Chapter 106: CH 106

When Dong Zhi came back from his visit next door, he saw Long Shen frowning and contemplating at the computer screen.

“Master, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” Seeing him coming over, Long Shen closed his laptop.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t show it to the other party, but he felt it wouldn’t help even if Dong Zhi saw it. On the contrary, it might make him worry even more.

Dong Zhi didn’t ask much and raised the food bag in his hand. “These are pan-fried buns that the nurse gave me just now. She said they ordered too much and couldn’t finish it, so they gave some to me. It’s still hot. Shall we have some together?”

“Okay.”

In the past, Long Shen would’ve probably refused. He wasn’t the foodie-type like Kan Chaosheng, but recently, even Dong Zhi had noticed that Long Shen had indulged him and made a lot of compromises, almost to the point of spoiling him.

After that night, when Long Shen categorically rejected Dong Zhi’s confession, he had suppressed all thoughts he shouldn’t have to the deepest corner, and now he only felt as if Long Shen’s change was related to him being cursed.

He bent over and opened the box, causing the patient number to slide down his shoulder, exposing his collarbone along with his slender back and neck.

Long Shen’s eyes narrowed.

“Behind you, what is it?”

“What?” Dong Zhi looked up blankly.

Long Shen said, “Sit down and turn around.”

Dong Zhi untied his clothes following Long Shen’s orders. Long Shen brought a mirror and asked him to turn his head. There, Dong Zhi saw a rose-red mark on his back shoulder. On a closer look, it resembled a peach blossom. It had an ambiguous romantic flair to it and appeared to be a mark from a novel that would only appear when you met the right one.

However, not only did Long Shen not feel any ambiguous feelings, but his face also turned cold.

Dong Zhi let out a sigh. “Where did this come from? It wasn’t there yesterday.”

Five words appeared in Long Shen’s mind.

Ghost-faced peach blossom curse.

Dong Zhi also remembered and said, with some uncertainty, “Wasn’t Lin Xuan’s father also cursed by this?”

Long Shen confirmed his guess. “Yes.”

But there were many kinds of curse techniques. Even if they had the same name, because of the different habits of witches and witchdoctors, the methods of resolving them may not be the same. Last time, Lin Xuan’s father only suffered from an ordinary ghost-faced peach blossom curse. He was tortured almost half to death and had almost lost his life. In the end, Lin Xuan got a dragon bone from the Special Administration Bureau and was able to lift it. This time, a heavenly demon had fought Dong Zhi in his dreams through this curse, which only meant the curse was a hundred times more difficult to resolve.

While Long Shen was in deep contemplation, Dong Zhi patted him and handed him a pair of chopsticks.

“Master, let’s eat the buns first. It’s getting cold. If you don’t eat any, I’ll be too embarrassed to start.”

Although he was worried, Dong Zhi didn’t want to add any more trouble or pressure to Long Shen, because he knew that Long Shen wanted to lift the curse more than himself.

Sure enough, the bun had become cold. After taking a bite, they had lost their crispy and warm taste, and even the soup inside had become a bit fishy. When Dong Zhi took a bite, he didn’t want to continue eating. He sighed, “In this weather, it would be great if we could eat hot pot!”

He had been hospitalized for many days and ate standard hospital meals. Even if he wasn’t as addicted to eating as Kan Chaosheng, he couldn’t help but start craving food.

Long Shen also put down his chopsticks.

“What kind of hotpot do you want to eat?”

“The best is the Mandarin duck hotpot, divided into four different soups. A tomato base, a clear base, a spicy base, and a mushroom base. Then we’ll have shabu-shabu, some mutton, fat tendons, and duck tongue. It’s best to drink the tomato soup after eating the shabu-shabu. At the end, you can add noodles or vermicelli. It’s very tasty!”

Because he had been craving real food for so long, Dong Zhi swallowed his saliva as he spoke. After fighting with the wild and rough Wuzhiqi, Dong Zhi had grown thicker-skinned and pretended that he didn’t hear his stomach growling.

