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墨書 Inktalez
It was a house made of rammed earth, with a roof covered in gray tiles, and dilapidated window frames. A jujube tree stood trembling in the wind in the courtyard, and the open door revealed no signs of life inside.
However, there were herbs drying in the courtyard, which caught the attention of Qin Keqing and Shen Binghan.
If no one lived here, who would hang herbs out to dry?
"Is anyone home?" Qin Keqing exchanged glances with Shen Binghan and stepped into the courtyard, calling out several times toward the open door.
The house was silent, truly as if no one were there.
The two looked at each other, unsure whether to enter or retreat. Just then, a faint groan came from inside the house, startling them. Wasn't that Su Bei's voice?
"Su Bei, is that you?"
"Help me..."
The voice indeed belonged to Su Bei.
This time, Qin Keqing did not mishear; he and Shen Binghan rushed into the house one after the other.
Inside was a chaotic mess; it was clear that this place had not been lived in for some time. But how had Su Bei ended up here? Moreover, he had an injury that made walking difficult. With his abilities, he surely couldn't have come here on his own. Did that mean what the child said was true?
Qin Keqing scanned the surroundings warily.
Shen Binghan followed closely behind, nervously looking toward the source of the cries for help.
On a straw mat lay a pile of tattered items, resembling old cotton stuffing. The strong scent of herbs filled the air, and then the pile shifted as a hand reached out.
"Su Bei? Is that you?"
"Yes... it's me... Binghan..." It was indeed Su Bei. Shen Binghan exclaimed in surprise and joy, "Qin Keqing, he's here!"
Qin Keqing and Shen Binghan rushed forward, crouching down to look at Su Bei lying on the ground.
Su Bei looked very unwell. His complexion was waxy yellow, his eye sockets sunken, and his lips were dry and cracked.
"Do you have any water? I want to drink some," he said weakly.
"I'll go check for you," Qin Keqing replied as she turned to search.
Shen Binghan stayed by Su Bei's side. He noticed that Su Bei's wound seemed to be festering, oozing a yellowish pus, and a faint foul smell wafted from it.
Su Bei asked, "How is Ye Chenfeng doing now?"
"You should worry about yourself! Why isn't this wound healing?" Shen Binghan frowned with concern. Remembering Su Bei's condition, he reached out to help him sit up.
Su Bei smiled faintly and said, "Actually, it's much better. Look, I'm already street fighting."
To Shen Binghan, it looked like the wound was rotting; how could it possibly be scabbing over? Not wanting to disappoint Su Bei, he nodded encouragingly and said, "Yes, yes, it's scabbing over. You need to stay strong; once Ye Chenfeng finds us, everything will be fine."
"What? Did you get separated from Ye Chenfeng?"
"Not exactly. He went to find Ding Li... I don't know how things are going."
Qin Keqing had been gone for a long time, and Shen Binghan was quite worried but also reluctant to leave Su Bei alone. After all, they had finally found him; he couldn't just abandon him so easily.
Suddenly, a sound echoed.
Qin Keqing came in from outside, entering in a strange backward manner, and abruptly a woman appeared in front of him.
To call her a woman was based purely on Shen Binghan's judgment of her figure.
She had a slender and delicate figure, and beneath a black veil, her face was a mystery. Her walking posture was strange, exuding an overwhelming aura of malice. Moreover, her feet did not touch the ground—she was not human!
"That's her... she brought me here."
Shen Binghan initially thought it was an illusion, perhaps a trick of the light or a mirage born from exhaustion. But to his surprise, Su Bei pointed out that she was indeed the one who had taken him away, and Qin Keqing could see her too.
Ye Chenfeng had once said that ordinary ghosts do not harm people unless they harbor resentment and linger in the mortal realm seeking revenge before they can finally rest.
So what kind of ghost was this one before him? How could she appear in broad daylight?
Shen Binghan thought carefully; this place was rarely visited by people, especially during the day. The dense trees blocked out the sunlight even in summer, and in winter, sunlight was even scarcer. Thus, this area naturally formed a heavy atmosphere of yin energy, making it plausible for a ghost to appear in daylight.
Qin Keqing's legs trembled uncontrollably, and she stammered, "You..."
The woman in black did not lift her veil but instead waved her hand forcefully. Qin Keqing's body flew back like a kite with its string cut, crashing to the ground.
"Xiao Xiao..." The woman in black let out a sinister laugh, her empty sleeves swirling as a chilling wind swept through the room, coating the walls with frost. The cold made Qin Keqing shiver uncontrollably, her limbs numb and on the verge of freezing.
Especially Su Bei, who trembled violently, feeling as stiff as wood and unable to move.
Shen Binghan had some strength left and lunged forward, but it was futile; he was quickly pushed back by the cold wind from the woman in black.
"You... what are you?"
"Ye Chenfeng abandoned you; he went off to enjoy himself. Don't you hate him?" The woman in black threw her head back and let out a piercing laugh before continuing, "I can help you fulfill your desires. Just give your souls to me, and you will be free to return home and reunite with your families."
Qin Keqing scoffed defiantly, "Ye Chenfeng is our good friend; we won't hate him. You have no threat over us!"
"Then if you have a woman you hate, I can help you achieve your wish—let her die! Then give me your souls."
Hearing the voice of the female ghost, which was soft and melodious, Shen Binghan speculated that she must be very young. He didn't know what the ghost wanted their souls for, but it seemed that she harbored a deep hatred for Ye Chenfeng.
Moreover, the purpose of keeping them here was to lure Ye Chenfeng.
Thus, Shen Binghan began to worry about Ye Chenfeng.
