《Life Borrowed by Birth》④

Chapter Four: A Bloody Birthday On the night of A'mu's eighteenth birthday, the Shen family mansion was brightly lit, yet it exuded an indescribable eeriness. All the lanterns were wrapped in red cloth, emitting a dim, blood-like glow. Old Master Shen invited A'mu to the main hall, where the table was laden with delicacies. The blind Taoist priest sat in the main seat, holding two pitch-black wooden cups. The priest poured a bottle of scarlet liquid into the cups and handed them to A'mu and Shen Tianci, "Drink this cup of heart-to-heart wine, and from now on, your fates will be intertwined, sharing joys and sorrows." A'mu didn't think much of it and downed the wine in one gulp. The liquid was extremely cold upon entering his mouth, with a strong,腥甜 (xīng tián -腥: fishy/bloody, 甜: sweet) taste. It slid down his esophagus into his stomach, and instantly, it felt like a fireball exploded within him. A'mu clutched his stomach in pain, and the scenery before his eyes began to shake violently. Just then, Shen Tianci, who had been sickly, suddenly burst into wild laughter. The deathly pallor on his face receded at a visible rate, replaced by a ruddy glow. Meanwhile, A'mu felt his strength rapidly draining, his flesh and skin beginning to sink inward. A'mu struggled to stand up but found his feet as if nailed to the floor. The Taoist priest sneered, pulled out a long, slender silver needle, and fiercely thrust it into A'mu's Baihui acupoint…… To be continued in the next chapter……