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墨書 Inktalez
I was originally going to step forward, but Mingyue stopped me.
"Yan Xi, your hand is injured. Those bugs will definitely crawl into the wound if they see it. Let me handle this," she insisted, and I eventually agreed.
Supporting He Zhi Yong, I let her go in to retrieve the bugs. Watching her back, I still felt uneasy and reminded her about those unknown bugs that were quite concerning.
"Mingyue, be careful."
She turned back and smiled at me. "I know."
I stood anxiously outside the door waiting for Mingyue. Inside the room, the Green Monster was pacing back and forth as if unable to escape. The more I watched, the more frightened I became. A few times, I couldn't help but want to rush in to save Mingyue, but He Zhi Yong held me back.
Before long, Mingyue came out.
She was tightly clutching something in her hand and called out to me while running, "Yan Xi, quickly take out your phone and shine a light on this!"
I placed what she had in her hand under the phone's light and turned on the screen.
"Mingyue, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she replied with a gentle smile.
Time was pressing, so I couldn't think too much about it. For now, I set her aside and handed my phone to He Zhi Yong so he could see what these things were.
On the screen of the phone was a green Firefly, and he brought the bug closer to take a closer look.
"Old man, how did this thing end up here?"
He Zhi Yong's exclamation startled both of us.
I leaned in closer. "Uncle He, what is it? Do you recognize this bug?"
"Yes, I do know this creature," he replied, his expression suddenly serious. "I just didn't expect to find it here. This thing is only found in Nanyang."
Seeing his face turn particularly grave, even more so than when he was initially injured by that monkey, I sensed something was wrong.
I felt a surge of urgency. The old man fell silent again, so I had to tug at him.
"Uncle He, hurry up! Given the situation, we need to understand its power to avoid it."
Under my urging, He Zhi Yong began to explain.
This creature is a Louse, a type that specifically lives on monkeys and feeds on their blood.
The reason this Louse emits a glowing green light is that it has been cultivated into a Gloaming Tick. It is raised on the bodies of the dead, continuously feeding on their blood, which causes it to absorb Phosphorus Powder and emit the eerie glow of Will-o'-the-Wisp.
This curse technique has been passed down in Nanyang for many years.
Many years ago, fishermen along our country's coast often went to Nanyang to seek their fortunes.
Those who managed to escape were sharp-minded and clever, thus making quite a bit of money in Nanyang. The locals, feeling envious, hired a Curse master to target our people. After causing harm to many, their actions were finally uncovered by someone knowledgeable in the ways of the world, who then called upon our master to engage in a battle of magic. He Zhi Yong, being young at the time, went along to observe and learned about this practice.
In our Miao culture, we excel in insect sorcery, while over in Nanyang, they are skilled in casting curses. Curses require a master with significant magical power to execute; if one's abilities are insufficient, it can easily backfire and pose a life-threatening danger. Because this is considered dark magic, it has long been strictly prohibited. No one expected such practices to appear here.
After listening to He Zhi Yong's clear explanation, I asked him, "Uncle He, since you know the origins of this curse, do you have a way to break it?" He frowned and shook his head. "It's difficult. This isn't something from our school; such foreign techniques are too challenging. The masters back then used all their knowledge just to defeat the Curse master from Nanyang and save those lives. Now, with just the three of us, it's tough enough to deal with these Louse creatures, let alone that Monkey Spirit cursed by them."
Hearing this made me feel a bit disheartened. "No matter how difficult it is, we have to try. Since these Louse specifically feed on blood, we just need to keep them at bay."
"Girl, that's easy to say but hard to do," he replied.
"I have an idea. But Uncle He, can you guarantee that if you and Mingyue go up there, you can eliminate that monkey's spirit?"
He looked at me in surprise, as if he had guessed what I was planning.
"Girl, that's absolutely not possible. You don't understand how formidable these Louse are; once you're caught in their grasp, you'll be just like those people inside—unable to move at all."
