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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 185: Ten Li Slope
As I opened my eyes in shock, I jumped up nervously.
"What is this place?"
"Ten Li Slope. What's wrong? Just now, you were talking to someone named Fat. Who is Fat? Your brother?"
I felt powerless against what had happened in my dream and resented the spirit, Li Gui, that had taken over my body. Faced with Yu's various questions, I had no mood to respond. If it weren't for my stomach truly needing something to fill it, I might not have spoken to her at all.
My tone was cold as I avoided her gaze, looking instead at a distant patch of forest with an expressionless face. "Don't ask so many questions; none of this concerns you." In truth, I was trying to protect her from being dragged into the troubles caused by Li Gui.
I didn't know why Yu lingered in the human world, but I genuinely didn't want her to suffer the same persecution from Li Gui.
Seeing that I was unwilling to bring up what had just happened, Yu helplessly handed me a handful of something.
In her hands was a shiny white object.
"What is this?"
"Wax Fruit."
There are countless fruits in the world, but this was the first time I had heard of Wax Fruit. It looked quite appetizing, and my stomach was indeed growling. I reached out to take one and popped it into my mouth, chewing down on it. Ugh, it tasted terrible. "This is clearly a wax ball made from candles! You gave it such a nice name; I'm not eating this. Really, I can't eat it."
Yu was surprised by my reaction. "What do you think ghosts eat? It's just these! Breathe in; there's nothing else here to absorb. I even stole this from far away for you."
"No way! I definitely won't eat something you stole, and you tricked me into thinking it was wild fruit! Hmph!" With that, I stood up and wanted to leave immediately for Ma Wu Funeral Home. After taking a few steps, I felt unwell.
Seeing me like this, Yu hurriedly supported me. "If you don't want to eat it, then don't get angry. Come to my house." At this point, there was no way for me to leave Yu; she helped me step by step toward her home—wherever that might be for a ghost, probably some kind of tomb.
That was just my imagination.
In my imagination, Yu's home was situated among a cluster of tombs. Each grave belonged to the deceased, who enjoyed their own territory, and the more extravagant the tomb, the more it showcased the family's superior status.
The structure of these graves increasingly resembled human residences.
Pavilions and towers, courtyards, villas, security—if all else failed, they could even hire a couple of paper figurines as servants. In life, people endured suffering and hardship; in death, they aspired to comfort and grandeur. Yet, no one truly knows what torments await after death.
The first stop after death is the Land Temple, passing through Yellow Springs Road and entering Evil Dog Ridge. Only those who can successfully navigate these challenges can be considered ghosts. This is the reality I experienced as a "ghost," yet I cannot share it with anyone for fear of revealing secrets.
Just then, Yu suddenly stopped and pointed ahead. "We're almost there."
I followed her gaze to see a lush expanse of the Purple Bamboo Forest. Hidden deep within was an elegant courtyard. It was far beyond my imagination; it looked nothing like a graveyard but rather like a normal person's home.
Yu walked ahead while I trailed behind, glancing around curiously.
At the entrance of the courtyard stood a tree whose name I couldn't recall—definitely not a Cypress. The walls were adorned with tiles that reflected my shadow when I stood still. I couldn't help but glance at Yu beside me; despite the glossy tiles, her reflection was nowhere to be seen.
Yu looked astonished and said, "You... you're not fully dead?"
"I'm not not fully dead; I'm simply not dead at all."
Yu seemed to recall my earlier mention of wax pills and looked at me with disdain before asking skeptically, "If you're not dead, then how did you end up here? How can I see you?"
"It's a long story. Some things you shouldn't be curious about; curiosity killed the cat."
As we spoke, I heard the distant sound of a door creaking open, followed by footsteps and voices approaching from outside.
"Why hasn't Yu returned after being gone for so long? Has something happened?"
A male voice replied, "No way; if something were wrong, she would have called."
If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have thought they were human just by hearing them. A family of three, Yu seemed to be their daughter. When she opened the door and saw me, they looked quite surprised.
"Who are you?"
"Dad, Mom, this is Ma Qi, a new friend I met."
"Welcome, welcome! Please come in." Yu's father was in his forties, with a booming voice and a robust build that suggested he was in good health.
Yu's mother appeared to be slightly older than her father, delicate and frail, the typical sickly beauty. I noticed Yu leaning against her mother, whispering something that I couldn't hear. Yu's father warmly invited me inside, and I followed him in.
Once inside, I saw the courtyard decorated festively, reminiscent of a joyous Spring Festival celebration. I wondered if today was the fifteenth day of the lunar month. Just then, a refreshing breeze blew in from somewhere, sending a chill down my spine.
"Ma Qi, right? Have a seat; I'll go get you some tea."
"No need to be so polite, Uncle."
Ignoring my protest, Yu's father headed toward another room to actually fetch the tea.
Yu and her mother seemed to have endless things to talk about. Ever since we entered the house, they had shown little interest in my presence and didn't seem inclined to engage with me further.
Yu's father truly was considerate; not only did he bring fragrant and delicious tea, but he also brought out my favorite Mung Bean Cake.
"This is my special collection; I usually wouldn't share it with just anyone. But for you, I must treat you especially well."
I wasn't fond of formalities. As I nodded repeatedly, I couldn't help but swallow hard at the sight of the Mung Bean Cake. It felt like being at home as I eagerly picked up a piece and slowly savored it—this was truly a delicacy: delicious, delicate, and melting in my mouth.
I ate one piece after another, always feeling like I could eat more. After finishing one plate of Mung Bean Cake, I still wanted more.
"Drink some tea!"
Yu Dad did not make any move to bring another plate but kept urging me to drink tea.
With no other choice, I had to gulp down the tea. If I couldn't fill my stomach, I would at least fill it with tea.
I was waiting for Yu, planning to leave as soon as she came out and thinking of ways to return to Ma Wu Funeral Home. But for some reason, after drinking the tea, it felt like I could barely keep my eyes open. I was so sleepy, so very sleepy!
I wasn't sure if I had fallen asleep or what had happened, but when I woke up, I found myself lying in a pitch-black room.
It was very cold inside, and even curled up, I still felt the chill.
There were rustling sounds, like something gnawing on grass roots. The noise seemed to come from something rolling on the ground.
I felt weak all over and couldn't move. Earlier, I had no strength because I was hungry, but now after eating so many Mung Bean Cakes and drinking tea, why was I still so weak? Was the food earlier somehow wrong, meant to numb souls like ours who had nowhere to go?
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