A hint of relief appeared on Jiang Chaosheng’s face.
The addition of a second member to the Taboo Association proved that its concept was viable.
Things were a bit difficult right now, as he had no stored Soul Power to offer the Taboo Sculpture in the basement.
Once the Taboo Association was more developed, Jiang Chaosheng wouldn’t have to worry about the Curse.
Jiang Chaosheng gazed out the window, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.
’The members of the Taboo Association are elites and experts from all walks of life, and I am their master.’
’The moment I’m finally free, when I can walk the Human World without restriction, who will this world belong to?’
Jiang Chaosheng closed his journal and took out the Manager’s handbook.
Besides reading books, he read this handbook every day.
It contained the experiences of past Managers, as well as records of transactions involving Taboo Items.
As he was flipping through it, Jiang Chaosheng suddenly saw something that made him narrow his eyes. The handbook remained open to that page.
This was an entry by the previous Manager, Li Qinglian, and it took up an entire page.
"A man who looked to be in his forties came in today."
"He was the boss of World Dream, named Xia Zhe."
"The Government Office had given him this street to settle a debt but wouldn’t let him develop it."
"He had been tricked by the Government Office, and his business was about to go under."
"He also had a terminal illness and could die at any moment. A pitiable man."
"Xia Zhe begged me to give him something, anything, that could save his business."
"I really didn’t know what treasure to give him."
"I pulled out a bunch of things from the cabinet and introduced them to him one by one."
"I really wanted to help him."
"When Xia Zhe heard me introduce ’Item 3-21, the Wishing Stone,’ a light appeared in his eyes."
"This stone can grant a person one wish."
"But the wish cannot alter cause and effect too drastically, and it can only be used once."
"I explained to him that the stone couldn’t bring his business back from the dead."
"Xia Zhe insisted, asking me what the price was."
"I felt sorry for him and wanted to give it to him for free."
"But items from Antique Shop Zero must be exchanged for something very precious."
"I asked him for the one object he cared about most—his pocket watch, which held a family portrait."
"The wish Xia Zhe made also left me baffled."
"He wished that one day in the future, when a proprietor of World Dream with the surname Xia faced a life-or-death crisis, they would be able to walk into Antique Shop Zero."
"After making his wish, Xia Zhe returned the Wishing Stone to me. His despondency vanished, and he left in high spirits."
"I don’t understand how this wish helps him. My classical education never taught me about this."
"Later, I heard that Xia Zhe became much bolder in his dealings. Several high-stakes gambles propelled his business to even greater heights."
"Hmm, it seems I still haven’t read enough books."
Jiang Chaosheng shot up from his seat and rummaged through a bookshelf, finally finding a pocket watch.
Inside was a family portrait, a classic black-and-white photo.
Jiang Chaosheng narrowed his eyes, a corner of one twitching slightly.
’No wonder the last Manager nearly ran the shop into the ground.’
’Trading a Taboo Item for a mere photograph... That’s a classic Holy Mother move.’
Jiang Chaosheng muttered to himself,
"If you don’t get Cursed, who would?"
Jiang Chaosheng didn’t mean to look down on him.
Humanity is diverse; it’s understandable that people do strange things. And one always pays the price for their choices.
He took the pocket watch, walked back to his chair, and sat down, his gaze distant and profound.
’It was only after I met Xia Li’s brother on Qiulin Mountain that I had the idea to pull her into the Taboo Association.’
’And it turns out... that wasn’t a coincidence.’
Jiang Chaosheng put down the watch and pursed his lips.
A thousand thoughts rose and fell within his mind.
The power of Taboo Items had once again shattered his understanding of the world.
’To think that something exists that can manipulate the fates of so many people through the unseen Celestial Dao Laws.’
’Even I, the administrator of Taboo Items, could be manipulated!’
’Could my taking over this Antique Shop Zero also be the result of manipulation by some unseen, profound power?’
Jiang Chaosheng began to think carefully.
He was an ordinary man with a cliché story.
An orphan, adopted by foster parents.
His foster parents already had a daughter, but having come from a feudal mountain village, they had a strange, intense desire for a son.
His ’grandfather’ was overjoyed to see him, declaring that the Jiang Family now had an heir.
But he, well, he was just born cold-hearted.
