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墨書 Inktalez
As soon as my footsteps crossed into the area of the Half Stone Tablet, my mind suddenly felt heavy. I opened my eyes and couldn't help but furrow my brow, scanning the surroundings ahead.
Gu Chen, Zhou Zhen, and Baldy stood in front of me.
I stared at the three of them with confusion. I remembered that last night, Zhou Zhen had only stepped in with one foot before something went wrong, causing him to grunt and stumble back out.
He even fell to the ground. So why was everything fine today?
I could say that as I entered, countless scenes flashed through my mind, imagining all sorts of terrifying possibilities.
But I never expected it to be so calm.
No, it wasn't really calm; there was a subtle sense of oppression that made me feel uncomfortable.
Moreover, the longer I stayed, the stronger that feeling became.
I had only just entered and stood there for a little while when I felt a strange soreness in my eyes, and soon they became moist.
I was oddly crying.
Why was I crying? What was there to cry about here?
Suddenly, I jumped in shock and exclaimed, "Uncle Zhou! It's over! I'm done for!"
Zhou Zhen turned around with a frown upon hearing my loud shout and asked, "Xiao Lin, what do you mean you're done for?"
At that moment, my voice trembled as I replied, "I'm crying! I'm about to end up like Heizi and Xiao Gao! I'm going to die!"
The sight of Heizi and Xiao Gao with blood streaming from their eyes was right in front of me; how could I not be afraid?
To my surprise, Zhou Zhen didn't panic. Instead, he spoke with a heavy tone, "Xiao Lin, don't rush."
I thought to myself that this person was about to die, so it was only natural to feel anxious.
However, what Zhou Zhen said next caught me off guard and left me a bit puzzled. He asked me to reach out and touch my own eyes.
Upon hearing this, I instinctively reached up to feel my moist eye sockets, then held my hand in front of me to see by the moonlight.
"Hey, it's not blood."
I was momentarily stunned, feeling a sense of relief wash over me.
Yet, amidst my joy, I was filled with confusion. Why was it that Xiao Gao and the others were bleeding while I was shedding tears? And why was I crying for no reason at all?
A wave of questions flooded my mind, prompting me to look at Zhou Zhen with a puzzled expression.
He sighed heavily, his face serious as he explained, "This is the essence of this place; it can influence people's emotions and thus control them."
"Essence."
Once again, the term "essence" came up, but I still didn't quite understand what it meant.
Putting aside what this essence might be or whether it aligned with my understanding, I suddenly recalled something and looked up at Zhou Zhen, asking again, "Uncle Zhou, will we end up like Heizi and the others when we go back?"
Zhou Zhen's expression grew grave as he glanced at Gu Chen, who had been silent in front of us. Finally, he shook his head and said, "As long as Senior Gu is here, we won't."
Well then, it seemed that our lives depended on this old man. I shot a somewhat speechless glance at Gu Chen's back.
He ignored me completely. After a brief moment of silence, he stepped forward with an air of indifference, walking straight ahead without a hint of concern in this terrifying yet bizarre place.
Baldy, who had come with him, turned back to glance at me. His expression mirrored Gu Chen's—somewhat cold and detached.
His gaze irritated me greatly, seeming somewhat disdainful, before he turned and followed Gu Chen ahead.
I gritted my teeth in frustration, with only Zhou Zhen remaining beside me, saying, "Let's go and see what's ahead with Senior Gu."
I nodded. Since I had come this far, could I really turn back now?
As we walked, the underbrush grew thick. The further we went, the denser the trees became, gradually obscuring our view. Gu Chen's lineage did not seem to have any direct descendants; so why did this Baldy refer to him as grandfather?
Zhou Zhen remained silent; perhaps he didn't know either.
I then heard Gu Chen say, "You go back alone and bring some fellows over. Is that alright?"
"Yeah, no problem."
Baldy nodded, responding succinctly.
I frowned slightly. Baldy might have some skills, but in such a strange place, shrouded in darkness, it still took a certain amount of courage to go back alone. Yet he agreed so readily; it made me view him in a new light.
"Alright."
Gu Chen acknowledged him and continued, "Bring a machete, vermilion ink, and a Bagua mirror; get these things quickly and return."
"Got it."
Baldy nodded again without hesitation and turned to head back the way we came.
I moved closer to Zhou Zhen. Standing here was eerily silent; there wasn't even a whisper of wind, and the surrounding stillness was terrifying. Even more bizarre was that I noticed there were no sounds of insects at all.
This realization deepened my fear of this place significantly.
"Senior Gu, may I ask what kind of person Anfu is?" Zhou Zhen inquired curiously.
"Ah, him," Gu Chen replied after a brief moment of silence. "He is an orphan with no relatives. He has been by my side for the past few years, so I let him call me grandfather."
"Oh, I see," Zhou Zhen nodded. "So what are those things you asked him to retrieve?"
"To break the illusion here," Gu Chen answered decisively before Zhou Zhen could finish.
I couldn't help but admire him inwardly. Just by coming to take a look, he had already devised a way to handle the situation. If he succeeded, then Gu Chen truly was a person of real ability.
However, I was somewhat surprised by Baldy; I hadn't expected him to be an orphan.
I silently noted his name, Anfu. Perhaps if I truly became Gu Chen's disciple in the future, I would have to spend a long time with this indifferent Baldy.
About half an hour later, footsteps echoed from below. Soon, Baldy appeared, one hand carrying a cloth bag and the other wielding a shiny machete as he hurried over.
He approached Gu Chen directly and handed him the bag. "Grandfather, this is what you wanted."
Gu Chen took the bag from his hands and nodded. "Cut down the branches and weeds around here."
Baldy nodded without hesitation, rolled up his sleeves, and immediately began chopping.
Zhou Zhen and I quickly stepped aside, surprised at how obedient Baldy was and how swift his movements were.
About ten minutes later, the small trees and weeds around him had all been cut down to their roots and cleared aside, leaving a space that was neither too big nor too small.
Without the obstruction of branches, the moonlight shone down from above. Although it still appeared somewhat hazy, it allowed everyone to see each other's expressions, finally bringing a glimmer of hope.
Gu Chen then said, "Step back."
He reached into the bag that Baldy had brought and took out a medium-sized Bagua Mirror, along with a plastic bottle containing some unknown substance. It was likely filled with the so-called Vermilion ink.
Next, he walked to the side, picked up a branch slightly thicker than his thumb from the ground, stood in the center of the clearing, and looked up at the crescent moon hanging high in the sky.
Without any hesitation, he twisted open the cap of the plastic bottle and poured out the bright red liquid, drenching it over the branch in his hand.
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