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墨書 Inktalez
On the mountaintop, Xing Ruyi crouched down to look at the headless female corpse before her. Unable to resist, she reached out to clean the filth around the neck.
Behind her, a ghost floated in and out of view, vaguely resembling the female corpse lying on the ground. Seeing Xing Ruyi's actions, it drifted a little closer, its gaze complex as it looked at the body. After a long silence, it sighed.
"Regretful?" Xing Ruyi asked, her tone flat.
"Mm." The ghost responded softly, gazing at the sun rising in the east. "After I died, I truly understood what my mother used to say."
"What did she say?"
"Better to live poorly than to die well!" The ghost lamented, glancing at the nearby village. "I’m dead now; it’s all over for me. I pity my two children who will no longer have their mother to care for them."
"Do you want to see them? At least you could leave with some peace of mind."
"Can I?" A glimmer appeared in the ghost's eyes.
"It's been seven days; you should be able to return to your soul." Xing Ruyi grabbed a handful of straw and covered the severed neck of the corpse.
The ghost had committed suicide. Those who take their own lives cannot be reborn until their natural lifespan ends. During the time between their age at death and the end of their lifespan, they must repeatedly experience their own suicide in the underworld, which is very painful. However, this is also a rule of the afterlife; life is already difficult for the living. If one is given life and does not cherish it, discarding it carelessly without punishment would not uphold justice.
The village chief was worried about any strange occurrences on the mountain and wanted Rouge and Chang Tai to accompany him. Rouge refused. Although Chang Tai was willing to help, seeing Rouge's expression made him feel that she did not want him involved in village matters. Considering the situation with the ghost as well, he thought it inappropriate for an outsider like him to participate and politely declined. The chief sighed but did not insist; after a simple breakfast, he sent a villager to lead them out of the village.
The path out of the village was different; according to village rules, if one encountered something ominous, they could never return lest they bring misfortune upon themselves.
Rouge and Chang Tai were indifferent; after all, it was a good road—much easier than the one they had taken up the mountain last night.
After last night's events, conversations between Rouge and Chang Tai increased. Most of the time, it was Chang Tai asking questions while Rouge answered.
"Miss Rouge, what made you want to become a corpse handler?"
"Nothing much; I just followed along and learned as I grew up."
“Miss Rouge, how long have you been in this line of work?”
“Not for many years.”
“I’ve heard that corpse drivers can control the dead. Since you have such abilities, why not help the court? That way, fewer lives would be sacrificed.”
Upon hearing this, Rouge glanced back at Chang Tai and said, “I can only control their movements; in battle, they can only serve as meat shields. Moreover, the lives of the living should be cherished, and so should the bodies of the dead.”
“The body is a gift from our parents; it was wrong of me,” Chang Tai said, cupping her hands in apology. Rouge gave her a brief look but did not respond further.
After leaving the village, they mostly traveled along official roads. With swift horses, they reached the border within a little over a month. Chang Tai counted and confirmed that there were indeed eight individuals, just as stated in the letter. After verifying their identities and documents, it was confirmed that these were the eight corpses before them. However, Chang Tai did not expect that in such hot weather, these eight bodies would remain well-preserved.
Rouge arranged the eight individuals in order of rank. Noticing Chang Tai frowning in thought, she understood what was on her mind and said, “Are you wondering why these eight corpses have not decayed after nearly two months?”
Chang Tai nodded.
Rouge smiled lightly and pointed to the yellow talismans on the corpses. “Actually, it’s not that surprising. There are many masters among the common people who often possess secrets unknown to outsiders. In military campaigns, death is inevitable; if we do not take certain measures, decaying bodies could lead to plagues. At that point, we wouldn’t even need enemies to attack; we’d already be dead in droves. So there are indeed masters hidden within the army.”
Rouge glanced at the medical tent nearby. Only then did Chang Tai notice that similar yellow talismans were also posted on the main tents of the military.
“Don’t worry; once we leave, these talismans will be removed,” Rouge said as she approached one of the corpses. She carefully adjusted its slightly wrinkled clothing and gently pushed its exposed hand back into its wide sleeves.
Due to needing to transport the corpses on their return journey, they moved slower than usual. Typically, Rouge walked at the front, occasionally shaking a bell in her hand while Chang Tai walked at the back. In her ears, apart from the crisp sound of the bell, there was also the sound of corpses dragging against the ground.
From July until late October, they finally returned seven of these deceased generals to their respective homes; tonight’s delivery was also the last one.
Chang Tai looked at the roster; this final general was named Zuo You, grandson of General Zuo Quan from Gaozong's early years. Due to his family’s decline, he no longer held any prestige or power in court. All that remained was an old general’s residence granted by the court years ago, which now appeared dilapidated due to neglect.
The serene moonlight illuminated the rundown general's residence. The two stone lions at the entrance seemed to watch with open eyes in the dark night as if waiting for their master’s return. While Rouge knocked on the door, Chang Tai opened a second secret letter given to him by his superior before their departure.
In the Secret Letter, he was instructed to retrieve something from Zuo You. However, the letter did not specify what that item was. After obtaining it, he was to eliminate the corpse handler.
The door of the general's residence opened, revealing an elderly man with a head full of white hair. Upon seeing Rouge, he paused for a moment, but when his gaze fell upon the familiar figure standing behind her, tears streamed down his face. He stumbled out from within and knelt before Zuo You, hoarsely calling out, "General, it's all Old Servant's fault; I caused your demise!"
