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墨書 Inktalez
If suddenly you came face to face with a version of yourself, what feelings would arise? Surprise! Joy! Or perhaps a hint of fear?
Xing Ruyi looked at the familiar yet somewhat strange face in the courtyard and suddenly realized something.
"Li Mao and Yin Yuan both resemble the deceased Sister Yun, and now the Village Chief has transformed into my former self. Moreover, the Village Chief is actually Yun Madam. Is there something going on here that relates to me?"
"Fox Demon, you know there aren't that many coincidences in this world. If you don't want to deal with it, we can leave and head straight back to Qingqiu. But if you're curious, I'll accompany you!"
Xing Ruyi pondered for a moment and said, "I want to see what the Yun Family is up to. But what should we do about this person right now?"
Xing Ruyi was referring to Yun Madam.
"She is bait and needs to be kept alive. As for those doll-like figures, let Yin Yuan handle them," the fox indicated towards the courtyard. At that moment, Yun Madam had already changed into ordinary women's attire, leaving no trace of the Village Chief behind. She dispersed the dolls surrounding her and donned a hooded black cloak before walking out of the courtyard with her head down.
"Where is she going?"
"She is the lady of the Yun Family, so naturally, she is returning to the Yun Family."
The fox silently recited a few incantations for invisibility, perfectly concealing both Xing Ruyi and itself.
At the Village Head's House, Yin Yuan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, blocking the doorway against several doll-like figures attempting to exit!
"Don't worry! I'm not interested in you at all right now; I just want to catch you and send you to my Mother for some fun!"
Yin Yuan swiftly moved and captured the elderly doll acting as the manager.
"You! Why are you helping a Monster instead of behaving like a decent person?"
The doll that resembled the village chief first shot a cold glance at Yin Yuan, then began to struggle. Seeing that it couldn't break free, it could only lower its head in frustration.
"What's wrong? Feeling wronged, or do you have something else to say to me? Come on, it's rare for me to be in a good mood tonight. If you have valid reasons, I'll let you go; if not, I'll consume you. How about that?"
The doll looked at Yin Yuan and saw that this child didn't seem to be deceiving him, so he spoke up: "As the village chief, would I really want to see my villagers turn into this? If I had a choice, I would rather be the only one to die and suffer as the puppet than let anyone else endure this!"
"Village chief, you're speaking in riddles!" Yin Yuan squinted and smiled, but there was clearly a chill in that smile.
The doll couldn't help but shiver and shifted its gaze elsewhere: "I had no choice; if I had any other options, I wouldn't want to be here like this! Bai Shi, you've noticed this courtyard too. Indeed, this is a haunted house, a truly ominous place. If it weren't for my son and grandson, I would never willingly come here.
And those beams—Bai Shi, you've seen them; there are seven very obvious knife marks on them. But in fact, there is an eighth mark! That eighth mark was left by my mother.
I remember my mother was very happy when she told me that my sister's child had returned and she wanted to go see. The sister refers to Lord Yun's biological mother, and that child refers to the current Lord Yun."
When my mother went out, she even changed into new clothes and brought me delicious pancakes. But I waited and waited until dark; my mother still hadn't returned.
Later, whenever I passed by the old Yun family residence—this very house—I smelled something peculiar. When I went inside, I discovered my mother hanging from the beam; her body was already decomposing.
At that time, I was young and impetuous; I didn't believe in ghosts or gods. I only knew that my mother's death must be closely related to the Yun family. So after settling my mother's funeral arrangements, I sought out the Yun family. As a result, I uncovered a secret—a big secret hidden within the Yun family."
"Interesting. I'm very curious about what this big secret of the Yun family is."
"Curiosity killed the cat! I don't want more people getting involved in this, especially outsiders who have nothing to do with these matters. You were just passing through; why stir up trouble?"
"That reason is not enough to convince me!"
"I never intended to serve you!" The doll glanced at Yin Yuan, "Similarly, I won't tell you what big secret the Yun Family is hiding. What I can tell you is that because of that secret, I betrayed my mother and gave up on uncovering the truth behind her death.
Years ago, when I left the Yun Family, I took two things with me: one was that big secret of the Yun Family, and the other was Silver. A lot of Silver, a sum that I could never have obtained even after exhausting half my life’s efforts. I used that Silver to buy a house. To marry and have children. If it weren't for her sudden appearance, I believe I could have spent my later years living a happy and simple life with my Son and Grandson.
