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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
Li Fugui was engulfed in dust, and the rock wall behind him cracked open with terrifying fissures. He slid down the wall, pulling out the iron spear that had been thrust into the mountainside.
Kneeling on the ground, he coughed up blood repeatedly. Trembling, he stood up, leaning on the iron spear as he approached me.
I clenched my palm, causing the iron spear to slip from his grasp and fly towards me.
The moment my fingertips touched the spear, it trembled with a clang and shot towards Li Fugui's head. At that moment, my mother's voice echoed in my mind, calling my name.
The trajectory of the spear veered off, embedding itself in the ground nearby, vibrating ominously.
Li Fugui narrowly escaped death's grasp. He felt utterly powerless against this strange state of confrontation with me, collapsing to his knees, gasping for breath.
My consciousness began to slip from my control, a surge of murderous intent overwhelming me. Circles of Black Script appeared around my hands, while words spun like wheels behind me.
Visions of scenes resembling a hellish purgatory filled my eyes. I struggled to recall my mother's smiling face and Zhou Manman's appearance. The uncontrollable urge to kill finally receded slightly, and the swirling dust and sand around me began to settle.
I gazed at Huzi lying below the cliff, covered by grass and foliage. Black script slowly floated from my hands, surrounding his body and dragging him closer to me.
The floating secret texts behind me began to converge in circles, flowing down my arm into my palm, coalescing into an eerily black sphere.
I forcefully pressed this sphere made entirely of black script into Huzi's body. With a thud, a shockwave erupted outward.
Li Fugui and my mother watched in astonishment as Huzi suddenly opened his eyes wide, gasping for air as if he had been greatly frightened.
Huzi touched his neck and cheek; color gradually returned to his pale face as his body temperature began to rise.
"Wasn't I dead?" Huzi stammered in confusion, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
As the black script around me slowly retracted into my flesh, the dark glow in my eyes faded away, returning to their original black-and-white state. The gaping wound in my chest where the iron spear had pierced was completely healed under that strange condition.
I felt weightless beneath me; my limbs went limp as I collapsed to the ground. My mother rushed over from a distance and helped me up. My mind was hazy, and I could still hear roars echoing as if from hell.
Gradually, Huzi seemed to remember something. He embraced Li Fugui and burst into tears. Li Fugui was equally overwhelmed with emotion, speechless as he stroked Huzi's head, tears streaming down his face.
"Huzi, who did this to you?" I asked as I looked at Huzi.
Huzi coughed and replied, "It was Huang San'er. He brought a group of people to Futu Ridge, and among them was a Taoist priest. It seems they were after Zhou Manman, but wasn't her soul already..."
"Already rescued. She was taken away by Big Black Cat, but we don't know where she went," I said.
My mother added, "I came to tell you that Manman is missing. Big Black Cat came to our house looking for you, seeking help."
"It seems Manman is in Huang San'er's hands. He has gone to Guo the Blind's house multiple times searching for Zhou Manman's ghost. He must have received guidance from someone knowledgeable, knowing that Zhou Manman's soul is currently extremely weak. We need to find Huang San'er and his group quickly; otherwise, Manman is in danger."
" Futu Ridge is so vast, surrounded by forests and barren mountains. If Huang San isn't at the old residence of the Huang Family in Dagu Village, it will be hard to find him," my mother said.
Li Fugui suggested, "I'll go to the village to gather some villagers and have a few people lead the big black dog to search for Zhou Manman. Her soul may be weak, but it will still leave behind a trace of energy, which is better than searching blindly."
"No need; I'll use the compass," I said as I took out the Zhou Compass. The needle moved, time shifted, and the grass around us swayed. Huang San'er dragged the bound Huzi to a withered tree and, under Huzi's terrified gaze, decapitated him and hung his head on the tree.
Around the withered tree stood an ugly middle-aged Taoist priest and a young Dao Child. The young Dao Child looked clean and handsome, holding a sealed White Jade Porcelain Bottle in his hands, while behind him were several indifferent young men dressed in black suits.
These young men all had guns at their waists and obeyed Huang San'er without question.
As Huzi watched his own head being cut off by Huang San'er in the Light Shadow, he touched his neck in horror, turning pale. Anyone witnessing their own death would struggle to remain calm.
Huzi looked at me and asked, "Hao, who exactly are you? Are you God?"
Li Fugui's expression fluctuated; he seemed unable to comprehend what was within me that granted the ability of revival.
My mother said, "Years ago, before his father left, he left something on him that might be useful when calamity strikes Futu Ridge in the future. I don't know what it is specifically."
"I can't control that kind of power; my body has already been overdrawn. If you die again, there's no chance of coming back," I replied without further regard for them. Instead, I focused on the Light Shadow surrounding the Zhou Compass. After killing Huzi, Huang San'er sent me a text message from his phone to lure me over while hiding in the shadows, watching my dazed expression with a sinister smile before retreating.
I followed the Light Shadow closely; Li Fugui and my mother were astonished and followed behind me. We walked through a patch of woods until we reached a desolate road.
