Astrology Hall with Flesh and Blood

Chapter 13

How could she know? Shui Yun's heart pounded, but she could only deny it vehemently. She absolutely couldn't tell Yan Wuyue about such a shameful experience!

"You worked at Paradise on Earth, and your photo was featured in their promotional brochure..." From those lifeless, soft lips came such explosive information, "And your phone number..."

"Stop talking!" Shui Yun screamed, covering her ears with her hands. "Please stop, I beg you..."

"Is everything real? You really did it there?"

"No! No! No!" Shuiyun cried, tears streaming down her face. "I was just chatting with someone! Nothing else, nothing at all!"

"Just chatting...that's all?" Yan Wuyue's tone suddenly turned sinister. "But Tian Tian and Meng Ying are completely different from what you said!"

"What?" Shui Yun suddenly looked up, completely bewildered. "You mean Tian Tian? How do you know her?"

"When you first came to City C, Senior Tian Tian should have just died!"

A hint of murderous intent appeared on Yan Wuyue's lips. "You're absolutely right... It was around that time that I met her and learned about your past of selling yourself from her."

"When I fed her the poison..."

"Whoa!!!" Shui Yun was so frightened that she took a few steps back. In front of her, Yan Wuyue had a ferocious face with bulging veins—when had she ever seen such a fierce and evil-looking person? She turned to run away, but Yan Wuyue took the initiative and pressed down on the dormitory door. Then, in front of her, he locked the door from the inside and put the key into his pocket.

"Those two weren't lying, were they?" Yan Wuyue's face was chilling. "You went to 'sell' yourself, didn't you?"

Shui Yun was so frightened she couldn't utter a word. The black hole of fear in her heart expanded and deepened, threatening to engulf her—Yan Wuyue suddenly roared:

"You'd rather sell it than give it to me!"

She grabbed Shui Yun's slender waist and shoved her heavily onto the bed. Then, she straddled her, her hands clasped around Shui Yun's delicate neck. The immense force of the impact made it difficult for Shui Yun to breathe. Instinctively, she thrashed and kicked wildly, but Yan Wuyue's strength was extraordinary, firmly suppressing any resistance. Her hands gripped her neck as tightly as an iron barrel.

It was almost as strong as a man's.

Volume One: The Seven Deadly Sins - Wrath: The Tragedy of Doremi (Part Nine) - End

A black figure silently drifted into the dormitory. Without knocking or unlocking, the figure seemed to fly in through a vent in the door. The two women, locked in a fierce struggle on their beds, were completely unaware that the figure was watching them with a mocking gaze.

“Go have some fun,” a man commanded, “Midnight.”

"Yes!" What an energetic reply. The doll named Maya suddenly sprang from the astrologer's shoulder, landing squarely on Yan Wuyue's back. Then, aiming at her bare nape, it bit down viciously—a red light burst from Maya's mouth, Yan Wuyue's body convulsed strangely, and she suddenly collapsed heavily, motionless. Shui Yun, exhausted from struggling, finally fainted under the weight of the attack.

The astrologer clapped his hands. "Impressive. You've improved a lot in recent decades."

“Of course!” Even though she was panting heavily, Maya still couldn’t resist patting herself on the back. “I am the greatest and most powerful psychic in history—a woman…”

Before she could finish speaking, the red light shot out like an arrow from her half-open mouth. The astrologer was clearly startled; his pure white gloves barely grazed the edge of the red light, just a step away from capturing it completely. "It escaped?" he couldn't help but worry. "Maya, are you alright?"

"Thank goodness..." The beads of sweat on her forehead suggested that Maya's condition was far worse than "thank goodness." "I was just careless for a moment, sir. I'll get it back right away!"

The astrologer silently extended his hand. "Come sit down," he said gently. "Next time, let me have my turn, okay?"

They followed the trail of the red light. Along the way, Maya reminded him, "Don't underestimate that thing, sir. It's a real piece of junk, burning hot!"

“I know,” the astrologer replied. “Even someone as emotionally detached as Yan Wuyue was possessed by it, and it manipulated her body and mind with complete ease, which shows how strong its will was… Is this the so-called power of 'Mars'?”

