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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 40: Grudge (Part Ten)
I shifted my body to look at the others, and strangely, each of them held a card in their hands, all depicting the West!
Liu Hui played, Zhao Di played, three West cards were on the table, and then it was Zhang Xian's turn. She raised her Mahjong tile, her expression blank as she was about to play it. Suddenly, I felt a jolt of unease and instinctively recited the Six-Character Mantra: "Om, Ma, Ni, Padme, Hum."
Whoosh—suddenly, the Mahjong scene vanished before my eyes. My legs trembled as I jolted awake.
Thinking back on what had just happened, they were playing a game called Four People Go West—three ghosts and one person. This meant that the three ghosts were targeting Zhang Xian. To play this game, it had to be during an ominous year, month, day, and hour.
I had heard about this Four People Go West trick from my grandfather years ago but had never seen anyone play it in real life. It was said to have originated from schools as a game for those who didn't cherish their lives—a thrilling way to flirt with death without wanting to endure the pain of separation from life. As a result, those who played Four People Go West ended up dead, succumbing to mysterious heart conditions.
Moreover, the students who played Four People Go West were all in good health beforehand and had no history of heart disease; they all died suddenly after playing that round of the game.
If this game could truly harm someone, then what I just witnessed could be considered an omen. The thought sent a chill down my spine. In a panic, I calculated the time again: Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, Ren—these are Yang stems; Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, Gui are Yin stems.
Wasn't tonight an ominous year, month, day, and hour?
I dialed Qin Jian's number to check on Zhao Di and instructed him to find Dr. Li Mingliang at the Sixth Psychiatric Hospital. My next step was to visit Zhang Xian's home; however, as I stepped outside, I realized I didn't actually have her address.
Fortunately, I had her phone number. I took out my phone and dialed her number but got no answer after a long wait. In a moment of panic, I immediately called Gousi.
Upon hearing that Zhang Xian was in danger, Gousi rushed to pick me up.
"Do you know her address?" I genuinely didn't know where Zhang Xian lived and shook my head. Then I thought of someone who would definitely know her exact address. Without hesitation, I called Chi Xinrong. It seemed like she was already on another call when I tried reaching her.
After several attempts—losing count of how many times I'd dialed that stubborn girl's number—I finally got through. Before she could speak, I asked for Zhang Xian's address.
Reluctantly, she asked why I needed it. "It's urgent! Please don't waste time." She quickly provided the address and explained that Xian's marriage was troubled; her ex-husband was a gambler who squandered their money and was abusive. Life had been unbearable for her until she finally divorced him.
Even after the divorce, her ex-husband continued to harass her for money.
Thus, Zhang Xian's current address was kept secret; she couldn't risk being found unless absolutely necessary.
I understood Chi Xinrong's concerns and assured her that I wouldn't disclose Zhang Xian's address lightly. Only then did she feel reassured enough to ask what was going on that involved life or death and why I hadn't brought Qin Jian along. I explained that even if he came along, it wouldn't be much help; I just wanted to check on things myself. After clarifying directions with Gousi, I realized we weren't far from Zhang Xian's place—just about three or four stops away.
I should have realized that Zhang Xian's clinic wouldn't be too far from home. Strangely enough, despite visiting her clinic so many times, I had never encountered her ex-husband.
Perhaps he still didn't know she had opened a clinic.
At the North Stone Road South Section New Community, Gousi and I parked the car. The guard at the entrance insisted we provide our real names before allowing us to enter. Gousi interjected, "What does a real name matter? If something goes wrong with my car here, you're responsible. Just look at him; he's someone important."
The guard glanced at me and quickly waved us through. Gousi and I hurried toward the location provided by Chi Xinrong.
We took the elevator to the seventh floor.
How could it be the seventh floor! I muttered to myself, noticing it was building 14. I quickly stopped and pressed the doorbell urgently.
Once, twice, three times—finally, the door opened. It was undoubtedly Zhang Xian, looking groggy and surprised as she stood there in her slippers, staring at me and Gousi.
"You're okay," I said, glancing at the time; we had just a few minutes before midnight. I added to Zhang Xian, "Let's talk inside."
As we entered, Zhang Xian continued to eye Gousi with suspicion.
I introduced him, "Don't be afraid; he's a good person who brought me here to help you."
"Just me?"
Zhang Xian seemed taken aback by the unexpected visit from two men in the middle of the night, appearing somewhat flustered and uneasy. "I was dreaming when you showed up."
"Dreaming?"
Zhang Xian nodded and asked what we wanted to drink. I shook my head, indicating I didn't need anything. Then I urged her to sit down.
Gousi was a Tomb Raider; he liked to look around wherever he went, his gaze sharp and observant—something not typical of ordinary people.
"What were you dreaming about just now?" I asked casually, hoping to buy some time. As long as we were there, Zhang Xian would be safe.
"I had a strange dream where I was playing Mahjong with my deceased colleagues."
"Uh..."
I originally intended to stop her from playing the Mahjong game "Four People Go West," but it turned out she had already played it in her dreams. Both Gousi and I looked at her, and after a few seconds of awkward silence, I broke the quiet and asked softly, "Do you remember what you did in the dream? Who were the colleagues you saw playing Mahjong with you?"
Zhang Xian gave a wry smile and said she couldn't remember. She felt fuzzy and disoriented, but she knew they were dead. Although she was scared inside, she couldn't wake up and just kept playing. She threw the Mahjong tiles aside when the doorbell rang.
Gousi didn't understand what I meant. He was thinking about saving someone, convinced that something serious must have happened, like a suicide or domestic violence, requiring heroic action. He was more than willing to help, but he didn't realize that we had rushed over simply to ask about her dream.
Seeing his confusion, I explained in front of Zhang Xian, "There's a strange folk tale called 'Four-Person Mahjong of the Departed.' It's a game that originated from schools and is rarely played in the community. Before coming here, I had a dream where you were playing Mahjong with several dead people, so I came to check on you..."
"Haha, and nothing happened! Look at me, I'm perfectly fine," Zhang Xian laughed lightly.
Gousi and I exchanged glances and sighed silently before standing up. "It's best if nothing's wrong." As I spoke, I noticed an empty bottle in the trash can and quickly picked it up without looking, slipping it into my pocket.
"Everything's fine; you two are just overthinking... so thank you," Zhang Xian said, her face still pale and expressionless. Her indifference and insistence on ushering us out were infuriating. With her acting this way, Gousi didn't want to stay another minute, and neither did I. If Zhang Xian was just dreaming and hadn't actually played that Mahjong game in reality, then there shouldn't be any problems.
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