“Just by putting on a mask, you can turn people into animals. What kind of evil sorcery is this?”
Wei Yao rubbed the goosebumps on his arms and looked around, turning his head this way and that. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Huang Jian’s ghost might still be in the room.
Xu Muchan closed the journal and recalled, “I read about something similar in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio before. This should be the Beast-Making Technique.”
The story went that there was once a man who brought five donkeys to stay at an inn. He specifically warned the innkeeper never to give the donkeys any water.
The innkeeper thought this was suspicious, so he secretly gave the donkeys some water. After drinking it, the five donkeys rolled around on the ground and transformed into five women.
Later, when the man returned to the inn with five sheep, the innkeeper did the same thing and gave the sheep water.
This time, the five sheep transformed into five children.
Only then did the innkeeper realize that the man was actually a sorcerer. Using the Beast-Making Technique, he transformed people he had abducted into livestock and sold them along the way.
Terrified, the innkeeper immediately reported the matter to the authorities. The sorcerer who practiced the Beast-Making Technique was captured and publicly executed.
When Xu Muchan had read that story back then, he had found it bizarre and fascinating.
He had never expected such a vicious form of evil magic to actually exist in the world.
Wen Dajiang said, “According to that story, does that mean drinking water should break the spell?”
Wei Yao hesitated. “But we’ve both been drinking water these past two days.”
Xu Muchan guessed, “Maybe there’s something wrong with the water.”
The three of them discussed it for quite a while, but they couldn’t come up with the slightest clue about how to break the Beast-Making Technique.
Xu Muchan suddenly remembered that the dog-faced mask used in the Beast-Making Technique was still tucked inside his sleeve.
He hurriedly pulled it out and asked, “How do we break the Beast-Making Technique?”
The dog head ingratiatingly replied, “As long as Madam puts me on, the Beast-Making Technique will be dispelled.”
Xu Muchan looked at it suspiciously.
He hadn’t forgotten that Huang Jian’s journal had mentioned that once the dog-faced mask was worn for too long, it could no longer be removed.
Huang Wen’s behavior had been deranged and cruel, and he had harmed so many people. His lack of proper upbringing when he was young and his inherently vicious nature were certainly factors, but Xu Muchan felt that the dog-faced mask also had something to do with it.
This dog-faced mask was clearly trying to take advantage of the opportunity to tempt him.
Xu Muchan wasn’t falling for it.
Expressionless, he squeezed the dog’s head until it was completely deformed.
Sure enough, like master, like object.
Wei Xilou was no good himself, and this dog-faced mask was just as devious and sly.
He kneaded the dog’s head viciously like a lump of modeling clay, then said to Wei Yao and Wen Dajiang, “There has to be another way. Let’s release those people first and give them some water to try. If that doesn’t work… you two can go ask him.”
Wei Yao and Wen Dajiang exchanged a glance.
Neither of them dared to ask who this “him” was.
The three of them went to the storeroom where the animals were being kept and released all of them.
As expected, these animals were all people who had been transformed.
They were remarkably intelligent and understood human speech. After hearing Xu Muchan say that he would find a way to save them, they obediently remained in the storeroom without running around or making a commotion.
Meanwhile, Wei Yao and Wen Dajiang went outside and randomly grabbed one of the paper effigies, ordering it to draw a bucket of water from the well and bring it over.
“Quick! Let them try it!”
The fur on Wei Yao and Wen Dajiang’s bodies was still damp, clearly showing that they had already tried drinking the water themselves.
It hadn’t worked.
But they still held on to some hope. Maybe the water didn’t work on them, but it might work on these people.
The animals in the room stepped forward and drank the water.
Sure enough, nothing happened.
Xu Muchan frowned.
The dog head in his hand had already been squeezed so badly that its facial features were completely unrecognizable.
Wei Yao cautiously suggested, “Then… should I go ask… him?”
Xu Muchan came back to himself and nodded.
“Mm.”
Wei Yao hurriedly scampered away on his paws.
After running around for a while, he finally found the Old Ancestor.
Wei Xilou was standing in the garden with his hands behind his back, admiring the flowers.
Wei Yao wagged his tail and trotted over.
“Old Ancestor, Xu Muchan asked me to come and ask you how to break the Beast-Making Technique.”
Without even turning his head, Wei Xilou said, “Why doesn’t A-Chan come ask me himself?”
Wei Yao froze.
Then he answered honestly, “Because he seems to still be angry.”
Wei Xilou, who had his back turned to him, finally turned around and gave Wei Yao a proper look.
But he frowned in confusion.
“Why is he angry? Which one of you made him angry?”
