The Mirror Master

The events at the Lu Residence over the past month had been bizarre in every way. Family members had died one after another in unnatural ways.

Their deaths varied, but none showed any sign of foul play. They all looked like accidents.

The previous owner of this body had fled the town to seek refuge, only to suddenly go mad in the night. He lost his mind, terrified by something unseen, and sprinted wildly until he fell off a cliff, dying on the spot.

When Lu Bai transmigrated, the excruciating pain wracking his body was too much to bear, and he too passed out.

In his daze, he felt a hard, foreign object bore into his shattered chest, embedding itself within.

When he awoke, his body had completely healed, without a single scar in sight.

His clothes were torn in several places, but there wasn’t a trace of blood.

The two guards had long since fled. He was in the middle of nowhere; forget bandits and robbers, even an encounter with a ferocious beast would have been a death sentence.

Although his family had met with calamity, at least there were people back in town. Lu Bai decided to return to Liuxi Town first and figure things out from there.

He didn’t know when the Black Dog had appeared, but it was sitting beside him, watching him silently. He had no idea how long it had been guarding him.

When Lu Bai got up to leave, the Black Dog followed.

When Lu Bai stopped, the Black Dog stopped too.

Lu Bai paid it no more mind and let the Black Dog trail along beside him.

Skeletons littered the landscape as far as the eye could see, a grim and terrifying sight. Lu Bai had no desire to linger. He stumbled toward Liuxi Town, processing the original owner’s memories along the way.

"Madam, we just handed over the family fortune Master left behind. What are we going to do now?"

Uncle Fu sighed.

Wang shi looked exhausted. "We’re not fighting anymore. A widow and her orphan son can’t win. As long as Ah Bai is alive, let them have it."

"Fusheng, you’re getting old. You should find another path for yourself soon. If you stay with us, I’m afraid you’ll only suffer more hardship."

Uncle Fu quickly replied, "Madam, what are you saying? The Master was so good to me; I could never repay his kindness in this lifetime. As long as I can still move, I will never abandon you and the Young Master."

Still, Uncle Fu couldn’t accept it. "Madam, how about I pay a visit to the Chen Martial Arts Hall tomorrow? I could ask Hall Master Chen to intervene. He and the Master were good friends; perhaps he’d be willing to help us seek justice."

"Besides, the Younger Young Master is still engaged to Hall Master Chen’s daughter."

Wang shi shook her head and gave a bitter smile. "With our family in this state, I’m afraid Hall Master Chen won’t agree to the marriage anymore."

Uncle Fu fell silent.

Lately, the Lu Residence had become a symbol of disaster. The neighbors in Liuxi Town avoided it like the plague. Who would be willing to help them now?

Once the master died, the fair-weather friends were gone.

’Everything was going so well. How did it come to this?’

Uncle Fu gazed at the newly renovated and expanded residence around them and let out a deep sigh.

The Eldest Young Master, Lu Yun, had been an upright and honorable man, quite talented in the Martial Dao. His Root Bone Stage was nearing Perfection, and he had been expected to enter Bluestone Academy in Bluestone County to advance his Cultivation.

While traveling the Jianghu, he had even met the young lady of the Luo Family, a prominent and prestigious clan from Bluestone County. The two had fallen in love at first sight.

For the Lu Family, it was a chance to marry up.

Although there were some setbacks, Lu Yun and the Luo Family’s young lady were deeply in love and insisted on being together, so the Luo Family eventually agreed.

By becoming in-laws with the Luo Family of Bluestone County, Lu Yun’s future would have been limitless, and the Lu Family was sure to become even more prosperous.

The Younger Young Master, though skilled in neither literature nor martial arts, was at least honest and righteous. Matchmakers had been knocking at their door in a constant stream.

It was out of respect for his friendship with Hall Master Chen that the Master had arranged the engagement with his daughter.

The Master, fearing he might slight the Luo Family’s young lady, had specifically hired numerous craftsmen to expand and renovate the residence.

But the residence had just been finished, before they could even go to Bluestone County for the wedding procession to bring her home, Lu Yun had met with disaster.

