, “What about my two friends?”

“Mr. Gu, rest assured, your two friends are fine. The master is already waiting for you.”

I nodded, stood up, and followed her out.

Du Jun and Liao Qing, who were sitting on the couch, had by this time realized what was happening and stood up, wanting to follow. I waved them off; after all, it wasn’t like we were going for a feast, so why the rush?

Besides, even Jue Chi and Chi Rui got tangled up in that place. If those two went along, they’d only cause more chaos.

Liao Qing seemed like he wanted to say something, but Du Jun pulled him back. They both gave me a look and sat back down.

I think I might be the first person to voluntarily walk to find Taka’s master. For me, this was a moment worth remembering.

As I followed the woman in red out the door, we passed the hotel front desk. The hotel boss stared at me as if he’d seen a ghost. I gave him a smile.

In the past, every time I left, he looked at me like a thief. From now on, I intend to show him that I’ll walk with confidence right in front of him!

The woman in red remained silent throughout our walk, charging ahead with surprising speed, making me jog to barely keep up.

We exited the hotel, circled the back alley with the stinking ditch, and entered the shantytown. The shantytown in Bangkok is quite a unique place.

It’s unlike the urban villages in China, which, though crowded, are at least somewhat orderly in their construction.

Bangkok’s shantytown is a completely chaotic mass of makeshift dwellings, one right against another, leaving only narrow pathways for people to walk through.

Late at night is when the shantytown is most lively. As I closely followed the woman in red, every person we passed kneeled, bowing reverently.

Of course, I knew they weren’t bowing to me. But who exactly was this woman in red, and why did she receive such adoration from these impoverished people?

I recalled seeing a report on TV about places where, due to the scarcity of resources, people still worshipped ancient legends. In some old tribe in China, they still maintain the tradition of revering a holy maiden.

Could it be that this woman in red was their equivalent of a holy maiden?

My mind was filled with endless questions, yet I remained silent while observing my surroundings closely, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jue Chi and Chi Rui.

Finally, the woman in red stopped at the deepest part of the shantytown, in front of a small hut painted red. The hut had no decorations on the outside, looking inconspicuous and tucked away in a corner.

If not observed carefully, no one would notice this place.

The woman in red stepped aside, gesturing for me to enter. I bit my lip and reached into my pocket, where my copper coin sword was kept.

Don’t ask how I managed to fit a sword into my pocket. Anyone who paid attention to my walking posture earlier could probably guess.

I hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door in front of me open.

The room was dark, with no light inside, except for the moonlight streaming through a small window directly opposite, casting a beam on a small wooden table in front of the window.

But I could vaguely make out that a man was sitting behind the wooden table.

“Hello, Mr. Gu, I’ve heard much about you.”

The man spoke fluent Mandarin, and my heart pounded, but I tried my best to appear unruffled.

I first took a look at the room’s setup; it was too dark to see clearly, but I sensed the furnishings were very simple. Then I focused all my attention on the person behind the wooden table.

He was hidden in the shadows, sitting cross-legged on the floor. As if sensing my scrutiny, he leaned forward slightly to satisfy my curiosity.

His face was thus exposed in the moonlight, and when I saw it clearly, I nearly gasped.

I couldn’t discern his true appearance, but I could clearly see the mask on his face.

It was a classic Chinese mask, with a blue face and menacing teeth. I was stunned for a moment and then suddenly realized something, sitting cross-legged directly in front of him.

“So, you’re Chinese, huh? A Chinese person came all the way to Thailand to harm other Chinese people-you certainly have time to spare.”

It was almost certain that the legendary Master Taka was indeed a true Chinese person, though why he was playing tricks in Thailand was beyond me.

I hadn’t planned to have a major conflict with him, but his mistake was taking the people around me.

For a Buddha amulet master thriving in Thailand to actually be a genuine Chinese person was a revelation I found hard to accept.