Chapter Thirty-Four: The Demon Seed

In the tattoo business, redesigning and repairing existing tattoos are the two most challenging tasks. Redesigning means completely overturning the original framework—either through removal, covering up, or adding new elements. Repairing, however, tests the true skill of a tattoo artist, because the style and tone of a piece are usually set by the first artist. Anyone attempting to mend the tattoo finds it nearly impossible to make the new work appear seamless and natural. The result is often an awkward blend of two different styles in a single image. This is the case with ordinary tattoos—how much more so with Yin-Yang embroidery, which possesses special powers?

Fortunately, I had a whole year to consider Brother Xiaolin’s request. My top priority now was to uncover the origins and methods of this ghost embroidery. According to Brother Xiaolin, aside from Yin and Yang tattoos, there were also ghost tattoos. Ghost tattoos were even more direct and practical in their effects. For example, the Wus’ Ink Jade Qilin was said to directly enhance the wearer’s physical strength. Logically, there must be other ghost tattoo patterns, each with its own mysterious function.

I unfolded the note Brother Xiaolin had given me. Sixteen bold characters were written in upright script: "Yin-Yang Ghost Embroidery, governed by the five elements; hidden in water, revealed in fire."

Old Liao and I sat on stools, staring at this line for an entire afternoon, but we couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Just then, a bare-bottomed child from the convenience store next door burst in. “Old Zhang, there’s a pretty lady looking for you—a real shameless one!” With that, he dashed out.

I was baffled. What did a pretty lady looking for me have to do with shamelessness?

A pregnant woman with a slightly protruding belly walked in from outside. She spoke with a Tangshan accent as she entered, “Is the owner Zhang here? Don’t abandon us, mother and child—please, help us!”

Good grief—was this some kind of scam? What did her unborn child have to do with me? Old Liao was eyeing me suspiciously. “Bro, didn’t you tell me you were a rookie? Since when are you a dad? Impressive!”

“Give me a break. If you call me ‘dad’ right now, I might just acknowledge you,” I shot back, reaching to smack Old Liao.

The woman grew more anxious seeing us joke around. “Which one of you is the master of Yin-Yang embroidery? Can you save me?”

I had to admit, the woman was quite attractive—dressed smartly in a trench coat, her hair draped neatly over her shoulder, the image of a self-reliant modern woman.

“I’m the one. How can I help you?” I asked.

“This is my pregnancy ultrasound. Please take a look.”

“Wait, what does your pregnancy have to do with me? Why show me this?” I was flustered. Was she really here to make trouble?

“Something’s not right—look,” Old Liao tugged my sleeve. “In this ultrasound, where’s the baby?”

I took the image and examined it closely. The body’s outline was clear, but inside the uterus was only a patch of black shadow—no sign of a fetus at all.

“But all my blood tests and such are normal. The only problem is, no matter what, the baby doesn’t appear on the scans. Isn’t that strange?” The woman explained anxiously.

“What’s your name, and how did you hear about our shop?”

“My name is Liu Juan. I live in the same community as Zhao Jun, the transporter. He’s in building 8, I’m in 44.”

At once, I pictured Old Zhao’s gruff voice. If she lived in his neighborhood, that meant it was one of those villa districts—they probably weren’t short on money. This might be a lucrative job.

“Liao, if the ultrasound can’t show a baby, what’s the explanation?”

Liao pulled me aside. “Come on, what’s so surprising? If it’s something sinister and unnatural, of course the ultrasound can’t detect it.”

“You mean... there’s a ghost in her womb?”

“Hmm... I suspect she’s carrying a ghost fetus.”

A chill ran down my spine. Could it really be that strange?

“Let me do the talking when we negotiate with her. Watch and learn,” Old Liao said, taking out his divination tools.

“Alright!”

With our plan set, we approached Liu Juan. Old Liao tapped his battered bronze bowl. “Malevolent forces are at work, but you’re lucky to have met experts today. This ghostly matter can only be resolved with Yin-Yang embroidery. It’s fate that brought you to us—this tribulation was destined in your life, and meeting us is your blessing from a past life.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his charlatan’s rhetoric. Old Liao would’ve made a killing performing on street corners.

But when I looked closely at the woman, my grin froze. She had willow-leaf brows, fair skin, and a graceful figure—her looks rivaled those of online celebrities. Yet her face was utterly bloodless, her lips devoid of any redness, the whole visage as pale as a paper doll.

Old Liao picked up a tattoo needle and gently pricked her finger. Her skin instantly sank in, but no blood came out—her hand was pallid and shriveled. I watched in silent bewilderment.

“Yes, that’s right. When I had blood drawn for my prenatal tests, they had to poke my arm several times before any blood came out,” she said.

Old Liao squeezed her hand—the skin pressed in like an empty rubber ball and slowly regained its shape when he let go. He shook his head. “Miss, you live in the same villa community as Old Zhao, right? Mind if we come by your place in a few days to take a look?”

“Sure, just call me before you come.” She left her number and departed.

“Liao, how bad is it? Is this thing dangerous?” It was my first time dealing with a ghost fetus, and I couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

“It shouldn’t be too dangerous; otherwise, she wouldn’t have survived this long. The issue might be with the house. We’ll check it out tomorrow. Do you know why she can’t draw blood? The ghost fetus in her womb is absorbing it all.”

Suddenly it made sense. “No wonder her hospital bloodwork showed nothing unusual.”

“All will be revealed tomorrow night,” Old Liao assured me with a pat on the chest.

After the client left, Old Liao dragged me out straight to the antique market. I wondered why he was in the mood for antiques, but he led me into a pawn shop.

“Boss, I’m here to redeem my tools,” Old Liao announced, peering around like a curious bird.

“That broken compass? Sure—twenty thousand,” the pawnbroker replied, reclining leisurely in his chair.

“What the hell? You only pawned it for four thousand last time!”

“That’s not fair, is it? You’re doing well these days. To be honest, I didn’t even want to give you four thousand at the time—you forced me to take it.”

Old Liao considered for a moment, then grinned broadly. “Boss, this blue-and-white porcelain bowl looks freshly dug up—still smells like earth. I wonder if the police would be interested in its provenance?”

The boss spat out his tea. “That’s not very sporting of you.”

“Right back at you. Just get my tools out.”

“Six thousand. That’s my final offer.”

“Deal. Old Zhang, pay the man.”

“What? You want me to pay to get your stuff back?” I had to admire Old Liao’s shamelessness.

“You don’t understand—this is my treasure. With it, I can sense malevolent spirits ahead of time! Think of it as my contribution to the job,” Old Liao said, beaming.

“Damn, this old guy is something else,” I thought, exasperated.

The boss fetched an ancient compass from the back room. Its surface was made of rosewood, with three silver needles of varying thickness on the dial—clearly an old artifact. Old Liao snatched it up and kissed it fiercely. “You have no idea—when it comes to seeking out ghosts and evil spirits, this is a Daoist treasure of the highest order!”