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墨書 Inktalez
"Yes, that's right, it's a false name. I can tell; this is a fake name. Who would give themselves such a strange name? When I saw him, I was very surprised because after all these years, he looked exactly the same as when I first met him, showing no signs of aging at all.
He noticed my confusion and just smiled at me, asking if I wanted to be like him. To be honest, I really did want that. Although I am still alive, I can clearly feel myself aging, and I am even quite afraid of this aging process. I asked him what I should do. He simply said to borrow someone else's life, like pouring your own wine into someone else's bottle; although you can drink it, the taste is different, and the feeling is not the same. To ensure a perfect fit between the bottle and the wine, you must use a bottle produced by the same winery; in other words, you have to borrow the lives of your own family members, your descendants."
"He's lying to you! Even if you borrowed your son's life or your grandson's life, you still can't live like he does," Xing Ruyi couldn't help but expose the lie.
The old man smiled bitterly: "Yes! You're right; he is lying to me. Even if I borrowed my son's life, I would only become my son. It's impossible to live forever in the same body and with the same face. But at that time, all I wanted was to live forever young like him; I didn't think deeply about it at all."
"So, did you take your son and daughter-in-law's lives?"
"No! I didn't! Although I believed what he said and really wanted to live forever, I never thought about harming my family. At least not at that time. While I was tempted, deep down I knew that what I wanted most was to save my grandson's life. I asked him what to do, and he gave me an answer." The old man suddenly became agitated: "Regarding my son and daughter-in-law, I didn't lie to you; everything I've told you before is true. That Mo Xu You gave me a method which I passed on to my son and daughter-in-law. It was their decision to use their lives to exchange for my grandson's life. I tried to stop them; I even thought about using my own life in exchange, but... but there was nothing I could do. My foolish grandson woke up while my son and daughter-in-law both died.
While handling their funeral arrangements, Mo Xu You appeared again and told me a secret. That secret was about Ake's background. Everything I've said is true! It wasn't until that moment that I realized Ake was actually the baby girl I took from the Gou Family all those years ago—she is my biological granddaughter.
Not just you all; even for myself, it was hard to accept at that time. Although I've been reborn many times and am no longer Gou Hai from back then, my soul hasn't changed. I didn't know how to face Ake or myself.
I know that in terms of appearance or anything else, I'm no longer Gou Hai; apart from my soul, there is no connection between Ake and me whatsoever. But facts are facts; no one can change that. I don't know if this is a punishment from the old man. From then on, I made excuses about feeling unwell and deliberately distanced myself from Ake; we absolutely did not share the same room.
Ake didn't suspect anything; after all, we had both become grandparents. She thought that I really was unwell and needed rest, so she took even more meticulous care of me. Gradually, I also came to terms with it because everything had truly happened, hadn't it?"
Xing Ruyi didn't know how to respond to the old man or how to comfort the old lady. She stood there in a daze as she watched the old lady's shadow grow fainter and fainter. Just as she was about to disappear completely, Xing Ruyi saw her smile at the old man before sorrowfully saying: "So... so this is our relationship after all. Old man, you really know how to play tricks on people!"
"Fox!"
Seeing that the old lady was about to fade away completely, Xing Ruyi hurriedly grabbed hold of the fox.
The fox patted her hand: "This way is better; once she disappears, she won't suffer anymore—even though none of this is her fault!"
"Ah... Ake!" The old man murmured until the old lady's shadow completely vanished before he tightly closed his eyes.
"Although your meeting was a mistake, I can see that you truly care for Ake. Since it's genuine affection, why let her take Huan Er's place in death? Do you want to borrow Huan Er's life?"
"Do you think it was my idea? I just couldn't stop it!" The old man's eyes turned red as he shouted angrily: "Because of Huan Er's parents' situation over the years, I've been very careful in watching over him, fearing he would once again barge into Gou Family Ancestral Home like back then. After all these years, I've been losing control over those souls in Gou Family Ancestral Home more and more. I'm getting old; my bodily functions are continuously declining. Those ghosts know that I can't control them for much longer; that's why they are causing chaos in the old house every moment—clamoring for my life—I know it all."
I never expected that Cui Cui and her mother would appear in the village, let alone that they would move into the Gou Family Ancestral Home. I was even more surprised to find out that Cui Cui had somehow gotten together with Simpleton. Since entering the village, Cui Cui's mother had been ill. After moving into the Gou Family Ancestral Home, she was naturally taken by the spirits, losing her soul and essence. Coupled with the Eerie Aura, she soon passed away. Although I knew the truth, I could only keep it to myself.
"You know that Cui Cui would end up like those who intruded into the Gou Family Ancestral Home, having her soul taken away, which is why I opposed her being with Simpleton!"
The Old Man nodded. "You're right. It's precisely because I know the whole truth that I cannot allow anything to happen to Simpleton. His life was exchanged for his mother's and Ake's lives, so I must protect him. I admit that I was very tempted by Moxuyou's proposal, but like Mr. Fox said, living long does not necessarily mean feeling happy. In fact, I've been very conflicted all these years.