When his doting ’grandfather’ died, Jiang Chaosheng acted as if nothing had happened.
Not a single trace of sadness could be seen.
His foster parents felt he was unfeeling and unbondable.
They sent him off to a boarding middle school and cut off contact.
Jiang Chaosheng knew what his foster parents meant by it.
He never bothered them all these years.
He would occasionally chat with his sister on WeChat.
He had almost no communication with ’that family.’
He had seen a doctor, wanting to know if his coldness was some kind of illness.
The diagnosis came back: severe empathy deficit disorder and mild alexithymia.
In other words, he had a personality disorder. The only thing separating him from being a criminal was a wall called morality.
He longed to be like a normal person and tried dating and making friends.
He failed.
His girlfriend left with his best friend, because his best friend was very rich.
’Right, the only reason that guy pretended to be my best friend was to sleep with my girlfriend.’
The truth was, Jiang Chaosheng didn’t love his girlfriend or his best friend; he just wanted to be a normal person.
But the incident left him with a huge sense of failure.
That was why he had accepted the Curse without hesitation and became the owner of the antique shop.
He felt that this was the path he was meant to walk.
A path filled with abnormalities.
Jiang Chaosheng snapped back to his senses and continued reading the Manager’s handbook.
He suspected someone had set him up to become the Manager of the antique shop.
Because this antique shop needed an owner exactly like him.
Jiang Chaosheng searched for the usage records of the Wishing Stone.
"The Wishing Stone has only been used twice."
Jiang Chaosheng flipped through the pages for a long time, murmuring,
"The second time was Xia Zhe."
"There’s no related record for the first time, only a mention that it was used."
Jiang Chaosheng’s mind slowly turned.
’Could someone have wished for me to take over Antique Shop Zero? It’s highly suspicious.’
Jiang Chaosheng kept looking and found the time of the first use, murmuring,
"The first use of the Wishing Stone was during the era of the very first Manager. That was back in the Tang Dynasty."
Jiang Chaosheng closed the handbook, muttering,
"No one would be so bored as to make a wish about me fourteen hundred years ago."
’Becoming the Manager of Antique Shop Zero must have been a coincidence.’
’After all, who would have known me fourteen hundred years ago?’
If someone had truly manipulated his fate, Jiang Chaosheng would use every means at his disposal to lock them in the Soul-Sealing Demon Jar.
He did not like being a pawn.
...
「South Sea. On the highway, a black Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle sped along.」
"Recover lost Taboo Items, find new Taboo Items..."
Xia Li, in the passenger seat, was processing this information.
The shock the Taboo Association had given her... was simply too immense!
Xia Li murmured,
"To think there are so many... Taboos in the world."
"These Taboos... they’re all so terrifying, and so fascinating."
Jin Meiting turned to glance at her, a smile in her eyes.
"Actually, the boss is the biggest Taboo of all."
Xia Li froze, a look of horror in her eyes.
’That’s right. Taboos that mortals couldn’t even imagine are merely items in the boss’s collection!’
Jin Meiting enjoyed Xia Li’s horrified expression.
’My own seniority in the Taboo Association is much higher than this lofty Female President’s.’
’In the past, the only way I could have interacted with Xia Li was by serving her, by performing for her, right?’
She looked straight ahead, a smirk playing on her lips.
"So you need to work hard to get back your position as the head of the World Dream Group."
"Only then can you do more for the Taboo Association."
Her words were blunt and heavy with self-interest.
A sharp glint flashed in Xia Li’s eyes.
She didn’t feel the humiliation of being treated like a beast of burden.
She had already surrendered her soul at the antique shop. She, the ice-queen Female President, had already become that being’s slave girl.
She knew her place.
She was truly grateful that Mr. Jiang would even notice an ant like her, struggling on the verge of death.
Xia Li secretly clenched her fists and said in a low voice,
"I will work hard."
Xia Li saw a business opportunity.
Becoming a member of the Taboo Association was equivalent to entering the Supernatural World.
The World Dream Group, which had hit a developmental bottleneck, now had a new path forward thanks to the Taboo Association.
Xia Li gazed out the window. On her cold and beautiful face, confidence emerged, along with a hint of killing intent.
"I will regain control of World Dream very soon, and I will go through fire and water for the Taboo Association."