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墨書 Inktalez
The new Wife is acting crazy, constantly claiming to have seen Xiu Xiu. The lord of the Wei Family and the village chief of Wei Village are feeling uneasy, firmly believing that it is the ghost of Xiuhe causing trouble. This is because Xiuhe was originally in love with the eldest son but was forced to marry the younger son, which left her dissatisfied. Now, seeing the eldest son marry "Xiu Xiu," she must be seeking revenge.
The village chief of Wei Village is in tears, lamenting his own daughter and frequently apologizing to the eldest son. Although he feels doubtful, the names Xiu Xiu and Xiuhe are only one character apart, and since the one before him is indeed the beloved Xiu Xiu, he ends up believing the village chief's words.
With a ghost haunting their home, the lord of the Wei Family is understandably anxious and spends a large sum to invite a Taoist priest from the capital, who happens to be sitting here as part of this story.
"Did the Wei Family invite you?" Xing Ruyi exclaimed, nearly choking on a fruit that got stuck in her throat.
"That's right, I am the one invited by the Wei Family," Mo Xu You admitted openly. However, just after acknowledging this, Xing Ruyi snatched back the remaining fruit he had not yet eaten.
"Why are you doing this, miss?"
"A Taoist who aids evil deeds does not deserve to eat!" Xing Ruyi coldly huffed, poking Yin Yuan: "Later, once he finishes telling his story, help mother deal with him."
Mo Xu You's originally slender eyes widened in surprise. Yet, Xing Ruyi felt it wasn't enough and explained to Yin Yuan: "There's no need for anything too complicated; just peel off his face. It would be perfect for me to make Blood Rouge. I imagine there are many men in this capital who also care about their looks."
Mo Xu You's smile turned bitter as he said, "Miss, could you please listen quietly until I finish telling the story?"
"Fine, anyway, I can only make Rouge after dawn; you still have about an hour to tell your story."
"The face of a Taoist is not handsome!" Mo Xu You remarked as he wiped his own face and continued with his topic: "After arriving at Wei Village, what I first noticed was the feng shui here. The mountains flow downward like water; even living people seem possessed by dead spirits. Originally, it was not suitable for habitation. However, since most of Wei Village consists of craftsmen who invited a Master when they first built the village, they utilized the terrain well. Thus, for nearly a hundred years, Wei Village has been peaceful."
"But Xiu Xiu is dead." Xing Ruyi leaned against the fox but cast a sidelong glance at a corner of the village.
"Yes, Xiu Xiu is dead and died quite tragically. After her death, not only was her face peeled away but her identity was also taken from her. If there were no grievances in her heart, even a Taoist would not believe it," Mo Xu You said while secretly taking a fruit from Xing Ruyi's hand when she wasn't paying attention. "The so-called way of Tao is not an ordinary path; as someone on a cultivation journey, one must have a clear sense of right and wrong. The events concerning the Wei Family stemmed from their own misdeeds; it is only natural for Xiu Xiu to seek her own face back. The Taoist saw that Xiu Xiu had no intention of harming innocents and thus used this matter as an excuse to quietly leave."
"That's treachery!"
"No! It is clarity—understanding reason and distinguishing right from wrong as someone on a cultivation path."
"What happened next?" As she noticed that she was almost done with her fruit and dawn was beginning to show in the east, Xing Ruyi felt that Mo Xu You's story was nearing its conclusion.
"What happened later? I do not know what happened later."
"What?" Xing Ruyi exclaimed, pointing at Mo Xu You. "The story has reached its climax, and you actually tell me you don't know! Yin Yuan, help me deal with this Daoist properly!"
Yin Yuan rubbed his belly, glaring at Mo Xu You. Mo Xu You felt a chill run down his back and hurriedly added, "Miss, please don't be anxious! I do know about the events that follow; it's just that what I've heard is mostly hearsay, so I hesitated about whether to share it."
"What you said earlier, wasn't that all hearsay?"
"At least the part where the Wei Family invited the Daoist to perform rituals is not hearsay; it's something I experienced myself." Mo Xu You clasped his hands together, looking serious as if to defend himself.
"This is the first time I've seen someone take money but not help others in such a refined manner," Xing Ruyi wrinkled her nose. "I just want to know what happened to those people in the end. Did they get their comeuppance?"
"I heard that after the Daoist left, the Wei Family sought someone else to catch ghosts. However, that Daoist was inadequate, and instead of catching any ghosts, he lost his own life. Xiu Xiu saw this and couldn't help but get angry, so she kept haunting the Wei Family. On nights when the moon was high and the wind was dark, she would appear with her faceless visage to scare people. This unexpected fright caused one person to die of shock; after being scared twice, another went mad."
Xing Ruyi's lips twitched slightly. "Get to the point!"
