Taboo Mage - Chapter 31 - Misfortune Amulet

After breakfast, I spent the whole morning holed up in the restroom, studying the misfortune amulet. Lin Huan, feeling disgusted, left the store door wide open to let in fresh air.

More than two hours later, I finally slapped my thigh and stood up from the toilet seat.

It turned out that my Father had added a strand of my hair to the misfortune amulet. This was used to distinguish the spirit imprisoned inside the amulet, which explained why I didn’t smell that foul odor.

If I hadn’t felt so dizzy from overthinking, I wouldn’t have taken out my lighter to smoke a cigarette to clear my head. Who would have known that the lighter’s flame would suddenly grow so high, singeing a strand of my hair?

The pungent stench hit my nose, and I was so startled that I almost threw the glutinous rice water out the small window of the restroom.

Once I understood what was happening, I poured the glutinous rice water into the toilet. Lin Huan rushed in with a cloth he’d prepared beforehand and thoroughly cleaned every corner of the restroom, even spraying it with perfume.

By the time Lin Huan was done, I had already prepared everything needed to make the misfortune amulet. The only thing missing was a strand of Yang Shuo’s hair.

For that reason, I made a special phone call to Yang Shuo, asking her to come over after work and take the misfortune amulet with her, saving me a trip.

It was the first time that Lin Huan watched me make a life amulet, and he was extremely curious. He stayed by my side the whole time, fearful that if he left, I would finish it while he was gone.

At exactly six in the evening, Yang Shuo pushed open the store door. She was still in her professional attire, but today she wore large black-rimmed glasses on her nose, giving her a shrewd and chaste appearance.

I suddenly understood why Yang Shuo’s Boss only started making advances on her years after she joined the company. Fresh out of school girls, while pure, are too easy to get, offering no sense of accomplishment to a man.

Women like Yang Shuo, who have already attained a certain social status, are cleaner than women in society and more mature than schoolgirls. The aura of chastity she exuded alone was enough to trigger any man’s desire to conquer.

Following my instructions, Yang Shuo cut off a lock of her hair and placed it in a plastic bag.

I carved the prepared wooden amulet into the shape of a skull, then set the yellow talisman paper and Yang Shuo’s hair on fire. Next, I imprisoned the captured Tree Spirit inside the wooden amulet and sealed it using glutinous rice and a talismanic incantation.

The misfortune amulet isn’t a complex life amulet; it only took a few minutes to complete. I handed the wooden amulet, already tied with a red string, to Yang Shuo.

The moment the life amulet hung around Yang Shuo’s neck, I felt a strong aura of intimidation surrounding her. It was as if a warrior woman stood before me, poised to shoot a giant eagle with her bow.

Yang Shuo expressed her gratitude repeatedly and then placed a thick stack of money on the coffee table. She left, holding the misfortune amulet with a look of satisfaction.

Watching Yang Shuo’s departing figure, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong.

This sensation had lingered in my mind for a long time, ever since I first met Xu-Jie. However, this time it was especially intense.

Lin Huan happily clutched the envelope filled with money, heading over to the counting machine. The sound of cash feeding through the machine echoed in my ears.

I leaned back on the sofa, slowly closed my eyes, and pushed those strange feelings to the back of my mind, savoring the sense of fulfillment that filled my entire body.

Lin Huan asked me if we should deposit the money in the bank or store it somewhere else.

With my eyes closed, I pondered for a moment and decided to put the money in the safe under my bed. Lin Huan disagreed with my plan, arguing that keeping such a large amount of money at home was too risky.

I laughed and asked him, “If we don’t fear ghosts, why should we fear people?”

Lin Huan had no retort and went upstairs with the envelope.

Having completed the misfortune amulet, I summoned Lin Huan to discuss plans for expanding our business.

Lin Huan proposed a plan: first, allocate a portion of our funds to invest in real estate and other projects to maintain financial stability. Then, use our existing connections to broaden our promotional reach while targeting clients from different social strata.

I fully agreed with Lin Huan’s final point.

Ever since I started crafting life amulets, many people have come knocking through intermediaries. Fatty Ling was one such person in the past, and now it was Xu-Jie’s turn.

When my Mother was hospitalized, I desperately needed money, so I accepted all kinds of business without discrimination. However, now that I had enough to get by for a while, I couldn’t keep accepting any and every job that came my way. It wasn’t just a matter of time and energy, but also about maintaining a certain standard.

After a thorough discussion with Lin Huan, I decided to use Yang Shuo’s financial position as the benchmark. I then informed the people around me of this new standard.

Not long after, another business opportunity presented itself.

A government official, fat and with a bulbous nose, came in. He looked like someone who spent most of his time in an office, sipping goji berry tea from a thermos, either reading the newspaper or doing nothing productive.

He sat in front of me, his belly protruding as he scrutinized me. Then he snorted and asked, “I hear you make some sort of amulet?”

“An amulet?” I replied with my leg crossed, smiling. “Which kind?”

“How would I know what kind? If I knew, I wouldn’t have to come to you,” Fatty said impatiently, tilting his nose upward in a manner that was incredibly off-putting.

Lin Huan brought over some water and placed it on the coffee table. The official glanced at it, his eyebrows furrowing in visible disdain.

I’ve disliked people from the bureaucratic world since I was young, especially those who do nothing but sip tea from their thermos, ignorant of the country’s laws and regulations, yet always talking about high-quality tea like Dahongpao¹ and Tieguanyin².

If Xu-Jie hadn’t specifically sent him and repeatedly urged me to treat him well, and if Lin Huan hadn’t taken the time to explain that this was our first step into the bureaucratic world and that we must seize the opportunity, I would have kicked this guy out long ago.

The official waited for a while, grumbling when no one paid him any attention. Finally, he spoke, “I won’t waste words with you. Xu-Jie sang your praises as if you were a deity, so I’ll believe it-for now.”

I cursed inwardly. Temporarily believe it? Do I need your belief?

It turned out this fat man was a low-level section chief in a government department. His superior was set to retire this year, and he’d been currying favor with him for ages. The superior had alluded to recommending him for the position. But unexpectedly, a highly competent newcomer was parachuted into the department, overshadowing him completely. This new rival had even started targeting him for misconduct.

Afraid that his career prospects would be ruined by this newcomer, he had reached out to Xu-Jie for help.

Footnote:

1. 1. Dahongpao(大红袍): Dahongpao, also known as ‘Big Red Robe,’ is a famous and highly prized type of Chinese oolong tea. It originates from the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian Province.

Tieguanyin(铁观音): Tie Guanyin, also known as ‘Iron Goddess of Mercy,’ is another famous type of Chinese oolong tea. It comes from Anxi County in Fujian Province and is named after the Buddhist deity Guanyin (the Goddess of Mercy).