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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 181: Evil Dog Ridge
The Vicious Dogs did not expect me to take such a risky move. They lost their targets and collided with each other almost simultaneously. In an instant, the entire valley of Evil Dog Ridge was filled with the frenzied howls of the Vicious Dogs.
In just a few minutes, the Vicious Dogs quickly adjusted and charged towards us in unison.
One step, two steps, three steps… I shouted, "Run!" The sound startled me, and my sweat soaked my hair, dripping onto the ground.
The Vicious Dogs opened their gaping jaws, revealing sharp teeth glinting in the light as they lunged at me.
I thought we were done for; there was no way back to the Underworld. Each of those Vicious Dogs could tear me to shreds. I felt the ground tremble beneath me and caught a whiff of the strong, foul odor from their mouths. I imagined their sharp teeth sinking into my skin, tearing me apart, and I braced myself for the pain as they lunged at me.
Just as I instinctively raised my arm to block their attack, a swift figure appeared, landing gracefully on the head of one of the charging Vicious Dogs. With a flick of his wrist, he shook a token in his hand, causing the attacking Vicious Dogs to whimper and gradually halt their charge. Miraculously, we were encircled by a group of Vicious Dogs that had shrunk into a circle less than two meters wide.
The person holding the token stood with his back to me, exuding an imposing presence as the Vicious Dogs retreated hastily, eventually disappearing into the grayish forest like funeral dogs.
"Thank you, thank you, big brother."
I knelt in gratitude along with my companions. He slowly turned around, his deep and magnetic voice resonating as he said, "Sparrow, you dare to trespass in the Underworld?"
"Qin Ye…" As I called out his name, it struck me that this was not the mortal realm. Qin Ye was here in Evil Dog Ridge of the Underworld. What did this mean? He was not human; he was one of the Black and White Impermanence or perhaps even a higher-ranking Underworld official than a Ghostly Enforcer. He had mentioned before that he was an Underworld official, but I hadn't believed him until now when I saw him appear before me. I stared at him dumbfounded.
Qin Ye remained silent and did not look at me; instead, he turned his gaze towards my companions and then waved his hand at me. "Let's go! Return to your Underworld."
"What about them?"
"The Karma Cycle is relentless; take care of yourself first. The rest is none of your concern."
"How do I get back?"
"Go back the way you came."
I had emerged from a Skull Mouth to arrive at Evil Dog Ridge. It was something orchestrated by a Ghostly Enforcer; even he didn't know there was a shortcut leading to Evil Dog Ridge on Yellow Springs Road. There was no possibility of retreating; once someone entered Yellow Springs Road after death, there was no turning back.
With no way to retreat, I could only move forward.
Dead Sister and Bald Old Man followed closely behind me without hesitation. Qin Ye said little more, and I dared not speak up either. After all, deep down I still hoped they would keep up with me; we had shared life-and-death experiences together and forged bonds through hardship.
Qin Ye led us smoothly through Evil Dog Ridge, where the Vicious Dogs lurked in a misty forest, their crimson tongues flicking out and sharp teeth bared, yet they dared not pounce. Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked, "Qin Uncle, why are those dogs so afraid of you?"
Qin Ye shook the token in his hand. "They aren't afraid of me; they're afraid of the King of Hell's token."
"Can you tell me what you're doing here?"
"I've already told you, I'm a civil servant of the Underworld, a messenger who traverses between the realms of the living and the dead. The old King gave me this token specifically to rescue you."
Wow! Qin Ye was impressive.
I truly admired him, but I held back any flattering words and wanted to bring up the topic of becoming his disciple again. Before I could speak, he led us to hide behind a peculiar cluster of plants and whispered, "Watch a good show before we leave."
The four of us—Qin Ye and the three of us—crouched down to conceal ourselves.
The Ghostly Enforcer had a keen nose, and I feared he might catch our scent. Qin Ye saw through my thoughts and pointed at the cluster of plants in front of us. "Don't worry. This type of plant can mask your scent; it's called Breath-Holding Grass."
Just as Qin Ye finished speaking, we heard a horrific wail coming from the path we had taken, accompanied by faint sounds of dogs tearing at flesh. It was easy to imagine that new souls were being initiated into Evil Dog Ridge by the Vicious Dogs. In the blink of an eye, several figures appeared on the path, each one looking disheveled and battered—missing limbs and covered in injuries—one of them being the Monkey Spirit.
I hurriedly followed Qin Ye and the others to one side.
"Being human is hard; being a ghost is even harder! Sigh!" I lamented as I envisioned the Vicious Dogs sinking their teeth into their limbs, tearing them apart mercilessly.
Qin Ye said, "At least this trip wasn't in vain. All Living Beings have their own rules and laws for survival. Just like you, becoming human is no easy feat; it requires accumulation of cultivation and virtue to become a person in this life. When one dies and transforms from soul to ghost, they must also endure tribulations."
Upon hearing Qin Ye's words, Dead Sister and Bald Old Man exchanged glances but remained silent. Although they didn't speak, my keen observation revealed their regret.
Now I didn't have to worry about the Monkey Spirit catching up; I had seen that he was already incapacitated. Besides, they had no idea we were ahead; they probably thought we had already been devoured by the Vicious Dogs of Evil Dog Ridge. So our journey continued at a leisurely pace.
The Underworld was gray and dreary, lacking the vibrant beauty of the mortal realm. It was entirely desolate and lifeless; only with Qin Ye did we have hope—hope that he would help me return to the Underworld and reclaim everything that belonged to me.
Bald Old Man seemed unable to withstand the fear; he appeared increasingly fatigued, his complexion growing worse as his body gradually became transparent as if it might dissolve.
I turned to Qin Ye. "That old man seems quite pitiful. Can you help him?"
"If you don't want to go back, then I'll help him," Qin Ye replied darkly, his expression frighteningly serious—my grandfather had never looked so stern.
"Does that matter?"
“Helping him is harming him. His burden of guilt will only increase, and you will have to share a part of it.”
“But… he didn’t do anything wrong. How can he bear guilt?”
Qin Ye shot me a glare before turning to the increasingly weak Bald Old Man. “What did you do in life? Be honest with Qi.”
Dead Sister, Qin Ye, and I all turned our gazes toward the Bald Old Man.
The Bald Old Man's ashen face revealed an indescribable pain. “I was a pickpocket. I stole from anyone, and occasionally I would swipe a little extra…”
Damn!
The old man was a Thief, which I hadn’t expected. I, Ma Qi, had never done anything shameful in my life; even when I thought about squeezing money from the wealthy, it was always to help those in need. The meaning of Thief is something everyone understands, so there’s no need to waste breath explaining it.
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