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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 11: Ghost Month Taboos
Up close, I could clearly see the sunken, pale eyeballs in the deep eye sockets, the bluish-white skin tightly clinging to the bones, and the shriveled lips that barely concealed the mouth beneath.
Damn! My skin prickled with fear, and I couldn't bear to look directly at him. When he stretched his neck toward me again, instinct kicked in. This was not my grandfather; it was some evil entity taking on his form to torment me. Without thinking, I instinctively struck out. My fingers touched something cold and fleshy, sending another shiver down my spine. Before I could process it, I dug my fingers in deeper and unexpectedly gouged out those pale eyeballs. They were sticky and foul-smelling! I opened my palm to reveal two round, glistening eyeballs staring back at me in horror.
Grandma! I was so frightened that I dropped the eyeballs, my throat constricting as my grandfather's empty eye sockets began to ooze white foam. His loose, sagging skin twisted grotesquely as he bared his teeth, opening his mouth wide to emit a piercing wail from his foul-smelling throat.
Damn! My nerves were stretched to their limits as his long, twig-like arms reached for me. I flipped over and jumped up. Dodging to the side, I landed on my feet and turned to look for my grandfather who had just attacked me, but he had vanished without a trace.
I flicked on the light! The room was illuminated; there was no sign of my grandfather. A thin blanket lay crumpled on the floor, slippers scattered haphazardly, and even the pillow had been kicked out of the window. On the wooden cabinet sat an old laptop and the only photo of me with my grandfather and Fatty hanging on the wall, alongside a drunken portrait of Peng Zu—just a counterfeit.
My mind cleared as I returned to reality, questioning whether what had just happened was a nightmare. Raising my hand, I suddenly shook; my fingers were covered in a sticky substance—wasn't this what I had just gouged out in the dream?
I moved my fingers and looked at the walls, ceiling, and door. There was no sign that anyone had entered or left. If that was just a dream, then what was this stuff on my fingers? Surely I hadn't entertained myself with something like that! Not that I had any such hobby; it wasn't that there was something wrong with my body but rather that I knew too well how exhausting such activities could be.
Speaking of which, Fatty certainly enjoyed entertaining himself. I had witnessed him several times humming to himself while his hands were busy elsewhere, wearing an expression that was both strange and oddly satisfied.
With so much going on, I'd forgotten everything else except for the lingering feeling of intimacy with Han Mi in the cave. Each time I went to sleep, I hoped she would appear in my dreams, yet each time ended in disappointment.
But just as I got up, I felt a wave of fatigue wash over me.
Was it from the dream or had I truly indulged myself? How else could I explain this inexplicable weakness? Unable to make sense of it all, I went to the bathroom and washed my fingers and nails thoroughly. When I looked up at myself in the mirror, I was genuinely startled.
My complexion was pale, my eyes lifeless, and my body felt drained. Had I lost my Soul Stone or something else? I didn't sense anything amiss in the room; after all, a funeral home is considered particularly ominous by ordinary people. Spending time here didn’t feel different from anywhere else—unless! Upon further reflection, it hit me: Damn! My grandfather favored Fatty too much; having just punished him, he must have sent a dream to haunt me. There was no need for such severity; it left me restless and sleepless as if I'd lost my soul.
No way! I had to find Fatty. Since he had already admitted his mistake, it was time for me to be magnanimous and track him down to clarify matters regarding the Soul Stone—it was crucial.
As I softened at heart, I remembered that today was the third day of Ghost Month. Nothing major was likely to happen, but with a physique like Fat's, he would attract some bad things whenever the Yin Qi was heavy in the dead of night.
I tried not to think about it, but the thought clawed at my heart like a cat's paw, leaving me feeling quite uneasy.
Now that autumn had arrived, the mornings and evenings were particularly cool. Fat wore just one piece of clothing when he went out, and I had to bring an extra layer for him. As I opened the door, I wondered if Fat would go to that haunted house everyone talked about.
The last time he pushed me away, I had spent an entire night there. Fat was timid; if I thought he wouldn’t dare go, then I was certain he wouldn’t.
To my surprise, Fat was standing right at the door. His head hung low, and his hands dangled awkwardly at his sides.
“Fat.”
He slowly lifted his head. “Brother Qi, I’m sorry. Don’t kick me out.”
“I won’t. I won’t kick you out. Come inside.” I draped my jacket over him and felt him trembling; his hands were tightly clasped together. I helped him inside.
“Brother Qi, Grandpa ate My Dad.”
Fat’s words startled me. “Don’t talk nonsense; that’s impossible. How could we have any relatives when we’re both orphans?”
Fat let out a small “oh,” standing up straight but looking a bit stiff.
“Brother Qi, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. We’re buddies; let’s just take things easy from now on.” I comforted him as one would a child, though it felt reluctant. The memory of Grandpa’s last words lingered in my mind—the image of him joining our hands together wouldn’t fade away.
“Brother Qi, I’m sorry.”
Fat’s voice sounded wrong; it wasn’t his voice at all. It was rough and filled with a brutal edge.
“Fat, don’t scare me.”
Fat suddenly looked up, his pitch-black eyes staring straight at me, his mouth still moving: "Brother Qi, I was wrong."
What the hell!
Before I could think too much, I feigned ignorance and gazed at him, quietly biting my tongue. Sure enough, Fat suddenly made his move, his hands gripping my neck tightly as he shook me violently while repeating, "Brother Qi, I was wrong."
With a "pfft..." a mouthful of bloodied spit sprayed all over Fat Yi's face. He was stunned, swaying slightly as his grip on my neck loosened. I gasped for air and quickly stepped back, grabbing the cinnabar brush from the spirit cage. I drew a symbol in the air and silently recited the incantation: "Evil cannot triumph over good; good and evil cannot coexist; Exorcism is righteous; Exorcism!" With a flick of my hand, I slapped him across the face.
A rough, hoarse voice filled with brutality erupted from him, and Fat Yi stumbled and fell to the ground.
I put away my talisman and took out the soul-collecting talisman paper along with the Soul Absorbing Dao Bottle. With a swift motion in the air, I performed the summoning technique while chanting the Exorcism Spell. With a whoosh, the Dao Bottle trembled slightly. The evil spirit controlling Fat was successfully subdued, and looking at him now, his complexion was gradually improving.
I sensed that things were not as simple as they seemed. Since Li Gui could remotely control his consciousness, there must be something hidden going on. What I needed to do now was to search his bedroom before Fat woke up.
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