Chapter 27 Part 1: The Curse Beneath the Red Cloth

The wall demolition was about to begin.

Xiao Jia, fast asleep, was carried to the next room by his father.

Having lost a soul, his spirit was weak, and he spent most of the day sleeping, rarely waking.

After Xiao Jia’s mother stayed by his side, the others began demolishing the wall.

The sun was high in the sky, the sound of drills incessant.

Fortunately, the room was covered in soundproofing foam, so the noise wouldn’t disturb the other residents.

 

– I’m really sick.

In the middle of winter, I’m squatting at the entrance of my neighborhood watching someone do demolition.

– Help!

This reminds me of the time the neighbors were renovating every day.

– Thanks, everyone.

I’m awake, completely awake.

There’s a refreshing feeling like a drill has opened up my skull.

– Haha… my life is so hard.

My earphones broke, and my mom kicked me out.

– Waiting for the result.

 

Inside, Yang Mao and Xiao Jia’s father each wielded tools, diligently demolishing the wall.

Qianyang was alone on the balcony, having taken down the “Three-Person Family” plaque.

“Let me explain something.

In the occult, locust wood is called ghost wood.

It easily attracts things with heavy yin energy.

However, cinnabar has the wonderful effect of repelling ghosts and evil spirits.”

Qianyang examined the plaque, tracing the cinnabar characters with her finger.

“Combining the two turns the natural order upside down.”

 

– It doesn’t sound like a good thing.

– Xiao Jia’s parents were set up.

– Seriously, following our streamer, you can really learn stuff!

– Learn whatever comes up, learn whatever comes up.

– Streamer, the person who set this up is so vicious.

Aren’t they afraid of retribution?

 

Qianyang said, “Heaven’s will is hard to guess.

Retribution may not fall on them.

It could affect their descendants, like with Yingying, or it could come back in the next life, or the life after that.”

 

– Damn.

– So disgusting.

– People like that don’t care about their descendants or future lives, do they?

– We have to find this person!

Can’t let them keep doing evil.

– If they did this to a child just out of jealousy, they’re worse than an animal.

– No matter the reason, even if they had a deep grudge against Xiao Jia’s parents, they shouldn’t take it out on Xiao Jia.

– Actually, I think Xiao Jia’s parents already know who set them up.

– I think so too…

Didn’t a ‘friend’ give them the renovation blueprints and the plaque?

 

The comments were buzzing.

Qianyang looked up at the two people inside.

Xiao Jia’s father was pale, serious, and heavy-hearted.

 

Qianyang said, “One should not harbor intentions to harm others, nor be without caution against others’ harm.”

 

Xiao Jia’s father’s movements visibly stiffened.

His jaw tightened, and faint veins bulged at his temples.

“There’s something!”

Yang Mao exclaimed.

 

Hearing this, Qianyang immediately went inside and came to the wall that had been broken open.

There, in the gap between the wall dust and broken bricks, a piece of bright red fabric was visible.

 

Qianyang’s expression focused.

“Keep digging!”

 

The two quickened their pace.

A few minutes later, most of the red fabric was exposed, seeming to wrap something.

 

Xiao Jia’s father took off his gloves, grabbed the red fabric, twisted it hard a couple of times, and finally pulled the object out.

He placed the palm-sized object in front of Qianyang, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said, “Master, take a look.”

 

– Holy shit… there really is something!

– Oh my god!

It was hidden inside the wall.

That means one of the construction workers was involved!

– My worldview is shattered!

What kind of grudge is this?!

– How is this any different from watching a horror movie!

– Even in broad daylight, I’m shaking with fear.

– Is, is anyone here to accompany me to the bathroom…

– To be honest, I’ve heard my master mention this method before.

It’s truly vicious.

– I didn’t expect such a heinous person to still exist in today’s occult world.

– Using this method to do evil is a disgrace to the occult!

– I want to see who could be so malicious!

