Taboo Mage - Chapter 202 - A Mirror

Right now, my mind feels like a mess, and I don’t want to think about Zhou Qifang’s situation at all.

Back at the hotel, I handed the bread to Jue Chi, who looked at me in confusion and then pointed at the envelope in my hand.

“What is that?”

I glanced at the item in my hand and shook my head. “I don’t know. It was given to me by the cashier at the supermarket just now.”

As I spoke, I tore open the envelope, having completely forgotten to check what it was during the journey. Now, after weighing it in my hand, it felt surprisingly heavy.

Could it be a bomb?

I startled at my own wild imagination and instinctively threw the envelope away. Fortunately, Jue Chi reacted quickly and caught it, his long fingers carefully opening the envelope.

I held my breath, my eyes fixed on the contents in Jue Chi’s hands.

The seal of the envelope was removed, revealing a small corner inside. Without any hesitation, Jue Chi turned the envelope upside down and poured its contents onto the table.

Clang!

I instantly widened my eyes, staring at what appeared on the table: a carved, hollow copper mirror, with green rust on the handle, looking quite old.

“This isn’t…,” I squinted, suddenly realizing that this was the mirror I had found in the box behind the theater stage.

At the time, to avoid unnecessary trouble, I had put the mirror back. I just couldn’t understand how it ended up in my hands now.

Jue Chi clearly recognized the mirror as well. His surprise briefly flashed across his face before he looked up at me and said solemnly, “This is an heirloom of Pan Yuzhi; it was her favorite object during her lifetime.”

I rolled my eyes. No wonder he knew so much about her preferences after spending some “wonderful” time with her.

“Then… could it be that Pan Yuzhi’s spirit hasn’t completely departed and is attached to the mirror to come find me? After all, I did kind of ruin her dream.”

Thinking of this made the hairs on my arms stand up.

Jue Chi shook his head and handed the mirror to me. “No, I checked last night. After the spirit of Pan Yuzhi vanished in the Illusion, she completely disappeared. She can’t turn into a Resentful Spirit to come after you.”

Hearing Jue Chi’s words, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what, as long as it wasn’t Pan Yuzhi coming after me, everything else was fine.

Although I didn’t know who had given me the mirror, I actually liked it quite a bit, especially the carvings on it; every time I looked at it, my heart felt unusually warm.

I stuffed the copper mirror into my backpack, and just as I zipped it up, Zhou Qifang pushed the door open.

“Gu Qingshu, you move pretty fast,” Zhou Qifang said as soon as he entered, shooting several glares my way.

I smiled. “I couldn’t wait for you, so I came back first.”

Zhou Qifang said nothing further, just snorted coldly and told Jue Chi and me to pack our things and grab a bite on the way.

I was anxious to get back and check on things at the store. I hadn’t been there for a few days, and I was worried about whether Lin Huan could handle everything, especially with that Li Mi around.

Just thinking about Li Mi gave me a headache; it seemed like she was trying to shake me down for something.

The journey went smoothly, and just past lunchtime, we returned to the store. As I suspected, Lin Huan had been slacking off while I was gone.

When we walked in, I found Lin Huan lounging on the couch, asleep. Uncle Lin was resting with his head on the coffee table, and the little fox was curled up on Uncle Lin’s lap.

Hearing our footsteps, the little fox’s ears perked up immediately. When it saw Jue Chi, its big eyes lit up, and it jumped off Uncle Lin, dashing straight toward Jue Chi.

Jue Chi smirked, bent down, and picked up the little fox, which rubbed its fluffy head against his chin.

Lin Huan and Uncle Lin woke up as well. I tossed my things onto the couch and asked Lin Huan to take them upstairs. Uncle Lin, noticing our return, smiled and asked, “Are you all hungry? I can make you something to eat.”

I quickly waved my hand. “No need; we grabbed a quick bite on the way. We can eat later tonight.”

Uncle Lin nodded and pulled Lin Huan upstairs. The little fox, having not seen Jue Chi for a while, was snuggling up to him. Watching it trying to ingratiate itself with Jue Chi made me silently chuckle.

This little fox had probably been slacking off at home, not studying the Buddhist teachings properly. Now that Jue Chi was back, it looked like it was trying to win his affection to avoid getting disciplined.

Zhou Qifang stretched, claimed he was tired, and headed back to his room with his bag. I asked Jue Chi if he wanted to stay a few days before leaving.

Jue Chi hesitated at first, but when he looked down at the little fox’s big, watery eyes, he smiled and nodded.

I secretly gave the little fox a thumbs-up and headed upstairs to rest as well.

I’ve only recently developed the habit of being particular about my sleeping arrangements, especially after staying in a more remote location. In that place, the inn couldn’t even guarantee that the bedding was freshly changed, let alone the quality of sleep.

So, the moment I sank onto my soft, comfortable bed, I quickly fell into a deep sleep.

In my dream, I seemed to see a familiar face: Pan Yuzhi.

She was dressed in a bright red costume, gracefully walking down from the theater stage and coming straight toward me. In a blink, I realized I was sitting in the audience below the stage, surrounded by people in long gowns and traditional coats, all cheering and applauding.

Pan Yuzhi paused right in front of me, her made-up cheeks radiating charm. She bowed gently and said, “Thank you, sir, for saving my husband. Yuzhi here expresses her gratitude.”

I reached out my hand to help her up and couldn’t shake the thought: Husband? I don’t remember saving her man.

Standing before me, with her flowing sleeves, she continued, “I offer you this copper mirror as a gift, hoping it will prove useful to you in the future.”

I was puzzled, about to ask for clarification when a thick fog suddenly enveloped the stage and the people around us. In my confusion, I seemed to hear a clear Buddhist chant.

“Damn it!” I shouted instinctively.

Struggling, I abruptly opened my eyes. The familiar ceiling of my room greeted me. I took a deep breath and glanced over at the copper mirror I had set aside.

That thing was actually a gift from Pan Yuzhi…