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墨書 Inktalez
Xiong Qisheng made sure everything was clear, sighed softly, and then vanished right in front of Marin.
It was Marin's first time seeing a legendary ghost, and it appeared so vividly before her, only to disappear without warning. One moment, she was listening to Xiong Qisheng passionately recounting Xiong Biao's misdeeds, and the next, she was startled into jumping back a step.
Ye Chenfeng maintained a calm demeanor as he looked at the spot where Xiong Qisheng had disappeared. "He’s gone this time."
"Where did he go?"
"What place can a ghost go?" Ye Chenfeng chuckled. Hearing voices and loud knocks at the door, he raised a finger to hush Marin and quickly walked over to open it.
Standing outside was a middle-aged woman in a blue nurse's uniform with a mask on. She glanced at Ye Chenfeng, then into the room, and finally at Marin. Her eyes, visible above the mask, held a worldly gaze as she scrutinized the bed, which remained untouched and tidy—nothing like the chaos she had expected.
Ye Chenfeng thought that this nurse must have misunderstood what he and Marin were doing here.
Moreover, since Marin was a woman, her instincts also played a role; she opened her mouth to explain to the nurse.
But Ye Chenfeng whispered, "The more we explain, the worse it gets. Let's just leave."
The nurse didn’t press on what Ye Chenfeng and Marin were up to; instead, as they brushed past her—one entering and two exiting—she spat on the ground and muttered under her breath, "Tsk, shameless."
Marin heard it, and so did Ye Chenfeng.
The latter turned around, his piercing gaze fixed on the nurse as he stepped toward her.
The nurse looked at Ye Chenfeng; his imposing presence carried an invisible weight that made it hard for her to breathe. She didn’t realize this was what people referred to as aura. Intimidated by this unseen force, she nervously asked, "What do you want?"
Ye Chenfeng stood before her. "I was just here meeting a ghost with green skin and sharp fangs who feeds on human energy. Want to see?" His low voice wasn’t loud but had a penetrating quality that made every word clear to her.
The nurse had worked in the hospital for several years and had seen everything, including the supernatural. She likely knew more about the ghosts in the hospital than anyone else. Upon hearing Ye Chenfeng's words, she shivered and quickly apologized, saying, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were... I was just talking nonsense earlier, I won't do it again."
Ye Chenfeng didn't even glance at the nurse or listen to her words; he had already turned away.
Marin suddenly felt that Ye Chenfeng was truly different from others. He possessed something that others lacked— a sense of justice and an undeniable charm that every man should have. He reminded her of someone from her memories.
She pondered who that person could be as she walked, thinking for a long time until she recalled a movie. In it, there was a Taoist priest who specialized in exorcising evil spirits and catching ghosts, but she couldn't remember his name. Nevertheless, Marin felt that Ye Chenfeng resembled a Taoist priest practicing in seclusion.
As they exited the hospital, Marin apologized for what had just happened; it was indeed embarrassing. If the nurse hadn't clarified things in time, her slanderous words would have spread like a plague throughout the entire hospital within half a day.
"It's fine; she's just an ignorant Bagua woman," Ye Chenfeng said dismissively.
Marin asked, "Is what Xiong Biao's father said true? How could someone so poor possibly have money left behind?"
"It must be true; I believe what the ghost said," Ye Chenfeng replied as he hailed a cab to take Marin to Xiong Qisheng's home, located near the new campus across from the old residential area known as Han City Community.
Han City Community was a housing area for land-expropriated farmers.
It was probably from the 1990s, and the community appeared old and worn. Ye Chenfeng and Marin saw several elderly people sitting on benches outside the community supermarket.
Ye Chenfeng approached politely and asked, "Excuse me, ma'am, could you tell me where Xiong Qisheng's house is?"
The elderly women exchanged glances with each other, seemingly not understanding Ye Chenfeng's question.
Seeing this, Marin smiled and said, "Auntie, I'm looking for someone named Xiong Qisheng. Is he around here?"
"Yes," a younger woman said as she emerged from the supermarket, clutching a bunch of celery in one hand and a plastic bag filled with snacks in the other. Her hair was styled in loose curls, and she wore simple attire, her smile warm as she addressed Ye Chenfeng.
"Oh. Are you his neighbor?"
The woman nodded with a smile. "Yes, I live right across from him. Xiong Qisheng is in apartment 11, and I'm in 12."
Marin and Ye Chenfeng exchanged excited glances at the woman's words and quickly asked, "Can you take us to him?"
The woman hesitated before replying, "He has passed away. Who are you to him, and why are you here now?"
Ye Chenfeng was about to explain when Marin interjected, "I'm his daughter. I've been away for many years and just returned. I heard he had died and wanted to see him."
The woman's expression darkened upon hearing Marin claim to be Xiong Qisheng's daughter. "You? His daughter? Old Xiong never mentioned having a daughter," she said coldly, clearly unwilling to say more or take them along. She turned to leave.
Seeing this, Ye Chenfeng quickly forced a smile and said to the woman, "Auntie, please don’t be like that. She is actually Xiong Biao's partner."
At the mention of Xiong Biao, the woman paused and looked at Marin again with renewed scrutiny. "Old Xiong does have a son named Xiong Biao, but that brat has never cared about his father. What makes you think you can call yourself his wife?"
"I’ve met him; he gave me our home address, and then this priest came with me," Marin replied earnestly, her sincere demeanor suggesting she was not fabricating her story.
The woman fell silent, her expression softening slightly as she turned to walk ahead.
Marin and Ye Chenfeng followed closely behind her into the community.