 

The fellow practitioners lurking in the stream were all flushed out.

 

The moment she saw the red cloth, Qianyang already had a good idea of the situation.

The intention of the person behind this was even more sinister than she had imagined.

 

Qianyang handed her phone to Yang Mao and opened the red cloth.

Inside were only three things: a baby’s longevity lock, a kite string spool, and a folded yellow talisman paper.

“Master, these are…”

Xiao Jia’s father said gravely.

Even without knowing their specific purpose, he could tell they were nothing good.

 

Qianyang didn’t answer immediately.

She picked up the talisman paper and unfolded it.

Inside was a curl of soft, yellowish hair.

“What’s this?

Hair?”

Yang Mao asked, puzzled.

“Baby’s first hair,” Qianyang said.

“And the other things…”

 

Xiao Jia’s father pointed at the string spool.

“That’s the spool from Xiao Jia’s favorite kite!

We’ve kept all his kites.

Only this spool was missing.”

“Whose longevity lock is this?”

Xiao Jia’s father shook his head.

“…I don’t know.”

So its owner wasn’t Xiao Jia.

“Call your wife out,” Qianyang said.

“Okay.”

 

Xiao Jia’s mother came into the living room.

There were still traces of tears on her face.

Seeing the red cloth and three items on the coffee table, she looked confused.

“What is this?”

Xiao Jia’s mother asked.

“Things dug out of the wall in Xiao Jia’s bedroom,” Xiao Jia’s father said heavily.

 

Now that everyone was present, Qianyang sighed.

“Someone borrowed Xiao Jia’s life.”

 

Hearing this, the three present froze.

“Wh-what?”

 

– Holy shit?!!

– Borrowing luck???

– Oh my god… the atmosphere of Chinese horror is here.

– I feel cold all over.

– So terrifying, AHHHHHH!

 

“Borrowing luck?”

Yang Mao hesitated.

 

Qianyang shook her head and clarified, “Not borrowing luck.

Borrowing life.”

 

Borrowing luck and borrowing life were fundamentally different.

Borrowing luck only steals another person’s fortune, making one’s own luck better and better without harming the foundation.

But borrowing life means taking someone else’s life to extend one’s own.

This was one of the most vicious curses still circulating in the occult world.

 

After hearing Qianyang’s explanation, the couple looked as if they’d been struck by lightning.

The color drained from their faces.

“How could this be… why…”

Xiao Jia’s mother murmured, dazed.

“The soul that Xiao Jia lost is with the owner of the longevity lock,” Qianyang said.

 

The couple was both shocked and bewildered.

They had never imagined that someone right under their noses would harm their child like this.

 

– So scary… using someone else’s life to extend your own.

– AHHH, I have goosebumps.

Xiao Jia has suffered so much.

– We have to find that person and get Xiao Jia’s soul back!

– Sob sob, if this happened to my child, whoever did it, I would kill them!

– As a parent, I can’t watch this.

It’s worse than killing me.

 

Seeing the two, pale and silent, Qianyang reminded them, “If you know who did this, tell me directly.

If we delay any longer, we won’t be able to get Xiao Jia’s soul back.”

 

The two showed a struggle of pain, as if still unwilling to believe it.

“The renovation blueprints and the plaque were both given by Wang Yong,” Xiao Jia’s father said, his tone extremely heavy.

“Who is that?

A friend of yours?”

Qianyang asked.

 

Xiao Jia’s father said, “He… is my childhood best friend.

We grew up together.

We’ve always had a good relationship.

No matter what difficulties he faced, I would help him.

Back then, when one of his projects ran into trouble, I lent him three million to get through it.

After that… both my parents died young, so I adopted his mother as my godmother.”

“After Xiao Jia got sick, he kept trying to help me find a solution.

How could he…”

 

Qianyang thought for a moment.

“His mother is Auntie Wang, who brought us here?”

“Yes…”

 

– Oh my god…

– That’s terrifying.

A friend you grew up with would do such a thing?

