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墨書 Inktalez
Last night, I didn't manage to update. By the time I returned, it was nearly four in the morning. I started writing after lunch today, and this story just couldn't be held back any longer. Here it is for everyone to see; today, there will be three updates. Thank you all for your votes; it's all about reciprocity. I can only repay everyone with stories.
In the second semester of my junior year, shortly after dealing with the matter regarding the Japanese Taikun, there was a day not long after returning to school. I vaguely remember it was a weekend when I was playing soccer on the school playground. A classmate was watching and keeping an eye on our bags. Halfway through the game, that classmate shouted, "Liu X, your master is calling! Your master is calling!" She knew I had a master and that I was in this line of work. She also understood that My Master wouldn't call me without a good reason.
This girl had no direct relationship with me; she was the girlfriend of the classmate I often played soccer with.
"Thanks." I ran off the field to quickly answer the call, pressing the answer button.
"Hey there, young one! What made you think of calling me?" Receiving a call from my master made me excited, so of course, I had to tease him a bit.
"Brat, be serious. How's your studies? Busy?" My master said with a chuckle.
When he asked if I was busy, it usually meant there was something going on. Since he asked, I had no choice but to reply, "Not busy at all! I'm just fishing three days and drying nets for two. So, what do you need? Just say it; I'm ready for anything." Everyone knows how university courses are. I'm the type who thinks sixty is enough and considers any extra points a waste. If someone claims to be very busy in college, they're probably lying.
My master said, "Alright then. Since you're not busy, come back for a bit. We need to go to Xiangxi; Master Zhang's apprentice has run into some trouble."
"Sure thing! I'll catch a bus this afternoon. By the way, which Master Zhang are you talking about?" I was confused; how could there be another Master Zhang in Xiangxi? Quickly recalling in my mind, there was a colleague named Master Ou over there. I couldn't remember any Master Zhang.
My master replied, "Not someone from our line of work; it's that Grave Robber you met three years ago—an old friend of mine."
"Oh, now I remember! You're talking about that Master Zhang whose apprentice got into trouble—wasn't his apprentice Brother Zhou? The one who used to be with Master Zhang?" I recalled who Master Zhang was and wondered if everyone remembered the chapter I wrote about Corpse Chasing. He once brought Xiao Zhou along with him while transporting the body of a highly respected Senior Master of Corpse Chasing through our area. That experience truly opened my eyes and sparked my immense respect for the unique profession of Grave Robber. That dark-skinned young man Xiao Zhou even taught me the Dog Repelling Spell.
"Yes, that's right! Xiao Zhou has been possessed by a ghost. Ah, it's quite complicated; we'll talk more when you get back. Long-distance calls are too expensive for me to explain everything now. When do you think you'll arrive? We should head out as soon as possible," my master said.
"Alright, Master! I estimate I'll arrive late at night; I'll head straight up the mountain and can leave first thing in the morning." Hearing that Xiao Zhou had been possessed by a ghost didn't sit well with me either. I greatly admired that young man's simplicity and earnestness. Moreover, since Master Zhang is an old friend of My Master’s teaching days, this situation must be serious if my master called me back. If he could handle it himself, he wouldn't have needed to summon me. Although he usually called me just to help out with errands, one shouldn't underestimate those tasks—sometimes they involve moving coffins or stones that even he might struggle with.
"I'm sorry everyone, I have something urgent to attend to," I shouted towards the court before hurriedly packing my bag. I hopped on my newly bought Mountain Bike and sped off towards the dormitory.
After taking a shower and changing clothes, I quickly gathered my things and headed out. It was almost noon, and if I didn't hurry, I wouldn't make it back until evening. To save time, I decided not to take the train I usually rode but instead took the high-speed train from Wuhan to Changsha. The ticket was much more expensive than the regular train, something a kid from a village like me would normally never splurge on. But this time, I couldn't care less about the cost; I could always buy less liquor for my master when I returned.
The journey went smoothly, except for the part where I had to call my advisor to ask for leave. I couldn't really blame her for being strict, as my request went something like this:
"Hello, Teacher Chen, this is Liu X. I'd like to request leave to go back home."
