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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 78: The Mystery of the Deep Alley (Part Three)
Seeing Shen Shoucai's interest in what I had briefly described, a thought suddenly crossed my mind. However, upon further reflection, I realized that this idea could not be put into action. Shen Shoucai was the Azure-Headed Ghost, and he could only reincarnate if he encountered a Willing to Sacrifice Her Untouched Maiden Body. Although it would be a complicated process, it was indeed a shortcut.
If I were to rely on accumulating Yin De through arduous cultivation to exchange for a reincarnation opportunity, that would take an eternity. Not wanting to expose my master's setup, I elaborated on the issue that Shen Shoucai had mentioned just a minute ago.
I recounted how I had seen the old man sweeping the floor before disappearing in the bathroom, as well as my encounter with the Addict. The Addict had asked for a cigarette, which I refused, but he insisted on telling me something important. Then I explained the bizarre death case on Fruit Street that followed.
Shen Shoucai fell into deep thought, seemingly contemplating the matter seriously. I swallowed half a bowl of rice and was about to get up to wash up and sleep when he suddenly asked, “Do you think the Addict knew about the Fruit Street incident and was hinting at you?”
“Isn't it possible?”
“It could also be a coincidence. Do you want me to help you investigate?” The Azure-Headed Ghost could only attack wandering spirits if he hadn’t targeted a maiden in a short time, relying on absorbing ghostly energy to upgrade his own power.
I wasn’t comfortable letting Shen Shoucai go out. When I refused, he had no choice but to stay quietly in his original spot in the room.
After tidying up, I remembered to call Qin Jian to check if he had arrived home safely. When I picked up my phone, I realized it was dead. I had drained the battery using my Mobile Flashlight in the bathroom on Fruit Street. Unable to contact Qin Jian, I decided to charge my phone first before calling him again. When I dialed his number, it went straight to voicemail! It seemed he was in the same situation as me—his phone was dead too. The difference was that he had turned his off while charging, whereas mine was still on.
Sleeping—lying in bed felt incredibly comfortable. My mind involuntarily wandered to Mi. Mi, I miss you. I hugged my pillow and imagined it was Mi's face, her chest, her hands. Mi and I were entwined together; she kept burrowing into my embrace.
Suddenly, I genuinely felt someone in my arms. She was cold and lacked warmth; my hand brushed against equally cold hair. Then she began to move slowly, her black hair parting to reveal a pale face.
Scary!
She wasn’t Mi; her blood-red eyes dripped with blood as she glared at me with resentment and said, “It’s all your fault for not saving me.” Damn! This was terrifying; I woke up startled by an inexplicable sense of guilt combined with that haunting face. My eyes opened instinctively.
What I saw wasn’t my sleeping place but rather a foul-smelling bathroom. I curled up on the floor. No wonder even under thick blankets I still felt cold; it appeared that I had been lying on the ground all along—in the bathroom.
However, this bathroom wasn’t from my own place; the familiar stench and flickering light about to go out made it clear that I was lying in the very bathroom where the accident happened on Fruit Street.
I slowly got up, and the light flickered once before going out completely. Darkness swallowed me instantly, and I heard the sound of footsteps. I whispered, "Who?" My voice sounded weak and pale in the small bathroom.
The footsteps abruptly stopped. I stood still, reaching out to touch something, only to remember that I was in my pajamas and my phone was nowhere to be found. In desperation, I decided to risk using the spell my master had taught me.
"All Laws Return to Origin, fire follow me, return to heart, gather at my fingertips, Urgent Command!" A faint blue flame flickered to life at my fingertips, weak and swaying as if it could extinguish at any moment. In that moment, illuminated by the dim blue flame, I caught sight of a slender figure.
A woman was upside down, one hand dragging her along the ground, and that old man was not an old man but a robust man instead. Just as quickly as it appeared, the faint blue flame extinguished with a puff. I hadn’t clearly seen the man's face when a sharp pain pierced my chest.
It hurt too much; this was the consequence of using Purgatory Flame without sufficient cultivation. I curled up on the ground as a chill invaded my bones. The pain combined with the cold made me feel as if I were losing consciousness, and then everything went dark.
After a brief unconsciousness with no other abnormalities, I finally heard a sound resembling knocking at the door. When I opened my eyes again, I thought for a moment that someone had come to use the bathroom because nearby residents often did just that.
But to my surprise, when I opened my eyes, I found myself not on Fruit Street but at home.
The floor was smooth and shiny, and on the wall hung a picture of a row of sexy women in swimsuits. The moon, stars, and Earth hung from an old chandelier left by the landlord. The person knocking at the door couldn’t be Shen Shoucai.
"Master Ma, your phone."
My phone was charging next to the TV in the living room. Realizing that I was indeed at home and not in the bathroom, I got up. My head felt heavy and my legs weak. Even stranger was how dirty my feet were; it felt like I had walked a long distance with mud resembling fine sand stuck to the soles.
This was something that could only be washed off with water after stepping on it outside. Looking at my shoes, I saw a pair neatly placed beside my bed—those were what I had taken off before sleeping. Had I gone out last night? As I delved deeper into thought, a splitting headache began to form.
Had I lost my mind? Asking myself this question, Shen Shoucai stared at me in confusion: "Master Ma, did you not sleep well last night?"
I looked up at him feeling unsettled and asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"You’ll find out when you look in the mirror." Shen Shoucai filled the room with the aroma of porridge. His words sounded serious; instead of checking what for breakfast, I headed straight for the washroom.
The mirror stared back at me in silence. For the first time, I felt a sense of dread facing my own reflection. What did Shen Shoucai mean by his earlier words? Had a bunch of pimples suddenly appeared on my face overnight? Impossible—I was no longer a teenager; I shouldn't be breaking out anymore.
So what could it be?
Finally, the mirror revealed a version of me, looking haggard, with a sallow complexion and an exhausted demeanor, as if I had been drained by a ghost last night.
Qin Jian had called me early in the morning, but I didn't answer. Shen Shoucai didn't dare to pick up my call either. He had already hung up. I splashed some water on my face and rubbed it vigorously, trying to make my complexion look better; right now, I looked as if I had liver disease.
Not only that, but I also noticed that my eyes were bloodshot. This was the consequence of my insufficient cultivation after recklessly using Purgatory Flame. I took a deep breath and then exhaled heavily at the mirror, causing it to fog up. Behind the mist, my complexion seemed a little less dreadful.
Reluctant to wipe the mirror clean, I stepped out of the bathroom and decided to contact Qin Jian first. The call connected quickly. Qin Jian asked why I hadn't answered earlier; I told him I hadn’t fully woken up yet. Then he asked, "Want to go out for breakfast?"
"Is that why you called me?"
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