“…”
This completely outrageous question was beyond Wei Yao’s ability to comprehend.
He simply stood there with his mouth hanging open, staring blankly at the confused Wei Xilou.
Seriously?
How could there be a dog sitting innocently at home while blame somehow fell from the sky onto him?
That was way too big a burden for a little dog to carry.
Wei Yao remained silent for a long while before sincerely saying, “Wen Dajiang and I definitely didn’t make him angry. Old Ancestor, do you think there’s a possibility… that Xu Muchan is angry with you?”
“Impossible.”
Wei Xilou said, “Why would A-Chan be angry with me?”
“…”
Wei Yao was completely at a loss.
He scratched his ear with one hind leg and suggested, “Why don’t you go ask him yourself, Old Ancestor?”
Wei Xilou was clearly extremely confident in himself.
He actually agreed.
He took a long stride and stepped right over Wei Yao.
“Let’s go.”
Wei Yao: “…”
He angrily made a face at Wei Xilou behind his back.
With the Old Ancestor acting like this, if Wei Yao hadn’t known he couldn’t beat him, he would have said the grass on his grave would already be two meters tall.
One man and one dog arrived at the storeroom one after the other.
Why “one after the other”?
Because little dog Wei Yao’s legs were simply too short.
Even with all four short legs moving like crazy, he couldn’t outrun the Old Ancestor’s two long legs.
By the time he finally caught up, panting desperately, he collapsed at the doorway like a dead dog, lying there and sticking his tongue out while he huffed and puffed.
Wei Xilou entered the room.
His first words were, “A-Chan, Wei Yao said you’re angry with me.”
“…”
Xu Muchan expressionlessly turned his head and glanced at Wei Yao.
Wei Yao stared back stupidly with half his tongue hanging out.
After a moment, he turned his head to look at his Old Ancestor, who had sold him out without the slightest change in expression.
The entire dog was bewildered and shocked.
How could someone like this exist?!
Xu Muchan, meanwhile, asked, “Why would I be angry with you?”
Wei Xilou was equally puzzled.
“A-Chan is doing perfectly well. Why would he be angry with me?”
So it really was the little rat making things up.
He turned his face and gave the little rat a sinister look.
Wei Yao instantly sucked his tongue back into his mouth.
His entire body trembled.
Beside him, Wen Dajiang looked at him sympathetically, secretly congratulating himself on not being the one who had delivered the message.
At this point, Wei Yao was simply a dog caught between two sides, pleasing neither of them.
Xu Muchan ignored the undercurrents swirling between them and went straight to the point.
“Giving them water doesn’t seem to break the Beast-Making Technique. Is the water the problem?”
Wei Xilou hummed in response.
He took the dog head that Xu Muchan had squeezed beyond recognition and casually tossed it into the bucket of water.
The moment the dog head entered the water, it expanded.
It transformed back into the dog-faced mask it had originally been.
It gave Wei Xilou an ingratiating smile, then blew a few bubbles before sinking to the bottom.
“That’s all it takes.”
Xu Muchan murmured, “So it was that simple. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before.”
His train of thought had been completely led astray by the dog head.
After all the animals had drunk the water and transformed back into human form, allowing them to leave, Xu Muchan found a stick and used it to fish the dog-faced mask out of the water.
He tossed it onto the ground.
“This mask isn’t very well-behaved. It even tried to tempt me into wearing it earlier.”
The ingratiating smile on the dog-faced mask froze.
It hurriedly begged for mercy.
“Madam, I know I was wrong. I was only joking with you.”
“That joke wasn’t funny.”
Xu Muchan coldly poked its mouth with the wooden stick.
“And don’t call me Madam.”
The dog-faced mask’s mouth was being pressed down by the stick, so it could only mumble incoherently.
“Aren’t you the Master’s wife? If I don’t call you Madam, what should I call you?”
Xu Muchan said, “You’ve already been given to me. I’m your master now. Understand?”
The dog-faced mask was quite good at reading the situation.
It immediately changed its form of address.
“Understood, Master.”
After saying that, it noticed Wei Xilou standing nearby and tentatively called out,
“Madam?”
Wei Xilou remained expressionless, impossible to read.
Xu Muchan, however, was in a better mood.
Only then did he reluctantly pick up the dog-faced mask with the stick and place it under the sun to dry.
“From now on, you’d better stay as well-behaved as you are now. If you dare play any more tricks with me, I’ll burn you.”
After thinking about it, Xu Muchan felt that the dog-faced mask might not be afraid of fire.
So he added,
“…Or I’ll soak you in water mixed with exorcism talismans. Either way, don’t expect to have an easy life.”
