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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 7: Midnight Appointment
The sound of motorcycles startled the household dogs, causing a chorus of barks that echoed in the night, sometimes close, sometimes distant. The dogs seemed to sense something frightening, tucking their tails and issuing warning sounds at the door. I knew well what these dogs were afraid of; their eyes could see not only the living but also those unclean beings.
In the courtyard of Shangwan Village, Zhu Family, the lights at the entrance were still on, and faint voices of people could be heard. My motorcycle was loud, and they might have heard it. As I passed by their door, I noticed a figure peering out.
As I got closer, I recognized the figure as Zhu Gang.
Zhu Gang was quite filial, truly the type to keep vigil all night long.
"Master Ma, is that you?"
"Yes, it's me. Aren't you going to take a nap?"
Seeing that I had no intention of stopping, Zhu Gang stepped aside and replied, "No, it's only about four or five hours until dawn. Where are you headed now?"
"To the old place. You can't come."
I couldn't tell if Zhu Gang heard me; in any case, I was already far away and didn't hear him speak again. The motorcycle's rumble faded as I moved forward, cutting through the thick fog and drifting into the dense forest. Before reaching the forbidden area, I quickly dismounted.
This was the rule.
Tonight was significant for the Underworld; a large number of souls would return to Hell Gate. If I wasn't careful, it would lead to serious trouble.
I walked to the edge of the forest, where darkness loomed like a thick shadow. Cautiously, I pinched my fingers together and held a talisman—
“Ma Qi,” a voice emerged from the darkness, belonging to Qin Ye.
I had many questions I wanted to ask him, but several times I had missed the opportunity to voice them. He called out to me, and I responded. He stepped out of the shadows, maintaining his usual demeanor—stern, cautious, and serious.
“Come.”
“Alright.”
I followed Qin Ye into the dense forest. From the outside, it appeared as a dark mass, but once we entered, it was not just a void of darkness. It resembled something like Baymax. The scenery before me was no different from what I usually saw; the only distinction was the dim light, devoid of any picturesque views—just Pavilions and Towers, Shadow, and the eerie green glow of ghostly flames.
The Ghostly Enforcer wore a uniform suit and a mask, each one displaying various fierce and terrifying expressions.
“With your discovery of Underworld, we have effortlessly gathered enough souls to return to Underworld. Would you like to join me and see what they do after they go back?”
Recalling my previous narrow escape back to Underworld and the sight of Vicious Dog tearing apart souls at Evil Dog Ridge, I shuddered internally and declined, “I’d rather not. I want to ask you some questions.”
“Alright, avoiding that place is wise. Who would want to venture into this sunless, cold world? Since you're alive, live well and don’t seek your own demise.” Qin Ye gestured towards me. “How about we check out Shadow Studio?”
“What for?”
“I’m asking you to go because I will only answer your questions once we get there.”
“Fine!” I agreed, thinking about what I might see at Shadow Studio, including Shinang and the man impersonating my grandfather. I casually asked, “Is Shinang a fox spirit?”
“She doesn’t qualify; at best, she’s just a thousand-year-old ghost without any cultivation. She merely exists on a wave of resentment, feeding off the essence of men from Underworld to barely maintain her soul's integrity. She has already been captured and taken to Ten Halls for interrogation.”
The next question was the one I least wanted to bring up. Before I could even ask what I wanted to know, Qin Ye spoke up first.
"Everyone, whether a sage or an ordinary person, harbors a hidden selfishness. Just like your grandfather back in the day, who, despite everyone’s objections, stubbornly insisted on bringing you home after finding you abandoned in that dilapidated house. And that fat guy—don’t think your grandfather was just being kind. When he picked you up, he had calculated everything. Your fate is yang, while the fat guy's fate is yin. Together, they can complement the energy element that your grandfather lacked in his own fate. If he could successfully harness this element, he could achieve immortality."
"Master, that can't be true. I saw my grandfather die with my own eyes."
"For some high-level Mystical Arts practitioners, death is merely a form of rebirth. If they don’t suffer unexpected destruction, their resurrection will only frighten people. But if they do encounter unforeseen destruction, their rebirth can be terrifying. Unfortunately, this matter is beyond my intervention; it’s a grudge between you two. Let’s leave it at that; what happens next is up to you."
Wasn't this just nonsense? I thought he might have some profound insight to share, but instead, he pushed me away with a few words. What does my grandfather have to do with you? These thoughts churned in my mind but remained unspoken.
I could only follow behind my master like a dutiful apprentice as we made our way to the Shadow Studio below.
My master paused and looked up as if listening for something. I perked up my ears too; there was no one coming down from upstairs, but faint and beautiful sounds of singing and dancing drifted down.
"Just in time," my master said with his usual calm demeanor as he clasped his hands behind his back and walked toward the stairs. I followed closely behind, recalling how I had dragged that fat guy down those very stairs not long ago.
When we reached the door, my master didn’t rush inside but instead pointed at me: "Take a look at what’s going on inside."
What did my master mean by this? Was he trying to set me up? This was Du Shiniang's territory; even if she had been captured, it was still her domain. Perhaps I was overthinking things and complicating what should have been simple. As I pushed open the door, I was truly stunned by what I saw.
The music in the room came from a tiny speaker, and there was no one inside—only several vividly crafted Paper Figurines. One of them resembled Du Shiniang closely, while another depicted a fierce-looking man.
"In Shadow Studio," my master explained, "once your shadow is cast here, there’s no escape. Most men who die mysteriously have likely had their essence stolen by the thousand-year-old female ghost Du Shiniang through shadow capture, becoming mere walking corpses devoid of spirit—just drifting through life in a daze. If you encounter such individuals, do your utmost to help them reclaim their lost essence; it would be a great deed."
"Master, how can I possibly find them in this vast sea of people?"
“Worldly Matters are nothing but Fortune; everything depends on Fortune. This is also related to their Ancestors' accumulated Yin De. If their Ancestors were heinous Villains, then their lives do not need saving; they can only wait for death. Remember, such people usually bear a mark.”
“What kind of mark?”
“Black Qi.”
“Master, how do we explain the fat man?”
“These Paper Figurines were made by him. Because he misses someone, he channels all his longing into the Paper Figurine, which can lead to unusual occurrences. That man—if you look closely, doesn’t he resemble your grandfather?”
I wasn’t unaware; I just didn’t want to think in that direction. That sinister man really did bear a striking resemblance to my grandfather.
“The fat man's feelings of longing are embedded in the Paper Figurine, and then an Evil Soul uses the Paper Figurine as a disguise to appear before you, even claiming to be your grandfather?”
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