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墨書 Inktalez
After spending a night at the hotel, Mu Xuanche brought me to the foot of the desolate mountain where the incident occurred.
The car slowly came to a stop at the entrance of a village. Mu Xuanche got out, and I followed closely behind.
Before us stood a wooden stake at the village entrance, with a tattered White Flag tied high upon it, fluttering gently in the breeze.
Mu Xuanche glanced over coldly, and I was taken aback. Just as I was about to say something, he turned and walked straight into the village.
On either side of the road were vast fields, overgrown with weeds that had crept over the large stones lining the path, all of which had withered away. Small fragments of stone were scattered across the road.
In the distance, houses were lined up in an orderly fashion, appearing to be just an ordinary village without anything particularly special about it.
However, there were mountains and water nearby; overall, this place looked decent enough, at least its feng shui seemed favorable.
In feng shui, good fortune is said to require a clear view in front and support behind. The "clear view" represents water, while "support" represents mountains.
Water symbolizes good luck in ancient beliefs; encountering water brings prosperity. The Ancients often said that if it rains before a journey, one is bound to gain something from it.
Without support from influential people in the court, one cannot hold an official position; thus, poor feng shui would result from lacking such backing.
As Mu Xuanche and I continued walking for a while, we noticed an unusual silence—there were no sounds of chickens or dogs typical of a village. Occasionally, we heard insects chirping from afar, but apart from that, there was not a single person in sight. It seemed that aside from the frogs hopping by the roadside, there was no sign of life whatsoever.
"This village seems completely deserted," I whispered to Mu Xuanche as I peered around. Indeed, there wasn't a soul in sight.
Taking a few more steps forward led us to a pond covered with algae and littered with bottles and trash.
"Since there's garbage here, there must be someone living around," Mu Xuanche remarked calmly. He glanced at the pond and suddenly seemed deep in thought as he walked toward a nearby house.
Without knocking, he simply pushed the door open. It creaked as it swung wide, releasing a thick cloud of dust from inside. I leaned in to take a look and was hit by a musty odor.
Mu Xuanche stared into the house for a few seconds before suddenly turning his head. I quickly withdrew my foot that had already stepped inside and followed him closely.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"There are some houses here that look like they haven't been lived in for a long time," Mu Xuanche suddenly said, glancing around. "Moreover, this isn't just an ordinary move; it seems someone has taken the people who originally lived here to a place we don't know."
"What do you mean?" I couldn't help but feel astonished.
Mu Xuanche fell silent, simply continuing to walk ahead.
I looked around, suddenly sensing several gazes on her. Turning my head, I noticed a few curtains drop, and it seemed like someone was standing behind the window looking out.
I froze for a moment, leaving Mu Xuanche behind as I walked straight over. There was a rustling sound from inside the window, followed by silence. I felt suspicious, certain something had just happened.
So, I leaned closer to the gap in the door. Several holes in the wooden door were stuffed with rags.
I poked my hand through and felt as if someone on the other side was pushing against it with force.
Sighing, I realized there must be someone inside who simply didn't want to open the door. If there was someone inside, that would make things easier.
Instantly, joy filled my heart, and my expression changed as a smile crept onto my face.
"Is anyone home?" I called out, knocking on the door with force.
The wooden door shook and rattled from my knock, yet there was still no response. Standing by the door, I didn't know what to do.
It seemed like the door was firmly blocked from the inside; no matter how hard I pushed, it wouldn't budge.
Perhaps having waited too long beside me, Mu Xuanche's expression grew noticeably impatient. He frowned slightly and glanced over before pausing for a moment.
Then he reached out and gently pushed forward. The door creaked open slowly.
I smiled and stepped over the threshold. At that moment, a commotion erupted from within—sounds of clattering and banging echoed loudly.
As the door opened, sunlight gradually poured in, brightening the surroundings. The area behind the door was empty, save for a table and a chair that had fallen beside it.
Looking around, I realized this was an extremely simple room, with a wooden table and bed combined. The bed was disheveled, so I approached and slowly lifted the blanket.
There, in the corner of the bed, curled up and trembling, was an elderly man with gray hair, his back hunched, making it difficult to see his expression.
