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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 16: Startled
I suddenly opened my eyes, feeling icy cold all over, and a quick touch revealed I was drenched in cold sweat. The room was still dark, and the dream I had just experienced felt vivid and real. I turned on the light and glanced at the window; there was no sound of wind battering against it. Under the dark night sky, countless stars twinkled.
What was Zhou Mengyao hinting at? She wouldn’t be in trouble, would she? It wasn’t dawn yet, and my eyelids felt slightly swollen and uncomfortably tight. I lay back down and closed my eyes, feeling a bit more comfortable. I needed to rest; I didn’t want to think about anything or consider anything at all.
Relax—relax!
This was a self-regulation sleep method my grandfather taught me, and it really worked; soon enough, I fell asleep again. Just as I drifted off, I felt movement under the covers, a cool sensation washing over me. Slowly opening my eyes, I realized I had forgotten to turn off the light before sleeping.
Before I could get up to turn it off, a hand reached out from under the covers, skillfully wrapping around my neck. Looking down, I saw a face with a slender chin and a delicate figure that appeared fresh and soft. Her skin was as pure as jade, resembling a bunch of grapes shimmering with purple luster, or like tender lotus roots that were enticingly appealing.
“Come here! Come here!” Her tongue playfully danced around her rosy lips.
A fire ignited within me at that moment, while a voice echoed in my mind: “She is the Spirit Snake, she is a snake…” Damn! There was no time to think further; I shivered all over and grabbed the blanket, shaking it vigorously in shock.
I was alone under the covers. Looking down at my proud companion, I felt utterly embarrassed—was this just an illusion? It must be because I needed to relieve myself. Cursing softly under my breath, I headed toward the bathroom.
Still half-asleep, I forcefully urinated into the toilet, the splashing sound bringing me comfort as I sighed in relief. But then came a chilling laugh from beneath the toilet. Squinting to see better, I gasped! A face suddenly vanished before my eyes.
Was it the Spirit Snake?
Thinking of the Spirit Snake, memories of fables from my textbooks flooded back to me—the story of the farmer and the snake. The farmer kindly saved a frozen snake by placing it on his chest. He knew it was a venomous snake but insisted on saving it. When the snake revived, it bit him, leaving the farmer confused until his dying breath: why did he save the snake only for it to bite him?
I dreamed of Zhou Mengyao and indirectly dreamed of the Spirit Snake. Could something really be happening? With that thought racing through my mind, sleep eluded me. I threw on some clothes and stepped outside to wake Fatty.
Fatty rubbed his eyes and mumbled, “Brother Qi, why are you waking me up when it’s not even dawn?”
“Let’s go to Zhou Mengyao’s house.”
“What about Ling’er?”
Hearing Fatty mention Ling’er reminded me of that strange dream from before, sending chills down my spine. Just as I was about to call for her, she appeared quietly and asked, “What do you need me to do?”
Honestly, I really hadn't thought about how to arrange for her. However, just having a Fatty wouldn't be enough to deal with the Spirit Snake; I could only keep it close for observation to feel at ease. I didn't look at her as I walked toward the door, saying, "Come with me to Zhou Mengyao's place; there should be no problem with Fatty in the shop."
I was worried about leaving Fatty alone with the Spirit Snake, which is why I had to take the Spirit Snake with me.
Another reason was that Fatty's fate was Yin, and some entities liked to cling to him, wanting to exploit his fate for malicious purposes. After he was sorted out, I took out a coat with a Bagua pattern that my grandfather had been reluctant to use and insisted he wear it close to his body. This way, even if something bad wanted to take advantage of him, it wouldn't be so easy to succeed.
Additionally, every year our Ma Wu Funeral Home opens its doors wide during the Ghost Gate period. When spirits seek our help, we do everything we can to assist them. Moreover, before the Ghost Gate closes, we provide a severance fee as a gift for those entities to return safely to where they belong.
I didn't use a motorcycle—not because I thought it was too shabby, but because I deliberately wanted to keep my distance from this Spirit Snake that had taken human form through Soul Stone and Spirit Energy.
"Ma Qi, you can't treat me like this."
I turned back and glanced at the Spirit Snake standing in the shadow of the street trees under the deep night sky. "What do you want me to do?"
"I am your wife; we have already shared a marital bond."
"That was because you used my true love and pretended to be Han Mi. I foolishly got involved with you—a snake—in ways I shouldn't have, and I still regret it."
"You regret it?"
"Yes, I regret it. If you would just stay far away from me, I'd be eternally grateful." I was now desperate; no matter if she was a Spirit Snake or something else entirely, I just hoped she would leave me alone. I wanted to live a normal life. Once these troubles were resolved, I would propose to Han Mi. Her parents loved money, after all! I'd go bankrupt if necessary just to make her my wife.
I didn't stop speaking as I continued walking. "Ma Qi, stop right there." My body stiffened as I actually halted. This action wasn't out of cowardice but because she had helped me before. If our Soul Stone remained in her body and she just walked away like that, I'd never find it again.
I didn't look at her but felt her getting closer. Her footsteps seemed unsteady and staggered—was she pretending to gain sympathy? I steeled myself and didn't turn around even once. A chill approached as she shoved something into my hand: "This is yours."
Without looking, I knew it was the Soul Stone in my palm.
She had once said that unless it was surgically removed from her body, there was no way to take the Soul Stone back. Initially thinking it was just a joke meant to scare me, I hadn't expected that when I turned around, I'd see her covered in blood and looking weak as she collapsed. In that moment, I quickly reached out to support her.
"Spirit Girl, why are you so foolish?"
Ling'er forced a smile, raising her bloodied hand to gently stroke my face. "What exists in movies can also exist in the world. I am a serpent, yet I have feelings. Your Soul Stone gave me a chance to become human. Out of gratitude, I found you. I truly love you, but it's a pity that we..."
Ling'er's words trailed off as her hand fell limply to her side. Her beautiful eyes closed, and her legs quickly transformed into a slender snake tail. In an instant, it felt as if a thousand Alpacas were racing through my mind. If I hadn't witnessed it with my own eyes, I would never have believed that such a thing could happen to me.
I couldn't believe in the Soul Stone, nor could I accept that it could turn a snake into a human.
Even more unbelievable were the words of the Spirit Snake.
I nervously cast aside Ling'er, now a lifeless cold snake. Memories of the stories that had unfolded between us flashed before my eyes. A sense of loss crept into my heart as I stumbled away from the thin remains of what was once her.
I had to hurry to Zhou Mengyao's house.
The cold wind blew in gusts, and along the way, I encountered many ghostly figures. I saw spirits crawling on the ground with severed limbs, Hanged Ghosts swaying back and forth from tree branches, and Falling Ghosts repeatedly committing suicide.
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