Immediately after, a series of strange events began, one after another.

In just over a month, the Lu Family had fallen from the height of its power to its current state of ruin and death.

At first, the Master suspected that evil spirits were at work and even invited some monks and Daoists to perform rituals, but it was no use.

Madam had also started suffering from headaches these past few days, unable to sleep through the night. Several doctors had been consulted, but none could find the source of the illness. ’Don’t tell me Madam is also going to...’

Uncle Fu felt a deep sense of helplessness and fear.

The Black Dog was digging persistently in the dirt, going deeper and deeper until it had excavated a large pit at the base of the wall.

The three people in the courtyard were lost in their worries, and no one paid it any mind.

Lu Bai was also sorting through the original owner’s memories, trying to find some clues.

’There has to be a reason for the calamities that have befallen the Lu Residence.’

Ever since entering the residence, Lu Bai had felt a faint sense of unease.

If he couldn’t find the source of the danger, he wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully tonight, let alone survive the next forty days.

Just then, Lu Bai felt something at his feet.

He looked down and saw that the Black Dog had come to his side at some point. It was gently tugging on his trouser leg, as if trying to lead him somewhere.

The Black Dog was as skinny as a skeleton, but its eyes were exceptionally bright in the darkness, showing a great deal of spiritual awareness.

Lu Bai followed the direction the dog was pulling and, after a short walk, arrived at the base of the wall.

The Black Dog stood at the edge of the pit it had just dug, staring intently inside.

Lu Bai took a step forward and looked down.

There, at the bottom of the large pit, lay a rectangular object wrapped in white cloth. He couldn’t tell what was inside.

Lu Bai was about to jump into the pit to investigate but stopped himself. Wary, he turned to Uncle Fu and asked, "What’s buried down there?"

Seeing what was happening, Wang shi and Uncle Fu came over as well.

Wang shi was puzzled. "What is this? I never heard of the Master burying anything down here."

"I haven’t either."

Uncle Fu crouched by the pit, picked up the object, wiped off the dirt, and tested its weight.

Then, he slowly unwrapped the white cloth, revealing a perfectly square brick inside.

Lu Bai’s gaze sharpened, as if he had thought of something.

"Why would a perfectly good brick be wrapped in white—"

Before Uncle Fu could finish, his expression suddenly changed. He stammered, "This... this... could it be..."

"What is it?" Wang shi pressed.

"Brick Mourning," Lu Bai said softly.

"So it really is that thing!"

Hearing Lu Bai say it aloud, Uncle Fu no longer had any doubts and cried out in alarm.

Lu Bai asked with feigned casualness, "You’ve heard of it, Uncle Fu?"

Uncle Fu said, "Many years ago, I heard a Wandering Sorcerer mention it. I just listened to it as a ghost story and didn’t take it seriously. I never thought such an Evil Technique actually existed in this world!"

"What is ’Brick Mourning’? Are our family’s misfortunes related to this thing?" Wang shi asked in confusion, pressing for an answer.

Uncle Fu said, "According to that Wandering Sorcerer, this is a type of Evil Suppression Technique, an ancient Evil Technique. If you wrap a brick in white cloth and bury it in the walls or at the base of a residence’s wall, it can cause the master of the house to suffer a violent death."

Lu Bai had read many books on this topic in his past life.

The Evil Suppression Technique has existed since ancient times. The name itself implies suppressing and overpowering something through a medium.

Using objects for suppression was originally meant to ward off misfortune, seek good luck, and prevent disasters before they happened.

The line from the poem, "As the sun brightens thousands of doors, new peach talismans always replace the old," refers to Peach Talismans, which are a type of suppression object.

Later developments included items like Jade Beast Tokens, Peach People, swords, and images of Gate Gods.

’A Peach Talisman?’

A thought stirred in Lu Bai’s mind.

He had a Peach Talisman on him.

His cousin, Lu Yao, had given it to him when she came to see him off before he left town.

"Just a single brick... can it really be that powerful? Powerful enough to kill so many people?"

Wang shi seemed terrified, muttering to herself.

The matter sounded too fantastical, completely beyond her understanding.

