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墨書 Inktalez
“Ruyi, have you ever seen a ghost?”
Li Yan asked softly with his eyes closed.
Xing Ruyi looked at Li Yan and then at Chang Tai, unsure of how to respond to this question. Just as she was pondering Li Yan's thoughts, he spoke again in a low voice.
“I have seen one!”
These simple three words made Xing Ruyi feel an inexplicable shiver. She suddenly recalled the faceless, skinless female ghost she had seen in the Watchman's House. That ghost was originally Li Yan's fiancée, but due to a twist of fate, she married Li Yan's attendant instead. Afterward, she harmed her husband and was killed by her husband's family, ultimately becoming a vengeful spirit trapped within that copper mirror. Meanwhile, the face of the general's wife, Mu Xi, bore a mask made of Human Skin.
Li Yan seemed to dislike Mu Xi. Besides being plagued by illness and undergoing a drastic change in temperament, it might also be related to Mu Xi's face.
Could it be that Mu Xi's face was taken from that ghost?
Thinking of this, Xing Ruyi felt an odd sense of unease mixed with a hint of chill.
Li Yan hardly heard Xing Ruyi's response and slowly opened his eyes. “Is it possible that Ruyi was frightened by what Li Yan just said?”
“Oh? No! It's just a bit strange. If it were someone else saying these things, Fox Demon wouldn't think much of it, but you, General…”
“But Li Yan is a general, someone who wields a sword on the battlefield. Therefore, when such words come from Li Yan, it makes the young lady feel strange and bewildered, doesn’t it?”
“The general exaggerates. Ghosts exist for those who believe and do not for those who do not. Both Fox Demon and the general belong to those who believe in the existence of ghosts. However, in Fox Demon's heart, the most terrifying thing in this world is not those unseen spirits but rather human nature. I believe you feel the same way; the fear of unpredictable human hearts is likely greater than that of those entities.”
“Exactly! What Ruyi said aligns perfectly with what is in Li Yan's mind. While ghosts can harm people, they can still be dealt with; if human hearts are malicious, it's hard to guard against them and impossible to hide from them.” Li Yan lowered his head, looking at his hand. His gaze lingered briefly on his half-broken nail before quickly moving away.
Xing Ruyi also glanced at that half-broken nail. She knew that Li Yan was about to share the story behind it, so she held her breath and patiently waited.
After a long silence, Li Yan finally spoke: “Since Ruyi is here at the invitation of Brother Chang, then you should know a bit about my past.”
Xing Ruyi was unsure whether Li Yan was asking about his background, his family history, or matters related to his fiancée. However, since he brought it up and even involved Brother Chang, she could only honestly admit that she did know some things about Li Yan. The information, however, was not told to her by Brother Chang but by a fox. But there was no need for Li Yan to know that.
"About a year ago, my fiancée married my attendant due to a human error. As a general and her fiancé, I felt some anger in my heart, but upon reflection, I realized that I was at fault from the beginning. If I hadn't rushed back to the border and if I hadn't foolishly left behind the attendant whom I thought I could trust the most, this mistake might not have happened.
Once the major mistake was made, I had no choice but to accept it and allow them to be together. As for other matters, I had no time to think about them because the war at the border had reignited, and I needed to return as soon as possible and give it my all.
Although I carry the title of general, I know very well in my heart that I am not an exceptional military talent. Everything I have now has been earned through hard work and risking my life. The battlefield is perilous, but not everyone fears death; encountering someone like me who does not fear death naturally gives me an advantage over others.
That battle was tough and difficult, but it ultimately established my position today. It truly has the meaning of seeking wealth in danger."
Li Yan said this with a self-deprecating smile.
"When I had not yet ascended to the position of general, people would say, 'Look at Li Yan, a legitimate descendant of the Li Family working so hard.' But once I became a general, they would say, 'Look at Li Yan; if he weren't surnamed Li, how could he possibly become a great general?'
Yes, when I was unsuccessful, they laughed at me for being someone who should have been wealthy but instead had to eat unpalatable food in the barracks like them and fight against enemies in blood-soaked battles. Even when injured, what I received was not comfort or concern but mockery and ridicule.
When I succeeded, their first thought was not of my bravery in battle but of my surname. They would gossip behind my back with various looks and tones, claiming that I was merely benefiting from ancestral favor and that my only advantage over them was my surname Li. Within me flowed blood similar to that of Emperor Taizong.
