chapter 39 I am you ===

"Now that I know the truth, I am at ease." The other Thorpe Chen laughed. His figure became blurry, and moments later, it turned into a wisp of smoke. This smoke drifted in mid-air and attached itself to Thorpe Chen's arm, forming a tattoo resembling a flame. In the West, at Kunlun, in a certain cave, a warrior sat cross-legged. He had one eye and one arm, with a fire burning in front of him. Suddenly, the flames roared and shot up to the sky, forming a shape identical to the tattoo on Thorpe Chen's arm. It displayed a bluish-purple colour, with the colours alternating ceaselessly. It then transformed into a massive dragon shadow that soared into the sky. "He awakened, he finally awakened." The old man was visibly excited. "I had arranged this for decades, the destiny of the Purple Star, and it has finally awakened." "Ha ha ha, my good child, it was worth sending you to the mortal realm at your birth. And it was worth defying the heavens, risking my fragile old body to defy fate, to bond you with the one who possessed the Bodhi Heart." "Very soon, once her lotus heart awakens, I will be able to defy fate and command everything..." Suddenly waking up, Thorpe Chen was drenched in cold sweat. The Thorpe Chen inside him had, from that day on, truly died. From then on, he was Thorpe Chen. He would fulfill his promise and ensure that the ones he loved and cherished faced no more humiliation. "Husband, how are you feeling? What happened just now?" Gloria Ye's anxious voice reached his ears. "I'm fine," Thorpe Chen smiled as he straightened up. "I thought... the current you were leaving." Gloria Ye murmured, tears streaming down like rain. "Don't overthink it, why would I leave?" Thorpe Chen looked at her teary face, couldn't help but smile, and held her hand. "In this lifetime, I'll never leave your side. I'm waiting for you to give birth to your child. We'll raise the child together, watch him grow up, and establish a career. This whole life, I'll be with you, through thick and thin." "Thorpe Chen..." Gloria Ye buried herself in Thorpe Chen's embrace and whispered, "Do you know? The past week has been the happiest time of my life because you cared for and pampered me. I'm truly scared that one day I'll wake up and return to my old life." "Don't worry, in this lifetime, I'll always treat you well," Thorpe Chen said softly, holding her close. After sending Gloria Ye home and waiting for her to fall asleep, he got up. He needed to quickly break through the first level of the Tai Xuan Holy Scripture. Otherwise, despite having medical expertise and knowledge in martial arts, he couldn't utilize them to the fullest. He took out a spiritual stone he had used once, placing it by his side, drawing the spiritual energy within. An hour later, the stone turned dark and lifeless. Thorpe Chen shook his head. This spiritual stone was ultimately just a remnant. The last time he used its spiritual energy to break through the Xuanwu Sect Realm, and this time it was completely depleted. He needed to find more spiritual stones. And considering Gloria Ye's busy schedule, he thought about hiring a maid for her. "Haha, bro, where are you? Come out for a drink," Gary's call came in at that moment. Although Gary had an unusual status, he was very amiable and worth befriending. Thorpe Chen left a note for Gloria Ye and then headed out. At the Maple Leaf Club. Gary's friend had already arrived. If they were able to call out to this place, they must have common interests. "Haha, let me introduce. This is Thorpe Chen. I've told you about him, his eye for antiques is precise. Thorpe Chen, this is Amber Huang. His family is in the jewellery and jade business," Gary introduced. "Hello, Amber," Thorpe Chen smiled. "Haha, we're all brothers here. Gary's friend is my friend," Amber Huang laughed heartily, shaking hands with Thorpe Chen. From his demeanour, he seemed straightforward. "Waiter, bring the wine," Gary shouted, then sat down, "Old Huang, is your issue resolved?" "What's there to resolve? I'm so annoyed. If not for your call, I wouldn't have gone out," Amber Huang sighed in frustration. "You're really unlucky. Later, let's drink some hard liquor to shake off the bad luck." Gary laughed. "Amber, recently you've had a streak of misfortune?" Thorpe Chen noticed a black line on Amber Huang's forehead and immediately had an inkling. "Sigh, don't mention it," Amber Huang gave a wry smile. "I've been incredibly unlucky." "Amber, for