Seeing that Long Shen picked up his phone and started ordering hotpot for takeout, Dong Zhi hurriedly stretched out his hand and held the phone down. “Master, you can’t eat hotpot in the ward.”

Long Shen said, “There are only a few of you on this floor. I’ll talk to them. They’ll make an exception.”

When Dong Zhi heard this, he couldn’t help smiling. “Okay, then I’ll go call Lao Liu and Huo Ge. Lao Liu has been complaining about the light food every day. If he finds out I didn’t call him, he’ll scold me to death!”

Naturally, Long Shen had no objection. He gave Dong Zhi his phone and asked him to order what he liked, then he got up and walked out to give notice to the hospital in advance.

“Master.”

Dong Zhi suddenly spoke up.

Long Shen stood still and turned his head.

His disciple hadn’t shown so much hesitancy in so long. Although Long Shen didn’t like this expression, he still waited patiently for the other party to speak.

A few times before, the words had come to his mouth, but he was too timid to speak out. At this moment, taking advantage of the atmosphere, Dong Zhi finally said, “What I said on the phone last time, I was joking. I didn’t mean to annoy you. Just treat it as me being impulsive. I want to apologize to you, Master. I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”

He finally said his apology, which also meant that going forward, he must hold all unreasonable thoughts firmly in his heart. He must never cross the line, not even by half a step, and always abide by the other person’s boundaries.

Today, he finally understood that he liked Long Shen, but he didn’t want him to have the slightest burden of anger.

Liking someone was to make the other happy. If this liking couldn’t bring happiness to them, then giving up was the best result.

But instead of reacting with relief or nodding indifferently as he had imagined, Long Shen smiled instead. It was a pure smile, without any hint of sarcasm.

Dong Zhi was completely stunned.

Before he could figure out what this smile meant, Long Shen had already opened the door and walked out. He wanted to jump up and stop him for questioning, but he didn’t dare stop his Master, Director Long, who dared to fight to the death against the Wuzhiqi, so he could only watch as Long Shen left while closing the door behind him.

So, in fact, the person who had been cursed wasn’t him, but his master, right?

After thinking about it for half a day, Dong Zhi could only draw this conclusion.

The hotpot that night opened with a lively scene but ended unexpectedly. Everyone failed to have fun because when Dong Zhi and Liu Qingbo were fighting over a fish ball, Dong Zhi had a sudden angina attack that hurt so much he dropped his chopsticks, bent down, and his entire body fell to the ground, sweeping away the vegetables and shiitake mushrooms on the table. His face had turned completely pale at the time, which scared everyone.

Before Dong Zhi fell to the ground, Long Shen hugged him and supported him, but it didn’t ease the pain. His heart seemed to be gripped tightly in someone’s hand who was repeatedly kneading it. The pain radiated from his heart to all the nerves in his body. Every breath felt like unbearable torture. Dong Zhi didn’t even realize that he was being held in Long Shen’s arms. He was sweating profusely and trembling all over. The only thing he could do was cling to the clothes near his heart, wanting to reach inside his chest, grab his heart, and throw it out, so he didn’t have to endure this kind of pain any longer.

Dong Zhi didn’t know how much time had passed before the wave of pain had eased. He panted for breath and slowly regained his consciousness. He found that the hotpot gathering was over. Liu Qingbo and Huo Jie had left some time ago. There were lots of leftovers on the table that had gone cold. The hot soup in the pot was still kept warm and the heat was curling up, but there were no ingredients inside, making it look quite lonely.

“Master…” As soon as Dong Zhi spoke, his voice was a little hoarse and there was a sense of wetness and weakness in his body. This was the aftermath of excessive sweating.

“I’m here.” Long Shen let him go. “It doesn’t hurt anymore?”

Dong Zhi nodded. Seeing the blood marks he left on Long Shen’s wrist and the back of his hand, Dong Zhi couldn’t help but be surprised. “Your hand…”

“It’s fine. Your situation can’t be delayed any longer. We’ll go to Hainan tomorrow.”

