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墨書 Inktalez
This manuscript consists of five pages, and due to my father's scrawled handwriting, it took me over half an hour to read through the letter.
The entire piece describes my father's observations during his travels, filled with bizarre and surreal scenes that almost seem unbelievable. Strangely, the article does not mention any specific locations.
I pondered, trying to find a connection to this distant land of China, but it was in vain. With no other option, I placed the manuscript back into the drawer.
Leaning back in my chair, my hands resting on the desk, I continued to reflect on the scenes from my father's writing: ancient battlefields, white bones, colossal beasts. Just thinking about them filled me with astonishment; if I were to witness such things firsthand, it would be unimaginable. Deep down, I leaned towards believing it was all fiction—perhaps a novel written by my father. I collected my thoughts and opened the middle drawer, where a delicate fountain pen lay without a holder. Next to it was an old book covered in dust. I picked it up and shook it vigorously; unexpectedly, an old newspaper fell out as I turned the book upside down. I crouched down to pick it up.
When I saw the contents of the newspaper, my heart sank. This was the same newspaper I had seen in Dujiangyan, Sichuan. I hurriedly scanned through it but was disappointed to find that this edition was not from the same time period as the one I had seen in Dujiangyan. As I skimmed through, one small article caught my eye—it was about archaeological findings. Although it was only a few hundred words long, I read it carefully. When I saw the accompanying illustration, I was shocked; it depicted the Bronze Fish Mouth. Rubbing my eyes, I quickly took out the Bronze Fish Mouth that had been hanging on me for comparison—it was indeed identical.
I shifted my gaze back to the article. It stated: this peculiar Fish Mouth might be a key used to unlock the mysterious Ghostly Heavenly Palace.
The phrase "Ghostly Heavenly Palace" stood out prominently; apparently, people had been searching for this secret even before liberation. However, judging by how this article was published, it was clear that the authorities did not take this matter seriously and that it had likely been forgotten by now.
Instinctively, I tightened my grip on the Bronze Fish Mouth in my hand. Originally given to me by Fat Ma, its significance turned out to be far greater than I had imagined. At that moment, a strange excitement surged within me. Suddenly, I realized that my father might have also been pursuing this so-called Ghostly Heavenly Palace. It seemed that this place indeed attracted many people—perhaps some had dedicated their entire lives to uncovering its mysteries.
The illustration in the newspaper dated back to the nineteen forties, while mine had been found during **; could there be more than one Bronze Fish Mouth? If that's the case, then there might also be two keys. Following this line of reasoning further suggests that there could be more than just two keys. The situation felt increasingly convoluted and opaque—first there was the Bronze Coffin, then the Hills along with my father and the caravan; now there was this Bronze Fish Mouth—all these elements intertwined made it impossible to separate them.
Suddenly feeling a rush of warmth in my chest, I found myself overwhelmed and coughed up a mouthful of blood. Stunned, I stared at the crimson stains on the desk and floor; it seemed my condition was worsening.
Coming back to reality, I cleaned up the bloodstains. Lying back down on my bed, I felt a sharp pain in my chest; although I had coughed up blood when getting out of bed earlier, there hadn’t been any pain then. Tossing and turning in bed made sleep elusive; when morning arrived, my chest still throbbed with pain.
While washing up, I glanced at myself in the mirror—my face was pale as if all color had drained from me. Splashing cold water on my face only resulted in bloodstains appearing on my hands again; however, clear water quickly diluted and washed away those stains.
I tried to maintain a normal demeanor because I didn’t want others to worry.
Ma Pingchuan hadn’t woken up yet. My grandfather had already prepared breakfast. I rushed over and called for Fat Ma; he slept like a log. After kicking him a few times, he finally stirred awake.
After a simple wash-up, Fat Ma sat down and said to his grandfather, "Old man, I dreamed about Chen Yutou yesterday."
The grandfather's hand, which was serving porridge, froze for a moment before he burst into laughter.
"Old man, quickly tell me what happened to Chen Yutou afterward!"
As I listened to their conversation, I suddenly felt a bit dizzy, accompanied by a sharp pain in my chest. Their figures began to blur before my eyes.
The bowl in my hands fell to the ground and shattered. I bent down to pick it up but felt powerless, as if I were about to collapse onto the floor…
"Old Sun, what's wrong with you…"
"Liangzi…."
After that, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I found myself lying on a pristine white bed sheet. The first thing that hit me was a strong smell of disinfectant, and my stomach churned violently.
"It's okay now, finally okay," I heard my grandfather's voice. "Old Sun, you're awake," came Fat Ma's voice.
I was still a bit dazed and managed to respond weakly.
It's good that I'm fine, it's good that I'm fine.
I grasped the white sheet with my hands; the sharp pain in my chest hadn't subsided and was growing stronger. I felt like I was losing control of my emotions.
