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墨書 Inktalez
"You, what are you talking about?" Jin Se looked around in confusion. "I don't understand. What do you mean by saying that my family's misfortune was intentional?"
"Back then, your house was under high heat, all the doors and windows were locked. Your parents and younger brother were burned alive, right?" the fox asked.
"That's right! My family was besieged by the villagers. They thought I was a monster and wanted to capture me as a sacrifice for the Mountain Deity. My parents protected me and were forcibly dragged back into the house, along with my brother who was also imprisoned. Then those villagers went mad, blocking all the doors and windows of my home, piling up straw and setting it on fire. I was heartbroken and in despair; in my struggle, I managed to break free from the ropes binding me. It was as if the heavens sensed my cries and sent down a heavy rain.
"The fire was extinguished, but my parents and brother were gone. I felt darkness enveloping me, an overwhelming rage wanting to pour out. When I regained my senses, those villagers looked at me in fear; there were many corpses of those I had killed on the ground. Suddenly, I felt so tired, wanting to dig a pit to bury my parents and brother together, then join them in death.
"After I buried my parents and was about to help my brother, that Taoist appeared. He said he could help me, so he cast a spell on my brother. My brother came back to life; at that moment, I truly believed he had returned. But soon after, my brother's body began to change—first emitting a foul odor, then slowly rotting away until he became nothing but bones. Yet he still breathed, could speak, and move.
"At that time, I was terrified; I didn't know what to do. I had never seen such a horrifying scene before. My brother hid away because he feared scaring me. He tried countless ways to die but failed for seven nights straight. After seven nights, his door opened, and he stood before me as if everything that had happened was just a nightmare.
"My brother told me that the rotting flesh slowly grew back during those seven days. It hurt so much, but he could endure it. After seven days of decay and rebirth, he shed his skin like a snake; for the first two years, it happened every year until we gradually got used to it.
"One day in the mountains, I met a talking gopher who told me I was a descendant of the Mountain Spirit and that I inherited half of its abilities. It shared many stories about the Mountain Spirit with me. Gradually, I discovered my differences and began learning to master the abilities I possessed. Of course, compared to Mr. Oni Beast, these abilities were nothing.
"I met other Mountain Spirits and various creatures while seeking ways to help my brother. Finally, I found a solution. I could control the speed of my brother's flesh rotting away, just like reducing how often a snake sheds its skin. Additionally, I found a type of herb which I named Forgetting Worry Grass; as long as he drank water boiled with this herb, my brother would forget the pain of his flesh rotting and be happy again. Before meeting Young Master Xie, my brother could almost go one or two years without experiencing such things."
"Is this the herb?" The fox opened his palm revealing an object—a purple plant with thick roots.
"When did you pick this herb?" Xing Ruyi asked curiously. She couldn't remember ever parting ways with the fox on their journey; could it be that he had prepared it long ago?
"This is called Blazing Grass; it grows in the dark valleys of Qingqiu and indeed has the effect of helping one forget past troubles. However, it also has another function: it absorbs Yin energy. For those practicing sinister techniques, this grass is a rare treasure!"
"The fox is correct; this Blazing Grass does have such effects," Oni Beast added with raised eyebrows. "The more abundant the Yin energy is, the darker its color becomes and the better it smells—it's cool and perfect for summer salads."
"Though it tastes good," Oni Beast continued with a slight shiver of his brows, "it's hard to find someone with sufficient Yin energy. I've buried this grass inside rotten corpses before; unfortunately, what came out still carried a foul smell. That Taoist is more skilled than me; he actually raised a living zombie and tricked you into feeding him this Blazing Grass so he could search through its excrement afterward. This stuff is even harder to find than Buddhism's Sarira! Oh, I've tasted that Sarira too—it's tough and not tasty at all."
Xing Ruyi couldn't help but twitch her lips in annoyance at this foodie Oni Beast who even tried tasting Buddhism's Sarira. And this Blazing Grass sounded quite similar to cat poop coffee from later generations. It seemed that in the world of foodies, as long as something tasted good, they wouldn't care about how it was produced.
Jin Se was stunned!
Jinse was not foolish; she naturally understood the meaning behind the fox's words. Now that she thought about it, the grass had indeed appeared too easily, growing so casually in the mountain stream, and she had never noticed it before. Her brother, Jin Yu, was not being controlled by her power over the cycle of flesh decay; rather, this grass was drawing out the dark energy within him. While this was beneficial for Jin Yu, the thought of her brother being inexplicably used as a vessel made her heart ache.
Relying on the familiar scent in her memory, she hurried over to the already listless Xie Xuan and looked at him with her eyeless gaze, asking, "So, Moxuyou, do you really know him?"