In many books from his previous life, there were indeed records of such magic techniques being used to harm people.

Witchcraft and Gu Techniques, as well as using paper effigies for curses, all fell into this category.

The accounts in some myths and legends were even more terrifying. At its peak, the Evil Suppression Technique could even be used to kill an enemy from a distance with a curse, making it impossible to guard against!

Compared to that, the Brick Mourning before them was just a minor trick.

’This world is even more bizarre and dangerous than I imagined!’

Now that he had found the source of the Lu Residence’s misfortunes, Lu Bai actually calmed down. His gaze, however, swept over Uncle Fu, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

Uncle Fu looked at the brick in his hand.

There was nothing on the front. He turned the brick over, and on the back were a few horrifying words written in blood—Family ruined, line extinguished!

"HISS!"

Uncle Fu suddenly felt a chill run up his spine.

"Why would such a vicious thing be in our home? Who buried it?"

Wang shi’s expression was a mixture of shock and suspicion.

Lu Bai pondered for a moment before saying, "This is a branch of the Evil Suppression Technique known as Carpenter’s Suppression.

"Someone must have taken the opportunity to bury this over a month ago, when the Lu Residence was being renovated and expanded."

"That’s right!"

Uncle Fu nodded. "The timing fits perfectly. It was only after the renovations were completed that the string of calamities began."

Wang shi said, "Tomorrow, we’ll report this to the Government Office and have them bring in all the carpenters who worked on the residence. We must get to the bottom of this."

Uncle Fu hesitated. "This matter is so bizarre. Will the Government Office even believe us?

"Besides, there were many people working on the renovations during that time—not just carpenters, but also apprentices and other craftsmen.

"With so many people, some of them have probably already left Liuxi Town. It would be impossible to find them all."

In Lu Bai’s opinion, even if they could gather everyone, it wouldn’t yield any results.

Now that the plot was exposed, who would be foolish enough to admit they did it?

Moreover, the brick could have been buried by an outsider, or it could have been planted by someone from the Lu Residence during the chaos.

"Then what should we do?"

"In all these years, I’ve never heard of the Master making any enemies. How could someone be so vicious as to harm us in secret?"

Having never experienced such a bizarre event, Wang shi was at a loss.

Uncle Fu had never dealt with anything like this either. He felt lost and subconsciously looked toward Lu Bai.

Lu Bai said calmly, "Uncle Fu, take it and burn it."

"Burn it?"

Uncle Fu was taken aback.

With that thought, Uncle Fu walked over to the nearby brazier.

The brazier still contained some embers from burnt paper offerings. A gust of wind fanned them, causing them to glow with tiny sparks.

Uncle Fu first tossed the white cloth in.

As soon as it touched the sparks, the white cloth quickly ignited.

Then, Uncle Fu threw the brick in as well.

Normally, something like a brick wouldn’t burn easily.

But now, as soon as the brick touched the surrounding sparks, WHOOSH! It suddenly erupted in a column of eerie green flame that shot into the sky!

Wang shi’s face was filled with terror, and Uncle Fu was so startled he stumbled back two steps.

Flames of that color were no ordinary fire!

In the time it took to draw a dozen or so breaths, the brick turned to ash before their very eyes, burning away until not even a speck remained.

Although Carpenter’s Suppression was vicious, once discovered, there were corresponding countermeasures.

For a technique like Brick Mourning, if it was found, one could throw the brick into boiling oil or a fire, and the caster would suffer a backlash.

The more ruthless the Evil Suppression Technique, the more violent the backlash!

However, Lu Bai couldn’t be certain if this method would actually work. He would likely have to wait and see for verification.

"This..."

Uncle Fu, recovering from his shock, sounded regretful. "But that was the only piece of evidence. We just destroyed it."

Lu Bai didn’t explain. He just said, "Mother, Uncle Fu, I’m going back to my room to rest. You two should get some rest as well."

Wang shi asked with concern, "Ah Bai, you must be hungry, right? Why don’t you have something to eat first?"

"I’m not hungry, just sleepy."

Lu Bai yawned repeatedly and, using that as an excuse, turned to leave.

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