Sze_Hao_Chen

In the year 2024, the cosmic alignment of the Nine Stars breaks the natural order, triggering a resurgence of spiritual energy across Kuala Lumpur. Hidden beneath the serene facade of Kek Lok Si Temple lies an ancient underground chamber, brimming with forbidden knowledge. And at the center of it all stands a man who was never meant to be part of this grand scheme.
Lin Han, a bankrupt real estate agent, is on the run from debt collectors when he accidentally stumbles upon a sinister blood ritual. A mysterious robed figure stands at the heart of it, conducting a ceremony that will change Lin Han’s life forever.
Gifted with the ability to perceive karmic threads through his right eye—an unwanted legacy from a past encounter at Batu Caves—Lin Han begins to unravel truths that defy logic. Along his journey, he crosses paths with an unlikely group: a half-Malay policewoman, a Taoist temple keeper with an ancient chant, an aristocratic Indian dancer, and a rebellious rock singer with secrets of her own.
As the mystical scrolls of Kek Lok Si reveal their deadly secrets, Lin Han finds himself caught in a web of fate far beyond his understanding. Can he harness the combined wisdom of the region’s spiritual traditions—Chinese incense blessings, Malay shamanic rituals, and Indian divine dance—to alter his destiny? Or is he simply another pawn in a celestial game beyond his control?

Mystic Convergence

The torrential rain continued to pour, the wind carrying eerie whispers, as if countless lost souls were wailing in the darkness. Lin Han's fingers trembled slightly, his gaze locked onto the boatman wreathed in ghostly blue flames.

"Choose." The deep voice resonated like thunder in his mind, shaking his very soul.

Lin Han took a deep breath, his heart pounding so fast it felt like it would burst from his chest. He wasn't an idiot—he knew this wasn't the kind of choice he could make lightly.

"Walau eh, don't play with me lah…" he muttered under his breath, gritting his teeth.

At his words, the boatman's lips seemed to curl into a faint smile, but the blue flames in his eyes only burned fiercer.

The boat suddenly lurched, and the formless spirits trapped within the deck began to struggle. Shadows twisted and writhed as if they were silently pleading for salvation.

"A chance to cross the river." The boatman slowly raised his withered hand and gestured toward two objects—

On the left, a cracked bronze mirror, its surface reflecting not Lin Han's face, but countless unfamiliar expressions—each filled with pain, rage, and an overwhelming sense of despair.

On the right, a darkened copper coin, its surface engraved with strange runes that radiated a sinister presence, as if it carried some long-forgotten curse.

"The mirror shows karma, the coin leads to reincarnation." The boatman's voice was deep and cryptic. "Choose one, and you will see your true fate."

"Hah? Choosing like this, am I going to die or what?" Lin Han muttered, his forehead drenched in cold sweat.

His right eye burned with a dull pain, the karmic threads before him weaving into a tangled web. He could feel it—something far more powerful was watching him at this very moment.

Far in the distance, the thick clouds split apart, revealing a sliver of blood-red moonlight piercing through the stormy sky.

Lin Han's fingers twitched as his mind raced.

If he chose the bronze mirror, he would have to face the full weight of karma—the sins he had committed, those he hadn't, and even the burdens that weren't his to bear.

But if he chose the copper coin…

His instincts screamed at him—that thing did not belong to the mortal world.

"I choose…" Lin Han opened his mouth to speak, but before he could finish, a familiar voice called out from behind—

He spun around in shock, only to see a silhouette emerging from the storm—Noa!

Her police uniform was drenched from the rain, the old gunshot scar on her left shoulder barely visible under the dim lighting. In her hand, a Malay kris gleamed with a cold, deadly light, its sharp edge pointed directly at the boatman.

"Don't kacau him!" Her voice was colder than ever, her gaze sharp like a blade.

The boatman remained silent, the eerie blue flames flickering in his eyes as if he were studying Noa's very soul.

"Heh… an outsider dares to interfere?" He let out a dry chuckle before slowly retracting his bony fingers. In an instant, both the bronze mirror and the copper coin dissolved into thin wisps of blue smoke.

Lin Han was still struggling to catch his breath when Noa stepped forward and grabbed his wrist. Her grip was firm, her voice urgent.

"We need to go. This boat… it doesn't belong in this world."

Her fingernails accidentally grazed the back of his hand, a strange warmth spreading from the brief contact, making him momentarily freeze.

"Sakit kah?" Noa asked in a softer tone than usual.

But Lin Han didn't get the chance to answer—

Because behind them, the boatman suddenly let out a chilling laugh.

Slowly, he lifted his head, the blue flames in his eyes blazing wildly as his deep, guttural voice echoed through the storm:

"Did you really think… you could escape?"

In an instant, the entire boat violently trembled as a freezing, pitch-black mist surged from the depths below!

Chapter 14: The Bargain on the River of the Dead