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墨書 Inktalez
Song Ti The bare chest slowly became transparent at some unknown time, but strangely, his internal organs were not visible. Instead, it was as if a "television" was displaying a scene: a desolate hillside, where a small tent was pitched in a sheltered spot, solitary and dark, as if soaked in something. On its surface were painted several unknown wild beasts, and most strikingly, at the very center of the top was a "monster" with a human face and a horse's body. The limbs of the horse were not hooves but human hands, and the human face had two horns that curved toward the sky, with one horn hanging a bloody human head.
Suddenly, the tent door swung open, and an old man about five feet tall emerged. He had a bald head and an unusually long neck, resembling a mushroom. His eyes were like copper bells but devoid of any whites; his nose was level with his face, featuring only two nostrils. The right corner of his mouth was missing a piece and tilted to one side.
He wore a blood-red robe, with a string of skulls hanging around his neck, and held a Cane that was grayish-white, resembling a leg bone.
The old man walked to the side of the small tent where there was a small Campfire. He took down a pot from above it and then pulled out a broken bowl from somewhere. When he poured the contents of the pot out, Fang Miao and Chen Feiyang were startled: inside the pot were live Centipedes, scorpions, and more. What surprised them even more was that the old man brought the bowl to his mouth and began to shovel the contents in.
Fang Miao and Chen Feiyang shivered violently as they watched the old man chew on Centipedes and scorpions, dark juices and yellowish brain matter spilling out and dripping onto the ground. After finishing his meal, the old man seemed satisfied as he wiped his mouth and patted his belly before wandering around for a few minutes and then disappearing into the tent.
"What is this place? Do you know?"
This question jolted Fang Miao and Chen Feiyang awake. They exchanged glances before Fang Miao asked, "Feiyang, do you know where this is?"
Chen Feiyang’s team often trained nearby; if it was indeed as Ancient Sorcerer said, it should be close by.
Sure enough, Chen Feiyang nodded and said, "It’s definitely nearby. That place should be Decapitation Slope, about twenty kilometers from here."
"Why is it called Decapitation Slope?"
Fang Miao paused; that name did not sound like a good place.
"That place is said to have been an execution ground many years ago. It started during the Qing Dynasty. Criminals sentenced to beheadings were brought here from hundreds of miles away. Later on, those executed by gunfire were also brought here. Because so many people were killed there over time, along with its small slope, this place came to be known as ‘Decapitation Slope.’"
Ancient Sorcerer frowned slightly; such places are heavy with yin energy. More importantly, they are filled with restless spirits. The fact that the old man chose such a location indicated he was no ordinary person.
"Prepare me a Jeep, I need to go."
"No problem, I'll go with you."
As soon as Fang Miao finished speaking, the Ancient Sorcerer shook his head and said, "I'll go alone."
"Why?"
Glancing at Fang Miao, the Ancient Sorcerer replied, "You won't be of any help."
"How is that possible? I don't need you to take care of me; I can be of assistance."
Fang Miao was very persistent. In her view, having one more person meant more strength.
Chen Feiyang also nodded and said, "I'll go too. I can't say much, but we are both professionally trained individuals and can definitely help."
Pointing at Song Ti, who was sitting there, the Ancient Sorcerer said expressionlessly, "What about him? Isn't he a professionally trained person?"
Fang Miao and Chen Feiyang fell silent. Song Ti was also the most elite warrior in the group but had fallen as well. Even though the two of them were considerably more skilled than Song Ti, they weren't much better off. This time, their opponent was not an ordinary person.
Half an hour later, the Ancient Sorcerer drove away from the village alone in a Jeep, quickly disappearing into the distance.
"Sis, that old man... Ancient Sorcerer..."
Chen Feiyang's words trailed off, but Fang Miao understood his meaning.
"You know about my grandfather's illness, right? He was the one who cured it. The strange disease in Dashi Village was caused by a Scarecrow Curse, and he was the one who dealt with it. This old man should be a powerful wizard. As for whether the Ancient Sorcerer can handle him, I don't know either."
Fang Miao had no expression on her face, but Chen Feiyang's words stirred something in her heart.
"Sister, should we bring some people to follow?"
Fang Miao was moved; it was indeed a good idea. However, after a moment, she decided against it. That old man was clearly a wizard, and even if she and Chen Feiyang brought people along, they wouldn't be able to help and might even make things worse.
"Forget it. Let's just wait for good news."
"Alright then..."
Chen Feiyang rolled his eyes a few times and then said, "Sister, you should rest for a bit. I'm going to check on those little brats. They've been slacking off in their training lately and need some discipline."
"Stop right there!"
