In Thailand, a temple shrouded in darkness was the scene of a heart-pounding event.
Several monks were gathered around a man in agony, striking a wooden fish in a serious manner.
An old monk sat behind the man, etching some sort of pattern or design into the man's back with a tool resembling ancient wood. It looked like a large talisman, with blood slowly trickling down the man's back, pooling on the ground.
Dong! Dong! Dong! The atmosphere, combined with the sound of the wooden fish, was somewhat eerie.
A sense of terror was spreading throughout the place.
This made the crew filming the live broadcast nearby quite nervous.
Saxon, who had come despite his mother's advice, also felt uneasy.
The scene, which wasn't visually frightening, somehow managed to make one's skin crawl with unease.
"I'm getting goosebumps."
Saxon couldn't help but divert his gaze from the scene of the talisman being carved, subconsciously touching his arm.
It wasn't particularly cold that night; in fact, it was a bit warm, but he still felt a chill.
At that moment, a thin coat appeared before his eyes.
"I told you not to come with me."
Hearing his girlfriend's voice, Saxon managed a strained smile, "I'm fine."
Amelia moved the thin coat, gesturing.
"Put it on."
Seeing this, Saxon had no choice but to wear the coat.
"What are they doing?"
Amelia squinted her eyes. In her view, a dark aura seemed to envelop the man, fading a bit with each etch by the old monk.
"Witchcraft, you know about it, right?" Amelia whispered.
Saxon glanced back at the scene. Having been in Thailand for several days, he was familiar with witchcraft, which the locals described as a sort of sorcery.
"Is this man under a witchcraft spell?"
As he spoke, Saxon glanced at the huddled family nearby. He knew how Amelia had managed to film the scene – it was simply a matter of spending a large sum of money to gain the family's and monks' consent.
"But that man seems quite lucid. Are you sure these monks aren't harming him?"
Saxon whispered to his girlfriend.
Amelia didn't respond, simply crossing her arms and watching the scene, shaking her head.
She didn't fully understand the principle behind it, only knowing that the old monk practiced the Rahula method.
In Thailand, Rahula was one of many gods worshipped by people who believed that offering sacrifices to him could bring protection from evil and misfortune.
To her, the Rahula method likely referred to a series of rituals, offerings, and practices related to Rahula.
Not sure if the old monk heard Saxon's comment, he suddenly stopped his motion and looked directly at Saxon, who appeared unnaturally stiff.
"The ritual is painful for him, but if he can endure and stay calm, he can escape the nightmare. The pain will be exchanged for equivalent relief."
Saying this, the old monk ignored Saxon's embarrassed expression and quickened his etching pace.
Seeing this, Saxon suppressed his urge to apologize, instinctively glancing at Amelia.
Noticing that Amelia was focused on the scene and not bothered by the earlier incident, he sighed in relief and continued to watch the old monk.
As the monk etched faster, the man's body began to tremble, his face still twisted in pain, but Saxon sensed a hint of relief in his agony.
Then, the man's trembling intensified to the point that the monks stopped striking the wooden fish and held onto his arms and shoulders to keep him in position.
When the old monk stopped etching, the monks let go, and the man fell to his knees, vomiting violently.
What he vomited made Saxon's pupils constrict in shock – it was nails, clumped together in a viscous fluid, numbering at least a dozen.
"This..."
Saxon wanted to say something but found himself speechless.
Amelia smiled, gently touching Saxon's face.
"It's not your fault, Saxon. We're all learning. As long as the outcome is good, right?"
Saxon took a deep breath, glancing at the monks leaving and the family embracing the man, then nodded.
Amelia smiled, kissed him, and then went to conclude the shoot.
"That's a wrap."
As the crew began packing up the filming equipment, she clapped her hands and turned to her assistant, Tricia, one of the team's leaders:
"Tricia, could you please edit this before uploading?"
Tricia, dressed in a sleek suit and exuding a powerful executive aura, nodded, "Sure."
However, she then took out a tablet and approached Amelia.
"Boss, I think I found a better location than the one we booked earlier."
Hearing this, Amelia paused her conversation with the old monk.
"Oh?"
Tricia explained, "It's nearby, not far. We can shoot there tomorrow and still have enough time to catch our flight and even enjoy some of Thailand's hotspots."
Amelia took the tablet, scrolling through the messages from local viewers.
Since arriving in Thailand, locals had been sending messages to her show, claiming paranormal activities or hauntings in their homes and asking the crew to investigate and film.
The address in the message, as Tricia mentioned, was indeed close, even closer than the last booked location.
Looking at Saxon, whom she had been neglecting due to her busy schedule, Amelia thought:
"Maybe we can spend some time shopping with the time left?"
"How about it?" Tricia noticed her boss sneak a glance at her boyfriend and smiled, "Finish the shoot, and you'll have lots of time for a romantic day in Thailand."
Amelia tapped Tricia's forehead, returning the tablet with a poker face, then walked toward the old monk:
"If you think it's a good idea, let's go with your suggestion and cancel the booking."
Rubbing her forehead and holding the tablet, Tricia watched her boss walk away, shaking her head at her boss's stubbornness.
Just then, a voice rang out, "Tricia, can you make a copy of the footage for me?"
Tricia turned to see Saxon, her boss's boyfriend. As a subordinate, she naturally couldn't refuse.
"Do you want the edited version?"
Saxon shook his head, "No, I want the complete version of the video."
"Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Wishing you a life full of happiness for thousands of years! Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, everyone!"
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