The snowstorm persisted. After breakfast with May Shaw, I couldn't wait to share some things with her—especially about how they managed to shift their consciousness into alternate dimensions.
"Really? Roxie!"
A look of joy appeared on May Shaw's face.
"Yes, May. The key to getting out of this place is courage. If you're afraid, you won't be able to leave. Have you felt anything these past few days?"
May Shaw nodded. She told me that these past few days, she's felt weighed down and exhausted. Seeing her friend's corpse made her think of terrifying things, so she's been muddled and sleepy, haunted by nightmares. Sleeping is the only time she feels a little relief.
"Roxie, what should we do now?"
I smiled and said, "The reason the four girls ended up here was likely due to the evil spell cast by whoever gave them the charm pouches. Their birth dates and times may have matched some part of the ritual, causing them to enter the time-space distorted Tenfold Crossing."
"Just wait. Instead of sitting around doing nothing every day, let's go outside and build a snowman."
Once we stepped outside, the snow had piled up thickly in many places. May Shaw and I put on gloves and started playing in the snow.
We spent the whole morning building snowmen and having snowball fights, playing until afternoon before making lunch. May Shaw seemed much happier, and I didn't see the power of fear clinging to her anymore.
Things finally seemed to have a direction. Now, I just had to wait for Rainie Chen to return. I planned to ask her how they managed to shift their consciousness into alternate dimensions. That part was crucial. I remembered that when Rainie first used her spell, I didn't sense any power from her.
If I could connect my consciousness to the part of myself that exists in another dimension, maybe I'd be able to restore my power.
In the afternoon, May Shaw and I found a hotel with a game console. We sat down in front of the TV and started playing.
The day passed quickly and night fell. Both May Shaw and I felt a little more relaxed. Sometimes, pushing too hard gets you nowhere. All you can do is wait. But while waiting, we could try living differently. Playing every day here wasn't so bad.
By a little after 8, after a full day of games, May Shaw was tired. She showered early and went to bed. I had explained briefly about Rainie Chen, and she knew she couldn't see her, so she couldn't come with me. I planned to go outside, drink a little, grill something to eat, and wait for Rainie to return.
I sat quietly alone in a shop, gazing at the river across the way. Once I calmed down, some things came to mind. Rainie had said before that May Shaw couldn't leave. I was a bit tipsy, but my mind was clear.
The reason the four girls ended up here was probably because of the evil spell cast by whoever gave them the charm pouches. Maybe their birth dates and times matched some component of the ritual, so under the influence of the spell, they entered this time-space distorted Tenfold Crossing.
All four girls are ordinary people. To leave, all four must survive, just as they came in—each carrying their own charm pouch.
May Shaw, who isn't from the world of sorcery, can't break through this place with power. But I'm different—I have no fear, and my own power is strong enough to break through and return outside.
"I have to find a way."
I took a sip of my drink, thinking how May Shaw had finally found hope again. If that hope were shattered, she might really die this time. The thought unsettled me. Suddenly, someone in white clothes appeared beside me, startling me.
"Can you come out in front of me?"
I asked, and Rainie Chen shook her head.
"If you're worrying about that kid, I advise you to give up. She can't go back."
I looked at Rainie Chen and immediately asked.
"Why?"
Rainie Chen took out three charm pouches and placed them on the table.
"Do you know why dark sorcery is called dark sorcery?"
I let out a confused noise and looked at Rainie Chen, feeling embarrassed.
"Of course it's because it hurts people, that's why it's called dark sorcery!"
Rainie Chen looked at me in confusion.
"Didn't anyone in the Hades Circle teach you these things? How did you become the Lan Family Matriarch?"
I immediately retorted.
"My dad took me out of the Hades Circle when I was young. He had to collect souls, so I didn't meet my mom until I was in my thirties. No one taught me anything during that time. My dad only taught me the basic principles of spells and some basics about yin and yang."
Rainie Chen looked at me with even more disbelief.
