27 The Shadow Devours Its Master

The girl paid the full price without hesitation, then quickly squeezed through the crowd carrying her bag.

“No way, isn’t this a plant? Aren’t plants supposed to be more professional? At least say a few words instead of just running off like that. What’s going on?”

“This is the first time I’ve seen money earned so easily. That’s two thousand yuan!”

...

Amid the murmurs, Yun Ran remained calm and composed—this was just the beginning.

Her master uncle was even more ruthless in the past, charging a hundred thousand yuan for a single fortune-telling session. Two thousand yuan was practically a bargain!

As the sun began to shine directly on them, Yun Ran set up a parasol and placed a small fan on her stall.

Meanwhile, the onlookers had their faces sunburned red, resembling a monkey’s bottom.

After hesitating for a while, Qu Ziwei finally mustered the courage to mercifully support Yun Ran’s small business.

Just then, a pale-faced man beat her to it, sitting directly in front of Yun Ran.

Qu Ziwei inwardly cursed her bad luck—he had beaten her to it!

Despite the sweltering heat, the man wore thick long sleeves, his lips tinged purple. One might think he’d just come from an icy wasteland.

“M-Master… hello, I…”

Yun Ran’s gaze darkened as she shouted behind the man, “Move aside!”

The crowd instantly perked up.

“Hey, who tells someone to move just as they sit down?”

“Waiting for a smackdown!”

“Hehe…”

...

With Yun Ran’s sharp command, the man suddenly felt a lightness in his body, and the freezing chill vanished.

His eyes sparkled brightly as he looked at Yun Ran, clearly delighted.

Yun Ran turned and called to the nearby plump boy, “Bring over a cup of hot water!”

The boy blinked in surprise but quickly obeyed, bustling off to pour a cup, then brought back one for Yun Ran as well—ice water.

Yun Ran reached out and firmly grasped the hot water, squeezing it slightly before handing it to the man. “Drink up.”

The man didn’t hesitate, lifting the cup and gulping down the water.

The discomfort in his body vanished as the warm liquid went down.

Soon, he began to sweat and hurriedly removed his jacket.

Seeing the man’s complexion return to normal, Yun Ran glanced at the shadow beside him, then back to the man.

She pointed to the sign standing nearby. “Is the price acceptable?”

Still shaken, the man patted his chest. “Acceptable. I specifically came to find you.”

This piqued Yun Ran’s curiosity.

The man pulled out his phone, showing her a video that had gone viral earlier. “I saw your charity event banner and sought you out.”

Yun Ran nodded. “Tell me what you want to have read.”

The man’s expression turned bitter. “Master, my family has been in the funeral business for generations. Just two days ago, after completing a job, I started having trouble.

“Though the weather’s hot, I feel like I’m trapped in an ice cavern. If I weren’t afraid of strange looks, I’d have worn my down jacket.”

“My family knows many masters, but when I asked them for help, they were terrified and told me to find someone more skilled. You’re my last hope.”

Yun Ran studied the man carefully. There was no sign of karmic debt or recent sins. She could help him.

But the usual methods hadn’t worked on him.

She rummaged through her bag and finally pulled out a small bell—one of her most reliable talismans, the Sanqing Bell.

This was nothing serious, but Ginseng Fruit suddenly let out a sharp, explosive cry: “What the hell, you have that too? Where did you pull it out from?!”

Yun Ran ignored the frantic chatter.

She lifted the Sanqing Bell and shook it gently in front of the man.

As the clear, ethereal sound rang out, the man closed his eyes and drifted into his memories. Yun Ran, holding the bell, entered his recollection as well.

Two days earlier.

After delivering a paper-made villa and other funeral items as requested by a client, the man got lost on his way back. His phone’s navigation was useless.

The protective talismans in his car flickered briefly before dimming too fast for him to notice.

As dusk fell, he grew anxious and accidentally hit a rock.

The rock cracked open, and suddenly a toad jumped out.

It leapt into his car unnoticed.

Fortunately, he eventually found the way back, but soon after, his health deteriorated.

The masters he visited saw countless black lines wrapping around him. It seemed a massive black hole loomed behind him, threatening to consume him.

When they tried to help, the black lines came alive, threatening them.

Naturally, the masters were terrified and admitted defeat.

Seeing all this, Yun Ran withdrew from his memory, and the man opened his eyes.

He had no recollection of what happened, only feeling that something had latched onto him until Yun Ran entered his memory.

Then he understood what he had encountered—those eerie black lines sent a chill down his spine.

“Master, please save me!”

“The black lines you saw are your shadow. The thing trying to consume you is your shadow. Have you heard of a shadow devouring its owner?

“Though I don’t know what great fortune your shadow has gained, it has developed awareness and even wants to replace you.

“Your ancestors must have done many good deeds, granting you blessings that protected you. When your shadow tried to consume you, you saved a sealed toad—it’s the one that saved your life.”

The man was covered in goosebumps. He had just reexamined his memories from a god’s perspective and saw the toad.

He had thought it was the toad that cursed him, but it had actually saved him.

“Master, what should I do?”

Without understanding why the shadow became sentient, crude methods might harm the original owner.

Yun Ran quickly drew a talisman on the spot and handed it to him. “This talisman will protect you for one month. Only after discovering what caused your shadow’s awakening can we completely resolve your troubles.”