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墨書 Inktalez
In the cafeteria of the orphanage, over twenty children chattered noisily like a flock of sparrows. Bai Zhuo squeezed among them, seeking his ridiculous sense of superiority. At one table sat Qin Mother, Yang Liu, Ge Shui Lian, Miao Xiaoqi, and Ouyang Shirei, enjoying their time together.
Only Qin Mother occasionally glanced at Bai Zhuo, who was boasting with the children, feeling a twinge of worry in her heart. What a good child he was—young and kind-hearted—though his profession was somewhat unusual; everything else was just fine! Qin Zhu thought to herself, feeling increasingly satisfied like a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law.
Ouyang Shirei took a bite of her meal and asked, “Shui Lian, Yang Liu, are you both studying at Ning University?”
Ge Shui Lian nodded. “Yes, we’re in our third year now.”
Ouyang Shirei replied happily, “Haha, that means you two are my juniors! I used to study at Ning University too; back then it was just a vocational school. Now it’s already an undergraduate institution—how great!”
“Ah? Sister Shirei also graduated from Ning University? What a coincidence!”
“Yes, it’s been four or five years in a flash!”
Yang Liu asked, “So Sister Shirei, did you date anyone in college?”
Ouyang Shirei paused for a moment and secretly glanced at Bai Zhuo, who was busy bragging with his friends. “No, not really. At that time, I was focused on studying to get my Teacher Qualification Certificate and didn’t have the chance to date.”
Ge Shui Lian became curious and asked, “Hey? Sister Shirei, we haven’t seen your husband around. You’re not still single, are you?”
Ouyang Shirei's expression fell. “I’ve been divorced for almost four years now.”
Yang Liu had spent some time with Ouyang Shirei while taking care of Bai Zhuo in the hospital and knew her fairly well. She had never asked before but was surprised to hear that Ouyang Shirei was divorced. “Ah? Sister Shirei, you’re so gentle and kind; how could a man not cherish you?”
Qin Zhu couldn’t help but scold her daughter. “She wouldn’t listen to me as her mother and insisted on getting a marriage certificate with that man. Now look where it got her!”
“Mom! Don’t say that…”
Qin Zhu sneered. “What’s wrong? The man you chose is like this; as your mother, do I not have the right to speak?” She put down her chopsticks. “While you were away, that man came looking for you again. Didn’t he call you?”
Ouyang Shirei frowned. "Zhou Liang? What does he want from me again?"
Qin Zhu looked at her disappointing daughter, feeling a surge of anger. "Again? What does he want from you? Who knows what he wants! Let me tell you, Ouyang Shirei, if you keep getting entangled with that man, don’t expect me to recognize you as my daughter!"
Hearing this, Ouyang Shirei felt wronged. She slammed her chopsticks down and said, "Mom! When have I ever been entangled with him?"
Yang Liu and Miao Xiaoqi were startled; they hadn’t expected the gentle and virtuous Ouyang Shirei to show such authority when angry. Ge Shui Lian nudged Yang Liu, asking quietly, "Senior, did I say something wrong?" Yang Liu shook her head, indicating she didn’t know.
Qin Mother glared at her daughter, her eyes wide with fury. "Ouyang Shirei, don’t think I don’t know where your secret money has gone. It’s all gone to that man, isn’t it? When he asks you out, what else could it be for besides those indecent things?"
Ouyang Shirei was innocent; even her mother had no right to insult her! She slammed her hand on the table, stood up, and shouted, "Qin Zhu! Am I no longer your daughter?"
When Qin Mother heard this, she was furious that her daughter had called her by her name. Without thinking, she raised her hand and slapped Ouyang Shirei hard across the face.
The mischievous children sensed that something was off and the room fell silent. Bai Zhuo also noticed the tension and looked over at Ouyang Shirei.
Ouyang Shirei turned her face to the side, five red finger marks deeply imprinted on her cheek.
In that moment after striking her daughter, Qin Zhu regretted it instantly. Hitting her child hurt a mother’s heart; if it weren’t for Ouyang Shirei’s stubbornness, she wouldn’t have wanted to meddle in her affairs at all. Her daughter was already grown up; after finally finding a decent partner, how could she not feel anxious?
Ouyang Shirei glanced at Qin Mother and said calmly, "I’m full." With that, she left the dining hall and ran away.
The dining hall fell silent. Qin Mother worried about Ouyang Shirei and turned to Bai Zhuo. "Master Bai, since Rui'er is close to you, please help me chase after her!"
