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墨書 Inktalez
Following Gu Chen's gaze, I looked over to the direction of the Half Stone Tablet marked with "No Entry." The sky above was shrouded in layers of dark clouds—wasn't this a sign of ominous trouble? Perhaps Zhou Zhen, who understood Mausoleum Taoism better than I did, realized the gravity of the situation. He turned to Gu Chen with a serious expression and asked, "Senior Gu, what... what is this?"
"Let's go take a look!" Gu Chen shook his head, seemingly uncertain about what was happening there. However, his grave demeanor suggested it was anything but simple. With that, he stepped forward. Anfu followed without hesitation, and Zhou Zhen and I exchanged worried glances before we approached Chen Sheng, who was still busy handling matters related to Xiao Gao and Heizi. We quickly briefed him on our intentions and hurried after Gu Chen.
When we were in the factory, it indeed looked like there were dark clouds swirling above. But upon arriving here, the scene transformed into something else entirely. Above us, a faint layer of black mist lingered in the air, drifting yet always gathering in this part of the sky. I couldn't discern what this black mist represented, but seeing Zhou Zhen and Gu Chen's grim expressions made me uneasy.
Unable to contain my curiosity any longer, I walked up to Zhou Zhen and whispered, "Uncle Zhou, is there something terrifying here?" Zhou Zhen shook his head and replied, "I don't know either. However, in Taoism, there's a saying about observing qi; dark clouds overhead are an omen of great misfortune—just like what we're witnessing now."
My brow furrowed as I felt a wave of shock wash over me. Although Zhou Zhen's explanation was vague, it was clear that the situation here was dire—very dire indeed. Gu Chen remained silent and stood still for a moment, scanning the surroundings before stepping forward again. Zhou Zhen, Anfu, and I quickly followed him. His pace was slow as he walked and observed, occasionally frowning in thought; Zhou Zhen mirrored his actions as if searching for something.
Just as I was about to ask Zhou Zhen what they were looking for, Gu Chen suddenly pointed ahead and said, "Over there." My gaze shifted forward, uncertain of what lay ahead. Gu Chen then strode purposefully toward that direction, prompting Anfu, Zhou Zhen, and me to follow closely behind.
After walking several dozen steps, Gu Chen halted. I rushed to his side and looked ahead at a large dirt pit about one meter wide. It appeared to be three or four meters deep and was pitch black inside; peering down sent a chill up my spine that made me feel particularly uncomfortable.
Gu Chen's expression turned serious as he said, "This is it—the source of the Evil Energy leak."
"Is there something inside?" I couldn't help but ask in shock as I looked at Gu Chen. He glanced at me but didn't respond directly; instead, he instructed Anfu beside him: "Anfu, you stay here and keep watch. Don't let anyone go down."
"Okay, Grandpa," Anfu nodded firmly.
Gu Chen then turned to Zhou Zhen: "You come down with me to take a look." Zhou Zhen nodded gravely in agreement but not before reminding me: "Xiao Lin, stay with Anfu and don't wander off."
I nodded back reassuringly. "Uncle Zhou, don't worry; I will." I understood that Zhou Zhen was concerned for my safety given the sinister atmosphere here; who knew what terrifying things might lurk around? And judging by Anfu's abilities, staying with him would undoubtedly be the safest option.
Seeing my nod of agreement, Zhou Zhen said nothing more as he and Gu Chen jumped down into the pit. The pit looked strange—almost like a tomb passage dug by grave robbers—with a diameter of three or four meters that suddenly extended inward.
After they jumped down, Anfu and I sat beside the pit watching intently when suddenly a scalp appeared from below. We both sprang to our feet; it was Zhou Zhen! I rushed over to help him up but noticed that Gu Chen was nowhere in sight below.
Curious, I asked anxiously, "Uncle Zhou! How did you come up so quickly? Where's Senior Gu?"
Zhou Zhen brushed off some dirt from his clothes and replied: "There's a very deep passage down there. Senior Gu and I suspect it might lead to an ancient tomb; this pit seems to have been dug by grave robbers."
"An ancient tomb..." Just moments ago I'd thought this pit resembled one dug by grave robbers; now it seemed likely! But any site referred to as an ancient tomb must belong to someone significant after their death. Yet in such a remote area like this one, I couldn't fathom who might be buried here.
But there was no time for speculation; once Zhou Zhen emerged from the pit he immediately told Anfu: "Anfu! You're fast—go back to the factory and see if they have any flashlights or similar equipment; bring two back for us—we need them to explore further."
Anfu nodded without hesitation and dashed back. After about twenty minutes had passed, Anfu returned jogging with two flashlights in hand which he handed directly to Zhou Zhen.
Zhou Zhen took the flashlights and nodded at us to be careful before descending again into the pit. He remained down there until nightfall without reappearing while Anfu and I waited nearby in complete darkness—it felt eerily oppressive as if we were under an enormous shadow.
The night breeze blew coldly against us; I shivered involuntarily and glanced at Anfu sitting quietly beside me—he hadn't spoken a word since afternoon. Feeling somewhat awkward about his solitary demeanor, I tentatively suggested: "Hey Anfu... I'm going to step away for a moment; do you want to come with me?"
I called out mainly because I felt scared being alone in such darkness; although we were both men it still felt slightly embarrassing. However, he ignored me completely. Sighing in resignation, I moved away a bit before unzipping my pants.
As I relieved myself, my brow furrowed slightly when I noticed that the Yinshan Jade given to me by Mao Guoxue seemed to vibrate faintly against my chest just then. Ever since Mao Guoxue had given it to me I'd worn it constantly without taking it off. The sudden vibration made me think perhaps Mu Yan had awakened or wanted to come out.
But when I looked down again at the jade pendant hanging around my neck—it remained still without any sound or movement at all. Shaking my head dismissively at my own imagination—I figured it must have been just an illusion.
After finishing up and zipping my pants back up readying myself to leave—I suddenly froze when I realized someone had appeared right before me without making a sound! In this pitch-black night he had materialized silently; had I not looked up just then I'd never have noticed!
"Who are you?" I demanded sharply but could barely make out his face due to the darkness—only that he was a man standing before me.
"Don't be afraid," he said with a smile as he stepped closer towards me. But as he drew nearer that Yinshan Jade on my chest vibrated again—this time more intensely than before! Mu Yan must be trying to warn me!
Instinctively locking eyes with this stranger again—I began retreating slowly backward; given how dark it was here combined with his sudden appearance alongside the jade's vibrations—I knew something wasn't right about him!
Just as I'd taken two steps back—I felt someone bump into me from behind causing another jolt of surprise! Turning around quickly revealed it was Anfu standing behind me with an expressionless face fixed on me—his gaze piercing through like a sharp blade!
"Anfu!" I couldn't help but call out his name anxiously—but instead of responding he yanked me behind him just then—a blinding light suddenly illuminated our surroundings followed by Zhou Zhen’s voice calling out urgently: “Xiao Lin! Look at his face!”
Taking advantage of that light shining from behind—I quickly turned my gaze towards the stranger’s face—and instantly every hair on my body stood on end! What stared back at me was an utterly pale face devoid of color—a Withered Face so ghastly white it sent chills down my spine!
When I turned back towards Zhou Zhen—I gasped again because he had climbed out from the pit carrying something on his back—a corpse! The head hung limply over his shoulder resembling exactly that horrifying pale visage standing before us!
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