Fang Miao knew exactly what Chen Feiyang was thinking.
"Come here, not out there!"
Chen Feiyang's face immediately fell as he said, "Sister, I..."
"Hmph! Don't think I don't know you want to sneak along."
Fang Miao shot Chen Feiyang a glare and said, "Come with me."
After saying that, Fang Miao walked toward the Yard. Seeing this, Chen Feiyang could only sulkily follow behind. He knew that if he dared to say no, Fang Miao would definitely not be polite and would simply lock him up—she had always been like that since they were young. The problem was that he had never been able to beat Fang Miao, so he could only accept it.
"Sister, do you think the Ancient Sorcerer could see that old man after beating up Song Ti?"
"How would I know?"
Driving the Jeep, the Ancient Sorcerer followed the direction indicated by Chen Feiyang. Naturally, there were no roads in the wilderness, but the Jeep performed well, and his skills were well-honed, making the vehicle run like a mad horse.
In less than half an hour, he covered twenty kilometers—an impressive speed given the complete lack of roads in the mountainous area.
Through the car window, the Ancient Sorcerer spotted a low but long slope ahead, densely populated with graves of various sizes.
Decapitation Slope; the Ancient Sorcerer knew this had to be Decapitation Slope. He stopped the car, opened the door, and walked forward silently, like a raccoon making no sound at all.
After about ten minutes, a tent appeared before him. After observing it for a while, the Ancient Sorcerer finally decided to approach directly.
Just as he reached the front of the tent, an old man stepped out.
Seeing the Ancient Sorcerer, Sha Zi seemed unfazed and asked, "Who are you?"
"And who are you?"
The Ancient Sorcerer squinted his eyes at the other man while slightly retracting his hands to guard against any sudden moves.
"Hey, have a seat."
Sha Zi gestured toward two chairs beside the campfire.
"Okay."
The Ancient Sorcerer also made himself comfortable and sat down in the chair.
Sha Zi sat down opposite the Ancient Sorcerer, pointed at the jar on the Campfire, and said, "Want to eat?"
Glancing at the jar, he noticed a rustling sound coming from inside. The Ancient Sorcerer shook his head and said, "I'm not interested in toxic substances, and I can tell these Centipedes and Scorpions were dug up from a graveyard nearby."
Sha Zi was taken aback. The jar was covered; unless it had x-ray vision, how could he possibly know what was inside?
"How do you know that?"
Shaking his head, the Ancient Sorcerer replied, "If you want to eat it, go ahead. I'll wait until you're full before we talk."
"Okay."
Sha Zi nodded and didn't hold back this time. Instead of taking a bowl, he directly lifted the jar, removed the lid, and reached in to pull out some food to eat.
"Crunch crunch... wipe wipe..."
As Sha Zi ate, he occasionally glanced at the Ancient Sorcerer, hoping to see a look of fear on his face. However, he was disappointed to find that the Ancient Sorcerer simply watched him quietly, as if he were eating not Centipedes and Scorpions but a bowl of ordinary noodles.
As he continued eating, Sha Zi realized he couldn't swallow it. He raised his hand and threw the half-eaten Centipede onto the ground, stepping on it as he said, "This stuff doesn't taste right; it's a bit sour. It might not be fresh. I need to catch some more later."
"Yeah, that's possible."
Ancient Sorcerer maintained a calm expression, as if he was still willing to help catch a few.
"Then... shall we go catch a few now?"
Sha Zi narrowed his eyes, looking at Ancient Sorcerer. Anyone who could sit here with such composure was not an ordinary person.
"Do it yourself; self-sufficiency is key."
Ancient Sorcerer remained seated and continued, "I can wait for you. You should go first; it will be dark soon."
The wind between the mountains was strong, rustling through the treetops with a haunting "whoo" sound, reminiscent of ghostly wails, sending chills down one's spine.
In the twilight, an old man was digging among broken stone tablets, rotten wood, or decayed earth, stepping unevenly. Occasionally, he would toss out a grayish-white bone or throw away a stone.
Coldly watching the old man on the hillside, Ancient Sorcerer suddenly laughed. He knew the other party was trying to scare him—since they couldn't see through him, they dared not act directly but hoped to test him in this manner.
He believed that even if he showed the slightest hint of fear, the old man would surely reveal his crazed fangs and tear him apart, devouring him alive. At this moment, his calm demeanor made the other party hesitate to act against him; this was what they called being cautious in the world of martial arts—though one could also say it was simply prudent.
"Let me see what skills you truly possess."
As night deepened, a glimmer of cold light occasionally flashed in Ancient Sorcerer's eyes. The old man was slowly making his way back—the moment that would determine life and death was approaching.
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