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墨書 Inktalez
The Soul Snatcher Princess was a topic Shen Binghan was reluctant to discuss. He repeatedly insisted that if the Soul Snatcher Princess truly appeared, he would have to return to the mountains to summon his master, the Deep Mountain Old Monk, a rather lecherous figure who, despite his indulgences, held a Buddha in his heart.
Only Shen Binghan knew what his master was really like. Ye Chenfeng could only express genuine admiration for the Deep Mountain Old Monk, completely unaware of the monk's true nature.
Later, due to an accident involving Shen Binghan, Ye Chenfeng had the chance to meet the Deep Mountain Old Monk under coincidental circumstances. Of course, their story would unfold later.
First, let’s delve into what Shen Binghan meant by the Soul Snatcher Princess.
When it came to the Soul Snatcher Princess, Shen Binghan hesitated to elaborate, fearing it would frighten Ding Li and Ye Chenfeng. In truth, he knew very little about the Soul Snatcher Princess himself, which made him stammer and struggle to explain.
As they spoke, the three of them arrived at the police station's entrance.
Ye Chenfeng was certainly not allowed inside. Ding Li had previously stated that she could only bring one person in and would need to fabricate a reason for doing so.
Inside the station, officers were busy—some were diligently summarizing work reports while others were interrogating petty thieves.
Upon entering, someone inquired about their purpose. Ding Li presented her identification and claimed she was there to see her mother. With tears streaming down her face, she employed a strategy that no compassionate person could refuse—her tearful appeal was hard to resist.
Ding Li and Shen Binghan were led before a Female Police Officer who was organizing case files.
Logically speaking, given that an incident had occurred at a four-star hotel during a holiday and no leads had been uncovered yet, Ding Li's mother—being a suspect—should not receive special treatment for family visits. However, the Female Police Officer was a mother herself. Considering that Ding Li's mother lacked any motive for murder and there was no evidence against her, after consulting with her superiors and receiving permission, she agreed to let Ding Li visit her mother.
Shen Binghan assumed the temporary identity of Ding Li's classmate and accompanied her.
In a gentle tone, the Female Police Officer informed Ding Li that her mother's situation in custody was not optimistic. She remained silent during an interview with reporters; only after they promised to obscure her face with a mosaic did she reluctantly agree to speak.
She spoke only two sentences. "I'm sorry, daughter. I'm sorry, husband."
The Female Police Officer was well aware of Ding Li's family's situation. Considering her emotions, she refrained from asking about her father. Instead, she casually mentioned that after Ding Li's mother came in, she hadn't said a word, keeping her head down all day, sighing and seemingly unable to eat or drink.
Occasionally, she would erupt in a fit of emotion, screaming hoarsely as if she were terrified of something deep within.
Listening intently, Shen Binghan calculated the time in his mind and felt a sense of foreboding. He quickly asked the Female Police Officer how much time had passed since their last questioning.
"About two hours," she replied.
"Let's go check on her."
The Female Police Officer thought Ding Li seemed a bit paranoid. Hesitantly, she led him and Shen Binghan toward Detention Room 6.
In Detention Room 6, a hunched figure with her head bowed trembled in fear. Her eyes were wide with terror as she stared at her once soft and fair hands, which had transformed in just a few hours—or even years—into dry, shriveled hands resembling those of a withered tree.
Moreover, her cheeks were undergoing a horrifying transformation. Wrinkles like worms spread across her face at an alarming rate, as if cancer cells were lurking beneath her skin.
Her body had become stooped; if there had been a mirror here, seeing her current appearance would surely have terrified her.
Footsteps echoed from the doorway, accompanied by voices.
In the Detention Room, the Old Woman stared despairingly at the door, suddenly turning away, her hunched back facing the entrance. She vowed never to face anyone again.
Entering through the door were a Female Police Officer, Ding Li, and Shen Binghan.
“Auntie, did we come to the wrong place?” Ding Li glanced at the Old Woman huddled in the corner, trembling and looking pitiful with her white hair shaking as she moved.