Bai Zhuo had no reason to refuse; he nodded and ran out after her. The topic had been brought up by Yang Liu and Ge Shui Lian, who exchanged glances and shrank back a little.
As autumn approached, the light faded more quickly. Good Baby Orphanage was located in a remote area without neon lights; outside around seven o'clock it became pitch black with only a few lonely streetlights flickering along the roadside. Walking alone at night could be quite eerie.
Ouyang Shirei ran quickly while Bai Zhuo was unfamiliar with the area. After a few turns, Ouyang Shirei's figure disappeared from sight.
With no choice but to keep searching—after all, he liked her.
Bai Zhuo walked along the street illuminated by the streetlights. In this remote suburban area, not a single car was in sight, which felt eerie even for someone like Bai Zhuo, a Yin-Yang Master. A sense of unease settled in his heart.
Not far ahead was Burial Mountain, the very mountain where he had once saved White Peach.
As the name suggests, Burial Mountain is a place for burying the dead. Bai Zhuo, a local native, had always thought it was called Cang Mountain until he asked his grandfather about its origin and learned that it was actually named Burial Mountain.
In truth, long ago, this was just an unnamed hill. Before the reform and opening up, in the nearby villages, many impoverished families with deep-rooted feudal beliefs and a preference for sons found themselves with too many daughters. When they desperately wanted a son but ended up with another girl, feeling unable to support her, they would secretly abandon the newborn on the mountain after birth. Even if someone found the baby while gathering firewood the next day, no one knew whose child it was. Over time, people stopped caring about it altogether.
The lack of concern only made matters worse. Families that had unwanted daughters began to throw them onto the mountain regularly, creating a horrifying trend. This nameless hill eventually became notorious as Ningcheng's Burial Mountain.
It wasn't until a terrifying supernatural incident occurred during the reform and opening up that people stopped abandoning children on the mountain. As for this incident, Bai Zhuo had only vague recollections from his grandfather's stories; it seemed that an entire village had vanished at that time.
Of course, Bai Zhuo wasn't focused on these tales; his current worry was for Ouyang Shirei. Fortunately, Qing She had been closely following Ouyang Shirei, so he wasn't afraid of any bad people—his real fear lay with those blind ghosts!
Bai Zhuo took out his phone and dialed Ouyang Shirei's number, but it was Qin Mother who answered; Ouyang Shirei didn't have her phone with her.
"Is this Master Bai? Have you found Shirei?" Qin Mother asked anxiously.
"Not yet, Auntie. Don't worry; I will definitely bring Sister Shirei back."
"Thank you so much, Master Bai! I need to take care of the children here and can't leave."
Just as he hung up the phone, Bai Zhuo's pocket suddenly started moving!
"Damn! Just when I thought I wouldn't have to deal with anything!" Bai Zhuo cursed under his breath. The movement came from the Five Elements Plate he had won from Zheng Ming; its activity indicated that there were supernatural beings nearby!
Worrying about Ouyang Shirei's safety, Bai Zhuo quickly took out the Five Elements Plate.
This palm-sized Five Elements Plate was quite extraordinary; it contained no electrical components yet the hexagrams, Curse Seals, and elemental positions moved autonomously! Bai Zhuo couldn't figure out how it worked; it likely had something to do with magnetic fields. He had tried using it in front of Su Meiniang and An Zhi Xi without any effect.
Bai Zhuo placed the Five Elements Plate flat on the ground. The elemental positions and Curse Seals spun like a soulless South Needle, producing a grinding sound as if stones were rubbing together! Suddenly, there was a cracking noise as the inner plate of the Five Elements Plate caved in, revealing five spiked grooves stained with blood inside!
A circle of stone plates popped out on both sides, causing the palm-sized Five Elements Plate to expand to nearly the size of a basketball!
"What is this?" Bai Zhuo thought in surprise. From the ancient Curse Seal above, it seemed to be a barrier's Curse Seal, but Bai Zhuo was unsure how to use it.
Ding—The Five Elements Plate emitted a crisp sound, with the inner plate fixed in one position. Bai Zhuo focused his gaze and could roughly understand the symbols drawn on it.
"North, extremely ominous, Evil Spirit rampant? This is bad, Sister Shirei!" Bai Zhuo exclaimed as he grabbed the Five Elements Plate. It lost its balance and shrank back to its original form. He hurried northward, repeatedly muttering, "Sister Shirei, please don't be in danger!"
