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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 10: Dead Loop (Part Eleven)
People respect the wealthy, while the poor are often looked down upon; such is the nature of society today.
Uncle Lin not only looks down on me for being in this line of work, but there’s another reason—I'm poor. If it weren't for the fact that Chi Ruiqiang's son was involved, Chi Xinrong would probably never have given me a second glance, let alone invite me to handle Chiang's funeral.
What I had in mind was to avoid burying Chiang during the Ghost Festival. Once I uncover the truth behind his death, I would proceed accordingly, ensuring that he is laid to rest before the eve of the Ghost Festival.
My suggestion seemed a bit harsh; typically, a deceased person is kept at home for at least a week after passing, if not longer.
The crux of the matter lies in the approaching Ghost Festival. Unless we keep the body frozen at the funeral home until after the festival, we have no other options for burial.
So, we could only follow my suggestion.
I initially thought Chi Ruiqiang would be heartbroken and disagree with my plan, but to my surprise, he agreed even more readily than I anticipated. Throughout this ordeal, one person remained the most sorrowful—Chiang's mother. From the moment I first laid eyes on her, she had been crying, her eyes swollen and unwilling to speak much.
With Chiang's spirit prepared, a new problem arose: I lacked a protective spirit.
Just then, my phone rang. At this moment, receiving a call only added to my annoyance, yet I feared missing a call from Mi. When I answered, it was indeed Mi on the line. I asked her what was up, and she replied, "Ma Qi, I'm here."
"What are you doing here, my dear aunt? This isn't exactly a place for leisure."
"I'm here to take care of business."
"Oh. Since you're connected to Chi Xinrong, are you here to pay your respects?" While talking with Mi, I anxiously checked the time; it was getting dark.
Mi was a bit impatient. "You’re driving me crazy. Alright, stop guessing; I’ll be there soon."
The call from Mi interrupted what we were doing. Fatty, even more anxious than I was, asked, "Brother Qi, what should we do?" He looked at me and then at the Paper Figurine, which was Chiang's shadow.
"Don't worry, Mi is coming. Let me see what she wants."
"But Brother Qi, look at the sky; it's getting dark. Time waits for no one. Why would Mi come here at such a critical moment? Did you mishear her?"
It did seem a bit strange for Mi to come here. I couldn't help but pick up my phone to call her and confirm if I had heard her correctly.
"No need to call; I'm here." Mi appeared at the door of the spirit hall as if she had descended from the sky.
"Hey, Mi, what are you doing here? This is a crucial moment." Before I could say anything, Fatty took it upon himself to block Mi from entering.
Mi Liumei stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Fatty. "Get out of my way! I'm here to find my Brother Qi. What are you being so cocky about?"
I thought to myself: How can she be so clueless? Is this really the right time for her to show up? Trying to maintain a serious demeanor, I stared at her and asked, "What are you doing here? I'm busy."
"Brother Qi, I'm here to be your protector."
"Protect... how did you know I needed that?" I was taken aback. To use a shadow as a guide required protection against external evil forces. I was about to venture into Chiang's past experiences, which would surely attract unwanted entities. If anything went wrong, I would end up as a wandering ghost alongside Chiang.
As for the protection detail, I had already thought of Chi Xinrong and Fatty as good options.
Although the chubby man was clumsy, he understood some preventive measures that ordinary people did not. Chi Xinrong was straightforward and acted with vigor, exuding a masculine energy that surpassed that of many men, making him an ideal guardian.
How did Mi know I was going to use my spirit to scout ahead?
"Come on, don't hesitate. Time waits for no one," Mi urged me without giving me a chance to respond.
Chi Ruiqiang and his wife had been keeping a low profile under my instructions; with Chi Xinrong and other relatives here, they could relax.
I glanced at the clock; time was indeed up.
I didn't want to explain much to Mi. She really wasn't cut out for being a guardian, so I instructed someone to keep her outside. Besides, I didn't feel comfortable letting her take risks, so everything would proceed according to my previous arrangements, step by step.