Hearing this, Chang Tai felt a slight twitch at his temple. Looking at Rouge, although her expression remained unchanged, her tone softened considerably.
"Old man, General Zuo is tired from his journey; you should let him rest at home first."
As the old man wiped his tears, he stood up and welcomed both Rouge and Chang Tai inside. The mourning hall had been prepared in advance, complete with everything needed, indicating that the old man had put in considerable effort. Rouge guided Zuo You gently, using a bell to help him lie down on the mourning bed, then removed the yellow talisman from his forehead.
Beneath the talisman was a dark hole; while Chang Tai did not lead troops into battle, he understood that such a wound could only be inflicted by an arrow.
In battle, injuries and deaths are inevitable, but the wounds on Zuo You seemed particularly strange. The old man brought over a basin of water and carefully began to clean Zuo You, without any hesitation throughout the process.
There were marks of binding on Zuo You's wrists and arms, and whip scars crisscrossed his back. Such injuries could only be sustained after being captured by the enemy. The arrow wound on his forehead was clearly fatal. Remembering the Ministry of War's Secret Letter that had been entrusted to him before leaving, Chang Tai sensed that there was more to this situation than met the eye.
As Zuo You's wounds were revealed, Rouge's expression grew increasingly grim, her eyes turning colder. Finally, when the old man reached the wound on his forehead, Rouge turned and stepped outside. Following her departure, Chang Tai, watching her frail figure retreating, asked, "General Zuo... he shouldn't have died in battle, right?"
"Do you know about the matters concerning the Zuo Family?" Rouge slightly raised her head and looked at the desolate scenery not far away. "Old General Zuo Quan led troops for decades and achieved great military success. Yet neither in the Ministry of War nor in later historical records will you find his name. Do you know why?"
"Why?" Chang Tai asked in accordance with Rouge's words.
"Because in his last campaign, he led forces under the orders of the then Empress Dowager. However, after that expedition, his fate became unknown. When members of the Zuo Family inquired about him, they not only received no answers but were also accused of treason. Initially, it was intended to implicate the Nine Clans, but out of mercy from the Empress Dowager, only Zuo You was spared as a remnant of their bloodline and was ordered never to enter public service.
When Zuo You turned fourteen, the court suddenly issued an Edict. The Empress Dowager showed mercy and allowed him to inherit his family's legacy while promoting him against regulations by sending him from the capital to the border. Rather than being an act of grace, it was more like sending him to die on the battlefield. Unfortunately for them, Zuo You's life was far tougher than what the Empress Dowager had anticipated; he survived countless battles and rose from a soldier to a general while inadvertently uncovering the truth behind his grandfather's disappearance and the annihilation of the Zuo Family."
A chill ran through Chang Tai's heart as he understood what lay behind Rouge's words. The iron-fisted rule of the Empress Dowager was well-known among those in the Golden Tang Dynasty. It seemed clear that all of Zuo You's injuries were not inflicted by enemies.
"The saying goes that accompanying a ruler is like accompanying a tiger; most matters involving palace politics end poorly for those involved. But why does Miss Rouge, as an outsider, know so much about these details?"
"People leave traces, water leaves marks; what secrets in this world can last forever?" Rouge turned to Chang Tai and said, "For example, Lord Chang, after spending months with Rouge, don't you also harbor secrets related to Rouge?"
Chang Tai was taken aback, his right hand unconsciously gripping the long sword.
"Lord Chang wouldn't follow Rouge on this trip without reason. Given your status, this journey must surely involve a mission. I wonder, is your mission related to this?" Rouge said, pulling out a Porcelain Bottle and then retrieving a scroll of paper from it.
"What is this?" Chang Tai asked.
The Secret Letter only instructed him to find something but did not specify what that something was. Therefore, he could not determine whether the item in Rouge's hand was indeed what the Deputy Minister of War wanted him to find.
"Do you still remember our conversation in the military camp? There are many Masters among the common people, and quite a few of them are hidden within the military," Rouge continued, holding the scroll tightly. "General Zuo hails from Tanzhou, and his ancestors were all corpse drivers. However, due to the turmoil of war and the suffering of the people, he inadvertently ended up in the military. Despite being a bold Master, he gradually rose to the rank of General of Cavalry, while his history as a corpse driver was deliberately erased."
The reason why the Holy One chose to send the old general on that secret mission was related to his history as a corpse driver because that mission targeted not the living but the dead. Unfortunately, the old general failed and never returned. This Porcelain Bottle was found by Zuo You from his grandfather and recorded using Zuo Family's corpse language. Now, apart from me, no one else can understand it. So even if you take it and give it to those people, all they will see is mere scribbles."
Rouge then stuffed the scroll back into the Porcelain Bottle and tossed it to Chang Tai. "I know you are a good person and don't want you to lose your life over this item. So take it!"
"Does it record the cause of the old general's death?"
"No! It details the secret mission that the Holy One assigned to the old general and the secrets of Zuo Family's corpse driving and controlling corpses." Rouge looked at Chang Tai. "You once asked me if it's possible to control corpses for battle. I told you I couldn't. This is not only because my Daoist Practice is insufficient but also due to General Zuo's dying instructions: since him, no one from Zuo Family can command the dead for anything other than returning home."
"So, General Zuo could control corpses for battle?"
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