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墨書 Inktalez
The yard was quiet, with the shadows cast by the flowers and plants in the corner creating a dark atmosphere. The occasional breeze made the shadows sway, adding a slightly eerie feeling.
The first floor was devoid of light, indicating that Zhou Yake and her daughter had already gone to sleep.
The Ancient Sorcerer descended the stairs and walked toward the yard. The shadow he saw was not human and certainly seemed strange, yet he was undeterred by it due to his high skills and courage.
The shadow was less than three feet tall, hiding in the corner as if it would disperse with a gust of wind.
After a long silence, the Ancient Sorcerer finally spoke:
"Who are you, and why are you here?"
As soon as the Ancient Sorcerer finished speaking, the calm shadow began to "boil" like boiling water, swaying back and forth as if it wanted to say something but couldn't articulate it.
Furrowing his brow tightly, the Ancient Sorcerer realized that the "other party" must have understood his words, but he could not comprehend what they were trying to say.
Perhaps aware that the Ancient Sorcerer could not hear its words, the shadow grew more anxious, shaking even more violently as if it were an emotionally agitated person.
Then, what had coalesced into a shadow was merely a mass of black mist. Under intense agitation, it suddenly "burst" apart and scattered in all directions.
"This... is a ghost?"
The Ancient Sorcerer's brow remained furrowed. He had never expected to encounter a ghost here, and it seemed that this ghost had something it wanted to communicate with him. Unfortunately, it exploded before it could finish speaking.
Could this ghost be related to Zhou Yake?
If it is related to her, who could this person be?
The Ancient Sorcerer was suddenly struck by a thought; he remembered that Zhou Yake had mentioned her husband died a few years ago. Could this ghost be her husband?
The Ancient Sorcerer was startled by this idea that emerged in his mind. If that were the case, then the situation would be complicated.
Humans and ghosts are on different paths. After death, one must enter reincarnation and cannot linger in the mortal world. If one does linger, they become a wandering spirit, usually due to some great grievance, unwilling to enter reincarnation.
If this shadow truly is Zhou Yake's husband, then it is highly likely that there is some grievance involved.
"Ancient Sorcerer, what are you doing here?"
The Ancient Sorcerer turned around and found that he didn't know when Zhou Yake had stood behind him. Looking again, he realized it was already bright outside.
"Oh, I’m used to getting up early, so I came out for some exercise. You’re up this early too?"
Zhou Yake nodded and said, "I’m not in good health. An old Chinese doctor advised me to go to bed early and rise early. After getting up, I should do some activities; it’s good for my health. Who knows... maybe I can live a little longer."
At this point, Zhou Yake felt a wave of sadness. According to that doctor, she wouldn’t live much longer—at most five or six years. She wasn’t afraid of death, but by then her daughter Lai Chen would only be in her early teens. What would happen then? Who would take care of her?
This was actually also the reason why Zhou Yake was unwilling to sell the house at a low price to Zhong Tiedong; this was her daughter's future livelihood.
"Yes, going to bed early and rising early is essential for good health."
Ancient Sorcerer didn't know how to comfort her in such a situation. Remembering the shadow from last night, Ancient Sorcerer pointed to the corner of the wall and said, "What is this place? It seems there is a stone table inside?"
In the corner, there were flowers and plants, but among them, a small abandoned stone table could be seen.
Zhou Yake was taken aback, not expecting Ancient Sorcerer to ask this question. After a while, she replied, "That place used to be a pavilion. My husband often drank tea there before he died and played with our daughter Lai Chen."
A wave of sadness washed over Zhou Yake, as memories of happier times flooded back. But what was the use? After her husband died, every time she saw that place, it brought her sorrow. So she decided to plant flowers and cover it up, but how could she truly forget?
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
Seeing the tears welling up in Zhou Yake's eyes, Ancient Sorcerer felt a pang of guilt; his question must have reminded her of happier times.
It was truly not easy for a woman.
Wiping away her tears, Zhou Yake forced a smile and said, "It's okay, it's all in the past."
Zhou Yake felt a bit embarrassed. Life had become increasingly difficult over the years, and she had long developed the habit of not sharing her feelings with others. However, after meeting Ancient Sorcerer, it felt as if he was her "nemesis"; no matter what he asked, she would answer.
Ancient Sorcerer hesitated for a moment. He had been thinking about the shadow he saw last night and wanted to ask about it but was worried it would make Zhou Yake recall more painful memories.
But Zhou Yake had already noticed the hesitation on Ancient Sorcerer's face and said:
"Ancient Sorcerer, do you have something you want to ask?"
Gritting his teeth, the Ancient Sorcerer decided to disregard everything else and asked, "Yes, what I want to know is how your husband died?"
Zhou Yake's eyes turned red instantly, tears welling up and soon she began to sob.
The Ancient Sorcerer forced a smile; he knew his question pierced Zhou Yake's heart like a knife, causing her great pain. However, thinking of the shadow from last night, he realized that no matter how cruel it was, he had to clarify this matter. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to ease his conscience.
After crying for a while, Zhou Yake finally managed to stop. "I’ll go wash my face first."
About five or six minutes later, when Zhou Yake came out, there were no traces of tears on her face, but her eyes were still as red as a rabbit's.
"It’s like this: my husband Lai Fangming was in business. He was the self-made type and had already accumulated quite a fortune before marrying me—though I can't say exactly how much, it was at least in the tens of millions. However, six months before his death, his business plummeted, and all the money he earned was lost. He even owed the bank a huge debt. In the end… he left a suicide note and took his own life. After he died, I sold off the factory and other things he left behind, and after much difficulty, I managed to pay off the debts. All that was left was this ancestral house."
"The original plan was to rent out this ancestral house so that my daughter and I could get by. But I didn’t expect that soon after my health deteriorated, and then Zhong Tiedong and those thugs came looking for trouble. Life naturally became increasingly difficult."
"Your husband committed suicide?"
Zhou Yake was taken aback and replied, "Yes, why?"
"What I mean is, could there be another reason?"
Zhou Yake's face turned pale as snow; she looked as if she had been struck by lightning, her spirit seemingly lost. After a long pause, she murmured, "You... you mean... what are you saying? Fang Ming... he was killed by someone?"
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