"Oh! Alright, is there anything we need to prepare?" Vivian Fang quickly stood up and asked.
"Yes. Aunt Fang, please call back a few trustworthy security staff. Have them prepare shovels, hoes, and other digging tools. I'll need their help to dig up some things. Also, get some tung oil and mugwort ready!" Shawn Young instructed.
"Got it!" Vivian Fang immediately pulled out her phone and dialed several numbers.
After waiting for about half an hour, five strong bodyguards hurried back and waited inside the Fang Family Villa.
Vivian Fang stepped outside and handed the tools and supplies to the five bodyguards. She instructed them to follow Shawn Young's orders exactly. The five bodyguards, though unsure what was happening, were all ex-military men with solid skills and discipline, so they didn’t ask unnecessary questions.
Shawn Young grabbed a sharp fruit knife from the living room, then led Vivian Fang, the three women, and the five bodyguards out to the two old locust trees in front of the Fang Family Villa gate. He pointed at the trees and said to the bodyguards, "There are two thick ropes hidden in the branches of these locust trees. Who wants to climb up and get them down?"
"I'll do it! Me too!" Two bodyguards immediately sprang into action, climbing up the locust trees. After searching carefully, they really did find a thick yellow rope, about as thick as a wrist, wrapped around the branches. They quickly pulled the ropes down.
"Uh—Is this thick rope one of those feng shui traps for the Fang Family Villa?" Vivian Fang asked.
"This isn't a real rope. Take a closer look—" Shawn Young said, stepping forward and picking up one of the ropes. With a flick of his fruit knife, he split open the surface, and inside was a thick, ugly, dried-out venomous snake. Its head was still intact, mouth wide open, covered in black scales with two white rings around its neck. The three women beside Vivian Fang screamed and jumped back in fright. Living in the city, they rarely saw poisonous snakes and were scared pale. Even the five bodyguards were startled.
The strangest thing was, as the rope was split open, a pale yellow slip of paper fell from the venomous snake’s gaping jaws.
Shawn Young picked up the slip and saw ancient script written on it: the names of Vivian Fang and Yvonne Hu, followed by a string of numbers. Shawn studied it carefully and said, "Oh! That’s your birth dates and Eight Characters (Ba Zi, a traditional Chinese astrological profile based on birth date and time)."
Next, Shawn Young split open another thick rope and found the same kind of fierce venomous snake inside, along with the pale yellow slip bearing Vivian Fang and Yvonne Hu’s Eight Characters. Every rope had an identical snake and slip. Shawn explained, "These are deadly cobras—ten snakes split between two trees, five on each. Each snake has twenty fangs arranged in a serpentine pattern, drawing evil energy into the Fang Family Villa. The worst part is your birth dates and Eight Characters are nailed to the fangs. This hex is called the Serpent Hex. Once activated, disaster strikes fast—same day results!"
Yvonne Hu and Vivian Fang exchanged a look, chills running down their spines and cold sweat forming on their foreheads. Shawn Young continued, "The nightmares you two kept having—snakes wrapping around you—were caused by the Serpent Hex. Don’t worry, we’ll burn all this stuff soon and you’ll be fine!"
"Oh! That’s a relief! I was scared to death—" Vivian Fang clutched her chest, still shaken.
"Now that the Serpent Hex is broken, there’s still the Fivefold Doom Array! Come on—let’s keep going!" Shawn Young said, leading everyone toward the center of the Fang Family Villa.
They walked to the flowerbed beside the villa’s fountain, where the Blood Lotus Azalea bloomed. It was just after 9 a.m., and warm sunlight spilled over the fiery red flowers, making them look especially vivid and enchanting.
Shawn Young pointed at the flowerbed and said, "Dig up all the Blood Lotus Azaleas, smash open the bed, and dig out whatever’s buried underneath."
"Ah! These azaleas were flown in from Japan—they’re really valuable! Do we really have to dig them up?" Yvonne Hu asked, unable to hide her distress.
"These are evil feng shui flowers. Pretty, but dangerous. If you want to plant something later, choose a different variety—no more azaleas. They’re bad luck. Get to work!" Shawn Young ordered.
Vivian Fang nodded to the five bodyguards and said, "Alright—listen to him, get started!"
The five bodyguards immediately went to work, swinging their hoes and shovels. They quickly dug up all the dazzling Blood Lotus Azaleas, leaving them scattered everywhere. But Shawn Young didn’t let them stop—he had them keep digging right in the middle of the flowerbed.
About two minutes later, there was a metallic clang, and one of the bodyguards called out, "Madam, there’s something buried down here!"
"Dig it up!" Shawn Young ordered.
Soon, a rusty little iron box was unearthed. Shawn Young frowned and said, "If I’m not mistaken, there’s a cursed sword inside! Open it up!"
One curious bodyguard crouched down and twisted open the unlocked box. Sure enough, inside was a short sword engraved with blood-red runes. The blade was jet black and radiated a chilling, sinister energy, making everyone shudder.
"Whoa! What the heck is this?" one bodyguard couldn’t help but ask.
"Dig up the other four cursed weapons first! Follow me—" Shawn Young didn’t answer, instead heading to the villa’s eastern corner and stopping in front of a cluster of lucky bamboo, signaling the bodyguards to start digging.
They spent most of the morning at it, digging up small iron boxes from hidden corners in the east, south, west, and north of the villa. Including the one in the flowerbed, there were five boxes in total.
When the other four boxes were opened, out came a saber, a spear, an axe, a halberd, and the original short sword. All five cursed weapons were laid out together, and even in the sunlight, they radiated icy, terrifying energy.
"Shawn Young—what the heck are these things?" Yvonne Hu finally couldn’t help but ask.
"These five ancient weapons—sword, saber, spear, axe, halberd—are called the Five Doom Weapons. Each is inscribed with runes that channel malevolent energy, making them incredibly dangerous. Anyone targeted by this array is constantly harmed by evil energy—extremely vicious!" Shawn Young explained.
"So what do we do with them now?" Vivian Fang asked anxiously.
"Pour tung oil on the ten snakes and burn them with mugwort. As for the five cursed weapons, splash them with black dog’s blood, then douse them with alcohol and burn until they’re destroyed!" Shawn Young instructed.
"Alright, let’s burn these creepy things right away—they’re terrifying!" Vivian Fang said, and had the bodyguards follow Shawn Young’s instructions.
As thick black smoke curled into the sky, the terrifying Fivefold Serpent Hex and Fivefold Doom Array targeting the Fang Family Villa were finally broken.