Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 9: Underworld
In this place, all kinds of spirits and demons exist. Because both Fatty and I possess the Breath-Holding Talisman, we are currently undetectable, which keeps more demons from being drawn to us. However, I am quite worried about Fatty. When I turned back to look for him and returned to the Shadow Studio, it was eerily quiet. There were no sounds of the guzheng, no flirtatious laughter—just a terrifying silence.
I cautiously approached, scanning my surroundings for any suspicious signs. As I neared the entrance, an uneasy feeling washed over me. Just moments ago, this place had been bustling with activity; now it felt as if that lively scene had never existed. The empty building held no guzheng music, no beautiful women, no handsome young men, and certainly no Fatty.
Yet, there was a lingering aura of ghostly energy in the room.
My grandfather always said I was born to be a Mortician; my senses—smell, hearing, and intuition—were sharper than most. Back then, I didn’t understand what he meant. Now that I've grown up and become a Mortician myself, I realize how important those skills are.
Fortunately, Fatty had tossed his bag to me out of laziness. Holding the Copper Coin Sword tightly in my hand, I stepped cautiously deeper into the house. Just as I focused on searching for Fatty's whereabouts, heavy footsteps echoed from above—thud, thud.
Someone was definitely coming.
I quickly concealed myself behind the door to see who it was.
After the thudding sounds faded, a shadow appeared on the wall under the dim light. The shadow grew clearer and more defined until a "man" emerged. He had a square face that exuded the composure of a mature man. Dressed in loose-fitting clothes and moving with an air of confidence typical of a successful individual, he seemed to embody self-assurance.
No matter how well this person disguised himself as human, his movements were too perfect; yet there was an undeniable charm about him that could not be hidden. This man was not ordinary; this house was not just any house. He could emerge from any part of the wall and hide anywhere within.
I watched silently as he swaggered into the inner room, calling out casually, “Shinang, Ma Wu is here! Are you playing hide-and-seek with me?”
Ma Wu? That was my grandfather’s name! How could this person use my grandfather's name to find women here? And who is this Shinang? She must be that woman radiating an alluring and ghostly aura—this truly is strange; these are not ordinary spirits.
And who exactly is this Ma Wu? Based on my current line of reasoning, he might just be someone with the same name—perhaps there are other surnames like Pig or Dog before those two characters.
Enough talk; I need to find Fatty quickly.
I can’t let that Shinang turn Fatty into a dried corpse!
The man claiming to be Ma Wu walked ahead but soon vanished from sight. What appeared to be a simple house from outside felt like a maze once inside—more like being trapped in a winding corridor.
Corridor after corridor, passage after passage. One path after another, each one a trap.
Having lost sight of that person, I was at a loss as to where to go. Just then, I spotted the beautiful young man who had been kneeling and playing the guzheng earlier, and I hurried to follow him.
"Shinang is really playing the long game, showing interest in this fat pig."
"That fat pig lost two of his souls to Shinang; he managed to get himself into such a predicament, yet he can still be so easily confused..."
"That fat pig's companion isn't bad; he's handsome and seems to be a good source for refining energy, as Shinang has noted."
I couldn't help but feel a chill run down my spine upon hearing this pair of clowns.
Fortunately, I had prepared in advance and brought along a Breath-Holding Talisman. With it, even this pair of fools couldn't detect my presence as I focused intently on following the two beautiful young men ahead. Suddenly, I heard ambiguous sounds coming from somewhere nearby.
The sounds seemed to come from all directions. I glanced at the wall on my left and instinctively reached out to touch it. To my surprise, it felt strange. The wall wasn't as hard as the walls of the Underworld but was also impenetrable, resembling something soft and resilient like sponge tissue.
What kind of wall is this?
As I pondered this question, the ambiguous sounds grew increasingly brazen. Just by listening to those sounds, one could imagine a bed inside where two bodies were entwined tightly together. Why couldn't I see them? A wicked idea suddenly crossed my mind.
Thinking of this wicked idea made me feel exhilarated. Without hesitation, I unfastened my pants and took out my precious treasure, spraying a stream of pale yellow liquid onto the wall. Instantly, a thin veil-like window appeared before my eyes. Through the sheer window, I could vaguely see a bed inside where two figures were entangled—one was indeed the fat pig, but the other was not Shinang; it was a skeleton.
The skeleton's hips moved rhythmically against the fat man lying beneath it, who had half-closed eyes and a flushed face, looking quite pleased with himself. This sight turned my stomach.
Furious, I clenched my fists, wishing I could smash that damned skeleton into pieces. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my palm as if something were about to break through the skin. Startled, I looked down to see a shiny object moving along the lines of my palm.
A Spirit Stone?
The Spirit Stone is my Soul Stone. I couldn't remember how the Soul Stone ended up in my body, but at least it hadn't been lost; that reassured me. Moreover, when the Spirit Stone appeared, I felt an abrupt surge of energy within me.
"Fat pig..." I kicked through the veil and rushed in without hesitation. Just as I reached out to grab the fat man, a pair of ghostly claws suddenly seized me. Struggling fiercely and taking a closer look, I realized that this wasn't the fat man at all; it was a man who had emerged from the wall under my grandfather's name.
The skeleton didn't exist at all; it was merely a trap set by the two beautiful young men. I had walked right into it, perhaps my opponent had anticipated that I would break through the deceptive wall with a splash of urine. Realizing the situation, I immediately became cautious, but I had no choice but to pretend to be frightened and asked, "Who are you? Let me go."
"I am your grandfather. Don't you recognize me?"
"Bah..." I spat, feeling puzzled. His voice, demeanor, and actions were so reminiscent of my grandfather. The spit left my mouth harmlessly, and my opponent reacted quickly, dodging it. He lifted me off the ground and said, "Child, Shinang is not wrong; there is no place for me in your eyes. It would be more valuable to become raw material for her energy extraction."
"Who are you?" This question was genuinely meant to seek an answer. From a distance, he didn’t look much like my grandfather, but up close, the resemblance grew stronger. His features, his mannerisms, even the tone of his voice echoed that of my grandfather.
"Grandson, I am your grandfather." He smiled as he reached out to pat my head. Indeed, my grandfather had this habit when he was alive; he always thought I hadn’t grown up and would instinctively reach out to touch my head. However, in my memory, my grandfather was truly gone. He couldn't possibly be my grandfather. This thought filled me with doubt about the person before me, and as he reached out his hand, I instinctively raised mine to block him.
To my surprise, as I blocked his hand, it emitted a puff of blue smoke and bubbled up as if it were on fire.
"What do you have on you?"
Comment 0 Comment Count