Chapter 120: I Have Five Senior Brothers, So I’m The Sixth
Behind the gauze curtain, the Master’s body instinctively leaned forward a bit.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ce was tugging at that black arm and pulling it outward.
The next moment, a bony, entirely pitch-black infant mummified corpse was pulled out by Jiang Ce.
The most horrifying thing was that the infant seemed to be alive; although its movements were stiff, it was still wriggling restlessly.
Jiang Ce stared at it and “tutted,” then shoved it back in.
“Fuck, that’s kinda creepy.”
A Qiang stood behind Jiang Ce. Since his view was blocked, he didn’t know what was happening, but he didn’t dare take two more steps forward either, so he could only stand on tiptoe trying to see clearly what was going on.
The Master suddenly spoke up: “Let me see it.”
Jiang Ce nodded and handed over the voodoo doll.
But just as the Master reached out, Jiang Ce seized the opportunity and yanked open the gauze curtain.
Then he froze in place.
“Third Senior Brother?” Jiang Ce shouted as if he had seen a ghost.
The other man was also stunned and blurted out: “Junior Brother?”
Jiang Ce pulled back the doll and gripped it in his hand, eyeing the other man suspiciously: “What are you doing here? Where’s Master and the other senior brothers?”
“This…” The other man was also somewhat uneasy and forced a smile: “Soon after you left, everyone dispersed quickly and went their separate ways traveling the world. Speaking of which, why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to be in Luocheng?”
Jiang Ce shrugged: “I didn’t learn any real capability from Master, and I didn’t go to school either; I don’t know anything, so I just mix in society everywhere. When I couldn’t stay in Luocheng anymore, I switched to another place and wandered around.”
A Qiang on the side looked at Jiang Ce, then at the Master, and asked: “Master, do you two know each other?”
Before the Master could speak, Jiang Ce chuckled: “More than know each other—we ate and grew up together; we’re closer than real brothers.”
“A Qiang.” The Master gave him a look: “You go out first.”
A Qiang came back to his senses, nodded: “Then I’ll head out first; you guys chat slowly.”
Jiang Ce even waved at him: “Bye, I’ll come find you in a bit.”
After A Qiang left, only the two of them remained in the room.
Jiang Ce toyed with the voodoo doll: “Yuan Xin, Third Senior Brother, that’s not cool. You have a way to make money stuffing sacks and didn’t think of your brother. If I’d known earlier you had this capability, why would I still be working?”
“Junior Brother, you don’t understand; these things aren’t as simple as you imagine.”
Yuan Xin sighed.
“Indeed not simple.” Jiang Ce smirked: “Master never taught me any of this. So, have you defected now, started your own sect, or are you getting rich with some boss?”
“What are you saying? You know me—would I do something like that?” Yuan Xin was getting agitated.
“Then that’s interesting. So while following Master, you somehow learned these evil arts? Voodoo doll and all—you went to Thailand to become a foreign Bodhisattva?”
Jiang Ce spoke without any mercy. Partly because he was genuinely puzzled and disgusted by this authentic evil art, and partly because this was basically how he talked with his senior brothers before—it was their corporate culture, so to speak.
“You’re not a kid anymore; can you stop acting like a child throwing a tantrum? Why do you always have to speak with barbs?”
Yuan Xin felt upset and scolded.
But Jiang Ce got even more fired up: “Yuan Xin! I’m talking nicely to you, and you’re picking on me? This is what you call barbs? I think it’s been over a year and you’ve really forgotten who I am!
Besides Master and Second Senior Brother, whose face have I ever given? I almost sold Eldest Senior Brother’s too—you think you’re hot shit now?
Now you’re the one messing with all this crap, and I’m in the right—you know that? I’ll give you two choices: either explain clearly what’s going on, or wait for me to call the cops.”
He raised the voodoo doll in his hand: “Just this thing alone is enough to make you sweat. I thought it was fake; didn’t expect real stuff inside. Third Brother, impressive.”
“Put it down first!” Yuan Xin felt quite helpless.
Back at the temple, it was always like this—Jiang Ce was like a troublemaking demon king. He wouldn’t listen to anyone except Master and their Second Senior Brother. Even when he was in the wrong, he could stir up chaos. Now that he’d discovered such a big secret, it was no wonder he’d push his luck and refuse to let it go.
Jiang Ce pouted and set down the voodoo doll: “Spill it—what’s the deal?”
“I still can’t tell you.” Yuan Xin closed his eyes and sighed.
“Oh ho.” Jiang Ce widened his eyes: “Third Brother, got some capability now, huh? Daring to ignore your junior brother’s words? You really not afraid of jail? I hear there are plenty of tough guys in prison; with your delicate skin, you’d suffer big time!”