Water Mediumship!
The guardians took their positions, and a basin of water was brought and placed at my feet. I cradled the cat and dipped my feet into the water.
Then, a scene completely different from reality unfolded before me. Drawing from my memory, I started from the first page of Chiang's diary, where he drove up to the entrance of Hongqiao Supermarket. The girl with the cloth doll and Lin Tai were in the car.
Blade Factory! Blade Factory—let's go to the Blade Factory.
The girl's voice was piercing and powerful, resonating against my eardrums with a buzzing sound. She was very beautiful, but her skin was unnaturally pale, almost translucent without any color. Moreover, she emanated a deathly aura that no human possessed.
She wasn't human?
This shocking turn of events could not prevent the situation from worsening.
I saw Chiang signaling to Lin Tai, and the car did not head toward the Blade Factory but instead turned onto a more secluded suburban route. What were they planning? This was a path to self-destruction.
Unfortunately, I was just a superfluous observer here, helplessly watching them embark on a road to death.
"Chiang, you go first this time. I'll take care of things afterward."
The two of them whispered to each other with mischievous grins, while the girl sat upright, looking innocent. To me, however, her expression was one of defiance against death, with a terrifyingly sinister smile playing at the corners of her lips.
I couldn't bear to watch them continue down this path. I shouted into Chiang's ear, "Chiang, stop."
But how could Chiang possibly hear me?
The car sped away from the bustling city, driving along a bumpy, dilapidated road. Ahead lay a vast expanse of undeveloped fields that had been requisitioned. Thorny vines grew waist-high everywhere, and wild Mugwort Trees swayed in the breeze.
Eventually, the car came to a stop beside a patch of mixed woods. Lin Tai made a gesture to Chiang that he needed to urinate and left the girl with him in the car while he leisurely stepped outside to kill time.
Inside the car, Chiang was puzzled. Was this girl forgetful or what? They had clearly driven in the wrong direction, yet she remained silent, clutching her doll without moving or saying anything.
"Hey, little sister, do you like playing with this?" Chiang tried to engage the girl with gestures.
The girl stared straight ahead, indifferent to his teasing.
Chiang lost his patience, gritted his teeth, and prepared to forcefully kiss her. He wrapped his arms around the Girl's mouth, leaning in. Before he could even kiss her, the texture he felt shocked him so much that he almost let go. Instead of warmth, he felt coldness, and the smell that wafted up as he got closer was unmistakably the stench of rotting flesh.
Chiang's hands felt as if they were glued in place, unable to pull away, but at that moment, the Girl turned to look at him.
"Let's play!"
That voice was not human; it was eerie and ghostly. The Girl's decaying face, with hollow eye sockets devoid of eyeballs, terrified Chiang so much that he fainted before he could even scream.
After a moment, Lin Tai cursed under his breath, "Chiang, you little brat! Eating alone while I’ve been waiting for so long! Why aren’t you coming down?" He knocked on the car door. A chill ran down his spine from the cold presence behind him, causing him to turn around. To his surprise, the Girl had somehow gotten out of the car and was now standing behind him, gazing at him with longing eyes. Earlier, Lin Tai had worried that this fifteen or sixteen-year-old Girl wouldn’t be able to handle the antics of him and Chiang. What if something went wrong? But now it seemed like there was nothing to worry about; the Girl looked perfectly fine. He grinned and asked, "Hey there, you’re quite mature for your age. I like that."
The Girl didn’t respond; she simply continued walking ahead. Lin Tai followed closely behind her as they ventured deeper into the woods.
Inside the car, Chiang slowly regained consciousness. The terrifying Girl was gone, and so was Lin Tai. Panic set in as he hurriedly opened the car door to check outside—Lin Tai was truly missing. Gathering his courage, he trembled as he stepped out of the car and cupped his hands around his mouth to shout into the dark Thicket: "Lin Tai..."
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