Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Although I had been in Thailand for over ten days, most of the time was spent having fun with Second Uncle. Suddenly having to leave made Grandpa very reluctant. He held my hand and urged me to come back often, also asking me to send his regards to Grandma. I wished Grandpa could return with me; since Grandma was no longer around, it would be nice for the two of them to be together.
However, Grandpa just sighed and refused to go to the mainland. Second Uncle didn’t want to discuss it either and pulled me away. At that moment, I felt a bit angry, thinking that Grandpa was saying one thing but doing another. Second Uncle explained to me, "Child, don’t be mad at the old man. Some things can’t be clearly explained. He might be wrong, but it’s not the kind of wrong you’re imagining. Do you understand?"
Could I understand? What a load of nonsense!
I remained angry all the way back to the mainland and was still fuming. Second Uncle didn’t know how to persuade me; he wanted to take me home first, but since I was upset, I said, "What’s the big deal? It’s just some trouble; I want to go too!"
Second Uncle smiled wryly and said if Grandpa knew, he would definitely scold us. But in the end, he couldn’t convince me and agreed to take me along to visit a client.
The client who asked for Second Uncle's help was named Qin and was a university teacher living in Nanjing. He had previously bought an authentic item from Second Uncle but hadn’t been in touch since then, so it was unclear what he needed help with. Second Uncle didn’t mind because whether it was an amulet, Kuman, or spirit, there was no such thing as after-sales service. However, if trouble arose that needed resolving, that would be a different transaction altogether.
Moreover, the authentic item sold to Teacher Qin was genuine and obtained from a temple, so there was no fear of him causing any trouble. Even if no transaction occurred, it could still serve as a way to maintain contact with the client.
Upon arriving in Nanjing and meeting Teacher Qin, we found him looking haggard, with dirty and disheveled clothes—something rarely seen for a university teacher. When he saw Second Uncle brought me along, Teacher Qin was both surprised and delighted and invited us in. Second Uncle didn’t want to waste time and immediately asked what had happened while stating that there could be absolutely no problem with the authentic item sold.
Teacher Qin quickly clarified that it wasn’t the authentic item sold by Second Uncle that had issues; rather, there were other matters at play.
At the end of last semester, the school discovered cheating during exams after someone anonymously reported leaked test questions and pointed fingers at Teacher Qin. Coincidentally, not long ago, Teacher Qin had received a mobile phone from the parents of a student caught cheating. In fact, giving gifts at school is quite common; even my honest father once gave a hen that laid eggs to a teacher in hopes of improving my grades.
Unfortunately for him, timing was everything. Whether or not the test questions were truly leaked or whether Teacher Qin was actually responsible became irrelevant. Just accepting a bribe from parents was enough to seal his fate.
Teacher Qin remained at his post waiting for an investigation by the authorities. He felt furious and believed someone was envious and maliciously framing him. However, he couldn’t find any evidence or catch anyone responsible. After thinking it over, he suddenly recalled someone mentioning that one could ask spirits for help in resolving such matters.
When he first received the Amulet, he wore it for several months without seeing any effects and felt he might have been deceived. Although Second Uncle had told him long ago that Authentic items were more about spiritual support, or what is known as mental comfort, their effectiveness in other aspects is generally very slow. This kind of thing works if you believe in it; if you don't, it won't. If you want to see immediate results, then you should buy a Yin card or a ghost.
Second Uncle dislikes being troubled after the fact, so he usually takes the time to carefully explain to clients the taboos associated with Yin card, ghosts, and Earth Child Kumant, as well as the possible consequences. Teacher Qin, who originally wasn't very bold, was frightened by him and didn't even dare to think about it, let alone make a purchase. However, since Teacher Qin believed he was a fraud, even if he wanted to buy a Yin card, he wouldn't go back to him.
Later, Teacher Qin asked someone to help him find a connection and came across a Hong Konger who claimed to serve an Ajarn master in Thailand.
Ajarn refers to Ajan, which is how clients from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan address their masters; this may stem from differences in transliteration.
When Second Uncle heard this, he laughed and said that Teacher Qin had found a fraud; anyone who could serve an Ajan Master would be a disciple. No disciple would dare take on work for their master; if discovered, they would face dire consequences.
