After Nuwa's Forsaken Shade left, even Stella needed several minutes to collect herself. It seemed neither of us had ever encountered such profound Yin-based magic before.
"No!" Stella suddenly declared.
"What no?" I asked, confused.
"Absolutely not! Why should I listen to her? I'm the one calling the shots here! Forcing someone to carry a Corpse-Fetus is going too far!" Stella pouted defiantly, clearly determined to fight for Chloe's sake.
"So... can you handle this old woman?" I asked.
Stella shook her head, showing no confidence whatsoever.
"I can't, but I've got Big Brother!" With these words, Stella immediately vanished into the night before I could even call after her.
This girl... Didn't she promise to help me with work? How could she just leave like that? And who is this "Big Brother" she mentioned? Philip?
"Boss, just let her help if she wants to. We can't afford to cross Nuwa's Forsaken Shade," Stein said, still visibly frightened as he advised me to stay out of it.
Chloe's life is miserable enough already. If I turn away now, her situation will only worsen. Even a stranger like Stella is willing to fight for her - having known Chloe for some time, how could I possibly turn a blind eye?
Stein pointed out that even if I could somehow defeat Nuwa's Forsaken Shade, Mr. Lam of the Lam family would still be a formidable opponent. If my grandfather were here, we might stand a chance, but as a beginner, how could I possibly contend with them?
Speaking of Mr. Lam, I grew curious about his identity. Having not been in Vervecity long, I hadn't heard of many local figures, but fortunately Stein knew all about him.
Stein explained that Mr. Lam's full name is Pierce Lam. In his youth, he specialized in "murder houses."
What's a murder house? It's a property considered unlucky - where murders or accidental deaths have occurred, often haunted.
Such properties typically sell at steep discounts. For example, a house worth one million dollars might sell for $300,000 or less if deemed a murder house.
Pierce would purchase these properties cheaply and resell them at market value while deliberately concealing their history. Once contracts were signed, buyers had no legal recourse against him.
In this day and age, you can't sue someone simply for selling a murder house, especially with signed contracts in place.
Through this business of buying low and selling high, Pierce soon amassed considerable wealth - his profits multiplying many times over. But this deceit came at a cost to his karma. These murder houses carried dark energies and unclean presences. After handling so many, the negative effects eventually caught up with Pierce. Now past forty, he still hasn't produced a single heir.
Later, Pierce consulted a master who told him he could no longer sell murder houses - he needed to perform good deeds instead. Perhaps there was still time to make amends.
Pierce finally heeded the master's advice. He stopped dealing in murder houses and turned to legitimate real estate business, frequently performing charitable acts. A few years later, his wife bore him a son named Simmel.
Beyond the joy of fatherhood, his real estate ventures flourished during these years, making him one of Vervecity's wealthiest men.
Unfortunately, his son Simmel recently died from illness. Now unable to father more children, Pierce faces the extinction of the Lam family line.
With his immense wealth and reputation as one of Vervecity's most ruthless men, the Corpse-Fetus in Chloe's womb represents the Lam family's last hope. If I interfere, Pierce would undoubtedly fight me to the death.
As a newcomer to this world, how could I possibly contend with Vervecity's top tycoon?
While Stein's concerns are valid, I won't abandon Chloe. If possible, I'll see this through to the end.
Late that night, after temporarily setting aside future worries, Stein and I cleaned up and retired. The second floor had three rooms, one of which I allocated to Stein.
Stein didn't disappoint me. The next morning, he brought a client to see me.
Being an orphan raised in an institution, the man he brought was his childhood friend from the orphanage.
Unlike Stein, this Paul stood tall and handsome.
I didn't beat around the bush, asking directly why he wanted a Tattoo of Gods and Ghosts.
Paul stammered hesitantly, as if hiding something, until Stein finally spoke up for him:
"This Paul... he can't perform... down there!"
As a man, I needed no further explanation - one sentence told me everything.
I was puzzled. Couldn't he visit a hospital? How could a mystical tattoo help with this?
Pulling Stein aside, I whispered, "What are you thinking? I'm not a hospital - how could I possibly cure this?"
"Yes, you can! Your grandfather handled similar cases before. Think harder," Stein insisted confidently.
Had he? Did such Tattoos of Gods and Ghosts exist?
I pondered carefully. Yang-themed tattoos definitely didn't have this effect... unless... a Yin-inspired Tattoo?
Reviewing all the Yin-inspired designs in my mind, one finally came to me.
This Yin-inspired Tattoo is called Golden-Scaled Python, a kind of mythological serpent. According to The Classic of Mountains and Seas, the Golden-Scaled Python rides the wind - no ordinary creature. This particular python is known for its extreme "lustfulness." It possesses a water-dividing pearl in its skull, and its tailbone has a hook that can perform intercourse when placed in the mouth, capable of satisfying ten women in a single day. The Huangdi Neijing calls it the most precious treasure - when tattooed on the body, it can make a man vigorous and powerful.
Stein immediately jumped for joy upon hearing this, declaring his brother was saved. "We're all men - you understand how painful that kind of impotence must be," he said.
"Wait, Stein," I hastily interrupted. "This is a Yin-inspired Tattoo. Are you saying my grandfather actually tattooed this on someone before?" I cautioned him not to celebrate prematurely.
Stein nodded emphatically. Yes, it was indeed a Yin-inspired Tattoo - he clearly remembered my grandfather treating similar cases.
I was astonished. "But isn't Yin-inspired Tattoo forbidden in Tattoos of Gods and Ghosts? Grandfather told me this himself. So was Christoph actually telling the truth and not lying to me?"
Stein explained that Tattoos of Gods and Ghosts itself doesn't prohibit Yin-inspired Tattoos - that restriction was added by my grandfather.
"Yin-inspired Tattoos are sinister," he continued. "Humans are born with greed, anger, and foolishness. Under a Yin-inspired Tattoo's influence, these traits can explode without limit until something terrible happens. But the tattoo doesn't cause this - it's the human mind! The tattoo merely provides an outlet for these dark impulses."
"Ultimately, the path is their own choice. If someone dies pursuing wealth, can you blame the money? You can only blame their own corruption. Whether to get a Yin-inspired Tattoo is optional - how you use it depends on you."
Stein's words enlightened me. It's not the Yin-inspired Tattoo that kills people - it's their own minds, their own choices. Take Olivia - greed killed her. Had she stopped earlier, the outcome might have been completely different.
This relates to what I mentioned before - how Olivia's nightmares haunted me until the dwarf's appearance. Stein helped me realize it wasn't my Yin-inspired Tattoo that killed Olivia, but her own insatiable greed!
Since that realization, I've carried no burden about performing Yin-inspired Tattoos. Sometimes I have no choice anyway - how else could I make $100 million in three years?
I remain slightly skeptical though - can this Golden-Scaled Python Tattoo truly cure male impotence? Such effects seem rather... metaphysical.