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2024-10-29 19:42:56"I have only done a quick check on the internet, Dr Adam. It seems they have a Family Office which provided some writeup. Besides that, the business dailies and Forbest provided some business-related information about the Chuas."
"It is good enough. I appreciate the quick turnaround. I am know I can be quite a pain."
"Don't say that." Ah Mui said. " I am used to it." She winked to which I was at a loss of words and simply nodded.
"The Chua family information you had asked for."Mui turned her laptop screen over and shared a word document.
I read "John Chua has three children – Eldest Son – Marcus Chua, second daughter -Mavis Chua and youngest son Jonathan Chua. Marcus Chua and family stay at the mansion from time to time."
"I remember Visnu and May said once in a fortnight?"
"Then there is Mavis Chua and Jonathan Chua"
"Marcus Chua is the General Manager of Four Seas." Ah Mui shared.
"He looked stern with that central parting."
"A split image of his father," I said. I shifted to Mavis Chua
"Mavis is that social media darling? I said
"Yes. Didn't you know about her? She is famous."
"No. I am not sure I know her well."
"She is a nutritionist and travel blogger. Her TikTok account shows her travel footprints and every video is well-received. I think she is the few Singaporeans with a million followers. Her health recipes business I heard is very well received."
"I once read she is the favorite of the patriarch. What about the other family members? I am interested to hear more about them."
"Marcus is married with two children. Wife is a home-maker and daughter from another reputed family."
"What about Jonathan?" I asked
"I cannot find much about him but I found his name at the Standard Hospital. He is practicing medicine in the States."
"Looks like all the children are very positioned in life."
"It speaks a lot about the family upbringing."
I scrolled through the document as I ran my thoughts."
"None of them are in Singapore during the day before the murder," I said
"Dr Adam, you are right."
"I will leave that investigation to Visnu and May." I said
"Can you take some more time to dig up more information about them?"
"I will try my best with all the sources available."
"Ah Mui, can you do something more for me."
"Would I reject you, Dr Adam?"
"Could you help me check on the history of the Chua's mansion?"
"The property we were at?"
"Yes, and I need to know some history of the place. Please dig into the archives. I am not sure where but the archives at Urban Redevelopment or Land Authority may offer a clue. I would like to know the history of the place. If you face a problem, let Visnu know and he may help us extract"
Ah Mui threw me a glance "What do you have in mind?"
"I would like to know the history of the land, especially the past before the Chuas bought the land."
"It will take time but I will work on it."
"Appreciate that."
As Ah Mui scribbled my latest instructions, she spoke.
"As usual, that sense of uncertainty in these assignments. I am excited by such wild elements but this time, I sensed there is something different…"
"Different?"
"The answers lie in tonight's encounter, if any."
"I am sure we will find something!"
Now for the important part of an Sen'i as I give my instructions.
"The things I need for tonight, Ah Mui."
"Do I bring the usual exorcist pack you mentioned this afternoon?"
"The light package – my brush, the Mugwort portion, my Buki Brush, and finally, my Bagua."
"Do you need to tie strings all over the room? Living room?"
I shook my head.
"Our first time at the mansion, I don't want to mess it up. We could be over-tooled for this assignment."
"Really?" Ah Mui asked.
"I could be wrong. Just bring about 500ml of the mugwort essence and get one ball of the red string" The red string is usually deployed to demarcate a boundary when we perform a ritual. It is a critical step because it prevents spirits or other entities from the other supernatural worlds from entering the human physical realm.
"I will get packing." She said, eager beaver "
"Do I have classes tomorrow?"
"No, it is your clean day." Clean – no undergraduate's engagement.
"You stay put and man the office in case the Dean calls."
"Alright, but I am still coming alone?" Mui asked
"I can't stop you even if I wanted to. You may just sneak in somewhere, somehow." I said and then looked over at my assistant, a head shorter and ten years younger, and saw that thirst for adventure.
"Sign an indemnity form, Mui!"
She rocked back in laughter "Since when do you issue indemnity forms? My mother does not require it."
"She will kill me." I answered "One day, sooner than later."
"You are an Onmyoji! I'm supposed to feel safe with you around! That's how I assure her."
"That's true," I said
"I am coming, no matter what you said." She protested.
I gave up and walked over to my private closet and unlocked one of the compartments. This is one cabinet I kept behind my desk. The Dean of Faculty has been fine about me safekeeping my tools in the office as long as I do not perform rituals to disrupt the faculty operations.
I punched in the combination numbers and unlocked it. Opening it gently, I took out a box from the second shelf. It was a wooden box nicely carves with flower motif.
I opened it to see a necklace with a golden leaf as its pendant.
"Put this on if you are coming." I instructed.
"The Golden Leaf? Is this the protective token you told me about?"
