Taboo Mage - Chapter 145 - A Day Tour of the Grand Palace

That’s right! Zhou Qifang! My grandfather once said that there were two prominent life amulet families in our country, one being our Gu Family and the other the Zhou Family. During the turmoil of the ten-year upheaval, the old man of the Zhou Family was beaten to death, and his son Zhou Rui fled abroad with his newborn child.

Grandfather mentioned that he was the one who named that child back then-Zhou Qifang!

I widened my eyes, unable to recover from the shock for quite some time.

How could this Taka… actually be Zhou Qifang? But even if he is Zhou Qifang, why did he come looking for me?

I voiced this question, but Jue Chi and Chi Rui merely shook their heads. It seemed that time was too short, and they hadn’t found any other information.

Because of this incredibly sensational news, I decided to stay in Thailand for the time being. After all, no matter how you look at it, this matter seems to be targeting our Gu Family.

I can’t just stand by and do nothing.

For the next few days, we stayed cooped up in our room. It seemed unwise to remain like this; Bangkok is Taka’s territory, and even if he hasn’t found us yet, he will eventually.

Since that’s the case, it’s better to take the initiative. Who knows, we might get the upper hand.

So, after my relentless persuasion, Jue Chi finally decided to go out with me to assess the situation. In truth, it was just the two of us going out for a stroll to let Taka know we’re still in Bangkok.

Jue Chi had been in Bangkok for about half a month by then, and apart from two hotels, he hadn’t explored other places. As for me, I hadn’t even stepped outside the hotel doors.

This was the perfect opportunity for us to tour Thailand.

The most famous attraction in Bangkok is the Grand Palace. It’s said to offer not only beautiful scenery but also beautiful women, making it an excellent choice for both Jue Chi and me.

We specifically rented a car and hired a local driver to take us there. The driver talked non-stop along the way, but I couldn’t understand a word, so I turned my head to chat with Jue Chi instead.

To our surprise, the driver understood Mandarin and turned around to ask us, “Chinese, huh? Why didn’t you say so earlier!”

I was taken aback. That accent in Mandarin… he must have learned it from someone in Northeast China…

Without further ado, the driver directly asked, “Are you here to see the ladyboys?”

“No, please watch the road, master!” I hurriedly replied. The way this driver handled the three-wheeler felt more like off-roading-fierce and unruly, making my heart skip with every bump.

The driver chuckled and continued to ask, “Don’t worry, I’m experienced and got it under control! If you’re not here for the ladyboys, then are you here to get a Buddha amulet?”

A Buddha amulet? I looked up and asked, “Are there many people coming to get Buddha amulets?”

“Of course! There’s nothing much in Bangkok but plenty of Buddha amulet masters. Back in China, they’re strictly controlling these things. The leaders don’t want you indulging in superstitions, but it’s hard to break thousands of years of tradition overnight.”

“Ahem, not everything is superstition,” I said helplessly.

The driver clearly didn’t take my words to heart and continued, “Never mind that. Anyway, the crowd is always there! Fortunately, we’ve got Master Taka here in Bangkok. The people flock to him like flies.”

Hearing Taka’s name, I couldn’t help but smirk. Jue Chi, however, asked, “Do you know Taka?”

“How could I know such a master? Just heard about him. I’ve had many passengers talk about him. They say Master Taka is quite formidable and even made a Buddha amulet for some high-ranking government official, supposedly very effective.”

I scoffed. No matter how skilled, he uses malevolent spirits, which shortens one’s life! If I dared to use malevolent spirits to make a life amulet, I would be a hundred times more powerful than him!

The driver kept chattering, and I glanced at Jue Chi, who was frowning, deep in thought. It seemed this matter was even more complicated than we had imagined.

Due to the driver, we didn’t enjoy ourselves much at the Grand Palace. We just took a quick look around and strolled for the day, planning to head back to our lodging in the evening.

The car stopped about a block away from our lodging, and Jue Chi and I walked back. As we rounded the corner, a shadow quickly darted past under the streetlight!

I glanced in the direction of the shadow. Although it moved swiftly, I could faintly make out a blurry figure trailing not too far behind us.

Being followed? While it was something we anticipated, it happened faster than expected. Within just half a day, Taka had managed to track us down.

I exchanged a glance with Jue Chi, who nodded in understanding, and we continued walking forward.

As we neared the entrance, I discreetly reached into my pocket and took out a Xuan Guang Mirror. I gave a quick flash in the moonlight, and the shadow behind us suddenly turned into a wisp of smoke that wafted upward.

I quickly turned to look and saw that at the spot where the shadow had been, there was now just a pile of ash. Jue Chi reached out and touched it, confirming that it was yellow talisman paper.

I nodded, following Jue Chi into the room.

Since Taka had already found where we were staying, he would definitely make his move next.

Sure enough, early the next morning, before we even got out of bed, there was a commotion from downstairs. I thought it might be Chi Rui causing a ruckus again, so I got up to check. To my surprise, there was someone familiar in the living room.

It was Taka.

I hadn’t expected him to pay a personal visit. When he saw me, Taka didn’t show any surprise. He simply smiled and nodded in greeting.

“Hello, Mr. Gu. Long time no see. I never thought we’d meet again.”

Jue Chi, Chi Rui, and I sat on the couch as Taka exchanged a few pleasantries. Not wanting to waste time, I directly asked him why he was looking for us.

Taka repeated what he had said before, essentially asking for my help to make a life amulet.

I scoffed and told him that the life amulet technique of the Zhou Family and that of the Gu Family ultimately led to the same place. My mediocre skills couldn’t even compare to one of his fingers. He shouldn’t try to placate me with such words.

Taka narrowed his eyes, clearly not expecting that within a few days, we had uncovered all his secrets.

“As expected from the Chi Family of Shenyang-even in Bangkok, you wield such great influence.” Taka’s tone was inscrutable as he spoke with a slight smirk.

I wanted to tell him that it wasn’t the influence of the Chi Family but rather the power of money that held the true sway. The Chi Family simply had enough wealth behind it.