Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
With such thoughts and doubts in my mind, I couldn't help but glance at Mingyue again. "What do you mean?" Seeing my gaze directed at Mingyue, Jin Zhongyun seemed displeased and let out a cold snort. I admitted that there was a hint of skepticism in my tone, so I didn't respond to Jin Zhongyun's disdainful sound. Instead, I lowered my head and helped Zhou Zhen up, carrying him on my back with Xiao Juan's assistance. However, Gu Chen also felt the same hesitation regarding the old man's strange disappearance, but he said nothing more, merely casting a faint glance at Mingyue before saying, "Let's go!" Xiao Juan and I nodded and exchanged glances with Mingyue, who still wore a cold expression and offered no explanation for my earlier words as she followed behind.
"Lin Hao, let's go too!" Xiao Juan said, helping me support Zhou Zhen. I acknowledged her and followed along. The light ahead grew brighter, and the air gradually became fresher, no longer feeling so eerie. After walking for a short while, our vision suddenly opened up; before us was not the pitch-black cave but an endless cliff with the setting sun hanging high above. However, there was still a gap of about ten meters to the edge of the cliff beneath our feet. Standing there, a gust of wind blew by, dispelling the gloom and oppression of the cave, instantly refreshing our spirits. I laid Zhou Zhen down on the ground to rest and looked up only to see Gu Chen frowning deeply beside me. Xiao Juan appeared shocked, her mouth agape. Mingyue's expression remained cold and pale, yet she and Jin Zhongyun both looked in the same direction.
Gu Chen and Xiao Juan followed suit, their gazes also fixed on that direction to my left. What was going on? I furrowed my brow slightly and followed their line of sight. The moment I did so, a jolt ran through me; my fists clenched involuntarily together with such force that my knuckles cracked audibly. Gritting my teeth in disbelief, I asked, "Master, how could this happen? Why is Mu Yan's body so brutally mutilated?" The sight before me was hard to accept; to our left, about ten meters away, lay Mu Yan's corpse. This was indeed the end of the cave where her body had been brought.
What made it unbearable was that her limbs were tightly bound; her legs were spread apart like an inverted V while her arms hung straight down—head down and feet up—facing us directly. Moreover, her body was covered in mysterious symbols, with a Yin-Yang Wooden Fish pattern beneath her head. While anger surged within me at this scene, confusion also gripped me tightly. As soon as I spoke up to rush over and rescue Mu Yan's body, Gu Chen shouted sternly: "Stop right there!"
I froze momentarily and turned to look at Gu Chen in confusion, not understanding why he was stopping me. He offered no explanation but spoke gravely: "Come back."
I asked urgently, "Master, why?"
"Come back," he repeated without elaborating further, his tone leaving no room for refusal. My confusion deepened as I stared at Gu Chen with furrowed brows but ultimately bit my lip and turned back reluctantly. Just as I intended to press him for an explanation again, Gu Chen's serious expression prompted him to say: "Quickly carry Zhou Zhen's body."
"Master, what exactly..."
"Carry him."
I was at a loss for words but seeing Gu Chen's grave demeanor hinted at urgency; I nodded silently and hoisted Zhou Zhen onto my back once more.
"Don't ask now; it seems something is about to happen," Xiao Juan whispered as she came over to help steady Zhou Zhen on my back. My mood wasn't great at that moment; I nodded without speaking. After I lifted Zhou Zhen up again, Gu Chen simply said one word: "Go."
Go where? His words filled my face with confusion again; Mu Yan's body lay right before us yet he insisted we leave without even offering a reason. How strange it was—he had previously insisted we must find Mu Yan’s body but now that we had found it he wanted us to abandon it without explanation.
I glanced at Mingyue; her icy face appeared somewhat pale yet serious as well. In the cave earlier she had insisted on finding Mu Yan’s body too—this was indeed our purpose for coming here—but why did she not voice any objections when Gu Chen said we should leave? My mind raced with questions.
At that moment, Gu Chen glanced in a certain direction and signaled for us to move toward it with a serious expression. Mingyue and Jin Zhongyun followed without hesitation while Xiao Juan urged me to hurry along with Zhou Zhen on my back. Reluctantly, I complied.
Gu Chen led us leftward until we reached the edge of the cliff before finally stopping. Once I caught up with him, I frowned at his serious demeanor as he ignored me and addressed Jin Zhongyun: "Give me the Vermilion."
Jin Zhongyun nodded without hesitation and handed over the Vermilion she had brought along to Gu Chen. Taking it in hand, Gu Chen approached the rock wall nearby and opened a small opening in the bag containing the Vermilion before bending down to pour it onto the ground. Soon enough he drew a circle on the ground with the Vermilion that could just fit all of us inside.
He then looked up at me and said: "Bring Zhou Zhen inside; you all come quickly." Frowning slightly—I still didn’t understand his intentions—I carried Zhou Zhen into the circle while Xiao Juan followed closely behind along with Mingyue and Jin Zhongyun.
"Write 'Qi' in your left palm using your saliva mixed with Vermilion from the ground," Gu Chen instructed seriously once everyone was inside. Without hesitation, Mingyue and Jin Zhongyun immediately complied while Xiao Juan did too.
I nodded at Gu Chen then laid Zhou Zhen down before quickly wetting my hand with saliva mixed with Vermilion to write a bright red 'Qi' in my palm. Gu Chen approached next and wrote one in Zhou Zhen’s palm as well.
Then he pulled out a Yellow Talisman from his pocket and began chanting: "Inhabitants of heaven and earth gather here; five elements converge their shadows; all laws converge upon Qi; all laws do not stray from their source; Urgent Command." As his voice fell, the Yellow Talisman ignited spontaneously into flames before turning to ashes that drifted away.
He seemed relieved after this act as he looked at us: "Everyone stay within this Vermilion-covered area for now; something may happen shortly." Hearing this made Jin Zhongyun and Xiao Juan nod while Mingyue showed little change in expression but kept her gaze fixed on where Mu Yan’s body lay.
Seeing Gu Chen appear relieved now prompted me to ask: "Master, what exactly is going to happen?"
Gu Chen cast his gaze toward me before replying calmly: "Are you confused?"
I nodded honestly; there was no denying it.
He continued: "Corpse manipulation is an act of skilled practitioners; perhaps that practitioner is hiding in the shadows right now waiting for us to fall into their trap while they watch from afar."
"A skilled practitioner?" My mind raced as I speculated: "Mingyue's Grandfather? The old man who was hunched over earlier?"
Gu Chen sighed deeply as he looked over there: "Perhaps yes or perhaps no; but besides him there should be another powerful presence arriving soon—and it should be soon."
Comment 0 Comment Count