"Yes. It will keep you safe from the malevolent spirit." The Golden Leaf or Happa no omamoriIt was a protective amulet handed down by Venerable Sato. It is forged from broken pieces of golden ornaments from one of the oldest temples in Gifu, Japan. Personally blessed by the Master Sato, it has proven to be a good ally in my fight against the dark spirits. I have a couple of them, and one was lost by Ah Mui during my previous exorcist assignment.
"I knew you would not leave me out of this assignment." She said with relish as she put on the necklace. "
"What time are we heading over?"
"I plan to go over at 11 pm. I had already communicated that to Visnu"
"子时. The first hour of the day and that's the exact moment in a day when the Yin energy is on the ascent."
"The optimal time to open the portal to the other supernatural worlds."
"You are fast becoming my best student."
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John Chua has lived up to his word of allowing me to return to the mansion for my audit and investigation.When I reached the gates to the Chua Mansion, the security already knew about our assignment, and let us in. However, I was not allowed to park in the mansion for security reasons.I parked outside and the moment I walked through the side gate with Ah Mui, I sensed a heavy mood of paranoia and pessimism.I saw Visnu and May Li waiting in the guardroom."Good to see you again Adam. Did you receive my message?" Visnu said as we walked down the boulevard towards the house.I nodded "The floor plan is great, very useful. We also needed some help with the history of the development of this particular plot of land. Can you help Ah Mui with that?""Dr Adam, I have already written to ASP Visnu. I texted him while you were driving us over here."I whistled my approval of her efficiency, and spotted a wink from Visnu."A
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"Do you suspect any foul play from external parties?" I probed"There are no signs of a break-in." Visnu shared. "The security at the guardroom commented the night was like any other. It was quiet and peaceful. They made two rounds patrolling the place at 1 am and 4 am but heard nothing. We estimated Claudia's time of demise to be around 5 am and they did not hear any unusual.""They can be trusted?""Two of them are from Cisco Security. They have been through three hours of interrogation already." May added. "We have also checked their files. They are clean and one of them is over fifty. They do not have any reasons to murder Claudia.""Where were they at the estimated time of murder?""They were right at the gantry. They did not hear anything loud or odd. There were no screams. There were some sounds in the bushes and they thought it was a cat. There is a usual cat in the neighborhood so they thought nothing much of it.""I guess I w
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The stairs brought me to a cozy living space and a long corridor with a series of doors. The first thing that greeted me was the pleasant scent of flowers. There was an L-shaped leather sofa, with a smallish coffee table in the middle, placed over a beige-colored carpet that looked ideal for a lie-down after a day's work.It was an underwhelming experience - plain and predictable.On the coffee table, there is a white vase of yellow Orchids. Several small oils on the walls lend an ambience of comfort and welcome. In the corner of the living space, by the stairs is a standing vase of variegated Chrysanthemums."This is where the family sleeps?""Yes, this is their private space. They do not like to be disturbed. Seldom, are strangers allowed here."Ah Hock explainedI closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The large living room. My inner voice spoke.Can I look at all the rooms?"Hock protested "No, no. Mr Chua will be angry. He does not like strangers wandering around the house." He l
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"I will need a pail of water," I said."Warm water?" Hock asked"No. Make it hot. I would like a pail of hot water." I said Everyone was bewildered "Hot? Do you mean it has to be boiling? You want to cook ah?" Ah Hock exclaimed.Ah Mui smiled and shook her head. "He needs hot water, please. It has to be a high temperature to allow him to perform his ritual.""Wah, I have never heard about this. Hot water." He repeated."Make it 80% hot, and 20% tap water." I repeated my request.Despite his disbelief, he moved along. A few minutes later, he returned, treading with caution. In his hands was a basin of hot water spewing spirals of steam. With the attentiveness of a cook, he placed the basin in front of the chair and added a few towels around it."You sure?""Yes I am sure."I took off my socks and sat down. Then I dipped on foot into the basin. "Yes, just right." Then I placed both feet in much to the consternation of a stunned Ah Hock."You feel ok?"I nodded."I had never heard ab
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Every transition is an intensive ritual that demands deep focus and complete control over our senses. Only well-trained Onmyojis can successfully conduct a transition in their investigation of supernatural crimes. It has taken many years of training for some and for me, it was, strangely, an easy craft to master. My teacher, Master Sato, observed this may be a result of my mother's background. She was also trained as an Onmyoji. Gradually, I planted my feet in the basin. The warmth travelled through the pores on my skin and breathed life into every cell of my body. I began meditating, chanting the Ksitigarbha Mantra, Om Hahaha Vismaye Svaha, which I regarded as the golden standard of mantras. It was something that soothed my heart, and drives away the cloud of dust in our minds and dispelled anxiety, anger and all dark vibes. As I meditated and focused my energy, trying to find the point of light in my consciousness, The process is pretty much like gliding in the air. The distur