The dog-faced mask was indeed frightened.
The entire mask trembled.
It became even more obsequious as it said, “Understood, Master. I’ll definitely behave and do whatever you say, Master.”
Wei Xilou stood nearby, studying Xu Muchan.
“A-Chan really isn’t angry with me?”
Why did he feel like A-Chan’s temper was a little worse than usual today?
And after saying so many words, he hadn’t called him “Gege” even once.
Xu Muchan turned around.
He repeated the same question as before.
“Why would I be angry? Is there anything worth being angry about?”
Wei Xilou thought about it.
He felt that A-Chan had a point.
What was there to be angry about?
Nothing.
So Wei Xilou said, “It’s about time we headed back.”
Wei Yao and Wen Dajiang had already left after drinking the water and breaking the Beast-Making Technique.
After all, this place was the boundary between Yin and Yang, and living souls could not remain here for long.
Xu Muchan thought of the remaining members of the Huang family in the mansion and asked, “What about them?”
Wei Xilou said, “This mansion was originally built by the people of Huangshi Town. Later, the entire town was swallowed by the Black River and became part of the shallows. The high walls they built ended up keeping them out as well. All these years, they carried resentment in their hearts but couldn’t enter the mansion to take revenge.”
“Now that Young Master Huang has lost the mask and the Huang family’s gates are open, let them settle whatever is right and wrong among themselves.”
As for Young Master Huang, he had already been taken away by the old monkey-faced man ahead of time as payment for the Moon-Yin Water.
Xu Muchan thought about it and felt that made sense.
As for what had happened in Huangshi Town, even if the most impartial Judge of the Underworld came to pass judgment, they might not necessarily be able to determine who was truly right or wrong.
It would be better to let them settle it themselves.
“Then let’s go,” Xu Muchan said.
Wei Xilou hummed.
He reached out to take Xu Muchan’s hand.
But at that exact moment, Xu Muchan happened to reach for the dried dog-faced mask.
He used both hands to knead the mask into a ball, then looked at Wei Xilou.
“Which way do we go?”
Wei Xilou had no choice but to grab him by the wrist.
“Close your eyes.”
Xu Muchan instinctively closed his eyes and immediately lost consciousness.
When he opened his eyes again, bright sunlight was shining in from outside.
He lay blankly on the bed for quite a while before coming back to his senses. Feeling around, he picked up his phone from the bedside table and glanced at it.
It was already past two in the afternoon.
He had slept for quite a while.
Xu Muchan put down his phone and got out of bed, but the moment he felt a sudden chill, his entire body froze.
He incredulously lifted the blanket to take a look, then immediately turned bright red and rushed into the bathroom.
After taking a shower, changing into clean clothes, and scrubbing his pants clean by hand, Xu Muchan finally crept out to the utility balcony, hunched over as he furtively went to hang his pants up to dry.
The moment he turned around after hanging them up, he discovered that Wei Xilou was sitting by the balcony in the dining area, drinking tea.
On the dining table not far from him was an elaborate spread of dishes, still steaming hot. Clearly, the aunt had only just finished preparing them.
“A-Chan, you’re awake?”
Wei Xilou looked over when he heard the movement.
“Come eat first.”
Xu Muchan didn’t want to make his stomach suffer.
He secretly glared at him, then sat down at the dining table with a pout and ate by himself without inviting Wei Xilou to join him.
Wei Xilou didn’t actually need to eat, but he liked the atmosphere of having meals together with A-Chan.
So he moved over to the table as well, picked up his chopsticks, and occasionally took a bite.
His gaze remained fixed on Xu Muchan the entire time.
Actually, this had always been how they interacted, and Xu Muchan had long since gotten used to it.
But perhaps the memory of their wedding ceremony in his dream was still too vivid.
Xu Muchan suddenly became embarrassed and annoyed. His face flushed as he glared at him.
“Why do you keep staring at me?”
Wei Xilou looked puzzled.
“Is the food not to your liking today?”
Xu Muchan: “…”
Realizing that he seemed to have overreacted, Xu Muchan lowered his head and shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth.
He muttered, “No. Auntie’s cooking is really good.”
It was someone else who was getting on his nerves!
Fortunately, just after they finished eating, Wei Yao and Wen Dajiang started a group video call.
Xu Muchan was more than happy to avoid sitting there staring at Wei Xilou, so he went into the garden to answer the call.
“You two don’t have any aftereffects, do you?”
Xu Muchan sat down on the swing chair beneath a tree and examined Wei Yao and Wen Dajiang on the screen.
These two were quite something.
