Seeing that Ji Song didn’t offer an explanation, Yun Yueming grew even more smug and turned his gaze toward the stage.
The Queen girl group hadn’t even officially appeared yet, but the atmosphere in the audience was already electric.
However, Yun Yueming suddenly shrank back involuntarily.
What was going on?
A sudden chill ran through him, raising goosebumps on his arms. He couldn’t help but rub them instinctively.
His brows furrowed slightly as he cast an uneasy glance toward the center of the stage.
In the darkness, it felt as though an invisible, icy hand was reaching out.
Greedy and entranced.
It moved toward the most beautiful man in the crowd, eager to touch that delicate, porcelain-like face.
Yun Yueming was a fox.
His animal instincts made him highly sensitive to such things. His body tensed warily.
“So… so cold.”
Just then, Ji Song, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly snapped them open, staring into the depths of the darkness.
His sharp, frost-laden gaze exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure.
How dare you.
In an instant, the hand that had been coveting Yun Yueming was pierced as if by a sharp sword.
It recoiled like it had been electrocuted and quickly vanished without a trace!
The trembling “eye candy” remained completely oblivious.
He only noticed that the cold had subsided.
He casually remarked to Ji Song, “The theater’s air conditioning is so weird. It keeps fluctuating.”
Yun Yueming shifted in his seat, feeling pleased. He really wanted to let his fox tail out and wag it.
“Teacher Ji, aren’t you cold?”
The aloof Ji Song kept his eyes forward, completely ignoring him.
Feeling brushed off, Yun Yueming pouted and muttered to himself, “Forget it, what would he know about being cold!”
The trainees around him were still engaged in heated discussion.
“Min-hee is truly the strongest female group member in the world!”
“Guess if she’s here for a special mission, like performing a ritual to ward off evil?”
Yun Yueming had never heard the name Cha Min-hee before, but in just a short while, he had heard it so many times he was sick of it.
Smoothly joining the conversation, he asked, “A ritual? Is she really that impressive?”
“Of course!”
“Min-hee is young, but she’s not just a traditional shaman—she’s also skilled in tarot reading, which young people love!”
Yun Yueming sneered inwardly. What ‘traditional shaman’ from Korea? And what tradition exactly?
My master is leagues above nobodies like her!
Suppressing the urge to argue, he said instead, “An Eastern shaman using tarot cards? And also being in a girl group?”
“Quite the mix of East and West your idol has, huh!”
As expected, the power of obsessed fans was limitless—someone immediately snapped back.
“Yun Yueming, stop being so sarcastic! If you’re so great, why don’t you do it?”
Him?
He was, after all, an orthodox Chinese red fox who had cultivated for a thousand years in the Peach Garden Immortal Mountain.
Yun Yueming tilted his chin up with pride, his striking profile somehow radiating an air of entitled arrogance.
He was also the sole disciple of Immortal Lord Ji Song!
Yun Yueming declared with utter confidence, “So what?”
That attitude sent Cha Min-hee’s die-hard fans into a rage. “You—”
“Quiet.”
Ji Song’s cold rebuke finally granted his ears some much-needed relief.
With Yun Yueming sitting right next to Mentor Ji, the few indignant trainees didn’t dare start trouble.
All they could do was watch as that pretty face made exaggerated expressions just to provoke them!
He was so infuriating!
The moment the long-awaited stage lit up, the entire venue erupted in cheers.
A bright, energetic melody filled the air.
Six perfect, Barbie-doll-like idols appeared, shimmering under the spotlight like the most exquisite gifts in a display case.
At the center stood a young woman with summer-golden hair, her smoky eye makeup blending like dark mist.
She smiled at the camera—a perfect, idol-standard expression—instantly capturing everyone’s attention.
Yun Yueming let out a soft hiss.
She looked familiar. Had he seen her somewhere before?
“Cha Min-hee!!!”
The trainees’ synchronized cheers erupted like a roaring tide, forcing him to cover his ears.
Ji Song sat upright and unmoving, radiating an air of calm detachment, utterly unimpressed.
His gaze followed Cha Min-hee’s dance movements, then locked onto the necklace around her neck…
A small box framed with cinnabar, a photograph serving as its base, and filled with an unidentified oily substance.
It looked like a tiny coffin.
Strange and eerie.
But that wasn’t the only odd thing.
Everyone else on stage was dressed in thin, cool stage outfits—except for Meng Qi, who wore a loose T-shirt long enough to cover her thighs.
Her styling was far less polished than the others.
As the dance mentor, her movements were also noticeably weaker than her five teammates.
Was it exhaustion from her schedule?
Or had she not recovered from her hospital stay?
