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墨書 Inktalez
"So, from now on, I can see ghosts all the time, right?"
Sitting in the café, Song Bunan sipped his coffee, which had about six sugar cubes dissolved in it, yet it still tasted bitter enough to make his scalp tingle. Across from him, Xiao Mei calmly enjoyed her iced Americano without sugar, savoring the flavor while explaining the current state he was in.
It was already afternoon when Song Bunan managed to contact Xiao Mei after leaving home. Xin Yi, who had delayed her work because of him, had lunch with her brother and rushed back to the office to handle matters. Song Bunan had taken his medicine and was sleeping soundly until a phone call woke him up; it was only when he heard Xiao Mei's voice that he fully regained consciousness.
The person who invited him out spoke without any hesitation, detailing everything from why he was targeted by ghosts last night to the things he saw in the old house, and even recounting the dreams he had over the years. Each point was explained clearly and meticulously.
Unfortunately, out of ten sentences, Song Bunan could barely understand six. Of the remaining four, he could grasp at most eighty percent. So, as Xiao Mei spoke at a moderate pace with clarity, he extracted what he could understand and used that as a basis to ask questions.
"So what you’re saying is: I dreamed about that house because I had been there before without realizing it. The shadow and the blue-faced monster I saw in that house were things it wanted me to see—specifically, the white figure in the black mist. And since I left that place, I've gained the ability to see ghosts because of its influence. This ability is newly acquired, which is why I've attracted the attention of a ghost that wants to do something to me, right?"
After finishing her last sip of coffee, Xiao Mei nodded lightly in agreement. Then she set her cup down and pulled a bracelet out from her bag. It was woven with gray and red threads interspersed with a golden strand; it looked beautiful and had an unknown charm hanging from it.
"Put this on. No matter what happens, this thing can offer you some protection. The reason I’m telling you all this is that I need your help with something."
Song Bunan picked up the bracelet for a closer look before shifting his gaze back to Xiao Mei. Helping her was one thing, but he had a pressing question: "Xiao Mei, what exactly do you do?"
Although Song Bunan knew he wasn't particularly clever, he still had his own thoughts about things. Especially during this series of events—whether it was the genuinely haunted house or Xiao Mei appearing in safe zones at midnight—even this mysterious old lady and ghost showing up in the building made him feel something was off. As he replayed everything in his mind, he began to sense that something strange was emanating from Xiao Mei.
Xiao Mei had mentioned that she stopped attending school at a young age and went straight into work. She ended up taking this quiet and simple job due to her age. However, being a gatekeeper for a haunted house seemed quite challenging. In posts made by other adventurers who visited that place, there were no records of such a gatekeeper. Yet Xiao Mei told him she had been there for over three years; the last time someone visited was two months ago. The poster detailed how they entered and described the decorations and conditions surrounding the house clearly, even including several photos for reference. This post filled in gaps in Song Bunan's impression of the house's exterior and gave him a boost of confidence for coming here.
Surprised by his question, Song Bunan noticed Xiao Mei momentarily stunned; her expression shifted from relaxed to serious. Under her suddenly stern gaze, he felt an involuntary shiver run through him—a wave of inexplicable guilt washed over him. He scratched his head and put on the bracelet while shrinking back into his chair, slurping his coffee in an attempt to avoid Xiao Mei's eyes.
Fortunately, she didn’t make any sudden movements; she simply leaned forward and asked in a low voice, "Why do you want to know such things?" The tone of her question made Song Bunan feel as if danger lurked nearby. He quickly set down his cup and poured out his thoughts and logic before seeing Xiao Mei relax her demeanor with a smile: "It seems you are indeed quite suited for our line of work."
Holding onto the notebook Xiao Mei handed him, Song Bunan pondered on his way home: Xiao Mei wanted him to help explore that house because he was the only key capable of triggering its secrets. However, she also mentioned that it couldn't happen anytime soon; they would have to wait for the right moment and she would notify him when that was. With less than a week until he started his new job, Song Bunan worried about what would happen if she called on a weekday.
Upon arriving home, he found no sign of his brother's return. After dinner, he returned to his bedroom to flip through the notebook. Upon opening it, he saw several large characters neatly written on the first page: "Ghost Guide." In the lower right corner was a small signature; unfortunately, it seemed like water had soaked through the paper making the writing blurry.