A red light flew into a dormitory room and entered the ear of a boy lying on his bed. The boy was still fast asleep, completely unaware that the astrologer was standing before him, staring at him with an emotionless, cold gaze. The astrologer slowly leaned down, a sinister smile spreading across his face, his mouth gradually widening…

October 4 Sunny

They arrived in City C alone, but left as a trio—no, to be precise, one person, one ghoul, and one doll, a total of three. Although they didn't quite understand why Yan Wuyue was returning with a traveling astrologer, Shui Yun and Xie Fengze still saw them off at the train station. The astrologer breathed a sigh of relief that Xie Fengze hadn't recognized him. "He ate so cleanly," he praised Maya, "even erasing my memories of astrology for him? Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah, look how much I've stretched my stomach for you! I definitely have to lose weight when I get back! You have to be grateful, you know? I need to take a bath, a 'blood bath,' you understand?"

Yan Wuyue remained silent, her expression somber. In fact, from her conversation with Xie Fengze on the 3rd until the morning of the 4th, she had no recollection of her actions. When she awoke from her coma, the first thing she saw was the astrologer's pale face; even more terrifying, he was smiling.

"Huh! What are you doing here?" she exclaimed in surprise.

"Because I'm worried about your safety!" he replied with a smile. "When you're in danger, I'll appear with a 'bang'!"

"From...H City to here? A distance of four or five hundred kilometers?"

"Yes!" He nodded seriously, "It only takes a moment."

"My God, what kind of monster is he?!" she groaned, suddenly sensing something was wrong. The doll Maya on the astrologer's shoulder faintly glowed with a red light, which then scattered in all directions.

She spoke, and it was a man's voice that sounded familiar.

"That was in early September. A classmate of mine was here on business and took the opportunity to catch up with me. After we had a few drinks, he suggested that we hire 'escort girls'. At that time, there were 'paradise on earth' flyers being distributed everywhere on the street, so I decided to give it a try and dialed the number for 'paradise on earth,' making it clear that I didn't want anyone who wasn't a college student."

"Soon a girl came over. At first, we were just having a normal chat, but then they started talking in a more and more suggestive and explicit way, so I had no choice but to let them be. My classmate asked her if she was a virgin, and the girl frankly said she could introduce him to someone, but the 'virginity-breaking' fee would be very high. She even took out some picture books. My classmate praised a few of them highly, and when I saw them, I was furious. It was Shuiyun!"

“I have no recollection of what they did after that. I only remember having a dream where I was lying on a bed in a strange house, and the girl from before was sleeping next to me. I immediately woke her up and questioned her about Shuiyun. She replied that she had heard Shuiyun used to be a prostitute, but she doesn’t anymore.”

"This is outrageous! Hearing this, I couldn't contain my anger and almost strangled her to death on the spot! But I remained remarkably calm: after she fell asleep again, I tiptoed out of bed and turned on the gas valve—I only found out the next day when I woke up that a girl from E University had died of carbon monoxide poisoning. But I really didn't care, it was just a dream after all."

"The only person I care about is Shuiyun. If she were truly a vain and frivolous girl, she wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of money. So I kept trying to entice her with material things, implying that she could get more if she complied with my demands, but her answer was always the same: no. Now I can rest easy."

"However, the room where the girl was poisoned has appeared repeatedly in my dreams ever since. Each time, I am like a god, looking down from the high clouds at the men and women coming and going. Finally, one time, I saw a familiar figure."

"Tian Tian".

"She was arm in arm with a fat old man, and she was very flirtatious. I was eager to find out what was going on, so I went over to her. Before I knew it, she was already holding my arm and giving me a flirty look."

"Possession," the astrologer interjected, "and the ability to switch freely between different bodies. I never imagined that a living being could be so powerful. No wonder Maya couldn't capture you alone... As far as I know, perhaps only Rokujo no Miyasudokoro from The Tale of Genji can rival you."

Maya seemed to pause for a moment, then continued, "...When Tian Tian confirmed what that E University girl said, the volcano in my heart finally erupted! Shui Yun was my first love, the only person I loved wholeheartedly. I was completely devoted to her, utterly loyal, and never even glanced at other women, but how did she treat me? A prostitute, a prostitute!!!"

"I'm determined to take revenge, not only on Shui Yun, but also on those female college students who sell themselves behind their boyfriends' backs. They pretend to be innocent and charming to seduce boys. Prostitutes, they're all prostitutes! They all have to die! Tian Tian deserves to die first!"

"So, you wrote the words 'prostitute Duo' on Tian Tian's chest?" Yan Wuyue asked.

"That's right! Do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti, one person dies every day, haha... But every time I wake up, I just feel like it was a bloody and overly realistic dream. Seeing Shuiyun heartbroken because of Tiantian's death, I also feel very sad. But strangely, once I start dreaming, I can't stop, whether it's the hatred for Shuiyun or the pleasure of killing... I can't stop even if I want to!"

