Taboo Mage - Chapter 52 - Bone Artifact

When I woke up the next morning, I found myself lying in the familiar bed of the meditation room. After a moment of dazed contemplation, I made a decision, put on my shoes, and ran out of the meditation room.

Jue Chi was holding a small package in his hand, dressed in a grey short Kasaya. Seeing me come out, he smiled slightly, “Have you made up your mind?”

“Yes, my life has come to this point, and it doesn’t matter whether I die in bed or not. It didn’t matter when I didn’t know, but now that someone has told me I can break the Cycle of Cause and Effect’s curse, whether it’s true or not, I want to try. It’s like choosing a better path for future generations,” I said, scratching my head as I shared my decision. I thought Jue Chi would stop me, because rushing into a completely unknown place was far too risky.

To my surprise, Jue Chi simply nodded and slung the package over his shoulder. “I’ll go with you.”

“What?”

I doubted my ears for a moment. Jue Chi, who rarely even left the gates of Chan Guang Monastery, was going to accompany me to Shenyang?

Jue Chi nodded firmly once more, reaffirming his willingness.

My mouth hung open, and I couldn’t come back to reality until Jue Chi started pulling me out the door. It suddenly occurred to me that he might be setting me up again.

It seemed Jue Chi could see right through my thoughts as he turned and blinked his bright eyes at me, his innocent look making me feel a pang of guilt.

Returning to the store, Lin Huan had just opened the door. I told him I would be going to Shenyang for a while and asked him to take care of the shop. If any business came by, he was to say the Boss was close to death and we were not accepting any customers.

Lin Huan burst out laughing, but still asked concernedly what I was going to do in Shenyang.

I said I was going for a matchmaking session. He didn’t believe me. Well, he didn’t have to believe it; I certainly couldn’t tell him that I was embarking on this risky journey to Shenyang because of a 0.01% chance.

After chatting casually with Lin Huan, I turned and suggested Jue Chi take a rest. I needed a couple of days to prepare what we needed, and then we would set off in two days.

Jue Chi carried the small package in his hand and confidently headed to the guest room to sleep.

After changing my clothes in the bedroom, I came out to find Lin Huan had already parked the car at the front door. I climbed into the passenger seat, and we drove off toward the city’s largest Liulichang¹ and incense candle market.

On the way back, I had already thought it through. The reason Chi Rui went to such lengths to deceive me into going to Shenyang was twofold.

One was that he truly held secrets about my family in his hands and wanted to use them to blackmail me into doing things for him. The other was that his words were all lies, and he had gone through all this trouble to get me to help him with some tasks.

Since there would obviously be no free benefits, and considering my safety, I had to prepare some emergency items for the road.

Lin Huan’s driving skills were improving. It took less than half an hour to reach the Liulichang. I slung my bag over my shoulder and expertly navigated the various shops, eventually stopping at a small store in a corner.

The shop looked very old, and the sign above was covered with dust. If you didn’t look closely, you couldn’t even make out the two characters for “bone artifact.”

I peered through the crack in the door. It was pitch dark inside, and I couldn’t see anything. I knocked on the door, but no one answered. Lin Huan asked if I had remembered the wrong place, as it clearly looked abandoned.

I shook my head. How could I possibly forget a place that could save my life!

I pushed the door open, and a cloud of dust almost suffocated me. I waved my hand in front of my face and tentatively called out, “Uncle Gong?”

No one answered, so I called out again.

A dog’s bark echoed from inside the shop, and I felt relieved. I stepped inside, and soon after, a squeaky noise came from behind.

I looked up to see an old curtain hanging on the door at the back of the shop. A stooped old man was lifting the curtain, holding a black dog in his arms.

“Uncle Gong! Long time no see, long time no see.”

I chuckled and approached Uncle Gong, reaching out to pet the little black dog he held.

Uncle Gong rolled his eyes and deftly moved behind the counter. Stretching out his hand, the black dog obediently climbed from his lap onto the glass surface of the counter.

“What do you need?” he asked.

I waved Lin Huan over. Carrying my backpack, he approached with a curious gaze, inspecting the dark interior of the shop.

“Uncle Gong, didn’t my dad say he left something with you last time? I came especially to pick it up.”

“Your dad? He’s been dead for years now. What thing? I don’t remember,” Uncle Gong said, his slender fingers gently stroking the back of the black dog, who comfortably arched its head back, making a whining noise.

“Come on, Uncle Gong, don’t change the subject. I really need it urgently,” I said with a frown, trying to maintain a smile.

Uncle Gong snorted, his fingers lingering on a drawer beneath the glass. “What are you planning to do with it?” he asked.

“Going to Shenyang for a few days.”

I watched as Uncle Gong opened an old drawer, pulling out an iron box and placing it in front of me. I quickly took it and lifted the lid for a peek.

“Shenyang…”

After hearing my response, Uncle Gong suddenly looked up thoughtfully, then lowered his head again, continuing to play with the black dog.

Lin Huan and I left with the iron box. Along the way, Lin kept asking what was inside, but I just shook my head, remaining silent. Actually, I had only heard about the content before; this was my first time seeing it myself.

As for how to use it, that would require seeing how things unfold and analyzing the situation accordingly.

Later, I had Lin drive to the incense candle market, where we bought a lot of yellow talisman paper and glutinous rice among other essentials, filling two large bags before returning home, satisfied.

Jue Chi was in charge of cooking today and surprisingly prepared a full vegetarian meal. Watching him skillfully use the natural gas stove and rice cooker, I couldn’t help but feel he had mastered the role of a househusband².

After dinner, I sent Lin Huan to wash the dishes, planning to discuss with Jue Chi what we needed to do in Shenyang when suddenly the shop door was pushed open.

Xu-Jie, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, stood at the entrance. I asked her what brought her here so late, then quickly ran through our previous dealings in my mind. Everything about Xu-Jie had been settled with no loose ends, which allowed me to relax.

Xu-Jie smiled, her captivating gaze sweeping over Jue Chi, “If I didn’t come, would you have forgotten about me?”

Footnote:

1. Liulichang(琉璃厂): This is a famous cultural street in Beijing known for its antique shops and bookstores, selling items such as calligraphy, paintings, and the “Four Treasures of the Study” (brush, ink, paper, and inkstone).
2. Househusband(家庭煮夫):This term refers to a man who takes care of household duties such as cooking, cleaning, and looking after the family, similar to a “housewife” but for men.