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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 1: End of the Demon Realm (Nine)
"Help me pick up a few dry leaves, I have a use for them."
"Okay."
In this place, there was no danger. I knew that the Five Emperor Coins on Qin Jian's neck could protect him from the invasion of Evil Energy. Of course, aside from the unavoidable demons and monsters due to his cultivation level, other spirits couldn't bully him at all.
Honestly, I didn't want to tell Qin Jian about the bizarre experiences I went through during the phase he thought I was dead.
Qin Jian gathered the dry leaves while I formed a hand seal, slightly closed my eyes, and chanted the incantation, "A spirit talisman commands the gods and ghosts, stepping on Yin and Yang with Bagua Step, Urgent Command." With a few swift strokes, I created a summoning talisman from saliva. Once it was ignited and thrown into the air, the burning dry leaves spun beautifully in midair, dancing with the wind.
"What are you doing, Ma Qi?"
"It's going to be difficult for us to find a vehicle on our own. In any case, there are plenty of wandering souls and wild ghosts in places like this. Once my summoning talisman is out, something will help me find a vehicle."
Qin Jian surely wouldn't believe that a few inconspicuous dry leaves with wormholes could accomplish anything significant. I didn't explain further; I merely closed my eyes again, performed the divine technique with my hands, and walked the Bagua while turning Yin and Yang. A few flags made of dry leaves trembled in the wind.
One of the flags suddenly shot up into the air and flew off in a certain direction. I grabbed the bag containing the jade Corpse and raised my makeshift torch high, saying to Qin Jian, "Hurry up and follow."
Without hesitation, Qin Jian lifted his torch and chased after me as we pursued the flag.
A wall blocked our path. I was too familiar with this wall; I froze in place, unable to continue running, watching helplessly as the flag disappeared from sight. Earlier, when I heard from Qin Jian that I had "died," during that time of being dead, it felt like a dream where I experienced many strange things and saw Qin Jian's mother along with him still in her womb.
But facing this wall now changed everything. It turned out that all of it was real; there truly was this green wall. What lay beyond it?
I stood there dazed in front of the wall when Qin Jian asked in confusion, "What is this?"
"A wall." I didn't look at Qin Jian; the torch in my hand was nearly burnt out, getting dangerously close to my fingers and feeling hot.
"What’s on the other side of the wall?"
"What you don't want to see." Still not looking at Qin Jian, I tossed aside the burning torch and hugged the bag close to my chest as I approached the wall.
Qin Jian was intrigued by my words; he followed closely behind me but his eyes were searching elsewhere. Without needing to look, I knew he was looking for new materials for a torch. He muttered something when he found something suitable, followed by a flurry of chaotic replacements as I reached the base of the wall.
As long as I reached out to grab one of the vines, I could see what was beyond the wall.
Qin Jian illuminated the surroundings with a new torch, and I finally saw the true nature of the wall. It was no longer the green wall I had seen earlier; instead, it was a wall formed by dead vines. I reached out and grasped the withered, decaying vine. The moment I touched it, I felt a strange transformation occurring between my fingers—the vine began to melt away! Startled, I quickly released my grip on the vine, which had turned to ashes in an instant, and stepped back in haste.
Not only that, but the entire wall, which had been a straight line, crumbled like melting ice cream as soon as I let go of the decaying vine. It disintegrated into fine dust that mingled with the soil. The obstacle in front of Qin Jian and me vanished, and in the eerie silence, we could clearly hear each other's heartbeat. At that moment, we both caught sight of the vehicle.
From above, the car sat lonely amidst a vast area of withered and decayed plants.
Perhaps it should be said this way: this was a world filled with plants, yet all of them were dead and decayed. The entire space was suffused with a deathly aura, and only this car possessed a living vitality that seemed out of place among this deathly thicket.
Qin Jian was stunned for a long time before he murmured, "So eerie..."
I clasped my fists and spoke to the air, "Thank you all for your help. Ma Qi remembers; if there's anything you need from me, just let me know." As soon as my words finished, countless blue twinkling lights appeared around us.
It was as if thousands of fireflies were holding a grand banquet; at that moment, they surged forth in a dazzling display, striving to shine some light.
"We're leaving," I called to Qin Jian and strode toward the car.
Qin Jian followed behind. I knew he had a thousand questions he wanted to ask. He called out to me, "Ma Qi..." I waved my hand at him; after all, this wasn't a place for idle chatter. Whatever needed to be discussed could wait until we returned.
Seeing my seriousness, Qin Jian hesitated to continue asking questions. We walked silently side by side until we reached the car. I gestured for him to get in and settle down.
Bone Jade appeared.
At that moment, she looked revitalized in her flowing white dress. Her enchanting smile and radiant beauty signified that a kind life was about to continue. As long as we brought her out of this ghostly trap, she would have a chance at reincarnation.
Watching her get into the car and sit in the back seat, I said, "Yu, let's keep a low profile. This is a ghostly trap; it's not an easy journey ahead. It's best if you stay hidden."
Hearing my words, Qin Jian couldn't help but turn around to look. Yu had already concealed herself. He said, "Ma Qi, don’t be so jumpy; it doesn’t seem like there’s anything here."
"Calm waters aren’t always good," I replied. "Just wait and see." The car started effortlessly with a flick of the ignition. I told Qin Jian, "No matter what you see or hear, just ignore it and focus on driving."
Qin Jian still seemed unconvinced as he chuckled lightly. "Alright then; you’ve got some skills now? Don’t scare people; scaring someone can lead to trouble."
"I'm not trying to scare you; something is about to happen."
Qin Jian let out a sound, as if he truly sensed danger approaching. Whether it was fear or a desire to explain something, he unnecessarily added, "Um, I actually wanted to say, back when I was reversing, I heard a sound that resembled a woman crying. I got distracted and looked, and then... you..."
Dark Energy surged forward. As a Mortician with the ability to sense it, I could feel it, but Qin Jian, being an outsider, naturally did not understand. I impatiently interrupted him, "Hurry up." With my command, the car roared to life, shaking violently before finally moving away from its spot and speeding ahead.
In truth, I knew things were not that simple.
If I wasn't mistaken, the story that had unfolded earlier was hinting at something, transmitting information to me. Indeed, just as our car started speeding forward, a massive wave of flames began rolling toward us.
In an instant, the sounds of wailing filled the air, and shadows of ghosts loomed all around us, clawing and howling. I activated my Demon Eyes for a few seconds and saw an Evil Spirit Collector mixed among the ghostly figures.
What does an Evil Spirit Collector do? Simply put, they are lackeys of the Underworld's dark forces.
The Underworld also needs laborers. After a person dies and enters the Yellow Springs Path, Evil Spirit Collectors lurk nearby, quietly abducting New Souls that are meant to report to the Underworld. If the Underworld's scrutiny is strict, Evil Spirit Collectors will appear in the mortal realm, wreaking havoc at will—determining who dies unexpectedly. Those who die unexpectedly in the mortal realm are labeled as accidental deaths. For instance, what I saw with Shan Ji Ge and others living in Decayed Village; they might have met their untimely end due to some special circumstances involving an Evil Spirit Collector.
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