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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 1: Turning Danger into Safety
I chanted spells to guide the unwilling souls to rest. After half an hour of this, Sister Yao let out a startled cry and began to weep, which startled me. I rushed in to check, and found Chief Zhang weakly opening his eyes, managing a bitter smile as he said, "I'm hungry."
"He's fine now, stop crying. Go get some soft food," I said as I helped Sister Yao up, comforting her. I watched her leave before turning back to Chief Zhang. "What's done is done; don't dwell on it. She wouldn't blame you if she knew."
"It was her narrow-mindedness that led to her sister's death. Actually, I..."
"Enough. Let's put this behind us. Life can't be relived; the living must continue to live well."
"Thank you, Qi. I'm so tired; I just want to rest."
"Alright then, I'll take my leave and head home."
As I left Chief Zhang's house, I couldn't help but glance back. Their home looked remarkably similar to the one in that painting.
Qin Jian was thrilled that Chief Zhang had woken up and invited me to join him and Chi Xinrong for some street food.
"Sigh, I'm always the one worrying. This isn't a time for celebration; once your leave is over, hurry back to continue investigating the cold case. I still need to find Dengke Qi." After leaving Chief Zhang's house, I stopped by a noodle shop for a quick bowl of fried sauce noodles to fill my stomach. Before I even got home, I received a message from Shen Shoucai.
At the clinic in Xinfeng Town, an elderly patient was complaining of neck pain. The clinic doctor couldn't determine the cause and advised the patient to go to a larger hospital. Coincidentally, Shen Shoucai was inspecting the area and quickly informed me of the situation.
I immediately took a taxi to Xinfeng Town.
Xinfeng Town is a relatively remote area of City A, with its population gradually increasing. I had been here before; it was just a single street leading straight through. There was one hospital, a small school, and a few mediocre shops.
Now, looking around, the changes in Xinfeng Town were simply astounding.
The wide road was lined with straight rows of streetlights, bustling with a noisy crowd. There were several medical stations in town, and I found the one belonging to Shen Shoucai. Upon inquiry, I confirmed that such an eccentric person indeed existed. He had a pain in his neck, not from an injury or any other ailment, but simply a sharp sensation.
According to the descriptions from the medical station staff, this person bore some resemblance to Dengke Qi. Unfortunately, I was a step too late; he had already taken a vehicle to the larger hospital.
I took out my compass and tested it with a cotton swab that had been examined by the doctor at the medical station. Regrettably, the person I encountered earlier was not the one I was looking for. Without finding him, Shen Shoucai and I did not leave immediately. We weren't lingering just because it was market day in Xinfeng Town; we sensed that there was something unusual here.
Xinfeng Town was on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by farmland, where vendors shouted and haggled over vegetables in a lively manner.
I clasped my hands behind my back, concealing Shen Shoucai within my grasp. As we passed by Ming Yi Paper Craft Shop, Shen Shoucai remarked, "Boss, that girl is quite something."
The Paper Effigy Shop was small and could not compare to our Funeral Home. At the entrance stood a paper figurine of a Foreign Girl, meticulously crafted with blonde hair and blue eyes; this was the Foreign Girl that Shen Shoucai referred to.
In reality, there were many who idolized foreign culture, and I couldn't stand those pretentious individuals who fawned over everything foreign. They had their own Chinese names but insisted on adopting bizarre foreign names like "Jack."
"Lauren is dead!" They would often rattle off a string of unrecognizable English names.
"Same here—do you like this one?"
"No, let me take a look."
The person asking was relatively young, of medium height with an elongated face and dark skin. He had a straight nose and wide mouth, thick hair and bushy eyebrows. His eyes were not large but were sharp and alert, exuding an intelligent glint.
"You can look, but don't touch."
Did I reach out? No, it was Shen Shoucai who did.
It seemed this person was not simple. Who was Shen Shoucai? The Azure-Headed Ghost. A ghost could only hide away; entering such a place and daring to reveal himself required these items that attracted Yin Qi. He reached out to touch the paper figurine of the Foreign Girl.
"Cough, cough, I don't want a Foreign Girl, but I'm looking for a good-quality coffin. Do you have one ready?"
"You want a coffin? Are you sure it's not an Ice Coffin?" The shopkeeper seemed a bit troubled but didn't want to lose what appeared to be a promising customer.
"What's the matter? Don't you have one ready?" I crossed my arms and sat down with an air of authority.
"We do, but it's not in the store. I can get you a fine coffin, but many people think coffins are too heavy these days. With the rise of cremation, not many people are buying them anymore. That particular coffin has been in our shop for quite some time; we only got rid of it recently."
"Then I'd like to see what you have."
"Sure, you can take a look." The shopkeeper called over another woman who was chatting nearby. "Ruizhi, come help out and take these folks to see the coffin."
Hearing that a coffin might sell, the chatting woman approached with a big smile. "Oh, you have great taste! The stock I have at home is really something; you'll see once you check it out."
I didn't say much as I rolled my eyes and followed Shen Shoucai back inside. Just as we were leaving, I suddenly noticed a hungry Deadbeat standing behind the woman and turned to the shopkeeper. "You've got trouble coming your way; you'd better send your woman off, or things could get messy tonight."
The shopkeeper quickly turned around, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and instructed the woman to pour another drink after giving her some hurried instructions before we all left Ming Yi Paper Craft Shop together.
On the way, the boss introduced himself. "I'm Li Mingyi. The person you just met is my younger brother. He died from the plague—starved himself to death until he was just skin and bones. Quite pitiful."
"That is indeed pitiful."
We wound through several alleys and soon arrived at Li Mingyi's home. It was a typical rural courtyard house, with fallen leaves and grass in the roof gutters and moss covering the ground—moss thrives in shady spots. So here, the Yin Qi was particularly heavy.
Li Mingyi pointed to a room at the back. "The coffin is in there; go take a look." I let out a cold laugh and strolled over. As soon as I approached, I heard a loud clang as the door closed behind me. The already heavy Yin Qi combined with the shade from the trees made for poor lighting; now that the door was shut, the room felt chillingly cold.
Inside, it was dark until Li Mingyi turned on the light, revealing that there indeed stood a coffin in the corner.
The coffin had not yet been painted, as there were customs surrounding the coloring of coffins in rural areas.
A black coffin was for those who died from illness, while a red coffin was reserved for the elderly who passed away peacefully. A white coffin was designated for unmarried men and women. An unpainted coffin was typically used by impoverished families, and only a golden coffin was meant for royalty.
This was an unpainted coffin.
I circled around the coffin, and Shen Shoucai told me, "Boss, the coffin is empty; there's nothing you want." I shook my head, indicating that this coffin wasn't suitable, and then I stepped out with Li Mingyi.
In front of Li Mingyi's house stood several large trees, forming a line that separated the graveyard. It was clear that this was once a storage room used by the rural Cooperative, now converted into a dwelling. The mounds nearby were actually new graves that appeared after the Cooperative disbanded.
When the Cooperative dissolved, each household received a plot of land, just enough to bury their deceased relatives. The storage room, which had been Cooperative land, was also divided up after the land redistribution, leading to the establishment of these graves.
"Li Mingyi, you can't live in this house anymore; it's too yin. The graveyard is right across from you, and the Yin Qi is too heavy."
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