NOVEL NEXT Ch. 8
Chapter 8: Battle of Spells (Part 1)
There were twelve kinds of Head-Descending Curse masters, classified according to the evil creatures they worshipped—such as bats, snakes, and whales.
To break a Head-Descending Curse, one must first find out what kind of master cast it.
Before a tall and solemn Buddha statue, Wan Madama sat cross-legged, a small bell resting upon his knees.
He was inside a spacious, circular hall. Apart from the golden Buddha before him, the surrounding walls were also inlaid with half-man-tall statues of the Buddha.
The minute hand on the clock dial turned slowly.
At exactly 3:40 a.m., Wan Madama, his expression grave and devout, began to act.
He started by praying reverently to the Buddha, then took a piece of paper inscribed with Lam Wai’s name and birth details, placing it upon a candle flame to burn. Once it turned to ash, he put the ashes into a bronze bowl.
He crushed the blackened ash.
Then he poured in prepared lotus-seat holy water.
After completing these steps, Wan Madama took out a circular disc drawn with twelve kinds of evil creatures.
When he poured the mixture of holy water and ashes onto the disc, only the section with the drawing of a bat turned green.
This meant that the Head-Descending Curse master worshipped the evil creature—the Bat…
Setting the bronze bowl aside, Wan Madama began performing the corresponding ritual to dissolve the curse.
If he were doing this alone, the pressure on him would not be so great.
Even if the curse-breaking failed, only he would bear the consequence.
But now, if he lost, the two who had gone to confront the Head-Descending master might also face grave danger.
In his heart, he truly did not wish for them to take such risks.
But now that things had come to this point, there was no choice but to fight with all his strength.
The solemn sound of chanting flowed from Wan Madama’s lips.
He reached out and pulled the edge of the bronze bell before him. The crisp, melodic chime joined with the chanting.
……
Ma Gusu sat cross-legged before his altar, eyes tightly shut.
His complexion was still pale, yet already much better than it had been a few hours earlier.
To his right, the curtain that had once concealed the area was now drawn open.
A massive statue of an evil god stood upon the highest altar.
The god had six arms, a pair of wide bat wings on its back, and a sharp, fanged face bearing the traits of a bat—twisted and grotesque.
Above the statue, a gray bat was embedded into the wooden board.
The bat seemed lifeless, yet emanated a strange vitality, as though it could spread its wings and fly down at any moment. It was deeply unsettling.
At the very moment when the bat on Wan Madama’s disc turned green, the blood-red glow in this bat’s eyes flickered faintly.
Ma Gusu’s eyes snapped open.
A strong sense of foreboding made his heartbeat quicken.
He knew then that his earlier premonition had been correct.
Someone was targeting him!
But the attack came so quickly that he had no time to prepare—its suddenness left him utterly shocked.
Suddenly, a piercing bell rang directly inside his head.
The sound was so sharp it felt like countless needles stabbing into his brain, stirring it violently, turning his mind into a muddled mess.
Ma Gusu’s expression twisted in agony. He clutched his head and rolled across the ground, screaming in pain.
The bell’s ringing did not cease—as if it would not stop until it had tortured him to death.
His injuries from the broken Ghost Child ritual had not yet healed. The pain from the bell’s sound struck him again, shattering his last line of defense.
Blood began seeping from his facial features.
Howling, he rolled toward the altar, grabbed a jar he had long prepared, and poured its colorless contents straight into his mouth.
The pain eased slightly.
Ma Gusu sprang up from the ground, kneeling before the altar with a distorted face. He placed both hands on his knees, forming a strange gesture, and began chanting loudly.
Blood vessels filled his eyes; the lower rims were smeared crimson, as if painted with blood. His cheeks had turned bluish-purple, drained of any human color. His face twisted grotesquely, body spasming from agony, looking just like a ferocious ghost ready to devour someone alive!
……
“These things might interfere with our movements.”
“Many Head-Descending masters can control poisonous creatures like snakes and scorpions. That Ma Gusu probably can too. Without precautions, we’ll be in trouble the moment we rush in.”
Li Zhen and Wong Kam-Sun crouched behind a cluster of bushes, nervously watching a house not far ahead.
The house stood half by the water, half on land.
Tonight’s lighting was dim; they could only make out the building’s shadowy outline and a few scattered glimmers of light—it looked like a massive monster crouched in the darkness, waiting for its prey.
Both men wore full-body waterproof suits commonly used by local fishermen for catching fish in muddy fields.
These suits were the reinforced, extended type, with thick rubber boots reaching their knees, sturdy enough to resist snake bites.
The boots were seamlessly connected to the suit, which extended all the way to their necks, covering even their arms.
Though uncomfortable and restrictive, they were the perfect defense against snakes, insects, rats, and ants.
Moreover, their sleeves and chests bulged slightly—clearly stuffed with extra padding for protection.
In addition to the suits, each carried a machete strapped to his arm and a speargun whose effectiveness was uncertain.
They had bought these in haste the previous day, before leaving Thunthali, at Li Zhen’s insistence.
This was Nanyang—there wasn’t much else they could buy on such short notice.
Had they been back in Hong Kong, with Wong Kam-Sun’s status, dealing with a minor Head-Descending master would never have been this troublesome.
The golden lotus leaf Songchai had left behind was also carried by Li Zhen.
Though it had shown no reaction to the Ghost Child, he was certain it wasn’t useless—it might yet prove helpful.
Along with the spear-like talisman and other supplies in Li Zhen’s backpack, their preparations were actually quite thorough.
Ma Gusu’s residence was extremely remote, with no neighbors within a mile or two.
To avoid alerting him, the two had parked far away and spent a long time creeping through the dark to reach this spot.
Mosquitoes buzzed incessantly, driving them to the brink of irritation.
Neither dared make too much noise or turn on their flashlights to check the time.
The waiting was torturous.
Until faint screams echoed from within the house ahead—both men knew that Master Wan Madama had begun breaking the curse.
“It’s started!”
Wong Kam-Sun led the way, following the pre-scouted path toward the house.
Agile and precise, he moved without much difficulty even in the dark.
Li Zhen followed close behind.
Wong Kam-Sun vaulted the half-man-tall courtyard wall first, then helped Li Zhen over.
The wall, made of dry timber, creaked under Li Zhen’s weight.
As he straightened his clothes, a low growl suddenly sounded behind him.
A sharp sense of danger made the hair on his back stand on end.
He slowly turned toward the darkness, raising his flashlight inch by inch.
Sensing danger too, Wong Kam-Sun mirrored his motion.
The flashlights flicked on.
Three black-furred dogs, each half a man’s height—about the size of small calves—bared their fangs and glared at them, ready to attack.
Li Zhen felt his scalp go numb.
“Those are huge dogs…”
So the Head-Descending master didn’t raise venomous insects—he raised dogs instead?