"Don't doubt it. I really am the Lan Family Matriarch now."
Rainie Chen sighed and looked at me, her expression unreadable.
"The reason dark sorcery is called dark sorcery is because its foundation is evil intent. People use twisted paths to get something—money, to harm others, even to steal someone's lifespan. These improper spells, created and used by those with evil thoughts, are called dark sorcery."
I glanced sideways at Rainie Chen, picked up some grilled food, and started eating.
"And those who fall victim to dark sorcery—do you know why it happens?"
"Is it because the victim had evil thoughts?"
Rainie Chen nodded. I looked at her in surprise, and she continued explaining.
No matter what kind of person, everyone has the Triple Flame to protect them—two on the shoulders, one on the forehead. You have them from birth; they're the manifestation of your spirit and vitality. The strength of these flames determines your luck.
There's a saying: you attract what you think about. Many people have constant bad luck not because they're truly unlucky, but because their minds are always restless, weakening their Triple Flame. When filth attaches itself, misfortune lingers.
Of all things, evil thoughts weaken the flames the fastest. If you have evil thoughts for a short time, it's fine, but over the long term, it can be deadly. Evil thoughts drain your spirit and vitality, and you'll keep having bad luck. Only by letting go of those thoughts can you walk tall and steady your path.
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Most dark sorcery can't directly harm people by itself, no matter the form—including curses.
"I've seen plenty of cases where the problem was caused by people. Didn't those who used dark sorcery deliberately hurt others?"
I immediately thought of something from years ago, back in my first year of college. There was a girl in my class who was always annoying—she had money, was snobbish, and never hung out with friends who dressed plainly.
But one time I saw her wrapped in filth. I was confused, since I'd seen her just the day before, and it was impossible for so much filth to build up in a single day. She was about to have terrible luck.
I figured someone must've used a spell. Sure enough, the next day that girl got into a car accident, broke her leg, and never came back to school. It was so serious she was paralyzed. I started investigating—discipline is one thing, but using such a vicious spell is going too far.
I eventually found a quiet girl in our class who had always been bullied by her. When I asked, she said she hadn't meant for things to go so far. She'd bought a curse talisman from a shop someone recommended, and followed the instructions to mix it in water for the bully to drink. She was shocked when it actually worked.
Then I contacted the Ghost Burial Squad, whom I'd just met. They investigated and caught someone selling those curse talismans. But the seller claimed his talismans weren't that powerful—they'd only cause a stomachache or illness, never such a serious accident.
I didn't think much of it at the time, but now I understand: dark sorcery is relative. The girl who bought the curse suffered too—her college life was full of trouble, and the last time I saw her, she was surrounded by black mist, clearly unlucky for a long time.
Now I get it—those who use dark sorcery will be affected by it too. If you can't withstand the backlash, you'll suffer as well. That's why some in the supernatural world use dark sorcery without trouble, while others are eaten by ghosts—they couldn't take the backlash.
"These girls harbored evil thoughts."
As I spoke, I realized something—if evil thoughts trigger dark sorcery, then that girl in my class must've had a lot of them. That's why a weak spell became so powerful and left her paralyzed.
The reason the four girls triggered the sorcery linked to these four charm pouches is that after taking Rainie Chen's money, they didn't wait for the haunting as agreed, nor did they stay the extra week. Instead, they took the money to go have fun in the city, planning to ask for more later. Even if there was a haunting, they'd all deny it happened.
So it was the girls' evil thoughts that triggered the sorcery, and that sorcery activated a point linked to this place's spell. Combined with their birth dates, it brought them here.
But the accident was Rainie Chen's doing. I don't know her reason, but this is way too cruel.
"The greater the evil thought, the stronger the spell's power. That's why those who use dark sorcery have to prepare many things, even objects to transfer the backlash, just to avoid being harmed themselves."
Suddenly, another story came to mind: the case with Taoist Tang, which was the first time I worked with Qingyuan Zhang!