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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 0: Causality
Just as I was about to intervene, Chi Zhi Ping and the woman were suddenly engulfed by a fierce whirlwind formed by Hell Money.
The Hell Money appeared soft, but at that moment, each piece was as sharp as a blade.
Hearing Chi Zhi Ping's terrified scream and the woman's fearful shriek, I rushed forward—my fingers pinching the Soul Absorbing Talisman, I charged into the circle of Hell Money surrounding them, chanting incantations while forming a gesture with my hands: "Touch... Stop... Disperse."
The swirling Hell Money instantly fell like rain, scattering downwards. Chi Zhi Ping and the woman were left in tatters, their clothes shredded, gasping for breath as they looked up at the descending Hell Money in panic. Turning to me, he struggled to ask, "What is happening?"
I shot a cold glance at the woman before looking back at Chi Zhi Ping. "You should be asking yourselves. What did you two do while Ji Xiaoying's Corpse was still warm?"
"What... what can we do to resolve her resentment?"
I had thought that Chi Zhi Ping, with his delinquent background, was just trying to show off his bravado, but I never expected him to take this seriously. Hearing my words, he asked earnestly and with trepidation.
"You both must sincerely repent. On the night after her burial, present Ji Xiaoying's Spirit Tablet at her Tomb and plead for forgiveness. Otherwise, her spirit will haunt you endlessly."
Upon hearing this, the woman retorted stubbornly, "How is that possible? We are not her filial descendants! Presenting the Spirit Tablet in the middle of the night at the graveyard? You... you are such a fraud!"
This woman truly infuriated me; after saving her, she turned around to insult me as a fraud.
Just as I was about to respond, Chi Zhi Ping waved his hand. With a loud slap, he struck her across the face. She covered her bruised cheek with tears welling in her eyes, too scared to speak further.
Having quelled Ji Xiaoying's anger, I held the Soul Absorbing Talisman and whispered, "You’re already in this situation; don’t cause any more trouble. If you do, I won’t care what happens to your soul."
With that settled, the Hearse started normally and drove steadily towards the funeral home.
I believe that after experiencing the bizarre events earlier, Chi Zhi Ping wouldn't dare to openly engage in any inappropriate behavior with that woman.
With my warning, Ji Xiaoying didn't dare to act recklessly. We made our way smoothly to the funeral home to collect her ashes. I placed the Soul Absorbing Talisman into the urn and released a wisp of her ethereal soul.
We headed to Songling Cemetery.
Given the special circumstances, we received a green light all the way to Songling Cemetery.
The hearse's musician played a lively tune, puffing his cheeks as he blew harder. The more spirited he played, the more pleased the host family became, and the richer the red envelopes grew.
Uncle Zhang was also in the vehicle.
We arrived at Songling Cemetery.
The hearse slowly entered the grounds and parked in the lot. People got out with solemn expressions. Chi Xinrong held a portrait frame tightly, her face etched with sorrow as she walked ahead, lips pressed together. Behind her were Ji Xiaoying's family members, who had witnessed what happened at the Spirit Pavilion. They looked at that woman with hostility but felt powerless to change the situation.
Their daughter had passed away, and the corpse was still warm.
Chi Zhi Ping was already pursuing another woman. Perhaps even before Ji Xiaoying's incident, Chi Zhi Ping had been involved with that woman. Wu Shengxiu's revenge inadvertently facilitated that scoundrel Chi Zhi Ping's connection with her.
From getting into the car to stepping out, Chi Xinrong didn't say a word to me.
I glanced at her; she deliberately turned her head away to look out the window.
After getting out, I silently followed behind her, and she didn't look back at me even once.
The girl was undeniably beautiful, though she carried an air of quietness, rarely revealing her emotions.
As I entered Songling Cemetery, an inexplicable sense of dread washed over me. Looking around, the graves seemed to stretch endlessly, forming a city for the dead, an eerie environment where the deceased resided. The Yin Qi seeped deeply into my skin, causing me to shiver unexpectedly.