Long Shen helped him up. Since he didn’t have the strength to stand, Long Shen directly picked up Dong Zhi and put him on the bed. “Don’t shower today. I’ll get a towel and wipe you down.”

Dong Zhi grabbed Long Shen’s wrist but couldn’t help but ask, “Master, this situation… Will another attack like this happen again?”

Long Shen had already seen the peach blossom mark on Dong Zhi’s back just now. It had become a bit darker than before, but he didn’t confirm anything and instead just said, “Don’t be afraid.”

Dong Zhi was weak all over. His pale face couldn’t recover so quickly. He smiled softly when he heard Long Shen’s words. “I’m just afraid that I’ll scratch you in the future. When I have a seizure next time, you can grab me a plush doll instead.”

“No need.” Long Shen wiped the sweat from Dong Zhi’s forehead with his hand. After thinking for a bit, he added, “I’m here.”

Long Shen moved very quickly. While Dong Zhi was resting, he had already booked the plane tickets and the hotel and arranged a meeting time with the Chi family, then he took Dong Zhi directly to Hainan.

Before parting, Liu Qingbo and Huo Jie went to see them off. With Dong Zhi’s absence, Liu Qingbo became the temporary person in charge of the Lucheng office. Dong Zhi was worried given Liu Qingbo’s violent temper, so it was inevitable that he would give him a few words of advice. It was nothing more than cautioning him to mind his temper, but Liu Qingbo couldn’t help but roll his eyes when hearing this. Still, he didn’t turn around and leave, and instead listened to all of what Dong Zhi told him.

“Geez, if you’re so worried, just come back to Lucheng with me. Why are you so long-winded?”

Dong Zhi smiled dryly. “I used to be there, so you vented all your energy when you bicker with me. This time, I’m afraid that there’ll be no one there to cheer you up and you’ll get lonely!”

Liu Qingbo: Still a fucking comedian. How can he still be cracking jokes!

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But for Dong Zhi’s sake, due to his illness, Liu Qingbo held back.

“There’s still Zhang Chong. That guy is owed a lot of scolding, so I’ll just scold him every day!”

Dong Zhi: ……

He really wanted to know what Zhang Chong’s expression was if he heard these words.

“Alright, alright, go, go. Hurry up and lift the curse and come back!” Liu Qingbo waved his hand, as if he was swatting away flies. At the end, he added something that didn’t sound so straightforward. “You must return safely. If you become a ghost, I’ll find a psychic to trap your soul so I can scold you constantly. You won’t be able to rest in peace!”

This was Liu Qingbo’s unique way of expressing concern for his friends. Dong Zhi accepted it with a smile and bid goodbye to Huo Jie. He asked him to send his greetings to Tang Jing as he entered the security checkpoint with Long Shen.

The two watched them leave the area until they had gone through security and walked away. When their figures disappeared, Huo Jie sighed softly.

“I hope he is safe.”

“Definitely,” Liu Qingbo replied.

—

The Chi family’s residence wasn’t hidden in the mountains or some old forest, as Dong Zhi imagined they would live an isolated life. In fact, Hainan had a tropical climate with plenty of sunshine and moisture. It was like the fruit paradise of many people’s dreams. The Chi family started in the fruit business very early and had now become one of the best fruit wholesalers in China. Strictly speaking, curses had become their side gig rather than their main business.

Such a secularized family naturally saved Long Shen a lot of effort. When they got off the plane, someone from the Chi family came to pick them up. The other party was a junior from the Chi family and Chi Banxia’s cousin. They treated Long Shen very politely and respectfully and drove them to the villa on the outskirts of the city.

When they learned that Long Shen had already booked a hotel and didn’t plan to stay in their home, Chi Banxia’s cousin asked for another car to take their luggage to the hotel first.

Long Shen originally contacted Chi Banxia’s father, but because he attached great importance to Long Shen, the current patriarch of the Chi family, Chi Banxia’s grandfather, Chi Xing, wanted to meet him in person at their villa.

