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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 9: The Search for the Missing (Part Six)
Before the words had left my mouth, Qin Jian surprisingly pulled over, stopping the car just three feet away from the girl. We looked at her from both the front and the back.
The girl had an abundance of hair, cascading down to cover the back of her head, while the front obscured her entire face. Only the inky blackness of her hair contrasted sharply with her pale complexion, which was hauntingly white. Her eyes were bloodshot and wide open, filled with a frantic intensity, and her hands were clenched tightly into fists, as if she were exerting so much pressure that her knuckles turned white.
Seeing this scene, Qin Jian gasped in shock, “What the...”
“Let’s go! Don’t be curious; curiosity killed the cat,” I urged him. Qin Jian quickly started the engine, and the car surged forward. At that moment, Zhang Wang had already run far away; there were no other vehicles in sight. Thankfully, Qin Jian had started the car in time and didn’t foolishly let that vengeful spirit get inside.
But in the next second, both of us were terrified.
As the car sped away, I thought about how slowly the girl walked—like an ant crawling—but to my surprise, when I glanced at the rearview mirror, I saw her there. She was so close to us that it felt as if she was hanging on the rearview mirror itself. No matter how fast we drove, she matched our speed, almost as if she was flying alongside us.
This ghostly sight shocked Qin Jian; he had never encountered anything so frightening before. Without thinking, he slammed on the gas pedal, and the car bolted down the road like a startled wild horse.
The girl remained in the rearview mirror. Anger surged within me; I rolled down the window and shouted angrily while holding up a talisman, “You belong to your resting place! Since you are dead, stop haunting us and don’t blame anyone. I will ensure you find peace.”
Zhang Wang's mother screamed in terror, gripping the back of her seat tightly.
Qin Jian also shouted angrily, “Ma Qi, why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“It’s useless; even if you don’t stop, she will follow us,” I replied.
Qin Jian watched in horror as that vengeful spirit kept pace with our car. He was so frightened that he didn’t know how to handle the steering wheel anymore.
I said, "I'm scared."
At that moment, the child glanced sideways, and their arm elongated suddenly, piercing through the car window with a crack and grabbing Zhang Wang's Mother to drag her outside. I quickly placed a talisman on her arm, chanting softly, and her arm retracted with a whoosh. The girl was a step slower, and Rearview Mirror showed no sign of her.
The car sped forward. I looked back; it seemed like she was gone. Just as I thought perhaps she wouldn't come after us, a loud crash from the roof startled me—it sounded like something was stomping heavily on top.
"What the hell is going on?" Qin Jian exclaimed, glancing at the roof.
"Don't panic, just drive," I said, covering Zhang Wang's Mother's eyes with a red cloth. I pressed my hands against her temples and whispered, "Don't think about anything, just relax. You're entering a dream where there's a tree filled with your favorite fruits."
"What are you doing?" Qin Jian asked, too curious for his own good. Curiosity wasn't always a good thing; I shushed him and pointed at the roof.
The noise from above quieted down, leaving only the sound of the tires crunching over gravel without the heavy stomping.
Qin Jian relaxed his brow; although he didn't understand what was happening, as long as things were improving, he could loosen up while driving.
Under my guidance, Zhang Wang's Mother calmed down and appeared composed as she entered the dream state. I wasn't using a hypnosis spell; it was the effect of the Calmness Mantra. The old woman's heart settled temporarily, free from fear and chaotic thoughts. With that ghostly figure no longer appearing, it was true what they said—when one has ghosts in their heart, they manifest in reality.
The car moved steadily forward. Qin Jian seemed to have completely let go of his worries as we drove for a while until we finally spotted Zhang Wang and their car.
They had stopped to wait for us.
The rain had stopped; it was overcast. I gently shook Zhang Wang's Mother, asking, "Auntie, do you need to go to the bathroom?"
Zhang Wang's mother opened her eyes and nodded, getting out of the car with my support.
Mo held the child in the car.
Zhang Wang walked over and asked, "Is my mom okay?"
Qin Jian was about to speak, but I hurriedly interrupted, "She's fine, really."
Zhang Wang took his mother to the restroom, and Qin Jian scolded me, "What are you doing? If something really happened, how would you deal with it?"
I understood what Qin Jian meant. In today's society, even helping someone can lead to being blamed. People who do good deeds are becoming increasingly disheartened; even witnessing someone fall means you have to be ready to take pictures and find witnesses before stepping in to help.
There was once a news story about an elderly person who fell in the rain. Over a dozen people passed by without offering assistance. It’s not entirely fair to blame those who walked by; rather, it reflects the poor social climate where those in need of help often show no gratitude and instead accuse kind-hearted individuals. This has led people to become cold-hearted.
Seeing the worried expression on Qin Jian's face as he kept glancing toward the restroom where Zhang Wang and his mother had gone, I said, "Don't worry. As long as she doesn't dwell on it or speak about it, there shouldn't be any major issues."
"What do you mean?"
I sighed deeply and replied, "Qin Jian, what do you want to hear from me?"
"About your mother-in-law."
"This is an old story—favoring sons over daughters. There are still some people stuck in that mindset regarding the birth of children. They are women themselves but look down on those who give birth to daughters, even going so far as to harm them. The Infant Spirit is terrifying, you know? Someone has cast a malicious curse on this mother-in-law. Once she thinks about it, the Infant Spirit can appear at any moment, anywhere."
A scream echoed from the women's restroom, where Zhang Wang and his mother had gone. People were running and shouting. I saw Zhang Wang anxiously trying to rush in but hesitating because of the women coming in and out; after all, it was the women's restroom.
I noticed Zhang Wang's wife still playing with the child in the car, so I ran over and called out, "Mo, go check on your mother-in-law."
Upon hearing this, Mo got out of the car, handed the child to me, and hurried towards the restroom.
I held the child tightly and examined his eyes closely; they didn't seem as filled with resentment as before. I couldn't understand how the Infant Spirit had come along. After some thought, I realized the issue likely lay with the child. With Zhang Wang's mother in trouble, I hastened my investigation and encouraged Mo to willingly bring the child to me.
Once Mo left, I carefully inspected the child and noticed something around his neck.
Qin Jian had now also arrived at the restroom entrance and was talking with Zhang Wang. Seizing the opportunity, I quickly pulled off whatever was around the child's neck and squeezed it. It felt hard and resembled a piece of a finger.
It was a finely crafted pouch sewn together with silk thread. It wasn't a longevity lock or a collar of sorts; it was astonishing for a child to wear something like this. I quickly bit open a seam of the red envelope and discovered a piece of a finger bone wrapped in a talisman.
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