Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
I didn't dare to shout for Mu Xuanche and the others; I was afraid of attracting some unknown entity, so I cautiously stepped into the Passage.
However, as soon as I left the Chamber, I retreated. The Passage was simply too dark, and I lacked the courage to walk and search in that darkness.
I thought to myself: If I disappear, Mu Xuanche and the others will surely come looking for me. But why did they suddenly vanish?
Being alone in a tomb was terrifying; my mind was racing uncontrollably.
Suddenly, a melodious voice echoed, "Miss, what are you doing here?"
My heart skipped a beat, and I thought: This is it; I've encountered a ghost...
I took out the talisman in my hand, forcing myself to sound calm as I said sternly, "Don't come any closer. I have a talisman. If you don't want to be turned to ashes, keep your distance."
In truth, I was just trying to buy myself some time. Each talisman used was one less, but I still had my gun—the special anti-ghost gun that Mu Xuanche had made for me.
Yet the voice seemed unafraid. "I mean no harm; I'm just bored. Can you play with me for a while? It's been ages since I've talked to anyone. Back when the Old Zombie was here, there were two dolls with me. Although the Old Zombie couldn't speak, I could still play with them. But he hasn't returned in a long time, and the dolls have disappeared too."
I didn't trust her words but replied nonetheless, "What do you want to play?"
She said, "Not playing anything. Would you like to hear me tell a story? If you listen and help me with something afterward, I'll let you leave this place."
Her smile was eerie.
Though I couldn't bring myself to believe her, I answered, "Go ahead; I'm listening."
Her Old Zombie must be the one we had eliminated earlier. Were there still accompanying child sacrifices here?
Suddenly, she appeared about a meter away from me and sat down.
At first, I was startled, but once I got a good look at her, my fear dissipated.
She wore black clothing that seemed somewhat outdated and had short hair that barely reached her ears. Her hands weren't particularly beautiful; they looked like those of someone accustomed to hard labor. However, her features were quite lovely—though she seemed familiar somehow.
Seeing that she still resembled a complete human figure made me feel less afraid. She continued, "So, how do you like my appearance?"
I nodded absentmindedly, and she burst into a light giggle, then said, "But I think you look even better."
I felt something was off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it, so I remained silent.
Seeing that I had nothing to say, she continued on her own: "Once upon a time in the Qin Dynasty, there was an infamous courtyard. Young people today might not know about it, but if you ask the elders at home, they'll surely speak of it in hushed tones, warning you not to go there."
Realizing she was genuinely telling a story, I patiently listened. My curiosity piqued at the mention of the 'infamous courtyard,' so I asked, "Why is it infamous?"
She covered her mouth with her hand and giggled again. The way she acted reminded me of something ancient...
Yet her clothes were modern, albeit a bit worn.
Not wanting to dwell on it any longer, I focused on her words as she continued: "Why are you in such a hurry? Let me tell you slowly."
Her expression changed as she went on: "That courtyard once witnessed many deaths—more than just one or two. The entire household of over a hundred people perished. You see, the souls of the deceased were restless and could not find peace; their resentment only grew deeper and deeper. However, later on, a high-ranking official moved into the neighboring courtyard. He wasn't home often due to his heavy responsibilities and was favored by the emperor. Ever since he moved in, no one else died in that neighboring courtyard. People were amazed, and even the emperor rewarded him for it. But despite the lack of deaths nearby, no one dared to buy that infamous house; its terrible reputation lingered too strongly. The official was still young and had yet to marry. To show his care for his subjects, the emperor married off his daughter to this official. Terrifying events unfolded again when the new wife went missing on their wedding night. The emperor sent people searching everywhere but could not find her. Eventually, the official suggested they check the neighboring courtyard, and sure enough, they discovered the new wife's corpse in a well in the backyard. This solidified the house's dreadful reputation once more."
At this point, she suddenly fell silent. Intrigued, I asked, "What happened next? Did she become a consort?"
Her face became stiff as she forced a smile and replied, "Yes, many people also wonder what happened next. But there was no 'next.' She died because she refused to marry the emperor and was forced to take her own life in her family's backyard well. Even her family did not escape this calamity; over a hundred members perished. Yet outsiders were unaware of this; how could they know that this woman’s beauty led to the destruction of her entire family?"
She paused for a moment before continuing: "From then on, no one dared approach that house again. Even though the official still lived there, no one would go near it because it was known as the Emperor's Daughter's resting place. A court official petitioned to have the haunted house burned down; however, before the emperor could respond, that court official mysteriously died. What do you think? Isn't it fascinating?"
She laughed to herself again while I remained silent, feeling increasingly uneasy.
She paid no mind to my silence and continued: "Because of this incident, the official declared he would never marry again; that woman who died in the well was his wife.
People praised him for his devotion, but who would have guessed that the woman who should have spent a romantic night with him was someone he had killed and thrown into that well? No one knew.
The emperor grew more fond of him as he rose through the ranks until he reached his fifties when he suddenly fell gravely ill.
His illness was so severe that he could not even attend morning court sessions. The emperor was anxious and brought him into the palace for personal care; however, there was nothing anyone could do—life and death are fated; if he wished to die, who could stop him?
He spent all his wealth building himself a tomb and ordered that the remains of that poor woman from the well be placed inside it as well—a truly touching tale. Not long after completing the tomb, he passed away and received an extravagant burial."
"Strangely enough, the Emperor once sent someone inside because he had lost something and wanted to find it here, but he didn't succeed, and everyone who went in died."
I noticed her expression was filled with pride, and when she mentioned in the story, "If he wanted to die," it indicated that the high official's death was suspicious. However, I remained composed. "Is that the end of the story?"
She exaggeratedly shook her head. "Of course not! How could the story end so easily? That Emperor must face ultimate judgment!"
So I followed her lead and asked, "What happened to the Emperor in the end?"
She laughed, particularly delighted. "Of course he died! He lost the Ghost Seal and couldn't summon the Yin Soldiers. The entire country—completely destroyed! Hahaha!"
I felt like I was grasping something elusive, so I tentatively probed, "Actually, I don't see any connection between the country's downfall and that haunted house. Why did you include it in the story?"
She smiled mysteriously. "Do you think that high official loved the Emperor's Daughter? No, he loved the daughter of the Gu Family. He knew exactly what the Emperor had done, so he spread rumors that it was a haunted house to keep people away. Even the Emperor's Daughter was killed by his own hands. What did he have to fear? He truly loved her, so he pretended to be gravely ill and stole the Emperor's Ghost Seal, bringing the corpse of the Gu Daughter into the tomb. That's the truth of the story."
Comment 0 Comment Count