Qin Keqing shielded the suffering Su Bei with her body, but she could not resist the chilling aura emanating from deep within him. If this continued, Su Bei would surely freeze to death. He wondered if he could exchange his own soul for Su Bei's life and whether the woman in black would agree.
Under Shen Binghan's astonished gaze, Qin Keqing struggled to stand up by leaning against the wall and slowly walked toward the woman in black. Once he steadied himself, he said, "I will give you my soul, but I have no one I hate. I only need assurance that Su Bei will be safe."
The woman in black was not interested in the soul of someone who bore no hatred. It was as if she felt mocked by Qin Keqing; enraged, she shouted, "You dare to mock me? I will make you suffer a fate worse than death..." Her teeth were bared as the veil of black fabric was blown aside by the wind, revealing a pale face devoid of color.
Her visage was as ugly as withered tree bark.
The sight of such an ugly face beneath the lifted veil made both Shen Binghan and Qin Keqing gasp in shock.
Just as the woman in black prepared to deliver a fatal blow to Qin Keqing, a loud shout came from the doorway. Ye Chenfeng appeared, wielding a Ghost-Collecting Gourd and standing on a Bagua while chanting incantations. Waves of fierce righteous energy filled the room, overpowering the surrounding gloom.
The woman in black let out a piercing scream and extended her claw-like fingers to attack Ye Chenfeng.
At that moment, a little girl suddenly emerged from behind Ye Chenfeng.
"Auntie..."
The girl's unexpected appearance startled the woman in black, causing her claws to veer slightly. With a swift motion, she tore at the girl's clothing just as another figure darted forward.
It was the red-clad female ghost.
The two ghosts—one black and one red—instantly became entangled in combat, exchanging various ghostly powers. The woman in black had an advantage due to her demonic nature, but just as she aimed to kill the red-clad ghost, Ye Chenfeng's powerful shout froze her in place.
“Ghost Granny, this is your soul. What do you think will happen if I destroy it?”
The woman in black was Ghost Granny?
Qin Keqing, Shen Binghan, and the recovering Su Bei were all stunned.
It seemed that Ye Chenfeng had come to capture Ghost Granny during this expedition. They had been tricked.
Ghost Granny looked at the girl, then at the red-clad ghost, and finally at the soul gourd in Ye Chenfeng's hand, ultimately abandoning the idea of fighting to the death.
“Auntie, is it really you?” The girl's eyes were filled with tears as she looked up at the woman in black veils.
The red-clad ghost said to the woman in black, “Ye Daozhang has avenged us. The enemy is dead now. Sister, it's time for you to put down your weapon and become a Buddha. When will this cycle of vengeance end? Let’s go to where we should be and not disturb them anymore.”
The woman in black lifted her veil, revealing an incredibly hideous face wrapped in white skin. It was hard to tell whether she was smiling or crying. She nodded at Ye Chenfeng and said, “Thank you.” Then she transformed into a wisp of black mist and entered the Ghost-Collecting Gourd. The red-clad ghost smiled apologetically at Ye Chenfeng and said, “I leave Xiang'er in your care.”
“Okay, you can rest assured.”
The woman in black and the red-clad ghost departed.
Ye Chenfeng looked at Su Bei.
Suddenly, Su Bei felt all his pain vanish in an instant, and even his festering wounds miraculously healed. He grinned at Shen Binghan and said, “See? I told you my wounds have healed. You were so worried for nothing.”
Shen Binghan remained silent, staring at him alongside Qin Keqing, both speaking in unison: “You’ve put us through hell; we want revenge.”
“Revenge my foot! Hurry down the mountain and take the hidden money from Boss with Rhinophyma, red like a strawberry placed on the dough. We need to mobilize everyone from Zhanglin Village to move out.” Ye Chenfeng ignored their complaints and led Su Bei and the little girl ahead toward the exit.
Qin Keqing shrugged while Shen Binghan sighed helplessly and shook her head, saying, “Getting tricked is just a part of our daily lives.”
Mobilizing the people of Zhanglin Village to relocate is easier said than done.
Ye Chenfeng, along with the girl and Sister Guai, found the Boss with Rhinophyma, whose nose was red like a strawberry placed on dough. The hidden money was being guarded by a brown bear that cursed like a shrew. A fierce dog, which had been aggressive before, whimpered and howled when Ye Chenfeng entered, showing no signs of ferocity. This made the brown bear woman nearly faint with anger.
The elders of Zhanglin Village insisted that this was their birthplace, and they would rather die here than leave. Thus, they were unwilling to move. The mobilization resulted in only a few women and children agreeing to go, with very few men following suit.
Ye Chenfeng counted a total of eight elders who refused to leave Zhanglin Village.
The number of those willing to leave was also small, only a few dozen people.
The next day, Ye Chenfeng arranged for the most immobile individuals to sit in Qin Keqing's vehicle while he and the others walked alongside the Zhanglin villagers to the designated relocation area.
This expedition was terrifying; Qin Keqing and Shen Binghan were troubled by the fact that Ye Chenfeng had not told them the whole truth, feeling deceived.
Before leaving the Zhanglin villagers behind, Ye Chenfeng went to a certain place.
It was a location he had visited with Qin Keqing.
This place was where they had encountered a large gathering of Cold Crows upon their arrival and where they had been attacked.
They climbed the mountain and witnessed a horrifying scene.
On the mountain lay four skeletons that had been pecked at by Cold Crows. Among the remains, one belonged to Sun Hong, while the other three were individuals from photographs they had seen.
Ye Chenfeng took pictures of the skeletons with his phone, then recited sutras for their souls before burying them on the mountain and finally leaving.
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