"Jinse—" Xie Xuan murmured as he lightly touched his lips, but he only managed to utter that name. He had also heard the conversation between Oni Beast and the fox. As an ordinary mortal, even though he had once been the pride of the Xie Family and had undergone various training, he still felt insignificant compared to the world of Evil Spirits. Every word they spoke sent shivers down his spine and filled him with a deep sense of dread.
He was Young Master Xie of the Xie Family, recently appointed Lord Xie in the capital; why was he now entangled with a group of Evil Spirits? His head throbbed!
While Xie Xuan was still pondering how to respond to Jinse, Oni Beast and the fox's gazes had already shifted toward the door.
At the entrance stood a Taoist priest who seemed familiar to Xing Ruyi.
"Moxuyou!"
"I didn't expect that after all this time, Ruyi, you could still recognize me at a glance. It seems my charming demeanor has left quite an impression on you. And Young Master Yin, it's been a while since we last met; you seem even closer to Ruyi now."
Tsk tsk, isn't this Blazing Grass? I faced many difficulties obtaining this grass from those foxes in Qingqiu. Young Master Yin took it directly from his home; how convenient. However, while this grass is effective, it may not be suitable for Ruyi. I happen to have a method here that can help neutralize the dark energy within Ruyi; I just wonder if Young Master Yin trusts me enough?
Moxuyou approached the fox with one hand on his chest as a gesture of respect: "This Blazing Grass, may I borrow it from Young Master Yin? You know that what happens here is not suitable for certain ears."
The fox glanced at Xie Xuan, who was bound by Oni Beast and tossed aside, then handed Moxuyou the Blazing Grass.
"Thank you, Young Master Xie. Rest assured that in return, I will share that method with you. As for whether it suits Ruyi, I believe Young Master Yin can make his own judgment."
After finishing his words and bowing again, Moxuyou walked over to Xie Xuan: "You did well; although there are some oversights, it is not due to your abilities but rather external factors. As a descendant of the Xie Family, like your ancestors, you are proud to a fault and perhaps even unaware of your own limitations."
"Moxuyou!" Xie Xuan gritted his teeth as he glared at the Taoist before him. "You are deceiving me!"
"What do you mean by that? When I proposed a deal with Young Master Xie, did you not have an inkling of what was happening? Neither of us is innocent; we both calculate for our own benefit. What significance does it hold for Young Master Xie to cry injustice now? Listen well: eat this grass and forget what happened here. You will still be Lord Xie; I will remain my broken Taoist—unrelated to each other!"
"If I don't eat it?" Xie Xuan choked.
"Then I'll have Oni Beast eat you!" Moxuyou said, bringing Blazing Grass to Xie Xuan's mouth. "It's your choice to eat the grass yourself or let Oni Beast eat meat. Young Master Xie, a true man can bend and stretch. If you truly hate me, shouldn't you preserve your strength and seek me out for a discussion another day?"
Xie Xuan glared at Moxuyou with resentment, lowered his head, opened his mouth, and took a bite of the grass. It was somewhat sour, but indeed, as Oni Beast said, it wasn't hard to eat.
Moxuyou stood up satisfied and looked at Jinse, who was still standing in front of Xie Xuan. "Miss Jinse, it's been many years since we last met. How have you been?"
"Master Mo!" Jinse spoke calmly, but her heart was turbulent. Her hand clenched slightly, revealing that she too was holding back the anger that was about to erupt.
Moxuyou sensed danger and took a small step back. "Regarding Jin Yu, I do bear some responsibility. However, strictly speaking, it was I who saved him that day and allowed you siblings to spend more time together over the years. But it was Oni Beast who killed Jin Yu; it has nothing to do with me. So please, Miss Jinse, be sure to discern clearly who you should truly resent in your heart and whom you should seek revenge against.
If you still can't understand, perhaps you should carefully recall the events of that day. At that time, I could have brought Jin Yu back to life and allowed him to accompany you for a bit longer. However, all actions against fate must bear corresponding consequences, so please think this through! Yet, Miss Jinse, how did you respond to me back then? You were willing to bear all consequences as long as Jin Yu could live.
Now, I want to ask you one question: Have I ever broken my promise to you? I brought Jin Yu back to life and kept him by your side. As for this Blazing Grass, it is indeed something I transplanted from Qingqiu. While this grass can absorb malevolent energy, has it harmed Jin Yu in any way? On the contrary, I have faced life-and-death challenges just to obtain this grass and even expended effort to keep you from discovering it. Now, Miss Jinse, not only do you not appreciate my efforts, but why do you also blame me and even want to kill me?"
"Master Mo's words are indeed sharp; such a speech leaves Miss Jinse with no room for rebuttal!"
"Ruyi flatters me; I'm merely speaking the truth. The truth is often unpalatable yet always reasonable. Since there is reason behind it, Miss Jinse naturally has no grounds for rebuttal!" Moxuyou said with a pious expression that made those nearby seethe with anger at the sight of him and want to give him a good beating.
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