"Sure, what's the matter? How long do you need?"
"I can't really explain the situation; you probably wouldn't believe me anyway. As for how long, I'm not sure either. How about this: I'll call you tomorrow evening to let you know how long I'll need? Is that okay?" I've never been good at lying, so I had to be honest.
"That's not acceptable. Although you don't have many classes right now, I can only grant you a week off. You must return to school after that," Teacher Chen said sternly. Teacher Chen was a recent graduate who stayed on as an advisor; she wasn't much older than me. Although we usually got along well and hung out together, her sudden seriousness made me think she might feel uneasy about not seeing me for a week.
"Alright then, thank you very much, Teacher Chen. Goodbye." I quickly hung up and took a taxi towards the station.
My hometown is incredibly remote; there isn't even a decent bus station, let alone a high-speed rail station. So traveling home from school is quite a hassle. First, I have to take a train from Wuhan to Changsha, then go to the bus station in Changsha to catch a bus to our county town. The bus ride takes over four hours, and once in the county town, I have to wait for another bus back to our little town, which takes over an hour. After reaching the town, there's still a minibus ride to the village that takes about forty minutes. If I want to visit my master's house, it gets even more complicated; after reaching the village, there's still a half-hour hike up the mountain at a brisk pace—if I walk slowly, it could take an hour.
However, this time I took the high-speed rail, which saved quite a bit of time. It was my first experience on high-speed rail back in 2009 when it hadn't yet slowed down; speeds of over four hundred kilometers per hour were exhilarating. Plus, back then, the attendants on the high-speed trains were quite attractive—like flight attendants. There’s definitely a reason for the higher price.
Finally rushing through everything, I arrived at my master's house just after one in the morning. He was still awake and had cooked some dishes on the Eight Immortals Table while waiting for me with some liquor. As soon as I entered, I dropped my bag and eagerly approached the table. I filled a large bowl with rice and began devouring it hungrily; having barely eaten all day left my stomach feeling quite empty.
"Master, what exactly happened with Xiao Zhou? It sounds pretty serious," I asked after swallowing some food and feeling slightly better in my stomach.
The master lifted the large bowl and took a sip of wine, saying, "Old Zhang called me this morning. He mentioned that while they were working, they encountered something strange, and then his apprentice got possessed. He only has a basic understanding of ghosts and spirits, so he couldn't exorcise his apprentice. That's why he called me for help."
"Isn't it just a simple exorcism? Many people can do that. Why trouble yourself to come all this way? I can go in your place," I suggested.
"If it were that simple, it would be great. But Master Zhang feels that this situation is not so straightforward. Think about it; those Grave Robbers are quite robust, and they have their own methods to ward off spirits. Their techniques might even be on par with ours. If they can still get possessed like this, do you think it's that simple?" He took another sip of wine and continued, "That's why I believe this is complicated, which is why I called you back from school."
"Understood," I replied. It was true that Grave Robbers spent their lives among corpses and the dead; their abilities were unique. Even if one could guess their physique and fate were extraordinary, belonging to a kind of body that could resist all evil spirits, if such a body could still be possessed, the only explanation would be that the spirit was exceptional... "Then let's set off tomorrow morning."
"Alright, I'm going to sleep now. After you finish eating, remember to wash the bowl and get some rest early. I'll wake you up at five in the morning," the master said as he downed the last of his wine and headed into his room. I continued eating, glancing at my watch; it was already past two. After finishing my meal and washing the dishes and taking a shower, it would be around three. The master told me to rest early while waking me up at five—he really cared for his apprentice.
At five in the morning, the master, who had been ready for some time, promptly pulled me from my dreams. A little over an hour of sleep was manageable for my youthful body. I flipped over and jumped up, slinging the Cloth Bag I had packed the night before over my shoulder as I headed out the door. At the faucet outside, I splashed some water on my face and rinsed my mouth before following the master down the mountain to catch the early bus.
Our early bus left very early in the morning—there was only one trip each day at around six o'clock. If we missed it, we would have to wait until tomorrow.
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