During a late-night inspection of a playing card, a living face appeared on its surface. "Little brother, help me with a business deal."
Chen Jinshui's family had passed down a method called "read it by handling it." The moment he touched a genuine card, he would automatically see how its previous owner had died. Drowned, choked, burned: each card was more sinister than the last.
The Cai Master inside the cards assigned the jobs: beneath every old card lay a wronged soul. Touch the card, witness the death, fulfill the wish, and earn merit. Make a mistake, and lose years of your life.
His first job was to deliver bones to the Mekong River. A foot-pulling ghost clung to the side of the boat and demanded passage money.
After seven jobs had been recorded in the incense ledger, the first incense scar appeared on his wrist. That night, he opened his eyes and saw them: good brothers filling the streets, while the temple's direction was black as a hole.
