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墨書 Inktalez
After leaving the Xu Family, I didn't head straight back up the mountain. Instead, I took out my flashlight from the cloth bag and made my way to Old Master Xu's tomb. It was nearly midnight, and the rural sky was incredibly clear; as long as it wasn't a rainy night, the stars were visible in all their glory. That night was no exception.
It was mid-July, and the weather was perfect, with moonlight shining like silver. The distant mountains resembled sleeping lions, solid and imposing, while a light mist added an air of mystery to these dark giants.
Accompanied by the barking of village dogs bidding me farewell, I hurried toward the mountain where Old Master Xu's corpse lay buried. I vividly remember my feelings at that moment—a stubborn defiance. Words felt unnecessary; the only way to prove myself was through action. I felt a deep sense of frustration. I had acted out of good intentions, genuinely wanting to help, yet I had been driven away, leaving me feeling quite unbalanced.
In my youthful arrogance, I was eager to prove that I was right, indifferent to others' opinions. If I didn't clarify this matter quickly, I feared I wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully. If this situation stemmed from killing a Japanese soldier, there would be no need for further explanation; it would be clear. If not, I would immediately go and apologize—no questions asked. Back then, being young meant being impulsive and sensitive; when hurt, tears would come easily. It was the first time a victim had brought tears to my eyes.
I rushed along the path, my eyes fixed on the new grave halfway up the mountain, following the route taken by the funeral procession. Constantly wiping my damp eyes, I resembled a heartbroken child. Looking back now, it seems foolish and naive.
The mountain path was treacherous, especially at night. The black soil and white stones were hard to navigate; some stones jutted out more than others, making it difficult to see clearly in the dark. In my haste, I stumbled over a stone but fortunately suffered no injuries due to my thick winter clothing. Occasionally, birds called out in the darkness, seemingly mocking this disturbed child racing toward a new grave in the dead of night.
From afar, I spotted Old Master Xu's grave—or rather, a large mound of flower wreaths piled high with dozens of them sent by friends and family paying their respects. It was chilly on that winter night, yet I felt warm all over—perhaps from running too fast. I didn't notice how sweaty my clothes had become until I stopped; a cold wind rushed in as soon as I removed my jacket, causing me to shiver.
The wind on the mountain howled fiercely; nearby pine trees swayed back and forth. The mountain was calm yet far from quiet; dry branches snapped off and fell intermittently. Before me stood a grave—a grave with a story.
Upon reaching the grave, I lit a stick of incense for Old Master Xu as an act of atonement. However, due to the strong wind, I couldn't light any red candles or set up a soul-calling array. But knowing that Old Master Xu was inside the tomb gave me confidence that I could coax him out by disturbing his resting place. Breathing heavily, I began pushing aside the flower wreaths.
The rustling sound of paper and plastic made quite a racket as I dug through them; this noise might help Old Master Xu's spirit hear me. Though it was quite disrespectful, at that moment, I felt there was no other option. Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine as weak moonlight illuminated something behind me. Turning slightly to look back revealed an old spirit dressed in funeral garments standing behind me—it had come out.
"Young man," it said in a haunting voice that seemed to echo from all directions, "what are you doing? You just buried me and now you're digging up my grave?"
I knew it stood right behind me but felt puzzled about why Old Master Xu had only apologized when summoned in the main hall but could now ask questions.
Despite my confusion, joy surged within me. Later on, when I asked my master about this phenomenon, he explained that spirits have purpose-driven actions or directed intentions; for instance, if they wish to repent, they will focus on that task alone. At that time, my soul-calling technique wasn't very refined; thus, I couldn't change its focus. When I disturbed the spirit's tomb, its intention shifted to wanting to know why I was digging up its grave instead of continuing with endless apologies. Moreover, since the spirit had manifested itself voluntarily for communication at that moment—much stronger than mere soul-calling—I could engage without limitations.
It turned out to be true. I attempted once more to communicate with Old Master Xu, and surprisingly, there were no obstacles at all.
"I'm sorry, Old Master Xu, do you remember me?" I asked excitedly. I didn't turn around; I knew he was fragile.
A faint voice came from behind, "I remember you. Just now in my Main Hall, you were the one who called me out. What do you want?"
His question indicated that he hadn't heard what I said in the Main Hall and had only been focused on apologizing. Reluctantly, I asked again, "Old Master Xu, you told your junior Dreaming that you made a mistake and cannot enter the Reincarnation path. What is it that I can help you with?"
After I finished speaking, all I could hear was the sound of the wind around us; he fell silent again. Silence—was it a sign of unspoken guilt or a hesitation rooted in his heart?
Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at the ground behind me. The layered cloth shoes stood firmly on the ground. He hadn’t left. I continued, "Please don’t hold back. If this Obsession remains unresolved, you won’t find peace either. Moreover, your family is troubled by this matter because of you. For their sake, you should talk to me properly. Rest assured, I won’t speak of this outside; it’s my basic professional ethics."
Silence lingered; he still remained quiet. He had heard my words but chose not to respond. Feeling helpless, I took a deep breath and pressed on, "Did you kill a Japanese Soldier in the past?" As I asked this question, I pulled out a compass from my Cloth Bag to gauge his reaction.
I had struggled with this question for a long time because it was merely an immature guess on my part. If it weren’t for this incident, Old Master Xu would likely become furious like his son. Once enraged, he might completely disregard me and vanish without a trace. In that case, I would be even more lost. It could be said that this question was a gamble.
After I posed the question, the compass reacted strongly. Clearly, this matter weighed heavily on his mind; he remembered it vividly. Perhaps his longstanding feelings of regret were indeed tied to this event.
Though he remained silent, the compass's response revealed the truth: this incident was undoubtedly a burden for him as well.
"You..." Before I could finish my sentence, he interrupted me: "Yes, yes, I was wrong. Everything was arranged by fate. Over sixty years ago, I personally buried a Japanese Soldier alive nearby, and today, I've been arranged to be buried in this place."
"What? You buried a Japanese Soldier alive here?" I asked in astonishment. My surprise wasn’t about the act of burying someone alive—such things were not uncommon during those war-torn times when various deaths occurred frequently—but rather how coincidental this location was. Furthermore, Old Master Xu felt such profound regret over it; this indicated something terrifying—that the soul of that Japanese Soldier still lingered here. No wonder there was an innocent interruption during Old Master Xu's funeral procession.
Thinking about this sent chills down my spine; I had never encountered the soul of a Japanese Soldier before and had no idea whether it was benevolent or malevolent. According to Old Master Xu, it was right nearby. If it decided to take action against me, I'd be in serious trouble.
As I thought about this, a sense of fear began to creep in. I had no chance against something I had never encountered before. Sending my soul was an option, but only if I could ensure my safety first. With this sudden uncertainty looming over me, how could I possibly remain calm?
Thank you all for your votes; your support has been incredible, and I've managed to stay in sixth place. I went out today, but after returning home around four, I've been writing non-stop until now. I still have more to do, so let me make some revisions before I post it.
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