Yuan Xin remained unmoved: “I can promise you anything else, but for this, you’d better pretend you know nothing.”
Jiang Ce slowly leaned back, hands propped on the ground, tilting his head to look down at Yuan Xin slantingly.
“Then I want to see Master.”
“No can do.”
“Second Senior Brother.”
“No.”
“Fourth Senior Brother, Fifth Senior Brother.”
“No.”
Jiang Ce took a deep breath: “Looks like there’s nothing left to talk about.”
Yuan Xin was silent for a long time: “You showed up at a bad time.”
Hearing this, Jiang Ce fell silent too.
Finally, he spoke: “Third Brother, I want to help you guys.”
Yuan Xin was stunned: “What do I need your help with?”
“I don’t know why you’re mixing with the Gluttonous Ghost, or what benefits you get from it. I especially don’t know why an ordinary person like you insists on getting involved. But the Gluttonous Ghost isn’t anything good. If you trust me, tell me everything you know. I guarantee I’ll save you all. I’m not the same as before now.”
Jiang Ce spoke earnestly and sincerely. Though he felt a bit disappointed inside, he was still willing to believe his Master and senior brothers just had some unspeakable difficulty.
But unexpectedly, Yuan Xin smiled: “Gluttonous Ghost? Never heard of it.”
Hearing this answer, disappointment showed plainly on Jiang Ce’s face.
But he still asked persistently: “Do you have some unspeakable difficulty? Tell me—I can really help you.”
“No, you tell me first what the Gluttonous Ghost is.” Yuan Xin’s expression was serious, not like he was faking.
Jiang Ce was half-believing but still explained: “They’re some evil cultivators—really bad people trying to destroy this world with the power of ghosts and monsters.”
“Oh? There are ghosts and monsters in this world? First time hearing about it.” Yuan Xin seemed to be listening to a story, his face full of surprise.
Jiang Ce narrowed his eyes, then pulled the infant skeleton out of the voodoo doll and tossed it in front of Yuan Xin: “Now you’re just being ridiculous.”
Yuan Xin looked down and tutted in amazement: “Didn’t expect this doll to have hidden depths. Bought it from Thailand—supposedly for divination. If I’d known it was this eerie, I wouldn’t have bought it.”
Jiang Ce was finally completely disappointed.
He now understood that Yuan Xin knew something but was just playing dumb and not telling him.
From his reaction, it seemed he didn’t take Jiang Ce’s words seriously at all.
Maybe there wasn’t any unspeakable difficulty; perhaps he had simply fallen into depravity.
“No fun, way too no fun.”
Jiang Ce stood up, full of contempt: “I don’t know what benefits you’re getting, but looking at you, it’s probably just some worldly goods. And you used to tell me to devote your heart to Buddha, treat money like dirt—all bullshit.
I was planning to find you guys before, tell you how awesome I am now, kick Eldest Senior Brother out of the sect, and take over as Eldest Senior Brother. Now it looks like fat chance.”
He looked hurt, paused, then as if suddenly remembering something, his eyes lit up again:
“Wait, Second Senior Brother definitely wouldn’t lie to me. I’ll go ask him what’s really going on.”
“Hold on, Junior Brother.” Yuan Xin stopped Jiang Ce: “I think you’ve really misunderstood. I’m truly not being threatened or bewitched by any Gluttonous Ghost like you think. I can swear to that.”
“I don’t believe you. Even pyramid schemers drag family into it. You’re a cult leader—believing you would make me an idiot.”
Jiang Ce was full of disdain and didn’t want to stay a moment longer; he turned to leave.
A flash of struggle crossed Yuan Xin’s eyes: “You seem to really hate that Gluttonous Ghost?”
Jiang Ce stopped in his tracks, turned back, and snorted coldly: “I almost got killed by them in Luocheng— what do you think?”
With that, he pushed open the room door and walked out.
Yuan Xin sat dazed in place, staring blankly at the room door.
Ji Feng walked out from the corner and asked respectfully: “Helmsman, should we send the people queued outside back first?”
Yuan Xin nodded: “Say I’m unwell and have them come back tomorrow.”
Ji Feng nodded and backed out bowing.
Yuan Xin took a deep breath, a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes, got up, went to the study, and dialed a phone.
A lazy voice soon came from the other end amid very noisy background sounds. Yuan Xin fumed upon hearing it: “Yuan Se, you’re out ghosting around again, huh?”
“What’s up? Spit it out—I’m about to get to the main event here; it’s urgent.” The other sounded impatient.
“I don’t care if you’re urgent or not; there’s something huge going on now. Massive.”