Teacher Qin looked distressed and said he didn't know the ins and outs of this matter. He was initially delighted and told the Hong Konger that he hoped to hire someone who could help identify his enemies and punish them with an Amulet. Of course, it had to be Authentic.
The Hong Konger readily agreed, and just a few days after Teacher Qin transferred the money, the Amulet arrived. The Hong Konger claimed that this was an Authentic item personally blessed by Master Long Puyan, capable of warding off enemies, enhancing romantic luck, attracting wealth—almost all-powerful.
I looked at Second Uncle and asked if Long Pu Yan was fake.
Second Uncle did not answer immediately but instead asked Teacher Qin to bring the Amulet for him to examine. Teacher Qin complied and returned with a pendant adorned with Gold Trim that looked quite luxurious; on it was a statue of an unidentified Buddha that seemed somewhat legitimate.
Second Uncle took one glance at it, then weighed it in his hand and asked, "How much did this cost?"
Teacher Qin seemed intimidated by his presence; he shifted nervously and quietly replied, "Sixteen thousand."
Second Uncle immediately burst into laughter and said to me, "Master Long Puyan does exist and is indeed a very famous Amulet master after Long Por Tae. However, he specializes in making Kuman rather than this type of Amulet. So anyone with even a little knowledge would see this item and immediately know they've been fooled."
I naturally understand that Kuman are mostly humanoid. Although there are types for worship and wearing, a golden body can never be replaced by a Buddha statue. Second Uncle told me this, actually mocking Teacher Qin for being clueless and pretending to know. Sixteen thousand? In my opinion, even one hundred sixty wouldn't attract anyone.
Second Uncle placed the Amulet on the table and asked about what happened afterward.
Teacher Qin had long suspected he was deceived, but hearing it confirmed made it hard for him to accept. His expression darkened for a moment before he continued speaking.
After retrieving the Amulet, he immediately threw away the Authentic he bought from Second Uncle. When he mentioned this, he secretly glanced at Second Uncle, noticing his slightly displeased expression, and quickly lowered his gaze.
That Amulet, purchased for sixteen thousand, boosted his confidence. Every day, he followed the worship practices suggested by a Hong Konger, praying and reciting the Invocation Spell. However, two weeks later, not only did he fail to identify the person who framed him, but he also ended up in trouble himself.
Once while shopping for groceries, he saw an elderly lady get hit by an electric bike and went over to help her. As a result, the lady accused him of wrongdoing. Teacher Qin was furious and tried to get passersby to testify for him, but no one was willing to help. In the end, he had to pay six thousand to settle the matter.
A few days later, while shopping at a supermarket, an alarm suddenly went off as he passed through the detection point. Staff found a tube of toothpaste worth seven dollars and eighty cents in his pocket. Teacher Qin was dumbfounded; he hadn't even been near the toothpaste section—where did it come from?
The supermarket didn't care how it got there; if something was found on you, it was considered theft.
Despite the solid evidence, Teacher Qin refused to admit it. Seeing his "arrogant" attitude, the police were too lazy to argue with him. The amount was small, yet Teacher Qin still spent seven or eight days in detention. While his reputation plummeted, those seasoned inmates despised pretentiousness; how could a University Teacher, a role model for others, steal? What if their children had been taught by him? At the warden's command, Teacher Qin was beaten black and blue. After writing a guarantee that he wouldn't steal again, he had to tell the guards that he had bumped into a wall.
After getting out of detention, Teacher Qin began to feel something was off; this was just too unlucky—helping someone led to accusations, shopping made him out to be a thief. What went wrong? He thought about the Amulet, but dismissed it since it cost sixteen thousand and Second Uncle had previously said that an Authentic would only protect its owner and never cause harm. The Hong Konger said the same thing, so his doubts flickered briefly in his mind.
A few days later, he went back to the supermarket again; the psychological shadow from last time hadn’t faded yet. Teacher Qin mentioned that day he felt somewhat dazed and unknowingly walked over to where knives were displayed. Without realizing it, he pulled out a knife and only noticed when someone nearby screamed; he discovered that he was cutting his wrist with it. Blood had already pooled around him on the ground.
Comment 0 Comment Count