"And so, you possessed the bodies of three, no, four clients, and committed these four murders through their hands. All five of you were both murderers and not murderers. In the end, that Wang guy was unlucky enough not to leave the murder scene, and thus became the 'Do-Re-Mi' serial killer... Finally, you even wanted to use Yan Wuyue to strangle Shui Yun. Am I right, sir?"

Maya's eyes widened in surprise. "You are... an astrologer from the Yin-Yang Demon Sect?"

“I warned you long ago, guest,” the astrologer said with a sinister smile, “be careful of your 'Mars.' Now,” he coldly added, “those who play with fire will get burned, and you’ve burned yourself to death.”

...Yan Wuyue's gaze swept across the fleeting glimpse of the woods outside the window. Maya had already fallen asleep in the astrologer's arms. "This is the first time she has fought against such a powerful being. Her mental strength is probably already weakened to the point of collapse." He lovingly stroked Maya's black hair.

"Xie Fengze...is he alright?" she asked in a low voice. "Even though Maya absorbed his dream, what if he remembers it later..."

The astrologer gazed at her calmly. "Yan Wuyue, do you believe in the soul?"

Uh… With so many paranormal events happening around me, I can’t just deny it against my conscience, but… “I’m an atheist,” she closed her eyes, “and I believe there’s always a scientific explanation for everything.”

“Oh. I forgot you’re not superstitious,” he said, raising his chin dramatically. “Then let me put it another way. Do you believe that human consciousness can exist independently of the body?”

Before she could answer, he continued, "You know what a 'near-death experience' is, right?"

Near-death experiences, also known as near-death experiences, refer to the profound subjective experiences described by individuals who have suffered severe trauma or illness but unexpectedly recovered, as if death were imminent. These experiences typically involve a feeling of the soul leaving the body, a blissful sensation beyond words. This phenomenon was described as early as over two thousand years ago in Plato's *Republic* and remains quite common today. It is said that when meditation, such as Zen and yoga, reaches its peak, one experiences a trance-like feeling of instantaneous understanding of the universe's true meaning—the so-called 'highest experience' or liberation. Modern people often achieve this through hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD-25 and PCP, commonly known as 'angel dust,' while American psychiatrist Dr. George Reilly invented an insulated water tank to achieve a state of detachment from the body by isolating the five senses.

"Now you understand, right? Xie Fengze, with just the power of his rage, accomplished what others need—'consciousness leaving the body'—that others need hallucinogens or insulated water tanks to achieve. He can also suppress the consciousness of others and seize their bodies. Isn't that power amazing and terrifying?"

"But he still killed four people! Even if he used someone else, even if it was in a dream, he's still a murderer! How can we just let it go? Meng Ying and the others who died were so wronged!"

"A murderer?" The astrologer clasped his hands together. "There is no murderer here, only a tragedy, a tragedy for society..."

From love arises sorrow; from love arises fear. If one is free from love, there is neither sorrow nor fear. —Diamond Sutra

C City Daily: As the investigation into the "Do-Re-Mi" serial murders continues, a large-scale prostitution company operating under the guise of tour guide services, public relations, and business translation has been exposed. The company recruited a large number of female university students for prostitution; the girls murdered during the National Day holiday in October were employees of this company. This case has implicated female university students from several universities in the city, with the exact number of students involved unknown. The case is still under further investigation…

Book One: The Seven Deadly Sins - Greed: The Return of the God of Wealth (Part 1)

Jim and Lucy are a trendy white-collar couple, the petit-bourgeoisie. They meticulously adhere to the petit-bourgeois lifestyle standards outlined in *Shanghai Weekly*, rigorously regulating their every move. Earning just over ten thousand yuan a month, their only regret is not being able to settle down in the glittering world of Shanghai, only able to gaze longingly at the Oriental Pearl Tower, affectionately known as the "Magic City," with sighs of longing. H City lacks the fertile ground for the petit-bourgeoisie; even with Pizza Hut and Starbucks, as Lucy disdainfully puts it, "they all exude a kind of tacky charm!"

Lucy is the epitome of a fashionable office lady, lauded by fashion magazines. She constantly talks about Ports, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel, and Cartier, as if she lives surrounded by luxury goods, even though she's never actually used any of them. At most, she drives a Polo, strutting into the office with the smugness of Lancôme, her gait reminiscent of a queen. At home, however, she's practically a housewife, earning only half her husband's salary. Including their year-end bonus, Jim and Lucy's total annual income is around 150,000 yuan, less than a third of the value of their rented apartment, yet this doesn't stop them from spending lavishly. They eat American T-bone steaks and Australian lobsters, sometimes indulging in a French dinner with red wine and candlelight. As a result, they're always living beyond their means, having to borrow money to make ends meet in the second half of the month, anxiously awaiting the next paycheck. Fortunately, neither of them has elderly parents to support, which saves them from the cost of caring for their parents, but also means they can no longer ask their parents for money in times of difficulty. They are definitely living paycheck to paycheck, but due to natural reasons, they can no longer continue to "leech off their parents".

