The sun gradually sank, and a flock of birds flew aimlessly across the horizon, their cries echoing without direction. A few mischievous children loitered outside the dilapidated building, cigarettes dangling from their lips as they glared at the three of us and cursed, “Damn bastards… three idiots… come bite me if you dare…”
Staggering to my feet, I wiped the blood from my mouth and spat back, “Get the hell out of here, or do you want a beating?” The kids retorted, “Motherf*ckers… screw your moms… think we won’t mess you up?” One of them pointed at the bulge on Wang Han’s waist and sneered, “Big bro, he’s got something on him.”
Wang Han, his chubby hand resting on his waist, chuckled, “Want to borrow it for a spin?” He flipped open the holster, revealing a black Star—a Type 54 pistol, renowned for its devastating power, one of the finest domestic handguns, heavy and imposing, like a beast. He carried it mainly to intimidate me.
The kids bolted in terror, but once they were a safe distance away, they yelled back, “Go ahead, shoot if you dare!”
I smirked inwardly—what a bunch of annoying brats. Run farther if you can…
Wang Han chuckled again. “Upstairs! Xiao Qi, don’t try anything funny. My gun will make sure even your own father won’t recognize you…”
The pistol’s destructive power was terrifying—a shot to the leg would cripple, a shot to the body would leave half of it useless. I hadn’t had a drop of water or a bite of food all day. Climbing the stairs alone felt like walking the path of a wandering ghost. If I died, could I avenge myself like Bai Yu had?
I touched my chin—as long as my grandson recognized me, it was enough. Old Worm Five stepped forward and slapped me across the face.
I entered the crumbling building first, followed by Old Worm Five and Wang Han. The stairwell was eerily quiet. The building wasn’t tall, only about five stories. It wouldn’t take long to reach the top.
Deliberately holding my chin, I muttered, “Where did I put it again?”
Old Worm Five kicked me in the shin and cursed, “Stop playing games, or I’ll end you right now.”
I replied, “What’s the rush? Impatience won’t get you hot shit. It’s just up ahead.” As we climbed, I noted the exits. Spotting two loose bricks on the ground, I said, “Old Worm Five, come help me out—it’s right here.” Wang Han stood guard while Old Worm Five, confident I wouldn’t try anything, stepped forward. In a flash, I grabbed one of the bricks and smashed it against his head.
“Motherf*cker!” he howled, blood gushing from his scalp. Wang Han, caught off guard, fumbled for his pistol. I snatched the other brick and lunged, knocking him aside before bolting out the door. Gunfire echoed behind me. Neither had expected me to fight back—or that I’d have the strength to shove a fat bastard like Wang Han.
Old Worm Five clutched his bleeding forehead and roared, “I’ll f*cking kill you, Xiao Qi! When I catch you, I’ll let my bugs eat you alive—soul and all!”
Wang Han laughed. “No rush. He won’t get far.”
As soon as I burst outside, I saw a swarm of earth-colored creatures blocking the exit, writhing like eels in mud—utterly disgusting.
Wang Han really did eat dirt for a living. I turned and dashed into an empty room, but the exit was already blocked. Bugs surged from nowhere, ready to swallow me whole.
Wang Han’s voice boomed through the ruins: “You can’t escape unless you grow wings!” I scoffed at his exaggeration and sprinted to the window—only to find it covered in a dense, writhing net of insects.
The entire building had become a nest of bugs. Wang Han was an earth-based bug master, Old Worm Five a metal-based one. The concrete and steel structure was their perfect stage.
I’d dug my own grave.
The only way left was the roof. Hiding in an empty room, I listened as Old Worm Five and Wang Han taunted me: “Come out, or we’ll kill that female ghost next. Stay hidden, and we’ll stew your cat and dog for soup!” Old Worm Five, nursing his wounds, howled with rage, swearing to end me no matter what.
As if I’d slept with his wife in a past life and he was here to settle the score.
My heartbeat thundered. Summoning every ounce of strength, I burst out and sprinted past them, darting up the stairs five meters ahead.
The five-story building was quickly conquered, but the roof, too, was crawling with bugs. Had Wang Han brought an army of them?
“Ancestors, why grant me the power to subdue ghosts but not to kill?”
The bug-infested building offered no refuge.
Wang Han and Old Worm Five searched room by room until they cornered me on the fifth floor.
I grinned. “Took you long enough. I’ve been waiting for hours.”
Old Worm Five, his handsome face now bloodied, lunged and kicked me to the ground, his foot pressing on my head. “You little shit dared to mess with us! Big bro, what should we do with him?”
Wang Han stopped him. “Don’t kill him yet. Since he won’t talk, fetch that female ghost. Let my bugs feed on her spirit. And bring the dog—we’ll cook up a hotpot.”
Old Worm Five hesitated. “Big bro, I don’t eat meat.”
Wang Han snapped, “Idiot! Just grab them to make this bastard suffer!”
Gritting my teeth, I pushed against the ground, refusing to stay underfoot while my loved ones were tortured.
A searing fury erupted in my gut, my whole body burning. Wang Han pressed the gun to my head. “Move again, and I’ll blow your brains out.”
