“Yes, whatever it is, it is definitely a foul creature that could spread curses through tact.” After examining the gashes on Samantha’s forearm, Tae Kuo reached a simir clusion as Gyuu Park: “And - though a curse, it’s not anything immediately damaging, as far as I tell. It’s not ing your energy, vitality, and as far as I tell it’s not affeg your mind, yet - ”

  “But - it’s bound to be doing SOMETHING, I mean, what’s the point of a curse anyway?” Sue shook her head: “And - you remove it?”

  “That’s the thing, we don’t uand it, so it’s gonna take at least a bit of time and effort.” Tae Kuo sighed with a heavy frown on his face: “It’s definitely not as easy as we’d like. And in the worst case sari to resolve it or remove it could lead to more unwanted ges.”

  “... but it’s defiime we did not have.” Gyuu Park sighed.

  “Well, then, aren’t we in a pickle.” Tae Kuo shook his head: “We should go to Kshiti Temple.”

  “’t, they don’t live here, it could take weeks for them to see us.” Gyuu Park shook his head as well.

  “But - this is a curse. Wouldn’t they treat this with some urgency?” Brian asked.

  “We try - maybe even today.” Gyuu Park sighed: “I will o draft a letter of introdu to them. It might not help but we’ve gotta try. You know how they are with outsiders, and - if they find out you’re actually transpnts… So, don’t talk about this unless you have to.”

  “I think they’ll still help.” Tae Kuo looked at the Teiths, then sighed: “I’ll sigter with you. I know about the agreement, but this is about a curse of unknown effect, left by a clearly malicious entity. I think they’d want to take a look. If not, I’ll try to request the audience of an elder.”

  “Why? Why wouldn’t the temple help us?” Kevin looked at both Gyuu Park and Tae Kuo, then fixed his eyes on Gloria.

  “It’s plicated. But the simple answer is, the temples were attacked by the people iher districts, and so the temples swore to never aid ahat still lives iher districts.” Gloria sighed: “But - ”

  “What if they have been living in our district?” Luoshan Zi asked.

  Gloria immediately turo her boss: “Luoshan, you don’t o…”

  “Yeah, no - I want to help. Because this is a to me as well.” Luoshan Zi smiled and shrugged: “I ot really help you fe your records - not alone, and not to an unreasoent anyways, but I know people who could, so…”

  “Thank you! ” Brian and Samantha immediately stood up and bowed to Luoshan Zi: “Thank you very much!”

  “Don’t mention it. ” Luoshan Zi chuckled: “Any friend of Gloria’s is a friend of mine.”

  “But - in the meantime, let’s first find a pce for our friends to stay, fortify the pce up as much as possible. Then go and see if we seek help from a temples and maybe the unity watd patrol team.” Sue sighed, then raised her hand.

  “Sounds like a pn.” Gyuu Park stood up, but was immediately struck by a sudden wave of dizziness and had to hold the back of the chair he was sitting in for support. He shook it off, then finished his tea: “Let’s go. I’ll get started with the letter.”

  Luoshan Zi closed down her shop early ahe way to the pce she mentiohe Teiths could rent.

  It was a small but cozy looking apartment oh floor of a retively neartment building. The entire unity was half gated - meaning that it was surrounded by a metal fend had a metal gate with a security guard stand, but it did not look like it could stop aermined from ing in.

  The door of the apartment was made of red wood with some simple evil-repelling symbols etched on it. Above it dangled a knot made with red threads and three copper s. On each side of the door, there was one small table, serving as a mini altar for a wooden effigy. The one on the left was a man with a shaven face wielding a giant curved sword, and the one on the right was a man with a long beard wielding a spear.

  From the baly, one could actually see the Kshiti Temple from a distance - it seemed that though the giant inse burners in it were still smoking, there were not many people going in and out of the temple.

  “I - I think this is good already.” Samantha looked around, let out a sigh of relief then hugged Luoshan Zi from the side: “Thank you! Thank you so much!”

  “Yeah, don’t mention it. Just - just be safe.” Luoshan Zi shook her head: “And - I think I have some evil repelling talismans stashed here, I’ll go find it. But uh - I am not privy to the paranormal stuff like Gloria and her friends, so the quality might not be as good.”

  “I help take a look while we’re at it.” Sue raised her hand: “I am no expert, but I do know a thing or two - you know, if everyone is busy - I wanoo.”

  “Sue’s knowledgeable.” “She does.” Tae Kuo and Gloria said at the same time.

  “Do you have a pen and some paper?” Gyuu Park tried looking in a drawer, but then he immediately raised his hand, holding a ball-point-pen and a piece of letter paper. “Nevermind.”

  “The temple looked really empty.” Brian came into the living room from the baly: “Is today some kind of special occasion?”

  “I actually don’t know.” Tae Kuo looked to Gyuu Park, riting the letter on the side.

  “I - don’t ask me, I don’t kher.” Gyuu Park sounded like he wao spit: “I may be a clergyman, but there’s a club out there and it’s hard to get in.”

  “Yeah, but it might not be good news for us.” Tae Kuo sighed.

  “Sorry, we’re not open today.” Tae Kuo’s worries came true, as when they came to the front gate of the Kshiti Temple, two young men dressed in ritualistic clothing stopped them from going in.

  “ we - we at least talk to one of the elders?” Gloria asked: “Or - or send a message in? Please, it’s very important.”

  “Yes, and I have an official letter of introdu.” Gyuu Park handed an envelope, taining his handwritteer and with his and Tae Kuo’s signature on it.

  “I’m sorry, but none of the elders are in today.” One of the young men shook his head: “And we’ve been instructed to not take any messages or deliveries of any kind. If you want, you should be here early the day after tomorrow. Because our clergymen and elders won’t be here tomorrow either.”

  “... shit.” Gyuu Park cursed with lowered voice.

  Gloria’s ph, it was Sue, in a terrible rush: “Gloria! e back! The curse on Samantha’s arm just got worse!”

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