Chapter 41: Master Yan (Part One)

The two of them hadn’t eaten their fill earlier, so after leaving, they bought some fruit from a street vendor to satisfy their hunger. Fruit in Thailand was cheap, fresh, and authentic—things like wax apples, durian, and bananas were both affordable and delicious.

Setting aside the matter of the amulets, Li Ruoke began planning her next tasks. By rights, she still needed to visit a few more local Ajarns in Bangkok; after that, not only did she have to look for these protective charms, she also needed to stock up on things like latex pillows, snake medicine, and other such items. After all, she was running a personal shopping business—what people jokingly called “international bulk shipping.”

But today, the two of them needed to go back and rest. Around one in the afternoon, they were already preparing to take the bus home.

At this very moment, two new guests arrived at Xuanxuan’s house.

One was elderly, the other young. The elder was a gray-haired man, probably in his fifties or sixties, short and dark-skinned, his back slightly hunched. Despite his age, his small round eyes were bright and sharp, though with a hint of slyness.

The other was a quiet-looking young woman with straight-across bangs, also short, who sat silently, eyes closed and expressionless, most notably wearing a pair of dark sunglasses indoors.

“Oh, Xuanxuan, why does your place still look like this?” The old man spoke with a thick southern accent, his pronunciation indistinct and his voice sharp and unpleasant, lacking the dignity expected of an elder.

With an unwilling expression, Xuanxuan came out carrying two freshly brewed cups of tea. She saw the old man pacing around the house as if inspecting it, set down the cups, and put her hands on her hips. “What’s wrong with my house?”

“Tsk, tsk…” The old man pursed his lips and shook his head. “Too plain, too old-fashioned, and no decoration at all. Let me tell you, if you don’t care about your quality of life, you’ll have a hard time finding a boyfriend.”

Xuanxuan’s mouth twitched. Smiling, she asked, “Uncle Yan, do you live by the sea?”

Uncle Yan seemed stunned and shook his head. “No, why do you ask?”

“Then why do you care so much?!” Xuanxuan’s face darkened as she glared and snapped at him.

“Girls shouldn’t speak so loudly. Be gentle…”

At this time, Li Ruoke and Qi Yan hadn’t returned yet, and Li Lan had been sent by Xuanxuan to buy groceries from quite a distance away, so they could speak freely.

Although today she had called the old man over for something important, Xuanxuan usually preferred not to deal with this shameless fellow, who always managed to infuriate her.

Uncle Yan took a few sips of tea and smacked his lips in dissatisfaction. “This tea isn’t fresh.”

Xuanxuan rolled her eyes dramatically, lit a cigarette, and stuck it between her lips. “Then don’t drink it… Did I invite you over just for tea? Enough chit-chat. It’s too complicated to explain over the phone, and since you’re in Bangkok on business, I’ll report the situation in person.”

“It’s been years since the ‘Yin Palace’ has surfaced. This time, I’ve already met the holder of the Yin Amulet—Qi Yan. According to Keke, he doesn’t have any special background, just an ordinary young man.

For now, I’ve had Keke keep him close, but… he doesn’t know who we are yet.”

Uncle Yan leaned back in his chair with his teacup, his tone growing more serious. “His amulet… what’s it called? Has Keke figured out what it actually does?”

Xuanxuan thought for a moment. “‘Mama’—as in the mother from a family relationship. As for its power… from what Keke has observed, it’s quite forceful. Anything or anyone who causes Qi Yan real harm is attacked by the amulet. Apparently, it was most extreme at first, but slowly became more ‘gentle’—at least, it no longer reacts so fiercely to people around him.

Also, it’s not just aggressive; it seems to bring incredible luck in gambling. They played a few rounds of cards last night—my goodness, it was like cheating, unstoppable.”

After finishing her explanation, Uncle Yan put down his cup, stood up, and began pacing back and forth.

He wandered for several minutes before finally turning to Xuanxuan and holding up two fingers.

Thinking he was ready to offer his thoughts, Xuanxuan sat up straight, listening intently.

But instead, Uncle Yan solemnly declared, “Give me a cigarette…”

“Tsk! Oh, for heaven’s sake…” Xuanxuan’s shoulders slumped as she tossed the cigarette pack at him. “Can’t you get it yourself?!”

After lighting up, Uncle Yan took a few deep drags, sucking on the cigarette as if through a straw, then exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

His unhurried demeanor was infuriating—if he weren’t an elder, Xuanxuan would have lost her temper long ago. The girl in sunglasses remained silent, simply listening quietly.

Once his craving was satisfied, Uncle Yan finally spoke again. “So far, this is the seventh Yin Amulet. The seventh card of the ‘Yin Palace.’ Could this be the last one? Or will more continue to appear, irregularly, in the future?”

Xuanxuan frowned. “Last night, I told Keke a lot of things she didn’t know before. Don’t blame me for taking the initiative—those siblings have had rough lives, and Keke’s been one of us for a long time. There’s no harm in telling her, right?”

“Hm? Hm… Not at all, not at all,” Uncle Yan waved his hand. “You did the right thing, especially by having her keep that Qi Yan boy close. That buys us valuable time.”

Xuanxuan gave a wry smile. “It really was a coincidence—Keke’s brother Li Lan happened to be coming back from Thailand, and he ran into Qi Yan. You know Li Lan, right? It’s thanks to his spiritual sensitivity that they met at all… and, of course, at the same time, those people found them too. Their operation didn’t involve Qi Yan at first, but somehow… talk about fate. Don’t you think it’s destiny?”

Uncle Yan finished his last drag and shook his head. “What else can we do? Since another Yin Amulet has appeared, and that Qi Yan is from our country, they’ll find out sooner or later—it’s just a matter of time. Don’t underestimate that woman’s abilities. I’ve been at odds with her for most of my life—I know better than anyone how formidable she is.”

“Then… should we come clean with Qi Yan now? Now that he’s exposed, it’s dangerous to keep him in the dark—Keke and the others are in danger too.” Xuanxuan sounded anxious.

Uncle Yan looked toward the door, pondering for a while before saying, “Let’s hold off for now. Let me meet this Qi Yan first and observe him for a short time… It won’t be long, at most half a month. After all, he’s only just acquired the Yin Amulet; its powers aren’t stable, and he’s still an ordinary person. Let him bond with it a bit more—dumping everything on him at once might be too much to handle.”

“But I’m worried…” Xuanxuan was about to protest, but Uncle Yan raised his hand to stop her. “No need to worry. What, am I dead? Watanabe and his cronies… hmm, don’t worry, I’ll take care of him. This time, I won’t let them succeed again.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of footsteps approached outside—it was Qi Yan and Li Ruoke returning. Uncle Yan immediately fell silent, ending the conversation.