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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 147: Ghost Infant Duel
Fortunately, having a brother like Cao Qilong brings me some comfort. Looking at Cao Qilong's determined eyes, I feel a wave of unease. Others are risking their lives to help me, while I am the one leading him into danger.
Although I shouted about going to the county office, there are still so many things to deal with. Everything must be carefully planned; I cannot just charge in recklessly like a fool. A thorough plan is necessary before proceeding.
The first dilemma before me is that if we must go to Sanzu River, we can only enter from the other side of the Nine Palace Array, which lies under three malevolent stars. I do not know what dangers await us there, but it is undoubtedly perilous. The county office is where the Yin Eye is located. If we break the Yin Eye, the delicate balance here will be disrupted, and the entire county will turn to ashes, with all the ghosts dissipating. At the same time, the dangerous entities in the mountains will break through the evil Paper Effigy Maker's Yin Eye and become even more formidable. If Cao Qilong and I ignore the county and head into the mountains directly, I have no idea what dangers await us. It forms a cycle; one thing leads to another. I must go to the county office, which inevitably means a confrontation that could destroy the Yin Eye. If Cao Qilong and I manage to survive, we will then face a dangerous entity that has broken through the Yin Eye in the mountains. This path is truly fraught with thorns.
I shared all my thoughts with Cao Qilong, who patted my shoulder and said, "You are injured now, and we need to rest. We should wait until we are fully prepared before entering. It's just unfortunate for your little lady; she will have to suffer in Wangchuan River."
Wangchuan River holds many memories; life and death make it hard to meet again. What does this mean? I cannot understand it fully. The literal meaning is easy to grasp; my fate with Lin Xiaoqi has not yet reached its end. However, it is very likely that I will not be able to see her again until I become a ghost myself. This county office is in a lawless area; if I die here, I will be stuck with Hunchbacked Old Man forever. The two dead Old Men know our situation is perilous everywhere but refuse to help us, not even offering a small hint. I asked Cao Qilong if he dreamed of the two dead Old Men; he shook his head and said he only dreamed of a beautiful woman last night.
After discussing with Cao Qilong for half a day, we decided to focus on healing first. During my recovery period, both of us studied the books left by Yin Cheng diligently. When we go to the county office, we will kill Corpse Spirits if we can; if not, we must find ways to trap that Ghost Infant and Xiong County. We also need to investigate the county records to understand who designed this city and what lies buried in the mountains.
At first, I thought my body was fine, but every morning I woke up coughing up black blood. Cao Qilong urged me to rest assuredly while he took care of everything—finding water and food—and even moved half of Yin Cheng's belongings into the city. He threatened Hunchbacked Old Man and found a pharmacy in town where he dug out an old mountain ginseng for me.
I couldn't see the sky or keep track of time; I had no idea whether three or four days had passed or seven or eight days. This place was unsuitable for two living people like Cao Qilong and me because of the heavy Yin Qi. Although both of us had jade pendants that allowed us to descend into the Underworld, staying down for too long would affect our health significantly; life might be difficult when we grow old. I estimated that the bruises on my back had faded and that my body no longer hurt; I should be almost healed.
I slept quite a bit while Cao Qilong kept watch over me; when I slept, he read books or made paper offerings, and when I read, he would sleep. This way, one of us was always awake, providing good vigilance.
Cao Qilong focused mainly on studying paper offerings while I concentrated on talismans and formations so that we could complement each other and bring out our strongest combat capabilities; studying paper offerings would take time.
I have been studying formations, hoping to find one like the Four Spirits Absolute Formation to trap the Corpse Demon, so we could skip this part. The main issue is that both the Corpse Demon and that baby are too powerful; there’s no way we can kill them.
I can no longer set up the Four Spirits Absolute Formation, as it requires divine consciousness and soul. Moreover, how could I possibly find a thousand-year-old turtle and a hanging crown snake in time? I have learned quite a bit about talisman techniques, and there is one called the Thunder Strike Talisman, which is several levels above the Five Thunder Talisman I used before, with tremendous power. It is a talisman created based on the concept of heavenly thunder strikes, primarily used against demons and corpses, making it perfect for dealing with the Corpse Demon.
Once everything was ready, Cao Qilong and I arrived at the entrance of the yamen. Looking at the large lantern at the entrance, I couldn’t help but feel a bit melancholic; they should go where they need to go.
All the ghosts gathered together. I took out a paper bridge and placed it on the road, chanting the soul-calling spell...
I clasped my hands and said, “Everyone, a great battle is imminent. If the formation breaks, you will all vanish into thin air. So please cross the bridge; on the other side is the Naihe Bridge, where you can be reincarnated!”
