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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
In the moment Dao Child turned around, he was pierced through the head by Li Fugui's iron spear, nailing him to the ground.
I looked at Li Fugui with some annoyance and said, "If you're going to kill him, just do it. Is there really a sense of accomplishment in killing him after hesitating?"
"Hao," Huzi said awkwardly, glancing at me, clearly worried that I might clash with his grandfather again.
Li Fugui replied, "I only let him go; I didn't kill him. The world is dangerous, and with this man's paranoid nature, if he gains power, he will become a problem. I don't think there's anything wrong with killing him. If you were in my position, you'd become like that too."
After finishing his words, Li Fugui picked up the iron spear and headed down the mountain. Surprisingly, my mother appeared calmer than any of us; she patted me and said, "Hao, go on ahead. A woman like me shouldn't follow."
"Mom, I'm going back with you," I said, watching her figure as she descended the mountain, feeling increasingly perplexed by her.
My mother waved her hand at me and disappeared down the path.
Huzi and I followed Li Fugui down the mountain. Huang San'er was incredibly treacherous and a notorious figure in the county; we couldn't let him escape.
We chased for a long time, catching glimpses of Huang San'er several times but allowing him to slip away each time. Li Fugui had lost too much blood tonight, and his healing ability had been severely depleted, making it difficult for him to keep up.
There was only one way out from Futu Ridge, which led to Winding Mountain Road. We positioned ourselves ahead of Winding Mountain Road, and under the moonlight, we could vaguely see Huang San'er below looking up at us. He seemed puzzled as to why we could always find him.
It was clear that Li Fugui was genuinely angry because if it weren't for the awakening of my inner strength tonight, he would have been dead long ago. A person like Li Fugui, who repays grudges without fail, would never let Huang San'er go. After resting for a moment, he took off like a cheetah. Huzi and I struggled to keep up behind him until we somehow ended up at the front of the forbidden area near the Pine Forest.
"Huang San'er wouldn't run into the forbidden area, would he?" Huzi asked, nearly collapsing from exhaustion. His body had only just begun to recover; the prolonged jostling was taking its toll on him.
I replied, "It's nighttime now; the Yin Qi is too heavy. The mountains have been restless lately; we shouldn't recklessly enter. Your grandfather knows that place is forbidden and must have his reasons. Let me check with the Zhou Compass."
I took out the Zhou Compass and adjusted the needle. The Light Shadow flickered, revealing a figure—Huang San'er, panting heavily as he dashed through the night, glancing back over his shoulder while fleeing.
Whoosh!
Huang San'er heard the sound of wind behind him. Without looking, he rolled forward just as an iron spear shot past, kicking up the fallen leaves on the ground and burying itself half a foot deep.
A cold sweat broke out on Huang San'er’s forehead. He scrambled to his feet and ran deeper into the pine forest. Li Fugui's silhouette sped past, the iron spear raised, stirring up dust without a moment's pause.
Huzi and I watched as their Light Shadows nearly brushed against each other. Huang San'er’s face turned ashen, despair evident in his expression. It wasn't until we reached the end of Pine Forest that we saw the massive snake skin hanging from the branches of a pine tree.
A tall figure stood at the edge of Pine Forest, while another figure loomed in the clearing at the entrance to the forbidden cave. Moonlight poured down from the mountaintop, allowing us to see Huang San'er clenching his fists and looking toward us.
“Old Immortal, if you have the guts, come chase me again! Are you scared?!” Huang San'er shouted at Li Fugui.
Li Fugui took a step forward, but Huzi quickly said, “Grandpa, don’t go over there!”
Li Fugui raised his hand to signal that it was fine. He stepped onto the embankment at the edge of the pine forest, his face pale and a complex expression in his eyes.
“What’s wrong? Are you scared?” Huang San'er paused for a moment. Seeing that Li Fugui had no intention of pursuing him, he sat down on the ground, feeling dizzy from exhaustion.
I stood on the embankment beside the pine forest as well. The Zhou Compass in my hand emitted a faint green glow visible to the naked eye; its needle swayed erratically, and I could even feel it trembling.
Huzi and Li Fugui looked at the Zhou Compass in my hand with puzzled expressions. Li Fugui asked in a low voice, “What’s going on?”
