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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 19: Ghost Month Taboos
Uncle Lin's voice on the phone was choked with emotion, and my heart sank instantly. Had they not followed my instructions? The fact that he was calling me could only mean something terrible had happened—either someone had died, or it was a situation he couldn't handle himself.
I am a Mortician, specializing in services for the deceased.
Those who understand would not seek my help, and those who do not dare to approach me. Only Zhou Mengyao fears nothing. Right, I could call her to inform her about Chi Xinrong and then have her reach out to Han Mi.
Once Mi learns about Chi Xinrong, she will undoubtedly rush out of her house to help find her.
I dialed Zhou Mengyao's number; this was the first time I had taken the initiative to call her. Her voice trembled with disbelief and excitement as she asked, "Qi, you finally called me! Are you coming over? What do you want to eat? I'll go buy it."
"Zhou Jie, I'm really busy right now. Can you help me find someone?"
"Who are you looking for?"
"Han Mi, from Han Family Xiawan Village."
"What about her?"
"Tell her that Chi Xinrong might be in trouble."
"Chi Xinrong? Is she the girl from Hongqiao Supermarket? What happened to her?"
"I can't explain everything right now. Can you just go find Han Mi?" I intended to keep it brief, but her questions kept piling up. Uncle Lin seemed to be calling again, so I quickly hung up, hearing her say, "Okay!"
I was overwhelmed with urgency. After leaving Chi Ruiqiang's house, I contacted Fatty for more details and then reached out to Zhou Mengyao again. Just as Uncle Lin called again in a hurry, I rushed toward the Lin family home.
Lin Family!
As soon as I entered, I saw Lin Tai's portrait hanging prominently on the wall. Compared to Chi Ruiqiang, Uncle Lin appeared much more sorrowful and haggard; he looked like he had lost quite a bit of weight.
Seeing me was like seeing a savior. Uncle Lin immediately led me upstairs without a word.
The scene upstairs was chaotic.
The floor was littered with torn women's underwear, and this sight inevitably suggested that the women in this house had suffered some inhuman torment. On the bed lay a woman, her appearance unrecognizable, barely clothed.
Uncle Lin was crying and sniffling, "Ma Qi, I rarely ask for help, but this time I need you to assist us."
I took out my compass and quickly understood what was happening.
"Uncle Lin, you didn't follow my advice because you don't believe that there exists an invisible and unresolved aura in this world. This aura is formed by those who suffered great injustice in life and are unwilling to leave. As time evolves, people have come to fear such things, calling them 'ghosts.' To modern people, they are merely lingering Wraiths. Therefore, during our short lives, we must avoid doing things that harm others; if you plant evil seeds, you must reap the bitter fruits. Your Lin's Pharmacy has been selling counterfeit drugs, and Lin's Mom has been profiting from abortions. Now she is facing retaliation from the Infant Souls. If this matter isn't resolved before the Ghost Festival Fifteenth, Lin's Mom will be in grave danger; even if she survives by some chance, she will be left in a state of madness with no cure."
"What should we do then?"
"The only solution is to summon the Infant Souls and find an Enlightened Monk to chant scriptures to guide them. Then you must close Lin's Pharmacy and donate the ill-gotten gains to those in need."
Uncle Lin nodded vigorously, "Okay, just tell me what to do, and I'll do it!"
"That's the only way; otherwise, I can't help you."
Generally speaking, if my advice had been followed, a major incident wouldn't have occurred. Lin's Mom was stingy and refused to part with even a dime; Uncle Lin held a high position in the hospital and feared losing face, thinking it wouldn't be as serious as I described. Now he realized that some matters cannot be treated lightly.
Lin's Mom was of such an age yet still subjected to such torment; her state of being barely clothed was truly unbearable for Uncle Lin. I left a few talismans behind, repeatedly instructing him on what needed to be done. Without wanting to linger even a minute longer, I turned and left.
On my way here earlier, I had been pondering one thing: what would Li Gui's next scheme be?
The situation with the Monkey Spirit was unclear.
Chi Xinrong was missing.
Han Mi was under house arrest.
The fat assistant was ineffective.
Qin Jian had gone to Ten-Mile Temple and still hadn’t returned with any news.
The copy of the Blacklist in my hand was my only chance to turn the situation around, and I had to thank Chi Xinrong for that. Behind these names were a series of Arabic numerals, which were the phone numbers I needed to contact.
I dialed the first number.
No one answered. I continued dialing, and after three attempts, the other party finally picked up, sounding impatient as they cursed, “I don’t have time for your nonsense; get lost with your business.” Then they hung up.
Damn it!
With no other option, I sent a text to the owner of that number: “Hello, regarding the accident at Hongqiao Supermarket Entrance, several people have already been affected. I hope you’re not the next one. If you don’t want to be next, please contact me. I am Ma Qi from Ma Wu Funeral Home.”
Soon after, the person who had just hung up on me called back, their tone suddenly polite: “I’m sorry; I thought you were a sales scammer. Someone mentioned the name Ma Qi to me before and said you would be looking for me.”
It was surprising not just for him but for me as well. Chi Xinrong was quite capable; they had actually contacted someone for me. I needed to find this person.
“Then come to Hongqiao Supermarket Entrance and wait for me; I’m on my way.”
Next, I dialed the second number. Fortunately, the owner of this number answered quickly and spoke in a similar tone, saying someone had informed them that a person named Ma Qi was trying to reach them.
The third number proved difficult to connect with.
Whether through text or call, I was met with rejection. When I finally got through again, all I heard was a piercing static noise that felt like it could burst my eardrum. I wasn’t exaggerating; it was real. I hurriedly hung up, too scared to try again. Instead, I rushed to check the situation at the address left on the Blacklist.
The reason for my reckless haste was that this number's owner was not far from where I was located.
When I appeared at the door of the owner of this number, a chorus of crying echoed from inside. It sounded like someone had died! I hesitated, lingering at the entrance, when an old man rushed toward me, eyeing me suspiciously from head to toe. Without a word, he hurried inside.
I clutched the Blacklist tightly, my palms growing hot. After a while, I heard footsteps, coughing, and sobbing, yet no one came to open the door.
At the end of the alley, two men in uniforms and large hats appeared. They quickly approached me. A sense of foreboding washed over me; it seemed that the old man who had just entered thought I was a bad person or a thief and had called the police.
The two men were from the police station.
There was no time for explanations; I had to run.
I dashed toward the Hongqiao Supermarket Entrance. As I ran, I dialed the Fourth Group Number, hoping to reach someone on the Blacklist in time.
The owner of the Fourth Group Number answered quickly. She was a Housewife, and after a few unclear exchanges, we agreed to meet at the Hongqiao Supermarket Entrance. Contacting the last few people went smoothly as well; they seemed to have encountered unimaginable strange events and knew that I would be looking for them after receiving some mysterious notifications. Otherwise, would you agree to meet someone in an unfamiliar place after receiving a call from a stranger?
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