Kapitel 21: Chapter 21: The Fortune-Bearing Mother
Incense curled upward, the burner brimming with ash, and the offerings were all fresh.
Clearly, the Su family worshiped this idol daily, showing utmost devotion.
But the statue was wrapped tightly in a red cloth, revealing only faintly odd shapes beneath, making it impossible to tell what it was.
"What deity is this?" Lu Fei asked the butler, only to realize that the man hadn't entered, instead standing deferentially outside the door.
"This is the Fortune-Bearing Mother, whom my master brought back from a sacred temple in Southeast Asia. She is most revered."
"The Fortune-Bearing Mother? I've never heard of her." Lu Fei was new to dealing with cursed items, and while he'd encountered a couple so far, he hadn't even begun to understand the local ones, let alone deities from overseas.
But the name alone hinted at a god for wealth.
"How can you be sure that the family's troubles are connected to this statue—"
"Stop!"
The butler's face suddenly shifted to one of alarm, and he glanced nervously at the idol, cautioning sternly, "Sir, mind your words before the Mother. And do not, under any circumstances, remove the red cloth. Disrespect the Mother, and you bear the consequences alone."
He seemed extremely apprehensive, as if terrified of saying anything that might cause offense.
Lu Fei's heart skipped a beat.
Could this statue actually hear him?
"As for the matters within the family, that depends on your skills," the butler hinted cryptically.
"I understand. I'll be careful," Lu Fei said, nodding cautiously.
"In that case, gentlemen, I will leave you," the butler said, gesturing them in and closing the door behind them.
The spacious side hall plunged into shadowy silence.
The two flickering incense flames cast shifting shadows over the cloth-covered statue, making it seem even more ominous and mysterious.
"What the hell? Why'd he close the door?" Liu Fugui nearly jumped, quickly moving closer to Lu Fei.
The room, with its sealed windows and drawn curtains, was entirely closed off, yet a chill seemed to emanate from somewhere behind them.
Summoning their courage, the two approached the statue.
"Little Master Lu, I heard your grandfather had the gift of seeing through objects; I bet you inherited it too, right?" Liu Fugui looked at Lu Fei with anticipation.
"Rest assured, I didn't," Lu Fei replied flatly, not in the mood to ease his fears.
With every step forward, Lu Fei felt an increasing, indescribable pressure—as if an unseen force were trying to push him back.
The closer they got to the statue, the more intense this pressure became, to the point that even Liu Fugui began to feel it.
"Oh no, do you think the Mother noticed something?" Liu Fugui muttered, lowering his voice as if trying not to disturb it.
"Relax. We haven't done anything disrespectful."
Remaining calm, Lu Fei reached the altar.
He knew that even in fear, he couldn't show it.
Whether facing cursed items or malevolent deities, showing weakness meant they'd gain the upper hand over you.
A chill seeped out from beneath the cloth covering the Mother. The statue, although only half human-sized, radiated an aura of superiority from its position on the altar.
As Lu Fei looked up to examine it, he felt an unexplainable heaviness in his head and shoulders, as if something were weighing him down, bending his spine involuntarily.
Liu Fugui was even worse off, beads of sweat dotting his forehead as his knees began to shake, almost buckling.
Was this Fortune-Bearing Mother truly a revered deity from Southeast Asia, with such an overwhelming presence?
No, something was wrong.
Lu Fei felt the sharp coldness around him.
This chill wasn't merely unsettling—it was brimming with yin energy!
Yin energy could suppress yang fire.
No matter how foreign the deity, it shouldn't emit such sinister cold.
One must never bow to malevolence.
Yielding would weaken his own yang energy, opening him to sickness and misfortune.
Steeling himself, Lu Fei resisted the cold pressure, gritting his teeth and forcing his gaze upwards.
But the weight on him intensified, feeling as though a thousand pounds were crushing down. His ears began to buzz, his scalp tingled, and the scene in front of him warped, the statue seeming to spin like a kaleidoscope.
The world spun.
Suddenly, he felt a warmth on his chest. A flash of golden light flared from him, forcefully pushing the pressure back.
The oppressive force instantly lifted.
The flickering candle flames danced, and the red cloth over the statue seemed to stir, as if something dark and tail-like briefly slipped out.
The cloth soon fell still, as though held down by an invisible hand.
Lu Fei's heart raced.
The protective talisman on his chest had burnt to ashes.
Knowing he would be dealing with a potentially dangerous cursed object, he'd brought a protective charm left by his grandfather, just in case.
He hadn't expected to use it so soon.
This so-called Fortune-Bearing Mother was sinister!
Before he even saw its true form, he had nearly fallen victim to its influence.
All of this happened in an instant, and Liu Fugui only felt a slight breeze pass by, the cold pressure on him abruptly vanishing. He had no idea what had transpired.
"What just happened?"
Wiping the sweat from his face, he looked at Lu Fei in confusion.
Lu Fei stood tall, his gaze steady on the idol, his expression serious but without a hint of fear.
"Was it just my imagination?" Liu Fugui mumbled, even more puzzled.
But now, the idol under the red cloth seemed even more foreboding, making his skin crawl.
"Master Lu, maybe we should just light the incense and leave," he whispered, reaching for a candle on the altar.
"With so many gods and Buddhas here in our country, why bother with one from overseas?" But Lu Fei made no move, showing no intention to offer incense.
Liu Fugui's hand paused mid-reach, then he quickly pulled back and whispered, "Did you figure something out?"
"How could I? I don't have x-ray vision," Lu Fei replied, shrugging.
"Oh, come on, stop holding back," Liu Fugui urged, starting to sweat again, wary that worshiping this idol might doom him like the Su family members.
But he also feared that showing disrespect could bring even worse luck.
"Should I worship it or not? Give it to me straight."
"Well, Xie Zihou doesn't make a habit of worshiping deities," Lu Fei replied calmly.
"Got it." Liu Fugui gritted his teeth, resolved to follow Lu Fei's lead.
He had long learned one golden rule in business—when faced with the unknown, trust the experts.
"Did you see enough? Maybe we can discuss this outside," he urged, wanting to leave as soon as possible.
"Let's go. There's nothing else to see." Lu Fei nodded.
He had confirmed that the Mother was indeed a cursed object, but without permission to lift the cloth, lingering here was only asking for trouble.
They quickly turned to leave.
Just then, the side hall door swung open, revealing two figures outside.
Four pairs of eyes met in mutual surprise.
"Who are you? What are you doing in my family's shrine?" demanded a well-dressed young man outside, his tone sharp.
Recognizing him, Liu Fugui flashed a polite smile and hurriedly introduced himself, "Young Master Su, I'm Old Liu. Mr. Su invited us here."
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein