Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
When the match was struck, I realized that the figure before me, the Da Zongzi, was none other than Third Granduncle Master's unfortunate disciple—Liu Zi. I never expected that Liu Zi would meet Marx shortly after we parted ways. Perhaps due to the many sins he committed in life, Marx refused to see him, leaving him a wandering soul, which led him to commit more misdeeds.
None of us had ever truly robbed a tomb. Old Qiao, despite his ability to talk a good game, had only book knowledge; his practical experience was virtually nonexistent. Nevertheless, it was better than nothing. When Old Qiao told us this was a Da Zongzi, none of us doubted him. Although I had a million questions for Liu Zi—like why he had turned into this ghastly form, where the others from Third Granduncle Master had gone, whether they too had become Zongzi, what exactly happened in the tent, and what about Cold Bench —these questions seemed to have no answers for now.
As soon as my junior saw Liu Zi lunging towards A Li like a lecherous ghost, he couldn't care less about exposing himself and shouted angrily, “Damn it, you dead Liu Zi! Even wrapped up like a Zongzi, you still can't resist lusting after women! A Li, use the Nine-Tailed Whip; don’t hold back!”
Seeing that they were exposed, A Li decided to go all out: “Do I need your help?” With a swift motion, she drew the Nine-Tailed Whip. The crisp sound of the bells rang out instantly, echoing as if hundreds of bells were shaking.
Old Qiao was terrified and bit his tongue in fear: “Oh dear… my ancestors! Be careful; don’t let that Zongzi bite you!”
The mere mention of Zongzi sent shivers down the spine of every Tu Fuzi. In every vivid story Old Qiao told us before, Zongzi was an unfathomably terrifying existence. Downsizers dreaded encountering Zongzi because nine times out of ten, those who did never returned.
We had heard enough stories to not be as terrified as Old Qiao, but there was still some trepidation in our hearts. However, since they were already bullying us, it was not our style to just sit back and take it. A Li laughed and cursed back: “Perfect! Seeing is believing! Today I, Li San, will have a go at this legendary Zongzi!”
My junior immediately chimed in: “Whether it's sweet Zongzi or savory Zongzi, we won’t know which is better until we peel off the skin and taste it!”
A Li’s whip skills were exceptional; the Nine-Tailed Whip danced like an impenetrable golden dome around Liu Zi, making him scream like a ghost. Despite his large stature, he was utterly useless and soon found himself cowering with no strength to resist.
“Thinking of escaping? Not so easy! I still have accounts to settle with you!” My junior seized the moment when A Li paused and raised his Ze Zhang to strike Liu Zi on the back of his head. With a dull thud, Liu Zi collapsed unconscious. “Damn it! If I’d known it would be this easy to deal with him—”
A Li interjected: “What about you? Weren't you hiding behind Brother Qian Yi like a turtle?”
The junior brother said, "A shrinking turtle? Hmph, if it weren't for me stepping in just now to pull you back, you would be locked in a French kiss with that big coward right now!"
A Li retorted, "You annoying brat, stop mimicking me! Hmph, who doesn’t know you? The moment you hear 'ghost,' you lose your wits. A grown man like you, scared out of your mind, hasn’t made any progress at all! There are no ghosts in this world; even if there were, they would only scare people like you with your tiny courage!"
The junior brother was usually fearless except when it came to ghosts. Being called out by A Li made him feel embarrassed, and he quickly defended himself, "Who’s scared? Who's afraid of ghosts?"
A Li snorted through her nose, "Well, I’m not afraid; who’s scared is clear!"
Seeing the two of them bickering again, I was about to step in and mediate when the junior brother said, "Hmph, a competition? This time no one stop me; if anyone does, I’ll get angry with them!"
A Li was delighted to see the junior brother digging his own grave: "Perfect! Whoever backs out is a dog! Let’s see who can tie up the zongzi; if you can tie it up, you win!"
The junior brother felt nervous; sweat was trickling down his temples, but he still forced himself to act tough and said, "How do we decide what happens if I lose or win? I need some motivation."
A Li replied, "If you lose, you’ll have to let me mock you as a coward for the rest of your life—no excuses! If you win, I’ll never call you Li San again." The junior brother quickly added, "And you’ll have to call me Senior Brother!"
It’s hard to change one’s nature; even if the junior brother grows older, he probably won’t shake off his fear of ghosts. But it’s also possible that for the sake of pride and a moment of bravery, he might break this habit. So predicting the outcome was difficult—even I, who grew up with him, couldn’t make any assumptions. Although A Li had grown up with us in the same neighborhood and our bond was special, we had separated after middle school and only recently reunited. Even though I knew him well from childhood—like whether he had one or three moles on his backside—I couldn’t claim to understand him completely anymore.
Moreover, A Li wasn’t someone who acted impulsively without thinking; she possessed a calmness beyond that of most girls her age. Sometimes even I found her hard to read. So when she calmly accepted the junior brother’s additional terms, I swallowed my words of advice for both of them. The emperor may not be anxious, but the eunuch is; if there’s a show to watch, why not enjoy it?
Old Qiao counted the remaining matches—there was only one left. We didn’t know where our flashlight had fallen; even if we found it, it was likely broken and unusable. Therefore, we had to conserve this last match carefully. Once we were plunged into complete darkness without any source of light in hand—both psychologically and in reality—it would be very difficult to find our way out.
This little drama was certainly entertaining but could only be considered a childish squabble. Upholding the Chinese tradition of frugality and simplicity, we decided to save this match for now. We could strike one when it came time to judge the competition's outcome.
Although my junior brother's actions in the darkness were somewhat inconvenient, there were two notable advantages: first, he didn't have to face Zongzi directly, reducing the visual impact; second, even if he showed signs of fear midway, others wouldn't see it, minimizing the psychological pressure from his opponents. This significantly increased the chances of success.
A Li couldn't possibly be unaware of these points, yet she still didn't raise any objections to not lighting the match. I wondered whether she understood our dire situation of being out of options, or if she was overly confident, believing that my junior brother could never win regardless. If it was the latter, I would need to find an opportunity to ask A Li about her unwavering certainty.
Of course, I didn't ask about this reason because some unexpected events unfolded that caught us off guard. In hindsight, those subtle discomforts in life were not merely my sensitivity or suspicion but rather omens. A Li's actions at that time were not a spur-of-the-moment decision made out of frustration with my junior brother; instead, they were a long-planned test to verify my true identity—an identity even I was unaware of.
It turned out that I was not who I thought I was.
Comment 0 Comment Count