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墨書 Inktalez
Not long after, I realized that Big Mouth Lee was indeed a half-baked practitioner. If it weren't for his late father's formidable methods, which could easily sustain him for a year or more with just a few tricks, he would have long been beaten to death in the kiln.
"Child! I'm going to start the divination now; first, let’s ask Ancestor Master to determine Fortune and Misfortune!"
Big Mouth Lee led us to the back hall, into an empty room where a sand table stood in the center. The sand was golden yellow, gleaming like gold. On the sand table lay a divination stick, its head bent in a T-shape, with a hand grip nailed horizontally at the top.
"Watch closely!"
Big Mouth Lee muttered under his breath as if singing some song. He placed his hands on the stick, and both the stick and his arms began to levitate. His entire body trembled, and after a moment, Big Mouth Lee froze, his hands stiffly holding onto the stick. Miraculously, the stick began to move on its own while Big Mouth Lee's hands followed its motion. The sand on the table began to be inscribed with characters.
I nervously focused on the tip of the stick, and soon a character was completed. I took a closer look and gasped, my hair standing on end. The sand table had written out a large character: "Death."
Big Mouth Lee shuddered all over and opened his eyes wide in shock at the character. "Is there really no way out?" I asked. Silence followed—a deathly silence. After pondering for a long time, Big Mouth Lee finally spoke: "Ancestor Master's words are clear; it's Yama's account!" This meant that Yama had already marked him; there was no escape!
"Forget it! Forget it! I, Big Mouth Lee, will pay with my life!" After a long silence, Big Mouth Lee spat out a toothpick onto the ground and stomped his foot angrily. "I have no choice but to summon Ancestor Master!"
Big Mouth Lee sat down on the floor, crossing his legs. He waved his hands in the air like claws and muttered some incantation. Suddenly, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed onto the ground. An old and sharp female voice echoed: "Li Baogui's child, why have you summoned Aunt Huang?" Followed by an eerie cackling laugh that sent chills down my spine; it felt oddly familiar.
"Isn't that Xia Ji? Ha ha ha! You’re still alive!" Hearing her voice made me recall what she was! I felt a wave of dread wash over me and shouted at Big Mouth Lee: "Damn it! This fool has actually summoned the Ghostly Woman!"
The old man gestured angrily in the air and shouted: "Get out of here!" "It's easy to summon spirits but hard to send them away!" Aunt Huang replied coldly. "Then don’t blame me for being rude!" The old man's face darkened.
He reached out as if grabbing a piece of cloth and quickly covered Big Mouth Lee with it. A scream pierced through the air as black smoke erupted from him and shot out through the roof.
The old man and I exchanged bewildered glances; I was astonished that he could summon an Evil Spirit. I hurried forward to help him up as he sat down heavily and sighed: "Looks like we have to get serious now!" Big Mouth Lee spat on the ground, rolled up his sleeves, and pulled out four shiny copper coins from his pocket, laying them out in a row.
He then took out a Peach Wood Sword, filled a plate with white wine, and used the sword tip to poke it; all of it went into the plate. The wine in the plate rippled slightly as Big Mouth Lee used the sword to draw a circle in the air. With his other hand poised like a dagger, he shouted at the wine plate: "Ignite!" The wine burst into eerie blue flames. Big Mouth Lee then circled around the four copper coins with the flaming plate.
What happened next was astonishing!
The four copper coins ignited softly—one coin, two coins—three floated up into the air. They spun around before forming a square formation. Before long, they transformed into a Dragon Suppression Formation. As the fire in the plate extinguished, those coins lined up again in order before falling with loud clinks.
A cold wind swept through as darkness enveloped the room; flashes of lightning flickered outside. We could hear howling winds outside before everything fell silent again. The light bulb popped and went dark. Dim light from street lamps filtered through cracks in the door and window, leaving the room shrouded in darkness. In that gloom, I vaguely saw Big Mouth Lee's eyes wide open; both I and the old man jumped in fright! Big Mouth Lee emitted a voice not belonging to him—old yet powerful—I knew Ancestor Master had possessed him.
"Master Ancestor, please accept my bow and show me a clear path!"
After a long silence, there was no response.
"Fortune and Misfortune remain unknown!"
"Is there really no hope?"
"As long as you dare to come, I can certainly guide you! Moreover, we are fated from our past lives, so I will not turn a blind eye to you!"
"You have dark energy surrounding your Dread Palace, yet your Marriage Palace shines brightly. The balance of yin and yang hangs in the air; you won't die just yet. It seems there is still a good fate awaiting you!"
"Master Ancestor, could it be related to Evil Spirit Ali?"
