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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 009: The Woman Who Hanged Herself
I felt nauseated as well. Peng Yan came to find me, recounting these things. I began to doubt her words. Looking at her pale face, it was clear she hadn’t rested well. She had been running back and forth and was plagued by nightmares, dreaming that her mother was still at home, the sound of heavy footsteps echoing throughout the house.
Her mother’s favorite sharpening stone, which she used during the holidays, would also make a grinding noise in the dead of night, resembling the sound of sharpening a knife. It terrified her so much that she couldn’t sleep all night. When she did manage to fall asleep, she would feel as if someone were touching her, a chilling sensation that would wake her up to find her blanket had slipped off and fallen to the floor.
This made her think of Lin Aizhen’s kindness. In the past, when she slept, her mother would always come in habitually to check on her and tuck her in.
Recalling those bittersweet moments filled her with deep regret for how she had treated her mother before.
I dared say this wasn’t about an unclean burial but rather that Lin Aizhen’s resentment ran too deep.
At Peng Yan’s repeated insistence, I reluctantly agreed to visit Peng Caifu.
The details of the journey were unclear and vague.
I understood Peng Yan’s feelings.
At Xinglin Bay Detention Center, I saw a nearly deranged Peng Caifu.
His gaze was vacant, his eyes lifeless, and he lay on the ground with his limbs sprawled out in a peculiar position. It looked as if someone were sitting on his shoulders, leaving him unable to bear the weight and forcing him into a crouched position against the wall for support.
“Dad…” Peng Yan called softly.
Peng Caifu didn’t look up. He propped himself up with his hands on the ground and muttered, “Is this fun…? It’s not time to eat yet.”
What he referred to as eating was merely the time for relieving himself. Because of this behavior, those above suspected he might have mental issues. However, after being examined, all indicators were normal; he wasn’t having any episodes—he was even more normal than most.
Tears welled up in Peng Yan's eyes but didn’t fall; her eyelids were red and tired. She whispered to me, “My dad once scolded my mom, saying that taking medicine was no better than eating shit and drinking urine—it would save money and still cure you.”
"You are..."
With the Correctional Officer present, I held back my words and instead leaned against the iron bars separating us. I couldn't sense anything unusual, nor could I see any problems with Peng Caifu. Could it be—
The Correctional Officer, a middle-aged man, waved his hand dismissively. I offered him an awkward smile and pulled out two hundred yuan in rolled bills, handing them to him. "We just want to talk to him privately. You can take a break."
"Don't put me in a tough spot," he replied, shaking his head. "If you want to talk alone, I'll step out for a bit, but make it quick. He has aggressive tendencies, so keep that in mind."
Once he walked away, I motioned for Peng Yan to step aside.
I then focused my energy, allowing my long-dormant spiritual sense to slowly coalesce.
Looking up again, I realized that Lin Aizhen was perched on Peng Caifu's shoulder. Her disheveled hair framed a twisted, pale face, and she clutched a rope in her hand.
I took out a talisman, formed a hand seal, and chanted an incantation: "Lin Aizhen can be..." The Evil Soul of Lin Aizhen slowly lifted her head from where she was straddling Peng Caifu. In an instant, I unleashed a soul imprint with a swift motion of my hand. With a flash of White Shadow, I quickly rolled up the talisman and bit my tongue to draw blood, sealing the Evil Soul within it before stuffing it into a bottle.
This was no ordinary bottle; it was the Jade Purification Bottle used by my grandfather's disciples at the Bodhi Sacred Seat.
(My grandfather had tricked me; it was actually meant for containing evil spirits and ghosts.)
Looking back at Peng Caifu, he appeared terrified, clutching his head and repeatedly saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"
Peng Caifu returned to normal.
He soon complained about being hungry and demanded food.
As Peng Yan and I left, she said, "Thank you, Ma Qi. At first, we underestimated you and thought you didn't have much capability. But now it seems you're truly someone who doesn't show their true self easily. I would like to invite you over to my house. If my mom doesn't let me off the hook..."
I took out the talisman, a striking red decree that startled Peng Yan, causing her to step back in alarm. "What is this for?" she asked.
"I'm going to your house. Tonight, you need to set up the incense burner and recite scriptures with a heart full of repentance. Remember the kindness your mother showed you when she was alive. Start from home and walk to her grave without looking back; if you do, I won't be able to save you."
"Okay." Seeing Peng Yan like this made me feel a bit sorry for her. If I didn’t intervene, she would soon follow Lin Aizhen.
As we approached her home, I reminded her once more, "If anything strange happens along the way, and the candle goes out, place the lighter between your legs to relight it. Just don’t look back."
That night, Peng Yan followed my instructions. She bathed and burned incense, carrying a sincere heart of repentance as she recited the scriptures for her mother while heading towards the Cemetery.
Later, she told me that she wasn't scared that night; she just kept chanting "Amitabha."
She would never forget that experience.
Peng Yan set off from home, reciting prayers along the way without incident. However, upon reaching the Cemetery and completing her prayers of repentance for her mother, she suddenly felt a chill breeze behind her that made her shiver. The candle in her incense burner inexplicably extinguished.
She crouched down to relight it with her lighter.
No matter how hard she tried, it wouldn’t spark. Not thinking much of it, she continued fiddling with it. At that moment, a dog appeared out of nowhere, blood dripping from its mouth, growling fiercely at her.
Peng Yan recognized that dog; it was Da Huang from next door.
Normally, Da Huang would wag his tail when he saw her, never acting so aggressively before.
She was terrified.
In that moment, she remembered my warning.
Quickly placing the lighter between her legs, she flicked it on—whoosh! The flame ignited. Though an odd urge to look back tugged at her and a chill ran down her spine, she resisted. Using the candlelight to see, she realized Da Huang wasn’t trying to bite her; he was lunging at something behind her. His eerie green eyes were truly frightening.
There was something even more terrifying than A-Huang's eyes behind Peng Yan. She dared not stop or look back, shouting to A-Huang, "Run!" and then she ran desperately. However, her legs felt weak, and after just a couple of steps, she fell down. She tried to get up and run again, but it was no use.
She was so scared that she cried out loudly, feeling something closing in on her, her hair standing on end.
Then I appeared. I saw a group of bizarre Evil Spirits following her.
When Peng Yan saw me, she let out a scream and fainted, collapsing to the ground.
I stood tall and confident, letting the cold wind whip across my face. I flicked through talismans with my fingers, chanting spells: Five Thunder Spell, Thunderbolt Spell. A series of crackling sounds erupted as mist enveloped the area, and a dog came running over, wagging its tail against my leg.
I quickly picked up the unconscious Peng Yan and retreated.
Indeed, there were things behind Peng Yan—lost souls and wandering spirits trapped between the realms of life and death, unable to escape their suffering and deprived of the chance for reincarnation.
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