"Doctor, doctor, come quickly!"
A flurry of hurried footsteps approached… hurry and inject the sedative…
My arm stung painfully as a wave of energy surged into my body, draining my strength and calming me down. I slipped back into a state of slumber once again.
In the haze, I heard Fat Ma and my grandfather questioning the doctor about my condition. But the doctor seemed unable to provide any answers.
I sank back into darkness, slipping into sleep once more.
When I woke up again, my throat felt as if it had been scorched by three blazing fires, crying out for water. When the water arrived, I grabbed it and gulped it down eagerly. After finishing, I felt utterly drained and fell asleep again.
"Old Sun, you better not sleep yourself to death."
It seemed the doctor was at his wit's end and suggested transferring me to another hospital.
"If we're transferring, make sure my brother goes to the best hospital. Doctor, which one is the best?"
"That would definitely be a hospital in Capital Beijing." And so, I was transferred to Beijing. Along the way, I woke up several times, but there seemed to be a force pulling me back into slumber.
Drowsiness and wakefulness alternated repeatedly; I lost count of how many times it happened. Is my life really coming to an end? I wondered.
After arriving in Beijing, I was quickly surrounded by a group of people in white coats who pushed me around from one place to another.
"We still need to observe him for a few more days... You should go take care of the admission procedures first!"
Fat Ma pleaded, "Doctor, you must take good care of him. He can't die! He has an elderly parent above him and young ones below; if he dies, his family will be finished." Fat Ma spoke with tears streaming down his face.
The doctor brushed off Fat Ma's concerns and told him to handle the admission paperwork.
Time passed like this, and when I opened my eyes again, it was a pitch-black night. Fat Ma had already rolled back to the hotel to sleep, while my grandfather, who originally intended to stay with me, had been persuaded by Fat Ma to return to the hotel as well.
I stared at the dark ceiling. Although it was dark, I strained my eyes and could make out some vague outlines. Taking a deep breath to gather my strength, I sat up. The surroundings were empty and surprisingly quiet.
It seemed that Fat Ma had arranged for me to have a private room.
The door to the hospital room suddenly creaked open, and I hurriedly lay down, closing my eyes. A figure tiptoed to my bedside, and a hand reached out to touch me. Just as I was about to resist, I realized that he had seemingly pinched a pressure point on my body, rendering me unable to move.
Although my eyes were open, I couldn't make a sound or gesture. The figure in front of me, shrouded in darkness, paid no heed to my predicament and shoved a pill into my mouth. After completing this action, he slipped away without making a sound. If it weren't for the warmth I felt when he fed me the medicine, I would have thought he was a ghost.
Once he left, I couldn't move immediately; instead, I felt a tingling sensation throughout my body, as if a warm current was flowing inside me. I kept my eyes open, staring at the ceiling until dawn broke.
My grandfather and Fat Ma arrived early to see me.
When my grandfather saw that I was awake, he nearly jumped for joy like a child.
Fat Ma was equally delighted and scolded, "Old Sun, I thought you were going to throw in the towel and negotiate with Yama!"
That Fat Ma was still the same old self.
"Wait here; I'll call the doctor to check on you," Fat Ma said before stepping out. He quickly returned with a female doctor in a white coat, her demeanor gentle and her long hair flowing.
She placed a stethoscope on my chest and examined other parts of my body. After determining that there wasn't anything serious, she left without further ado.
Fat Ma and my grandfather were both in high spirits.
"Old Sun, there’s a line of male doctors in white coats outside, but I understand your preference, so I specifically got you a female doctor," he said with a lewd grin.
My grandfather stood by silently; Fat Ma's antics had already endeared him to him.
Suddenly, the door swung open again.
A young man dressed sharply in a Zhongshan Suit entered. His complexion appeared slightly pale, and he held a fruit basket in his hand, seemingly out of breath but managing to suppress it.
He walked steadily towards me.
However, it was disrupted by Fat Ma's exclamation: "Damn, Mud Man, where have you been! Old Sun was almost dead."
" Fat Ma, don’t say that," I said weakly from my bed.
Mud Man ignored Fat Ma and politely greeted my grandfather first.
Then he turned to me, "Old Sun, are you alright now?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Mud Man, where have you been partying lately?"
Mud Man's previously calm face finally twitched at the corners of his mouth. "Damn, Fat Ma, you haven't changed a bit."
Fat Ma chuckled, "Damn, that's you! I thought a recent college graduate had walked in."
Mud Man was left speechless by Fat Ma's comment.
Fat Ma stopped laughing. "Old Sun, what do you want to eat? I'll go get it for you."
At that moment, a female doctor in a white coat pushed the door open again. "I forgot to mention earlier that you can handle your discharge procedures in a few days. By the way, after a serious illness, you shouldn't eat greasy food." She said this and closed the door as she left.
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