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墨書 Inktalez
I rushed forward in a single leap, blocking the old woman’s path.
“Who are you?” I demanded.
The old woman glanced at me but ignored my question, attempting to squeeze past me.
“I’ve forgotten who I am!” Her sigh echoed in the corridor for a long time.
Is it possible to forget oneself?
After tossing and turning all night, I still had nothing to show for it. Exhausted, I lay flat on the bed.
The overburdened bed creaked loudly under me.
Breathing in the musty smell, I drifted off into a deep sleep.
To my surprise, I was dreaming again! Just like last time, I found myself standing outside the Huangquan Inn.
As I pushed open the glass door and stepped inside, everything looked exactly the same.
“Is anyone here? I’d like a room!” I called out.
This time, instead of the balding old man behind the bar, a burly man with a simple, honest face emerged.
“You’re back! Same price as before!” the man replied mechanically.
I was taken aback; wasn’t this Ruo Yu?
“Ruo Yu, it’s me, Ling Feng!” I said excitedly, shaking Ruo Yu.
Ruo Yu stood there like a wooden puppet; when I shook him, he swayed along, but as soon as I stopped, he froze in place, expressionless.
I waved my hand in front of Ruo Yu's face, but there was no reaction.
Was he in a daze? I had already pasted a Talisman and recited incantations. I was busy like a spinning top, yet there was not the slightest response.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead, doubting whether my spells had failed.
After I paid, Ruo Yu issued a receipt and then shouted towards the end of the corridor, "Granny, take the guest to Room 14 on the second floor."
When the old woman saw me, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes. "Young people never listen to advice! It's a pity there's no medicine for regret in this world!"
"Granny, where did the old man at the bar go?" I asked cautiously.
The old woman replied, "When it's time, they must leave. When someone comes, someone else has to go..."
"Granny, do you know why my friend ended up like that?" I asked again.
The old woman halted her steps. "Those chosen by Huangquan Inn cannot escape!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she clutched her head and rolled on the ground, screaming in sheer agony. It seemed as if someone was drilling into her skull with an electric drill.
"Granny, what's wrong? What’s happening?" I asked anxiously.
The old woman squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth: "Go, go, hurry up!"
Then she shoved me hard, and I felt as if I were falling from a great height.
Suddenly, I sat up in bed, gasping for air. The room was engulfed in darkness, as black as ink.
There was not a single ray of light.
Once I regained my senses, I remembered that I hadn’t turned off the lights before going to bed.
My throat felt as if it were on fire, and I got up to find some water. I reached for the switch, but there was no response!
Earlier, while taking a shower, I thought that although this hotel looked shabby, the amenities were quite decent. How could there be a power outage now? Or maybe the bulb was broken?
As I pushed myself up from the bed, suddenly blood rushed to my head. What I touched wasn’t a blanket. The texture felt like seaweed-like hair.
I took out a spare flashlight from my Qiankun Bag. When the beam illuminated the bed, I had mentally prepared myself for what I had touched earlier. However, when I saw what was beneath me, I wasn’t as frightened!
It turned out I had been lying on a Ren Pi while sleeping.
The dark Ren Pi lay flat on the bed as if it had been flattened by a steamroller.
When I stayed here before, I had noticed that the blanket was unusual. To encounter it again this time was quite surprising!
Am I just an easy target? A surge of unnamed anger welled up inside me as I pulled out a Talisman and pressed it against the Human Skin Quilt, reciting an incantation.
The Human Skin Quilt ignited, producing blue flames.
As the flames gradually subsided, I finally let out a sigh of relief; the smell in the room was unbearable, reminiscent of burning plastic.
When I opened the door, the old woman stood at my doorstep again, motionless like a statue.
“You burned it? You actually burned it?” she murmured.
I couldn’t hold back any longer and demanded, “Where did this Human Skin Quilt come from?”
The old woman looked at me with a face full of fear, as if I were a notorious villain.
But shouldn't it be me, the victim, who is afraid?
The old woman said, "You are doomed, you will die, you cannot escape..."
Her words were incoherent, and then she seemed to go mad, stumbling away into the shadows.
It seemed that the old woman was my only breakthrough. I lifted my legs and chased after her.
The sound of my hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor. The old woman's speed was astonishing; her hunched figure resembled a beast on all fours.
Run, run, run...
I was gasping heavily and finally realized something was wrong. Why had I been running for so long down this corridor without reaching the end?
The old woman's physical condition was surprisingly good; didn’t she feel tired at all?
I stopped in my tracks, pressed my palms together, and began reciting the Heart Sutra.
The night receded slowly like melting ice and snow.
It revealed a long corridor illuminated by dim yellow lights.
The old woman looked at me in confusion. "You haven't gotten lost?"
I opened my eyes. "Old lady, please help me! I must save my friend!"
She stared at me for a long time. "Do you know how long I've lived? Heh heh, I can't even remember; it's been too long."
“Old woman, how did you end up at the Huangquan Inn, and why aren’t you leaving?” I asked, puzzled.
The old woman scoffed, “Leave? This inn has always been a place of entry without exit! Including your friend…”
“What about me?” I questioned suspiciously. Why had Ruo Yu fallen into this trap while I remained unharmed?
The old woman shook her head. “I’ve been here for so long and have never encountered such a situation. So I can’t give you an answer.”
“Where is my friend now? Is he safe?” I asked anxiously.
The old woman replied, “He’s fine for now. He’s still in this inn. You should look a little harder…”
With that, she turned and walked away, leaving me utterly confused.
Still in the inn? Then why had I searched every corner without finding Ruo Yu?
What had gone wrong?
I felt like I was on the verge of grasping something important, yet I couldn’t make sense of it.
I descended the stairs to the first floor and caught sight of something at the end of the corridor.
A mirror, with words reflected in it!
A mirror…
My heart skipped a beat as a bold hypothesis formed in my mind: it was Parallel Space!
Only this could explain the situation with the mirror, and only this could account for Ruo Yu’s silent disappearance.
Why is the Huangquan Inn a place where one can only enter but not leave? What purpose does it serve in trapping people here?
I had no clue!
However, since I had discovered the reason for Ruo Yu's predicament, the most important task now was to rescue her.
Where is the junction between Parallel Space and Reality Space?
The second floor, room 14!
Yes, it must be! I confidently ran toward the room.
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