the past few months, you seem to have been plagued by continuous bad luck, encountering all sorts of unfortunate events?" Thorpe Chen inquired. "How did you know that?" Amber Huang was stunned. "Did Gary tell you?" "I didn't say anything. How did you know, Thorpe Chen?" Gary was taken aback. "Amber, there's a black line on your forehead that runs through your entire face. Also, the heavenly palace in your countenance is ashen, dark, and indistinct. This suggests the ruin of family property, financial deficits, a decline in family fortune, and being plagued by serious illness." Thorpe Chen explained. "Thorpe Chen, you can read faces? Is Old Huang's fortune really that bad? Is there a way to break it?" Gary was shocked. "If I'm not mistaken, did your father suddenly fall seriously ill, and the treasures worth hundreds of millions you bought were fakes, among various other misfortunes like hitting someone while driving?" "How... How did you know that?" Both Gary and Amber Huang were equally shocked. "Fortune-telling can reveal a person's past and future. I saw it from your face," Thorpe Chen smiled. "Is there a solution? Brother Chen, I won't hide it from you, but I've been really down on my luck recently. I even consulted a master, and everything he said made sense, but the problems haven't been resolved," Amber Huang said anxiously. "Amber, you collect antiques. Think about it, did you acquire anything in recent months that you found interesting and have been wearing?" Thorpe Chen asked. "Yes." Amber Huang pondered for a moment, then he slapped his thigh and took off a round blood jade from his neck. "I got this a while ago. I felt that this jade had been nourished and 'brought to life' by human Qi, so I wore it for safety." "Amber, you deal with antiques. Don't you know that ancient jade should not be worn?" Thorpe Chen couldn't help but smile wryly. "There's blood imbibed in your jade, which means it's likely a burial object. Such items have been buried underground with corpses for thousands of years and are imbued with yin energy. Your jade has been eroded by this yin energy, forming a 'jade evil.'" "In minor cases, it affects one's fortune; in serious cases, it leads to the ruin of family and business, as well as chronic illness," Thorpe Chen explained. "Really?" Amber Huang was shocked, his hand trembling as he threw the blood jade to the ground. He looked somewhat pale as he asked, "Bro, what should I do now? Is there any hope for me?" "It's not a big problem. Breaking the 'jade evil' is not difficult," Thorpe Chen reassured, taking a cup and pouring a drink before making a gesture with his right hand and pointing at the cup. "The jade has to be thrown in by Amber himself to break the evil," Thorpe Chen instructed. "Okay." Amber Huang picked up the jade and threw it into the cup. The moment he threw the jade in, there was a hissing sound, and a puff of black smoke rose up. The liquor in the cup boiled as if it had been heated, and amidst it all, they seemed to hear painful screams. It lasted for a full five minutes before the cup calmed down, but the liquor had turned into a thick, blood-red colour. The scene before them left Gary and Amber Huang sweating profusely, especially Amber Huang, who felt he had been wearing something ominous these days. "It's okay now. The 'jade evil' has been broken. No more trouble," Thorpe Chen smiled faintly. "Haha, brother, you are something else," Amber Huang gave a hearty slap on the shoulder. "From now on, you're my brother. Let me have your number, and don't hesitate to tell me if you need anything." "Thorpe Chen, you're incredible. What other surprises do you have for me?" Gary also laughed heartily. "Just some small tricks." Thorpe Chen smiled. "You're too modest, haha. Do you want me to bring a girl over for you?" Gary asked. "No need. I'm a family man. Just here for a drink." Thorpe Chen quickly replied. "Haha, alright then, let's all have a good drink." Amber Huang laughed. After several drinks, Thorpe Chen felt an uncomfortable fullness in his stomach and got up to go to the restroom. Just as he was about to return to the private room, a voice came, "Thorpe Chen, what are you doing here?" Thorpe Chen turned around and saw his sister-in-law Daisy Ye standing behind him, looking suspicious. Daisy Ye was dressed very sexily, with a silk top and a skirt that barely covered her thighs. The place was full of such women, presumably here for fun behind their boyfriends' backs.