But now, everything is gone! When you asked me for a reason, it’s actually quite simple; it lies behind this door!"
The puppet doll nudged the door open slightly with its head, and Yin Yuan peered inside. He saw two men standing side by side. The older one was clearly the Village Chief's Son, as they not only shared similar features but also had very similar expressions. The other tall and thin Young Man must be the Village Chief's Grandson.
However, both looked listless, their faces pale.
"This is my Son, and this is my Grandson. My greatest Wish used to be to see my Grandson settle down and start a family, but now that opportunity is lost."
The Village Chief gestured for his Son and Grandson to lift their wide robes. Only then did Yin Yuan see that beneath those robes were two skeletons, which explained their strange complexions.
"This is my reason. If misfortune had only befallen me, I could endure it. But I cannot ignore my Son and Grandson. The reason I bought this house was for them; only here can they live like real people."
"That's just your one-sided wish; they may not want to live like that."
Yin Yuan looked at the two men before him and suddenly thought of another person who could become a skeleton: the Mountain Spirit Jinxie's brother, Jin Yu.
"Did she do this? Your current master."
"She promised me that as long as I helped her with her tasks, she would spare my Son and Grandson." The Village Chief sighed, "Listen to me; you should take your family away from this place of troubles. Don't get involved in village matters, and definitely avoid provoking the Yun Family; otherwise, disaster will befall you."
"Interesting. Your village is quite intriguing, and the Yun Family is even more so. Also, I'm really curious to know who else besides my Consort Ruyi could bring me such calamity."
Yin Yuan glanced at the doll and said, "Considering your somewhat reasonable excuse just now, I will let you off for today. As for how you and your Son and Grandson will handle things in the future, that is entirely up to you."
With that, Yin Yuan turned and walked straight towards the stuffed dolls still trapped at the door. As he approached, he extended his right hand.
In Yin Yuan's right hand was a ball of blue fire. The Village Chief recognized it; it was called Phosphorescence, also known as Ghost Fire. It was born from decaying bones but could also consume the bones of the living.
Just as the Village Chief was thinking this, Yin Yuan had already made his move. The eerie blue flames surged towards the stuffed dolls, instantly turning them to dust.
Yin Yuan turned around, clapped his hands, and smiled at the Village Chief.
"Don't worry; your mistress won't survive tonight. You won't have to suffer her threats anymore. However, as for your Son and Grandson, they should return to where they belong."
The doll Village Chief stubbornly lowered his head.
"Humans have Three Souls and Seven Spirits, yet you are left with only one soul and one spirit barely holding on. As for your Son and Grandson, they are like Eldest Sister Yun who fell into the well. They are left with only one spirit; living in such pain, they may not wish to continue."
"Sister Yun?" The doll Village Chief let out a cold laugh. "Let me tell you a secret about the Yun Family. In fact, there is no Sister Yun at all. As for my Son and Grandson, it was indeed my own wish to keep them here; if they want to leave, then I will let them go."
Meanwhile, the fox led Xing Ruyi to follow Yun Madam all the way to the Yun Family.
Xing Ruyi had thought that the Yun Family would be like the previous Su Family—an elaborate estate—but was surprised to find that this Yun Family was actually a village, most of whose inhabitants shared the surname Yun.
Although Yun Madam entered the village, she did not go to her own home but instead headed towards a rather strange house that conformed to the architectural style of her time.
Upon entering, Yun Madam first removed her hat and then greeted the person inside. When that person turned around, Xing Ruyi was stunned because they looked remarkably like her Grandfather.
"Master, Yun Niang has returned!"
"Did you find what I asked for?"
"Reporting to the Master, Yun Niang searched every corner of the village but did not find the item you described. However, Yun Niang made a new discovery and hurried to find you because I didn't know how to handle it."
"What did you discover?"
"A person, someone who resembles the one you described even more than Sister Yun."
"What is her name?"
"She does not have the surname Yun; her surname is Xing. I heard the people around her call her Fox Demon."
"Fox Demon! Xing Ruyi!" The person seemed very excited and suddenly grasped Yun Madam's shoulders.
"Are you sure this girl looks like the one I described and has the surname Xing, with the name Fox Demon?"
"I am certain!"
"Good, I have a task for you. Go bring her back!"
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