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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 08: Supernatural Growth
The person standing before me was Chi Xinrong, the wealthy uncle. As he revealed the truth, I realized that it wasn't him who was in trouble, but rather his son, Chiang.
What had happened was quite strange.
It turned out that when I received the first two eerie phone calls, Chiang had also answered a call from an unknown number. The voice on the other end was chilling and terrifying, causing him to throw the phone away in fear. Now, in another car, Shen Zhi appeared disoriented and was rambling incoherently.
"I can't help with this," I refused Chi Ruiqiang's request, not because of Chi Zhi Ping or Chi Xinrong, but because I adhered to my grandfather's teachings. We are Morticians, dealing with matters of the Underworld.
We only handle funeral arrangements; we stay out of other affairs.
"Ma Qi, I've heard you're quite capable. Just help me check if this child is possessed. I'll pay whatever you ask," Chi Ruiqiang said as he pulled out his wallet and dramatically fanned out a stack of red bills in front of me. "Look, there's over a thousand here. If you just take a look at my son, this money is yours."
Money is a good thing; the crisp sound of the bills was enticing.
The fat man stared at the money like a starving person gazing at a bowl of braised pork. I nudged him with my elbow to bring him back to reality and whispered, "Come on, you're embarrassing yourself."
He was anxious to speak, but I covered his mouth with my hand and said to Chi Ruiqiang, "I'm really unable to help with this unless it's something else." My implication was clear enough, yet Chi Ruiqiang remained undeterred and pulled out another stack of cash from his wallet, slapping it against his palm with a loud smack.
"How about I add another thousand?"
The fat man tried to break free from my grip, but I shot him a fierce glare and he froze. I waved my hand apologetically. "Mr. Chi, I truly cannot assist with this." While I spoke to Chi Ruiqiang, Chi Xinrong had not turned around; I couldn't tell if she was angry or thought it was good that I wasn't getting involved.
The money didn't sway me; Chi Ruiqiang's expression darkened as he scrutinized me with cold, calculating eyes as if trying to memorize my face. Then he turned and left.
"Brother Qi, are you stupid? All that money just to see him for a moment, and you don't even have to do anything," Fat complained in rapid succession as I released my grip.
"You don't know anything," I snapped back, not wanting to engage. We were still several dozen miles from Songling Cemetery, and I could use a nap.
After the incident with my bleeding eye, although the bleeding had stopped—perhaps it had stopped on its own—my eye still felt uncomfortable. I really wanted to close it, and leaning back like this was the most comfortable position. Just as I was about to drift off, my phone rang again, and I seriously considered hanging up.
But then I remembered that after Chi Zhi Ping's funeral, we still needed to continue working on the Order. I couldn't just turn off my phone; doing so would be like shutting the door on business.
To my surprise, it was Han Mi calling.
She first asked why I hadn't been online lately, rambling on without waiting for a response. Then she asked if my eye condition had flared up again. I told her it was nothing of the sort; it was Chi Xinrong's father who had passed away.
"Brother Qi, come back this afternoon. I'll come find you."
"Do you need something?"
"Um." Han Mi seemed to think it wasn't convenient to talk over the phone, so she vaguely mentioned nothing in particular before hanging up.
Fat, who had been listening closely, perked up when he realized it was Han Mi calling. "Brother Qi, Mi is great! If you get the chance, go for it," he said with a lewd grin.
This guy had nothing better to do than meddle in my affairs. Seeing his face, which looked even more disgusting than Chi Ruiqiang's, I raised my hand and slapped him across the mouth. He covered his face and stammered for a long time without managing to say a word.
Finally, our convoy arrived at Songling Cemetery.
As soon as I got out of the car, two people blocked my path.
One was Chi Ruiqiang, and the other was his son, Chiang.
Chi Ruiqiang led Chiang in front of me. Without waiting for me to ask, he rolled up his sleeve to reveal a section of his arm, where several dark bruises were swollen and glaringly visible.
I initially wanted to leave, but seeing the severity of his arm injury, I was shocked and asked, "What happened to him?"
"Let my son show you," Chi Ruiqiang replied.
He forced a smile and gestured for me to step aside.
I said, "No, your brother's funeral is about to start. I can't go."
"Don't you have a partner?" Chi Ruiqiang pointed at Fatty.
How could Fatty handle this? He had never dealt with such matters before. Just last time, he secretly took a job involving Yin Marriage and messed up the selection of Yin Yin's funeral date. He had barely any involvement in Chi Zhi Ping's funeral arrangements, and I was worried he would cause trouble.
"No way, at the last moment, I can't drop the ball." With that, I walked over to Chi Xinrong, who was quietly waiting nearby.
Chi Xinrong was holding Chi Zhi Ping's portrait. Seeing Chi Ruiqiang call me aside, she guessed there must be something important. I told her, "It's nothing. Let's go!"
"Don't believe him. He's used to being high and mighty; there's no way he'd lower himself to seek you out without a reason."
Her insistence made me a bit impatient due to the pain in my body. She was clearly trying to pry out why Chi Ruiqiang wanted to see me. I paused for a moment and said, "Chi Xinrong, today is your father's funeral. I'm not here to deal with other nonsense, right?"
"Alright, I won't ask anymore." Chi Xinrong quickly walked toward the burial site. Uncle Zhang led the procession with drummers and various items for the funeral—red, yellow, orange, white, blue, and multicolored flags were carried at the front. Fatty and I followed behind while Chi Ruiqiang and Chiang hurried to catch up beside us; they didn't say much more after that.
Chi Zhi Ping was successfully laid to rest.
Chi Xinrong, with tears in her eyes, solemnly bowed several times before the tombstone and choked out, "Dad, may you rest in peace. From now on, I will take care of myself."
At that moment, it was Chi Ruiqiang's turn to perform. He stepped forward, holding a stick of incense with a devout expression, and bowed three times to Chi Zhi Ping's tombstone. "Brother, please watch over the two kids from the spirit world. Rongrong is under my care for now; you can rest easy!"
Chi Xinrong remained expressionless, indifferent to her uncle's display. She deliberately turned her head away and took a large step toward me, creating more space for her uncle and Chiang, who were also bowing respectfully.
The family of the deceased still needed to pay their respects. After half an hour, they would offer sacrifices with a rooster's head. In the countryside, it would typically be done after three to five days, but in a public cemetery, the rules could be adjusted based on the situation.
So, both I and Uncle Zhang had to leave early.
Before we could exit Songling Cemetery, Chi Ruiqiang rushed over, panting and gesturing while calling out, "Ma Qi! Master Ma! Wait!"
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