Jim and Lucy were much richer than the average person, but in order to maintain their frighteningly high consumption, they wanted more. So the couple started investing in stocks. At first, they were in the midst of a bull market and made a small fortune. But soon, as stock prices fell, they lost more and more until all their stocks hit their daily limit down – in other words, they were "trapped".

That day, Jim shook off his usual gloom and excitedly showed Lucy a letter.

"Pah, I thought it was some kind of happy occasion!" Lucy cursed as soon as she saw the signature on the envelope. "Isn't it just your old aunt? Why is she contacting us for no reason? Is she here to borrow money?"

Jim waved his finger triumphantly in front of her. “No, no, Darling! My aunt said she’s all alone in her old age and wants to come live with me, her only relative. In other words,” he looked at his wife smugly, “she wants to live with us.”

"What!" Lucy screamed in protest, but before she could erupt in a furious rebuttal, Jim silenced her with a single, cursing remark:

“My aunt is very rich, with at least several million in assets.”

This money originally came from his aunt's only son, Jim's cousin, Jia Dayou. From a young age, Jim looked down on his cousin, who was always idle and irresponsible, serving as a negative example for the family, highlighting Jim's diligent and studious nature. Jia Dayou dropped out of school before finishing junior high and started his business as a construction worker and contractor. Within ten years, he established Jia's Construction Company, a model of self-made success. Compared to Jim, who spent twenty years buried in his studies, Jia Dayou wielded considerable influence in society, enjoying unparalleled success. If it weren't for a migrant worker, filled with resentment over unpaid wages, stabbing him to death, Jia's Company could have climbed even higher on the wealth rankings. His passing left behind a mess: his partners absconded with the money, several mistresses fought over the inheritance, and none of the legitimate heirs of the Jia family remained—all because of his carefree lifestyle and refusal to marry and have children! The enormous family fortune was instantly shattered, leaving his mother with only a small fraction of what it had been at its peak: millions in cash and real estate.

Even if it's only a few million, it's still an enviable number.

"What are you waiting for? Quickly invite the old man over!" Lucy immediately put on a welcoming smile and ordered her husband. Jim, who always obeyed his wife, was no exception and immediately replied with a beaming smile.

My aunt replied that she would come over on the evening of the 25th.

On the 24th and 25th, the couple was incredibly busy. To show their respect, they specially vacated their bedroom, along with their expensive imported water chestnut wood double bed and all the IKEA furniture, giving it all to the elderly lady; they moved to the small guest room next door, squeezing themselves into a single bed and suffering the discomfort. Considering that the 25th was Thanksgiving, an important day to welcome their aunt home, they also meticulously prepared a sumptuous Thanksgiving meal, guaranteed to delight her!

On the afternoon of the 25th, Lucy took a day off to go to Carrefour supermarket to buy dinner. She chose a bottle of Bordeaux red wine from France, Italian balsamic vinegar salad dressing, imported fruits and various lettuces, and roasted turkey as her main dish. In short, everything she should eat for Thanksgiving. Ahead of the checkout line was a tall man dressed in all black, wearing a wide-brimmed black hat even in the warm supermarket. He was probably a foreigner, Lucy thought, because half of his hair was white, and his facial features were much more defined than those of the average Asian, especially his profile, which was like a Roman sculpture, sharp and particularly charming. He was carrying an eight-pack of plain yogurt in his arms and two cartons of Tetra Pak yogurt in his hands, nothing else.

She had bought so many things that it took the two cashiers a tremendous amount of effort to stuff them all into five large plastic bags and barely manage to pack them up. How could a woman like her have the strength to carry so many things? She secretly regretted not asking Jim to come along. Just as she was worrying about these bags, a pair of large hands wearing snow-white gloves reached out to her:

"Do you need any help, miss?"

Book One: The Seven Deadly Sins - Greed: The Return of the God of Wealth (Part 2)

"Thanks very much!" Upon seeing the man's striking features, the English words slipped out. Immediately, she and the man laughed simultaneously. Since they both understood Chinese, why speak English?

