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墨書 Inktalez
Too many Vengeful Spirits gathered together, distorting the space. The evil spirits set up a barrier, confusing Ye Chenfeng and Qin Keqing. What appeared was a space unlike reality; it felt as if they had crossed into an unknown era, where everything they saw and encountered was not real.
"Om, Ma, Ni, Padme, Hum..." Pushed to his limits, Ye Chenfeng formed hand seals and chanted protective mantras. A surge of positive energy erupted explosively, shattering the barrier. At the same time, a heavy sensation struck his heart; his throat tasted metallic and sweet. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and stumbled, calling out, "Qin Keqing..."
Qin Keqing was at a loss. Hearing the shout, she pushed away the women holding her and ran. Seeing Ye Chenfeng spitting blood startled her; she rushed forward to support him.
"We need to get out of here quickly. The opponent is too powerful. Just now when we entered, there was no sign of malevolent or dark energy—this opponent's abilities are extraordinary."
Ye Chenfeng felt waves of sweetness rising in his throat; he was in extreme discomfort.
"Which way should we run?"
"Now that the barrier is broken, there’s a chance a new one might appear. Zhou Zhisheng is dead; we’ll figure out our next move once we’re outside."
"Should we retreat the same way we came?"
"Yes."
Taking advantage of the fact that their opponent had not yet formed a new barrier, Ye Chenfeng and Qin Keqing fled through the secret passage. Just as they emerged from the darkness, they were startled to see someone standing in front of them. Both were taken aback, especially Qin Keqing, whose face turned pale with fear as they quickly crouched down to hide.
"Don’t hide; it's a friend."
The voice belonged to an elderly man with a hoarse tone. He was slightly hunched over, dressed in gray monk robes, holding a string of prayer beads and a whisk.
A friend? Ye Chenfeng couldn’t recall knowing such an old monk.
The old monk was spirited and radiant, his eyes gleaming with intensity. He swiftly grabbed Ye Chenfeng's wrist and, after a moment of contemplation, pulled out a dark, spicy pill from a bag slung over his shoulder and unceremoniously shoved it into Ye Chenfeng's mouth.
"What is this?"
"Didn't my disciple tell you? This is high-quality Black Dog Blood..."
"Cough..." Ye Chenfeng felt like vomiting. The old monk turned to Qin Keqing and said, "Let's go; this isn't a place to linger." She shivered, glancing around nervously but couldn't escape the monk's grip.
"We want to leave too, but the problem is there's no village ahead or inn behind us. It's still far from the city; how far can we run on our legs?"
The old monk replied, "As long as we run fifty meters away, we'll be safe."
He then led Ye Chenfeng and Qin Keqing in a sprint until they reached a dense forest where they finally stopped. After catching their breath, they ventured deeper into the woods. Ye Chenfeng and Qin Keqing had no choice but to follow the old monk until they stumbled upon a makeshift shelter.
The shelter had been built long ago when the trees were saplings, tended by someone who had long since abandoned it. It was now decayed and in disrepair. The roof was made of straw mats that had turned black, and the wooden structure was covered in a layer of fuzzy golden mold.
Inside the shelter, the straw emitted a musty odor, and wild grass had grown around it.
How did the old monk know about this place? Ye Chenfeng and Qin Keqing didn't want to sit on the moldy straw, so they stood beside the shelter watching as the old monk sat cross-legged, fingers moving over prayer beads while he muttered incantations.
"Why do we need to run fifty meters?" Ye Chenfeng felt much better now; that pill made from Black Dog Blood and something else had indeed worked wonders, restoring his body to its normal state.
The old monk paused his chanting and looked at Ye Chenfeng with focused eyes. "Fifty meters away means our opponents can't reach us," he explained. Then he noticed the gourd at Ye Chenfeng's waist, which reminded him of his disciple. With a sorrowful tone, he lamented, "Disciple... this is all fate; do not blame your master for not saving you."