Shen Binghan understood what was happening; he shook his head helplessly, truly feeling powerless.
The Female Police Officer had already noticed something was off about the person in the room when she heard Ding Li's question.
Just a few hours ago, Room 6 had clearly housed a graceful and attractive middle-aged woman, who was indeed Ding Li's mother.
But now, the figure before them was a frail Old Woman nearing the end of her days.
Moreover, how could a police station possibly lock up an elderly woman without reason? There had to be something wrong; but what could it be?
“Who are you?”
The authoritative voice of the Female Police Officer startled the Old Woman in the corner, making her shiver and bury her head lower.
“Turn around.”
As she spoke, the Female Police Officer approached and helped the Old Woman up for a closer look. The Old Woman appeared terrifyingly aged, causing her to tremble and release her grip. The once articulate officer now stammered, “Y-You… who are you? How did you get here?”
Ding Li and Shen Binghan exchanged a glance, filled with surprise and uncertainty, but said nothing.
The Old Woman looked at Ding Li, a murky tear rolling down from the corner of her eye.
She knew her daughter no longer recognized her. Trembling, she reached up to wipe away the tears, shaking her head repeatedly, unwilling to speak.
She was unsure if her appearance had changed or if her voice would sound different.
"Auntie can't be mute, can she?" Ding Li voiced his doubts, asking the Female Police Officer to take him to see his mother.
The Female Police Officer was at a loss for words.
The Old Woman's clothing belonged to Ding Li's Mother, yet she seemed like a different person altogether.
Unsure of what to do, she dared not release the Old Woman or say anything further. Instead, she led Shen Binghan and Ding Li outside to wait while she went to consult with her superiors about the situation.
Thus, Ding Li's visit with his mother was put on hold.
The Old Woman who appeared in Detention Room 6 underwent a series of health checks under the supervision of the police station.
The results of those checks were classified.
The Old Woman was released, leaving behind a series of questions that ultimately became an unsolvable mystery.
Rongshu Street Police Station6Detention RoomThe suspect vanished into thin air, and an Old Woman appeared in the Detention Room. This news would never make it to the focus interview program.
Ding Li felt disappointed. The police station offered numerous excuses, claiming that her mother's case was still unresolved, and she could not visit.
Half an hour after Ding Li and Shen Binghan left the police station, a frail Old Woman emerged from the hospital.
She gazed at the bustling street, hoping to find the shop where the transaction had taken place amidst the crowd.
No matter how many times she walked down that street searching, she could no longer see that mysteriously appearing shop.
The transaction had to remain confidential; it could only be understood but not spoken of. Everything depended on chance encounters.
Shen Binghan was at a loss for words.
The Soul Snatcher Princess both existed and did not exist. Ding Li was feeling low, and Ye Chenfeng tried everything he could to make her smile but to no avail.
"This is impossible! How could this happen..." Ye Chenfeng listened as Shen Binghan explained that Ding Li's Mother had turned into an Old Woman, but he had no idea why.
"Nothing is impossible; everything is possible." Shen Binghan sat cross-legged on the lawn, closed his eyes, and pressed his palms together, his heart turbulent like raging waves. It was his limited ability; the shadow he saw at the four-star hotel during the holiday was terrifyingly vivid, yet he lacked the confidence to capture it.
That shadow was not a ghost; it was a terrifying existence. It could be said to be a product of legends passed down through word of mouth or a crystallization of some unspeakable transaction.
Ding Li was unaware that not far away, beside a tree, an Old Woman was peering at her furtively.
Being secretly watched has its own feeling, and Ding Li sensed it. She looked up at the tree and slowly got up to walk towards it.
Ye Chenfeng and Shen Binghan also noticed, and they couldn't help but follow Ding Li to see what was happening.
The tree was large, barely able to be encircled by the four of them.
There was no one behind the tree; the person who had been watching her had already left.
"Forget it. We couldn't find your mother, but we will always help you. However, before we deal with this matter, I want to make a trip back to Men'er Gou."