He ran further away, getting closer to Burial Mountain. Truly, what one fears often comes true; a chilling wind howled from Burial Mountain, and Bai Zhuo could almost confirm that a powerful presence resided there!
Using the faint light from his phone, Bai Zhuo ascended Burial Mountain! Halfway up the mountain, ghostly flames wandered everywhere. Bai Zhuo knew they were phosphorescent fires but still felt uneasy. He cursed himself for being useless; he was a Yin-Yang Master and had seen ghosts before—why should he fear these chemical reactions?
"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath to bolster his courage and continued toward the peak.
Suddenly, he spotted a figure in the distance and shouted, "Sister Shirei!"
Unfortunately, the white figure did not respond and floated up the mountain on its own! Indeed, it was floating! Bai Zhuo's skin prickled all over; he had encountered something sinister! Not all spirits were like Su Meiniang or Lin Yao Yao—some could be harmful!
"Three Pure Ones, Three Realms, Three Sovereigns! Grant me passage to exorcise evil! Depart, malevolent spirits, Urgent Command!" Bai Zhuo pulled out yellow talismans and formed Hand Seals, hastily sticking three charms onto himself as he rushed after it. Even if this entity currently posed no threat to Ouyang Shirei, he worried about future harm; it was better to eliminate it now!
The spirit in white drifted erratically. Bai Zhuo followed it for quite some time but found that his distance from it remained unchanged—neither closer nor farther! Alarmed, he thought: Am I caught in a wall of ghosts? When did I fall into this trap?
A wall of ghosts comes in two forms: one is like Bai Zhuo's situation—walking around yet remaining in place forever; the other resembles an illusion where a path appears ahead but an invisible wall blocks progress. Hence, it's commonly referred to as being trapped by ghosts!
How could his protective talismans fall victim to such a ghostly trick? Bai Zhuo was shocked and hurriedly closed his eyes to silently recite the Nine Character Mantra.
Suddenly, he felt someone tap his shoulder from behind! Unmoved, Bai Zhuo continued chanting the incantation while frantically thinking of ways to deal with it.
"Hehehe... Brother~ Brother~ come keep me company! Open your eyes and look back at me! Brother~ I'm so beautiful!" The voice was neither male nor female, reminiscent of a demonic echo from a horror movie—terrifying beyond measure.
Bai Zhuo carried only the Five Elements Plate and a few ordinary talismans; Phantom Sparrow was a ghost and several levels below this Evil Spirit! He didn't know what to do. Worrying about Ouyang Shirei while being trapped here made him anxious like an ant on a hot pan; he wished he could kick this ghost away.
Bai Zhuo cursed himself for being useless. Was it really just luck that he managed to deal with the Taotie Ghost, as others said?
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and the image of Su Meiniang appeared in his mind. He clearly recalled the moment when the monk Hengyuan was enlightening Su Meiniang in the restroom with that Sutra!
He didn’t know what profound meanings were hidden within the Sutra, but Bai Zhuo was clever enough to memorize that passage perfectly! The Onmyoji was a product of the fusion of Taoism and Buddhism, and it even contained elements of Esoteric Buddhism. Anything that could exorcise demons and subdue ghosts was essential for an Onmyoji!
Desperate times called for desperate measures. He recalled that passage from the Sutra and began to chant it quietly.
“Namo Gada…” At first, his recitation was somewhat awkward, like a whispering murmur. After a moment, he became more familiar with the Sutra, and his anxious heart miraculously calmed down!
This Sutra was something even a Millennium Ghost like Su Meiniang feared. How could a mere Evil Spirit withstand it? The Evil Spirit suddenly let out a wailing cry, its genderless screams echoing throughout the forest, adding a touch of terror to the quiet night!
Bai Zhuo felt a surge of joy; he hadn’t expected this Sutra to possess such power! However, in his moment of distraction, he suddenly felt a sweetness in his throat and coughed up a mouthful of blood!
Joy turned to sorrow! Bai Zhuo wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth in panic and questioned himself, “What the hell? Am I seriously ill? What’s going on? Is this… backlash?”
Bai Zhuo guessed correctly. Such a powerful Sutra that even Su Meiniang feared could not be easily learned by others. Moreover, Bai Zhuo only understood its form but not its essence; he had not penetrated its Buddhist teachings. He was merely imitating it like using the Borrowing Method! The backlash didn’t incapacitate him, which was fortunate!
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