Howard Lee smiled and rubbed his head.
"Uh, well, Blind Granny, does the Mount Mason Order really have such powerful stuff?"
As he spoke, Blind Granny stood up, shook her head, and sighed.
"You're not a true disciple of the Mount Mason Order, are you, Howard?"
With that question, Howard Lee looked ashamed and lowered his head.
"Oh, so you're a fake Taoist. No wonder," Rachel Lan said with disdain, looking at Howard Lee.
"Alright, alright, I'm not a true disciple of the Mount Mason Order. I just learned quite a bit from a few Mount Mason masters in the past."
Howard Lee finally admitted it.
"Ready, kid? You’re about to suffer, so don’t just stand there—bring him in!"
Afterward, I experienced the most painful thing in my life, screaming over and over. The agony was unforgettable. The broken bone was covered with something that smelled a bit foul but also had a strong scent of menthol, and at that moment, I felt the pain in the fracture begin to fade.
Gathered together again, I lay dying on the rocking chair while Rachel Lan wiped the sweat from my body.
"Blind Granny, what exactly is the Mount Mason Order's fortune-changing ritual?"
"Sigh, we in the Nether Syndicate don’t know the specifics. It’s a technique only true disciples of the Mount Mason Order can practice, and it requires a master’s approval. It’s very mysterious. They say this ritual can change a person’s luck or bring misfortune—very powerful."
"Look, it’s already 5 a.m. Us two old bones haven’t slept well in ages. If this keeps up, we won’t last. We’re not like you young people. Please, next time, come after sunrise, alright?" Blind Granny said, muttering.
The old man muttered, and we fell into silence again. Rachel Lan tried calling Miles Mao, but no one answered. Howard Lee had said Miles Mao was the true inheritor of the Mount Mason Order.
At that moment, I thought of Victor Miles, the mustached Taoist who’d come to the apartment building before. He should also be from the Mount Mason Order.
"Blind Granny, is there any true disciple of the Mount Mason Order nearby?" I asked.
Blind Granny shook her head.
"Oh, around here, it’s all people like this kid—just learned a bit of Mount Mason techniques and go around using the Order’s name to swindle others!"
As soon as the old man finished, Howard Lee lowered his head.
"Alright, kid, even though you’re not a true disciple of the Mount Mason Order, you’ve got talent. Being able to use blue talismans is already impressive. Many true inheritors of the Order can only use the lowest yellow talismans their whole lives. Like that boy who came with you earlier—I doubt he’ll ever get past that level."
Suddenly, the four of us shared a knowing smile. Miles Mao was always focused on Rachel Lan, and he was into eating, drinking, and gambling—he did it all.
Hugh Thompson and Howard Lee kept dialing numbers. In the Ghost Burial Squad, only Miles Mao and Howard Lee could use most Mount Mason techniques. The others just picked up scraps from the ritual world to deal with ghosts.
Rachel Lan was calling too, but got nowhere. It was as if every member of the Mount Mason Order had vanished overnight—not a single one could be found.
Suddenly, I remembered Father Mason.
"I know a master from the Mount Mason Order—Father Mason. He can use purple talismans." As soon as I said it, everyone in the room stared at me.
I briefly explained what happened last time I went home and how I met the old Taoist called Father Mason.
Without delay, we headed out. Hugh Thompson drove, and we made our way to my house.
"Hugh, are you okay?"
I saw Rachel Lan and Howard Lee planning to sleep for a while, while Hugh Thompson had to drive for over an hour by himself.
"It's fine, Ethan. We need to resolve this as soon as possible. Orders from above have come down several times already—they want this settled within the month. Get some sleep. I rested plenty during the day."
The car stopped, and in a haze, I woke up.
"We're here, Ethan. Is this the place?"
I struggled to open my sleepy eyes and nodded. The car entered Wisteria Estates, which was just as desolate as before. Looking out, every building was pitch black.
As soon as we stopped the car, we saw someone standing at the entrance of the building.
"A guest from afar—what a pleasure, Ethan."
Father Mason said as he walked over. After we got out, he looked at me with a puzzled expression. Howard Lee and Hugh Thompson lifted the wheelchair and carried me out, pushing me forward.
"Brother Ethan, I can see you’re plagued by misfortune lately…"
"I must be losing money, right?" I said with a self-deprecating smile.
Father Mason shook his head. We entered his house, where a dim lamp glowed. On the stove, a blackened teapot was steaming, and five chipped teacups were already set on the table.