I shook my head and replied, “This is my first time seeing such a situation. Guo the Blind said this Zhou Compass is a Daoist Sacred Artifact. If there are spiritual entities around it, the needle will change direction. That night when Guo the Blind took the Zhou Compass from Huang the Lame, he was overjoyed. But it seems neither he nor Guo Huaiyi knew how to use it properly, so they abandoned it. Even when he discovered that I had it, he never asked me for it.”
Huzi said, "It seems that the Zhou Compass has detected something in the vicinity, or perhaps there are unusual things all around, making it unable to accurately determine where to point."
I replied, "That could be the case. In any event, it's better to believe in the rumors about the forbidden area than to dismiss them."
Huzi looked at Li Fugui and said, "Grandpa, let's go back. I heard that Old Scholar came to Futu Ridge because of the forbidden area, and he couldn't find anything either. If we go in, we might provoke something sinister. You also said that there are things in this world far more terrifying than ghosts."
"What's wrong, Li Fugui? You cowardly old dog, if you have the guts, come in here and show me how impressive you are. If you're a man, step inside!" Huang San'er shouted at us from a distance.
Li Fugui hesitated for a moment; the anger in his eyes faded. He lifted his iron spear and turned to leave, expressionless as he said, "You're impressive."
I glanced at Huang San'er, who maintained his arrogant posture, his head tilted like a rotten pear.
Huzi said, "Huang San'er, I will definitely avenge my grudge against you. I hope you can make it out of the forbidden area alive."
Huang San'er shouted back, "With a coward like you, who doesn't even dare to enter, I can kill you once and I can kill you again!"
Li Fugui's figure had already vanished into the Pine Forest, but his voice echoed through the night sky.
"In three days, not a single person from the Huang Family will be left. I, Li Fugui, will make it happen."
Li Fugui's words hung in the air like a death sentence, lingering in my mind. I always remembered what Huang the Lame had said: Li Fugui kills based on his whims.
Futu Ridge is located deep in the mountains and is one of the few autonomous regions in the country. In ancient times, officials would come and go in waves of death, yet many still did not believe in such superstitions. Almost every newly appointed county official would want to wade into this murky water upon hearing about the floating pagoda mountain range to dispel this centuries-old rumor of evil—only for it to ultimately come to nothing.
However, the Huang Family was very well-known in the county town. If he were to kill someone openly, it would surely attract societal attention and prompt an investigation from above. Would there still be peace for Futu Ridge then?
After experiencing death, Huzi stayed by his mother's side for two consecutive days. During this time, he called me several times to come to their home. I vaguely remembered that when I used the power sealed within me to bring him back to life, there was a strong aura of evil surrounding it. However, Huzi showed no adverse reactions.
Revival is a taboo in the Daoist Sect, and coming back to life after decapitation is even more unbelievable. Logically, it should have had some negative consequences. But considering that Li Fugui's blood has healing abilities and that Huzi was unafraid of Guo the Blind's blood poison, it was reasonable that he did not exhibit any bad reactions.
During these two days, Guo the Blind and Guo Huaiyi remained shut in. Old Man Wang visited Guo the Blind once but was turned away. Meanwhile, Huzi's mother still refused to agree to move away from Futu Ridge, which left me with no desire to persuade her further.
When Li Fugui was at home, I also brought up the topic of moving away from Futu Ridge.
Li Fugui looked up at me, hesitating to speak. He couldn't move away, but when I asked him why not, he didn't answer. Later, Huzi also asked Li Fugui why he wouldn't leave. Futu Ridge was a cursed place; dying here felt as trivial as a dog dying. It couldn't simply be a matter of attachment to home.
Li Fugui said, "I won't move because something significant will happen in Futu Ridge soon. As for Yang Hao's mother, she has her own reasons for not leaving, but I can't interfere."
For these two days, Li Fugui had people stationed at the entrance of Winding Mountain Road to prevent Huang San'er from escaping. Yet Huang San'er had not shown up at all. Huzi feared that Li Fugui might actually go into the county town one night and kill Huang San'er's family, so he advised him against it. Li Fugui told Huzi not to meddle.
With no sign of Huang San'er for two consecutive days, we all assumed he must have died in the forbidden area behind the mountain because according to rumors in Futu Ridge, anyone who entered that place never came out unscathed.
However, on the morning of the third day, Huang San'er emerged from the forbidden area.
Like the County Leader who had walked out decades ago from that same place, he looked ashen and vacant-eyed, appearing completely deranged.
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