Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 0: Raising Ghosts to Harm Others
Not only was his surname Zhu, but he also had a special relationship with Zuna. He was Zuna's father, Zhu Shangzhi.
Zhu Shangzhi had two children: one was Zuna, and the other was Zhu Gang.
Just when the children needed financial support to enrich their education, disaster struck. One of his legs was crushed, and his wife ran off with someone else. Not only did he lose his livelihood, but he was also betrayed by his closest relatives, forcing both children to drop out of school and stay at home.
Zhu Shangzhi found himself at a dead end.
On a dark and stormy night, he took a large amount of rat poison and committed suicide.
Zuna, with her own conditions, found it not difficult to survive based on her looks. Unfortunately for her brother, Zhu Gang, as he stepped into society, he picked up many bad habits. He became lazy and resorted to deceitful means to make money.
Later on, when Zuna met a wealthy husband, Zhu Gang finally had a stable source of income and began to behave somewhat better.
Zuna became the second wife of Chi Zhi Ping.
When I received a call from Lao Luo, I didn’t share my recent feelings with him. My fingers were still gripping a photo of Yin Yin. After hanging up, I instinctively glanced at the photo and thought, "If you really encounter trouble, don’t hesitate to come find me. Don’t be so mysterious about it; I can’t handle that."
I was heading to Chi Zhi Ping's house. Since Fat hadn’t returned yet, I left him a note about my destination.
Our mode of transportation was truly terrible—a broken-down motorcycle. If possible, I would definitely switch to a stylish Harley.
The motorcycle sputtered out black smoke as it sped toward Chi Zhi Ping's house.
Unfortunately, Chi Zhi Ping was not home.
I knocked on the door several times, but there was no response. I thought Chi Zhi Ping wasn't home, and Chi Xinrong was at school.
She is a teacher, or so I heard from the gossip.
Chi Xinrong being a teacher was quite unexpected.
How could someone so cold and indifferent possibly educate others as a public servant?
Never mind, I wasn't here to find Chi Xinrong. I just wanted to confirm a thought that had been nagging at me, one that felt crucial.
No one was around; it seemed I had come at the wrong time.
Turning around, I twisted the key in the motorcycle ignition. The engine sputtered—how I hated that raspy sound and the black smoke billowing from behind.
Just then, I noticed the door behind me had opened.
A pair of vigilant eyes peered out.
"Who are you looking for?"
The person asking was undoubtedly Zuna.
I turned to see a familiar yet pale face. She wore a floral black and white sun protection outfit over a long strapless dress that accentuated her slender figure. With light makeup, a dusting of powder, lightly drawn eyebrows, and pale red lips, she still couldn't hide the dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep.
The dark circles were stark against her pale complexion, especially since the ominous shadows suggested trouble; she looked dangerous. I initially wanted to turn and leave, but seeing her like this made me hesitate. I casually asked, "Are you going out?"
"It's you..." Zuna said lazily, glancing at me before pulling a pack of cigarettes from under her arm. She flicked one out, and a thin wisp of smoke curled into the air.
I didn't smell the nicotine, but I sensed her indifference beneath the surface—an uninvited guest, please leave.
“Zuna, how is your father?”
Zuna trembled slightly, her expression unusual, but she quickly regained her composure and said, “I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying.”
“Your father died in a car accident? The driver was Chi Zhi Ping, right?”
This time, Zuna was genuinely furious. She clenched her silver teeth and glanced around to ensure no one was watching before she quickly said, “Come inside.”
Earlier, I had come to find Chi Zhi Ping to inquire about the secrets behind why he took the fall for someone else. Only with his cooperation could I uncover the true culprit behind the Seven Evil Nails.
But Chi Zhi Ping wasn't home.
Only Zuna was in the house.
If I went inside, would she accuse me of having ulterior motives? After all, Lao Luo's words still held some influence over me.
Step by step, I needed to tread carefully to protect myself.
“What’s wrong? Afraid to come in?”
Damn it.
Zuna's words completely infuriated me. What was there to fear?
If a woman like her wasn't afraid, why should I be?
"What's there to be afraid of?"
As I stepped inside, a cool breeze greeted me, suggesting the presence of air conditioning.
Zuna sat across from me, her hands tightly gripping her purse. Her eyes were fixed on me as she asked, "Aren't you the Mortician from Ma Wu Funeral Home? When did you start playing private detective? What do you want?"
I placed a notebook and my phone on the coffee table. Calmly, I took out a cigarette, flicked my lighter, and exhaled a puff of smoke. Through the haze, I looked at her pale, wary face and said, "I'm not a private detective; I am indeed a Mortician. But we have principles: we help our clients all the way through. It's our duty to assist with their affairs after they’re gone. This notebook contains the truth behind Chi Zhi Ping's accident."
I still hadn't revealed that Chi Zhi Ping was taking the fall for someone else; I wanted to see Zuna's reaction.
We sat in silence for a moment, and sure enough, Zuna grew tense.
She swallowed hard, looking distressed. Her hands left her purse as she bowed her head and opened it, pulling out a stack of crisp red bills. Trembling, she said, "This is all I have. Whatever Chi Zhi Ping gave you to do, please stop."
I couldn't help but think that women are just women; it was hardly amusing how scared she was.
I didn't take the money. Instead, I focused intently on Zuna and asked, "Is the victim your father?"
Tears welled up in her eyes as she nodded.
"You... came for revenge. You were the one who set the Seven Killers on him."
Zuna shook her head, then nodded again, then shook her head once more. "It wasn't me; it was... my brother..."
"You still have ghosts to deal with?"
The question startled Zuna so much that she dropped her purse without making a sound as it hit the floor.
The bag was expensive, made of genuine leather.
"Don't be ridiculous, I don't raise ghosts."
I extinguished the cigarette I had taken a puff from in the ashtray, flicked my fingers flat on the notebook, and continued to stare intently at Zuna, word by word: "You have a chilling aura that ordinary people lack."
Upon hearing this, Zuna suddenly stood up, pointing at me and shouting, "Get out of here, you nonsense-spouting bastard."
Just a minute ago, she wanted to win me over, and now she was telling me to leave.
I smiled slightly, nonchalantly patting my backside as if to say: If you want me to go, then I'll go without a trace.
As I turned to leave, Zuna bit her lip tightly, tears shimmering in her eyes, her gaze following my movements.
Reaching the door, I didn't look back—not once.
My hand rested on the doorknob, just about to pull it open.
"Wait..."
I turned back to look at her.
Zuna's lips trembled; she struggled to speak but no words came out. Tears streamed down her face as she collapsed onto the sofa, bursting into a fit of frustrated sobs.
I didn't like Zuna.
She didn't like her intruding into someone else's family, but she also felt sympathy for her.
The car accident left them in a difficult situation, with no reliable person to help them. A single compensation payment couldn't buy back her father's leg.
With her father losing his leg, it was inevitable that he would lose his job.
Zuna and her brother Zhu Gang lost their chance to continue their education and had to enter society early.
In pursuit of revenge, Zuna was willing to sacrifice everything to get close to Chi Zhi Ping.
She cried because she had fallen in love with a man she shouldn't have loved.
"The Seven Kill Nails were planted by my brother... I... raised ghosts... now I'm being backfired by the ghosts, please save me... uh... crack..."
Comment 0 Comment Count