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墨書 Inktalez
When we returned last night, it was almost dawn. Shangguan Mingyue and I took off our clothes and crept into Grandma's room, relieved to see that she was sleeping so soundly before we finally closed our eyes and drifted off.
However, none of us expected to be woken up at just 7 AM by Wang Kun.
He had arranged for us to have breakfast in the courtyard. There were two vegetable dishes, pickled radish, and a bowl of porridge made from farm-fresh rice, which was already quite a feast. The villagers were simple folks, treating their guests with exceptional warmth and hospitality.
Wang Kun kept urging us to eat, but Shangguan Mingyue and I were so sleepy at the table that we could barely keep our eyes open.
The two men, on the other hand, were full of energy. They seemed not to need food or sleep, unlike Shangguan Mingyue and me.
"Did you two sisters not sleep well last night? Is that why you're so tired today? Why don't you go back inside and rest a bit more?" Wang Kun said, his dark face flushing as he awkwardly glanced at us.
After all, we were guests in someone else's home; it felt inappropriate to be picky.
I discreetly pinched Shangguan Mingyue's thigh under the table, and she instantly perked up, her eyes wide as she looked at me with a pained expression.
She reached over and poured half of her porridge into my bowl. This woman knew exactly how much I could eat yet still decided to fill my bowl. Her sense of revenge was surprisingly strong.
After sipping a couple of mouth fuls of hot porridge, I felt more awake.
Perhaps because I was pregnant, I had developed a particular craving for sour and spicy foods. Seeing the pickled radish on the table made my mouth water.
Unable to resist, I reached for it with my chopsticks, only to have it snatched away by Mu Xuanche.
What was going on? Why was he suddenly eating? Wasn't he supposed to be unable to eat?
I was so hungry that I thought about going for another serving, but unexpectedly, he snatched it away from me.
Feeling a bit angry, I looked up at him, only to find him staring at me with a strange expression, his face unusually serious.
Startled, I hesitated to reach for the plate of radishes, sensing something odd in the air. No matter how Wang Kun called out to me afterward, I refused to touch that plate of radishes. Even more strangely, every time Mingyue wanted to eat, Bai Qiling would block her.
Initially, Mingyue was furious and ready to confront Bai Qiling, but I managed to stop her by discreetly pinching her under the table, which made her realize what was happening.
With all this commotion, even Wang Kun, no matter how honest he was, sensed that something was off. He looked at us awkwardly and asked, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with my radishes? These were made by my mother herself; they are famous in the area. You two should give them a try."
With that, he picked up a piece of radish and placed it into both my and Shangguan Mingyue's bowls.
Now we were in a tough spot; refusing to eat would mean disrespecting him. But how could we swallow something that clearly felt wrong? We exchanged awkward glances.
In the end, it was Mingyue who acted first. She brought the piece of radish close to her mouth. Just as it was about to reach her lips, Bai Qiling struck, knocking the bowl from her hands.
In an instant, the atmosphere turned painfully awkward.
Wang Kun looked awkwardly at the porridge on the ground, his face flushed.
"Brother Bai, if you think our food is bad, you shouldn’t waste it like this. I know you city folks have money, but we worked hard to grow this rice..."
Before he could finish, Bai Qiling interrupted him, pulling him closer and then taking out a bottle from his pocket to sprinkle something over the plate of radishes.
What happened next shocked everyone. The originally white and shiny radishes slowly began to sprout a green substance resembling moss, and tiny worm-like creatures the size of grains of rice started to emerge from within the radish strips.
Wang Kun was equally astonished, his eyes wide as he stared at the radishes, his lips trembling slightly.
"This... this... this is impossible! My mother pickles things; how could they possibly have worms?"
Although he seemed sincere, we were at a loss for words.
Seeing our silence, the honest man grew anxious, his face turning red.
"I really didn’t know this would happen! How could these radishes be like this when I eat them? You have to believe me; I wouldn’t harm you!"
