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墨書 Inktalez
“Muxin, let’s play a game of cat and mouse.”
Xia Muxin was still puzzled. A large group of people was approaching from a distance, and she could feel a wave of pressure emanating from them. It felt as if dozens of eyes were fixed on her, filled with schadenfreude, resentment, curiosity, and most of all, doubt. At that moment, Shen Muhan’s actions became clear to her; he was here to “capture” her. A smile crept onto her lips.
“Uncle, doesn’t this feel like we’ve been caught in an affair and are about to be collectively bombarded?” It was thrilling, though she didn’t voice the last three words.
Shen Muhan had already taken to the air, glancing at the woman in his arms who was smiling brightly. He cast a sidelong glance at the crowd below who were stamping their feet and gritting their teeth, and affectionately asked, “Where do you want to go next?”
“To the Zhao Family Dungeon.”
“......”
In less than half an hour, Shen Muhan brought Xia Muxin to the Zhao Family Dungeon, but it had long since turned into a pile of ruins. Everything that could burn had burned, and there was no one guarding the area; it was desolate. The wind howled down from the cliff, stirring up clouds of dust that flew in all directions.
“Uncle, I want to find a quiet place to bury the ashes of the old man and his son so they can rest in peace.”
The dungeon lay below them. At that moment, Xia Muxin looked down into a large pit that was at least ten meters deep and said with a hint of sadness in her voice.
Shen Muhan stepped closer and wrapped his long arm around her shoulder before leaping down.
Once they reached the bottom, Xia Muxin began searching through the rubble with a wooden stick.
Suddenly, something green caught her attention. She cleared away some debris and indeed found the old man’s gemstone ring. It had always been with him; Zhao Weiran had searched him multiple times but never found it. This was because he had once suffered from a severe illness in his youth and had encountered a miraculous doctor who removed one of his dead kidneys. Knowing danger was imminent, he had taken the opportunity to hide this ring inside the wound. Later on, when the doctor stitched him up, he never discovered it.
Xia Muxin knew that the old man had already lost a kidney and was enduring the excruciating pain of severe injuries. It was only through immense willpower that he had survived until now. Even if he were rescued, upon learning of his son's death, he would surely not last more than a few days.
Taking out a white handkerchief, she carefully placed the gray ring into it; this was the last thing she could do for him.
After finishing this, she searched for a place to open the hidden door. To her surprise, the explosives had no effect on it.
As Shen Muhan followed her into the hidden door, a foul stench wafted toward them. He frowned and pulled Xia Muxin's hand, scanning their surroundings warily. All he could see were eerie white bones. The dungeon had been blown up, and light streamed in through the hidden door. Although it was not as bright as outside, they could still see clearly.
"Uncle, where do you think this hidden door leads?" Xia Muxin asked, picking up a familiar piece of child's clothing and meeting Shen Muhan's star-like dark eyes.
Shen Muhan rubbed his hand against the stone wall while still holding Xia Muxin's hand tightly. A slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"We'll find out when we go take a look."
As he spoke, he pressed his finger against a spot on the wall, and with a loud rumble, another stone door opened. Xia Muxin peered inside; it was dark and she couldn't see anything.
They exchanged glances, and Shen Muhan placed two fingers to his lips and blew gently. A blackbird appeared, flapping its large wings. With a command from Shen Muhan, the bird flew into the cave.
Shen Muhan then led Xia Muxin to follow slowly.
Xia Muxin was astonished to see a pair of fiery wings ahead; could this be the same dark bird from earlier?
"It's called the Fire Parrot. At night, its wings emit a glow like flames," Shen Muhan explained simply while protecting Xia Muxin.
Xia Muxin felt as if she had stepped into a fantasy world. After all, she was a product of the twenty-first century, and such a parrot was beyond her comprehension. Confused, she asked, "Is this what you raised?"
"I wouldn't raise such a thing; it's all Qing Ran's doing. He has plenty of monsters. That mountaintop isn't a place for humans, yet he stays there."
With the light from the Fire Parrot's wings illuminating the surroundings, Shen Muhan examined every corner of the underground passage, not overlooking any of Xia Muxin's questions.
"Qing Ran? Who is this person?"
