Of course, Qin Hangxuan didn’t book a room right next to theirs, but it wasn’t far away either just on the floor directly above.
Yin Kairui carried Shan Shan upstairs, and found Qin Hangxuan already waiting for them at the door. Once they arrived, Qin Hangxuan led them inside, then turned his gaze to Shan Shan. “Even though you’ve rolled this ghost into a little ball, it hasn’t actually been dealt with completely. If you’re willing to trust me, I’ll take care of it properly.”
“Okay then! I know Big Brother is a good person!” Shan Shan handed over the black sphere, and readily gave him her stamp of approval.
Qin Hangxuan shook his head, feeling both amused and helpless.
For the moment, however, he couldn’t do anything more to the spirit. Instead, he wrapped it in protective talismans to seal its power, carefully placed it inside a wooden box, closed the lid, and then stuck another talisman over the top. Only then did he turn to Yin Kairui and ask, “May I give her a proper examination?”
“Please go ahead,” Yin Kairui said, gently giving Shan Shan’s back a light push forward.
Shan Shan trotted quickly over, lifting her small chin high as she looked up at Qin Hangxuan.
She could clearly see the aura of virtue and merit surrounding him an amount that could never have been accumulated in just twenty-odd years of life. It was the kind of merit that belonged to someone who had lived ten consecutive lifetimes doing good and honorable deeds.
Just as she was naturally drawn to the sense of righteousness and virtue she felt whenever she visited the police station, she found herself instinctively fond of the energy radiating from Qin Hangxuan.
Qin Hangxuan formed a few hand seals, looked closely into Shan Shan’s eyes, and then gently felt the structure of her bones and meridians. He nodded thoughtfully. “You truly possess extraordinary natural talent, and it seems you must have encountered some special opportunities as well. There is a deep, powerful flow of spiritual energy within you… though it also seems you don’t quite know how to use it properly.”
Shan Shan immediately clenched her small fists and declared confidently, “I know how to use it to beat up bad ghost uncles!”
Qin Hangxuan fell silent for a moment.
Now he understood exactly how that spirit had ended up compressed into a ball in the first place.
A look of disbelief crossed his face, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. He tried to speak to her in a soft, coaxing tone. “What I meant was… there are many other ways to use this power. For example, the situation affecting your brother right now if you understood the correct methods, you would be capable of solving it all by yourself.”
“Really?” Shan Shan’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“Of course,” Qin Hangxuan replied. “The study of metaphysics and spiritual arts is vast and profound. Those who use these skills for evil and harm find ways to bring misfortune upon others but by the same logic, the solutions to these problems also lie within the same knowledge and practices.”
Just as he had expected, Shan Shan took the bait easily. “Then… can I learn how to do all this?”
“Absolutely!” Qin Hangxuan said enthusiastically. “I was raised and trained by the government authorities myself, and I work within the official system. I can help you join our department. Once you’re part of us, everyone on the team will be able to teach you each of us has our own unique skills and areas of expertise. You can learn whatever you find interesting or want to master!”
At this point, Yin Kairui could no longer stay quiet. To him, Qin Hangxuan didn’t seem very reliable at all. From where he stood, the man looked exactly like someone trying to lure a young child away.
“Excuse me…”
“No way!” Shan Shan’s expression shifted instantly from interest to determination. She quickly threw her arms around Yin Kairui’s leg, looking up with clear wariness. “I’m not going anywhere! I won’t leave my brother!”
Qin Hangxuan was not ready to give up so easily.
This little girl’s natural gifts were simply too extraordinary. Their Department of Spiritual Affairs was constantly short-staffed, and talented spiritual masters were even harder to come by.
The official department had only been established thirty years ago, so it still could not compare in history and tradition with the ancient, well-established spiritual sects and clans. The only advantage they held was the backing and resources of the government itself.
Yet relations between these traditional sects and the official department had always remained delicate and tense.
In fact, it was only because of the emergence of gifted masters like Qin Hangxuan who had been trained by the state from childhood that the department had managed to avoid being completely overshadowed and controlled by the older, more powerful sects in recent years.
Qin Hangxuan tried to reason with her, speaking earnestly. “Don’t you want to be able to protect your brother properly? If you learn these skills, you’ll be able to keep him safe from any kind of harm in the future!”
Shan Shan was tempted just a little, but her love for her brother was stronger than anything else. Not to mention, she also missed her other beloved companions Sister Nine-Tailed Fox and Brother White Tiger.
If she went away with this man, how would she ever find them again?
She shook her head firmly. “I’m not going!”