"Xiuhe died!" Mo Xu You succinctly stated four words. Seeing Xing Ruyi squint her eyes in anger, he quickly continued, "The eldest son learned the truth from others and realized that the person he married was not really Xiu Xiu but rather the daughter of the Zhang family from Wei Village—the one who always followed behind him quietly, Xiuhe. He was furious at his father's deception and felt sorry for Xiu Xiu's fate, so he vented all his anger on the merchant who sold Blood Rouge. Listen, the eldest son killed that merchant and even severed his head; after that, he disappeared without a trace. There are rumors that this eldest son took Xiu Xiu's remains far away from home to live in seclusion beyond the borders. Others say that he, like those from the Wei Family, was taken away by Xiu Xiu's ghost. Regardless of the rumors, this eldest son is nowhere to be found—alive or dead. Old Master Wei reaped what he sowed and was scared to death by Xiu Xiu. As for the village chief who took in Xiu Xiu from Wei Village, he was driven mad by fear. It is said that years ago, someone saw him in Wei Village, but he was living quite poorly."
"And then?"
"What do you mean 'and then'?" Mo Xu You looked up with a confused expression at Xing Ruyi. "It's already over."
"Are you kidding me?" Xing Ruyi pointed at the village before them. "Don't tell me that the boundary marker for Wei Village on that desolate grave slope is fake. And what's going on with this arms factory and Wei Shu's schemes?"
"Oh, so that's what you're asking about." Mo Xu You stood up and stretched lazily.
"After what happened with Xiu Xiu, everyone in Wei Village lived in fear, worried they might be taken away by Xiu Xiu's Vengeful Spirit one night. Thus, on the advice of another half-baked Daoist, the entire village relocated to this current place. You should remember what I just said about Wei Village's feng shui. This place is inherently unsuitable for habitation; originally, Wei Village could live in peace because it had been guided by a Master. Now that they've moved so casually, it has doomed them to future unrest. A great calamity struck—Wei Village was completely destroyed; not a single living person or ghost remained."
"What about Wei Shu's schemes? What's going on with him?"
"As for Lord Wei's matters, I believe this Celestial Being should be aware," Mo Xu You's gaze shifted to the fox who had been silent for a while. "The Daoist knows well that Wei Village is not suitable for human habitation; unfortunately, people are foolish and rarely like to hear the truth. After these events unfolded, Wei Village became notorious as a Ghost Village throughout the surrounding areas. The Daoist had a kind heart and thought of using the malice of an arms factory to suppress the evil energy here. While it wouldn't eradicate it completely, at least it could treat some symptoms. Who would have thought that things would go awry with a yellow weasel delivering baby bottles for Wei Shu? Now with such a ruckus stirred up, it seems even those from Wei Family wouldn't dare live here anymore. Well then, at least things have come to light; as for this cursed land, according to the Daoist’s view—it should be sealed off."
"So according to you, this arms factory being able to produce Ghost Weapons is also fake?" Xing Ruyi raised an eyebrow.
Mo Xu You chuckled lightly and looked at Xing Ruyi. "If I were real, would you believe me, miss? We are in a prosperous era, with peace across the land. Even if this armory could forge a Ghost Weapon, do you think the court would have any use for it?"
"No smoke without fire. If there were no such matter, how could there be such rumors?"
"You live among the common folk, so you naturally don't know about the affairs of the court. Whether as a local official or as Your Majesty high above, one must always find a reason for any action. Building an armory in this haunted place without some mysterious justification would hardly convince anyone. Moreover, this place is ominous; if it doesn't seem terrifying enough, curious people will inevitably come to investigate. If they lose their lives in the process, the malevolent energy here will only grow stronger and become uncontainable."
"You have good intentions, but more people are dying here now!" Xing Ruyi pointed at the scattered corpses on the ground. "After revealing this, how will you hide all these dead bodies? If word gets out, it might cause even more panic than the Ghost Village of years past."
"What you say is indeed what Dao is worried about, which is why I came here in the dead of night. But tonight's luck seems to be quite good; not only did I encounter a Celestial Being, but I also met you and this young man." Mo Xu You blinked and looked at the fox. "This matter, I believe the Celestial Being has already thought of a more suitable method, so I won't trouble you further."
Mo Xu You was about to leave.
Xing Ruyi swayed and blocked his path, looking into his slender eyes. "There’s still something you seem to have forgotten."
"Are you the one wandering in the graveyard?" Mo Xu You raised his eyes and glanced at the corpse spots on Xing Ruyi's face, saying softly, "I wonder if you remember the story from earlier. If you do, you should know that Xiu Xiu was skinned."
"What do you mean?" Xing Ruyi was taken aback, feeling that she had been led into a trap by this Daoist. However, the fox reacted first.
"What he means is that ghost is not the Xiu Xiu from that day." The fox's eyes darkened as he reached toward a corner of the village and shouted sternly, "Come out!"
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