Xia Muxin furrowed her brow, pondering for a long time before asking again in confusion.
"Just an Undying Old Demon."
"......"
At that moment, the Fire Parrot had folded its wings and landed, plunging everything into an infinite darkness.
"It seems we've reached the end," Shen Muhan said as he and Xia Muxin touched down. He drew a soft sword from his waist, which immediately emitted a cold gleam, casting a piercing light into the endless dark.
Xia Muxin wrapped her small hand around his waist and inadvertently squeezed it before saying, "You carry this soft sword with you all the time?"
"It's just a commonly used belt," he replied casually.
“......”
“Why is the Fire Parrot not on fire at this moment?”
“It only ignites when it flies; it’s just some color-changing fluorescent powder, really. Ugh... murder my husband!”
“Who tricked you into believing that...”
Xia Muxin never expected to be played around by Shen Muhan. One moment the Fire Parrot's wings would burst into flames, and the next it was the Undying Old Demon, Qing Ran. Suddenly, a surge of anger welled up inside her, but just as she was about to unleash her lengthy tirade, Shen Muhan covered her mouth, and at that moment, they heard a steady sound of footsteps approaching.
“You're here!”
“I’m here.”
“How did it go?”
“It went badly.”
Then there was silence.
At that moment, Shen Muhan released her hand from Xia Muxin's mouth, ears perked up, but there was no further sound. The earlier vague conversation felt like it had come out of thin air.
Next, she took a deep breath and leaped, pressing a spot somewhere unknown. Suddenly, an opening appeared above them. Shen Muhan grabbed Xia Muxin and jumped down, landing safely on the ground.
Xia Muxin scanned the surroundings; it turned out to be a ruin, devoid of any human presence. Everything that had just happened felt like an illusion, sending chills down her spine.
Shen Muhan, however, caught the scent of blood. The other party had acted too quickly and cleaned up too efficiently. Moreover, not far away, steam was rising, and there was a puddle on the wooden floor—likely from using corpse powder.
Destroying Evidence......
Suddenly, a bloodthirsty smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
“Muxin, we’re in big trouble. In a few days, I’ll have someone send you back home.”
This was the first time Xia Muxin had heard Shen Muhan say such words. She looked at him in confusion and after a moment, she asked, “What kind of monster is this that even you are afraid?”
“This is worse than a monster.”
“......”
Half an hour later.
“Uncle, why do we have to stay at an inn instead of going home?”
Xia Muxin was reluctantly being pulled along by Shen Muhan. She had thought they would return to his mansion or somewhere else, but instead, he brought her to an inn. Feeling a bit frustrated, she pouted her pretty face and complained.
She had never liked staying in inns. Even back in modern times, she would never choose to stay in a hotel, even if it meant spending a night in an internet café.
“I’m tired today and don’t want to deal with those Old Foxes. Let’s eat well and rest; tomorrow will be enough for you to play.”
Shen Muhan affectionately rubbed her nose and smiled lightly. Then he led her to a private room on the third floor. The innkeeper seemed quite familiar with him, bowing and nodding as they entered. As soon as they stepped inside, the attendant promptly brought in hot water, along with clothes.
And there were women’s clothes too, which left Xia Muxin momentarily stunned.
At that moment, she was overwhelmed by an unpleasant odor. Not thinking much of it, she waved her hand in front of her nose in disdain, only to see Shen Muhan stepping out from behind the screen. He smiled at her childish gesture and said,
"The hot water is ready; go take a bath."
Xia Muxin didn't hesitate and immediately ran toward the screen, quickly stripping down and immersing herself in the bathtub.
After soaking for a while, she realized she had forgotten to bring a change of clothes. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she poked her head out from behind the screen. Not seeing Shen Muhan around, she gently called out,
"Uncle, I forgot to grab my clean clothes. Could you please bring them to me?"
After waiting for a while without receiving a response or seeing him, she called out again,
"Uncle, Uncle... are you there?"
Finally confirming that he was not present, she decided to step out of the bathtub. Just as she was about to run out from behind the screen, she heard a seductive male voice say,
"Did you forget to bring your change of clothes? Would you like me to get them for you?"
- End of Chapter -
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