Taboo Mage - Chapter 144 - Returning to Bangkok Once Again

After everything was settled downstairs, Lin Huan came up to find me. It looked like he had sustained some injuries; there was blood on his arm, staining the sleeve of his shirt.

I got up to find some gauze to bandage him up.

Lin Huan grimaced, gritting his teeth in pain, and said, “Boss, if you have any issues with me, just tell me directly, alright? If you keep this up, even ten of me won’t be able to withstand it. I don’t have the skills of my master, Jue Chi.”

Hearing him mention Jue Chi, I tightened my grip on the gauze, causing Lin Huan to let out a yelp of pain.

This guy really knows how to push my buttons.

For several days in a row, I was restless. Even though I was not in Thailand, my heart had already flown over there.

That day, I was holding a water cup while sitting on the sofa when suddenly my phone rang. I glanced at the screen; it showed an unfamiliar number.

I thought it was a spam call, but decided to answer it. A stranger’s voice came through, “Hello, Mr. Gu, Chi Rui has something to say to you.”

Chi Rui? Hearing those two words, my heart immediately leapt into my throat.

All I heard was the familiar voice over the phone, “Gu Qingshu, stay in China for now, don’t leave the shop.”

“Chi Rui? What’s going on?” I asked urgently, frowning.

“Enough! Stop asking! Just stay put as instructed!”

With that, the call abruptly ended. I held the phone for a while, hearing only the dial tone in the receiver. Frustrated, I tossed the phone onto the sofa.

I couldn’t help regretting my decision to leave Thailand. Based on Chi Rui’s tone, something serious must have happened over there.

But why didn’t Jue Chi call me himself? The only thing I could think of was that he didn’t want me to worry, so he kept it from me.

“Boss, I just checked. There aren’t many flights to Thailand available today and tomorrow. Would you like me to book one?” Lin Huan suddenly sidled up with a cheerful smile.

I shot him a glance, “Today’s flight! Immediately!”

Lin Huan eagerly ran off to book the ticket, while I clutched my head, feeling a throbbing pain in my temples. How did everything get so off track recently? I couldn’t even recall what I had done.

I arrived in Thailand a little after eight in the evening. As soon as I disembarked, I tried calling Jue Chi and Chi Rui, but neither of them answered.

After considering my options, I decided to first check the two-story house where I used to stay. If they were no longer there, I’d have to take things one step at a time.

Fortunately, I remembered the location. After taking a taxi there, I stood on the steps at the entrance, noticing that the lights inside were on. This struck me as odd. After a moment’s thought, I pulled the copper coin sword from my backpack and held it in my hand.

The door was unlocked. I quietly pushed it open and peeked inside. The living room was lit, but empty. I hesitated, feeling something was off, yet I still stepped inside.

As the door shut with a bang behind me, a door upstairs opened, and a figure emerged from the shadows.

“Haha! I told you he’d come either today or tomorrow! Look!” Chi Rui laughed heartily, stepping out from his hiding spot.

I stared in shock at the person descending the stairs, and my gaze shifted to the figure following him closely-it was Jue Chi.

What on earth is going on here?

Unable to contain myself, I leaped forward and thrust the copper coin sword towards Chi Rui. He dodged, causing the sword to aim at Jue Chi behind him.

Jue Chi merely smiled and shook his head. With a swift motion, he caught the blade securely between his fingers.

“You two bastards! What kind of trick are you pulling?” I shouted, overwhelmed by a sense of humiliation.

I raced over at the mere hint of danger to them, only to find them sitting here comfortably, even making bets and joking at my expense!

Jue Chi let me rant until I was out of breath. Then he handed me a glass of water and said, “We weren’t deceiving you. Something did happen, but we need your help with it.”

“Liars! Scoundrels!” I exclaimed, taking a swig of water and cursing at them.

Jue Chi shook his head, and Chi Rui chimed in, “Alright, you’ve yelled enough. Any more, and you’re just being unreasonable! Don’t act like a woman, throwing a tantrum and fussing.”

I stood there, dumbfounded-how did this suddenly become my fault?

Before I could retort, Chi Rui continued, “Let’s leave other matters for later. Right now, we need your help with something.”

Annoyed, I asked what it was. Chi Rui glanced at Jue Chi, who gave a helpless chuckle and explained that ever since I left, they had been keeping an eye on Taka’s movements.

However, they discovered something unusual.

Taka turned out to be a native-born Chinese! Hearing this, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Wasn’t that obvious? When I talked with Taka, his Chinese was more fluent than mine.

“What’s so curious about that? I knew it already,” I said, slumping onto the sofa, somewhat disappointed that their days of staying here hadn’t yielded any other substantial results.

“Did you know Taka’s last name?” Jue Chi pressed.

“Of course not! I’m not his father-why should I care about his last name?” Still irritated from feeling deceived, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes as I spoke.

Chi Rui shot me an exasperated look. “You’re the kind who needs some straightening out; it’s a good thing I’m keeping an eye on you, otherwise who knows how you’d meet your end?”

“Just get to the point! Don’t waste my time!”

Seeing I was still upset, Jue Chi sat down next to me with a glass of water and patiently explained everything that had happened recently.

To avoid exposing themselves again, they had enlisted locals to cautiously probe Taka. After much effort, they found out that Taka was indeed a Chinese native.

Even more shocking was that Taka’s original name was Zhou Qifang. He traveled to Thailand with his parents in the last century and learned Buddha amulet-making from his father. After his father passed away, he began to make a name for himself in Thailand and is now a renowned Buddha amulet master.

I found it a bit strange, as if I had heard the name Zhou Qifang somewhere before, but I just couldn’t recall it.

Chi Rui watched me in silence for a while, then smacked me on the head, shouting in frustration, “You idiot! Zhou Qifang from the Zhou Family! They’re as famous as the Gu Family for their life amulets! Has your brain been eaten by a donkey?”