Chapter 20: The Ticket to Genting

Kuala Lumpur, Midnight, Storm Raging

Lin Han's breath came in ragged gasps, his heartbeat pounding violently in his ears. That crack in space, that pale hand, and that deep, abyssal voice—everything he had just witnessed sent a wave of paralyzing fear through him.

—"What… do you seek?"

It wasn't just a question.

It was a curse.

The robed man remained kneeling, his face alight with fanatical devotion. His lips trembled as if he were on the verge of responding to that terrifying presence.

Lin Han's body tensed instinctively. Every fiber of his being screamed at him not to answer.

"Walau eh! Don't answer!" Noya roared, squeezing the trigger.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The gunshots shattered the silence, piercing through the rain. The bullets struck the robed figure's shoulder, sending a mist of blood into the air. He tumbled backward, yet his lips curled into an eerie smile, as though he had already foreseen this.

"It's too late." His voice was laced with shadow, his blood seeping into the crack on the ground.

BOOM—

The underground chamber trembled violently. A strange force began to pull at the air, as if the crack itself were devouring everything around it.

"Run!" Lin Han gritted his teeth, grabbing Su Xueqing by the wrist as he bolted toward the passageway.

Noya, still gripping her pistol, yanked Lin Han forward. "What the hell are you standing around for?! MOVE!"

But the exit was collapsing.

A massive stone slab crashed down, barely missing Lin Han's shoulder. They ran with everything they had, dashing through corridors lined with ancient inscriptions, their feet slipping on the damp floor.

Behind them, the crack continued its eerie whispers—ghostly murmurs in an unknown language.

The silver bell on Su Xueqing's wrist vibrated furiously, emitting a broken Sanskrit chant, as if warding off some unseen force.

Finally, they made it out, collapsing near the underground temple's entrance.

The stone door slammed shut behind them.

The rain poured relentlessly, the scent of wet earth and sweat thick in the air. Lin Han lay on the ground, gasping for breath, his fingers unconsciously reaching into his pocket.

He felt something.

A Touch 'n Go reload card.

Lin Han frowned, confused for a moment. Then he remembered—he had picked up this card back at the Penang temple before they descended into the underground chamber. At the time, he thought it was just something a tourist had dropped.

But now, as his karmic vision flickered faintly, he noticed something strange—this card was wrapped in an unusual spiritual energy.

"This card…" Lin Han murmured.

Noya glanced over. "What the hell? Can you use Touch 'n Go to fight ghosts now?"

Su Xueqing's expression, however, changed drastically. "This… isn't a normal reload card."

Her fingers trembled as she turned it over, revealing a series of ancient symbols on the back—symbols that didn't belong to any bank system.

"This… this is actually a key to Genting Group's core database!"

Genting Group? Again with Genting?!

Lin Han's mind flashed back to the underground ritual—the moment he had seen a golden emblem beneath the robed figure's cloak. It was the unmistakable logo of Genting Group.

All this time, they thought Genting was just a luxurious entertainment company—filled with casinos, hotels, and tourism ventures.

But now, it was clear. Genting's secrets ran far deeper than they had ever imagined.

Standing in the cold rain, Lin Han stared at the Touch 'n Go card in his hand, his mind a chaotic mess.

Once, he was just a bankrupt real estate agent. His worst problems had been dodging loan sharks and figuring out where he would sleep next.

But now, he was entangled in something far greater than himself.

Nine-star alignment. The resurgence of spiritual energy. The underground chamber at Kek Lok Si. The blood ritual. The robed figures. Genting Group…

It was all connected, like an invisible web tightening around him.

And he was caught right in the center.

Noya clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Oi, stop zoning out. What can we do with that card?"

Lin Han lifted his gaze, staring at the glowing skyline of Kuala Lumpur. He took a deep breath.

"If I'm right…"

He slowly clenched the card in his fist, his expression hardening.

"This card will grant us access to Genting's core system."

"And Genting… might just be the mastermind behind the entire spiritual awakening."

Lin Han stood in a secluded alleyway in Kuala Lumpur, the damp air thick with the stench of rotting garbage. His right eye twitched slightly—a familiar sign of unease creeping into his gut. Ever since he gained the ability to see karmic threads, his senses had become sharper, allowing him to detect impending danger with eerie accuracy.

"Walau eh, this place is seriously damn creepy," he muttered under his breath, fingers tightening around the talisman in his pocket. Su Xueqing had given it to him, claiming it could temporarily shield him from dark energies. But he wasn't convinced it would actually work.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows ahead. He was a tall, lean man with deep-set features and tanned skin—clearly of Malay descent. His gaze swept over Lin Han, and a smirk formed on his lips.

"So, you're the one looking for 'something'?" the man asked in a low voice.

Lin Han kept his expression calm, though his pulse quickened. "Depends on the price you're offering."

The man chuckled, then reached into his coat and pulled out a small wooden box. The surface was engraved with ancient Jawi script, giving it an air of antiquity. With a slow, deliberate motion, he lifted the lid.

A strange aroma filled the air—woody, herbal, with an underlying metallic tang. It was an odd mixture of sandalwood, incense ash, and something unidentifiable. There was also a faint, unmistakable scent of blood.

"This is the Jampi scroll you've been looking for," the man said, his voice laced with amusement.

Lin Han's heart pounded. The Jampi scroll was a legendary artifact, a secret manuscript passed down through generations of Malay shamans. It contained powerful incantations—protection spells, hexes, and rituals long thought to be lost. He had only heard of it through Noya, never expecting to see it with his own eyes.

"Do you have any idea how valuable this is?" The man tapped the wooden box with his fingers. "If used correctly, it can shield you from the eyes of fate. But if you misuse it…" He paused, lowering his voice. "It will consume your soul instead."

Lin Han took a deep breath, his eyes steady. "I know exactly what I'm looking for."

The man studied him for a moment before grinning. "Good. I like doing business with people who know what they want." He held out his hand. "Three hundred thousand ringgit. Cash."

Lin Han's face darkened. "You think I'm a Genting VIP or what? Where the hell am I supposed to get that kind of money?"

The man shrugged. "No money, no deal."

Lin Han clenched his jaw, his mind racing. He needed that Jampi scroll—it might be the key to unraveling the secrets of Kek Lok Si Temple. But three hundred thousand ringgit…

Just then, hurried footsteps echoed from the alley's entrance. Lin Han's karmic threads pulsed—danger was approaching fast. He whipped around just in time to see a familiar figure sprinting toward him.

—Noya!

"Lin Han, watch out!" she shouted, urgency laced in her voice. Her left hand had already moved to the hilt of her short sword.

The man's expression darkened. He sensed trouble and quickly moved to stash the wooden box away.

"You think you can run?" Noya scoffed, her blade slicing through the air, aimed straight at his shoulder.