The Five Poisons refer to centipedes, poisonous snakes, scorpions, geckos, and toads - these five creatures are considered the most venomous animals in Chinese folklore. Even if it's the Insect Curse from Southeast Asia, it might not be as potent as these five. With all five poisons combined, I refuse to believe they can't suppress those bugs.
However, this Five Poisons tattoo isn't completely harmless, especially the scorpion part.
A scorpion tattoo is a double-edged sword. While it has evil-warding properties, if the recipient's Four Pillars of Destiny aren't strong enough or the person isn't ruthless by nature, they'll be plagued by numerous misfortunes.
I explained all this to Hames so he'd understand the risks involved.
After some thought, Hames said he didn't care anymore. "If I can't touch women for the rest of my life, I might as well be dead," he declared. "No matter how poisonous the tattoo is, as long as it works, I'm willing to try it."
Besides, he'd been in the underworld for so long - wasn't his life already tough enough to survive until now?
Since Hames agreed, I had nothing more to say. The decision was his to make. If he wanted the tattoo, we'd do it!
The Five Poisons make for a Yang-themed tattoo. With all five venomous creatures inked together, we charged him $20,000.
Hames said money wasn't an issue and immediately wired the payment. He then asked when we could do the tattoo.
"There's no time like the present," I replied. "But first I need to get the tattoo ink." After saying this, I stepped out to call Christoph.
When Christoph answered, I got straight to the point: "I need cadaver blood, cremains, and corpse oil delivered immediately. I've got a client waiting."
Christoph assured me it wouldn't be a problem and that he'd come right over. The old man was quick - it didn't take long before he arrived with the supplies.
As he handed me the Yang-themed tattoo ink, he peeked inside and seemed to recognize Hames. "What's this kid doing here?" he asked.
I explained he was my client - he'd been cursed with a love spell while playing around in Southeast Asia, and I planned to suppress it with a Five Poisons tattoo.
Christoph, being nosy, pressed for details about how Hames got cursed, so I had to recount the whole story.
After hearing it, Christoph burst out laughing: "Nephew, you're not actually buying this, are you?"
"What do you mean?" I asked. "What's suspicious about it? Would Hames really make up something like this?"
Christoph shrugged. "That's not necessarily true. Do you really think there are that many Kuman Thong masters in Southeast Asia? That every supposed master is genuine? That every girl on the street knows black magic?"
His words confused me. "What exactly are you trying to say?" I asked.
Christoph said that Hames most likely knew the girl was a Kuman Thong master before making his move. Although he knew she wasn't to be trifled with, he took the risk anyway. As a result, after playing with her, he got exactly what he deserved.
To put it bluntly, it was pure lust for beauty and novelty. The kid's rich - what kind of woman couldn't he get? He just wanted the thrill of bedding a Kuman Thong master and got caught in her trap.
I suspect this female Kuman Thong master must be quite powerful. While this kind of curse is actually quite common in Southeast Asia, and not all require black magic to break, Hames should have been able to find another Kuman Thong master there to lift it.
The fact that he couldn't suggests this woman holds considerable influence - other masters didn't dare interfere, forcing Hames to slink back home.
Frankly, this whole situation is shameful. It's just another case of a man who couldn't control his urges digging his own grave. Hames probably fabricated parts of the story to save face.
Moreover, Southeast Asian Kuman Thong masters - especially female ones - are notoriously ruthless and vindictive. If I intervene and she finds out Hames is cured, she might come after me too.
That said, there's one silver lining: despite being a womanizer, Hames is quite loyal and comes from a powerful family - his second uncle is a government official and his father's a wealthy businessman. Helping him could bring me future benefits.
Christoph really knows his stuff. After hearing his analysis, everything clicked. But now I'm committed - I've taken the money and can't back out. Even if that female master comes looking for trouble later, I have to proceed with the tattoo.
I'll remember Hames' deception though. This taught me not to trust others too easily. I feel somewhat set up, and can only hope that Kuman Thong master targets him instead of me.
After Christoph left with his payment, I returned to tattoo the Five Poisons on Hames, though my attitude had cooled considerably. He seemed to notice but said nothing - proof this man's more than just his family connections. Still, like all men, he's weak when it comes to women.
The Five Poisons tattoo carries serious taboos: it must avoid internal organs (heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys) and sensitive areas like eyes. The back is also off-limits - sleeping on it might make the creatures "bite," and their venom could be fatal. More tattoos mean greater risks and fewer solutions when disaster strikes.
After some thought, I decided to tattoo the Five Poisons on Hames' shoulders, calves, arms and other areas. This way the poisons would be dispersed without harming vital organs, while maintaining balance in his overall Feng Shui Six Prosperities.
Hames said he didn't mind - he didn't care where the tattoos went as long as they worked.
With his consent, I began working the tattoo needle, inking the Five Poisons onto Hames' body.
Though just small creatures, the Five Poisons required intricate detailing, making them challenging to tattoo well. Completing all five took me four hours, and nearly five with color matching.
Christoph was right - Yin-inspired tattoos are the most profitable. Yang-themed tattoos like this are labor-intensive and time-consuming. I wish we had more Yin-inspired tattoo requests.
When finished, Hames stood up and stretched. Soon he complained of numbness, especially in his tattooed limbs. More alarmingly, his lips turned slightly purple - a clear sign of poisoning.
Panicking, Hames grabbed my collar. "This tattoo won't poison me to death, will it?" he demanded.
I could tell his movements were sluggish - he barely had strength to pull me. But I didn't take offense.
"First," I explained, "you consented to this tattoo after being warned of potential effects. Whatever happens isn't my responsibility."
"Second, Five Poison tattoos have a buffer period where poisoning symptoms are normal. Drink plenty of water and you'll recover."
"Third, I didn't even call you out for hiding information. Why are you threatening me?"
Hearing this, Hames immediately released me. His two men moved to attack, but Hames slapped them back. Not that I was worried - Antonio could've handled them both in under ten seconds.
Without another word, Hames left with his men. Chloe, sweating nervously, had feared a fight would break out and put her in an awkward position.
"Relax," I said. "After a Five Poison tattoo, most people would immediately faint or develop fever - the most common side effects. That Hames could walk out on his own suggests he can withstand the poisons. The real question is whether they'll suppress that Insect Curse."