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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 1: The Real Version of Lanruo Temple
“She didn’t turn into a ghost; she is a lingering resentment, a presence that refuses to leave even after death. That soul wanders the world, and with the bones beneath that willow tree, the real version of Lanruo Temple emerged. She is like Nie Qian, while I play the role of Ning Caichen.”
Qin Jian scoffed, “Hurry up and find Ten Li Slope. You’re talking about Ning Caichen? I think you’re just bored and looking for trouble.”
“Just wait until you get there; you’ll understand.”
“The problem is, where is Ten Li Slope? I only know of a Ten-Mile Temple, which sounds like something you made up.” Qin Jian grew increasingly agitated, reminding me of Qin Ye.
Qin Ye never denied whether there were relatives in this world. Qin Jian had almost no impression of Qin Ye, and only one person could clarify their relationship—Qin Jian’s mother.
“Qin Jian, when I have time, I’ll pay a visit to your mother.”
Qin Jian was surprised by my intention to visit his mother. “Ma Qi, you really are looking for trouble. We don’t need to involve my mom in this; have you lost your mind?”
“No, I’m just curious about your background.”
“Curious about me? I’m curious about your background too. Where do you come from? Who are your parents? Why are you called Ma Qi instead of Ma Ba or Ma Jiu?”
“I’ll tell you about my background if you honestly share yours.”
“Can I refuse?” Qin Jian gripped the steering wheel as we drove straight toward the outskirts of the city. Beyond the city limits lay vast fields of cultivated land, and past those fields were rolling hills. The hills were dotted with low-lying plants and farmland.
Once we passed the hilly area, tall peaks and wasteland began to appear.
“Qin Jian, have you heard of Black Water River?”
“Black Water River? Yes, I’ve heard of it. Long ago, Black Water River was a clear tributary of Min River. But then industrial pollution turned it into a foul-smelling river. The water became dark and murky, and eventually someone named it Black Water River. It has been cut off for many years now; weeds thrive there with incredible resilience, breaking through the pebbles to reach sunlight and become a patch of green.”
“You seem to know quite a bit about Black Water River, as if you lived nearby.”
Qin Jian sighed. “To be honest, I did live near Black Water River during my childhood. My grandmother passed away, and my uncle left home; it was just my mother and me who left Black Water River behind. Like a solitary boat drifting away, I worked hard in school, hoping to change our fate. Surprisingly, I did manage to improve things; now I have an ideal job and met someone as peculiar as you. I’m content.”
As I listened to Qin Jian recount his experiences with Black Water River, it felt like he was sharing an interesting story. It turned out that his understanding of Black Water River stemmed from being one of its own people. My curiosity about Qin Jian’s background deepened; I wanted to know more about his origins. However, I had no time to ponder further because thinking about Black Water River reminded me of the scene when Qin Ye took me there—it was nothing like what Qin Jian described or any homes nearby.
Or perhaps the Black Water River that Qin Jian mentioned is not the same place I am looking for.
I was lost in thought when Qin Jian interrupted my reverie, asking, "We're almost at the outskirts; what do you want to do next?" Asking for guidance was a trick I learned from my grandfather. First, I tossed a Five Emperor Coin into the air, establishing the rules for the yin and yang sides. Then, as the coin fell, I covered it with my hands to prevent any cheating. If I cheated, dark spirits would play tricks on me.
We stopped the car and stood on the empty street, illuminated by a streetlight, as I tossed the Five Emperor Coin into the air.
"The yin side decides to move forward, while the yang side indicates a wrong path." The coin made a faint clinking sound as it fell. I caught it perfectly in my hands and opened them under the light.
"It's the yin side."
Qin Jian remarked, "The Black Water River in my memory is also in this direction." I found it strange that he had driven us here without me giving any directions after we left the hospital. It seemed he had subconsciously guided himself to this place and had somehow gotten it right.
This was an instinctive memory guiding Qin Jian.
I didn’t point it out. After getting back in the car, he seemed particularly excited about going to a place he had longed for since childhood. He talked more than usual. "The Black Water River has many strange legends. There are stories of people hearing flowing water at midnight from a river that is clearly dry. When they go to check it out, they find nothing but waist-high weeds and no water at all."
"You remember the Black Water River; do you remember Ten Li Slope?"
"I don't recall such a place. But since Ten Li Slope isn’t far from Black Water River, we can just go see for ourselves." Qin Jian was an excellent driver; I usually dozed off during car rides, but this time was different—I had no desire to sleep. My mind felt like a revolving lantern spinning endlessly.
"If you don’t remember, your mother must."
"Stop..."
"Why did you hit the brakes?"
"Ma Qi, you'd better not be curious about my relationship with my mom..." Qin Jian protected his mother like a treasured possession or perhaps a secret. The more he acted this way, the more intensely curious I became about his background.
Feigning nonchalance, I teased him, "Oh please, having a mom is impressive; I don’t have one and naturally wish for some maternal affection. I'd love to meet your mom just to bask in a bit of that love—even if it's just a little. Look at you—so uptight! You look all dignified but have such a fragile heart."
"Ma Qi, shut up! If you keep prattling on like this, I'll make you get out of the car."
Qin Jian was serious; he never joked around. I quickly covered my mouth to indicate that I wouldn’t continue discussing his mother. After that, it seemed our relationship took a turn for the worse because of this topic—Qin Jian became wary of me while my curiosity about him only deepened.
The car drove through the dark night, gradually leaving the bustling city behind and entering a shadowy area, causing the vehicle to jolt.
Inside the car, there was a heavy silence. I hugged my arms tightly, trying not to think about Qin Jian and his mother's story, focusing instead on Bone Jade's current situation and wondering how our rice was doing. I couldn't help but worry about her.
"Ma Qi, why aren't you falling asleep?" Qin Jian asked, his tone no longer angry but genuinely curious.
Before I could respond, there was a loud bang as if we had hit something, and the engine abruptly died. No matter how much Qin Jian twisted the key, it was futile.
"What is this place?" I rolled down the window to look outside. It was pitch black, and a cold wind whipped against my face, sending chills down my arms.
Qin Jian got out to check the engine and the wheels, inspecting everything thoroughly. Afterward, he shook his phone to illuminate the surroundings. I stepped out as well, and suddenly he let out a startled cry as his phone slipped from his hand and fell to the ground. I shook my phone too and saw a stone tablet standing amidst a thick patch of weeds.
The tablet had three words inscribed on it: Ten Li Slope.
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