Turtles are the best feng shui objects for neutralizing evil. I chose a soft - shell turtle for its strong yang energy—like how people eat turtle soup to recover from illness. Eel blood, also yang, locks in the turtle's yang energy after it's killed. The old man's clothes serve as a vessel for the wandering spirit, trapping it in the turtle shell, turning an ordinary shell into a spiritual feng shui tool—though such items are highly yin and require the client to interact with spirits.
The (virgin boy's urine) I prepared serves a dual purpose: turtles don't need constant feeding, but the owner must burn incense regularly and avoid beef, mutton, and dog meat—these clash with the turtle's yin spirit. A daily drop of replenishes yang energy and restrains the spirit in the shell.
After finishing, I called Madam Dong back, placed the turtle shell on the windowsill, and set up a shrine. "Remember: one drop of daily, no exceptions. Burn incense on the 1st and 15th of every month."
"That's so troublesome," she complained.
"Follow my instructions. Avoid beef, mutton, dog meat—no exceptions." I didn't mention the spirit; dealing with ghosts requires caution—good deeds earn help.
When she asked about forgetting, I shook my head. "Your husband will escape his punishment." She promised to pay when he was released.
Exhausted, I returned home, unsure if I'd done right. Grandpa's tales of horror and his lifelong poverty for my tuition made me want to earn money. He'd been called away by a middle - aged man a month ago—no word since.
Lying in bed, I ached to call Jiang Shiyu, to know about the girl who'd haunted my dreams. Her "see you on campus" felt like a debt.
The next morning, as I set up my stall, a sweet scent hit me. Zhao Na slapped my shoulder. "Where've you been? We woke up and you were gone! I've been looking for you—no answer on your phone, no stall!" Her tone held reproach.
She looked radiant, the black - yellow qi on her forehead gone. Tall, fair, and beautiful, she was every bit a rich beauty. "I left once I knew you were safe." I knew our worlds were too different—my monthly earnings might not buy her a bag.
"My dad wants to see you."
I smiled. "Tell him I can't save him from everything. What he saw was real—only your ancestors' virtue kept him alive. Your stepmother's baby was cursed; find a soil - covered stone for the child at birth, or it won't survive eight."
"How do you know what my dad saw?" she asked, puzzled.
I knew—he'd faced judgment in the Underworld. "Does he have a new mole on his butt?"
"Yes! The hospital found it—palm - sized!"
"That's a ghost's mark. He can't escape this." Zhao Na panicked. "He can't sleep, fights with my stepmother."
I felt for Fu Wei. Zhao Zhiyong's accident killing the old woman was tragic, but he'd pay. I'd saved him by chance, though I disliked his kind. "Tell him to mend his ways. Remember the stone—vital for the baby." I explained the yin poison from curses, how stone's earth energy absorbs it. Grandpa had given similar stones—only he'd kept his.
As I tried to leave, Zhao Na blocked me. "We're the same age—how do you know so much?"
"I read a lot."
"I said I'd be your girlfriend if you saved me. Yes or no?"