That was the first time I saw her. I turned my head to look—a delicate face dusted lightly with sunscreen, her slightly pouted lips carrying a hint of schadenfreude.
When she took off her sunglasses, I saw a pair of clear eyes, unforgettable ones. The moment she looked at me, she seemed to tremble slightly…
I pleaded in a low voice, “Don’t. If you expose me, I’ll be thrown off. I don’t speak Thai or English, so I’ll be done for, unable to get back.”
The girl turned her head to look at me. “Did you lose yourself?”
Hearing her tone soften, I continued begging, “Yes. I don’t even know where they went. My tour group is called the Big Bad Wolf Tour Group, but somehow I ended up with Little Red Riding Hood.”
The girl raised her hand to call the tour guide. I quickly grabbed her hand. The guide noticed and asked, “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head pleadingly. Seeing my distress, the girl changed her question: “Director, when will we arrive?” I sighed in relief, and she added in a low voice, “Remember, you owe me a meal.”
I nodded in agreement. After a while, a northeastern auntie suddenly turned around and asked, “Director, it seems like there’s a police car chasing us. Did our car break any traffic rules?”
The guide, Ah Fei, chuckled. “I’m not a director, I’m a guide. Having the police escort us is even better.” The auntie relaxed and praised the trip as totally worth it.
The girl reached out to shake my hand. “I’m Qi Qiqi. And you—what’s your name? Why are the police chasing you?” From her accent, she sounded like a fellow Hubei native. Surprisingly, she could tell the police were after me.
I introduced myself generously. “I’m Xiao Qi, Aries, twenty-four years old. Got kicked out of the hotel because I couldn’t pay.” Qi Qiqi laughed twice before turning her gaze back outside.
The minibus circled Chiang Mai, showing off the sights while Ah Fei rambled on excitedly. Finally, it stopped in front of a temple.
As I stood up to leave, Qi Qiqi grabbed me. “Wait.” She hooked her arm around mine as we stepped out. Once we were inside the temple, the police caught up. I hurried in, and Qi Qiqi let go, smiling. “You got a free hug, Xiao Qi. Now you’re safe. Go ahead.”
I thanked her with a grin. “Thank you.” She beamed like a flower. “I only helped because you don’t seem like a bad guy. No need to thank me. Now go, Big Bad Wolf.”
Tall and striking in the crowd, Qi Qiqi stood out. As I merged into the flow of people, I glanced back at her after a while—she had already joined the northeastern auntie to tour the temple.
I found a quiet corner and tried calling Xie Lingyu again, but the call still wouldn’t go through. This only confirmed that Wu Tieqing had betrayed me.
Spotting two monks in the temple, I approached them. “Is there a young monk here? Square face… likes hanging out with ladyboys…”
They shook their heads, indicating they didn’t understand. As I spoke, I pulled my red cap lower. Several policemen had already entered, searching for me.
I slipped into a narrow path, entering a corridor marked “No Entry.” Ignoring the sign, I rushed in.
A row of young monks chased after me—the kind whose swaying walks could mesmerize any maiden traveler. Clearly, the handsome ones here all became monks.
One pretty-faced monk warned, “You can’t go in there!”
Just then, the mischievous young monk appeared, stopping the others.
His pitch-black eyes and neatly trimmed nails gave him the air of a heartthrob, but I sensed something sinister beneath his charm. Smiling, he explained, “He’s my guest.”
Human nature is unfathomable. Who’d guess such a handsome monk was into ladyboys? He grinned. “I’ve been waiting for you. Was afraid you’d get caught by the police.”
I suppressed my anger. “Who are you? Where’s my friend? How did you know I’d come?”
The monk took two light steps. “If you want answers, follow me.” My fists clenched audibly, but I decided to see what game he was playing.
The path grew more secluded until we reached a prayer hall. The monk stood by the door. “Go in. Your answers are inside. But behave—my master is a renowned Thai monk who keeps over 30,000 named voodoo insects.”
