Chapter 53 – News

The next day, Zhang Xiuqi woke up from his sleep but didn’t get up immediately. Instead, he lay flat on the bed, blinking slowly as if still half-asleep. After a few minutes, he tilted his head slightly, as if searching for someone. However, the other side of the bed was empty, clearly indicating that the person who had slept there had already left, and even the residual warmth had disappeared.

This realization seemed to fully wake him up. Zhang Xiuqi got out of bed and walked out of the room. Instead of heading to the bathroom as usual, he went to the kitchen door. At that moment, Wei Yang had just finished plating the fried eggs. Looking up, he saw the Little Celestial Master and smiled at him. “Brother Qi, you’re awake? Let’s eat.”

Hearing Wei Yang’s voice, Zhang Xiuqi’s expression softened. He glanced down at his pajamas and slowly made his way to the bathroom. With one arm in a sling, even brushing his teeth became a complicated task. He held the toothbrush in his hand and squeezed the toothpaste tube with his left hand. However, this time, instead of the precise two centimeters, he seemed to apply too much force, causing a large glob of toothpaste to burst out of the tube, completely covering the bristles of the toothbrush. Some even slid down the handle and fell into the white sink.

Zhang Xiuqi stared at the toothpaste for a moment before finally putting the toothbrush in his mouth. The strong minty flavor filled his mouth, but he didn’t even furrow his brows. He just brushed his teeth with the foam overflowing from his mouth. Then came washing his face, combing his hair, and using the toilet. With every action, there was a sense of awkwardness, as if his body was no longer in sync. The precision he once had was gone, replaced by hesitant attempts. It took him a full five minutes to finish everything and walk into the living room.

“Is it inconvenient to wash up with one hand?” Wei Yang, who had already set the table with breakfast, handed Zhang Xiuqi a pair of chopsticks as if nothing had happened. “Here, your favorite runny fried egg. Eat it while it’s hot.”

Zhang Xiuqi nodded and sat down at the table. He reached out with his chopsticks to pick up the golden, crispy egg. However, his fingers, which had been quite nimble just the day before, seemed to have a mind of their own today. Before he could bring the egg to his mouth, the chopsticks slipped, and the egg plopped onto the table.

Wei Yang was even more surprised than the Little Celestial Master. He quickly picked up the fallen egg and pushed another intact fried egg, still on its plate, toward Zhang Xiuqi. “Brother Qi, did you not get enough sleep? You don’t seem to be in good spirits. Here, eat it straight from the plate.”

Zhang Xiuqi seemed a bit puzzled himself. He looked at his fingers, then at the fried egg on the plate. In the end, he bent down and ate directly from the plate like a child. The meal was a bit of a mess, but he finally managed to finish breakfast. Slowly, he stood up from the table and walked over to the sofa, sitting down quietly and staring into space.

After clearing the table, Wei Yang noticed the Little Celestial Master sitting there in a daze and couldn’t help but ask, “Brother Qi, aren’t you going to draw the Soul Stabilizing Talisman today?”

Zhang Xiuqi calmly shook his head. Wei Yang’s brows furrowed deeply. “Really, you don’t need to? I feel like you’re not doing too well…”

“Talisman, no good,” Zhang Xiuqi replied slowly, tilting his head slightly and giving Wei Yang a deep, gentle look. “Yangyang, good.”

Wei Yang’s heart skipped a beat. What did that mean? Was he refusing to draw talismans anymore? Brother Qi’s condition today was indeed a bit off, but his spirit seemed relaxed, and he didn’t appear to be in discomfort. Maybe he should call Monk Chizhi later and ask for advice? Wei Yang had no clue about these strange symptoms and immediately thought of the reliable old monk. However, before he could even find the business card, his phone rang.

The call was from Heipi, and he didn’t beat around the bush. “Ah Yang, have you been involved in any deals recently? Xiao Qu’er came to me yesterday and said someone specifically came to apologize to him.”

Wei Yang was momentarily stunned but quickly realized that this must have been arranged by Director Sun. Not only had he covered his own tracks, but he also made amends for the incident where Liu Qu had been offended. The Director was indeed thorough. Understanding the situation, Wei Yang didn’t try to hide anything and replied directly, “I did take on a big job for the Provincial Public Security Department’s big shot. I guess his father-in-law had a change of heart and realized his mistake?”

Heipi was a shrewd man, and he immediately understood the implications. “Looks like we owe you one this time. That troublemaker Xiao Qu’er is always causing headaches. I’ll keep a closer eye on him next time.”

There was a hint of helplessness in his tone, and Wei Yang chuckled. “It was nothing, really. By the way, Brother Ming, what’s the reason for calling so early?”

Heipi wasn’t someone who woke up early, so this call definitely wasn’t just to chat about trivial matters. Sure enough, Heipi laughed and said, “There’s something else. Uncle Qi came home last night and passed out as soon as he got in. When he woke up this morning, he dragged me out of bed and told me to call you.”