Wanting to scoff at how this title sounded less serious than an online novel he'd read before, he turned to the first page only to slap himself mentally for underestimating it. The very first line read: "We do not promote feudal superstition."
As for its contents—aside from that seemingly joking first line—the majority revolved around what Xiao Mei had previously told him. However, it was clear that this record wasn’t written by Xiao Mei herself; both word choice and phrasing exuded an air of maturity far beyond hers—especially since it was written entirely in traditional Chinese characters arranged vertically. This made Song Bunan’s heart sink as he thought about how embarrassing it would be if he told Xiao Mei upon returning that he couldn’t understand this stuff at all. Fortunately, once accustomed to its style and layout, he found that understanding what this person wanted to convey wasn’t too difficult.
According to Xiao Mei’s explanation, before encountering these things at all—having no connection with them or any folklore regarding yin-yang eyes—he hadn’t felt anything unusual because his aura didn’t resonate with those from beyond. But after visiting that haunted house and coming into contact with its contents, his aura underwent some change leading him not only to see ghosts in places heavy with Yin Qi but even within ordinary life.
However, unlike most people whose changes brought torment as spirits attempted to drain their lives to fulfill their desires—he found himself targeted by these spirits who sought something particularly attractive within his body.
What could that be? What could possibly exist within himself that ghosts would find appealing? As Song Bunan rubbed his chin while reading on, trying to find inspiration among the stubble just beginning to grow back after days without shaving—he realized after much brainstorming that nothing useful came forth from his blank mind.
Recalling what Xiao Mei said earlier about how she definitely visited that house during her childhood—and something must have happened there for him to keep dreaming about returning all these years—even allowing an abandoned house over ten years old to "come alive." Yet he held no memory of this part whatsoever or rather didn’t remember anything about his so-called childhood at all.
For many years now he'd watched other friends reminisce joyfully about various events from their childhoods—whether happy moments or tragic lessons—they always recounted them with delight. Yet when asked about his own carefree childhood before school started—after careful thought—the only memory that surfaced was lying on a hospital bed unable to move due to wounds on his back while receiving IV drips without any food every day. The lingering scent of disinfectant became an indelible summary of those early years before schooling began.
If an elderly person (specifically, someone over ten years old) suddenly begins to encounter ghosts and monsters, it is advisable not to engage in too much conversation with them. This is because their lives have already been surrounded by impurities, and many negative thoughts or energies can easily attract undesirable entities to linger around. Yes, even ghosts and monsters can be categorized as good or bad.
Before summarizing this notebook, I had two disciples. They possess different talents and come from different living environments, which led to significant differences in their insights and mental states despite receiving the same teachings. The Eldest Disciple comes from a privileged background and interacts with a variety of people in daily life. This environment has shaped him into a cheerful person who appears rough but is actually quite meticulous, possessing unique perspectives and methods for handling matters. The Little Apprentice was born into wealth but faced a great calamity in childhood, resulting in a gloomy personality filled with hostility and lingering suspicion towards everything.
Both of them have learned theoretical knowledge at a similar level, yet there is a considerable gap in their practical handling of situations. The Eldest Disciple treats others with courtesy, employing gentle methods that are reasonable and measured; he holds a respectful awe towards the Yin-Yang Realm without being overly aggressive or impulsive. In contrast, the Little Apprentice acts with bluntness and decisiveness, wanting to eliminate all Underworld Beings, regardless of whether they are good or bad, harboring no taboos about life and death, believing in a black-and-white worldview.
In truth, both have their strengths; however, the Little Apprentice's overly aggressive style can easily create enemies within the circle and attract disasters from the underworld. Those who can read this volume likely have encountered ghosts and monsters themselves, with some even having had contact with them. The following content is something my disciples should not see; I ask that you keep it in your heart after reading it and refrain from telling them.
Upon reaching this point, Song Bunan paused for a moment. Could the contents written in black ink on white paper really be restricted to certain individuals? With this sudden doubt, he cautiously turned to the next page and discovered that from here on, the handwriting seemed to belong to someone else, differing in style and form from the previous text.
The large letters written on the first line changed; this person had used red ink to write: This document is written at the time of Yin-Yang convergence and is only visible to Special Individuals.
Special Individuals? Song Bunan scratched his head and suddenly noticed that the temperature in the room seemed to have dropped significantly.
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