Sergeant Mandy Chung saw how serious he looked and almost believed him. But her expression quickly turned icy again, and she demanded, "Then tell me—why, after you were with my cousin and all those other women, did you still chase after me? Why?!"
"Uh—well, that's... a bit complicated. You can't judge it by normal standards. I'll try to make it simple for you—actually, I'm a Taoist cultivator! During my training, I encountered some demonic obstacles and deviations, so sometimes, when I'm strongly stimulated—especially by a woman's presence or physical touch—I end up doing things that are totally out of character! I don't know if you can understand this explanation?" Shawn Young thought for a moment and decided to tell Sergeant Mandy Chung the truth.
"Oh! So you're really a Taoist cultivator? And from what you're saying, you must actually know some real magic?" Sergeant Mandy Chung asked Shawn Young in surprise, as if she could actually accept his explanation.
"Uh—well, actually, I'm a university student who's been practicing Taoist arts, and I guess I've made a little progress!" Shawn Young nodded as he spoke.
"Huh? You seem pretty confident about your Taoist skills. So, are you some kind of high-level master?" Sergeant Mandy Chung was actually quite interested in Shawn Young's 'special identity.'
"I wouldn't say I'm a master, but I definitely know a thing or two about Taoist arts!" Shawn Young replied, clearly confident in his abilities.
"Oh—then can you show me something?" Sergeant Mandy Chung widened her eyes, looking at him with a hint of anticipation.
"Well—sure, no problem. But, uh, what exactly do you want to see?" Shawn Young hadn't expected that Sergeant Mandy Chung, as a police officer, would be so interested in Taoist magic.
"Anything! Just show me some kind of magic, whatever you want! Otherwise, how am I supposed to believe you're not just a fraud?" Sergeant Mandy Chung said.
"Uh—alright! I practice Pure Yang Inner Alchemy, so let me show you the 'Samadhi True Fire!'" Shawn Young said, freeing his right hand, palm up. With a surge of Divine Sense, true qi gathered in his palm. He intoned, "Yin-Yang Cosmos, Samadhi True Fire—ignite!"
"Whoosh—" A brilliant crimson flame burst to life in his palm. The shower was still running, water spraying down on Shawn Young's burning hand, but the flame didn’t go out—water couldn’t touch it.
"Wow—that's incredible! Is this some kind of magic trick? The fire in your hand—is it some special chemical that burns underwater?" Sergeant Mandy Chung stared wide-eyed, amazed but still skeptical.
"Chemicals? Miss Chung, you sure have an imagination. But you should know, magic tricks need props, and I’m just as bare as you—no props at all. Plus, chemicals that burn in water are usually cold flames, no heat. This is real Samadhi True Fire! If you don’t believe me, go ahead and feel the heat yourself!" Shawn Young teased.
"Alright, I'll try—" Mandy Chung, ever the skeptic, reached out but instantly pulled her hand back, exclaiming, "Whoa, that's hot!"
"Heh, of course it's hot. I channeled my Pure Yang true qi to create Samadhi True Fire. Water and ice can't touch it, and I can even shape it into spells to subdue monsters!" Shawn Young bragged, then flicked his hand—"Whoosh!"—the flame shot up, morphing into a firebird that danced around the bathroom, weaving through the water, filling the room with steamy mist. Mandy Chung stared, stunned.
"Return—" After showing off, Shawn Young shifted his focus, withdrew his true qi, and the firebird dropped into his palm and vanished in a flash.
"Oh my god! I never thought magic like this was real—I thought it was just movie stuff! You're incredible—" Mandy Chung stared at Shawn Young, her gaze dreamy and complicated. The lingering steam proved it had all really happened!
"Heh—this is just a little trick, nothing special. My real skills? You haven’t seen anything yet!" Shawn Young noticed her admiring look and felt smug, hoping to flip her bad impression of him.
Sure enough, Mandy Chung’s face lit up with excitement. She pressed, "You know even cooler spells? Can you catch ghosts? I’ve seen Maoshan Taoists in movies—they always catch ghosts. Are you a Maoshan Taoist?"
"Oh, I’m not from the Maoshan Order, but catching ghosts and subduing monsters is no problem! Unless it’s an ancient demon, regular monsters are a piece of cake!" Shawn Young replied, confident.
"Wow—looks like I’ll need your help!" Mandy Chung said, excited, totally forgetting how much she’d just wanted to strangle Shawn Young.
"Uh—help you? With what?" Shawn Young was caught off guard by the sudden turn of events.
"Since you’re a Taoist who knows magic, of course I want you to catch ghosts for me!" Mandy Chung replied bluntly.
"Uh—Miss Chung, you’re a police officer! Why do you want to catch ghosts? That’s not exactly in your job description!" Shawn Young realized Mandy Chung was seriously into the supernatural.
"Sigh—you have no idea. Since Hong Kong was founded, the police have run into all kinds of cases that science can’t explain. There are detailed files, but most get closed without any logical explanation. Especially this recent case I’m working on—it’s creepy and weird, and I just can’t figure it out! I really want to know the truth—" Mandy Chung explained.
"Oh? What kind of supernatural case?" Shawn Young asked, genuinely interested. He couldn’t help but think Mandy Chung was way more suited to being a witch than a cop!