Hearing this, Wei Yang’s spirits lifted. “Uncle Qi’s back? And he wants to see me? Could it be about that Bone Formation…”

“Yeah, it seems like he found something unusual about the Bone Formation. He’s even skipped breakfast and is waiting for you.” Heipi’s tone was resigned. His old man was a bit of a fanatic when it came to things he was passionate about, often going days without eating or sleeping. Having him wake up early to ask for someone was already a big improvement.

If this had happened a month ago, Wei Yang might not have been concerned at all. But now, knowing just how many strange and supernatural things existed in the world, he didn’t dare to take it lightly. He immediately agreed, “Alright, I’ll head over right now.”

Without further small talk, Wei Yang hung up the phone and turned to look at Zhang Xiuqi, who was still sitting on the sofa. He couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. “Brother Qi, are you feeling okay? I’ve got something urgent to take care of and need to go out. Maybe you should stay here and rest…”

Before he could finish, Zhang Xiuqi had already stood up, clearly not intending to stay home. Faced with the Little Celestial Master’s insistence, Wei Yang couldn’t think of a better solution. He could only carefully remind him, “If you feel unwell at any point, Brother Qi, you have to tell me. If it gets bad, we’ll go see Monk Chizhi right away…”

Zhang Xiuqi nodded to show he understood. Wei Yang still wasn’t entirely at ease. He helped Zhang Xiuqi change his clothes and checked the items he carried with him before the two of them headed to Treasure House.

It wasn’t even eight o’clock yet, and most of the shops on Cultural Street were still closed. Even the back alleys were quiet, with only a few businesses open. Wei Yang went straight to the back courtyard of Treasure House and knocked on the door. Heipi, as expected, came to answer and led them inside without a word. However, this time, they weren’t going to the workshop or the warehouse but instead headed up to the second floor of the small courtyard.

Unlike the cluttered first floor, the second floor was much more serene. The furnishings were elegant and tasteful, exuding the kind of atmosphere one would expect from an antique shop. This area was connected to the main entrance and was usually used to receive wealthy and influential clients. However, today Heipi didn’t lead them to the small reception room. Instead, he walked down the hallway and opened the door to the innermost room. “Here we are. Uncle Qi, I’ve brought them.”

It was a small workshop, not much different from the one downstairs, except for the addition of a bed. However, the bed was also piled with various items, making it unclear if it was even usable. Hearing Heipi’s voice, the old man who had been bent over the table looked up, his gaze falling on Wei Yang. “Ah Yang, I’ve found some clues about that Bone Formation. It’s up to you whether you believe it or not.”

Wei Yang understood the implication in Uncle Qi’s words. He sighed and stepped forward, speaking respectfully, “Uncle Qi, a lot has happened around me recently, so I can’t afford not to believe. What’s strange about that thing? Please enlighten me.”

Uncle Qi clearly hadn’t expected Wei Yang to respond like this. He frowned and glanced at Zhang Xiuqi, who was standing behind Wei Yang. Heipi quickly introduced him, “Uncle Qi, this is Little Master Zhang from Longhu Mountain. He’s been helping out at Jieshui Studio recently.”

Hearing this, the old man’s expression softened slightly. “That makes sense. There are many things in this world that science can’t explain. If you just charge ahead blindly, you’ll eventually suffer the consequences.”

After this brief warning, he didn’t waste any more time and opened a small sandalwood box on the table, addressing Wei Yang directly. “Recently, I’ve consulted a few old friends who specialize in Water Script and made a trip to Henan and Guizhou. I finally managed to uncover some information. It’s said that those who understood Water Script in ancient times were shamans who served the imperial court. They were most prominent during the Xia Dynasty. Later, when the Shang Dynasty unified the land, these great shamans were exiled to the Chu region. After centuries of war, their lineage gradually declined, and the last branch ended up in Dushan, Guizhou, where they settled and passed down these ancient shamanic arts.”

Wei Yang’s heart skipped a beat. He had indeed guessed something along these lines. Ever since Monk Chizhi had revealed the Burial Curse, he had begun to realize that the rumors hidden in history might have some truth to them. If the Burial Curse could communicate with malevolent ghosts, what about the Extinction Script?

Uncle Qi continued without pause, “The primary and original role of shamans in ancient times was to ‘serve the spirits,’ using unique methods to communicate with the deceased and seek their protection. As a result, these shamans were skilled in using sounds and writing to communicate with spirits. This form of writing is known as ‘Water Script,’ also called ‘Extinction Script.’ Therefore, the inscriptions on your Bone Formation are likely part of a spirit-related formation. Moreover, this isn’t a standalone item but part of a set. A few years ago, someone was trying to acquire similar ritual objects, which is how my old friend remembered this…”

As he spoke, someone behind Wei Yang moved. Zhang Xiuqi took two steps forward, his movements somewhat unsteady, and approached the desk. His gaze was now completely focused on the Bone Formation, as if nothing else existed. His expression was a mix of anger and panic, showing a complexity of emotions that had never been there before. “Bone Formation… Father…”

He reached out his hand, but before he could touch the small box on the table, his body suddenly swayed, and he fell backward.

“Brother Qi!”

Someone shouted his name, but Zhang Xiuqi couldn’t respond. A fog enveloped him, and he was plunged into complete darkness.