The desolate road stretched towards the mountaintop in the northwest, appearing to have been long abandoned.
In the four directions of Futu Ridge, the east led to Winding Mountain Road, which connected to the county town; the south was home to the ancient town of Futu Ridge, where markets thrived during festivals; the north was a forbidden area of the back mountain; and the west was filled with mountains and wilderness.
Huzi and I had explored every corner of Futu Ridge, except for the forbidden northern area and the nearby northwest mountain.
I paused, unsure of where this path led.
Li Fugui said, "This is where the Old Scholar once lived. This mountain road used to be a necessary route for the villagers of Futu Ridge to ascend for incense burning and prayers. In the second year of Calamity, the temple was destroyed, the statue collapsed, and the Old Scholar vanished without a trace. Since then, very few have walked this path."
"So this is where the Old Scholar lived. How did Huang San'er and his group end up here?" I wondered aloud, watching Light Shadow as they moved away with Huang San'er and others.
We followed the slope upward, and as we neared the mountaintop, we spotted a flickering light next to a collapsed temple in the distance.
I put away my Zhou Compass; it seemed we had found Huang San'er and his group.
Li Fugui spoke in a low voice, "They have guns. Stay back; I'll handle them."
We nodded and cautiously followed Li Fugui, hiding among the bushes beside the dilapidated temple.
"So this is where the Old Scholar resided. It is said that this Old Scholar possessed Taoist Arts that could connect with the divine. He was once Futu Ridge's most esteemed living immortal. It's a pity that now he has returned to dust; otherwise, I could have compared notes with him," came a voice from below the temple—an ugly middle-aged Taoist priest.
"Kong Daozhang speaks truly. The Old Scholar was once an unknown figure who managed to deceive these simple villagers with a few tricks. If they saw Kong Daozhang's skills, they would surely kneel and call him an immortal," said a skinny old man with a sharp face standing beside Kong Daozhang.
The middle-aged priest replied, "Oh no, it's all just empty fame. I am a descendant of Confucius. Although my ancestors did not hold hereditary positions as sages, they have always been part of the Daoist Sect's backbone. I came to this desolate mountain to capture this female ghost; it truly tarnishes my name as Kong Haoran."
Huang San'er remarked, "Although you are skilled and wise, Futu Ridge is not as simple as you think; we should remain cautious."
"Young master, you worry too much. I've heard that the back mountain of Futu Ridge is a forbidden area known for trapping those who enter. Once we deal with this female ghost, we can explore inside. If there are any monsters or spirits, we can catch them and put them in a zoo for mortals to see!" The skinny old man said sharply.
Huang San'er frowned, clearly displeased. A black veil floated above his head, indicating that he had been targeted by the female ghost. Though he came from a Feng Shui family, his grandfather was the last true heir; his father was involved in business dealings while he himself knew little about Daoist practices.
"To prevent any unforeseen complications, let's quickly deal with this female ghost. I've already brought you to the Old Scholar's temple; don't tell me you still want to go to the forbidden area in the back mountain," Huang San'er said expressionlessly.
The middle-aged Taoist, Kong Haoran, chuckled and said, "I never expected Young Huang to kill without batting an eye, yet be so afraid of a frail ghost. This female spirit is not much stronger than an ordinary soul of someone who has just died. You can rest assured. However, since Young Huang is worried and has paid for this service, I will turn her to ashes right before your eyes."
With that, Kong Haoran took out a paper effigy from his sleeve. The effigy was crafted with remarkable detail, resembling a woman. As he chanted incantations, the paper figure suddenly ignited without any visible flame.
"Dao Fire?" Huang San'er’s expression clearly showed disbelief that Kong Haoran possessed the ability to burn everything with Dao Fire. Dao Fire specifically targets evil spirits and is a skill only mastered by those well-versed in Taoist arts. A grand Taoist temple often lacks even a single Old Taoist who can wield Dao Fire; such experts usually hide away in the mountains to contemplate the natural way. Yet here was Kong Haoran, demonstrating Dao Fire.
"Kong Daozhang's divine methods are indeed impressive; Lord Huang did not invite the wrong person," praised the Skinny Old Man, giving a thumbs up.
Kong Haoran chuckled again and waved his hand, signaling the Dao Child behind him to open a White Jade Porcelain Bottle he was holding.
The young Dao Child uncorked the bottle, and as Kong Haoran chanted once more, a wisp of blue smoke floated out. A flickering shadow appeared before him—it was Zhou Manman.
Kong Haoran grinned and said, "I just need to draw the female ghost's soul into the paper figure before it burns completely, and it will naturally turn to ashes, leaving no trace in this world!"
"I'll help you hold the paper figure, so our young master has no further worries!" The Skinny Old Man immediately took the half-burned paper effigy from Kong Haoran's hands.
Suddenly, whoosh! A steel spear shot out from the bushes, piercing through the Skinny Old Man's neck and pinning him against the wall of the Taoist temple behind him with a resonating thud.
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