Chapter 0080 The Heart-Locking Curse
Frank Fang chuckled darkly. "That's part of it. The bigger the star, the bigger the risk we take. But there's another reason. Didn't you see that the actress was almost dumped by the tycoon's son? If she hadn't turned up pregnant, she probably wouldn't have made it into that wealthy family. She only paid 100,000, so the Master only performed a 100,000-level ritual. To guarantee a higher success rate, you need more advanced and aggressive sorcery. That doesn't just drain spiritual energy and health; it affects the Master's karma. Do you think this money comes easy?"
With things explained so bluntly, the middleman had nothing left to say and went back to report. When Kanzy heard how much money was involved, he lost his nerve and tried to back out. Frank Fang barked, "How many spells are actually in that grimoire of yours? If you're too scared, give me the book and the skull, and I'll learn it myself! I'll keep all the money!"
Kanzy frantically waved his hands. "No, no! This Southeast Asian sorcery isn't for everyone. There are too many taboos."
"What taboos? You just don't want to hand it over!" Frank Fang cursed.
Kanzy replied, "For the first five years of practicing the Dark Arts, you cannot release semen, or you'll be impotent for life. You can't eat dog or tiger meat, or the spells will backfire. If you use a Lukyee skull to cultivate power, you have to drop fresh blood from your left middle finger onto the skull twice a month. If you forget even once, you'll fall agonizingly ill for days."
Hearing these taboos, Frank Fang immediately dropped the idea. Five years without women? I'd rather kill myself.Kanzy flipped through a few more pages of his book and said tentatively, "I'll... I'll try. But I can't guarantee success every time."
Frank Fang told him not to worry. The middleman hadn't replied yet; 500,000 NTD was a lot for anyone to consider. Maybe she'd back out. Kanzy suggested lowering the price, but Frank Fang shook his head. "No. Dealing with stars is different. You have to establish your authority first. 500,000 is actually a bargain—that's only about $15,000 USD. A famous Master in Hong Kong would charge millions in HKD. You don't have a name yet, but once the business runs smoothly, people will kneel before you with bags of cash. That's how you make the real money."
Kanzy sighed. "Who knows when that day will come?"
Frank Fang laughed. "You don't get it. Sister W is a celebrity in the Taiwan entertainment circle; she's our living business card. Her friends are either stars or billionaires. If you satisfy her, you'll never lack work."
The Deal with Sister W
About a week later, the middleman called. Sister W wanted to meet. In a suite at a grand hotel in Pingtung, Frank Fang finally met her. Having spent years on the run killing time by watching TV dramas, he was more than familiar with her and felt a bit starstruck.
A true celebrity was indeed different; Sister W was extremely polite, even more so than the previous actress. She got straight to the point, asking three specific things. First, she wanted an introduction to the Master's background. Second, she asked what else was needed besides money. Third, she asked about side effects and precautions.
Frank Fang was prepared. "First, the Master lives in seclusion in Xinpi. His grandfather studied the Dark Arts in Southeast Asia and passed down an ancient text. He's been practicing for over a decade and hadn't come out of the mountains until he met me. His power is profound—you wouldn't have found me if you didn't already know that. Second, it's 500,000 NTD upfront. We also need detailed info on both you and your husband: birth dates/times, a few drops of blood from both of you, dozens of strands of hair, and a joint photo. Third, it depends on the method. If the Master controls everything from a distance, there are no side effects for you, but the effect can fluctuate. If you control it, the effect is the strongest and most permanent—as long as you don't break the rules."
Sister W thought for a moment. "I'll control it. Don't worry, I won't cause trouble for the Master. I just want my husband's heart to stay with me."
Frank Fang agreed. Sister W had the middleman hand over a leather bag containing 500,000 NTD. She made him sign a receipt with his thumbprint and added, "Mr. Fang, you know I'm famous. I expect total secrecy. If I get into trouble, things won't go well for you either." Frank Fang nodded, warning her that if she leaked it, it would harm the Master's ritual. The deal was struck.
The Ritual
A week later, the middleman delivered the materials. Kanzy mixed the blood from two small glass tubes into fresh water, then used that water to mix graveyard soil into mud. He added the hair, the ashes of the photo, and the birth details into the clay, molding two small figures. At exactly midnight, the two climbed to the roof. Placing the figures on a ceramic plate under the full moon, Kanzy pricked his left middle finger with a clean needle and let the blood drip onto the Lukyee skull. He began chanting. Strangely, during the ritual, the two mud figures began to slump like melting ice cream, getting smaller until they merged into a single puddle of mud.
When it was over, Kanzy collapsed on the roof, drenched in sweat and gasping for air. Frank Fang helped him down to the bed.
Kanzy rasped, "Quick... get the mud. Don't let it dry. I have to mold the Kuman now."
Frank Fang scrambled back to the roof to fetch the plate. Kanzy sat up with effort and shaped the mud. He was no artist; it took Frank Fang a long time to realize the finished product was a figure of two people embracing. Exhausted, Kanzy told him: "Give this Kuman to Sister W. Tell her to keep it in the bedroom. Once a month, at exactly midnight, she must drip blood from her own finger onto it. Just a few drops. She must never forget, or things will go terribly wrong."
The next day, Frank Fang delivered the item to the middleman. The man, clearly intimidated by the occult object, handled it with extreme care and left.
A Warning from Master Chen Gui
Returning to Xinpi, Frank Fang saw a middle-aged woman outside his door. He recognized her as the woman from Master Chen Gui's house in the Dawu Mountains. She told him the Master wanted to see him. Frank Fang guessed what it was about and followed her.
This time, Master Chen Gui's face was grim, his expression as heavy as lead. Frank Fang played dumb. "Master, you wanted to see me?"
"Old Wu's death... it had something to do with you, didn't it?" Master Chen Gui said.
"Old Wu, the bachelor? Didn't he die of a disease?"
"I know it was you. I just don't know which sorcerer cast the Insect Curse on him. There are no other practitioners within hundreds of miles. Did you bring someone in from Pingtung?"
Frank Fang felt a chill, but kept his poker face. "Master, that old loner was jealous of me and tried to get you to curse me. Not everyone is as petty as him. I wouldn't waste my time hiring a sorcerer over a widow. There are plenty of women out there, right?"
The Master was silent for a long time. Finally, he looked up. "I hope it wasn't you. Even though Old Wu's life meant nothing to me, I am a practitioner of the arts. I won't stand by and watch someone settle petty scores with death curses in my backyard. By the way, is there a young man in your village named Kanzy? I hear he's practicing the Black Arts."
Frank Fang feigned ignorance. "What Black Arts?"