Ye Chenfeng unfastened the Ghost-Collecting Gourd and handed it over with both hands.
The old monk did not take the gourd but instead said with a serious expression, "Since you have carefully given this item to me, you should keep it well."
Ye Chenfeng nodded and reattached the Ghost-Collecting Gourd to his waist.
Qin Keqing seemed very anxious about Ye Chenfeng's injuries, staring intently at the old monk's whisk. She appeared to be wary of that whisk and quietly said to Ye Chenfeng, "Ye Chenfeng, what that person is holding looks just like what a eunuch would carry in the movies; he is definitely not a good person."
Ye Chenfeng smiled wryly and replied, "What the monk holds is called a whisk; what a Taoist holds is called a cloud sweeper or cloud fan; what a eunuch holds is called a cleansing whip."
"You brat, my disciple has good judgment and hasn't misjudged him."
Now that Ye Chenfeng looked closely at the old monk before him, he realized he resembled the Deep Mountain Old Monk described by Little Monk and Shen Binghan perfectly. Although he had questions about how the Deep Mountain Old Monk could arrive here so quickly and even save him, it was indeed happening.
He knelt down with a thud and asked, "Master, are you the Deep Mountain Old Monk?"
The old monk nodded and said, "Indeed."
Qin Keqing widened her eyes, looking around nervously as if she wanted to flee but knew she couldn't. She was as restless as an ant on a hot pan.
The Deep Mountain Old Monk helped Ye Chenfeng up and said, "Get up quickly; what virtue does an old monk have to receive your bow?"
Ye Chenfeng was puzzled. "Why not?"
"The Old Monk understands celestial phenomena and is well-versed in the Five Elements and Bagua. Water nourishes Earth, Earth produces Metal, Metal generates Wood, Wood fuels Fire, and Fire creates Water. The Five Elements interact: Metal controls Wood, Wood controls Earth, Earth controls Water, Water controls Fire, and Fire controls Metal. The cycle of generation: Metal produces Water, Water produces Wood, Wood fuels Fire, Fire nourishes Earth."
Ye Chenfeng did not understand the meaning behind the old monk's mutterings, but he felt it was inappropriate to interrupt with questions.
Qin Keqing seemed preoccupied, her mind elsewhere, yet she was helpless as Ye Chenfeng did not heed her words.
The old monk said, "Ye, you belong to the water element, while my disciple belongs to fire. You are his fate's calamity. When he descended the mountain, I warned him to avoid anyone with the surname Ye, but he stubbornly ignored my advice..."
Hearing this from the old monk made Ye Chenfeng feel uneasy. Was it possible that he had caused Little Monk and Shen Binghan's demise? Just as he was lost in thought, a light object suddenly shot towards Qin Keqing's face.
Qin Keqing was caught off guard and fell to the ground with a muffled sound.
"Master, you..."
The old monk waved his hand and said, "Just watch."
Ye Chenfeng turned to look at Qin Keqing and saw a faint soul detach from her body. The spirit then gracefully bowed to him and the old monk, saying, "This humble girl borrowed the young master's body to escape. I only wish to be reincarnated as a human and mean no harm. I ask for your blessing, Master."
What the hell! Ye Chenfeng was shocked that a ghost had attached itself to Qin Keqing without him noticing. Wasn't that a bit ridiculous? His face flushed with embarrassment as he reached for a talisman to capture the female ghost.
The old monk hurriedly stopped him, saying, "She is kind-hearted; she means no harm. If it weren't for her help, you wouldn't have escaped so smoothly. You must understand that your opponent is not easy to deal with."
Ye Chenfeng looked at the woman, dressed in a black qipao, exuding an extraordinary aura and possessing delicate features.
"Are you Dancer?"
"Yes."
"How did you end up in the Mental Hospital?"
The Dancer turned to look at the dark, shadowy Mental Hospital and said, "Actually, that place is a den of evil. Back in 1939, it was known as the Devil Hospital, targeting the most vulnerable people—those without weapons and without money for treatment."