You could say they were brave, but every time they encountered a ghost, they trembled in fear and became utterly cowardly.
But calling them timid wasn’t quite accurate either.
Judging by their current state, being transformed into dogs by the Beast-Making Technique and nearly being eaten by paper effigies had apparently left them with absolutely no psychological trauma.
Wei Yao was even plotting how to go back and cause trouble for the antique shop owner.
“I think the fact that the three of us got so unlucky and were dragged over there definitely has something to do with that wedding dress in the antique shop,” Wei Yao said. “That owner might have something to do with it too! We need to demand an explanation. Otherwise, if he keeps displaying that wedding dress, that female ghost might keep looking for people to marry in her place.”
Wen Dajiang was fired up with righteous indignation after hearing this.
“Old Wei’s right. We’re planning to go to the pedestrian street right now. Xu Muchan, are you coming?”
Xu Muchan thought of the female ghost who had forced him into becoming her substitute bride and nodded.
If it hadn’t been for that female ghost, he wouldn’t have fallen into her trap or done so many stupid things.
When he thought about calling Wei Xilou “husband” over and over again, his face flushed red once more.
“Xu Muchan, why did your face suddenly get so red?”
Wei Yao desperately leaned toward the screen.
His enlarged face filled the entire display.
Xu Muchan leaned backward to get farther away from the screen.
“I’m outside. It’s hot.”
“I’ll be there in about thirty minutes. Let’s meet at the pedestrian street at four.”
Wei Yao and Wen Dajiang agreed.
Xu Muchan promptly ended the video call.
When he turned around, he discovered that Wei Xilou had somehow appeared behind him.
“A-Chan is going to the antique shop?”
Xu Muchan answered perfunctorily, “Mm.”
Then, worried that Wei Xilou would want to come along, he quickly added, “I can go by myself. I might also hang out with Wei Yao and Wen Dajiang for a while afterward.”
Fortunately, Wei Xilou didn’t insist on going with him this time.
Xu Muchan quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
He didn’t want to stay in the same space as Wei Xilou, so he got up and returned to his room.
Four in the afternoon.
The three of them met outside the antique shop.
Wei Yao led the way and stormed into the shop.
But when they entered, they discovered that the display on the first floor had already been changed.
The red wedding dress was nowhere to be seen.
The mannequin was now wearing another gorgeous and intricately designed traditional Han-style outfit.
Afraid that this outfit might have something wrong with it too, Wei Yao didn’t dare go near it.
He said to Xu Muchan and Wen Dajiang, “Maybe the owner realized something had happened and hid the red wedding dress. Let’s go straight upstairs and confront him.”
The three of them went upstairs to find the owner.
The owner still remembered Wei Yao, his hapless customer.
He warily looked at the three students.
“Students, sold items cannot be returned or exchanged unless there’s a quality issue.”
Wei Yao gave a cold laugh.
“Don’t worry. We’re not here to return anything. What happened to that red wedding dress on the first floor?”
“Oh, that?” the owner said. “A customer came by this morning and liked it. It’s already been sold.”
“Sold?”
Wei Yao’s voice immediately rose.
“That red wedding dress is cursed! Anyone who touches it ends up encountering ghosts, and you actually sold it? What’s the difference between that and trying to kill someone for money?”
“Student, you can’t just say things like that!”
The owner became anxious the moment he heard this.
“Everything in my shop is perfectly clean. There’s no dirty stuff here!”
Wei Yao didn’t buy his nonsense.
“Who did you sell it to? There’s a female ghost attached to that wedding dress who forces people to become substitute brides. You just sold it off like that. Aren’t you putting the buyer in danger?”
The owner chuckled.
“Little student, you’re so young and still in school. How did you get involved in this kind of feudal superstition? Where are there any ghosts in this world?”
“If you keep causing trouble, I’m calling security!”
The owner clearly didn’t believe a word they were saying.
Wei Yao couldn’t reason with him and angrily rolled up his sleeves.
Seeing that the owner had already placed his hand over the call button, Wen Dajiang hurriedly restrained Wei Yao.
“A wise man doesn’t fight when the odds are against him. We don’t have any evidence anyway. Let’s pull back for now and think of another way!”
Wei Yao said angrily, “So we’re just going to let him off?”
Wen Dajiang said, “If necessary, we can report him to the Administration for Industry and Commerce. Or report him for fire safety violations!”
Wei Yao immediately calmed down.
“You’re right.”
The owner, who had listened to the entire exchange: “…”
He forced a smile.
“My business is completely legitimate. I’m not afraid of being reported.”