If I don't take action, all three of us will surely die.
"Uncle, we can't all die together. If sacrificing me means you two will be fine, then so be it," I said, trying to convince them.
Just as I was about to go over and draw blood to attract Louse, I saw Shangguan Mingyue already there.
"Mingyue, what are you doing?" I shouted anxiously, worried for her safety.
She looked at me with a bitter smile. "Yan Xi, you and He Zhi Yong should go. When I went in to catch one earlier, a Louse crawled into my body. I've already been infected. Let me handle the bloodletting to lure the bugs."
"That's impossible!"
As I screamed in desperation, Mingyue had already plunged the knife into her own hand.
Blood splattered everywhere, and the bugs rushed out as if they had caught a whiff of a feast.
Tears streamed down my face in an instant as He Zhi Yong pulled my hand, urging me to move forward.
I saw the determination on Mingyue's face as she smiled at me, a smile that was incredibly sweet.
For the first time, I realized how beautiful she truly was. I had always thought of her as a Fake Child, but in this moment, her smile was breathtaking.
Seeing me still in shock, He Zhi Yong quickly reminded me, "Girl, don’t just stand there. If we want to save Mingyue, we have to fight!"
He was right; He Zhi Yong was absolutely right.
I must save Mingyue, and Mingyue is waiting for me.
Suddenly, I felt a surge of fighting spirit coursing through me as I dashed upstairs.
I rushed to the third floor in one breath and kicked open Director Chen's office door.
Inside, apart from Director Chen, who was sitting at his desk in a daze, there was nothing else.
Seeing us enter, Director Chen slammed his hand on the table and stood up angrily. "What are you doing? How dare you barge into my office?"
I was taken aback; I hadn't expected him to speak.
It wasn't until later that He Zhi Yong arrived behind me and whispered, "Girl, you're too fast. I can barely keep up."
"Uncle He, the director can talk," I said, still stunned, pointing at Director Chen.
He was momentarily surprised too, then stepped in front of me.
After staring at Director Chen for a few seconds, he quietly said to me, "That Monkey Spirit should be inside him. We need to be cautious."
So that's it. No wonder I felt something off about his voice; it didn't sound like a man's voice at all—particularly sharp and piercing.
I slowly approached him, and when Director Chen realized I had discovered him, he dropped the pretense of authority and looked at us with a cold smirk. To my surprise, his face began to subtly take on the features of a monkey.
“Cackling…”
His laughter sent chills down my spine. While I was still in shock, he lunged at me.
Just as he was about to reach my face, his hand suddenly transformed into a claw, the same one that had just scratched my hand, still stained with my blood.
However, this time he wasn’t so lucky. Initially, I had been caught off guard.
Now, I was prepared for him. As his hand neared my neck, I fired the gun loaded with special bullets straight at his hand.
“Bang!”
I fired several shots, and one of his hands was severed, falling to the ground.
He instantly became furious, roaring as he charged at me.
“Chirp chirp, ha ha!”
The sound was reminiscent of a monkey, and Director Chen’s face slowly morphed into that of a monkey while his body remained Director Chen’s.
“Girl, watch out; he’s about to unleash his ultimate move,”
I nodded in response to Uncle He, acknowledging his warning.
Director Chen lunged towards me, moving too quickly for me to react. I barely had time to raise my gun before he snapped it in two with a swift motion. I stumbled back a few steps, but I couldn't escape his speed.
As his sharp claws aimed for my throat, I found myself with little room to resist. Just when I thought it was all over, He Zhi Yong dashed forward.
He threw himself onto me, using his back to shield me from the attack. Blood from the claws sprayed across my face.
Choking back tears, I called out, "Uncle He, are you okay?"
To comfort me, he managed to crack a joke despite the situation. "Girl, it's fine for a man like Uncle to have a few scars. You need to pull yourself together; Mingyue is waiting for you."
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