The man did indeed help a lot, and it wasn't until he put her in the Polo that she realized she had forgotten to ask who he was.

“I’m an astrologer,” the man replied modestly. “I live at 666 Frozen Street. You can come to me anytime.” A strange smile flickered in his eyes. “It would be my life’s honor to serve you.”

His eyes were ice-green, even more beautiful than she had imagined.

Dinner was being prepared with great fanfare, a testament to her hard work. Jim had promised to come home and help as soon as he got off work, but he was nowhere to be seen even after all the ingredients were ready, much to Lucy's frustration. She angrily sliced the Fuji apples into thin slices to finish the final fruit salad, while the fragrant roast turkey stood ready for its meal. In the center of the IKEA oak dining table sat several bouquets of flowers, and small red candles flickered with a soft glow. Neatly arranged on either side were Bohemian crystal glasses, a Belgian royal coffee pot, gleaming cutlery, and jade-like Jingdezhen porcelain plates, all swaying gracefully in the candlelight. Everything looked perfect, so Lucy turned off the crystal chandelier in the living room, admiring her masterpiece with a sense of pride.

The doorbell rang at the most inopportune moment. That damn Jim, only now does he realize he's home! Without even taking off her apron, she rushed over. Standing outside was a kind-looking old lady. Upon seeing Lucy holding a gleaming fruit knife and looking menacing, she rolled her eyes and collapsed into Jim's arms. Damn this feast, damn this Thanksgiving! All ruined!

"It's all your fault," Lucy complained to her husband. He went to pick up her aunt from the train station without telling her, scaring her aunt half to death. Luckily, she received timely medical attention and survived. Her aunt has a serious heart condition, and Jim told his wife to be extra careful in the future.

What if her aunt had really died of fright? What would have happened to her fortune...? The thought sent a surge of heat through Lucy's body. She carefully suppressed her guilt while cautiously inquiring about her aunt's condition. The doctor had instructed the old woman to rest absolutely and avoid any physical exertion. Now, not only was her aunt lying in bed all day, legitimately being waited on hand and foot, but even the most mundane tasks like defecating and urinating had to be done for her. Of course, this person serving her couldn't be anyone else but her niece-in-law, Lucy. However, how could Lucy, a fashionable woman, tolerate such sordid affairs? She hired several maids to share the housework, but the old lady complained about the maids' cooking and the scalding hot water they brought for washing her feet. Only when Lucy herself took over did her aunt reluctantly agree. Seeing this, Jim, who was completely unaware of what was going on, kept praising his wife for being capable, without understanding the real situation at all.

“The truth is, she must still be holding a grudge about what happened on Thanksgiving,” Lucy couldn’t help but pour out her grievances to her husband on the pillow. “But I didn’t do it on purpose!”

“Although my aunt almost met her demise because of you, I don’t think she’s a petty person,” Jim said dismissively. “After all, it’s inevitable that someone who has been wealthy can be a little picky about life. The fact that she’s not so picky about you shows that you’re very much to her liking, doesn’t it? I think that’s good enough.” He turned over heavily, almost falling asleep. “I’m afraid you’re being too sensitive.”

"You don't understand, she's deliberately tormenting me, going against me..." She glanced at her husband's retreating figure with a wronged expression, "It's only targeting me. She still loves you so much..."

However, her husband wasn't listening at all; he had already turned his head to one side and fallen asleep.

To save time, they often eat oatmeal porridge with milk in the morning. They simply add instant oatmeal to boiling water and then pour in fresh milk. It's simple, quick, and a nutritious breakfast for the whole family is ready. When their aunt came, it was the same. One day, the old lady took a bite, her face immediately darkened, and she spat it out onto the Shengxiang brand Stockholm cherry wood flooring, which cost 700 yuan per square meter.

"This porridge is sour!" she yelled angrily at Lucy. "Are you trying to poison me?"

Sure enough, it was deliberate provocation. Lucy was only concerned about the floor; she spat the phlegm precisely into the crack between the floorboards, about to seep into the underfloor timber. Jim, who came over at the sound, tasted it; it had a slightly sour taste, but that was the normal flavor of oatmeal, not something poisonous. Caught between the two women's grievances, he was in a difficult position and could only vaguely suggest making another breakfast for his aunt. Lucy anxiously argued with her husband, saying everyone was drinking the same porridge, so why was she being so difficult? Before she could finish speaking, her husband launched into a tirade:

"You're so ignorant! Do you think your aunt is like us? She's a millionaire! How can we not treat her well and keep her happy? Hurry up and make another breakfast, and respectfully invite the old lady to eat!"