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墨書 Inktalez
The day of the Yin Marriage arrived when the Incense Master returned home to calculate the birth dates of Dog Wazi and the female corpse, temporarily designating the day the body was discovered as the woman's birth date. After some calculations, the Incense Master set the wedding date for a Sunday evening. In the countryside, news spread quickly; even the slightest disturbance would be talked about far and wide.
Soon, word that Dog Wazi's family was preparing for a Yin Marriage spread throughout the town. Relatives and friends from near and far flocked to witness this unprecedented event.
Everything was arranged in accordance with how living people conduct weddings, but with one notable difference: almost everything was made of paper. The paper offerings included dowries, paper figurines of a golden boy and jade girl, paper cars, and an array of electrical appliances, all of which drew murmurs of admiration from onlookers.
The paper craftsman completed all the tasks assigned by the host family and decided to stay on to enjoy the festivities. The Yin Marriage ceremony took place at the Land Temple, where the Incense Master publicly burned the birth dates of Dog Wazi and the female corpse in a censer.
Dog Wazi's parents, under the Incense Master's guidance, each held a chicken—his father with a rooster and his mother with a hen. A red ribbon tied the two chickens together as they began their prayers to heaven and earth.
As night fell heavily around them, the ceremony concluded. People left Dog Wazi's home in small groups, discussing among themselves. The Incense Master accepted a thank-you payment from Dog Wazi's father and was asked to deliver it home.
Sun Guiying felt anxious and hurried out of Dog Wazi's room. Just after the Yin Marriage ceremony had ended, she rushed to check if her son had woken up yet. However, when she arrived, he remained unchanged, still in his deep slumber.
"Incense Master... why is Dog Wazi still like this? It's been eight days! The doctor has checked him over..." Sun Guiying cried as she clung to the Incense Master, refusing to let her go as if her departure would somehow wake her son.
"I say, you as a mother need to have some patience! It takes at least three days! That girl is newly married to your son; how could he just leave her behind and return to the living world immediately?" The Incense Master admonished her firmly.
Dog Wazi's father agreed. He found some sense in what the Incense Master said and urged his wife, "Just listen to what the Incense Master says! Who knows? Gouwa might wake up tonight."
Sun Guiying nodded slowly but reluctantly watched her husband escorting the Incense Master out of sight as dusk settled in with its gray mist. Exhausted, she returned to Dog Wazi's side, lifting his cold hand to her face and gently breathing warmth onto it. Looking at Dog Wazi's sleeping face that resembled peaceful slumber, Sun Guiying made a silent decision.
That night, Severe Cold couldn't sleep at all; images of the female corpse's pale face and her naked body kept replaying in her mind. Summer nights were vibrant with sounds; various insects filled the air like an enchanting concert. After dozing off briefly, Severe Cold awoke to see the pale night outside her window. At that moment, she felt as if she had been injected with a stimulant—wide awake with no hint of sleepiness. Strange whispers echoed faintly in her ears; straining to listen revealed they came from a river some distance away from home.
Severe Cold fumbled in the dark, barefoot on the floor, and gently pulled open the door to the room. In the pitch-black house, he could easily discern the layout; he knew where the main door was and where the sofa was placed.
Night Mist swirled above the town like a spell had been cast upon him. Severe Cold walked mechanically toward the sound coming from the riverbank. He felt no fear despite it being late at night; he simply walked on, his feet stepping on dewy grass, the coolness beneath him felt quite pleasant.
As Severe Cold scanned the area within his line of sight, he noticed a profound silence by the riverbank. Where had that sound gone? Who would be calling out by the river in the middle of the night? The cold wind swirling around him did not deter his intention to approach the river; he was determined to see who was calling.
It was as if he were bewitched, continuing to walk toward the river. Normally, he wouldn’t have dared to come here at this hour. The clusters of fallen large-leafed sedge swayed with the wind, resembling a Demon Leader, but more accurately, they looked like a ghost with long hair dancing wildly in the breeze.
A strong gust of wind hit him, jolting Severe Cold from his daze. He suddenly became aware of his surroundings, shrouded in Night Mist, with the sound of wind rushing by his ears.
‘How did I end up here?’ Severe Cold gasped in shock and hurriedly stepped back. At this point, he had already descended from the riverbank; he could feel the uneven stones beneath his toes pressing painfully against his feet, slick with moss.
Just as Severe Cold thought about retreating, he noticed many people gathered below the bank—men, women, children… Were they holding a meeting here? Seeing others made him abandon his retreat; he thought these people were likely from Dog Wazi's family, here to pray for something.
Step by step, Severe Cold cautiously navigated over the slippery stones, wanting to get closer to see what they were doing. The group seemed silent, huddled together in circles whispering among themselves.
Finally, Severe Cold approached one of the nearest circles, which was mostly made up of adults. “What activity are you all doing?” he asked softly as he got closer.
Strangely enough, his voice seemed to vanish into thin air; no one acknowledged him. Feeling a bit frustrated, he pressed forward, thinking that if he succeeded in mingling with them tonight, he could boast about it tomorrow and impress his friends with tales of how their brave leader dared to play by the river at night.
As Severe Cold squeezed into the circle of people, he found it impossible to see their faces clearly and felt puzzled. These people were so tall… much taller than his parents…
Not giving up, Severe Cold stood on tiptoe and stretched his neck to grab hold of someone's pants. “Uncle! What activity are you all doing?” he shouted loudly.
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