Qin Hangxuan let out a sigh of regret. “Very well then… but please remember, my offer always stands. If you ever change your mind, or if you run into any problems you need help with, you can always come and find me.”
Shan Shan’s face brightened immediately. “Then… can you tell me what’s wrong with my brother? And how do we fix the things that are happening to him?”
Qin Hangxuan couldn’t help but laugh, feeling both amused and exasperated. “You really only ever think about your brother, don’t you? And here you are, calling me ‘Big Brother’ too yet you still refuse to come with me!”
Shan Shan simply looked back at him with an expression of pure innocence.
Qin Hangxuan turned his attention to Yin Kairui. “I am willing to take on your case and help you resolve this matter. But I do need to make it clear: I charge for my services, and payment is required for any work I do.”
“I have no problem with that,” Yin Kairui agreed immediately.
To be honest, even though the two strikes he had received from Qin Hangxuan’s peach-wood sword had stung quite painfully at the time, he now felt surprisingly light and energized, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from him.
This was clear proof that the man truly possessed real ability and skill. Shan Shan had told him from the very beginning that he was surrounded by dark, ominous energy and just look at Director Luo, who had also been affected by similar energy and had nearly lost his life as a result. It would be impossible for Yin Kairui not to feel anxious and concerned about his own situation.
“First, I need to identify exactly what kind of curse has been placed on you,” Qin Hangxuan said. “This process may hurt a little, so please try to endure it.”
He glanced at the time; it was just past midnight, the exact hour when yin energy was at its most intense and powerful and therefore also the best time to draw out and reveal the full nature of the curse.
He took out a set of spiritual talismans, selected two of them, chanted a series of sacred incantations, and pressed them firmly against Yin Kairui’s chest and back. Then he picked up his peach-wood sword again, made a series of precise movements while reciting more chants, and struck Yin Kairui lightly twice more.
These strikes did not hurt at all. Instead, they left Yin Kairui feeling light-headed and drowsy, as if he might fall asleep at any moment. He swayed slightly on his feet, and then Qin Hangxuan placed another talisman right on his forehead. “Keep your mind clear and focused. Do not let yourself drift off to sleep.”
Yin Kairui blinked his eyes, trying his best to fight off the heaviness and stay alert.
And that was when he saw it thin wispy strands of dark black energy began to rise slowly from every part of his body.
No, it wasn’t just that it seemed to be happening it was truly happening right before his eyes.
Yin Kairui stared in disbelief at the dark energy rising from his skin, feeling a strange sense of unreality wash over him.
So everything Shan Shan had said from the start was true… and all the bad luck and misfortune he had experienced lately was because of this very energy?
“This is far more serious than just an ordinary curse,” Qin Hangxuan said slowly. He had initially assumed it was simply a standard curse, and had even intended to help resolve it for free simply out of respect for Shan Shan.
But now that he had examined the situation more closely, he realized that the truth was far more complicated and dangerous.
Standing nearby and watching everything unfold, Shan Shan’s eyes suddenly grew wide. “Brother’s luck and fortune… it’s disappearing!”
Qin Hangxuan’s mind clicked instantly. “This is fortune borrowing… or even fortune stealing!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he looked at Shan Shan with even greater amazement. “How were you able to see this so clearly?”
“Because Brother’s good fortune is being eaten up by all this black stuff!” Shan Shan explained. Earlier, the signs had been too subtle and hidden for her to detect. But now that the dark energy had been forced out into the open, she could clearly see fine threads of positive fortune slowly vanishing within it being completely absorbed and consumed.
Qin Hangxuan’s expression turned grave and serious.
Generally speaking, ordinary curses unless they involved serious harm or the taking of lives were considered relatively minor matters. They were usually cast out of petty grudges or disagreements, simply to cause someone a few days of bad luck or inconvenience. The person who cast such a curse would only suffer a slight reduction in their own blessings or good karma in return at least when there was no deep cause-and-effect relationship or past grievances between the parties involved. In some cases, if there was already existing bad karma or conflict, the caster wouldn’t even lose any of their own good fortune at all.
But fortune borrowing and fortune stealing were entirely different matters. These were dark, forbidden arts practices that both the official spiritual authorities and the traditional sects had strictly prohibited and banned for centuries.
It was no wonder Qin Hangxuan felt such anger and outrage as he realized what was happening to Yin Kairui.
“I promise you,” Qin Hangxuan said firmly, “I will help you solve this problem completely and put an end to what is being done to you.”
He paused for a moment, then turned his gaze back to Shan Shan. “And until we have resolved everything, I would be happy to teach you whatever you wish to learn as well.”