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墨書 Inktalez
The Tung Oil Lamp flickered again in the room, and a shadow emerged from between the two doors that concealed a corpse. The figure moved lightly, silently, and as it drew closer, it became clear that it was not a child despite its short stature of about one meter. Its features were coarse and broad, resembling Wu Dalang from Water Margin.
It turned out to be a Dwarf.
As the Dwarf entered and saw the corpse behind the door, he showed no fear. He stared at Wei Ning for a while before suddenly laughing, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "You are the famous Corpse Handler."
Wei Ning replied, "This Fortune Inn is not suitable for living guests; you should leave."
The Dwarf smiled at Wei Ning and boldly sat down beside him. "Living or dead, we are all human. If the dead can stay here, why can't I?" He then pulled out a fifty-yuan bill and slapped it on the table. "Landlady, I want a room."
The old lady had no children and relied on her meager pension to survive. Fifty yuan was a significant income for her, so she quickly smiled and said, "Of course, of course! But my place is quite old, and..." She pointed to the corpse behind her.
"That's fine; I'm not afraid. Just go prepare two dishes for me and this Young Man; we'll settle the cost of the food separately."
Wei Ning frowned but saw that the landlady had no objections, so he remained silent and accepted it. The old lady was delighted to have another customer and hurried into the kitchen. Before long, she brought out several dishes. "I'm poor here; this is all I have. Please make do with it."
The Dwarf laughed. "There's no need to be so particular; as long as it fills my stomach, it's good enough. By the way, do you have any pickled vegetables? Bring me some."
In Xiangxi, every household would have pickled vegetables prepared, especially for someone like the old lady who was poor; they typically had several jars ready to last them for a year.
"Yes, yes! I'll get you some."
The Dwarf chuckled. "No need to trouble yourself; I can go myself. Is it over there?" Seeing that he was already moving, the old lady pointed him in the right direction. Before long, he returned from the back room with a plate of pickled vegetables.
"It's rare to meet a Corpse Handler like you. Let me treat you to this meal; don't try to fight me for it. If you don't eat, it means you're not giving me face." He enthusiastically served rice to Wei Ning.
Wei Ning felt he couldn't refuse. The two ate together until Wei Ning suddenly felt dizzy and dozed off.
When Wei Ning woke up, it was already bright outside. He thought to himself, "Not good," and indeed when he glanced toward the back door, the God of Joy was nowhere to be seen!
"Where's the God of Joy?" Wei Ning quickly asked the old lady who was busy in the back room.
"Oh, that person just now, you must be too tired. You should have him help you carry it away. As an old man, I shouldn't pry too much. What happened?"
"It's bad, the God of Joy has been stolen by that person!" Wei Ning thought anxiously. "If the God of Joy goes too far, it will be impossible to recover." He hurriedly took out a compass from his pocket to determine the location of the God of Joy.
It turned out that Wei Ning had learned his lesson this time. Last time, when the God of Joy went missing, it was very difficult to find. This time, he had placed a talisman on the God of Joy. No matter where the God of Joy went, as long as the Chen State Talisman on him did not fall off, Wei Ning could locate the God of Joy using the compass.
Wei Ning followed the direction indicated by the compass and rushed forward, eventually finding a desolate hill where a Dwarf was carrying the God of Joy and hurrying along.
Wei Ning understood now; this person was not ordinary—he was a Grave Robber.
In Xiangxi, there are people who make a living by robbing graves, known as Grave Robbers.
Most Grave Robbers are Dwarfs, and they are often ugly with strong arms. It is said that Grave Robbers were not originally Dwarfs; they were subjected to a special herb that stunted their growth to help them sneak into tombs and steal corpses. Because they often carry corpses, their arms become exceptionally developed.
Grave Robbers are somewhat similar to Corpse Drivers, but they are not the same.
Corpse Drivers usually possess Blessing Methods that seal the spirit of the God of Joy within their bodies to prevent it from moving on, whereas Grave Robbers carry a corpse and have a shadow following them known in their jargon as "Yin Hun" or "Yin Soul."
The reason a Yin Soul follows a Grave Robber depends on the incantations passed down through generations. If there is any mistake in these incantations, the consequences would be dire.
Clearly, this person did not just happen upon Wei Ning; he had been following him.
Corpse Drivers do good deeds by bringing those who die away from home back to their hometowns for burial, while Grave Robbers dig up those who have already been laid to rest and sell them to places in need, such as hospitals or black markets, for high profits. This is essentially an act that damages one's moral standing.
Thus, people in Xiangxi deeply despise Grave Robbers.
Seeing Wei Ning catch up, the man remained calm and said, "Well, since you've discovered me, how about we split it fifty-fifty?"
Wei Ning saw that the God of Joy had not yet gone too far and felt reassured. He coldly replied, "Give me back the God of Joy."
The man chuckled and said, "Alright then, how about sixty-forty? I take four; you take six. Does that work?"
Wei Ning coldly said, "Put down the God of Joy and leave immediately, or I won't hold back."
"Hehe, I see you've made up your mind to keep it all for yourself. Fine, let me show you my strength." With that, he swung a punch directly at Wei Ning's face.
Wei Ning knew there was no point in talking to someone so blinded by greed. He sidestepped the man's punch, formed a seal with his hands, and then took a few steps back, standing silently to the side.
"Hehe, scared, huh?" Seeing Wei Ning retreat, the man thought he had intimidated him and felt even more pleased with himself. "If you know what's good for you, get out of here quickly. Otherwise, don't blame me; my fists won't recognize you."
He threw another punch at Wei Ning.
However, it seemed as if something had grabbed him. Turning his head, he realized that the God of Joy had already caught hold of him from behind. Wei Ning quickly cast a spell, and the God of Joy wrapped both arms around the man. No matter how much the Dwarf struggled, the God of Joy held on tightly like a steel clamp.
Wei Ning picked up a wooden stick from the side and said calmly, "Don't force me to take action." He gestured with the stick above the Dwarf's head.
In truth, people like the Dwarf were bold but also deeply troubled by their own misdeeds. They were engaged in stealing corpses and feared retribution from those they had wronged. Having never seen a corpse move before, he was instantly terrified and exclaimed, "Sir, I was wrong! I shouldn't have tried to take advantage of you. I'm just a person; please let me go like I'm nothing! I was wrong!"
Wei Ning tossed aside the stick and formed another seal with his hands. Only then did the God of Joy release the Dwarf. "Don't do this kind of thing again. Leave now."
Afterward, Wei Ning walked over to the God of Joy and carefully checked if its Cinnabar had fallen off. Seeing no signs of distress from the God of Joy reassured him. Just as he turned to leave with it, the Dwarf picked up the wooden stick that Wei Ning had thrown and swung it at the back of Wei Ning's head. Wei Ning felt a sudden dizziness and lost consciousness.
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