It was puzzling.
During a formation change, Yun Yueming clearly saw someone step on Meng Qi’s foot—deliberately timing it so the cameras wouldn’t catch it.
Obviously intentional.
Yun Yueming felt an inexplicable sense of surrealism, as if he had slipped into a dreamlike world.
There was something deeply unnerving about watching these assembly-line Barbie dolls dancing.
Meng Qi, a human among them, was naturally being ostracized.
But when he looked at the other trainees, they remained just as enthusiastic, especially toward Cha Min-hee, almost obsessively so.
“Strange… why are they so hyped?”
Muttering to himself, Yun Yueming turned to the only normal person nearby—and nearly blurted out Master again.
He choked on the word. “Teacher Ji, what do you think of Queen’s performance?”
His gaze was pointed.
Ji Song glanced at him and probed in return, “What do you think?”
In the dim theater, the slender, delicate-looking man stared at him for a long moment before finally speaking slowly.
“I think…”
“They’re stronger in terms of singing and dancing.”
The rhythmic, energetic drumbeats pounded one after another.
His eyes narrowed slyly, their corners tilting upward like a mischievous fox.
“But when it comes to looks, I’m still better.”
“What do you think, Teacher Ji?”
Suddenly, the world fell silent.
The final ending beat of the song struck hard against Ji Song’s frozen heart.
It left a lingering, heart-pounding resonance.
After a long pause, the man withdrew his indifferent gaze and hummed in acknowledgment. “Fine.”
“In a few days, you’ll perform first for the theme song evaluation.”
“Let’s see what you’re really made of.”
Yun Yueming: “!?”
No way!
He should’ve just kept his mouth shut!
Just then, a dull thud echoed from the stage, followed by Meng Qi’s pained cry.
Yun Yueming flinched. “Teacher Meng!”
By the time he rushed over, several staff members had already surrounded Meng Qi, who was lying on the ground in visible distress.
Someone reached out to help her up, but Meng Qi violently pulled away, clutching her stomach in terror.
“Don’t touch me!”
Her face was drenched in cold sweat. Realizing how intense her reaction had been, she lowered her voice. “I… I’m on my period. I’m really struggling. Let me go backstage to rest for a bit…”
At that, the Queen group’s assistants hurriedly helped her to the dressing room.
Yun Yueming watched with concern.
Her condition had deteriorated significantly.
Despite their teammate’s injury, the other members merely offered a brief word of concern—their eyes cold and indifferent.
They quickly moved on to self-introductions and continued interacting with the trainees.
As guest mentors, these members would be guiding everyone in dance over the next few days.
Cha Min-hee was neither the strongest nor the most outstanding-looking member of the group.
Yet at this moment, no one seemed more dazzling than her.
Everyone was captivated by her. Even the tone of the live comments shifted—
【Why isn’t Min-hee a permanent cast member?】
【If language is an issue, just get a translator.】
【Meng Qi’s skills are so weak, and her outfit is ugly—clearly no effort put into maintaining her figure, right?】
【If she just wants to make easy money in China, she might as well leave the group early!】
After the performance, the trainees had no choice but to head to the practice rooms for their daily training.
Yang Xing couldn’t help but let out a big yawn. “Why am I so tired?”
Yun Yueming laughed. “That’s what you get for practicing so late yesterday.”
“Is that so?” Yang Xing scratched his head and walked off.
Glancing back unintentionally, Yun Yueming paused in surprise.
Many unfamiliar trainees also looked exhausted.
And this was only morning—training hadn’t even started for the day.
“Why does everyone look like their energy’s been drained?” he muttered to himself.
Yang Xing slung an arm around him. “Come on, let’s go!”
The same person who had just been drowsy moments ago suddenly said excitedly to Yun Yueming, “There’s going to be a ritual performance by Cha Min-hee on the field tonight!”
Cha Min-hee walked proudly at the front, her teammates following closely behind like attendants.
If one looked carefully, it wasn’t hard to notice that the other members’ footsteps and expressions were eerily identical.
They were like puppets—copied and pasted.
Meng Qi had just returned from the restroom, her face deathly pale. The last person she wanted to see was right in front of her.
She didn’t even have time to escape.
The moment Cha Min-hee saw her, her eyes lit up, and she curled her lips into a cold smirk.
With no camera crew around, she stepped forward and slapped Meng Qi without hesitation.
“Bitch.”
Meng Qi, clutching her stomach in pain, collapsed in the corner. Soon, the other members stepped forward, stiffly raising their arms to strike her one by one.
Then, in eerie unison, they muttered, “Bitch.”