“I have heard about Boss Long for a while now. It’s a pity that there were various reasons in the past when our fate did not align. Fortunately, I finally got to meet you today. I can die now without regrets!” Chi Xing was extremely enthusiastic. He waited at the door of the villa in person and stepped forward with his cane to shake hands with Long Shen.

Long Shen said, “Now that international exchanges are increasing day by day, talents like Mr. Chi’s are welcome by the Special Administration Bureau. The position of Honorary Consultant of our General Administration is always open for you.”

Elder Chi narrowed his eyes with a smile and repeatedly said he wasn’t worthy. Chi Banxia’s father and uncle stood to the side. Elder Chi personally introduced Long Shen to them. Only then did Dong Zhi find out that not everyone in the Chi family was a witch or witchdoctor. Chi Banxia’s uncle, for instance, was an ordinary businessman. Magic required talent. Chi Banxia and her cousin, who picked them up, were regarded as the most talented in the current generation of the Chi family.

After a few pleasantries, Elder Chi knew that Long Shen specifically came for his apprentice, so his eyes fell on Dong Zhi.

“Little one, put out your hand and let me see.”

Chi Banxia’s father added, “My father is the most powerful figure in the Chi family!”

The implication being that if this Elder couldn’t help him, there was even less to be said about the rest of the Chi family.

Dong Zhi stretched out his hand, following Elder Chi’s instruction. The Elder’s thin palms kneaded his head repeatedly, then started moving slowly up inch by inch until he finally stopped at the elbow.

“This is the ghost-faced peach blossom curse.” Elder Chi let go of Dong Zhi’s hand and let out a soft sigh.

The rest of the Chi family’s expressions changed color when they heard this.

Chi Banxia’s father looked solemn. “The last time it was the Lin family that was hit by this kind of curse.”

Long Shen nodded. “Yes, I heard that it only through the hands of Elder Chi that it was resolved, so I can only bother Elder again.”

Elder Chi smiled bitterly. “You flatter me too much. In fact, it was like trying to save a dead horse as if it was still living*—at that time, I wasn’t completely confident. Bluntly put, everyone has different techniques and different solutions. Although the Chi family’s techniques were learned from Southeast Asia, they are one of many. The jungle is dense, filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons. There are many witches that use techniques that I myself have never seen. Not all can be known. According to my judgement, I’m afraid Xiao Dong’s curse is a bit tricky.”

*(死马当作活马医) Colloquial saying referring making a last-ditch effort to save a hopeless situation.

Long Shen said, “Elder, please try whatever you can.”

Elder Chi: “Since Boss Long thinks so highly of me, I’ll do my best. I wonder if Boss Long brought me the dragon bones?”

Long Shen said, “I did.”

He handed over the bag he was carrying.

Only then did Dong Zhi know the extent of the preparation work his master had done without his knowledge.

Elder Chi took the bag and asked his eldest grandson to follow him in while Chi Banxia’s father stayed to talk to Long Shen. Since the uncle was just an ordinary person, he kindly apologized and left first so as not to get in the way.

Chi Banxia’s father was the one who wanted to enter the Special Administration Bureau when he was young, but he left with a lot of anger. Decades later, his temper seemed to have subsided as his entire persona looked quite calm. Dong Zhi saw that he respected Long Shen quite a lot. It wasn’t like the respect shown to a Deputy Director of the Special Administration Bureau, but one of meeting one’s idol.

The other party told them more about curse techniques in the jungle.

“The world thinks that the most powerful black magic is the head-descent technique*. In fact, this is in terms of difficulty for the cultivator. The truth is, the most vicious of all kinds is the ghost technique, because the cultivator could detain a person’s soul who had died a violent death or in vain and use various methods to arouse their grievances. Then they would refine their souls and add them as servants to various families. This kind of black magic is extremely difficult to deal with.

*(飞头降) Technique in which the cultivator disconnects his head from his body and flies it around. There are 7 stages, and once the final stage is reached, the cultivator can live forever.

