Chapter Eighteen: Consuming the Enchantment

Jiangtou, which originated in Southeast Asia, has effects similar to the Miao and Xiangxi Gu techniques. Put simply, it means raising a ghost. You can command this ghost to approach another person, affecting their body, absorbing their vital energy, and even threatening their life.

After signing the car purchase contract, Old Liao and I returned to the shop, where he was enthusiastically explaining the intricacies of jiangtou and Gu magic.

“There are many ways for jiangtou to attach itself—stone jiang, hair jiang, and more. To put it simply, the jiangtou practitioner needs your birth date and personal belongings to cast the spell. Once afflicted, a person’s emotions spiral out of control, appetite and sleep disappear, their spirit becomes hazy, and they’re prone to depression and nightmares involving the little ghost of the jiangtou.”

“The methods for making jiangtou are numerous and complex. The Pharmacist’s Sutra says you must write the person’s name and create their likeness. With the passage of time and the influence of different regions—especially with the rampant Southeast Asian jiangtou and Kuman Thong—the process has grown even more complicated.”

“But isn’t it said that after being afflicted with jiangtou, one loses their appetite and sleep? Why does Su Jin keep eating non-stop?”

“Heh heh heh, that’s what makes this case interesting.” Old Liao chuckled as he lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. “There’s a more obscure and sinister form called ‘food jiang.’ Most jiangtou ghosts attach to personal items, but food jiang attaches directly to a person! All the food she eats is consumed by the ghost attached to her, so no matter how much she eats, she never feels full.”

I recalled Su Jin’s beautiful face, thinking of her desperately gnawing on chicken legs while tears streamed down her cheeks, and couldn’t help but feel pity. “This girl is truly unfortunate.”

Old Liao waved his hand dismissively. “Dark arts are common in the entertainment industry. Countless celebrities rise to fame by raising little ghosts. For example, the famous influencer XXX reportedly used extremely vicious methods to raise ghosts when first entering the industry, landed great scripts, and became an overnight sensation.”

“Of course, some use dark arts to rise, while others use them to harm. Food jiang is one such malicious method.”

“Do you think Su Jin will come?”

Old Liao shrugged. “Who knows? Celebrities usually look down on ordinary workers like us.”

“Beep beep! Beep beep!” A loud horn blared by our ears. “Who’s honking? It’s disturbing the peace!” I pushed open the window and shouted outside.

A pitch-black van was parked downstairs, the driver looking up at our window through the windshield. I signaled for them to use the vacant parking spot in front, then turned to Old Liao and called, “Old Liao, tidy up—our client is here.”

Not long after, I heard the rustling of a group ascending the stairs. Leading them was the woman in black I’d seen earlier that morning, followed by a cluster of attendants who surrounded the plump Su Jin, shielding her completely.

“Hey, old man, what you said this morning—do you have a way to break this spell?” The woman barged in aggressively, her voice low and pressing as she interrogated Old Liao.

“Miss, since we dared to take your case, there’s no need for all this drama. Let us see the client, and have these attendants wait downstairs.” I quickly stepped in front of Old Liao.

The woman in black waved her hand, and the group retreated one by one. Without her entourage, Su Jin was visibly flustered, covering her face in confusion and softly sobbing.

The woman sighed, ran her hand through the black strands covering her eyes, and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m Su Jin’s manager. You can call me Wang Mei, or Sister Mei.”

Her arrogant demeanor faded as she looked at Su Jin with boundless tenderness. “Our Jin’er was destined to shine on stage like a phoenix, but everything changed because of that drama six months ago.”

“What happened six months ago?”

It turned out that six months ago, a renowned director was preparing a new palace drama, inviting countless stars in a grand display. Yet, the leading actress had not been decided. The plot centered on a palace maid forced into the imperial household in search of her family, eventually rising to become empress. The director insisted on casting a petite, unadorned girl for the role.

The producer naturally thought of Su Jin, who had risen to fame the previous year in a similar drama. She fit the role perfectly and quickly won the favor of the director, writer, and producer. Filming began after a few readings, but Su Jin’s appetite suddenly surged. The crew’s boxed lunches couldn’t satisfy her; she needed six or seven extra meals daily. The director watched Su Jin’s body balloon rapidly and wondered how the show could proceed. In frustration, he sued Su Jin and her agency.

They lost a considerable amount of money, and with her artist reduced to such a state, Wang Mei was furious but powerless to solve it. She could only quietly seek someone knowledgeable in hopes of resolving the misfortune.

“It must be that Tiantian, that wretched girl, using some unknown black magic to harm our Jin’er!”

“Who is Tiantian?”

“She’s the supporting actress in that drama. After Su Jin’s slot opened up, she took over. Her acting is terrible, but thanks to the star-studded cast, her value skyrocketed. I’m sure she secretly cast jiangtou on us!”

Old Liao pondered for a moment and looked at the tearful girl. “Do you have any other symptoms? At night, do you feel someone holding your waist, urging you to eat more?”

“Yes... Every night, I hear a voice telling me how hungry I am, how much I want to eat. My appetite soars, and I often get up to look for food. Lately, my abdomen hurts, as if a child is kicking me inside.”

We exchanged strange glances with Wang Mei. She realized what we were thinking. “I assure you, Su Jin is not pregnant. She’s never even dated—rumors are deadly for celebrities, especially before their careers are stable. I would never let such gossip harm her.”

She wrapped her arms around Su Jin, soothing her gently. I couldn’t help but feel that this manager was a good person, treating Su Jin like her own sister.

“Can you lift your shirt and show me your abdomen?” Old Liao suddenly asked. Su Jin recoiled as if facing a mortal threat, shouting, “No... I don’t want to!”

Wang Mei said nothing, but took Su Jin’s arm and coaxed her, “Be good, just let us take a look.”

Su Jin’s sobbing intensified as she slowly lifted her oversized T-shirt, her voice trembling. “Sister Mei, I’m sorry... I feel like I can’t go on anymore...”

Her fair skin bulged under the weight of fat, etched with stretch marks. On her stomach, two distinct gray-brown streaks appeared, each about ten centimeters long.

Old Liao’s eyes widened. He furiously tossed his cigarette to the floor and shouted, “Those are corpse spots! Please, everyone, leave. We can’t help with this!”