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墨書 Inktalez
As for how Wei Ning came to possess such insidious Dao Techniques, one would have to ask his master, Wang Chuyi.
The Blood Kite had a remarkable effect when infused with a soul. Wei Ning was preparing to use dark arts, employing the Blood Kite to search for Yuer's spirit, aiming to reunite Yuer with her mother, Peng San Po.
"Come on, let's go fly a kite," Wei Ning said with a smile to Qiqi.
"Boring and childish," Qiqi scoffed, yet she still followed Wei Ning.
The two arrived at an open field where Wei Ning affixed several talismans onto the kite. He then pulled the string taut and instructed Qiqi to let it fly.
Though Qiqi claimed to be uninterested, she was still just a girl and naturally enjoyed flying kites. Wei Ning stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her as he taught her how to manage the string. The scent of her hair wafted into Wei Ning's nose, causing his heart to flutter unexpectedly.
"That's right. Hold the string tight. On three, you let go and then run forward."
"Okay."
Wei Ning gathered the string neatly, allowing Qiqi to hold the end. Facing into the wind, he said, "Run." As Qiqi released the long string and sprinted forward, the kite struggled to rise due to the lack of wind on this winter day. The faster Qiqi ran, the more Wei Ning watched her with a smile as she danced in the breeze like a black butterfly. A warm feeling surged within him—this was his first time flying a kite with a girl. He finally understood why some seemingly silly and childish activities could bring so much joy to couples; it turned out that as long as two people were together, even mundane things could be immensely enjoyable.
Perhaps this was the magic of love.
For some reason, an image of a woman in a green dress with flowing hair suddenly flashed in Wei Ning's mind. How wonderful it would be if he could fly a kite with her right now.
Suddenly, a pang shot through his heart as he touched his eye covered by an eye patch and sighed deeply, feeling a mix of emotions.
"Wei Ning," Qiqi ran back, patting her chest which rose and fell from her vigorous running. She laughed and said, "Why does the kite feel heavier?"
This was the first time Wei Ning had seen Qiqi smile; she looked so beautiful when she did. If only she could smile more often—watching her for a lifetime would be a delightful experience. An odd thought crossed Wei Ning's mind as he took the string from Qiqi's hand and replied with a grin, "This must be Yuer's soul attached; let me handle it."
Wei Ning took hold of the kite and sprinted against the wind for a while. The kite soared higher and higher in the sky. Suddenly, he shouted: "Where your hometown lies, heed my silent incantation! Qiqi forty-nine! When I call you to leave, you shall depart immediately; do not look back once you go. When I call you back, you shall return at once; do not wander aimlessly upon your return."
The kite flew on its own without wind as Wei Ning held the string and walked back. When he reached the door of Peng San Po, he slowly reeled in the line, holding the Blood Kite in his hand, and nodded to Qiqi, signaling that it was time to go back.
At home, Peng San Po had already prepared the Ceremonial Vessel for some time. Two bright red candles burned vigorously on either side of the altar. Wei Ning said to Peng San Po, "You two should keep your distance; your anger is too strong. We don't want to scare our friend."
Peng San Po and Qiqi retreated to the doorway. Wei Ning positioned a screen to block the altar, then placed the kite behind it. Standing before the altar, he picked up the rhinoceros horn, struck it against the altar, and loudly recited the summoning incantation: "Three souls, come forth! I set up this summoning platform at my master's command. With the power of the Vajra, I summon you back from afar!"
Suddenly, a chilling energy filled the room, causing both Peng San Po and Qiqi to shiver involuntarily. Gradually, a mist began to form behind the screen. Wei Ning cast a talisman, and the rhinoceros horn ignited spontaneously, enveloping the entire screen in flames. This summoning technique was known as Rhinoceros Light.
Rhinoceros Light is an ancient Chinese soul-summoning method. The ancients discovered that by burning rhinoceros horn, they could illuminate spirits and supernatural beings. It is said that Emperor Wu of Han used Rhinoceros Light when summoning Lady Li's spirit through Li Shaoweng.