Long Shen heard the implication from Chi Banxia’s explanation.

“Is the ghost-faced curse on Lin Ji different from that of Dong Zhi?”

The other party nodded. “Although it’s also called the ghost-faced peach blossom curse, Lin Ji’s curse was in his heart, while Dong Zhi’s is on the back. I don’t think this is accidental. It may be that the method used by the person was different. Last time, Lin Ji offended someone while doing business. It could be the one offended sought out a master to curse him and the master didn’t take Lin Ji seriously, but this time…”

Chi Banxia’s father gave Dong Zhi a difficult look and didn’t continue. Both Dong Zhi and Long Shen understood.

This time, Dong Zhi was in the process of eradicating a demon fetus. The other party was probably eyeing him. There was even a figure of a heavenly demon. Despite Long Shen bringing a dragon bone, the Chi family dared not be optimistic.

After a while, a young man came out to inform them that they could go in.

Dong Zhi followed Long Shen and walked into the room and was immediately blurred by the steaming heat.

The layout of the room was very strange. It was surrounded by a circular sink and there was a large wooden barrel, half a person high, in the middle. It was full of dark hot water and a strange aroma wafted from it.

Elder Chi said, “Where is the peach blossom mark on your body? Let me see it.”

Dong Zhi took off his shirt. The “peach blossom” was under his right shoulder on his back. The color was much darker than yesterday. Even Long Shen couldn’t help frowning.

Elder Chi said, “When the Lin family came to ask for him, Lin Ji’s situation was much more serious than yours. I hope that your case is like his. I’ll give it a try.”

Long Shen said, “Thank you.”

“Boss Long is too polite. Those crooked black-robed masters rely on their own secret techniques to unscrupulously harm people. They act as if there’s no one in China that could control them!” Elder Chi spoke arrogantly.

“Xiao Dong, get in the barrel. The water is a bit hot, but bear with me. Soak in it until it reaches your neck. Until I say so, don’t come out.”

Dong Zhi asked, “Elder, do I need to be naked?”

Elder Chi: “No, this is fine.”

Dong Zhi looked at Long Shen. Seeing the latter nod slightly, he no longer hesitated. He walked to the barrel and jumped in.

The water was so hot that it burned him, and he almost jumped out.

Elder Chi seemed to be aware of this. When Dong Zhi’s body moved, Elder Chi directly pressed his head down, forcing him to stay still.

At that moment, all Dong Zhi could feel was his skin and flesh being scalded. He only remembered that Long Shen was by his side, so he gritted his teeth and endured without shouting.

Elder Chi said solemnly, “I know you’re very uncomfortable now, but you have to bear it. It’s up to you whether this can be solved or not. The powder made from dragon bones is added to the medicinal soup. Don’t let your Master’s effort go to waste!”

He didn’t know how, but he knew. Though Long Shen was a Deputy Director, the dragon bone is precious beyond compare. Given Long Shen’s self-discipline, it meant he made an extreme exception for this case just for him.

After soaking for a long time, the pain had become dull and numb. It wasn’t that he couldn’t bear it, but his heartbeat was getting faster; so fast that he felt it would jump out of his chest. Later, his breathing and consciousness began to blur. There was turbulent flow in his body, surging about, as if something was unwilling to be burned to death and was eager to find an exit to escape. Eventually, the turbulent flow surged from his throat. When Dong Zhi opened his mouth, a large amount of black blood spewed out!

“Help him!” Elder Chi shouted.

Long Shen and Chi Banxia’s father, who were standing behind him, were already in place. When they heard Elder Chi’s words, they immediately started to lift Dong Zhi from the water and out of the barrel. At this time, Dong Zhi felt weak and there was a burning on his face, while his lips were ghostly pale.

Chi Banxia’s father brought him a bathrobe and asked him to put it on. Elder Chi said, “Help him to the guest room and take a good rest. When the heat on his body recedes, I will have a look.”

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