– I thought Auntie Wang had bad intentions from the start!

She never believed in the streamer and brought so many people to watch the show.

– You can know a person’s face but not their heart!

– As the saying goes, the people who least want to see you doing well are often those closest to you.

– Now that you know who did it, get Xiao Jia’s soul back quickly!

 

Xiao Jia’s father still seemed unwilling to believe it.

“Master, is it possible there’s a mistake?

He has no reason…

Why would he do this to Xiao Jia?

After Xiao Jia got sick, he came to visit almost every week…

How could he?”

 

Xiao Jia’s mother was also dazed.

Her vacant eyes shifted to Qianyang.

“Master, I don’t understand.

Our two families have always had a good relationship.

Godmother, though strong-willed, has never treated us or Xiao Jia badly.”

“After our business took off, we never treated them poorly either.

We’d buy them things worth thousands or tens of thousands without a second thought.

We treated them almost like family.”

“If, if he really needed to borrow a life, why not choose someone else?

Why Xiao Jia?”

 

Qianyang said calmly, “Because he’s jealous of you.”

 

– Exactly.

The closer the relationship, the more a thought creeps in: why do they get to have this, and not me?

– Again, it’s the people close to you who get jealous of your success.

– They want you to do well, but not that well.

– So despicable!

So despicable!

– They treated him like a brother, like family, and he treated them like tools.

– That kind of person must pay the price!

– If Xiao Jia’s parents can’t bring themselves to do it, I’ll curse them too!

 

The two opened their mouths, but no sound came out.

They must know very well that besides Wang Yong, his childhood friend, no one else would have had the chance to do such a thing.

 

Observing their reactions, Qianyang said, “Now that you know who it is, think carefully.

What did they do before this happened and during these three years?

Was there anything unusual?”

 

Both fell silent, their eyes bloodshot.

After a long moment, Xiao Jia’s mother spoke hoarsely, “Brother Wang has a child, two years younger than Xiao Jia, who just turned five.”

“That child was premature.

His mother had a major hemorrhage during delivery, almost losing both lives.

After surgery, they barely survived.

Mother and son were in the ICU for half a month.”

“Brother Wang was short of money at the time and couldn’t afford the medical bills.

He borrowed from us.”

 

Yang Mao frowned.

“Premature babies aren’t very healthy right after birth, are they?”

 

Xiao Jia’s father nodded.

“Very unhealthy.

He couldn’t walk or talk after his first birthday.

Wang Yong comes from a single-parent family, and the child was conceived through IVF.

We worried about their family’s emotional state, so we took Xiao Jia to visit every weekend.”

“So now he visits you every week.”

Qianyang hit the nail on the head.

 

– Unbelievable.

– Ah… does that idiot feel unbalanced because his own child can’t walk or talk while Xiao Jia is lively and active?

– Definitely.

Plus, Xiao Jia’s parents are better off than his family in every way.

He must be twisted inside.

– People like that are so disgusting.

They blame their own misfortune on others’ happiness.

– In fact, there are many such people.

So don’t trust anyone easily.

– He might even see their visits as mockery… a sick mind.

 

Xiao Jia’s mother laughed bitterly.

“Master, to be honest, I had that thought before.

Could Xiao Jia’s illness be related to Brother Wang?

But he seemed so distressed and enthusiastic, always helping us find solutions.

He even drank until he got a gastric hemorrhage, just to find a reputable doctor for Xiao Jia.”

“With someone like that, how could I suspect him?”

 

Xiao Jia’s father said tearfully, “When we first started our business, he accompanied me to social engagements, acted as my driver.

On the way back, we got into a car accident and the car exploded.

If he hadn’t dragged me, unconscious, out of the car, I would have died long ago.”

 

– Sigh…

– Human nature is complex.

It can change at any time.

– At the time, he genuinely saved you.

Later, he genuinely harmed you.