"It’s definitely the real Mount Mason Order—everything in the house is broken."
Howard Lee remarked. Only then did I notice—just like last time, I was puzzled. Everything in Father Mason’s home had flaws: the teacups were chipped, the plates and bowls were broken, even the quilts, bed, chairs, and table were damaged. He himself wore a patched gray Taoist robe, faded and with a gaping hole at the sleeve that hadn’t been sewn up.
"Master, did you know we were coming?" I asked.
Father Mason nodded.
"I like to do a bit of divination when I’m free. A few days ago, I already foresaw that you’d be coming, Brother Ethan."
Hugh Thompson put a file and some documents on the table and began discussing the Immortality Society with Father Mason.
After a while, Hugh finished speaking. Father Mason took a sip of tea, looking deep in thought.
"Indeed, our Mount Mason Order does have a ritual for changing fortune. It can help someone plagued by bad luck to break through misfortune and cleanse filth. But in this world, a person’s fortune is always changing for better or worse, depending on their daily actions."
"Oh, so in reverse, you could use this technique to make a lucky person suffer misfortune too?"
Hugh Thompson said, and Father Mason laughed.
"You’re teachable. It’s true—if a practitioner’s intentions are evil, this technique can be used to harm others. But it’s not worth the trouble. If someone really wants to hurt people, they’d summon ghosts, control zombies, and trade for money—it’s much simpler. After all, this technique is a double-edged sword."
Then Father Mason explained that using this ritual would shorten the practitioner’s life—because it’s a law of nature. To help someone change their fortune, the practitioner must trade their own lifespan for the other person’s blessings.
"As for this matter, it might indeed be the work of Mount Mason Taoists. These people’s birth charts don’t match their names—it feels strange, probably fake."
As Father Mason spoke, Hugh Thompson picked up the documents. All of us understood—the Immortality Society could easily alter these people’s records.
"Brother Ethan, it’s rare to meet like this. Let me perform a ritual to wash away some of your misfortune. You must have an elderly relative at home who’s sick. After I’m done, you take this young lady home, and your family’s illness will heal on its own."
I gasped and looked at Rachel Lan. She looked just as puzzled.
Then I sat cross-legged in a room, in front of an altar already set up. Father Mason wrote small characters all over me, then raised a peachwood sword. In one hand, he held a twig. After chanting for a while, he dipped the twig into clean water from a copper bowl on the altar and sprinkled it on me. Little silvery lights appeared.
"Hehao Yin-Yang, the sun rises in the east, this talisman is pardoned and sweeps away misfortune. Spit out the water of Samadhi, let your eyes shine like the sun. Summon the power of the Heavenly Canopy Marshal, cure illness with the Vajra of Exorcism, subdue demons for good fortune. By the law, hurry, hurry!"
Just as Father Mason finished chanting, he produced a purple talisman, slipped it onto the peachwood sword, and with a whoosh, it ignited.
"Open your mouth."
I opened my mouth wide in surprise. Suddenly, Father Mason shoved the burning talisman into my mouth, then slapped my neck hard with the peachwood sword. I gagged—a foul, burnt taste filled my mouth, and then a wave of nausea swept through my body.
"That’s enough, Ethan. I can only use this ritual to temporarily dispel your misfortune, but it will come back. After all, I’d like to live a few more years—I don’t want to shorten my own life, haha."
I immediately thanked him gratefully.
"Thank you, Master."
After saying goodbye to Father Mason, daylight had broken. But we all looked exhausted. At Hugh Thompson’s suggestion, we had breakfast and checked into a hotel to sleep.
Around 11 a.m., we got up quickly. I called my mom to say we’d be coming over for lunch. After eating, we headed to Noble Court Residences, where my family lived. Rachel Lan even bought some fruit and pastries, though I kept insisting it wasn’t necessary.
"Uncle, Auntie, hello. I’m Ethan’s friend, Rachel Lan."
As soon as we walked in, Rachel Lan greeted them sweetly.
My mom had been looking worried, but now she was all smiles. She grabbed Rachel Lan’s hand, sat her down, and hurried off to pour tea and water.
"Mom, where’s Dad? Isn’t he sick?"
My mom didn’t say anything, just smiled.
"Ethan, I’m just glad you’re home. I’ll go call your dad—he’ll be so happy."
My nerves instantly relaxed. Just as Father Mason said—bring Rachel Lan home and my dad’s illness would heal. I hadn’t expected his words to be so accurate.