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墨書 Inktalez
"In the box, there are monsters, like ghosts, their forms change, mixed and varied, sometimes resembling pigs or dogs, or insects and snakes; those who encounter them know their shapes. They often act upon the common people, leading to death for all involved."
This passage actually refers to Gu Poison.
There are many types of Gu Poison, among which the most poetic is Qing Gu. It is said that Qing Gu is a unique witchcraft practiced by the ancient Meishan Miao girls from the Hunan Xiangzhong and Xiangxi regions, taking ten years to obtain one Qing Gu. There are no special requirements for using Qing Gu; it can be placed in the food of the target, on their clothing, or even directly on the Lover's body. Then a shaman can perform a ritual to bind the poison to a talisman. When a woman wears this talisman and makes wishes, it ensures that her beloved will remain devoted forever.
Although Qing Gu sounds poetic, it is one of the most powerful forms of Gu Poison. Once someone afflicted with it betrays their relationship, they will be consumed by Qing Gu and ultimately suffer a painful death.
Xing Ruyi still remembers the expression on her face when she first heard about Qing Gu; she wished such things were standard in the country's Marriage Law. Any couple determined to marry should willingly accept being bound by Qing Gu. If infidelity occurs during the marriage, they would be directly punished by Qing Gu. If this were possible, the chances of emotional manipulation and extramarital affairs would significantly decrease, and scoundrels would quickly disappear.
Unfortunately, only a few Miao women possess this Qing Gu, and the methods of its preparation are kept secret, making mass production impossible—this is truly one of life's greatest regrets.
In addition to Qing Gu, there are many other types of Gu Poison such as Rooster Curse and Lice Curse. The methods of application vary, and the reactions after being afflicted differ as well. However, if the Government Office investigates, they will simply conclude that these individuals died from sudden emergencies without uncovering anything further.
The deaths of the Gou family mother and son are indeed related to this Gu Poison.
The woman taken by the Gou family happened to come from Xiangxi. According to investigations by the Government Office, she was deceived out of Miao Village and subsequently sold to Human Teeth before being purchased by the Gou family.
Unable to endure the abuse and torment from the Gou family mother and son, she sought to take them down with her. Based on what happened later to the Gou family, it is possible that her unborn child was connected to the Gu Poison she used; when the child reached full term, it would be time for the curse to take effect. The woman's hanging death along with her unborn child's demise signifies that the curse had been cast, leading all blood relatives of that child to perish as well.
This woman committed suicide; after death, her soul could not enter the Underworld and was doomed to linger in this world, reliving her painful demise daily. Such a death would leave her unwilling even in spirit; thus she trapped the souls of the Gou family mother and son in that old house. Anyone who entered would naturally be affected by the Yin Qi present in that courtyard, indirectly or directly falling victim to a curse just like the Gou family.
"What should we do now? This Haunted House has collapsed; does that mean the curse here has also disappeared?" Si Niang asked in confusion.
Xing Ruyi looked at the house and replied, "The curse may disappear, but resentment is much harder to dissipate. The reason this Haunted House collapsed is due to years of neglect combined with recent heavy rains; it has nothing to do with whether ghosts reside at Yang Residence."
"Then that means both the girl and the Gou family are still here; their curse... oh... I mean their resentment still lingers!"
"From what we can see at present, it seems so!" Xing Ruyi gestured for Si Niang to look around.
A thick fog began to rise around them, and soon, even the collapsed Gou Family Ancestral Home was no longer visible.
"I’m watching Si Niang. Li Mao, you keep an eye on Old Man and Simpleton, and make sure that thing doesn’t take advantage of them."
"Don’t worry, Shopkeeper. We can handle this level of ghost," Li Mao said as he stood beside Old Man and Simpleton, quietly instructing them, "Stay close to me and don’t wander off. As long as you stick by my side, that thing can’t harm you."
Just as Li Mao finished speaking, he heard Simpleton’s slightly panicked voice. "My Grandfather is gone! He was just standing here a moment ago; how could he disappear so quickly?"
"What do you mean?" Li Mao grabbed Simpleton's hand, only to find it delicate like a woman's, smooth and cold to the touch.
"You shouldn’t be meddling in matters here!" came the chilling words from Simpleton.
Li Mao's gaze turned icy as he tightened his grip on the hand. "Are you the woman from Gou Family Ancestral Home?"
Simpleton looked at him with cold eyes but said nothing.
As a demon, Li Mao felt somewhat confident in front of an Evil Spirit. He secretly exerted force, trying to drive the ghost away from Simpleton. However, Simpleton remained unresponsive, even sporting a hint of a mocking smile.
"I didn’t expect you to have some Daoist practice," Li Mao remarked with a smile of his own, for he noticed Xing Ruyi had quietly positioned herself behind Simpleton.