The ghosts did not move; not a single one. An old hunchback approached and said, “Although we were harmed by treacherous people, we bear no resentment or regret. Now trapped in this city for a thousand years, we have long forgotten what the human world looks like. Since that is the case, why bother reincarnating? You two are capable of standing tall in this world of yin and yang; it’s a pity our strength is weak, and we cannot fight alongside you.”
Seeing the resolute expressions of the ghosts, I finally understood why Yin Cheng risked everything to preserve them. The human world is filled with both good and evil; good for oneself but evil towards others. In this ancient city of a thousand years, witnessing such spirits drifting for millennia without seeking reincarnation but only to repay Yin Cheng's heartfelt efforts!
Seeing that the ghosts were unwilling to reincarnate, I had no choice but to retract the paper bridge! I walked to the entrance of the yamen and pushed open the large door. Turning around, I saw all the ghosts kneeling on the ground, with He Er's face glistening with tears. If life could be like this, what more could one ask for? Even if Cao Qilong and I were to be shattered into pieces, we would die with peace!
Cao Qilong was the first to enter through the door, leaning against the wall and hiding behind the Four Spirits Formation. I followed him inside but then heard the hunchback's voice: “Master Yin once asked whether we would be willing to remain trapped here for a thousand years for righteousness; we agreed. Master Yin also said that if any yin-yang practitioners were willing to fight that fierce being in the coffin, we ghosts would set up a formation taught by Master Yin to assist heroes!”
Upon hearing this, my blood surged with excitement as I resolutely stepped through the door!
As soon as I entered, just one glance washed away all my enthusiasm. The ghost baby squatted in the middle of the courtyard on the ground doing something unknown while blocked by the coffin; it was hard to see clearly. Meanwhile, County Magistrate Xiong seemed to have disappeared! There was no sign of him anywhere; could he have exited this Four Spirits Absolute Formation? That shouldn’t be possible.
Cao Qilong and I had initially planned to stick close to the wall and search for the four formation eyes of the Four Spirits Absolute Formation to find ourselves a safe place before making further plans.
Cao Qilong walked in front of me while I followed behind. As he walked, he took out Thunder God and the Electric Mother, placing them in order against the wall. I asked, "What are you doing?"
Cao Qilong replied, "One won't be enough to deal with him, so I'll use dozens or even hundreds to zap that bastard to death."
I was both angry and amused. "Can you even gather that many spells?"
Xiong Zhixian was nowhere to be found, which made me anxious and unsure of what to do. Looking at the ghostly infant squatting on the Ground, I pulled out a Thunder Strike talisman, which was covered in seals. To enhance its power, I stamped all the seals from Yin Cheng onto the talisman without hesitation; the more stamps, the greater the damage.
I extended the Thunder Strike talisman beyond the Four Spirits Formation. The ghostly infant noticed us and turned its head. Upon seeing me and Cao Qilong, it looked as if it had spotted a feast and wanted to pounce on us. However, when it saw the talisman in my hand, a hint of fear appeared in its eyes, indicating that the talisman might still have some effect.
Just as I felt relieved, the ghostly infant suddenly lunged at me. Startled, I quickly threw the talisman and shouted an incantation. As soon as the talisman hit the infant's chest, a flash of golden light erupted, and a bolt of lightning struck down from three feet above its head with a loud "boom," sending the infant flying away. Before the thunder could fade, the infant had already flown back towards me; its small face was charred black but it didn't suffer any fatal injuries and didn't attack us anymore. Instead, it resembled a child rubbing its eyes and began to cry. Indeed, it was originally just a child...
I glanced at where the infant had been squatting and saw an arm on the Ground. The large red clothing beside it was adorned with a golden dragon—whose hand could it be if not Xiong Zhixian's?
Could it be that this infant ate Xiong Zhixian? After all, Xiong Zhixian was a corpse spirit! This bastard can even eat corpse spirits! I tugged at my clothes; my back was soaked with sweat and stuck uncomfortably to my skin. I said to Cao Qilong, "This unfortunate child has eaten Xiong Zhixian!"
Cao Qilong didn’t look at the ghostly infant but kept arranging Thunder God, Electric Mother, and Paper Figurine. There wasn't enough space under the wall, so he even placed some on his shoulders. At that moment, his hand trembled in fear and he dropped one Paper Figurine onto the Ground: "What did you say? This brat ate his father?" Then he shouted at the ghostly infant, "You unfilial child!"
Seeing the Paper Figurine fall to the Ground, the ghostly infant remembered being tricked earlier and immediately grabbed it with both hands, tearing it into several pieces. It then started scratching its own body; each scratch left deep wounds. The places it clawed were bloody and mangled, appearing as if they were rotting from being corroded by dark energy. Its entire face was torn apart; it looked like flesh that had been splashed with acid. Its mouth was filled with teeth—sharp rows extending up to its neck—as it grinned at me with an eerie smile.
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