Quietly, this is human nature; this is humanity. So when I succeeded and sat on the throne of general, they did not sincerely congratulate me; they felt it was something I deserved after all these years. Instead, they were filled with jealousy, anger, and obsession, even going so far as to scheme against me just to pull me down from this position. Even if they would never have a chance at the general's throne in their lifetime, they did not want to see me sitting there—someone whom they had once mocked and ridiculed.
Ruyi, weren't you asking me how this broken fingernail came about? It was because of my position as general; my title made some people unable to bear it. They carefully set a trap for me that I failed to see through."
Li Yan said: "I will never forget how this half of my fingernail came off."
"General, do you need to take a break?" Xing Ruyi noticed that Li Yan seemed overly agitated; his emotions were fluctuating greatly and might affect his health. She advised him to calm down before continuing. But Li Yan shook his head in refusal.
"I just recalled that battle which helped me become a general; it was incredibly brutal. Many soldiers went onto the battlefield alive but ended up unable to piece together even a complete skeleton. All around were bloodied bones or bloodied flesh; such scenes could only be compared to hell."
Xing Ruyi couldn't bear to see Li Yan's disappointment, so she silently added in her heart, "Although the Underworld Lord may seem unreliable, the Underworld is actually quite nice. The so-called eighteen layers of hell are not as terrifying as the rumors suggest. Most people who arrive in the Underworld obediently drink Meng Po soup and hurriedly move on to their next life. Occasionally, there are those who are stubborn, but the Underworld Lord is not in a rush; he simply arranges for a Ghost Messenger to take them through their past experiences, especially making them repeatedly revisit their most painful moments from life. No matter how strong or stubborn the ghost is, they cannot withstand this. At most, after watching it three to five times, they will cry and plead with the Underworld Lord to arrange for their reincarnation.
As the saying goes, revenge for grievances; if you do not reincarnate, how can you have a chance?
Those who were wicked and evil in life will indeed be sent to the eighteen layers of hell, but the punishments are far less bloody and terrifying than what is commonly believed. For example, if someone was a gossip in life, the Underworld Lord only needs to cast a spell to prevent her from speaking. If someone harmed their in-laws or husband in life, it's even easier; a scene can be simulated in hell, and by switching identities with magic and experiencing it several times, even if they do not repent completely, they will come close. This method is also very effective for those who abused their daughters-in-law or were harsh on others.
For those who are truly obstinate, there is no need to keep them locked up in the eighteen layers of hell; they can be directly thrown into the Yellow Springs to let the waters loosen their bones and skin. If by chance the Underworld Lord is in a bad mood, he will directly arrange for a Ghost Messenger to throw them into the Beast Path, where they will experience the most brutal treatment and die quickly. It’s nothing more than tossing them out and then pulling them back in again before sending them out once more. A day in the Underworld equals ten years on Earth; within the time it takes for the Underworld Lord to sip tea, this obstinate fellow can endure decades of slaughter on Earth. No matter how strong their mental defenses or how fierce they are, they cannot withstand being toyed with by the Underworld Lord like this.
Thus, the unreliability of the Underworld Lord largely stems from how idle the Underworld is, and this idleness is related to these unreliable methods employed by the Underworld Lord."
Thinking of the Underworld Lord and recalling all the bizarre things she had encountered in the Underworld made Xing Ruyi feel pleasantly uplifted. However, this joy was something Li Yan could not share. He stared intently at his half-formed fingernail, as if he had fallen into a black vortex, exuding a gloomy aura.
At that moment, his most trusted deputy stood beside him. "General, we have found the military doctor. The medicine for preventing tetanus is hidden within this coffin. You know that this battle is unlike any before; the number of injured soldiers is several times greater than ever before. It’s about to turn cold; if we cannot control the illness in time, I fear that when the enemy strikes again, we will have no generals or soldiers left to fight."
Li Yan understood the severity of tetanus; that was why he did not hesitate to follow the military doctor's instructions and brought his most trusted deputy to this desolate place.
"Do you know what this medicine is? And why it is hidden inside this coffin?"
"Well, I have heard some mention from the military doctor," replied the deputy in a low voice. "This medicine is called Ghost Silkworm and is nurtured using Ghost Mulberry grown within a Ghost Coffin. The Ghost Silkworm is easy to raise, but both Ghost Coffin and Ghost Mulberry are hard to find. The military doctor learned about this place only after much inquiry from a wandering Taoist priest. Please step back a bit; I will handle opening the Ghost Coffin."
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