The sun was slowly disappearing behind the clouds, and the Ghost Festival would be over in about ten days. Ye Chenfeng couldn't wait for Ding Li to finish her business; he was eager to return to Grandma's House. For some reason, just thinking about his grandmother made him feel anxious.
He had a nagging feeling that something might happen to her.
"Aren't you supposed to be able to catch ghosts? What a load of nonsense; it's all just bragging." Ding Li said angrily as she yanked off the talisman Shen Binghan had given her, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it in frustration, striding ahead with an air of arrogance.
Shen Binghan felt a sharp pain in his heart. He hurriedly picked up the soiled talisman from the ground, wanting to explain but finding no words. He could only watch helplessly as Ding Li walked away from him.
An opportunity had arisen. Ye Chenfeng told himself as he disdainfully glanced at Shen Binghan before hastily chasing after the girl.
Ding Li, unwilling to give up, went with Shen Binghan and Ye Chenfeng to the massage parlor near the station.
Ma Yan was surprised to see Ding Li.
For the sake of Shen Binghan and Ye Chenfeng, she told Ding Li that the person her mother knew was not someone from the internet, but a customer from the massage parlor.
It was said that this customer was wealthy and powerful, not someone to be trifled with.
This customer's identity was complex; otherwise, they wouldn't have detained Ding Li's mother in the detention room without any real evidence and showed no intention of releasing her.
Ding Li wanted to continue investigating, but Ma Yan told her it was useless. Continuing would not benefit her or the mysterious man who had died.
Ma Yan's evasive words raised Ye Chenfeng's suspicions. He suspected that Ma Yan had received some benefits; otherwise, why would she stop Ding Li from searching for clues about her mother?
"I'll tell you this: society is a dog-eat-dog world, just like the rules of survival in the ocean—big fish eat small fish, and small fish eat shrimp. You are still children and don't understand much. Don't go provoking people and matters you shouldn't."
Ding Li, feeling extremely frustrated, couldn't muster any spirit. Ye Chenfeng understood her well; she had lost her father years ago and now had lost contact with her mother. Although the police station claimed they would do their best to handle the situation, they did not mention anything about her mother.
Was Ding Li's mother being silenced? That was all Ye Chenfeng could think of.
As Ma Yan said, Ding Li's mother's partner was a person of wealth and influence. Or perhaps someone wanted to protect the deceased's privacy and deliberately kept related individuals hidden away, waiting for years to pass so that Ding Li's mother could reappear freely before the world.
Ye Chenfeng thought there were interesting things at Grandma's House, like that amusing little dog with a mustache. Besides, he also wanted to go back to Grandma's House to retrieve his identification card. So he suggested that Ding Li go with him since there was still some time before school started.
Ding Li agreed to go to Grandma's House, which was a pleasant surprise for Ye Chenfeng.
After the incident at the police station, Shen Binghan appeared as wilted as a frostbitten eggplant.
Ding Li took the money from his piggy bank to buy train tickets, and the three of them took the last train in the afternoon to Men'er Gou.
The utility pole was still there, and several overlapping Missing Person Notices had been added to it.
Ye Chenfeng leaned in closer with Ding Li and Shen Binghan to take a look.
Ding Li exclaimed, "Isn't this you?"
One of the newly placed Missing Person Notices featured a photo of Ye Chenfeng.
Ye Chenfeng touched his face, looking at the photo with suspicion, muttering to himself as if speaking to them both, "This can't be me. How could I look like that?"
"You look great like this," Ding Li said seriously, not joking at all. Ye Chenfeng felt a secret joy inside but was also puzzled; ever since he ran away from Grandma's House, he hadn't really looked in a mirror.
He had a strange feeling, as if there was a memory he couldn't piece together.
This memory was his impression of himself.
Ironically, Ye Chenfeng couldn't remember what he used to look like.
"There's also a girl; look at this," Ding Li pointed at the Missing Person Notice and read aloud, "Yao Xiaohong, eighteen years old, went out cycling on a certain date and has been missing since. If anyone sees her, please call XXXXXXXX. A reward will be given."
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