– Finding doctors for Xiao Jia was probably to ease his own guilt and satisfy his sense of superiority, right?

– There’s a twisted mentality: someone better than me also has to ask for my help.

– That kind of person is terrifying…

– Compared to someone who is evil from the start, such a person is the hardest to guard against.

– Who would ever think that someone with whom you share a life-and-death bond could be so cruel?

 

Yang Mao thought of something and asked, “What about later?

How did that child get better?”

On the way here, Auntie Wang had repeatedly mentioned her clever, obedient grandson.

 

Xiao Jia’s father said, “I didn’t think much of it before, but now that I look back, it is rather strange.”

“Less than two months after we moved here, that child suddenly got better.

Wang Yong said he found a traditional Chinese medicine doctor who cured the child.”

 

– How convenient.

– Chinese medicine?

Don’t insult Chinese medicine.

– He probably found some quack.

– This whole family planned this in advance.

 

“Three months later, Xiao Jia got sick.”

 

There was no doubt that the person behind this was Wang Yong.

 

Xiao Jia’s mother held back her tears.

“Every time I saw that child lively and active, it reminded me of what Xiao Jia used to be like.

How could I have imagined that he had borrowed Xiao Jia’s life?”

“Wah…”

 

Finally unable to hold back, she buried her face in her husband’s arms and wept bitterly.

“Click—”

At the same time, the clear sound of a lock turning came from the bedroom.

 

Everyone looked at the bedroom in disbelief.

The tightly shut door was slowly pulled open.

 

Without any warning, Xiao Jia walked out.

 

His face was pale, his expression vacant.

His bare feet stepped on the floor, and he walked toward them haltingly.

 

Like a marionette, yet as if struggling against its strings, under their shocked gazes, he stepped over the sharp gravel on the floor and walked to his mother.

“Ah!!!”

“Ah!!!!!”

 

He suddenly opened his mouth wide and screamed.

“Ah!!!”

“Ah!!!!”

“Xiao Jia…

Xiao Jia…”

“It’s okay… it’s okay…”

 

Xiao Jia’s mother held the child tightly in her arms, trying her best to comfort him.

 

Qianyang watched this scene and sighed almost inaudibly.

“He can feel your emotions,” Qianyang said.

“He just has no way to express them anymore.”

 

Qianyang lowered her eyes, and when she raised them again, there was a hint of pity in them.

 

She reached out and stroked Xiao Jia’s cheek.

“Ma’am, he is sad.

He wants to comfort you.”

 

The child in her arms screamed at the top of his lungs, his hands trembling uncontrollably as he slowly and painfully grabbed his mother’s clothes.

 

Sensing his mother’s sorrow and pain, his screams mixed with sobs, and a single hot tear rolled down the boy’s left eye.

 

– Oh my god…

– A cold-hearted woman can’t hold it in.

– Sob sob, oh my god… oh my god…

– This is the only way Xiao Jia has to express his emotions.

– Why does he have to suffer so much?

Why do people like that exist?

How could they do this to a child?

– I don’t dare imagine what Xiao Jia’s inner world has been like these past three years.

– Streamer, help him.

Streamer, help him.

I’ll tip you.

– My heart hurts so much.

 

“Xiao Jia…”

Xiao Jia’s mother looked up, cupping his face.

“Mom is okay.

Mom is okay.

Mom is okay.”

“I’m so glad you came to find me.

Really…”

“When you get better, Dad and I will go fly kites with you, okay?”

 

Xiao Jia’s father held his wife and child in his arms and took a deep breath.

“Xiao Jia, it’s okay.

You will get better.

Mom won’t be sad anymore.”

“From now on, Dad won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“I’m sorry…

Dad apologizes to you.

I’m sorry, my precious.”

“Dad…

Mom…”

“Dad…

Mom…”

 

He stopped screaming and, like a babbling infant, called out to his parents.

 

The family of three huddled together.

A few minutes later, Xiao Jia fell asleep in his mother’s arms.

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