Chapter Forty-Seven: I Want to Learn the Art of Shadow Embroidery

“Ghost Manipulation? Even malevolent spirits can be controlled by humans?” Truly, the world is full of wonders—who knew there existed such sinister arts of the underworld?

“Heh, what’s so surprising? Isn’t raising little ghosts in Thailand just another form of commanding evil spirits?”

“So you’re saying that someone with a sun-dominant birth chart like Xia Liang was recruited by Anle Real Estate precisely to raise haunted houses and little ghosts for them?”

Old Liao nodded from the side. If Xia Liang’s account was truthful, then it was almost certain that Anle Real Estate’s business was far from ordinary. Yet whether it was raising haunted houses or little ghosts, what was their ultimate aim?

“Someone with such a sun-dominant fate like Xia Liang wouldn’t easily be harmed by ghosts in a haunted house. On the contrary, she would provide an abundance of yang energy for those spirits to feed on. That’s why you’re always tired and cold—your yang energy is constantly being drained,” Old Liao said, turning to Xia Liang and enunciating each word.

“Then why not just find someone with a purely sun-based fate? Wouldn’t that solve everything, without risking anyone’s life?” I still couldn’t quite grasp the real estate company’s motives.

“Hah! A rare fate like that—someone with a pure sun-dominant birth chart—comes along only once in a century! Xia Liang already has seven of her eight characters in the yang; that alone is exceptionally rare. You think everyone is just like you?” Old Liao couldn’t help but laugh at my foolish question.

“But having a sun-dominant fate isn’t without its benefits. If someone like Xia Liang learned Daoist or Buddhist arts, she might well become a bane to all evil spirits.”

Now I understood where Xia Liang’s luxury cars and jewelry came from. As someone who’d only graduated a few years ago and just entered the real estate field, she had risen to a life of privilege not merely due to her sales talent. It must have been connected to this bizarre haunted house business. A million yuan per job—no matter how strange the task, who wouldn’t be tempted to try?

Listening to our conversation, Xia Liang, not quite understanding, grew visibly anxious and hurriedly asked, “Given my current condition, is there any solution?”

Old Liao immediately sobered up. “Wait, didn’t we already resolve everything at Lijing Garden? Why are you still experiencing fatigue and weakness?”

“Could it be… you’ve taken on another job?” I drew in a sharp breath. This woman truly feared nothing. To spend time with a malevolent spirit once would be enough for anyone, but she still dared to take on more for money.

Xia Liang bit her lower lip, looking deeply regretful, and nodded slightly.

“How many days has it been now?”

“It’s… it’s the fortieth day. This house is even more terrifying than Building 44 at Lijing Garden!” Xia Liang seemed to recall something that chilled her to the bone. Her eyes went blank, and her whole body began to tremble.

I glanced at Old Liao and shook my head. If Brother Xiao Lin were here, I’d feel confident taking this on, but I hadn’t been able to reach him. With this business delivered to our door, should we take it or not?

“Two hundred thousand! Can you handle it?” she asked.

“Money isn’t really the issue. We just like helping people out of trouble,” Old Liao replied, entirely shameless. But as the saying goes, money can make even ghosts push the millstone—or sometimes, the millstone pushes the ghost. We weren’t exactly good Samaritans, but since we did have some real skills, as long as the price was right, we’d give it a shot.

“Where are you staying now? We’ll come by in the next couple of days.”

At that moment, Old Liao was full of bravado, nothing like his timid self when we first went to Lijing Garden.

“Tomorrow night, then. I’m living at Longling Mansion now—it’s a bit remote. Call me when you get to the gate, and I’ll come fetch you.”

“Alright, tomorrow night at nine,” I agreed.

With everything arranged, Xia Liang left the shop.

We heard her sports car roar off downstairs. Old Liao grabbed an apple, took a bite, and said, “Notice how Xia Liang has been avoiding one question the entire time?”