Xu Muchan glanced at the owner and added, “Isn’t Daoist Yan He from the Mount Lao Sect? I heard they have some kind of religious association. They apparently have regulations concerning the illegal sale of supernatural objects as well. We could tell Daoist Yan He about this and have them investigate whether there have been any violations.”
The owner: “…”
Looking at the owner’s face turn pale and green by turns, Wei Yao finally felt somewhat appeased.
“Let’s go. We’ll find somewhere to eat. After we’re full, we can report him one by one.”
Only after the three of them had left did the owner open the door to the employee lounge.
He smiled apologetically.
“Mr. Wei, I followed exactly what you told me to say, but now those three students are threatening to report me. If they investigate and find something that needs to be rectified, the losses I’ll suffer…”
“A lawyer will come talk to you about the investment agreement later.”
Wei Xilou impatiently interrupted him.
He was sitting in the boss’s chair in the lounge.
Hanging beside him was the red wedding dress that had supposedly already been “sold.”
After learning that Xu Muchan and the others were coming, Wei Xilou had contacted the antique shop owner ahead of time and intercepted the sale.
The moment the antique shop owner heard about it, his face lit up with delight.
How could he refuse an investment that had practically been delivered to his doorstep?
Besides, someone who could make such an offer certainly wasn’t an ordinary person.
“I wonder how much Mr. Wei plans to invest?” the owner asked tentatively with a smile. “If it’s a substantial amount… I’ll have to start calling you Boss in the future.”
Wei Xilou said, “I happen to have a batch of old antiques I want to sell. I’ll put them in the shop for you to sell when the time comes. They can help establish your reputation during the early stages.”
“But there’s one condition. From now on, I’ll have the final say in this shop.”
“You’ll still be responsible for the shop’s daily operations, but I’ll also arrange for someone else to come over and help.”
“The profits will be divided according to our investment ratios. As for the specific amount of capital required, you can discuss that with my assistant.”
The owner’s face immediately lit up.
When he had opened this shop, he had fallen out with his business partner and gone into business alone. He had already been struggling financially, and his supply of merchandise was also running low.
He could only find ordinary items to fill the shelves and make up the numbers.
He had been worrying about it when, unexpectedly, a wealthy investor had appeared right at his doorstep.
After all, he had opened the shop to make money.
As long as the other party was willing to put up real money, he had absolutely no objection to letting them take the larger share.
The owner happily gazed at his unexpected benefactor and poured him a cup of tea.
Seeing that Wei Xilou had no intention of leaving for the moment, he tactfully excused himself and even thoughtfully closed the lounge door behind him.
The moment the owner left, the red wedding dress hanging on the rack suddenly took on a visible form and began pleading for mercy.
“I was blind and failed to recognize your greatness. Please, my lord, spare me.”
The female ghost was quite good at reading the situation.
Seeing that Wei Xilou had not immediately attacked her, she began sobbing and recounting her tragic past and helpless circumstances.
“If I hadn’t truly had no other choice, I wouldn’t have forced someone else to become my substitute bride.”
“I was also from Huangshi Town when I was alive. I had already been betrothed to someone, but Young Master Huang took a fancy to me and insisted on forcibly taking me as his concubine.”
“My parents and fiancé refused, so he actually transformed my parents and fiancé into pigs and sheep, slaughtered them, and distributed their flesh to the guests who came to attend the wedding banquet.”
“I was filled with resentment but powerless to take revenge, so on the day of the wedding, I put on the red wedding dress and jumped into a well.”
“Originally, I only wanted to curse the Huang family so that none of them would die a peaceful death.”
“But who would have thought that after I died, my soul instead became attached to the wedding dress and drifted from place to place?”
“If that had been all, I could have accepted it. But somehow, Young Master Huang found out where I was. Even after becoming a ghost, he still refused to let me go.”
“He brought a betrothal gift and insisted on marrying me by force. But I had finally reunited with my fiancé…”
The female ghost covered her face and sobbed, tears streaming down as she told her story.
Wei Xilou, however, remained completely unmoved.
He said coldly, “You dared to scheme against A-Chan. You should have been annihilated long ago.”
“But by a twist of fate, you did end up doing something good, and you still have some use to me. So I’ll spare your life for now.”
“You’ve encountered Young Master Huang before, so you should still remember his aura.”
“Follow that aura and see whether there are any other people or ghosts carrying a similar aura.”
“If you find any, come back and tell me.”
“In exchange, I’ll set you free.”
Wei Xilou finished speaking, then flicked his finger and shot a streak of dark light into the female ghost’s forehead.
The female ghost’s body stiffened. She then bowed gracefully and said, “I understand. I will definitely not fail in what you have entrusted to me, my lord.”