"I’ll say it again: you shouldn’t be meddling in matters here! Since you’re here, don’t think about leaving!" Simpleton narrowed his eyes, his expression looking quite strange. He was clearly an ordinary-looking man but wore a flirtatious expression while speaking to Li Mao. Li Mao struggled to restrain himself from instinctively throwing a punch.
"Leaving? How could I? I still have to hurry and get married!" Xing Ruyi interjected, giving Simpleton a firm pat on the head. "Since you're here, stop hiding behind a man and talking to us in such a sneaky manner. Are you ashamed of something? If not, then disperse this Ghost Fog so we can talk face-to-face."
There was no response from the other side; only a cold wind swept in from the side. Xing Ruyi smirked slightly and quickly moved while pushing Si Niang toward Li Mao. "Keep an eye on Si Niang!"
"Yes, Shopkeeper!" Li Mao replied as he reached out to protect Li Siniang, his eyes fixed intently on Xing Ruyi.
The Ghost Fog, while capable of mesmerizing the eyes of mortals, cannot deceive the eyes of demons. Li Mao did not step outside because he was the Clerk of Xing Ruyi and needed to ensure her safety. Xing Ruyi refrained from dispersing the Ghost Fog because she wanted to see what the woman in the Haunted House intended to do.
With the Ghost Eye activated, a pair of hands with black-painted nails emerged, cutting through the Thick Fog and lunging directly at Xing Ruyi's face.
"Still trying to ruin my looks? Are you jealous that I’m prettier than you?" Xing Ruyi said lightly, stepping back a bit before reaching out to grasp the ghost's wrist.
"So cold. It seems you have a blood deficiency and need proper nourishment. Oh, I apologize; I just remembered you died during childbirth. No wonder you have blood deficiency. Would you like me to write you a nourishing Prescription? It's suitable for both humans and ghosts."
"You’re asking for death!"
The ghost was enraged; this time, not only hands were revealed but also a face—one that appeared beautiful yet was filled with a sense of death.
"I don't know if I'm asking for death, but I can say for certain that you are already dead. Since you're dead, you should go to where you belong. Why linger in the mortal realm causing harm?" Xing Ruyi pulled the ghost closer and smiled at her. "Would you like me to send you to the Underworld? Don't worry; I'm quite familiar with Yin Si and his crew, so it won't be too painful for you."
"Mind your own business!"
Seeing her hands restrained and unable to break free, the ghost realized that Xing Ruyi was not an ordinary person. With a sinister smile, her head detached from her neck and lunged toward Xing Ruyi's head with its mouth open.
"Shopkeeper, watch out!" Li Mao exclaimed, wanting to rush over to help, but someone was quicker than him.
The fox spun around while holding Xing Ruyi in place, then lowered its gaze to her slightly tense face and asked, "Are you hurt?"
"With you here, how could she possibly harm me?" Xing Ruyi replied as she looked at the floating head within the Ghost Fog, patting her chest. "I never expected a Hanging Ghost could do something like this!"
"She is not a Hanging Ghost!" The fox answered firmly.
"What? Not a Hanging Ghost? But according to the Old Man's story, she hanged herself. Not only did she die herself, but she also took away the child she carried for ten months."
"My Fox Demon has become so easy to deceive?" The fox shook its head and flicked its sleeve, sending the floating head flying away, along with a significant amount of Ghost Fog dissipating.
"Be clear with your words. What do you mean by saying I've become so easy to deceive? Are you implying that the story Old Man told me was false?"
"You know yourself that it was just a story. Since it's a story, it's hard to distinguish between what is true and what is false within it."
"Stinky Fox, stop beating around the bush. I almost got bitten by a ghost head just now, and I'm still holding my breath! This is all your fault."
"Yes, Wife!" The fox confirmed that Xing Ruyi was fine and then let go: "In that story, half of it is true, while the other half is false. The truth is, this female ghost was indeed bought by someone from the Gou Family, and she suffered quite a bit of bullying; even the part about her being pregnant for Ten Months is true. The false part is that this female ghost is not from Xiangxi Miao Village. The one who truly comes from Miao Village is the Old Man you mentioned. When the events involving the Gou Family occurred, he was not a child as he claimed but an adult. He is the gentleman who occasionally passed through the village and ended up staying there!"
"Old Man is the gentleman! Wait a moment while I sort out this relationship!"
"No need to sort it out; he'll explain it to you later!" The fox said, rubbing Xing Ruyi's forehead: "Stop frowning so much; if you develop fine lines, it'll be my misfortune."
"Oh, I understand now. When the Ghost Fog rose earlier, it was you who got rid of Old Man?"
The fox nodded.
"Why?" Xing Ruyi asked in confusion: "Even if he made up a story to deceive me, he probably just wanted me to help him resolve the issues with the Gou Family Ancestral Home, so his Grandson could live peacefully."
"You are mistaken! His ultimate goal in deceiving you was simply to harm you!" The fox said, poking Xing Ruyi's forehead: "You are too trusting of others!"
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