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墨書 Inktalez
Suddenly, the Village Chief seemed to realize something terrifying. He muttered to himself, as if speaking of something ominous. In a flurry, he rushed to find my mother, mentioning something called "it."
I gathered my thoughts, and my heart sank. I immediately understood that the "it" the Village Chief referred to was the Ancient Vine Demon.
My mother had told me about a forest in our village called Meilin. Meilin was a forbidden area, said to be inhabited by man-eating spirits. The villagers were wary of entering; even hunters would avoid it.
But many years ago, a woman and a man ventured into Meilin at midnight. Only the woman returned. The woman who came back had changed drastically and began to speak in strange tongues. After questioning her, it was revealed that she had encountered the Ancient Vine Demon in Meilin.
She told the villagers that as long as they played happily with it, the Ancient Vine Demon could grant their wishes. Thus, the villagers went mad with excitement. They began sneaking into Meilin at night to rendezvous with the Ancient Vine Demon. However, what they encountered were merely ordinary vines; they did not find the Ancient Vine Demon.
Gradually, their frustration grew. To vent their anger, the villagers started cutting down all the vines in Meilin, clearing paths through the forest. They fashioned the vines into stakes and drove them into every tree in Meilin. Then they set the stakes ablaze.
The flames illuminated Meilin, as they hoped to find the Ancient Vine Demon. But instead, they accidentally ignited a great fire, turning Meilin into a sea of flames.
After that great fire, the men who had visited Meilin began to undergo strange transformations. Their limbs gradually fused together, their bodies became smooth and delicate, hair fell out, and they increasingly resembled vines.
My grandmother was the woman who returned from Meilin after encountering the Ancient Vine Demon. Witnessing the changes in those men, she devised a plan to nurture the Ancient Vine Demon. This demon was kept in our own yard.
They intertwined with each other, emitting the voices of men. The so-called Ancient Vine Demon could grant wishes as long as women satisfied it and made their requests when it was pleased. Consequently, women would come to our house at midnight to borrow potted plants, hoping that it would fulfill their desires.
But now, first my father, then Aunt Li, had met the same fate. They were both dead. The Village Chief was terrified; he believed it was the Ancient Vine Demon seeking revenge again, not Yu Zhen returning for vengeance.
The Village Chief anxiously looked at my mother. "The village is in trouble; you must help us."
My mother shot him a cold glance. "Didn't I say so?"
"I don't know what to do either," he sighed, shaking his head. "What are we going to do? The Ancient Vine Demon is here for revenge."
My mother said nothing, dismissed the Village Chief, and turned to enter the room. The moment she opened the door, I saw a potted plant inside; the vines had grown as tall as a person.
They were intertwined, constantly writhing and rubbing against each other, producing a strange sound. It resembled a man's voice. My mother closed the door, and her voice echoed in the room.
"Don't think about going out."
"You can't go out either."
Was she talking to the potted plant? A chill ran down my spine. It turned out my mother truly knew everything.
That day, I stood in the yard with a knife in hand. Beneath my feet, chicken blood slowly trickled down the vine into the pot. The moment the vine touched the blood, it began to stir restlessly. The tendrils writhed incessantly, intertwining and creating a loud noise. I heard them speaking.
"Fulfill me... I will grant... your wish..."
A sly smile crept across my face.
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