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I took a deep inhale before moving on. Slowly, but steadily, I ascended the stairs and soon found myself in the living space. The yellow Orchids were still there but this time it has faded to a lower tone of white. There seemed to be an assortment of sounds coming from the rooms down the corridor. I tightened my grip on my brush and paced down the corridor like a panther. I pushed open the first door, it had a bed and dressing table. The walls had a coat of pink with a nice desk. There was a working desk placed adjacent to the the window, and I saw some photo frames. I stepped closer and found them to be pictures of Mavis with her parents. There was also a picture of her in her graduation gown. This must be Mavis’s room. Suddenly a thump from my back snatched my attention. I swung around and heard something from the other room. The corridor had taken on a pale light. Something is not right.“Who is it?” I demanded but was only greeted by an eerie silence. I tightened my grip on
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I felt the force descending and quickly brought up hands to execute the Kuji-in or Nine Hands Seal which served as our spiritual weapon against dark and unseen spirits. “ 临兵斗者皆阵列前行“Instantly a shield of illumination formed in front of me. With a swerve, I leaped forward and gave the force an outward thrust. The marauding force was now a dark mass that knocked on my shield like a reckless bull. With each pound, I felt pressure on my hands. I am dealing with a reckless force. In the midst, I dropped my Buki Brush. As I had to maintain the shield, I was physically unable to reach for my principal weapon.I clasped my hands together, my right fingers over the left, and combined my pointer fingers to form a sword-like pose, then commanded. “Forces of the four directions, at my command! 四方奇兵，为我所用“It was a war command to focus my energy but the knocks on my shield continued before I brought on the full strength of my powers. Each knock on my shield came with a deep groan that grew in
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ay confronted me and I saw her aura was an intimidating ring of red. “What was that for, Adam? Why did you do that?”"Calm down. Don't snap." I defended myself. “ I am just trying to find the truth. I am not hurting her.”“You should at least tell me before you do it?”“Would you believe me?”May shook her head “I tried and I know you have super powers and can see these things and communicate but can you not interfere with my work? She was about to tell me.”“The truth is your methods don’t always work. She did hear something but somehow did not pick it up. She saw something.”May bit her lips “Fine! You had your chance but this is the last time. I will have to report the matter to Visnu about this.”"So be it. For now, let us give Aminah medical assistance,” I said. Ah Mui had brought over medicated oil and applied it on her temples. “So what did she see? Why is she like that?” May asked. “ I think she had seen the spirit. “What is that?”“During the transition, we arrived back
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After a long and awkward silence, Aminah spoke with a firm tone“I am a mother. I have two children – six and four. I cannot be with them because I come Singapore. I need to make money for my family. However, I make sure they have toys. They have no childhood but I must give them enough money. I saw things Mum Claudia threw. They belonged to Marcus, Mavis, and Jonathan. All memories. You cannot throw.”Aminah's lament brought a sense of melancholy and I realized May's stern look had softened. Her eyebrows drooped. She is human, after all.“I can fully understand. Then what happened?” I said.“Mum Claudia was angry. She put things in the box and threw them by the roadside.”“She was mad at you?” I repeated. “Mum Claudia was so angry and her voice loud. I feel my ears burning… " Aminah grimaced and slapped her forehead. "She blamed me for mistakes I did not make.” Aminah shook her head as her eyes burned with angst. “I did not make mistakes.” Her face crumpled in stress as tears roll
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May looked haggard, probably from the rigours of the new investigation. The dark eye rings spoke of a sleepless night. However she still looked menacing with her slender build and trained arms. “May Li?”“I can see you have just finished one of your….work”“Thank you for your kind words.”“Really?”“You used to say ‘strange rites’ or ‘odd rituals’”“People change.”“People change.” I repeated, “Why are you here?”“Adam I need you to stop whatever “ “Siti Aminah I need to question you.” It is important.”I looked at Aminah whose face was now white as a sheet of paper“What happened?”“We would like to seek some clarification.”“Did you get your investigation wrong?” Mavis asked“Madam, our investigation showed that Aminah and Claudia Goh had a long telephone conversation on the day before she died.”Aminah shook her head continuously“No, no. I did not kill Mum Claudia. No, I did not.”“I did not say you kill her. Can you calm down?”At her cue, the two officers tried to restrain h