“Sun Xing’s whereabouts!” I said, suddenly realizing.

Exactly. In any normal workplace, if a high-performing colleague got fired for no reason, wouldn’t you at least be curious? Xia Liang wasn’t as innocent as she seemed. But all would be revealed at her place. I’d dealt with clients like this before—they’d hide things at first meeting, but once they ran into something truly supernatural, they’d spill everything.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a notification: “The streamer Little Qi is live now! Tune in to watch~”

Enough of all this. Watching Little Qi’s stream would at least provide some comfort—good food always lightens the mood.

I turned on the TV and the streaming app, then cast the stream onto the big screen.

Soon, Little Qi’s live feed appeared on the television.

“Oh, isn’t that the landlady? She’s lost a lot of weight!” Old Liao’s eyes were instantly glued to the screen, and he couldn’t help but exclaim.

Indeed, the Serpent Pattern Peony’s Yang Embroidery had really worked. In less than a week, Little Qi was visibly slimmer—not exactly svelte, but at least she’d gone from obese to pleasantly plump. The live chat was full of surprised comments:

“Streamer, turn off the beauty filter—it’s scary.”

“Who are you? Give us back the chubby Little Qi!”

“Southeast Asia’s Four Great Dark Arts: Photoshop is here!”

“Everyone knows you can’t Photoshop video! Little Qi’s mukbang is eternal!”

The chat was a riot as soon as the stream started. Noticing this, Little Qi smiled graciously and said, “Actually, eating and losing weight aren’t mutually exclusive! See how much I eat every day? I only have the energy to work out after a good meal!”

“You should all stay happy and healthy like me—exercise more, and you’ll lose weight too!”

I almost burst out laughing at this. It was clearly the work of my Yin-Yang Embroidery—how did it become a motivational slogan?

The chat went wild:

“I don’t believe it—turn off the beauty filter if you dare.”

“You must be secretly going to the gym.”

“If you can lose ten pounds in three days while eating like this, I’ll send you a hundred rockets!”

“Yeah, three days, ten pounds—if you do it, I’ll stream myself eating s—.”

“Back again to mooch free food, I see.”

“Be good, let’s all eat at home.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at these comments. No wonder Old Liao liked these shows—they were so lively, watching and chatting with so many people at once was quite an experience.

“Who just said they’d send a hundred rockets? I accept your challenge! If you don’t, you’re my son!” Little Qi was clearly getting a bit cocky, even daring to agree to such an outrageous bet.

“Here, let me weigh myself first. If I don’t lose ten pounds in three days, I’ll send you all a special photo! If I do, don’t forget to send those rockets and enjoy your food and drink!”

Little Qi stepped on the scale, and as the camera zoomed in, the number stopped at 140 pounds.

That’s not exactly a flattering weight for a woman. Little Qi seemed a bit embarrassed herself and, in her shame, declared, “Ten pounds is nothing—I’ll lose twenty! In three days, you’ll see me at 120 pounds!”

Immediately, the chat exploded again:

“Caught red-handed in a scam!”

“I just love how you have no self-awareness.”

“Just admit you want to post a special photo!”

“Would her special photo really be a reward, though…”

A barrage of mockery followed. Internet trolls these days really go too far, with no regard for a girl’s feelings. Little Qi ended her stream amid the awkward atmosphere.

What a farce, but at least it lightened the mood for Old Liao and me. Losing twenty pounds isn’t impossible—with the nourishment from the Yang Embroidery and some exercise, she might manage it in a month or so. But three days? Not a chance.

“Ring ring!” My phone rang. It was Little Qi herself! Speak of the devil.

“Hello, beautiful—twenty pounds in three days? I believe in you!” I joked as I answered.

“You’re making fun of me too! You watched my stream, didn’t you? I called because—if there’s Yang Embroidery, there must be Yin Embroidery too, right? I have to lose twenty pounds in three days!”