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墨書 Inktalez
"That's true! I was overthinking it. With their abilities, ordinary difficulties really can't stop them!"
Not long after the words were spoken, a voice came from nearby. " Fat Ma, where did you run off to?" It was the Mud Man's voice.
Fat Ma replied with bravado, "You all went looking for someone and couldn't find them for days. At the crucial moment, who do you think you still need? It's me, Fat Master."
Then I heard the Mud Man shout, "Old Sun, is that you?"
I responded, "It's me! Mud Man."
From around the corner of the village, the Mud Man ran over. He approached and asked, "Old Sun, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I said.
Suddenly, I spat out blood and began to cough violently.
"What happened?" the Mud Man asked with concern.
Fat Ma leaned in as well and said, "Weren't you fine just a moment ago?"
Honestly, I was puzzled myself. I felt a heat in my chest and couldn't help but spit out fresh blood.
The Mud Man pressed his hand against my pulse and after a moment said, "It should be due to a few days of exhaustion that left your body too weak."
Hearing this from the Mud Man, I didn't take it too seriously.
At that moment, Brother Jiang also came over. A few of us gathered around the fire, chatting casually.
The Mud Man suddenly said, "I feel like there's something strange about this village!" His words struck a chord with my thoughts. I looked at Brother Jiang, waiting for his opinion.
"Fat Ma" spoke up, "Niren, stop being so paranoid. What's so strange about this? There's no one in the village."
Niren countered Fat Ma's words, "It's precisely because there's no one that I find it strange."
"What's wrong?" I asked.
Niren replied, "I suspect there are still people in this village! But it's inexplicable; on the surface, this village seems deserted!" Niren struggled to express his thoughts.
Fat Ma said, "With you talking like this, are you suggesting it's not people but ghosts?"
"That might actually be the case!" I said, weighed down by my thoughts.
Instantly, all three of them turned to look at me.
"Old Sun, are you hiding something from us?" Niren asked.
I instinctively nodded and then shook my head. "Go on and say it!" Fat Ma urged me.
So, I recounted the encounter I had with the Boatman, Brother Da, by the Minjiang River.
After I finished speaking, Fat Ma couldn't help but exclaim, "Creepy!"
Niren immediately asked, "Are you saying he invited you to his home?"
Yes, I confirmed, and now that I thought about it, a chill ran down my spine.
Throughout our conversation, Brother Jiang remained silent.
Fat Ma, being a natural optimist, joked with me, "Old Sun, you could say you've had dealings with a ghost! Impressive! Fat Master is impressed."
I scolded Fat Ma, "Stop talking nonsense." He pulled a cigarette from the iron box of the mud man and handed one to me.
After lighting it, I took a puff.
Fat Ma changed the subject, saying, "Next time we go into the tomb, make sure to bring an iron box for the cigarettes like the mud man!"
No one responded to Fat Ma's comment, and a sudden silence fell over us.
This village was mostly in ruins; many tiles had fallen from the roofs. The evening breeze blew in, creating a haunting sound that sent chills down my spine.
I exhaled smoke, which lingered around us until Fat Ma tossed the cigarette butt onto the ground.
The mud man finally spoke up, "We should leave here early tomorrow."
I thought the same; having just escaped from a wolf's den, I didn't want to fall into another tiger's mouth.
"What about you, Brother Jiang?"
Upon hearing my question, Brother Jiang replied, "If you all are leaving, then I will naturally go with you."
Fat Ma raised both hands in agreement. How could anyone enjoy themselves in the Desolate Mountains and Wilderness compared to being in the city? With our opinions aligned, I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Tonight, we should have someone keep watch!" I suggested. I had a feeling something was going to happen tonight.
They didn't object, so we decided by drawing lots. In the end, Fat Ma drew the short straw!
Fat Ma cursed under his breath and then reluctantly agreed.
Now Fat Ma was without his Submachine Gun.
As I was about to enter the house, I turned back to glance at Fat Ma's unsteady figure. I was worried he might get into trouble; I didn't trust his temperament. So, I stepped forward and said to him, "You should go in and rest! I'll keep watch!"
Fat Ma naturally disagreed, saying, "Old Sun, you're weak. I'll handle this. You don't trust me as your Fat Master?"
I wanted to say more, but Fat Ma had already pushed me inside. With no choice left, I went in.
The house we were in was the best among the ten or so families in the village.
They had tidied it up a bit over the past few days, and it looked somewhat livable now.
Inside the house, there was a large communal bed that could easily accommodate the three of us.
The Mud Man said, "That's why we chose to tidy up this place in the first place."
I was puzzled about how there could be a communal bed here.
Such beds were usually found in inns or in the northern regions; they were unlikely to exist in the south.
In the south, due to the humid weather, people typically slept on wooden beds. It was rare to see a communal bed made of bricks like this one, especially since there was no Main Hall—just two rooms: one for a table and the other for the communal bed.
I couldn't help but ask, "Have you experienced anything strange during your stay here?"
The Mud Man replied, "Aside from resting at night, we've been searching for you during the day. And when we come back at night, we just crash into bed."
Brother Jiang's expression seemed rather grim.
At that moment, the kerosene lamp in the room flickered weakly, its flame trembling occasionally.
"Something's not right! We should leave right now!" My unease grew stronger.
The Clay Man looked at me with some anxiety and said, "You must be too tired!"
"No! Think carefully again," the Clay Man's expression grew serious. I remembered, "That day when I came to find you, I seemed to see smoke rising from the village, but when I got closer, I found no signs of a fire. That's why I told you it felt like there were people here, yet it seemed like there weren't."
Fat Ma was outside, humming a red song, and it could be heard clearly from inside.
Brother Jiang suddenly spoke up, "I've seen it!"
"Seen who?" My voice was a bit agitated.
But before Brother Jiang could answer, the sound of Fat Ma humming suddenly stopped.
I jumped out of bed and pushed open the door, but there was no sign of Fat Ma.
I ran to the still-burning fire pit and shouted a few times, "Fatty... Fatty..." but received no response.
The Clay Man and Brother Jiang followed me. "What if something happened?" the Clay Man said anxiously.
I thought the same thing and urged, "Let's split up!"
"No way," Brother Jiang replied. "How about this: you team up with him," he pointed at the Clay Man, "and I'll go alone. One person on each side."
I didn't argue; time was of the essence. Worried about Fat Ma's safety, the Clay Man and I headed left while Brother Jiang went right.
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