Chapter 65: Breaking the Curse with Talismans!

“Rabbit Master, Rabbit Master.”

Seeing Ye Wushang approach, Zhang Black-Hair was so terrified he wet himself. His trousers were soaked; the enmity between him and Ye ran deep, and after witnessing what Ye had just done to the bearded man, fear overwhelmed him. In desperation, he clung to Rabbit Master and pleaded, “Please, help me. I beg you, let him spare me...”

“Get lost.”

Rabbit Master kicked him to the ground and said coldly, “Reap what you sow; no one can save you now.”

“But Rabbit Master, I...”

Before he could finish, Ye Wushang stepped forward in a flash and planted his foot firmly on Zhang’s chest.

“When your underling came to me, he gave me two choices,” Ye said. “Either I end myself, or he’d do it for me. Now, I’ll ask you the same: which will you choose?”

Death was certain for him. Ye Wushang was never one to pursue vengeance to the bitter end, but even a dragon has its reverse scale, and to touch it is to invite death. His sister was his reverse scale. This man had let someone take his sister hostage; though she emerged unharmed, the trauma left an indelible shadow on her heart. For that, only a life could serve as recompense.

“I... I...”

Zhang Black-Hair trembled so hard he could barely speak. Faced with Ye’s merciless gaze, he was at a loss, not daring to meet his eyes, only casting desperate glances at Rabbit Master for help.

Rabbit Master, however, was infamous for his ruthlessness and would stop at nothing to achieve his aims. What’s more, Ye Wushang’s medical skills were unrivaled, and he held Rabbit Master’s life in his hands. With nowhere to retreat, Rabbit Master could only help Ye fulfill his wishes, for only then would Ye sell him medicine and treat his illness.

“Choose,” Rabbit Master barked. “You won’t survive, that’s for certain. But you need to think of your wife and children, your whole family. Sacrifice yourself now, and they’ll be spared. That’s the best you can do.”

With that, he drew a dagger from one of his underlings, tossed it in front of Zhang Black-Hair, and urged, “Do it now—don’t force my hand.”

“Rabbit Master...” Zhang Black-Hair broke down completely. He had only wanted to help a friend and vent some anger, never imagining it would cost him his life. He might not have feared Ye Wushang, but he dared not cross Rabbit Master. With his power, he would do as he said—refusal meant Rabbit Master could have his entire family seized and destroyed in moments.

“I—I’ll do it myself, I’ll do it myself...”

After a long hesitation, Zhang Black-Hair, resigned to his fate, picked up the dagger and began to gesture nervously at his own throat, unable to make the final move.

Witnessing this, the crowd was filled with dread. Who could have imagined this man could be so ruthless? Not only had he severed hands and feet, now he was forcing a man to kill himself. Granted, Zhang Black-Hair had been a lawless menace for years, driving people to suicide and leaving families in ruin, but to force a man to die before everyone’s eyes was still hard to stomach.

Most had thought it was just an empty threat.

But then Ye Wushang spoke with righteous authority: “I’ll count to three.”

“If you don’t do it, I’ll do it for you. And when that happens, none of your family will survive!”

He raised three fingers.

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One—”

The words had barely faded when Zhang Black-Hair seized the dagger and slit his own throat! Blood spattered everywhere as he died for all to see.

A collective gasp swept through the crowd.

“He... he really did it.”

“That was insane. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Making someone kill himself—he won’t bear any legal responsibility, and he gets his revenge. That’s a brilliant move.”

“Two birds with one stone—unbelievable.”

They whispered among themselves, not daring to speak too loudly.

Ye Wushang drew a deep breath, looked around, and called out, “Does anyone else want to keep watching?”

The crowd scattered instantly, as if fleeing a monster.

No one wanted to risk being implicated; with someone like him, you might not even know how you’d die if you got involved.

In the blink of an eye, the spectators vanished and the excitement faded back into calm.

“You lot, what are you standing around for?” Rabbit Master barked at Zhang Black-Hair’s men. “Hurry up and drag this dog away!”

Without needing further orders, they moved to obey. Rabbit Master glared at them and said, “Go back and tell your boss: Mr. Ye is my savior. This matter ends here. If anyone dares to stir up trouble again, they’ll be going against me. Understood?”

“Yes, yes,” the underlings replied, hastily dragging away the bearded man and Zhang Black-Hair.