"1939?"
The old monk nodded, signaling the Dancer to continue.
Ye Chenfeng asked, "Can you tell me your name?"
"Dancing Flower," she replied. "It's my stage name; I don't remember my real name." Dancing Flower continued, "Those who came to this hospital for treatment could only enter but never leave. My brother fell gravely ill and had no money for medical care. He heard that treatment here was free, so he came... only to be used by those insane Island Nation People for experiments, having his organs and intestines taken out for bacterial testing."
Hearing this from Dancing Flower made Ye Chenfeng tremble with rage.
The old monk was feeding medicine to Qin Keqing.
Ye Chenfeng gritted his teeth and asked Dancing Flower, "How many hospitals like this are there in China?"
Dancing Flower sank into her memories. "Many..."
Ye Chenfeng looked at the old monk. The old monk nodded at him and sighed, "Because of this, there are too many Vengeful Spirits gathered together, unable to reincarnate. Plus, with the full moon night approaching, the Island Nation Ghosts will awaken and attempt once more the Human Body experiments they failed to complete in life."
"Then, aren't the patients in the Mental Hospital in great danger?"
"Yes."
As Ye Chenfeng spoke of these matters, blood-red tears streamed down, and his body grew increasingly insubstantial, as light and weightless as a transparent sheet of paper.
"Are you alright?"
The old monk said, "She is about to leave. You need to guide her."
Ye Chenfeng nodded in agreement, sitting cross-legged as instructed by the old monk, reciting the Calm Soul Incantation and the Transcendence Spell.
The old monk draped his robe over Qin Keqing, closely observing his movements.
Dancing Flower expressed her gratitude with a bow to Ye Chenfeng and then to the old monk.
Suddenly, the temperature dropped sharply, and white mist enveloped the forest. From within the mist emerged a striking young man; Ye Chenfeng focused his gaze and realized it was Shen Binghan, the disciple of the Deep Mountain Old Monk.
Shen Binghan looked impressive now, dressed in a black suit with a tie, holding a Soul Guiding Banner, resembling a ghostly envoy.
He had come to take Dancing Flower away.
Shen Binghan addressed Ye Chenfeng, saying, "Ye Chenfeng, there are civil servants in the Underworld. I have merits, and they have made an exception to accept me."
Ye Chenfeng opened his mouth to speak but found himself unable to utter a word; it was strange.
Only after Shen Binghan and Dancing Flower vanished did he finally exhale and recount what he had just witnessed, puzzled that the old monk had not seen it at all.
"I saw it; I should go meet him now," the Deep Mountain Old Monk said with a wry smile as he helped the recently awakened Qin Keqing to her feet.
Qin Keqing opened her mouth and asked, "Ye Chenfeng, have we encountered a ghost?"
"It's fine, the Master is here," Ye Chenfeng pointed to the Deep Mountain Old Monk for Qin Keqing.
Qin Keqing looked around. What Master? There was only Ye Chenfeng.
"Ye, he is an ordinary person who cannot see the Old Monk. Extend your hand," the Old Monk said.
Qin Keqing couldn't see the old monk? Ye Chenfeng was truly surprised. Following the Old Monk's words, he extended his hand. As he did so, the Old Monk smiled and placed the whisk and prayer beads into his palm, chanting Amitabha as he vanished.
To Qin Keqing, it seemed like Ye Chenfeng had lost his mind; he extended his hand—nothing was there, yet a flash of golden light appeared, and in his eyes, another flash of gold shone. He shouted, "Ye Chenfeng, are you okay?"
Ye Chenfeng opened his eyes, but there was no trace of the Old Monk.
On his wrist was a string of beads, and the whisk had transformed into a Command Talisman imprint on his palm.
"We're heading back to school now," Ye Chenfeng said without elaborating on the Deep Mountain Old Monk. He knew what to do.
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