Indeed, under the glow of Rhinoceros Light, a delicate-looking child began to appear. Even through the screen, her features were clear as she reached out her hands and called out to Peng San Po, "Mommy, I'm so cold. Hold me, hold me!"
Seeing the child, Peng San Po was immediately overcome with tears and cried out loudly, "Yuer! It's your mother who has harmed you!" She rushed forward to embrace her child.
"Quick! Hold her back! If her anger reaches the spirit world, Yuer might be lost forever!"
Qiqi hurriedly grabbed Peng San Po, no matter how much she struggled; she refused to let go.
Suddenly, Peng San Po knelt before Qiqi and bowed her head repeatedly like pounding garlic. "Please, please let my child be reincarnated! I beg you!" Her head struck the ground with urgency, drawing blood from her forehead.
Wei Ning sighed deeply and thought to himself that if he had known this would happen today, he would have acted differently. However, seeing Peng San Po in such despair tugged at his heartstrings.
"What's wrong? Hurry and ask! Rhinoceros Light can only last for a minute," Wei Ning urged.
"Right," Peng San Po finally snapped back to reality and asked urgently, "Yuer, where are you now? How can Mommy save you?"
"Daddy, I'm scared of Daddy! Mommy, I'm so cold! I'm so cold! Daddy is so fierce! So fierce!"
Peng San Po was bewildered by Yuer's words. "What happened to Daddy? Where are you? Mommy wants to help you reincarnate! Hurry!"
"Dad, Dad wants me to be the Divine General. Dad hit me... Mom, I'm so cold, so cold... Hold me..." Yu's hands flailed wildly, but his words were incoherent. Peng San Po's heart grew increasingly anxious as she pressed for answers, yet Yu kept repeating those same phrases, constantly emphasizing how cold he was and begging Peng San Po to hold him, which tore at her heart.
At that moment, the light of Rhinoceros Light dimmed further, but Peng San Po still couldn't get to the bottom of it. Her heart ached with urgency until finally, the light of Rhinoceros Light extinguished, and Yu's figure vanished behind the screen. It felt as if all her strength had left her; she collapsed onto the ground.
Wei Ning patted Peng San Po but didn't know how to comfort a mother whose heart was shattered. She took out Blood Kite from behind the screen and left with Qiqi. Inside, Peng San Po could be heard murmuring to herself: "I knew it was him, I knew it was him. He wouldn't even spare his own son—beast, monster!"
Affected by Peng San Po's emotions, Wei Ning and Qiqi lost their initial excitement about flying kites. After silently seeing Yuer off, they returned to find Peng San Po sitting on the ground, tears streaming down her face. When she saw Qiqi approach, she hurriedly knelt at Qiqi's feet and pleaded, "Please, please save my Yuer! I know you must have a way. If you want money, I'll give you whatever you need. If you want my life, I'll give that too."
Qiqi sighed and said, "Grandma, it's not that I don't want to help you; it's just that I truly have no way."
"No way? You must have a way! You must!" Peng San Po seemed to be in a state of overstimulation, her mind unclear as she murmured to herself. Wei Ning couldn't bear it any longer and quietly said to Qiqi, "Do you have a way? If you do..."
Qiqi coldly interrupted Wei Ning's words, saying, "Do you not believe in me either?"
Wei Ning swallowed her words and dared not speak again.
"Forget it; what could you possibly do to help this old woman? Forget it," Peng San Po said as she lost hope in her plea to Qiqi. She stood up and forced a smile. "Who told my Yuer to have such a hard life? I've accepted it; forget it. Life and death are fated; wealth and nobility are not something I can force... You must be hungry; I'll go make some food for you..." She seemed to lose her spirit entirely as she stumbled into the kitchen.
Seeing Peng San Po in such a state made Wei Ning unable to let her cook. "Grandma, let's just forget about that. We can buy something from the street."
"On New Year's Day, which restaurant is open? Forget it; you've helped me enough already; let this be my thanks to you both. I've actually prepared everything; I just need to heat it up. Today we—no, we four—along with Yuer—let's celebrate the New Year properly..."
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