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I woke and felt like I was starved of oxygen. “Ah Mui! Mavis!”I cried out loud but nobody responded. I was all alone on the lawn. Alone.The lawn. Why am I here? In my ears, I was accompanied by the chorus of crickets sounds and birds’ chirps. I looked up and found the skies were blue with roses of clouds. A pleasant day and a hot breeze over the lawnThen I remembered Mavis. She was with me at the transition. Could she still be in the mansion? I looked in the direction of the house and was surprised.The mansion that stood in front of me was vastly different from the one I knew. I have seen it before. I slammed my fist in my other palm. I remembered. It was in the pictures Ah Mui had shown meAs I walked towards the mansion, I realized I was looking at an incredible thing. The mansion was from another era. The paint is different a faded yellow instead of a fresh white. The red bricks portion of the walls were old while the ones in 2024 were freshly built. The windows were of
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I knew something was amiss from Mavis's expression. I formed the sword fingers, inhaled, and turned slowly, ready to fight. I quickly scribbled a protective charm with my Buki brush and pulled the protective shield over us.I soon found myself staring into a dark abyss, a mass of dark energy throbbing and palpitating with each movement sending a ripple of dark energy. We meet again.“兵“ I shouted and executed a swiping move with my right palm to reinforce the shield of energy. Contrary to my expectations, the dark mass did not attack and instead hovered in front of us"What is it?""This is what I wanted to find out."“Is this the same spirit you encountered, Adam?”I nodded. “Do not be afraid. Control your breathing.""I wish I can..." Mavis said and I felt her quivering voice“Raise your scarf,” I said and Mavis obliged by holding up her right hand. Slowly I kept my brush. I joined my hands and bowed“With all respect, I am Adam Wong-Takahashi and I am a sprit master. I want to h
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We took our seats, side by side, each other.As the trail of agarwood incense drifted into the air, I began my chanting.“Focus,” I whispered.Slowly I felt the water in my feet drift. I caught sight of Mavis opening her eyes. It is her first time and naturally, she is nervous. “Close your eyes. Drop the curtains on your soul. Stay focused but relax. My chanting is the wind to drive a sail. Focus on your mother and the times you spent with her.”“Drop your curtains on the soul.” Mavis smiled, eyes closed. I looked at her intently. She is even more beautiful with her eyes closed. I snapped back to reality“Let’s get started,” I pronounced. I began to focus my mind. Moments lapsed, and soon, it looked like it was not going to happen. I realized that as I gravitated toward the vortex, Mavis remained elusive. I sensed fear in her, and she withheld her consciousness. I could not feel her. I slowed down my chanting and stepped back into our reality. I opened my eyes to check and foun
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After the permission was obtained, I was back at the Chua Mansion. This time with Ah Mui. The skies were a lot brighter than the the usual nights thanks to a full moon. It gave me a feeling of crystal clarity and provided a soothing sensation to my tight chest. The moon also has a nurturing effect on the minds of Onmyojis. With my bag slug over chest, I led Ah Mui down the walkway, past the lawn towards the tentage where the funeral is held. There is a small crowd and a prayer session was going on as we arrived. The casket has arrived after the mortuary gave the clearance. I peeked and found the Chua family seated at the front row- there was John Chua, Marcus, his wife. Their faces were stern and unsmiling. However, Mavis was not in sight. Suddenly, I felt a touch of chill on my shoulder. I swung around to find frail figure standing behind me – Aminah“Hi Aminah? Nice to see you. You can call me Adam.”“Hi sir, hi sir. Madam Mavis. She in living room.”Saying she led the way and
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I rushed home after the meeting with Ah Mui to make preparations for the night’s outing.The first thing I did was to head over to the altar and light the incense. I clasped my hands and prayed. Gently I hit the bronze bowl on the altar. The tingle of metallic harmony rippled through the room. Before I chanted the mantra, I searched for my guardian spirit. “Mon?” I called. Within seconds, there was a spark in the air in front of me and Mon materialized like it hatched from air. It released a low croon, the usual greeting when it sees me. Fluttering the wings like a bee, Mon landed on my palm. “Hi, buddy. I need you to be with me tonight. We may be handling a foe. I will need you to cover my back, alright?”Mon flashed a grin and nodded. I checked its features - the horn is bulging out its forehead and its tail has gone longer. It leaped into the air and circled over my head like a gleeful bird. “That’s the spirit.”I commended.“Now can you settle down? Meditate and feed on the s
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Chapter 29
The episode at the mortuary sapped some of my energy and left me flat. On my way back to the office, I was sipping continuously from the water bottle. Despite emptying a one-litre bottle of water, I felt dehydrated. However, the sight of Claudia's distressed spirit dwelt in my mind. It is hard to erase it but it did not affect my moods. I was determined I would find justice for her - find the killer and bring him or her to justice.Back in the office, my mind shifted to my hunger pangs. Earlier, I had asked Ah Mui to order a hearty meal and she did not let me down. When I arrived at the office pantry, I found a table of food and she was laying out the paper plates.One of the key conditions for a successful exorcist assignment is to be fully fed. A full stomach gives us energy and stamina to create the talisman and spells to quell the malevolent spirits.Over a meal of bak-kut-teh(pork ribs soup), fried carrot cakes, and my favourite Wan Ton noodles, we chatted“I got your favourite
