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墨書 Inktalez
Xing Ruyi finally remembered the person in the portrait!
A-Hsing had placed Yin Yuan at the door that night, and she had followed the trail, mistaking the figure in black for A-Hsing and even made a move against him.
"Are you sure it's him?"
The fox was simmering soup, using ingredients he had brought back from outside, scattered together, yet it surprisingly produced a sweet aroma. Xing Ruyi stealthily scooped a spoonful; it was slightly hot. The sweetness flowed along her tongue, penetrating her heart, but the aftertaste left in her mouth carried a hint of bitterness. She tasted it repeatedly but could not identify the ingredients, so she tugged at the fox's sleeve and asked playfully, "What kind of soup are you making?"
"Ghost Fishing Soup!"
"You know what kind of soup?" Xing Ruyi nearly bit her tongue, and her stomach felt uneasy.
"Water Ghost Sweet Soup, do you hear?" The fox continued to stir the pot leisurely, a smile on his lips, his eyes filled with affection.
"I've had fruit sweet soup before, but what is this Water Ghost Sweet Soup?" Xing Ruyi glanced into the pot; although the ingredients looked a bit strange, she figured that if the fox allowed her to sneak a taste, it couldn't be anything fatal.
"Let me tell you a story!" The fox put down the Spoon, pulled out a few sticks from the fire in the stove, turning High Heat into flames, bubbling slowly.
Xing Ruyi nodded and poked the fox with her hand: "Is this considered a bedtime story?"
"If you think so, then it is!" The fox glanced at the sky awkwardly; it was just past the hour of You, still early compared to their usual bedtime, but he was willing to indulge Xing Ruyi.
"What happens after we hear the story?" Xing Ruyi gently bit her lip, deliberately striking a seductive pose, her hands continuously playing around on the fox's chest. "After hearing the story, can we go to sleep?"
“Fox Demon!” The fox grabbed her hand and said, “Don’t make a fuss!”
“I’m not!” Xing Ruyi pouted, gazing longingly at the fox's pure and beautiful face.
To be honest, at this moment, she really wanted to capture this beautiful and handsome fox. As for what would happen after that, she would think about it later.
“It’s not the right time yet.” The fox looked at her seriously, his gaze lingering over her peach blossom-like lips, unable to resist stealing a kiss.
“I’m an adult now!” Xing Ruyi puffed out her chest. Although she was as flat as a board, at seventeen or eighteen years old in the Golden Tang Dynasty Divine Capital, she could be considered an old maid.
“I know!” The fox smiled and stole another sweet kiss from her lips.
“Stinky Fox!” Xing Ruyi felt a flutter in her heart from his kiss, but he still acted as if he didn’t want to get closer. Anger surged within her as she grabbed his collar and demanded, “When do you plan to take a step closer with me?”
The fox smiled without answering, holding her hand and pulling her onto his lap. “Trust me, I’m more anxious than you are. I’m trying to find a way to devour you without causing you any harm.”
Just as Xing Ruyi was about to ask the fox what kind of harm he meant, he gently pressed his index finger against her lips.
“Shh! Now, listen quietly while I tell you a story!”
“Once upon a time, on the outskirts of Luoyang City, there was a village called Sisters-in-law. At the east end of the village, there was a naturally formed pit about ten meters deep and wide. Every summer during the rainy season, the pit would fill with water, attracting many people seeking relief from the heat, mostly boys around twelve or thirteen years old. When too many people crowded in, disasters would occur; thus, almost every year some children would drown in that pit.”
“I know! That’s because water ghosts are looking for substitutes!” Xing Ruyi raised her hand. “In my time, I heard similar tales. However, in my hometown, it wasn’t a pit but an actual pond. In the middle of that pond stood an ancient Willow Tree. There was a girl I knew who drowned in that pond. When her body was discovered, most of it had already sunk into the mud at the bottom of the pond. Her Mother held her lifeless body and cried uncontrollably. From then on, my parents forbade me from going near that pond. Later, I heard from a feng shui master in the village that beneath that pond was originally a graveyard; that old Willow Tree grew on top of a grave mound. When the grave was flooded, the deceased turned from a drought ghost into a water ghost, unable to find their way to the underworld and thus dragged people down to find substitutes. Eventually, as the village grew larger and roads widened, that pond was filled in at some point, and the stories of water ghosts were forgotten. However, many years later one night I dreamt that I was getting married. During the bowing ceremony with my husband, I suddenly realized that he was a complete stranger I had never met before. So I ran away and guess what? I ended up escaping into that pond! Therefore, I think that pond has always been hidden in my heart, and I am very afraid of it.”
Xing Ruyi only felt the fox tighten its grip on her arm, but she did not see the fox's pupils deepen.
After waiting for a while without hearing the fox speak, she nudged it with her shoulder a couple of times. "Hey, what is that Water Ghost Sweet Soup you mentioned?"
"Water Ghost Sweet Soup is a type of sweet soup made from fruits that children in folklore like to drink. Most of those who drowned in the pits were children, and their souls are often trapped in the water, suffering from endless torment. Their parents, in order to free them and guide their souls, would place the sweet soup they loved to drink by the water's edge. That's why this soup is also called Water Ghost Sweet Soup."
"It sounds quite touching!" Xing Ruyi propped her chin on her hand. "According to folklore, Water Ghosts are human souls that do not exist in physical form. The souls trapped in water can easily develop resentment, leading them to confuse people into drowning, commonly referred to as finding a substitute. Can Water Ghost Sweet Soup really help them be freed?"
"It can help, but there is always a price to pay!" The fox gently kissed Xing Ruyi's hair. "Water Ghosts seeking substitutes has been unchanged since ancient times. Those parents who place Water Ghost Sweet Soup often become substitutes for their children. They use themselves to seek a chance for their child to reincarnate, while they remain in the water suffering or go on to tempt the next child."
Xing Ruyi sighed in disappointment. "Reincarnation truly is just another cycle!"
"All things in the world arise and cease, cease and arise; life is death, and death is life. The cycle of reincarnation and the Six Paths revolve endlessly, nothing more than this." The fox released its grip, stood up, took the pot off the stove, lifted the lid, and a sweet fragrance instantly filled the air. Before her taste buds could react, the aroma had already penetrated her heart through her nose.
Xing Ruyi took a deep breath and licked her lips in anticipation.
"By the way! Earlier you mentioned Water Ghost Sweet Soup; what about this Fishing Ghost Soup? What is that?"
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