Yuan Xin forced himself to stay calm:
“I saw Junior Brother. For some reason, he’s shown up in Min City, and he’s already Third Rank.”
The other laughed heartily upon hearing: “Isn’t that good news? Master mentioned his thing—fast progress is normal, right? Speaking of which, it’s been over a year since I saw him; I kinda miss him.”
“You miss him? You don’t know he almost got killed by Bai Qing’s people in Luocheng?”
“What the hell? Say that again?” Yuan Se’s tone turned serious instantly.
Yuan Xin repeated word for word: “I said, he almost got killed by Bai Qing’s people—he said it himself. Seems like because of this, he’s very resentful toward us, harbors big hatred.”
“Has Bai Qing gone mad? We left Junior Brother in Luocheng precisely because Bai Qing seemed honest and Luocheng was relatively the safest. What’s he doing stirring shit? Damn, I’m baffled; that %$#*!.”
Yuan Xin listened to Second Senior Brother grumbling on the line and hesitantly said: “So I suspect—could it be Master’s arrangement? With something this big happening, Master and Eldest Senior Brother couldn’t not know, but we heard nothing. If I hadn’t run into Junior Brother today, who knows how long we’d be kept in the dark.”
“Possible.” After Yuan Se spoke, he paused a long time, then suddenly said: “But it has nothing to do with me. They have their ideas, but I’m definitely on Junior Brother’s side. One word: you in or not?”
“In for what?” Yuan Xin was puzzled.
“Take down Bai Qing.” Yuan Se yelled: “Gotta give him a lesson. A dog Master raised dares bite the master? Must teach him—not kill him, but peel a layer of skin.”
“But what if it really is Master…” Yuan Xin hesitated.
“Junior Brother said he almost got killed—that’s definitely not minor; Bai Dog really went too far.”
Yuan Se persuaded step by step:
“Worst case, you know how much Master dotes on Junior Brother, right? Even if it was some arrangement, he wouldn’t really let Junior Brother be in danger, would he? So it’s still Bai Qing’s fault—he didn’t know his place.
Anyway, no matter what, Bai Qing bears the main responsibility.
No more chit-chat. Wait for my call to contact Fourth and Fifth Senior Brothers. Bai Qing, huh? Beating him is like play.
Oh, right—you didn’t blab to Junior Brother?”
“No, I didn’t tell him anything, but I think he guessed. Though he seems to think I’m just an ordinary person—probably figures I was bewitched.”
“That’s good, perfect. With Master shielding the heavenly secrets, he can’t see anything.
I know Junior Brother—his temper flares fast and fades fast. We’ll vent for him first, then when the time’s right to bring him back, let Bai Qing kneel before him for whatever punishment. He won’t turn against us over some outsider being a jerk.”
Yuan Se said confidently:
“Wait for my call. I’ll arrange and contact you—tonight or tomorrow night. Get ready.”
“With so many of us going, the Gatekeeper side…”
“Luocheng’s just got one Xiao Lin? Fifth Senior Brother alone can go toe-to-toe with him. With all of us, dare he fart? Plus, keep it low-key—take a cab or subway near Luocheng; if he spots that, it’d be a miracle.”
Yuan Se acted swiftly; once decided, there was no room for discussion:
“That’s it. Don’t snitch to Eldest Senior Brother or Master. I gotta vent this; if you blab, next time I see you, I’ll beat you first.”
“I know. I’m pissed too, or I wouldn’t call you first.”
“Mm, got it. You did good. What was that thing I said last time about beating you? Whatever, forget it. See ya.”
After hanging up, Yuan Xin sighed.
Unexpectedly, seeing Junior Brother again, he’d learned to restrain himself and speak properly. But Second Senior Brother was still as unreliable as ever.
Yet unreliable as he was, he was still the one who gave his junior brother the most sense of security, the most reliable.
Yuan Xin called Ji Feng and instructed: “Go to the basement and get my Zen staff.”
Ji Feng was first stunned, then asked with a dry laugh: “Helmsman, didn’t you say you’d never use it again? Every time it smashes people into meat paste; even cleaning up without a trace isn’t easy.”
Yuan Xin smiled: “No need for you to clean this time. The one to smash isn’t here—no worries.”
Ji Feng finally relaxed and replied: “Understood.”
Yuan Xin returned to the living room, picked up the skeleton Jiang Ce had thrown on the floor that was still wriggling, and carefully placed it on the table. His expression seemed gratified, joyful:
“Junior Brother’s grown to this level already. Time flies.”
He lightly tapped the skeleton’s skull with a finger and smiled:
“A drop of Junior Brother’s blood brought you back to life—you’re really lucky. If Junior Brother runs into danger in the future, you must remember to repay this life.”
