Chapter 40: Curse

Ji Heng was also curious. “Let me see.”

“Holy crap! My goosebumps are all over.”

He frantically rubbed his arms.

Wang Liangshan sighed. “Master, this is my daughter. She was fine a month ago, but for some reason, her whole body is covered in fish scales.”

Lin Xi slowly spoke, “This is a curse.”

A curse is a plea to gods and ghosts to bring misfortune upon someone hated, such as using a voodoo doll.

A person’s birth date and hair are put into a doll, and their name is written on the doll.  The person then stabs the doll while cursing.

However, ordinary curses usually don’t work. The person who cursed Wang Liangshan’s daughter was proficient in witchcraft.

The metaphysics world doesn’t allow the use of witchcraft to harm others.

Lin Xi asked, “Who did you offend?”

“What?!”

Wang Liangshan was shocked. “My Wang family does business; we’ve always advocated for peace, especially being very respectful to all masters. We have never offended anyone. Who would curse my family?”

Lin Xi corrected him. “Judging from this photo alone, it’s not a curse on the Wang family, but specifically on your daughter.”

She added, “You’re fine.”

Wang Liangshan met her insightful gaze, his face twitching. “Master, it’s not just my daughter; my wife and son are also like this…”

Lin Xi said, “Where are their photos?”

“I, I didn’t take any.” Wang Liangshan’s eyes flickered. “Master, please come to my house.  The fee is definitely not a problem.”

Lin Xi stared at him. “I can go to your house, but you can’t hide anything.”

“Looking at the fish scales on your daughter’s arm, she won’t live past seven days.”

Wang Liangshan repeatedly assured her, “Master, I understand the rules of this profession. Since I’ve invited you, I will not hide anything.”

He wasn’t lying; his wife, daughter, and son’s lives were in danger; what was there to hide?

Lin Xi started walking. “Tell me everything as we go, clearly and word for word.”

“Okay, okay.” Wang Liangshan breathed a sigh of relief.

Master Lin had immediately seen the problem.  He had previously invited masters who, after seeing the photo, performed rituals at his home for three days.  Not only was it useless, but the situation had worsened.

Master Lin was his last hope.

Wang Liangshan’s attitude became even more respectful. “Master Lin, please.”

Lin Xi took two steps and saw Ji Heng and Qian Fugui following.

She turned around. “What are you two following me for? To be cannon fodder?”

Qian Fugui and Ji Heng looked at each other and grinned foolishly.

Ji Heng: “Boss, I’m curious. I heard the beginning of the story but don’t know the ending; it’s really unbearable.”

Qian Fugui: “Master Lin, I’ll just watch from the side; I won’t disturb you.  Leave all the dirty and tiring work to me.”

Lin Xi smiled. “This is a curse; no one knows the conditions that trigger it.  What if you two go to the Wang family and your whole bodies become covered in fish scales?”

Thinking of the disgusting fish scales, Ji Heng and Qian Fugui felt a little hesitant.

Lin Xi continued, “You can go if you want, but I don’t have time to take care of you. If you really turn into fish-scale monsters, don’t come looking for me.”

Ji Heng and Qian Fugui frantically shook their heads. “Haha, it sounds very dangerous. We’d rather not join in the fun.”

Lin Xi waved her hand and got into the car.

She hadn’t dealt with witchcraft practitioners before; she had only seen it in the books left by her Master.

She didn’t let these two novices go for their own good.

Wang Liangshan sat beside her, wiping his sweat several times. “Master Lin, is this curse difficult to break?”

“It depends,” Lin Xi said calmly. “Tell me, when did they get the fish scales?”

Wang Liangshan fell into his memories. “Master, I can’t say for sure; this matter is extremely strange…”

A month ago, a hard lump appeared on his son’s hand, itchy and painful.

After the doctor examined him, he prescribed some medicine. “Eczema; apply the medicine regularly.”

His son applied the medicine, but it had no effect. The lumps on his arm increased, sometimes itchy, sometimes painful, as if a hundred mosquitoes had bitten him.

Wang Liangshan was very anxious and took him to various hospitals.

His son’s condition didn’t improve; the red lumps gradually covered his entire body, including his face.

His son was unbearably itchy, rolling on the ground, scratching the raised red lumps, leaving bloody scratches.

The more he scratched, the itchier it got, and the itchier it got, the more he wanted to scratch; a vicious cycle.

Wang Liangshan realized something was wrong and was about to find a master to exorcise evil spirits when his wife and daughter developed the same red lumps, constantly saying,

“Itchy, so itchy…”

Wang Liangshan was frantic, both worried and afraid. He immediately ordered Li San to find a famous master.

He was afraid he would become like them.

After a master examined them, he said that they needed to perform a ritual immediately; it was evil energy entering their bodies.

Wang Liangshan spent five million to have the master perform rituals for three days, but it was useless.

The situation worsened; the red lumps gradually hardened, cracked, and bled, forming fish scales, layer upon layer, densely packed, horrifying.

His wife, son, and daughter scratched desperately, as if ten thousand ants were crawling on their skin.

“Itchy, so itchy!”

Their skin constantly cracked, the itch accompanied by pain.

They needed to soak in water every day to feel a little better.

Wang Liangshan didn’t understand why only he was fine.

He had found many masters, but none could solve this.

Wang Liangshan finished recounting the entire incident, his back hunched, and he sighed deeply. “Master, that’s roughly it.”

Lin Xi frowned. “You’ve told me the result but not the cause.  The witchcraft practitioner only targeted your wife and the two children, sparing you, indicating a personal vendetta.”

“What did your wife and children do?”

“Master, honestly, I really don’t know.”

Wang Liangshan rubbed his temples.

He had been looking for masters this whole time and hadn’t slept well in a long time.

“I really can’t figure out why, living together, eating the same food, only I’m safe and sound.”

Seeing that she couldn’t ask anything more, Lin Xi decided to see the three of them first.

The car stopped in front of a small villa.

Wang Liangshan opened the car door. “Master, please. My house is small; I hope you don’t mind.”

Lin Xi followed him inside.

Screams came from upstairs.

“Ah——, itchy, so itchy!”

Wang Liangshan touched his head. “Master, their condition isn’t good.”

Lin Xi glanced upstairs. “Let’s go up and have a look.”

Wang Liangshan stopped in front of a door. “My daughter is inside; her symptoms are the mildest.”

The door opened, and the person soaking in the bathtub turned around abruptly.  She was about fifteen years old, her entire face covered with dark brown fish scales.

She scratched, and the scales fell like dandruff, revealing bleeding skin.

Lin Xi closed her eyes; this scene was too uncomfortable.

Anyone with trypophobia would immediately go crazy seeing this.

The girl stared at her, her voice sharp. “Dad, who is she? Who is she?”

Wang Liangshan coaxed her. “Qianqian, this is the Master I invited. Let her take a look…”

Wang Qian interrupted him loudly. “No! I don’t want to! All those damn Masters are useless!”

“Get out! All of you get out!!!”