Soon, only Ye Wushang and Rabbit Master remained, as though nothing had happened moments before.

“Rabbit Master, thank you for what you did today.”

One should never forget those who dig the well when drinking water. Though his first encounter with Rabbit Master had not been pleasant, and today’s help was only because the man valued his own life, Ye Wushang still took the initiative to show his gratitude.

Rabbit Master smiled and waved it off. “Mr. Ye, you’re too kind. It’s my honor to serve you. Here’s the remaining five million we agreed upon—please check it.”

He handed over a black suitcase.

Ye Wushang accepted it without hesitation. “No need to count it. I trust your character.”

“However, I’m a bit busy today. The medicine isn’t ready yet; you’ll have to wait a little longer.”

“What?” Rabbit Master was crestfallen, but before he could speak, Ye Wushang suddenly asked, “Do you know those two men over there?”

At the corner not far away, Ye had spotted the men who’d been watching him at the Huang family manor earlier. They seemed to be observing him while also gathering information about Rabbit Master, as if hinting at something.

Rabbit Master glanced over and shook his head. “I don’t know them, but I can guess who they are.”

“Oh?”

“They’re Master Wang’s men from the Pei family.”

As the all-knowing figure of Jinghan, Rabbit Master might not be omnipotent, but he knew most of the city’s secrets. He’d long guessed their identity but hadn’t dared mention it until Ye asked.

“If Master Wang is involved, things are serious. It looks like they’re targeting you—did you offend the Pei family?”

“That’s not your concern. What do you know about this Master Wang?”

“Not much. Only that he’s a master of the arcane arts—a true mystic. He’s very powerful.”

“The Pei family owes much of its rise to his guidance,” Rabbit Master added, but his main concern was the medicine. He’d handed over the money, but with no medicine in hand, he felt like he’d been left hanging. Though he feared Ye, he couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Ye, please don’t take offense. I’m really afraid of dying. If the medicine isn’t ready, can you at least tell me when it will be?”

“Answer me one more thing,” Ye Wushang said quietly, sidestepping the question. “Does Master Wang have any weaknesses?”

“Everyone has weaknesses, and Master Wang is no exception. I’ve worked with him before—he came to assess feng shui for my new company, and I noticed something strange. Every time he works, he carries two small jars with a foul smell, crawling with bugs. If the jars aren’t present, his rituals fail...”

Hearing this, Ye Wushang fell into deep thought.

Small jars, a foul odor, insects crawling about. All clues pointed to Master Wang being a practitioner of Gu—a dark and sinister art, using formations and poisons to harm others for personal gain. If one could break his Gu, his power would crumble.

“At my current level—first stage of Qi Tempering—it would be difficult to break his Gu. Unless I reach the fifth stage and craft talismans to counteract it.”

Ye took a deep breath and patted Rabbit Master on the shoulder. “Two days from now, the An family will hold a banquet at the Imperial Hotel. Be there on time—I’ll need your help with something. If all goes well, I’ll give you the medicine then, and even throw in a course of acupuncture and massage to speed your recovery. How about it—any problems?”

Breaking Gu with talismans required strength and a suitable intermediary. Since Rabbit Master had prior dealings with Master Wang, his involvement would not arouse suspicion. An Lan had invited the Pei family, and Ye knew they wouldn’t let things rest. As head of security, he had to ensure nothing went wrong.

“No problem, none at all.”

Rabbit Master didn’t know Ye’s full motives, but as far as he was concerned, he’d pay any price for a cure. Having grown up among the city’s roughest elements, he always followed whoever offered the greatest benefit. Instinct told him Ye Wushang had a grudge with the Pei family, but that didn’t matter—he’d get his medicine first, then worry about the rest.

“Then it’s settled, Mr. Ye. Please don’t go back on your word...”

“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing,” Ye replied. “With your current health, you can last at least another week or two. After I give you the second dose, combined with acupuncture and massage, you’ll be fully cured within a month.”

“Thank you, Mr. Ye. I’ll see you then.”

“Alright.”

With the arrangement made, Rabbit Master left with his men.

At that moment, An Lan emerged from the house. As Ye Wushang turned, he walked straight into her.

“Careful!”

An Lan’s slender figure recoiled, but Ye Wushang instinctively caught her by the waist. The sensation was soft, like fine silk—warm, comfortable, and even a little addictive.

...