Just as everyone was filled with suspicion and contemplation, an elderly voice broke the tension.
"It was I who poisoned them; it has nothing to do with my son. If you want someone to blame, come find me, this blind old woman."
Wang Kun's mother leaned on her cane as she slowly walked in, her expression cold and serious.
We hadn’t expected that the kind-looking elder from last night would show such a side today; it was quite an eye-opener for us.
Wang Kun was anxious as he rushed over to support his mother, asking, "Mother, why do you want to harm others? These are our guests; how can you treat them like this?"
Grandma coldly snorted, "Hmph, guests? They are all reapers. What kind of guests come this way?"
Mingyue, unable to tolerate such words, turned to Grandma and retorted, "Grandma, what do you mean by reapers? We haven't harmed you; it's you who wants our lives. How dare you speak like that?"
"Those who practice cultivation mingling with spirits—this girl is quite the liar and dares to speak to me like this," Grandma's words left everyone present momentarily stunned. No one expected that this Grandma could actually see through their identities as cultivators.
She even recognized Mu Xuanche and the others as spirits. Who exactly was this Grandma to possess such abilities?
As the crowd fell silent, Mu Xuanche suddenly stood up and addressed Grandma, saying, "It was you who followed us last night."
A strange smile crept across Grandma's face, her wrinkled features transforming dramatically. Today, she looked almost witch-like, a bit frightening.
"That's right. You all sneaked out last night; what's wrong with me following to take a look?"
Suddenly recalling something, I asked Grandma, "So those traps were set by you?"
Grandma's murky eyes glinted with a cold light as she replied fiercely, "Consider yourselves lucky. Since you all know now, just obediently go down the mountain. Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude."
The atmosphere froze. I didn't respond but looked at Mu Xuanche to let him make the decision.
He stepped in front of Grandma and said, "Grass Witch, may I have a word with you?"
Grandma's expression suddenly changed, her murky eyes fixed on Mu Xuanche.
Mu Xuanche didn't look at her and walked straight out. Grandma quickly followed him, and Wang Kun wanted to accompany them but was stopped by Grandma.
"You stay inside; I can go by myself," Grandma said in a particularly serious tone.
Wang Kun became tense, watching our eyes darting around, then he scrutinized everyone again.
"Big Brother, is your mother a Grass Witch?"
He glanced at me without answering and squatted in a corner to smoke.
Mingyue leaned over and asked, "What is a Grass Witch?"
Everyone knows that the Miao people have a particularly powerful form of sorcery, and the Grass Witch is the legendary witch of this craft.
This sorcery is mostly inherited by women because the Grass Spirit only possesses women. A woman who inherits this power is called a Grass Witch.
In modern times, these once formidable Grass Witches have become nearly extinct.
That's why I was so shocked when Mu Xuanche referred to Grandma as a Grass Witch earlier.
As far as I know, Grass Witches generally do not want others to know their identity to avoid bringing disaster upon themselves that could prevent them from marrying and having children.
So when I asked Wang Kun, he was reluctant to answer me. No wonder that during the wild boar hunt in the forest, that poison needle was so powerful it could take down a wild boar in an instant.
"Wow, that's amazing! I want to learn from her!"
Mingyue looked astonished, filled with curiosity about the situation.
As a result, Bai Qiling teased her mercilessly, saying, "The Grass Witch is alive. If you want, I can help you. Just endure being locked in that huge vat, sealed all around, while I pour thousands of poisonous insects in to bite you forty-nine times. If you don't die from the poison, you can become the Grass Witch. Want to give it a try?"
Shangguan Mingyue was so frightened that she shrank directly into my arms. However, Bai Qiling's method did have some merit, but it was only applicable when one was a girl, and such an approach was fraught with danger; ordinary people wouldn't dare to do it.
Just as we were discussing this passionately, Mu Xuanche and Grandma walked in.
Both of their expressions seemed normal, showing no signs of anything unusual. I pulled Mu Xuanche aside and whispered to him, "How is it going?"
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