Burial practices in big cities were completely different from those in rural areas.
There were no extravagant offerings, no fierce competition for offering money, and no loud cries of mourning. It was all a routine affair; a brief moment of consolation, an urn placed in a small grave pit, and after reciting a spell to comfort the spirits, I simply moved on.
I noticed that among the mourners, a young man was particularly attentive to Chi Xinrong.
After Ji Xiaoying's burial ceremony concluded, the young man approached Chi Xinrong several times, trying to be helpful. He offered her water but was turned down; he offered her a sun hat but was rejected again. In his last attempt, she snapped at him, “Stay away from me.”
I thought this young man was quite foolish. The beauty ignored him completely, yet he kept trying to get close. I wondered if he acted the same way with other girls outside!
The young man then scolded another man who was watching Chi Xinrong, “What are you staring at? Haven't you seen a man pursue a woman before?”
The other man shook his head irritably and walked away.
Uncle Zhang approached, gesturing towards me with his waist where he had tucked away a suona.
I followed Uncle Zhang to the car.
“Why didn’t your grandfather come?”
I assumed Uncle Zhang was simply concerned about my grandfather and quickly nodded, “He had something urgent to attend to and couldn’t make it.”
Uncle Zhang had spent his entire life farming and playing the suona to support his family. Though his life was humble, it was also fulfilling. Now, in his old age, his skin was dark and weathered, lined with deep wrinkles, and his hands were calloused, each layer telling a story of hard work.
"What could possibly worry him more than preparing for a funeral?" Uncle Zhang said as he rummaged through his pants pocket and pulled out an apple. He wiped it on his sleeve and handed it to me. "Here, eat this. Offering fruit can help you live a long life."
I knew this wasn't quite right; my grandfather had told me that offering fruit should depend on the age of the person being honored. If the person had passed away young, then the offering fruit should not be eaten.
I didn't refuse Uncle Zhang; instead, I asked if he had any more in his pocket.
Clearly wanting to take some offering fruit home for his grandchildren, he smiled shyly. "I saved two to take home for the Dragon and Phoenix Twins."
The Dragon and Phoenix Twins were the grandchildren of Uncle Zhang's son, and he adored them immensely.
I had heard that Uncle Zhang's daughter-in-law was from the county town. If she found out her father-in-law was bringing home this fruit for the children, there would surely be trouble.
So I advised him, "Uncle Zhang, we can't eat this. Just throw it away!"
"Why not?"
Uncle Zhang had been a close friend of my grandfather for many years and held him in absolute respect. I figured my grandfather hadn't mentioned this to him, so I relayed what I had learned from my grandfather.
Upon hearing this, Uncle Zhang's expression changed dramatically. He quickly grabbed the offering fruit he had given me and stuffed it into a pocket before getting out of the car to throw it in the trash.
With that matter settled, Uncle Zhang remembered my earlier words and continued to inquire about my grandfather's whereabouts.
I couldn't hide it any longer, so I quietly brought up the matter of my grandfather's passing.
Uncle Zhang opened his mouth wide, staring at me as if I were a monster: "You kid, your actions are unreliable. What kind of person was your grandfather? How could you handle this so hastily? You should at least hold a grand banquet to send him off properly. I'll play the suona for free and help him ascend to the heavenly realm."
For a moment, I was at a loss about my grandfather's affairs, while Chi Xinrong got into the car behind us, looking tense as she glanced back.
I watched her take a seat.
Uncle Zhang whispered, "That poor girl. Did you see? The incident this morning involved that woman; she's her stepmother, what's her name... Zuna. This Zuna has a brother too, the one who just had a spat with Rongrong. What's his name... Bamboo pole? No, that's not right..."
"Zhu Gang?" I chimed in.
Uncle Zhang chuckled and nodded, "Look at my memory! Yes, yes, it's Zhu Gang."
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