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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 5: Corpse (Part Six)
Qin Jian had truly fallen asleep, and soon a faint snoring sound could be heard. This guy snored while sleeping, but it was much better than a fat person’s snoring, which could keep anyone nearby wide awake.
The sounds of wind and rain mixed together, drowning out the chirping of insects, and I could vaguely hear the rustling and squeaking of mice. A heavy creaking sound, reminiscent of a door hinge, echoed through the rural night. This was the countryside, devoid of the clamor of big cities, filled instead with a different kind of noise that inevitably sparked my imagination.
I wasn’t sure if I had fallen asleep or not; I only felt that I could see something moving in the darkness.
What I saw was not just anything—it was a shadow that moved very quickly. It soon reached the doorway. The creaking sound I had just heard was actually the wind pushing the door open; it stood ajar, and that shadow glided effortlessly to the entrance.
Then it stood there at the door like a lifeless wooden post. Instinctively, I turned on the light and shouted for Qin Jian, but he seemed to be in a deep sleep. No matter how much I called out, he didn’t respond or move an inch.
A sudden fear gripped me—not fear for Qin Jian’s slumber, but fear of the figure at the door.
She was drenched, with water dripping from her hair, fingers, and even her toes. It seemed as if she hadn’t walked here but had deliberately materialized before me from thin air. Then she slowly lifted her head and raised her hand. I noticed her fingernails were sharp like knives, glinting ominously. She pointed her nails at her own belly, which was covered by a layer of wet clothing, and with a swift motion, she sliced through it. In an instant, a baby rolled out from her abdomen.
The baby came out with a piece of umbilical cord still attached and rolled on the ground for a moment before standing up to grab the cord and bite it off. As it did so, I saw its teeth—razor-sharp like serrated blades—sending chills down my spine.
This scene unfolded too quickly for me to even scream; my mouth fell open in shock, my eyes wide without having time to blink. The baby landed on the ground and crawled toward me at an alarming speed. Just then, I jolted awake with a gasp, drenched in cold sweat; truly, at that moment of awakening, my heart raced uncontrollably.
“Qin Jian…”
His voice was filled with drowsiness as he grumbled irritably, “What are you yelling about?”
“I’m serious! I had a terrifying nightmare that still frightens me. Now I want to go check something out.”
As I spoke, I turned on the light. Qin Jian pulled the blanket over his head in annoyance and said impatiently, “Go ahead. It’s the middle of the night; you’re losing your mind.”
“Are you really not coming?” I quickly got up and dressed, ready to head out.
To be honest, Qin Jian and I had come together; whatever I did required his agreement. The best solution was for him to join me. Seeing my determination to get up and leave, Qin Jian reluctantly cursed under his breath: “You must be some kind of karmic debt from my past life come back to haunt me in this one.”
“Hammer, if you keep this up, people are going to laugh at you. The term 'past life grievances' is a metaphor for the relationship between men and women. We're both guys here, so what's with bringing this up?”
Qin Jian chuckled with annoyance as he fumbled to put on his clothes. I had already reached the door when he sleepily stumbled out, cursing, “Damn it, Hammer, it's so dark.”
“Darkness is expected, but unfortunately, I'm not a woman.”
Qin Jian knew he was in the wrong and didn't want to argue further, so he changed the subject lightly. “Lao Qi, it's not just you; you're the one who worries too much. Sigh!”
“Lao Qin, it’s not just me either. It wasn’t me who was in high spirits recently; maybe you’ve been too busy with her lately, which is why you’re feeling a bit tired?”
“Damn it.” Qin Jian took a quick step outside, swinging his fist but missing. I was already in the yard and quickly gestured for him to be quiet.
Honestly, the village chief's house was a two-story building, and we were staying in the guest room downstairs while the family was upstairs. I had requested this because their guest rooms were actually on the upper floor. I thought it would be inconvenient to go up and down all the time; even a little noise could disturb the whole family, so I insisted on staying downstairs.
As I stepped outside, I noticed everything felt damp; the ground was soaked, and when I stepped down, water splashed everywhere. Neither Qin Jian nor I were good at sneaking around; we stumbled out of the yard without knowing which direction to go.
“Should we head to Zeng Family Bay or somewhere else?” Qin Jian asked while rubbing the back of his neck. “Why do I feel so chilly?”
“You heard about that water ghost thing and now you're feeling uneasy,” I said as I handed him a cigarette. “Sorry, just borrowing some flowers to offer Buddha.” Lighting a cigarette while walking at night might seem like an excuse, but it really does ward off evil spirits. The two cigarette ends glowed dimly as we moved along the path.
Those unfamiliar with walking at night wouldn’t understand the eerie feeling it brings. The surroundings were eerily quiet; aside from me and Qin Jian, there was no one else around. It felt strange and sinister, almost like a dream. Especially when Qin Jian suddenly asked, “Are we going to Zeng Family Bay?”
That made my hair stand on end as I exhaled sharply. “We're walking here; can you please be quiet and stop asking so many questions?”
“Well, how would I know where we're going if I don’t ask?”
“Just follow me; why all the unnecessary chatter?”
“Lao Qi, come on now, stop rambling here and take some real action. Let’s figure this out quickly because I really don’t want to stay here any longer.” Qin Jian glanced around and took a deep drag of his cigarette before muttering softly, “This cursed place has heavy Evil Energy.” As he complained, I suddenly spotted something darting quickly across the road before disappearing in an instant. Was it a wild rabbit? Or perhaps a Yellow Weasel! I hurriedly ran after it, with Qin Jian trailing behind me while shouting, “Aren't you supposed to avoid running around at this hour?”
"What's there to be afraid of? You've got talismans on your back; no evil spirit would dare come near you."
"When did you put those on me?"
"Who knows? Just accept it!" I was running too fast, and Qin Jian was lagging behind. Ahead, there were several houses clustered together, surrounded by trees and Mao Bamboo, all shrouded in darkness. I could see that thing moving quickly, heading in our direction.
Qin Jian shouted from behind, "Hey, wait up!" Suddenly, the dogs in the yard were startled, barking incessantly. Then we heard a man's voice cursing, followed by the flickering light of a flashlight. A few strong young men emerged.
If I wasn't mistaken, these guys were temporarily assigned to patrol the area. Judging by their armed appearance, they didn't seem like they were out to catch some unknown creature; it looked more like they were preparing to confront Japanese invaders. They held flashlights in their hands, some wielded machetes, while others carried wooden sticks.
The dogs were restrained by them and weren't as aggressive as before. Qin Jian, who had been quite frightened, finally relaxed a bit.
The men looked at us with disbelief, and one of them asked in astonishment, "Are you two unable to sleep and want to join us on the night patrol?"
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