Chapter 43 Yin God Tattoo ⑥ - Contrast: Who gave you permission to call me by my full name? ...
Not entirely.
As Wei Li spoke, he pushed open the slightly ajar lacquered wooden door.
The interior is not a cramped traditional Chinese building, but a spacious, open hall that leads directly to the fourth-floor dome, exuding a rich exotic atmosphere.
A massive lotus-shaped vaulted ceiling overhead, with layers of embossed petals unfolding in the dim light. Warm yellow wall lamps cast a soft, ambiguous glow, enveloping the entire space in a mysterious, warm shadow.
A strange fragrance floated in the air, a blend of agarwood, myrrh, and perhaps a hint of the sweetness of tropical flowers. Everywhere the eye could see were intensely vibrant colors—ochre, sapphire, and gilded gold—interwoven on the beams and walls. The carved divine and demonic figures on them displayed a variety of postures, their solemn expressions mingling with their ferocious glares, seemingly ready to come alive in the play of light and shadow. Beneath the feet lay a thick, soft Thai silk carpet, its intricate patterns appearing and disappearing with each step.
Surrounding the central hall are four arched corridors, with doors tightly closed and colorful beaded strings or embroidered curtains hanging from them. The pearls and silk threads reflect light faintly in the darkness, obscuring the interior.
"Sanan!"
As Lan Shuyin was immersed in this strange and unfamiliar environment, Wei Li called out, his clear and melodious voice echoing in the empty hall with a peculiar tone.
A moment later, a noise came from behind a door with a deep purple beaded curtain hanging on the side. The curtain was suddenly flung open by a hand adorned with several gemstone rings, and a man stormed out.
He was around forty years old, with a dark complexion and deep-set features. He wore a dark purple Thai silk shirt, the collar open, revealing a small portion of his chest and layers of gold necklaces, adorned with amulets, gemstones, and a finely crafted bead.
Her hands jingled with the heavy gold bracelets, and armlets inlaid with colorful gemstones almost covered her arms. She was truly adorned with jewels, exuding an aura of wealth.
“Who’s so rude, without permission…” Sanan spoke in a foreign-accented Chinese, his tone full of displeasure at being trespassed.
However, when he caught sight of Wei Li standing there calmly, the words of rebuke stuck in his throat. He was frozen in place as if under a spell, a clear look of astonishment, or even... panic, flashing across his face.
The next second, he instinctively turned and ran.
Perhaps momentarily dazzled by the overly bright pearls, when Lan Shuyin looked again, Wei Li had somehow moved close to Sanan's side, one arm naturally resting on the other's jewel-encrusted shoulder.
"An old friend came all the way to see you, why are you hiding?"
Kui Li's voice was full of helplessness, but his seemingly casual demeanor carried an undeniable sense of control as he half-pushed and half-embraced Sanan, leading him to the reception area in the center of the hall.
Sanan was forced to sit down on the Tess sofa, suppressing her anger as she said, "It's no use you coming to see me! I've already told you, her spirit is gone! Gone! I can't do anything! I can't find it!"
“Let’s not talk about that,” Kui Li said, turning his shoulder to introduce him, “Lan Shuyin.”
It was only then that Sanan noticed that Kuili was not alone, and his sharp gaze fell on the woman standing quietly to the side.
Kui Li then said gently to Lan Shuyin, "Ayin, this is the spirit medium Sa Nan."
A medium? A psychic?
Lan Shuyin smiled politely and said, "Hello."
However, when Sanan met her eyes, he was startled and almost instinctively looked up at Wei Li, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something shocking.
Kui Li cut off the conversation without changing her expression, "She has a friend who wants to get rid of the tattoo on her arm."
Sanan shook his head with a strange expression. "I don't do this kind of business."
“I know,” Kui Li readily agreed, “Just recommend someone who can handle it.”
"Take your hand away first." With a hint of disgust mixed with barely perceptible fear, Sanan pulled away the arm that Wei Lixu had placed near his neck. Only then did he seem to regain the right to breathe, and his tone regained some of the shrewdness of a businessman. "As for tattoos, I do know people who can handle them. But their prices are not low."
"Does 'asking price' mean...money?" Lan Shuyin asked tentatively.
Upon hearing this, Sanan gave her another strange look. “An exchange of equal value. It depends on how deeply the tattoo is embedded and where it came from. If it’s an ordinary thing, I might be able to remove it to save face. If it’s troublesome, and involves debt…” He drew out his words meaningfully, his gaze sweeping between the two of them, “then it depends on what price the person involved is willing to pay.”
"That sounds like a hefty price to pay." After a moment's thought, Lan Shuyin asked bluntly, "Can the masters at Mangshantang handle tattoos?"
“Mangshantang?” Sanan was taken aback, then calculated with his fingers and suddenly realized, “Oh, you mean Changxian? He has profound Taoist cultivation, but the price for inviting immortals depends on the person’s affinity with immortals.”
Changxian? Chang Jingyu...
As Lan Shuyin was pondering this, Wei Li suddenly said, "Sa Nan knows a lot. If you have any questions, ask them all today. I'm afraid you won't have many chances to run into him again in the future."
Sensing the deeper meaning in his words, Sanan slammed his hand heavily on the table, unable to contain his anger, and cursed, "Dawei Jiali, there are so many mediums in the world, why do you have to pick on me?! You..."
