Chapter Thirty-Seven: Ghost Embroidery

Page 1 of 3

The next afternoon, in my tattoo shop.

I couldn’t help but smile watching Old Liao fuss over Brother Xiaolin, serving him tea with such devotion. This old swindler certainly had the nerve to play the dutiful host.

After listening to my account, Brother Xiaolin frowned but agreed, “Alright. I’ll go with you tonight and take a look.”

Having secured Brother Xiaolin’s help, I felt much more at ease. Then, I took out the slip of paper he’d given me back then: “Yin-Yang Ghost Embroidery, governed by the Five Elements. Concealed in water, revealed by fire.”

“Brother Xiaolin, my foundation is shallow. Could you shed some light on this?”

He glanced at me and shook his head. “I don’t know the deeper meaning, either. When I was in Beijing, searching for the inheritor of Yin-Yang Embroidery, a man slipped this to me.”

“Someone just gave it to you?”

“He had a tattoo on his arm—a pair of dragons surging from the sea.”

“Twin Dragons Surging from the Sea!” My mind raced. In tattoo circles, that is an exceedingly difficult motif—not only in terms of technique and design, but also for the person bearing it. The pattern features two dragons, one green and one red, their mighty forms stretching from shoulder to wrist. Dragon tattoos command awe among tattooists, each with its own style and significance. According to Brother Xiaolin, though, the dragons on that man’s arm hung their heads low, dejected.

“Oh my, to subdue dragons to such a state—he must be a master!” Old Liao exclaimed in awe.

“Twin Dragons Surging from the Sea…” I fetched my ancient tattoo compendium and compared the rare dragon designs one by one, ruling out possibilities as I went.

Suddenly, Brother Xiaolin slapped his palm on a page. “This is the one!”

I looked down. Under his hand was the infamous “Nine Dragons Dragging the Coffin.”

Page 2 of 3

As its name suggests, “Nine Dragons Dragging the Coffin” depicts nine dragons hauling a coffin—but its intricacy goes far beyond that. The nine dragons in the design are vividly rendered, each with unique colors and forms.

Two silvery dragons soar from above, clutching chains in their mouths. The chains lead to the heart of the design—a bronze coffin, tightly bound with nine black-gold iron chains, as if to keep whatever lies inside from escaping.

Four black dragons coil around the coffin’s four corners—east, south, west, and north—exuding a fierce, ominous aura as they grasp the coffin. Atop it lies a golden dragon, expressionless, resting quietly yet radiating an innate majesty.

On the sides, a green and a red dragon swim downward, still gripping the black-gold chains in their jaws.

This grand, full-back tattoo, when viewed with the center concealed, is precisely the “Twin Dragons Surging from the Sea” Brother Xiaolin described!

What connection does the owner of “Nine Dragons Dragging the Coffin” have with Yin-Yang Embroidery? Two of the calamities fated for me have already appeared—what disasters might they bring? I could not know.

Brother Xiaolin gently ran his hand over the design, then suddenly, as if possessed, whipped off his shirt, revealing a muscular back and a fading tattoo of a jade qilin.

The inked qilin on his back was tinged with red. When I touched his skin, it was burning hot.

Could there be some resonance between these two fierce designs?

“This must be the power of Ghost Embroidery,” Old Liao mused, stroking his stubble and sipping his water.

I quickly rolled up the tattoo compendium and stacked it with an ancient, wordless red book, then turned to help Brother Xiaolin, whose body had begun to convulse, into a chair.

His reaction grew more intense, his temperature rising. The qilin tattoo on his back seemed almost ready to leap out and clash with the nine flying dragons.

In his spasms, Brother Xiaolin’s hand flailed, striking Old Liao, who was sipping tea nearby. The cup fell, spilling tea across the table.

“Oh no! The ancient books!” I cried, lunging for the volumes. These old relics were painted with ancient ink—if they got wet, the consequences would be dire.

Fortunately, the black compendium was safe, untouched by tea. But the red, wordless book was thoroughly soaked.

Page 3 of 3

Old Liao scratched his head awkwardly. I was irritated—my family heirloom had been drenched.

“I’ll dry it!” Without waiting for me to scold him, Old Liao snatched up the red book and rushed to the bathroom. Soon, the roar of a hairdryer sounded.

Once the compendium was safely put away, Brother Xiaolin’s condition slowly returned to normal. Unfortunately, the black compendium only gave us the name “Nine Dragons Dragging the Coffin,” noting it in relation to the Four Great Calamities, but offered no further explanation.

Brother Xiaolin once said these tattoos were all Ghost Embroideries—if one mastered them, they held the power to bestow supernatural strength. Sadly, I had not inherited such designs; perhaps I would have to ask my grandfather for answers.

“Xu, come quickly! Something’s happened!” Old Liao’s shout came from the bathroom.

“Don’t tell me he’s singed my book…” A sense of dread filled me as I hurried in.

Old Liao stood at the sink, dumbfounded, clutching the red book. But now, something was different—the book’s cover had begun to reveal an image!

“Yin-Yang Ghost Embroidery, governed by the Five Elements. Concealed in water, revealed by fire. So that’s what it meant! Hahaha! You owe me a raise!” Old Liao cheered, waving the book.

I snatched it from him. On the cover, clear as day, were the words “Ancient Compendium of Yin-Yang Ghost Embroidery.” The preservation method for this ancient text was truly ingenious—if Old Liao hadn’t accidentally spilled tea on it, we would never have uncovered the secrets of Ghost Embroidery, no matter how hard we racked our brains.

“Unbelievable—fortune comes when you least expect it!” I swallowed my excitement, flipping through the wondrous designs.

Old Liao, sobered, said solemnly, “Xu, this secret must stay between us—don’t tell Old Jin, Brother Xiaolin, or even Xiao Wei. I have a feeling that Ghost Embroidery is the true power passed down in your Yin-Yang Embroidery lineage.”

I understood the wisdom of hiding one’s treasures, especially since I had yet to master Ghost Embroidery. Each design was exceedingly complex, requiring elaborate materials and offering few opportunities to practice; learning it quickly would be no easy feat.

Still, I had a premonition—the design Old Liao wanted to use to defy fate must be among these Ghost Embroideries. Coupled with Brother Xiaolin’s request for a supplementary tattoo, I made a silent vow to myself: “I must inherit the legacy of Ghost Embroidery!”