I knew he wouldn’t shoot—not without getting what he wanted. Old Worm Five’s foot ground my head into the dust. That foot had trodden through filth—toilets, streets, every vile place imaginable.
And now it was on my head. Unbearable.
Blind rage consumed me. Old Worm Five leaned harder, but I strained to lift my head.
“Still got fight, huh?” he sneered. “Just wait—I’ll slaughter your dog next.”
Wang Han pistol-whipped me. “Got guts, kid. Let’s see how long you last.” Blood streamed from my brow, but my mind grew sharper. The bugs on the window seemed to bow toward me.
Old Worm Five’s throat bobbed. “Big bro… something’s wrong. The bugs—they’re changing.”
Their bug nest was half-metal, half-earth, controlled by will, scent, and movement. Wang Han’s expression darkened. The bugs weren’t obeying.
“Kill him,” Wang Han decided. “We’ll get what we need from the ghost.”
Old Worm Five grinned. “About damn time. Give me the gun—I’ll blow his brains out.”
I fought to stand, but Wang Han stomped me down. “Next life, stay a normal person. Leave this line of work.”
Gasping, I spat, “Normal… my ass… Remember this… I’m the 15th-generation heir of the Ghost Sect… Our founder was a Tang Dynasty feng shui master… equal to Yang Yunsong…”
Old Worm Five scoffed. “Bragging so the underworld doesn’t misplace you?” He grabbed the gun and pressed it to my head. “Big bro, will his skull splatter? Brains everywhere—gonna be messy…”
Wang Han hesitated. “You coward… scared of a little mess? Shoot him in the heart if you’re squeamish.”
I couldn’t die. Tears welled—I’d never repaid my parents. Old Worm Five aimed at my chest.
“F*ck you! Your whole family! Afraid of brain stains? Pathetic.”
A yellow earthworm shot up, coiling around Old Worm Five’s finger. “Big bro! Your bugs are attacking me! What, you wanna keep the copper jar for yourself?”
Wang Han cursed. “I didn’t command it! And I’m not stealing anything—stop projecting!”
Before he finished, a golden bug lashed around Wang Han’s hands, binding them tight.
“You traitor!” Wang Han roared. “I’m your elder! You ungrateful bastard!”
Both men, immobilized, accused each other of betrayal, dredging up every shameful secret—Wang Han’s childhood peeping, Old Worm Five’s teenage encounter with the town’s oldest, foulest prostitute.
Rage ignited in me. “Just die already!” Bugs of every kind swarmed, tearing them apart until only the black Star pistol remained—not even their clothes.
Their last sight: five faint lights radiating from my body.
The bugs that had devoured them now groveled at my feet, trembling. Wherever I stepped, they parted.
Had the five elemental treasures I’d ingested activated at death’s door? If so, I might be the second master of all five elements—just as Old Worm Five had feared.
“Scram!” I barked. “Come when called.” The bugs vanished instantly, even the slowest snails straining to flee.
The bug nest dissolved, leaving only a condemned ruin. Sirens wailed in the distance. I plucked a tiny black listening device from my teeth and spoke into it: “I’m alive.”
A car arrived via satellite tracking. Shen Yihu stepped out, followed by another Wang Han. “The one upstairs was a fake,” Shen explained. “We heard everything. And Chen Tutu’s autopsy confirmed Ye had bug bites—insects burrowed into his knees and joints, propping him up.”
The real Wang Han grinned sheepishly. “Sorry for the trouble. Got too drunk—didn’t realize I’d been swapped.”
Studying his face, I said, “Boss, give me your hand.” Suspicious, he complied. Closing my eyes, I sensed a tiny parasite lurking within.
“Out!” I commanded.
A white worm with three mouths wriggled from his palm, flesh tearing grotesquely. Wang Han sweated in agony as Shen steadied him.
The worm reeked of alcohol. “Boss, bad at drinking? Had to rely on this?”
Wang Han shifted uncomfortably. “Some occasions… unavoidable. Heard about a pill to boost tolerance. Any harm?”
His career had thrived on his “bottomless” drinking—hence his girth.
“No harm,” I lied. “Just might cause impotence…” Wang Han paled. No wonder his young mistress had complained.
I crushed the worm. “Masterful!” Wang Han praised. “Will it… lay eggs inside me?”
I hesitated. After the fake Wang Han’s hunt, I had little goodwill for this drunk bureaucrat.
Shen interjected, “Master Xiao, enlighten us.”
For his sake, I said, “Expensive worms like this rarely carry eggs. But just in case, eat sweet potato rice with soy water for six months.”
A nonsense remedy—let him taste the life of the poor.
After hollow pleasantries, I grew impatient.
“What time is it?” I asked Shen.
“Midnight. Need a ride?”
Pulling him aside, I whispered, embarrassed, “Old Worm Five’s gold-sand bug is killing me. I need five of the wildest women in Jiangcheng—and fifteen buns, five bowls of rice.”
Shen grinned. “Easy. My wife’s nightclub’s got you.”
Under the moonlight, the city glittered. On a quiet street, two stray dogs scavenged, thrilled by chicken bones.
A muscular man dropped from above, his bald head gleaming under the streetlamp.
(End of Volume One.)
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage