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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 8: Stopping at the Forbidden Place
"Brother Qi, you're just messing with me." Fat clapped his hands, feeling bored. A cold breeze swept through, making him shiver. He quickly moved behind me and whispered, "Brother Qi, this place is really eerie. Let's just go back!"
"What are you afraid of? That beautiful ghost in red might be waiting for you to come and enjoy her charms. If you leave now, wouldn't that be a shame?"
"Brother Qi, seriously, stop joking. I'm scared of places like this."
"Why are you being such a coward? What do you have to fear with me around?" I walked over and plucked a tuft of fluff from above. It was a feather from a sparrow's neck—fine and resilient. I said to Fat, "Get your stuff out."
"Oh." Fat looked nervous, glancing around as he pulled out a positioning compass. He quickly shoved it back and took out the Soul Searching Compass, along with a cinnabar pen and paper for drawing talismans.
"Light a stick of Soul Searching Incense."
"Brother Qi, don't you think it's really cold here? Why light Soul Searching Incense?"
"Why are you being so chatty? I'll do what I want."
"Oh." With a click, he ignited the lighter and held the incense in his Fat Hand, handing it to me with concern. "Brother Qi, can I go back once this is done?"
"Go back to your sister." I picked up the bag filled with chicken blood and told Fat, "If you see me in trouble later, splash this on my face." Fat seemed hesitant. I scolded him, "You have a Copper Coin Sword that's about a foot long in your bag and a Bagua Mirror. What are you scared of? Hurry up! If you selfishly run away again this time and I die and turn into an Evil Spirit, I'll come after you too."
Fat was frightened and swallowed hard, mumbling, "Brother Qi, how about I join you instead?"
"Join me?" I thought for a moment. "Alright, just keep the chicken blood sealed so the scent doesn't leak out, and then I'll open your Yin-Yang Eye for you. But first, you have to promise me that no matter what you see after opening the Yin-Yang Eye, don't freak out. You must follow my lead."
Fat looked excited and eagerly asked, "Open the Yin-Yang Eye?"
"Yes. If I open your Yin-Yang Eye, what you see will be completely different from reality. Are you scared?"
Fat shook his head vigorously in determination. "Not scared at all! Brother Qi, hurry up and open it!"
"Alright, let's get started." I rummaged through my backpack and pulled out a dark brown glass bottle.
"Clear Ming Dew?" This was the Clear Ming Dew that Fat had personally collected, or rather, it was his grandfather who had instructed him to gather it. He didn't know its purpose; Clear Ming Dew, when sealed with willow branches and kept away from any light, could be applied to the eyes to see ghosts. (Do not attempt this; consequences are at your own risk.)
I applied some Clear Ming Dew to Fat's eyes and recited an incantation: "Taishang Laojun divides the Three Purities, Mahavairocana establishes the Three Souls, Earth combines the three flames, grant him the divine eye to observe yin and yang, Urgent Command!" Fat closed his eyes and then opened them again, his expression changing as he covered his mouth and nose, unable to make a sound.
Seeing him like this, I truly felt relieved.
After unlocking Fat's Yin-Yang Eye, I took out the Soul Searching Incense, pressed my palms together, and held the incense between my fingers while silently chanting: "Spirit spirit, wandering souls roam; the ninety-first external disciple of Maoshan, Ma Qi, seeks to trace the unwilling ghost. Taishang Laojun, Urgent Command, pursue!" Once I finished the incantation, I activated my Demon Eyes and scanned the surroundings.
The moment I activated my Demon Eyes, everything around me underwent a drastic transformation. There were no Mugwort Trees, no stone tablets, and no tools for birds; it felt like a forgotten corner far removed from humanity, filled with an overwhelming sense of solitude and desolation.
This was also what Fat saw with his Yin-Yang Eye.
In reality, it wasn't raining; the sun was still shining. The same place but in a different space was now drizzling lightly. This rain was unlike the gentle rain of the human world; here it felt icy, dripping down onto my neck and chilling me to the core.
What we saw now were streets and passersby with lowered heads—men and women of all ages. I knew this place used to be a chaotic graveyard; after its relocation, it appeared as a clean plot of land on the surface. Opening graves was just another form of land reclamation. People followed orders from above to open graves and plant trees. Even so, this place still harbored deep Yin Qi; many must have died here; otherwise, it wouldn't have become a forbidden area of Han Family Shangwan Village.
Fat seemed to have forgotten where he came from; whether what he saw was real or illusory didn't seem to matter to him. He walked confidently until he spotted a building and stopped. He halted because laughter from women floated down from above. I looked at the building; there was a sign: Shadow Studio. The sounds of singing and guzheng music drifted down.
As we hesitated at the entrance, someone leaned out of a window. It was an extraordinary beauty; she posed alluringly with a radiant smile that exuded seduction!
"Brother Qi, look at that beauty."
"Damn..." I couldn't stop Fat in time as he dashed up the stairs. With no choice left, I followed him.
There are two types of women in this world that are most coveted: one is the kind every man desires to conquer, while the other is one who wishes to dominate all men.
The former is someone men may never possess but can at least admire from afar throughout their lives; the latter stood right before us. The woman who had leaned out earlier was enchanting and seductive, half-closed eyes captivating all who gazed upon her. She lounged on an exquisite bamboo couch while a handsome young man knelt beside her playing the guzheng.
This woman was stunningly beautiful with half-closed eyes that seemed to draw souls in. Her loose gauzy dress did little to conceal her enticing allure. The lace bra peeking beneath her garment bore intricate designs—flowers perhaps—while two plump mounds were subtly hidden beneath its petals. Seeing this scene ignited a spark within me as well as Fat.
Be rational; this is an illusion. She is a charming fairy transformed from a female ghost. I quickly grabbed Fatty and turned to run. Behind us came a tinkling laughter, so enchanting it pierced deep into the bones. Fatty tried several times to look back, but I stubbornly held on to him as we stumbled down the stairs and onto the street.
On the street, there were still quite a few pedestrians, and no one seemed curious about the two suddenly appearing strangers. Fatty was still caught up in what had just happened. I could see he was losing his basic judgment, only leading himself to a dead end. He muttered, "Brother Qi, don’t be like that. We’re not here to play, right? The way you acted just now, you’re no different from someone who’s never seen the world before when you went into Grand View Garden with Liu Laolao. Besides, women are meant to be played with; what are you afraid of?"
"Play with your sister! Hurry up and follow me." I regretted bringing him to such a place and was extremely annoyed but couldn’t say much.
"How about this, Brother Qi? I’ll stay here and wait for you. You go do whatever you need to do."
I yanked his ear hard. "Stop thinking nonsense and get out of here!"
Fatty exaggeratedly cried out, "Ouch, ouch!" Seeing him like this, the passing "people" began to notice us. My heart sank; a tall, thin figure that looked like a bamboo pole walked straight toward us. Its eyes bulged wide open, and with a pop, they exploded—what were once full eye sockets suddenly became hollow and terrifying. Fatty screamed "Ghost!" and broke free from my grip, stumbling back a few steps before running away in a panic.
I pressed my fingers to my forehead and chanted a spell, "Is it that easy to scare you off, Ma Grandpa?" The Tall and Thin Ghost immediately released an Evil Energy; its eyeballs popped out from the eye sockets and slipped away unseen. Turning back to look for Fatty—damn it—he had run off somewhere without a trace.
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