Chapter 17: Devotion

“If Lan wasn’t lying, then the reason you two managed to escape from the water corpse and those people is the strange power of your Yin Amulet! It... protected you, its owner, in the most direct way, ensuring you weren’t harmed.” Li Ruoke laid bare the truth of that perilous night with a single sentence.

She further emphasized, “Ordinary Yin Amulets don’t possess such formidable power. For one to wield such an extraordinary spiritual force, and for it to choose you—perhaps, in a sense, this is a blessing.”

Qi Yan lowered his head, gazing intently at his amulet. He knew all too well what had transpired last night, yet he still pushed the amulet away from himself, shaking his head. “I don’t want it. No matter why it chose me, or how powerful it is, I don’t want to be entangled with something like this. You deal in these amulets yourself; surely you must know how to get rid of it?”

There was nothing feigned in his tone; his eyes revealed only deep wariness and unease.

Indeed, most people fantasize that one day some extraordinary event will befall them, that a mysterious power will appear in their lives and allow them to change their fate. Perhaps this Yin Amulet truly is a remarkable artifact. The facts speak for themselves: as terrifying as it may be, it had intervened to help Qi Yan several times, even though he had never voiced any wish. It was as if the amulet could read the deepest recesses of his heart and manifested its power of its own accord.

But fantasies are one thing. When an ordinary mortal truly encounters something so unreal, the first reaction is always fear and anxiety—never mind that this so-called “miracle” is a malevolent spirit imprisoned in an amulet, one that cannot be purified or released!

Perhaps someone like Lan, who had been accustomed to the supernatural since childhood, could accept it more easily. But for someone like Qi Yan, who had never even experienced sleep paralysis, having so many chilling, bizarre events happen in just two days was simply... too much to bear.

“Are you sure?” Li Ruoke was a little surprised by his decisiveness, even though they had only just met. “You know, even an ordinary, genuine Yin Amulet requires a hefty offering and deep personal connections to acquire, let alone one as extraordinary as yours!”

Qi Yan’s expression was grave as he nodded again without hesitation. “I’m sure. I don’t want it... and, like you said, every Yin Amulet needs to be worshipped by someone truly kind-hearted. Only then can merit be accumulated by good deeds, allowing the spirit within to be reborn. But... to be honest, I don’t believe I possess such noble intentions. I’m just an average young man struggling to keep a job and make ends meet in a big city. Most of the time, I’m pretty selfish, so I don’t think I have the capacity to accumulate any virtue for it. It’d be better off finding someone genuinely good-hearted to worship it.”

Li Ruoke shrugged and, after a moment’s silence, replied, “Honesty is a rare virtue these days. But I don’t think I can help you—your Yin Amulet is simply too unique; perhaps the only one of its kind in the world. I doubt you can get rid of it by any ordinary means.”

Qi Yan suddenly remembered something important. “Right! I tried throwing it far away, even smashed it and tossed it in the trash, but guess what? It always somehow reappeared on me, perfectly intact.”

“That only proves my point,” Li Ruoke said. “Its power and persistence are beyond anything I imagined. I’m afraid, unless it chooses to leave, you won’t be able to get rid of it.”

This revelation made Qi Yan’s heart tremble once more.

What a mess... He’d never even prayed sincerely to a Bodhisattva, and now a powerful evil spirit was clinging to him for dear life. Wasn’t this absurd?

“So... normally, after a Yin Amulet ‘chooses’ someone, how long does it cling to them?”

“If you can’t get rid of it, then... for your entire life.”

Qi Yan’s whole body went limp as he slumped in his chair, forcing a bitter laugh. “So you’re telling me I’m stuck with it for good? Like being forced into a relationship, extorted by a ghost. Am I supposed to worship it for the rest of my life and pray for it to grant me endless love and the power to be loved?”

Li Ruoke found him increasingly amusing. Most people would either be scared out of their wits or have a breakdown after such an experience, but he still had the presence of mind to joke. “There’s nothing I can do. I’ve never heard of a case like yours. If you can’t throw it away or destroy it, you’ll just have to face it head-on—for now, there’s no solution.”

Qi Yan was at his wit’s end, closing his eyes and pressing his fingers to his brow, feeling more helpless and resigned than ever.

If the amulet were merely extraordinary, that would be one thing. The real problem was that it was a profoundly evil presence, one that had nearly endangered Xu Dan and Dong Ye. At the time, Qi Yan hadn’t known what was going on, but thinking it over now, a vague understanding dawned on him.

Back then, it must have possessed Xu Dan and, using her voice, said to him, “They question your resolve, ignore your sincerity... I’ll make them pay. Aren’t you pleased?”

It sounded as if the Yin Amulet was “helping” him in its own way, but none of this was what he wanted. The amulet acted on its own, treating those who taunted him as if they were harming him!

This revealed just how overwhelming the spirit’s protective instincts were—so overwhelming that Qi Yan felt suffocated.

It was like having an overzealous bodyguard who, when you were just roughhousing with friends, would rush in and beat them up, believing they were hurting you...

After a sip of water, Li Ruoke let him digest this before continuing, “There’s one more thing you should know: positive amulets don’t require offerings, but Yin Amulets do. And for one as powerful as yours, the offerings probably won’t be simple.”

That was Qi Yan’s greatest worry! He sat bolt upright and asked, “Then... what sort of offerings does it want? How will it let me know?”

“Usually, it’ll come to you in a dream—that’s how these spirits operate. As for what it wants in return, I have no idea. Just wait... Since it’s already helped you so much in just two days, it’ll probably come to collect its ‘payment’ soon enough.”

Qi Yan hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in two days; after last night’s ordeal, he was exhausted to the bone. But after hearing Li Ruoke’s words, how could he dare close his eyes?

Just imagine: owing a great spirit a favor, not knowing when it will come to collect. What a predicament indeed.