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墨書 Inktalez
Living Funeral
The three of us simultaneously turned our gazes toward the door, all feeling tense. Fortunately, the knocking sound faded after a while. Nian Chen said that time was running out, and urged, "Chen Fei, you better think it through; otherwise, it will be difficult to come back next time."
I glanced at Zhang, who had really paid a hefty price to be here this time.
However, I still felt hesitant. This wasn't just a simple exchange; it was a body swap! Just then, my phone suddenly rang, catching me off guard. I was surprised that a phone call could even go through in this place. I pulled out my phone and saw the caller ID displaying Zhang Xun's name. Without thinking much, I pressed the answer button.
Zhang Xun's voice came through. "Chen Fei, listen to me. Swap."
Could it be that Zhang Xun knew about this too? After talking with the ghost, Zhang Xun might have been struggling internally, torn between believing and doubting. But now that Zhang Xun was calling me, it was clear that he had chosen to believe—believe in what happened 198 years ago. Perhaps everyone's memories had faded; they couldn't recall anything from that time.
I paused for a few seconds before saying to Zhang Xun, "Give me a reason."
Zhang Xun's response was straightforward: "This is a conspiracy. If you take a step forward, you might get closer to the truth. If you don't move forward, you could be killed by the conspiracy."
After saying this, Zhang Xun fell silent. I still trusted him; I didn't believe someone would sacrifice themselves to save another unless they truly regarded that person as their closest family or friend.
Zhang Xun had once saved my life on Coffin Street, so I believed him. For a moment, neither of us spoke as we held our phones in silence. Eventually, Zhang Xun said, "Chen Fei, this is a trap. I hope you can get out."
Indeed, it was both a conspiracy and a trap. The contents of the secret scroll were crucial; but would swapping bodies allow me to escape? My heart was conflicted and tangled. Suddenly, Zhang Xun urged, "Trust me, Chen Fei."
At that moment, I could almost picture Zhang Xun's expression—pale yet serious.
After a pause, I replied, "Okay, I trust you."
"Thank you for believing in me," Zhang Xun said. "We have no way back now." With that, he hung up the phone. I turned my gaze back to the two others; Zhang said, "Zhang Xun knows about this too! I knew he wouldn't be kept in the dark."
I wasn't foolish; Zhang must have informed Zhang Xun beforehand. At this critical moment, having Zhang Xun reassure me strengthened my resolve.
"Since that's the case, let's do it," I thought to myself. This was an opportunity for me and for Zhang and Zhang.
Yet I still didn't understand what had happened around that pivotal point in 198 years—what events unfolded before and after it remained unclear to me. But I decided to give it a try.
Zhang glanced at Nian Chen before stepping back.
"Nian Chen said, 'Fei, have you made up your mind?'
I thought to myself that it might be too late to ask this question now, so I replied, 'Don't give me a chance to regret.'
I had no idea how they planned to extract my soul. Fatty Zhang had somehow found a container—a large jar filled with clear water. Nian Chen said, 'I will drain your blood and then force your soul out.'
Draining my blood seemed rather cruel; just thinking about it sent chills down my spine. I stared at Nian Chen, who was also looking back at me. His eyes were clear and deep, as if they held no secrets.
But I knew this group of people had many secrets. Yes, this group. I repeated that in my mind. Nian Chen was gazing at me as if he believed in me, Chen Fei.
I took a deep breath and thought, fine, I will trust you. I extended my wrist. Nian Chen grasped it firmly, and Fatty Zhang placed the jar beneath my hand. Once I reached out, Nian Chen wasted no time; he swiftly cut my wrist with a knife. Blood began to flow from the severed vein, dripping into the jar and staining the water red. The jar was large enough to hold an adult, and I wondered where Fatty Zhang had gotten it from. As my blood fell into the water, it didn't disperse immediately; instead, it slowly coagulated and spread like ink in water, blooming into a beautiful flower.
Blood continued to drip from my wrist, and as time passed, a slight pain began to set in. My body started to weaken; I had to lean against the jar to stay upright.
Sweat beads formed on my forehead, and I felt a chill running through my veins, even creeping up my spine.
My vision began to blur. I saw Fatty Zhang lighting three incense sticks in a burner and then retrieving a Soul Banner. Before long, he managed to bring down the body from the altar. I felt as if all the blood in my body was being drained away; finally, I could no longer hold myself up and began to collapse onto the ground. Just then, Nian Chen suddenly caught me.
'Nian Chen said to me, 'Fei, hold on.'
I murmured through gritted teeth that I was in so much pain—was I about to die?
'Nian Chen reassured me, 'Fei, you won't die. Don't worry.'
His voice sounded warm—warm enough to reach my heart. I said to Nian Chen, 'I hope you are right this time.'
Nian Chen replied, 'I hope so too.'
Hearing those words nearly made me furious; she didn’t even have confidence! But it was too late for anything now; my blood was almost drained. At that moment, I could barely move—not even enough strength left to open my eyes.
With just a flicker of awareness, I sensed Nian Chen laying me down on the ground. Then I heard her murmuring something; I didn’t know how long it lasted before I felt my soul leaving my body.
Once my soul departed from my body, I could see more clearly; in that instant of separation, it felt as if I had come back to life.
I looked at the pale body lying on the ground and the one submerged in blood that seemed revitalized. I was momentarily stunned until Nian Chen urged me, 'Don't wait any longer; go in.'
In that moment, I felt as if I had aged many years. Since we had begun this journey, let’s see it through to the end. Even if it was wrong, let it be wrong all the way."
I stepped into the blood, and it was clear at a glance that this body had endured many hardships. As my soul fused with this new body, a flurry of shadows flashed through my mind, countless figures passing by in mere seconds, as if I had skimmed through centuries of experiences. Of course, it all happened too quickly for me to remember anything.
The pain began to seep out from my very bones. I screamed in agony, and it felt as if the blood in the basin was flowing back in response.
The entire process was strange; in the end, I retained no memories—only the sensation of pain. When I finally opened my eyes, I had no idea how much time had passed. I awoke from the basin, feeling quite extraordinary.
Zhang Fatty and Nian Chen were staring at me, both wearing expressions of curiosity.
“Did it work?” Zhang Fatty asked softly.
I had no words, and neither did Nian Chen. Zhang Fatty waved his hand in front of my face and then asked, “Do you still recognize me? No, do you even know who you are?”
Hearing such foolish questions from Zhang Fatty made me push his hand away and rise from the basin.
I approached my former body, with Zhang Fatty and Nian Chen watching me curiously. I turned to Nian Chen and said, “Hand me a knife.”
Without hesitation, Nian Chen handed me a knife. Zhang Fatty asked, “What do you want to do?”
I told him he would find out soon enough. I flipped my previous body over and sliced open its back. Both Nian Chen and Zhang Fatty were stunned. At that moment, this body had already lost all its blood. I reached into the back of the body and pulled out an object—the very thing that Old Witch had extracted from my back that nearly caused my demise.
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