"Duh!"
A chilling, sharp sound rang out, and the words came to an abrupt halt.
A jewel-encrusted dagger was deeply embedded in the table.
The sharp tip of the knife was embedded in the gap between Sanan's five fingers, gleaming with a cold light.
Kui Li gripped the hilt of the knife with his long, slender fingers, and said indifferently, "Was I too kind?" He tilted his head slightly, his widow's peak faintly visible in the dim light, revealing a hint of coldness and gloom. "It's a request, not a demand."
At this moment, his handsome face was expressionless, his peach blossom eyes lost their smile, and all affection and brilliance vanished in an instant, as if all pretense had been torn away, revealing his calm and cold true nature.
His gentle demeanor had vanished, replaced by an aloof and icy aura.
Suddenly, there was extreme silence.
Lan Shuyin was stunned by his completely different appearance.
Sanan, however, knew perfectly well what had angered him—damn it! he cursed inwardly. So what if he called him by his full name? Why did he always turn on him so ruthlessly?
Sanan's face turned pale and then red. He turned to Lan Shuyin and said in a harsh tone, "Miss Lan, let me make this clear first: knowing too much about many things does no good."
Ignoring his threats, Lan Shuyin pondered for a moment and asked, "Mr. Sanan, do you know anything about Yin Tong?"
“Yin Eyes?” Sa Nan glanced subconsciously at Wei Li, who was silently playing with a dagger he had just pulled out. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice became dry. “That’s not a good thing. Forcibly peeping into Yin and Yang comes at a price.”
"If someone possesses the Yin Eyes..." Lan Shuyin pressed, "under what circumstances would they become ineffective? For example, in the same space, one can see other spirits, but not another... Well, it's certain that at least one spirit exists but cannot be seen. However, the other person with the open eyes can see them."
She was so specific, it was almost as if she pointed to herself and said that the person with the Yin Eyes was her.
A hint of doubt flashed in Sanan's eyes, but he still replied, "If the Yin Eye is forcibly activated by external force, it is going against the will of Heaven, so it is only natural that it will fail. But there are indeed a few other possibilities."
“The most common reason is that your own luck is low and your yang energy is weak.” He held up a finger adorned with a gemstone ring. “It’s like an oil lamp without oil; even the best wick won’t light it. When you’re recovering from a serious illness, feeling exhausted, or when you’re having a run of bad luck, your yin pupils will become unresponsive.”
“The second type…” He paused for a moment, “You may have encountered a tough opponent. There are many kinds of spirits, and some of them are highly powerful. If they do not want to be seen by you, they will have their own ways to deceive your eyes and block your senses.”
"The third type... some cunning things are best at manipulating people's minds and creating illusions. What you think you see is actually what it wants you to see. What you think you don't see might be standing behind you, breathing on your neck..."
Sanan finished speaking in one breath, observing Lan Shuyin's reaction, trying to find a trace of fear or retreat on her face.
However, Lan Shuyin just frowned and pondered, "I don't think either of them are quite right. I can hurt it, but I can't see it."
Sanan's focus shifted, her voice filled with disbelief, "...You captured the spirit yourself?"
"What's wrong?"
“That’s too dangerous!” Sanan blurted out. “Why not use the power of the Dharma protectors to help you? Speaking of which…” He changed the subject, revealing his true merchant nature, and magically produced a Buddha amulet carefully wrapped in silk from his pocket.
It was a dark brown sacred object, made of what appeared to be aged sacred wood powder mixed with special spices and pressed together, with a thin ring of gold leaf inlaid around the edge.
In the center of the card, a lifelike relief of a majestic guardian deity is depicted, clad in armor, holding a vajra, and surrounded by intricate ancient Pali scriptures.
“This is a Dingchou amulet personally made by Luang Phor Suk in his later years; it’s a rare and authentic amulet.” Sanan’s voice was low, tinged with a mixture of reverence and pride. “The master blessed it with the merits of decades of practice, incorporating sacred soil from seven holy sites, and then offered it before the Buddha for a full forty-nine days. Wearing it not only wards off evil and misfortune, but also allows one to draw upon the power of the guardian deity in crucial moments, preventing unclean things from getting close…”
“Let’s go,” Wei Li suddenly spoke up, interrupting Sanan’s boasting. “His cards are all fake; he’s just trying to scam people out of money.”
"Hey! Who said I don't have genuine products here? Real brands are very expensive! And taking them home could cause trouble, hey!..."
Sa Nan shouted angrily from behind, but Kui Li ignored him, casually threw the dagger on the table, and walked outside with Lan Shuyin.
The taxi was still parked at the alley entrance. Wei Li opened the car door, turned to Lan Shuyin and said, "Want to have lunch together? I happen to know a good restaurant."
Lan Shuyin scrutinized him closely.
Stepping out of the Sanan mansion, he seemed to have washed away all his melancholy, transforming back into the spirited young man he once was. His peach blossom eyes curved slightly, shimmering with a gentle light, brimming with just the right amount of warm laughter. His brows and eyes relaxed, radiant as jade, where was even a trace of the chilling murderous aura he had displayed when wielding the knife?
It was as if that cold-blooded demeanor, threatening Sanan with a knife, was a carefully staged performance.
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