Taboo Mage - Chapter 206 - Chi Rui to the Rescue

I shouted, and Lin Huan jumped up from the sofa, grabbed his phone, and called Chi Rui. A few minutes later, the call connected, and Chi Rui’s cheerful voice came through the earpiece.

“What’s up? Missed me after just a few days?”

Chi Rui’s overly cheerful tone triggered a wave of irritation in me. I snatched the phone and exclaimed, “Chi Rui! Come quickly, we need help!”

“Calm down, what’s going on?”

I quickly explained the situation. After I finished, there was silence on the line. I thought he had fallen asleep, but after a few seconds, he suddenly burst into laughter.

“You guys… you got trapped in a room by some reporters? Hahaha!”

Gritting my teeth, I practically wished I could reach through the phone line, grab Chi Rui, and give him a good beating to relieve my frustration.

After laughing for a moment, Chi Rui finally said, “Alright, I get it. I’ll make a call to find out what’s really going on. Don’t worry, it’s not a big deal.”

After hanging up, I sat on the sofa and exchanged glances with the others.

More than an hour later, Chi Rui called back, “I’ve handled it. It’s some guy named Xu Benzhang who made a big deal out of the little fox’s situation and intentionally leaked information to the reporters, which is why so many people showed up.”

“Xu Benzhang?” Instantly, a picture of that suit-wearing, hypocritical man flashed in my mind.

“Don’t worry, I’ve sorted it out. The reporters won’t cause any more trouble, but it’s best to have Jue Chi take the little fox somewhere safe for a few days to avoid any further drama.”

“Okay, thanks.”

After hanging up, I relayed Chi Rui’s message. Uncle Lin visibly relaxed, but there was no clear change in expression on Jue Chi and Zhou Qifang’s faces.

Just then, Lin Huan came rushing back from checking the situation. “Hey! It’s unbelievable, all the reporters have left! I even opened the door to make sure, and there really is no one out there.”

I nodded. It seemed the Chi family was indeed quick and efficient, and the outcome was unexpectedly good.

Jue Chi stood up, grabbed his already packed backpack, and led the little fox out. I took the car keys and followed to see them off.

As we reached the door, I turned back to remind Lin Huan to make sure to pick up the car the little fox won in the raffle at De Yi Winery.

Given the commotion that car had caused, we definitely couldn’t just abandon it!

I drove Jue Chi to the foot of the mountain and then walked with him to the Chan Guang Monastery. Initially, Jue Chi asked me to head back right away, but there were some things I still wanted to clarify with him, so I stubbornly followed along.

Along the way, I tried to probe Jue Chi about the effects of the copper mirror that Pan Yuzhi had given me.

Last night, I had attempted to use it several times, but it felt like just an ordinary mirror. Could it be that I didn’t know how to use it properly?

I clearly remembered Pan Yuzhi telling me in my dream that the copper mirror could be incredibly useful to me.

Jue Chi shook his head, indicating that he wasn’t exactly sure either. However, since Pan Yuzhi had gifted me the mirror, it surely meant that I could use it and would eventually figure out how to harness its powers.

I gritted my teeth; Pan Yuzhi could be quite frustrating. If she was going to give me something, why not just be straightforward about it instead of leaving me to guess endlessly?

After dropping off Jue Chi at the Chan Guang Monastery, I rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a handkerchief that Pan Yuzhi had used. I thought that perhaps having more of her belongings with me might help me dream about her again, which would allow me to ask how the mirror worked.

When Jue Chi saw the handkerchief in my hand, a look of urgency flashed across his face. I was puzzled and asked him if the handkerchief was very important to him.

He shook his head but insisted that I take good care of it and return it to him once I was done using it.

I nodded, still skeptical, and headed down the mountain with the handkerchief in hand.

Once I got home, I placed the handkerchief alongside the copper mirror and tucked them both under my pillow. I lay down, hoping to dream about Pan Yuzhi so I could ask her how to use the mirror.

Who would have thought that instead of dreaming about Pan Yuzhi, I dreamt about our old man?

In this dream, Grandpa was wearing jeans and a white T-shirt, looking at least ten years younger, lively and spirited. I almost thought he was still alive.

“You lucky kid! You got your hands on the Kun Xuan Mirror so easily!”

Kun Xuan Mirror? I frowned, trying to recall, “What is this Kun Xuan Mirror? Is it the one Pan Yuzhi gave me?”

“Exactly! That thing is a divine artifact! You must take good care of it!” Grandpa exclaimed, his beard bristling with excitement.

I felt a surge of joy and quickly asked, “Grandpa, do you know how to use this Kun Xuan Mirror?”

Grandpa shook his head and explained that the Kun Xuan Mirror was once a genuine talisman for warding off evil used by the Maoshan¹ school of thought. After the last Maoshan practitioner passed away, the mirror had gone missing. Although our Gu Family specialized in crafting life amulets, we inevitably had to deal with ghosts and spirits. Since we weren’t adept at ghost catching, members of the Gu Family often fell victim to malevolent spirits. With the Kun Xuan Mirror in our possession, at least we wouldn’t have to fear powerful resentful spirits any longer.

I nodded in agreement. After so much practical experience, I had realized that while the Gu Family was skilled at creating life amulets, we were vulnerable when it came to encountering spirits.

If it weren’t for Jue Chi’s help in recent encounters, I might have found myself in grave danger at the hands of those resentful spirits.

When I woke up, I took out the Kun Xuan Mirror and studied it closely. No matter how I looked at it, it still appeared to be just an ordinary makeup mirror-I couldn’t find any clues about its supposed powers.

Just then, Zhou Qifang knocked on the door, calling for me to come down for dinner. I decided to bring the Kun Xuan Mirror along, hoping he could help me examine it.

To my surprise, during dinner, Zhou Qifang informed me that his contacts in Beijing had reported back. They’d made some progress in finding the person from before, but communication suddenly cut off.

Zhou Qifang’s face turned grim; it was evident that he was quite anxious about the situation.

Given the significance of the Zhou Family’s reburial into our Gu Family’s ancestral grave, it was no wonder he felt this was a major concern for his entire family-he definitely couldn’t afford to take it lightly.

I could only reassure him not to panic. This matter had already dragged on for quite a while, indicating that it wasn’t something that could be resolved overnight.

At the very least, he was now linked with me in this endeavor, which was a significant step forward compared to when he was working alone in Bangkok.

Zhou Qifang remained silent, tightly gripping the chopsticks in his hands.

Footnote:

1. Maoshan(茅山):A mountain in Jiangsu Province, China, known for its connection to Taoism. It is a significant center for Taoist practices and rituals, and is associated with the Shangqing School of Taoism.