My hand froze on the door. “Oh? So 10,000 earn money, 10,000 cook, some wake people up, and the rest fart, poop, and pee? Stop the nonsense. You’re even worse—raising billions of bugs just to serve men.”
The monk looked puzzled. “Billions? What bugs?”
“Sperm!”
……
Gritting my teeth, I pushed the door open. A cold gust of wind rushed out, chilling me to the bone.
The hall was dimly lit, its decor not entirely Thai—especially the chair, which resembled my grandfather’s antique one. Behind a screen hung a map of China’s terrain, marked with key locations.
Likely indicating dragon veins and vital energy sources. Just a glance told me the mapmaker was no ordinary person.
The entire setup exuded a classical Chinese aesthetic.
Along the wall stood a table covered with voodoo masks, all bizarrely designed, unlike any I’d seen before.
Finally, I spotted the old monk sitting cross-legged on a cushion—white eyebrows, withered skin, a dark aura between his brows. A true dark master.
As I stepped inside, the young monk shut the door behind me.
Suddenly, an overwhelming pressure crushed down, as if invisible teeth gnawed at my skin, making it hard to breathe.
I moved lightly, steadying my breath.
At last, I faced him—the old monk.
There was something eerily familiar about him, a sensation I’d only felt with my grandfather.
But Grandfather’s energy was purer; this old man’s was far darker, thicker.
Like the pretty monk outside, no matter how he hid it, an innate wickedness seeped through.
His left hand had five fingers, but his right only three. Eyes closed, motionless—yet I felt his gaze piercing me. Now, not just my backside but my entire body felt cold.
Back in Mount Zhe Yin, just one look from Ruan Sanjia had nearly shattered my mind. This old man hadn’t even opened his eyes, yet I was already struggling. He was leagues above Ruan Sanjia.
Suddenly, the old man spoke, startling me.
“I heard you killed someone in Chiang Mai?” His Mandarin was flawless.
I tightened my grip on my bag. “Not me. Your disciple did.”
He ignored the accusation. “Do you know a man named Zuo Shan?”
I shook my head. “Zuo Lengchan, sure. Zuo Shan? Never heard of him.”
The old man sneered. “Zuo Lengchan? What garbage! Then have you heard of Ye Guyi?”
Ye Guyi! His name appeared in the records about the bronze-armored corpse—my grandfather’s master, my grandmaster.
I didn’t understand why he asked. “Ye Guyi is my grandmaster.”
The old man fell silent. “So you’re the 15th-generation heir of the Ghost Sect. Did you bring the jade ruler?”
His mention of Ye Guyi shocked me, but now he knew about the jade ruler? I reassessed him.
Was he the Ghost Sect’s nemesis? But our enemies were supposed to be the Japanese Onmyōryō, not some foe in Thailand.
I glanced nervously at the hall’s back door and windows, plotting an escape. Spotting a small exit, I forced calm. “I carry the jade ruler with me.”
The old man nodded. “Good, good. And… don’t think about running. Outside, the police will catch you. I know a few underground Muay Thai fighters who’d love to crush your skull.”
Still seated, motionless—how did he read my thoughts?
I grew desperate. “What do you want? You framed me for the shaman’s murder and lured me here. Why?”
He chuckled. “Impatient youth. If you’re smart, you’d realize I’m Zuo Shan—your grandmaster’s brother.”
I scoffed. “The Ghost Sect passes down to one heir. I have no grand-uncles.”
Zuo Shan finally opened his eyes, smirking coldly. “So Long Youshui never told you about me?”
I nodded. Grandfather had praised Dong Lingzi endlessly but never mentioned Zuo Shan.
Even the *Compendium* held no trace of him.
The Ghost Sect’s lineage was singular. If Grandfather truly had a senior brother, it’d violate the rules.
Did Zuo Shan just pop out of thin air, claiming to be my grand-uncle?
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