"Old man," I said, somewhat surprised, as I reached out to pat his back. "Sir."
The old man stiffened at my touch but did not turn around. Instead, he muttered repeatedly, "Don't grab me, don't grab me."
I hesitated and withdrew my hand, glancing around. Mu Xuanche stood by the window with an indifferent expression, lifting the curtain to look outside.
I frowned in frustration; Mu Xuanche always maintained such a detached attitude when it came to matters that didn't concern him. I took a moment before raising my hands to reassure the old man, urging him to calm down. "Sir, we won't grab you. We just want to ask you something."
As my fingertips brushed against his back, he tensed again but gradually relaxed after a moment.
The old man lifted his face; the corners of his wrinkled eyes raised slightly. Upon seeing me, he froze for a moment, fear flickering across his features before he bowed his head again, mumbling incessantly, "There are ghosts... there are ghosts... don't grab me, don't grab me."
"Sir," I leaned closer to him. He trembled all over and fell silent.
Feeling a headache coming on, I bent down and picked up a wooden chair to sit on while surveying the interior of the room.
Cobwebs clung thickly to the beams above, and there was a thick layer of dust on the cabinet—clearly no one had cleaned this place in a long time.
I fixed my gaze on Mu Xuanche before lowering my head again and suddenly asked, "Sir, do you live here alone?"
The old man remained silent, facing the wall with his back turned to me.
"What about your children?" I asked again but didn't expect an answer; I simply stared blankly out the window.
After a while, the door suddenly creaked open, and a man in his forties or fifties stepped inside. I turned my head and saw him standing by the door, his expression solemn, with sharp triangular eyes fixed intently on me and Mu Xuanche.
"Who are you..." Before I could finish my sentence, the man strode forward abruptly, reaching out as if to grab my hand.
But Mu Xuanche was quicker. He stepped in front of me and forcefully pushed the man against the wall, pinning him there.
The man gasped, his breath catching in his throat as he looked at Mu Xuanche with a mix of fear and surprise. Gritting his teeth, he whispered, "Who are you?"
"We," I pointed to myself but struggled to find the right words.
Mu Xuanche simply lowered his gaze and said, "Police."
"Police..." The man froze for a moment, lowering his eyelids. His eyes flared with anger for an instant before he regained his composure, though his hands trembled uncontrollably.
Feeling a bit uneasy, I stepped closer. Suddenly, the man coughed violently. I gestured for Mu Xuanche to release him. He shot a fierce glance at the man before letting go and returning to sit by the window.
I looked at the man who had slumped down on the floor, gasping for air, now free from restraint.
After a moment, he smiled wryly and said, "If you really are police, you should leave quickly. Staying here will get you killed."
"Oh? Why is that?" My eyes lit up with curiosity as I leaned in closer. The man seemed taken aback by my sudden interest. Just then, Mu Xuanche stepped forward and pulled me aside, taking my place in front of the man with a serious demeanor.
"Who are you?"
"I am the village chief," the man replied, lowering his gaze as he slowly approached us. He pulled out a chair and sat down at the wooden table. "This village is not what it used to be. Outsiders who come here will die."
"Because even we cannot guarantee our own safety, let alone yours."
The man smiled again, though there was still a hint of fear and concern in his expression. He glanced at the old man huddled in the corner and said, "You won't get any information from this old man. His son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren have all disappeared long ago; he's been driven mad."
"Crazy," I exclaimed, startled. Turning around, I indeed saw the old man huddled in the corner, muttering incessantly, "Don't catch me, don't catch me."
"What happened here?" Mu Xuanche asked.
The man froze for a moment, glancing at Mu Xuanche. Perhaps his expression was too cold; he couldn't help but shudder, his mouth opening and closing without a word.
"Village chief, has something strange been happening around here lately? Whatever it is, we will investigate thoroughly," I stepped forward, casting an annoyed glare at Mu Xuanche. The latter's gaze softened slightly, but he shot me a displeased look in return. I wasn't afraid; I simply glared back.
The man scrutinized Mu Xuanche and me from head to toe.
"What do you mean by 'there are ghosts'?" Mu Xuanche suddenly asked.
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