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I asked in surprise, "What evidence do you have?"
"The evidence is that the Vengeful Spirit, upon seeing the mark of Hao Yin on you, could have easily killed you right then and there, but I could clearly sense that it deliberately avoided your vital points." Hu Fang said as she popped a chicken wing into her mouth.
I rested my chin on my hand and muttered to myself, "Yin Li once mentioned that when he merged with the Void Spirit, they could share thoughts. So it's not surprising that Hu Fang can sense the thoughts of that Vengeful Spirit. But what's strange is why the Vengeful Spirit didn't want to kill me after seeing the mark on my chest that resembles Hao Yin? What exactly is this mark?" I instinctively reached into my clothes with the hand bearing Hao Yin to touch the mark on my chest.
The moment my fingers brushed against the two marks, it felt as if a powerful electric current surged through my body. A sharp pain shot through my chest, and I collapsed onto the table, drenched in cold sweat. Li Zhisheng and Hu Fang rushed over in concern.
"Shen Xu, what's wrong?!" Hu Fang exclaimed as she grabbed her phone, ready to call for help. I gritted my teeth against the pain and pressed her hand down. "No, it's nothing. Don't panic," I managed to say. Li Zhisheng chimed in with a suggestion, "It might be acute gastroenteritis or appendicitis! You might need surgery!" The pain was so intense that I couldn't respond further and simply waved my hand at Li Zhisheng to indicate he should stop.
Other diners nearby noticed the commotion and began whispering among themselves. Two kind-hearted young men even approached to ask if I needed help calling an ambulance, but I turned them down one by one. I knew that even if I went to the hospital, it would be futile.
The pain persisted for nearly ten minutes before it finally began to subside, though it felt like a century had passed. Hu Fang, seeing that I was feeling a bit better, asked with concern, "How are you? Are you feeling any better? What happened?" I couldn't afford to reply; instead, I hurriedly unbuttoned my shirt to check my chest.
Upon seeing it, I couldn't help but gasp in shock. The mark resembling Hao Yin on my chest had transformed from a single tree shape into several black dots scattered like stars in the sky. Some of these dots were connected by thin black lines, forming a strange pattern.
Moreover, the Hao Yin on my hand had gradually changed from black to blue and was noticeably larger than before, as if it had just been carved.
Hu Fang and I exchanged glances before looking at Li Zhisheng. He stared at the mark on my chest as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. Noticing this, I quickly pressed him, "Li Zhisheng, do you recognize the mark on my chest? Did you see something unusual? Please tell me."
Li Zhisheng took a closer look when prompted: "I enjoy studying supernatural phenomena. Besides that, I've also dabbled in books about Qimen and divination. The mark on your chest resembles a constellation mentioned in Qimen Dunjia." He picked up his cup and took a sip of water before continuing, "This constellation is called the Bird Star, known internally as Tiao, which governs earth and belongs to the central palace. It is one of the three major auspicious stars alongside Fu and Xin. The Huainanzi states: 'The central earth has its emperor Huangdi and its assistant Houtu who governs all directions.' How did this appear on you? Can you explain it in detail?"
I listened with fascination, thinking to myself, "I didn't expect this person to have such extensive knowledge despite his unremarkable appearance; having him around will surely be beneficial." With that thought in mind, I said to him, "Since there are many people here, why don't we go to my house later? I'll explain everything in detail." Upon hearing that I wanted to go home, Hu Fang quickly chimed in: "I'll go too!" Not wanting to leave her alone, I nodded in agreement.
After finishing our meal, I took Li Zhisheng and Hu Fang back home with me. As soon as we arrived home, I hurriedly took off my clothes. Hu Fang gasped when she saw me undressing and grabbed a cushion from the sofa to cover herself. "What are you doing?! So you're this kind of person?!"
I sighed and replied, "I'm just trying to check if there are any other Demonic Marks appearing on my body; what were you thinking?" Hearing this made Hu Fang blush and turn her head towards the window.
I checked myself in front of the mirror several times. Aside from the Hao Yin on my hand turning blue and the tree shape on my chest transforming into stars, everything else seemed normal enough for me to feel relieved.
I dressed and sat on the sofa, detailing my previous experiences to Li Zhisheng. After listening for a moment, he said, "Originally, the spirit should be a good omen, but it has brought you misfortune, turning into an ominous sign. This should be related to the Third Box you mentioned. As for the mark on your chest, I have thought about it but cannot understand its significance. However, this thing you call Hao Yin on your hand is referred to as a seal because of the cycle of the five elements. The spirit belongs to earth; earth nourishes wood but is also overcome by wood, which signifies a seal with a suppressive meaning. The ancients said that above is yang and below is yin; heaven is yang while earth is yin. Therefore, the earth here should be understood as yin."