"Nonsense! The matter of the Ghost Infant has its own mysteries! The so-called betrothed is not here. They can see the yin and yang and communicate with the spirits; they belong to the Eight Desolations. Thus, your good fate lies not here but there!"
"Then is my misfortune caused by encountering that old man?"
"Do not speak too much! Opportunities must not be leaked! Old Man Li is merely a guide! If Falling Star occurs, you will know for yourself!"
"Listen to my teachings: 'The heart connects with the spirit, the five aggregates are divided into three; always hold onto the Dao thought to save the world from sinking.' Whenever you face difficulties, recite this incantation, and you will surely turn misfortune into fortune!"
I silently chanted it a few times and memorized it.
"This night an Evil Spirit will descend. I shall give you a set of treasures. If you survive tonight, all will be well. If not, everything will end here, and your second life will be ruined in an instant! I must take my leave!"
A cold wind swept through, and the lights in the room flickered back on brightly. Big Mouth Lee fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth. When he regained consciousness, he spat out black blood and fainted again. Big Mouth Lee had truly exhausted all his strength this time; the old man hurriedly helped him up. "The Master Ancestor has descended; Li Baoya's Mysterious Power has been overexerted, and Daoist Practice is insufficient to sustain him!"
I noticed that Big Mouth Lee was holding a bound book with a porcelain blue cover that read "Mausoleum Secrets." I realized that Master Ancestor had left behind this scripture. There was also a piece of paper on the ground with two lines of judgment written on it.
"There's no way up, no door down! The source of life is the water of the canal, seeking the root of calamity!"
Later, after the old man explained it to me, I finally understood the meaning of those words. He opened up a different journey in my life. Thanks to this phrase, I became who I am today.
Big Mouth Lee woke up from his slumber, staring blankly at the "Mausoleum Secrets" in his hands, trembling all over. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Is this a gift from the Ancestor Master? Haha, my long-held wish has finally come true!"
"Li Baoya, this is a reward from the Ancestor Master for summer; you shouldn't hog it!"
Big Mouth Lee's eyes filled with disappointment as he rolled them around and said in a negotiating tone, "Then let me take a look at it!"
"There's not much time left; that Demon has already come knocking!"
"Ah!" The old man and Big Mouth Lee turned pale, gasping in shock.
"What is that?"
The old man pulled out a cigarette, trembling as he lit it, then dragged a chair over to lean against. After a long while, he finally began to speak shakily.
"Actually, the stories you read in that booklet are half true and half false!"
"What about those last few words? What on earth do they mean?" I pointed to the line that said, "Never walk my path."
"Creating literature apart from the masses is no different from riding a horse off a cliff! Hehe, that latter part was written by your grandfather himself; honestly, I don't understand it either!"
"So what is the real story like?"
"At that time, those strange beasts were about to open their mouths wide when I bravely erased them from this world, saving everyone in the process!"
"Uncle Li, you've been consistent in your ways for decades! Speak plainly!"
"I just wanted to lighten the mood since it felt so tense and oppressive!"
"In fact, your grandfather and Li Gedan were never dead; they went missing!"
"Old man, your words are so vague. Was that beast you mentioned just a figment of your imagination..."
As the old man and I, along with Big Mouth Lee, were getting into the spirit of things... suddenly, there came a series of loud knocks, as if someone was about to break down the door! "Open up!" A voice like that from hell echoed through the crack of the door.
Then, an unusual fragrance wafted in, as if someone had ignited dragon's saliva. The scent was rich with lilies and the elegance of Noble Orchid, combining the robust aroma of fine liquor with the simplicity of green tea. The intermittent fragrance grew stronger, making it hard to resist, like an addict drawn to opium. It was as if an old lecher was savoring the scent of a woman. I couldn't help but recite a line of poetry in my mind: "Drunk and unaware of the way home!" That fragrance made one feel lightheaded.
Big Mouth Lee, the old man, and I were all feeling drowsy and intoxicated. Big Mouth Lee swayed unsteadily as he moved to open the door. My mind was still somewhat clear, but all I could do was watch helplessly as he approached.
The door was indeed opened by Big Mouth Lee, even tearing off the talisman.
Creak! Creak! A tinkling laugh like silver bells floated in. Before the laughter faded, a woman entered—so beautiful she took one's breath away...
The old man and Big Mouth Lee gazed greedily at her, their eyes glued to her figure, not daring to blink even once, as if doing so would waste precious time. They stared fixedly while letting out silly chuckles.
Honestly, I had never seen such a beautiful woman before. If it weren't for Ancestor Master's magical artifact revealing its power, I might have already become a mere skeleton beneath Pomegranate's skirt!
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