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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 44: Fateful Path (Part Three)
My mind was a muddle, unable to distinguish whether this was reality or a dream. Trembling, I got out of the car and looked at the windshield. Damn, there was nothing there. Where was everyone? Did someone fall under the wheels? I crouched down to check, but all I saw beneath the wheels was rainwater—no trace of blood whatsoever.
I stood up, puzzled as to why the car door had opened again. Just then, a jarring sound from behind startled me, and I quickly covered my ears, but I couldn't see what was making the noise. This was bizarre; too many strange things had happened on this journey—the crazy old woman. If it weren't for Qin Jian urging me to go back, I would have definitely visited that elusive Evil Sorcerer who stirs up family discord with just a few sharp words, just to see what kind of Birdman he really was.
I must have been dizzy earlier. The incident with the livestock being bitten had kept me up for several nights, and my mental state was truly a concern.
I couldn't just leave here; what if something happened to Qin Jian and he got out of the car? Wouldn't that mean I'd abandoned him? But when did he even get out? I hadn't seen or felt anything! Damn it! In the past, those learning to drive often had a peculiar mindset—that wider roads were better and that it didn't matter how one drove. Now, with only my car and myself on this empty road, I felt uneasy and uncomfortable.
Just as I was contemplating this solitude on the road, a figure suddenly appeared from the side. He held an umbrella high above his head, revealing only his legs and polished shoes. Why did this scene feel so familiar?
"Hi there! Is this highway under maintenance? Otherwise, how could there be no one else on the road with just my car..." Suddenly realizing something was off, I thought about maintenance! Qin Jian had been with me earlier; he must have fallen asleep while I drove, leading to this series of strange events.
Before I could think further about myself, the man holding the umbrella continued walking as if he hadn't heard me call out to him. How strange; was he deaf? As soon as that thought crossed my mind, I hurried over and shouted at him, "Hey there!"
The man didn't turn around or even make a sound; he stood rigidly with his umbrella raised high as if afraid someone would snatch it away.
"Excuse me, is this road under maintenance? Why am I the only one here?"
The man slowly turned his head towards me. I thought I heard him laugh, but I couldn't see if his face reflected any amusement. When he finally faced me fully, I saw a bloodied and mangled visage. His gaping mouth revealed rows of teeth against a backdrop of crimson gums as he spoke each word deliberately: "You're not alone; we are here too."
"Monster! Do you know who I am? How dare you flaunt your hideousness here!" With that, I turned angrily and headed back to the car. As I bent down to get inside, I was shocked to pull my hand back—there were several people inside the car, all missing limbs and bearing disabilities. Instantly terrified, my hair stood on end as I asked urgently, "Who are you?"
"We're hitchhikers; we want to go home."
Damn it! That man with the umbrella shoved me into the car. I screamed and flailed my arms in panic: "I am Ma Wu Funeral Home's master! How dare you mess with me... watch my Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms... I'll fight..."
Suddenly everything felt wrong. Shaking my head vigorously and covering my face, I forced my eyes open. Qin Jian glared at me angrily and said, "Ma Qi! What are you shouting about Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms? And why are you inexplicably hitting me?"
I fainted!
What is going on here?
"What's going on? I told you to drive, but you were dizzy and stubbornly sat in the passenger seat, refusing to move. When we reached the next rest area, you got out and picked up a piece of red cloth from the ground, examining it like you were studying an atomic bomb. After muttering to yourself, you returned to the car, only to get out again and start talking to a tree about highway repairs or something. I'm baffled—you're the one who deals with this stuff, yet here you are acting all neurotic. Now it's dark, and there's no way we're getting back to the city before nightfall."
I grabbed my face, feeling the pain, and tried to think carefully about everything that had happened.
I couldn't make sense of it. Qin Jian was ranting beside me, and I had no response. Feeling unhappy, I got back in the car and reflected on Qin Jian's words. Did I really talk to a tree? Had I lost my mind or been possessed? If what Qin Jian said was true, then I must have been dreaming just now.
Not just dreaming—I must have been sleepwalking.
In my dream, I saw a car and a person, but I couldn't see Qin Jian. When I reached out to touch my clothes, there was warmth; it was actually from Qin Jian's clothes. Naturally, they would be warm since he was wearing them. When I touched him earlier, he must have been furious; if he hadn't hit me, I wouldn't have woken up.
Damn, what is all this?
"Have you figured it out?"
"I can't make sense of it; it seems I've encountered a master."
"Still want to sleep?" Qin Jian sighed when he saw my lifeless expression. "Don't sleep; just hold on a little longer until we get home."
"Right, I'd rather die than sleep now. Something might sneak into my brain while I'm asleep and cause trouble. Luckily, my self-control is strong; otherwise, I could end up doing something terrifying without even knowing why."
"Who could be doing this to you?"
"I think it has something to do with that curse."
"Oh. How do you plan to deal with it?"
I replied with a slightly hoarse voice, "I'll take it as it comes; I'm sure they'll come looking for me."
"About that kid Zhang Wang—make sure you find out exactly what's going on."
“Zhang Wang's wife, Mo, did not understand these customs. The act of throwing a child is a tradition among the Mongolian people. By casting the child away, they allow it to encounter a guiding spirit, which is said to be the place of the child's second rebirth. Although this practice seems rather inhumane to us Han people, it is still a form of burial. Mo, being Han, felt great sorrow for the child. Unable to bear it, she quietly followed her mother-in-law outside and brought the child back home. Then she sought out someone, and the child ultimately became that person's ghost. This individual took advantage of Mo's ignorance and the child's resentment to create a curse against her mother-in-law. If the spirit of the curse succeeded, the mother-in-law would die, and the power of the curse would grow stronger. In the end, when this matter came to me, I easily resolved it; the Curse of the Evil Spirit was rendered ineffective. That person then held a grudge against me, which led to my experiences of feeling half-asleep and wandering in a daze.”
“That's impressive; I'm completely lost.”
I shot a glance at Qin Jian, thinking: figure it out for yourself with this look. I secretly formed a hand seal for summoning and later pressed the Calmness Mantra into my palm, which helped me feel slightly better.
Qin Jian said, “There are many ethnic minorities over at Ten Li Slope. What we've seen is just the surface; there are also Tujia people along this route. If it weren't for our urgent business, I would take you to see them and learn about their customs.”
“Forget it; it's better not to go. A little misunderstanding could lead to trouble.”
“Are you scared?”
“Scared? Not at all! The word 'fear' doesn’t exist in my Ma Qi's dictionary.” Although I said this out loud, deep down I felt uncertain; this expert's skills were on par with my grandfather's, and he had managed to catch me off guard twice already.
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