I nodded in agreement as Li Zhisheng continued, "Then wood here should be understood as yang. If we follow what I just said, the function of this Hao Yin is undoubtedly to suppress spirits. That’s why when you and Hu Fang went to play Spirit Writing, the Vengeful Spirit couldn’t possess you."
After hearing this, I suddenly realized, "So it means that spirits belong to yin, and the earth you mentioned refers to spirits? That’s why they can be suppressed by this seal that resembles a tree?"
Li Zhisheng nodded in affirmation. I then asked, "How should we understand your statement about earth nourishing wood?" He smiled and replied, "This is easy to understand. Since you know spirits belong to yin, then the Void Spirit within you also belongs to yin. In other words, your Void Spirit is nourishing this Hao Yin. This explains why ordinary people who are marked with Hao Yin quickly get eroded and drained of their yang energy, ultimately succumbing to spirits."
Most of my doubts were resolved by Li Zhisheng, but looking at the blue Hao Yin on my hand, I fell into deep thought again: "Now all questions point towards that mysterious Third Box; what exactly is inside it?" Lost in my thoughts, I vaguely saw the Hao Yin visibly growing at a noticeable speed.
I snapped back to reality and quickly raised my hand for Hu Fang and Li Zhisheng to see: "Can you help me check this? Is it really growing?!" They hurried over to take a look.
Hu Fang frowned after observing for a while: "Indeed, I can see it growing. Although it's visible to the naked eye, it's still very slow." Li Zhisheng nodded in agreement: "Yes, that's true."
I anxiously said, "This isn't slow at all! Compared to before, this speed is much faster. The previous Hao Yin would have taken several years to fully grow based on my rough estimate. But look at this one; I estimate it could cover my entire arm in just a few months!"
Seeing me flustered, Hu Fang comforted me: "Don't panic. Didn't your friend with the surname Yin give you a booklet? It recorded some information related to the Void Spirit. Why not take a look and see if you can find any clues?"
I smacked my forehead: "Right! How could I forget about that?" With that thought in mind, I hurried into the room and searched for the booklet that Yin Li had given me. "Ah! Found it!" I exclaimed as I came out holding the booklet.
I spread it out on the Tea Table in front of the sofa for them to examine together and brainstorm solutions. There weren't many pages—only a short dozen or so filled with text. By the time we reached the end, we hadn’t found any useful clues. The only mention of the Box was a brief note: 'There are three Wooden Boxes; only those who possess the seal can open them.'
Despair washed over me as I looked at the slowly growing Hao Yin in my hand: "It seems my time is short. I don't have many friends; if I die someday, please inform my family."
Suddenly there was a loud slap sound; my face felt hot with pain. Hu Fang held up his hand after striking me: "Even though you've saved my life, this slap is meant to wake you up! You're a grown man; don’t give up lightly before your last moment!"
Li Zhisheng seemed to be contemplating something, but upon seeing Hu Fang in a fit of anger, he swallowed his words. I sighed, "Look at the current situation. We need to find the Third Box, but I know nothing about it and don't even know where to start." I raised my right hand again. "Do you think we have enough time?"
Hu Fang, realizing he had been a bit too aggressive, calmed down. "Don't you still have that Sheepskin Book? Can't it buy us some time? As long as there's a glimmer of hope, you shouldn't give up!"
Li Zhisheng chimed in, "Yeah, isn't it just about playing the Supernatural Game? I want to try it too; I'll accompany you." He placed a hand on my shoulder. Hu Fang patted me as well. "You saved me, so I definitely want to join you!"
Looking at them, I regained some confidence. Feeling ashamed, I said, "Thank you both; I really shouldn't have acted this way." Hu Fang smiled. "Everyone gets discouraged sometimes; what's important is not to let it defeat you." I touched my slightly swollen face. "Is that your reason for hitting me?!"
"Otherwise, should I let you hit me back?" She closed her eyes and leaned her face toward me. I simply reached out and gently touched her face. "What if such a beautiful face gets hurt?" Hearing this, Hu Fang immediately turned beet red and shyly lowered her head.
Seeing the awkwardness of the situation, Li Zhisheng quickly tried to lighten the mood. "So have you thought about what game to play next?" I pondered for a moment. "I did some research before, and there seems to be one called the Four Corners Game. They say the chances of encountering ghosts while playing at midnight are very high, and I've heard of incidents happening because of it."
Li Zhisheng nodded. "Yeah, I've heard of that game too. So our next one will be the Four Corners Game!"
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