Her cheek swollen and red, Meng Qi bit back her tears. “I gave you the center position, I gave you my original work, I gave you the company’s resources! I’ve already returned to China. What more do you want?”
“Cha Min-hee… you monster. What do I have to do for you to let me go?”
“I’m already on the verge of ruin!”
Cha Min-hee smoothed her clothes and immediately composed herself. “What are you talking about?”
As if that sudden slap had never happened.
Her expression was perfectly innocent, though her eyes carried a warning. “You’re the monster here. I am a respected shaman.”
“I came to China this time because I was entrusted by a wealthy businessman to perform a ritual.”
As she spoke, the malice in her eyes faded.
Lost in thoughts of the reverence she commanded, a twisted smile crept onto her face as she savored the feeling.
“As for you… I’ll deal with you slowly.”
She pressed her foot onto Meng Qi’s swollen belly, hidden beneath the loose clothes, and sneered.
“A little welcome gift. Do you like it?”
Yun Yueming had heard that Meng Qi was unwell and wasn’t allowing anyone to visit her in the restroom.
Yet that afternoon, Meng Qi’s personal assistant quietly led him there.
He had never been to the exclusive mentor lounge before. As soon as he entered, he couldn’t help but curiously glance around.
Meng Qi grabbed him like a lifeline. “Yueming! Yueming!”
“I believe you now. I really do!”
“If I had known going out would lead to this, I never would have gone, no matter what!”
Yun Yueming’s expression shifted. “What exactly happened?”
Meng Qi’s face was pale as paper, her entire body trembling.
With trembling hands, she pulled out the protective talisman and unfolded it.
“It’s broken…”
Yun Yueming closed his eyes. “I figured as much.”
Meng Qi gritted her teeth, as if steeling herself, and lifted her loose T-shirt. Yun Yueming quickly covered his eyes. “Hey, hey, hey—what are you doing?!”
Meng Qi hurriedly explained, “No, it’s not what you think.”
“I just wanted to show you—my belly has suddenly become… strange.”
Yun Yueming parted his fingers just a crack and squinted.
He nearly had a heart attack.
Good grief!
This wasn’t just strange—this was downright terrifying!
When Meng Qi had left the base, she was still a hot girl in a crop top.
Now her belly was as big as if she were carrying twins, sagging heavily, covered in stretch marks, and her skin had even turned a sickly shade of green!
A pair of horrifying little hands kept pushing against her stomach from the inside, like some kind of terrifying parasite.
Yun Yueming’s vision went dark, his head spinning.
Mast—
…Master, save me…!
Back in the day, whenever he got scared, he would shrink into the wide sleeves of Ji Song’s robes.
After all, no one would be heartless enough to toss a little fox out to deal with ghosts.
Though he had witnessed plenty of strange things alongside his master, he had never faced something like this directly!
Goosebumps rose all over Yun Yueming’s body, his heart pounding in terror. “How did you—”
Before he could finish, Meng Qi dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face.
“Please, you have to help me! I don’t know who else to turn to! Those frauds I went to were useless!”
“I… I really don’t want to die!”
Meng Qi was utterly terrified. “You saw it yourself—when I collapsed on stage earlier, it was because the pain was so bad. I thought I was about to give birth right there…”
She recounted everything—how she had been long-term bullied by Cha Min-hee within the group.
“Cha Min-hee isn’t a shaman at all. She’s a monster!”
Yun Yueming agreed with that.
He had sensed something off about that woman, with her sinister aura, the moment he laid eyes on her.
He then asked, “Do you have any lingering grudges? Anyone you’ve wronged?”
Meng Qi hesitated for a moment, then shook her head firmly. “No.”
Yun Yueming hissed.
“That doesn’t make sense…”
The situation suddenly became unclear to him.
He picked up the torn talisman again, examined it for a moment, and sighed. This thing was beyond repair.
“There’s no way to get another charm this powerful anytime soon.”
Meng Qi looked utterly defeated, collapsing limply to the floor.
“So… I’m destined to die?”
Yun Yueming racked his brains, still distracted even after returning to the dance practice room.
When Cha Min-hee arrived to guide their movements, the trainees erupted in excitement as soon as she walked in, eagerly approaching her in English.
They were like peacocks showing off their feathers.
Just as Yun Yueming was scoffing at the scene, Cha Min-hee walked over to him, her gaze lingering on his flawless face.
“You need to make your arm movements bigger.”
Yun Yueming didn’t understand her language. “?”
What are you muttering about, you monster?
Cha Min-hee seemed rather taken with him, her eyes practically glued to his handsome face.
Seeing his confused expression only made her more fascinated.
“You’re cute.”
Her stare made Yun Yueming’s skin crawl. He felt like those claws of hers were about to strike him down.