As the woman approached the entrance of the building, she finally introduced herself. "I'm Zhu Xia, living across from Xiong Qisheng. He suffered from terminal bladder cancer. It was pitiful to see him struggling on his deathbed, crying out in pain—once a healthy man reduced to nothing but bones. He was always waiting for someone."
Ye Chenfeng and Marin both knew that the person Zhu Xia was referring to could only be Xiong Biao.
The three of them exchanged knowing glances as they entered the building and climbed the stairs.
Zhu Xia continued, "He died, unable to close his eyes in peace. Our residents' committee held a meeting to discuss it. On one hand, we tried to contact his son, Xiong Biao; on the other hand, we were making arrangements for his funeral. It rained on the day of Old Xiong's burial; even the heavens seemed to pity him. He died without even seeing his own son one last time."
"In fact, you couldn't find Xiong Biao because he is dead. He had an accident and perished in a fire, leaving no remains," Marin said with a heavy tone and a sorrowful expression, taking slow, deliberate steps beside Zhu Xia as he spoke.
Zhu Xia was naturally shocked. No wonder so many people had been mobilized but still couldn't find Xiong Biao; how could they possibly locate a dead man? Moreover, Han City Community and University Road were in completely opposite directions.
She couldn't help but wonder what kind of accident had befallen Xiong Biao and why there had been no news about him at all.
Xiong Biao had died in a fire, but Marin was unwilling to revisit the details of that incident.
Ye Chenfeng also felt it inappropriate to pry into matters that others preferred not to discuss. He was merely an observer helping a lingering spirit.
However, Zhu Xia thought differently.
It seemed she needed to uncover the truth to validate Marin's words.
Zhu Xia stopped and stared intently at Marin, asking, "I want to know what kind of accident he had. Can you tell me?"
Marin hesitated, glancing at Ye Chenfeng before responding, "It's better not to talk about this. I don't like revisiting old wounds; I've shed all my tears over it."
Zhu Xia sensed that Marin was avoiding the topic and reluctant to speak about Xiong Biao, so she refrained from pressing further.
In this resettlement housing community, the buildings were not very tall.
Xiong Qisheng's home was on the fifth floor.
When they reached the fifth floor, Zhu Xia pointed to Xiong Qisheng's apartment and asked, "Do you have the key?"
Ye Chenfeng produced the key, which Xiong Qisheng had secretly given him, entrusting him with the task of helping Marin find the money as a way to fulfill his request.
"Oh, you have the key. That's good."
To be honest, just a few seconds ago, Zhu Xia had been questioning whether Ye Chenfeng and Marin were impostors. But now, seeing Xiong Qisheng's key in their hands and hearing their account that matched Xiong Qisheng's family situation, he decided not to press them further and went inside his own home.
Ye Chenfeng opened the door.
A musty odor wafted out from within.
This was Marin's first visit to Xiong Biao's home. She felt both surprised and chilled by the atmosphere inside.
Ye Chenfeng understood that this coldness came from an empty house that had been uninhabited for a long time. The remnants of a life once lived were still present, but the most vital element—human warmth—was missing, leaving it eerie and cold.
A thin layer of dust covered the floor, marked only by their faint footprints.
Marin insisted that Ye Chenfeng accompany her to check Xiong Qisheng's bedroom to see if there was indeed a loose brick under the corner of the bed as he had mentioned.
Inside, there were only some basic household items, all rusted and some even sprouting clusters of fuzzy mold.
Xiong Qisheng's bedroom was also in disarray, with scraps of paper littering the floor alongside torn clothes and old shoes.
Ye Chenfeng frowned as he approached the bed, kneeling slightly to explore under the corner for the brick.
Indeed, he gently lifted a loose brick.
A square hole appeared before him, and when he reached in, he pulled out a wooden box.
Seeing the wooden box, Marin truly believed in the reality of Xiong Qisheng's ghostly words.
Inside the box was a deposit slip and a letter.
Marin read the letter alone.
Ye Chenfeng had no idea what the letter contained, but seeing Marin emerge with tears in her eyes led him to guess it must be something touching.
The deposit slip and its password were all there.
Marin successfully retrieved Xiong Qisheng's lifetime savings, a total of seventy thousand dollars.
Although this amount was still far from enough to cover what Marin had spent, with this money, she could work less hard and also search for her child.
Ye Chenfeng felt an immense sense of relief after fulfilling the ghost's request and began to implement his plan to find the Flame Demon.
Speaking of which, he had been pondering a question.
The Flame Demon was from University Road, and Xiong Biao also had an incident on University Road. Could there really be that many coincidences in the world?
When Ye Chenfeng returned home, night had already fallen.
The overcast sky was accompanied by a cold wind, signaling an early spring chill.
The house wasn't very big. In the past, with his parents around, along with Ding Li and later Xiang'er, it felt a bit crowded. Now, being alone in the spacious, silent space was suffocating.
Ye Chenfeng deliberately made some noise, pacing back and forth in the room while playing a DVD of a popular war film. The sounds of fighting and killing echoed throughout the house, and the thrilling scenes provided him with a bit of warmth.
After finishing a pack of instant noodles, he continued to curl up on the sofa watching TV. After a while, he called Ding Li.
Ding Li was doing well at Su Mother's house, which reassured him.
Finally, he could take a break. He needed to find clues quickly tomorrow. Ye Chenfeng told himself as he settled into a comfortable position, not wanting to turn off the TV. Being alone in the house, listening to the sounds coming from the television while dozing off was a way to relax and relieve fatigue.
"Knock knock."
The sound of knocking late at night was piercing, even louder than the static from the TV screen, clearly breaking into Ye Chenfeng's ears as he had already fallen asleep.
He opened his eyes and glanced at the clock; it was 11 PM.
Who could be knocking at this hour?
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