Perhaps it's because I'm old now; my heart is no longer as hard as it was when I was young. When I took those people's souls and watched them die, my heart began to feel uncomfortable, started to ache, and filled with guilt. I've thought about stopping, about turning back to live like a normal old man. But not everything can come to an abrupt halt; I've absorbed too many souls over the years. These souls are like toxins, residing in my body, making it so that I cannot live or die. I have completely become their slave!"
"What about Simpleton? Did you really not think about using his life?"
"I admit I have thought about it, especially as I grew older and suffered from various ailments. I really did consider it." The Old Man glanced at the cursed female ghost. "But I've also thought that if I died, perhaps it would completely end the Nightmare that has plagued this village. It seems Mr. Fox has already realized this; this village has long since slipped out of my control. She may be my Ghost Slave, but I can no longer dominate her. If it weren't for meeting you today, Simpleton and I might have already become food in her belly."
"Backlash!" Xing Ruyi thought of a very familiar term.
"Backlash! A very fitting word." The Old Man closed his eyes. "The Nightmare in this village has been ongoing for nearly a hundred years because of me; then tonight, let it end with me! Ake, wait for me; I'm coming to join you!"
The Old Man bit down hard on his tongue, and blood began to spread from his mouth.
At this moment, a hint of white gradually rose in the east; dawn was finally approaching!
After the Old Man's death, the cursed female ghost also vanished along with him. As for the spirits haunting the Gou Family Ancestral Home, they had already been dealt with by the fox before Xing Ruyi and the others entered the village. Otherwise, with Ghost Fog rising and the Gou Family Ancestral Home collapsing, the village would have been a scene of a hundred ghosts roaming at night.
Cui Cui also left; she took off the red wedding dress Simpleton had burned for her and left without saying a word. Xing Ruyi knew that after all the turmoil of this night, Cui Cui had come to understand that humans and ghosts ultimately walk different paths; no matter how good a relationship is, it cannot be forced.
"Fox, were those words from the Old Man true? If they were true, why didn't he allow Simpleton to marry?"
"I don't know what he was thinking in those final moments, but I do know he still told a lie at the end." The fox held Xing Ruyi close and gently pressed his lips against her forehead.
"And what was that lie?"
"The death of Old Lady Ake!"
"The death of the old lady? Could there be some secret hidden in this?"
"As a selfish person, the Old Man may not truly care about his Son and grandson, especially after he learned that secret from Moxuyou. Do you know? The best candidate for borrowing a life is a pure Yang boy, and Simpleton fits that description. We have reason to believe that Simpleton's birth was also part of the Old Man's plan. That's why he was willing to sacrifice his Son's wife to keep Simpleton alive, because Simpleton's life is his life, his entire future hope.
However, the Old Man forgot a saying: thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. This saying not only refers to changes in people and places but also to changes in Feng Shui patterns. Because of the Old Man's borrowing of life, many Vengeful Spirits appeared in this village for no reason, and these Vengeful Spirits concentrated here, quietly altering the village's layout. The precondition for the Old Man's borrowing of life no longer exists, so he needs to wait, which is also the real reason why Simpleton has yet to marry.
The appearance of Cui Cui and her mother is an opportunity for the Old Man because their fates are what he needs. I believe that Cui Cui and her mother did not walk into the Gou Family Ancestral Home by themselves. No matter how well one plans, it cannot compare to fate; Master arranged for Cui Cui to meet Simpleton, which made the Old Man anxious. What he didn't expect was that Simpleton secretly made a lifelong agreement with Cui Cui, thus forming a Yin Spouse bond. Therefore, the Old Man decided to go all in and take a gamble.
Old Lady Ake's soul was deliberately sealed in the grave by him; he also intentionally chose that coffin. He was cultivating a Yin corpse on purpose. If it weren't for our appearance today, perhaps half of the Old Man's plan would have succeeded."
"Are you saying that if we hadn't happened to come to this village today, the Old Man might have borrowed Simpleton's life last night?"
"Do you remember what I told you last night? I said that the Old Man wants to harm you!" The fox pointed at Xing Ruyi's nose: "Although the Old Man initially learned his life-borrowing ability from Moxuyou, over the years he must have secretly learned quite a bit of dark arts as well. So when you and Li Mao appeared, he immediately noticed your differences. Your fate is harder to come by than others', so what the Old Man really wanted to borrow last night was your life!"
"My life? But I'm a girl! Does he want to become my fox Wife?"
"Silly girl, have you forgotten what I just said? The Old Man has been reborn three times; do you think he wasted those lives? I suspect he has already thought of a better method for borrowing life: just borrowing your life without taking your body. But these words can only be speculation now because he didn't account for my appearance!"
Xing Ruyi rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around the fox's neck, squinting as she asked, "Hearing this makes me feel like both I and the Old Man are being plotted against by you. According to our original itinerary, we shouldn't have passed through this village at all. So, Old Fox, tell me honestly—did you deliberately lead us here?"
The fox lowered its head and kissed Xing Ruyi's hand before saying to her, "Follow me!"
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