Just then, he spotted Ji Song entering for an inspection.
A sudden idea struck him.
Yun Yueming suddenly launched into an exaggerated stream of praise, putting on a look of complete adoration.
“Wow, a goddess has descended!”
“Teacher Cha, you’re truly amazing! Your performance earlier was absolutely incredible, sseumnida!”
Cha Min-hee hadn’t expected such a dramatic turnaround in his attitude. She immediately called for a translator.
Upon hearing what he said, she was absolutely thrilled.
“Oh, really?”
“Then you must come to my ritual performance tonight.”
Ji Song had witnessed the whole exchange. His expression cooled almost imperceptibly.
“…”
Yun Yueming smiled. “Teacher Ji, you should come watch Teacher Cha’s performance tonight too. She’s a true master!”
Right in front of a true Immortal Lord, he was putting on a show.
Ji Song’s handsome face darkened, and he turned to leave with decisive precision.
“Boring. Not interested.”
That evening, a bonfire was lit on the field, an altar was set up, and three pigs were placed as offerings.
Colorful prayer flags fluttered in the wind, lending the scene an air of mystery and antiquity.
The contestants gathered around the bonfire, chatting excitedly.
This was Cha Min-hee’s ritual performance—a so-called blessing ceremony held to seek good fortune for the variety show Idol 101.
Yun Yueming made a low-key appearance with Meng Qi, who was fully armed with protective measures.
He craned his neck to look around, and when his eyes landed on a tall, refined figure, a knowing smile spread across his face.
His master was being tsundere again.
He had come after all.
Yun Yueming’s plan was simple and straightforward—
With Ji Song, the true Immortal Lord, present, evil spirits wouldn’t dare come near.
If he wanted to temporarily suppress the demon fetus in Meng Qi’s belly, the most direct method was to get her close to Ji Song. The immortal aura alone would frighten the thing off.
But of course, men and women should maintain some distance.
Meng Qi had no reason to approach Ji Song directly.
That was where Yun Yueming played a crucial role.
He had already arranged for Meng Qi to stay in the hotel room next to Ji Song’s.
As for the next step…
It all came down to tonight.
Yun Yueming smirked.
Just then, gasps erupted from the crowd as Cha Min-hee appeared, dressed in an ornate, traditional shaman’s costume.
She held a sharp, gleaming blade in her hand, moving with slow, solemn steps.
Her mysterious aura was so intense that the contestants hardly dared to breathe.
This foreign shaman’s face was covered in dense Chinese characters, like a talisman.
It was visually intimidating, making people feel awed without fully understanding why.
Ji Song frowned, sneering inwardly.
All for show.
As bells jingled, she let out a shrill cry and swung her knife—
Stab!
Stab!
With a few strikes, blood spurted from the sacrificial pigs.
The contestants flinched in shock.
Then, the ringing of the bells grew faster and faster. Her strange chants became wilder and more erratic, her blade slicing through the air so quickly it left afterimages.
“Ahhhhhhh!”
Her face was smeared with blood, her movements frenzied, like a scene from a murder scene.
Ji Song, usually calm and indifferent, finally showed a flicker of disgust on his face.
Just then, a fluffy little head squeezed through the crowd and wriggled up beside him.
Looking down, he found Yun Yueming staring up at him with sparkling eyes, his voice syrupy sweet. “Teacher Ji—”
Ji Song’s eyelid twitched violently.
Yun Yueming, ever the drama queen, immediately pressed himself against Ji Song’s side, one hand dragging along a bewildered Meng Qi.
“Teacher Ji, Teacher Meng and I are so scared!”
He whimpered and wailed about being frightened, rubbing his head against Ji Song’s chest to divert his attention.
“This is way too bloody! Teacher Ji, say something!”
Meng Qi, yanked along, stumbled and crashed against Ji Song’s arm, completely disoriented.
She would never have dared to be so presumptuous, even in her wildest dreams.
She had the sinking feeling that her entertainment career was about to end tonight.
As Yun Yueming rubbed against Ji Song and wailed dramatically, he made faces at the stunned Meng Qi.
“Lue~”
Hehehe, this is so fun!
With so many people around, Ji Song couldn’t shake off this clingy pest no matter what.
He was utterly overwhelmed by such close contact, his fair neck flushing a faint red from sheer restraint.
He gritted his teeth. “…Yun Yueming, let go of me.”
Yun Yueming only grew bolder, spinning around him like a little whirlwind.
“No, no, I’m scared Cha Min-hee might eat me, sseumnida!”
Ji Song: “.”
She’s performing a shamanic ritual.
And here you are, singing and dancing.