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墨書 Inktalez
Liu Bi did not return before dawn yesterday, and it was certain that he wouldn't come back during the day, as it was going to be a scorching sunny day. No matter how capable he was, he couldn't wander around in broad daylight. He had told me that he would return before dawn unless something unexpected happened. Although he hadn't stayed with me for long, this situation seemed to be a first. I couldn't help but wonder what he had gone off to do last night.
Recently, I had crossed paths with a certain Master in the industry whom I shouldn't have provoked, which made me worry about Liu Bi. Liu Bi wasn't afraid of Master Chen's Five Spirits, but if Master Chen teamed up with the Five Spirits, Liu Bi would definitely be in trouble.
Thinking of this, I began to clear a space in my study, preparing to set up a directional Summoning Array using Liu Bi's Soul-keeping Umbrella. The umbrella still retained some of his Yin Qi, and by utilizing this Yin Qi along with the Soul Calling Array, I could potentially summon his soul back. Of course, there was one limitation: he had to be willing to return. If he didn't want to come back, there was nothing I could do to force him.
Setting up the Soul Calling Array was quite challenging; every item needed to be empowered individually and infused with the Yin Qi from his umbrella.
By the time I completed the Soul Calling Array, nearly forty minutes had passed, and it was already dark outside.
I began the incantation for the Call of Souls. The red candle flames started to flicker violently, indicating that Liu Bi had sensed my summoning. As I formed the hand seals and recited the spell, my eyes were fixed on the flickering flames. If they stopped moving, it would mean that Liu Bi had accepted my Call of Souls.
The red flames flickered faster and faster until they began to flash in one direction repeatedly, as if someone were blowing on them. My heart raced with anxiety.
He was hesitating about whether to return. After a moment, with a sudden puff, the flames extinguished completely. A wisp of blue smoke lingered briefly before dissipating into the air. Just when I thought Liu Bi simply didn't want to come back, the candlestick suddenly shook twice and then toppled over in the direction where the flames had been flickering.
I slammed my hand on the table, realizing that something had truly happened to Liu Bi. The extinguished flame indicated he didn't want to return; however, the fallen candlestick suggested that it wasn't a matter of unwillingness but rather that he couldn't come back at all. This could only mean one thing: Liu Bi was trapped—trapped by someone from our own circle.
Immediately, Master Chen came to mind—this cunning old fox. Seeing that I refused to give him the umbrella, he started targeting Liu Bi. I had no idea how he found and captured Liu Bi. He had just spoken to me on the phone that morning without mentioning anything about Liu Bi. Reflecting on our conversation, his last words were: "What a joke! Do you think the masters in Guangzhou are more familiar with you or with me? Would they trust a kid like you over me, a Master?"
After I mentioned recording our conversation, he fell silent and didn't respond again—even when I said we wouldn't interfere with each other. Could it be that he really had captured Liu Bi and felt secure because of it?
The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. His call was likely an attempt to test me in various ways to see if I would make a deal with him. By not informing me about capturing Liu Bi, he must have feared I would hide the umbrella away. If I were in his position next, I'd forcibly use Feng Shui methods to strip away Liu Bi's consciousness and turn him into an unconscious Spirit God. Ultimately, through some Feng Shui techniques, I'd make Liu Bi retrieve the Soul-keeping Umbrella and hand it over to me.
Once I had the umbrella in hand, without hesitation I'd set up a grand array to send Liu Bi down to the Underworld; if I were irresponsible enough, I'd let him go as a wandering ghost. If there were any ill feelings towards him, I'd simply disperse him completely. A soul like Liu Bi's that escaped from the Underworld wouldn't attract any attention even if scattered; according to Master Chen's nature, he'd likely choose to disperse Liu Bi entirely.
At this point, fear began creeping in—not out of concern for what Master Chen might do to me but rather for what might happen to Liu Bi if Master Chen stripped away his consciousness and turned him into an unconscious wandering ghost. His affairs were not yet resolved; his Obsession remained unfulfilled. Without my help in completing his tasks, he couldn't just become an aimless spirit for no reason at all.
I quickly pulled out my phone and dialed Master Chen. He took a long time to answer. After three attempts, he finally picked up and asked, "Do you need something?"
"Where's Liu Bi?" I asked angrily.
Master Chen chuckled, his tone dripping with disdain. "What about Liu Bi?"
"My Ghost Friend—did you capture her?" I pressed, anxiety creeping into my voice.
"Haha, you figured it out so quickly. You've got some skills," Master Chen laughed on the other end, his laughter tinged with a sense of vindication.
So it was him. My mind raced as I thought of a strategy to deal with this cunning old man, who would go so far as to kill a woman for the sake of Nourishing the Soul.
I slowly asked, "What do you want? You want the umbrella, right?"
"Exactly. You said the umbrella isn't yours, so I guess I'll have to find its owner. Let me tell you, here, you'll always just be a kid," Master Chen laughed even louder, making me uncomfortable.
Hearing his arrogant laughter made me calm down. I casually replied, "Laugh all you want. Do you believe I could burn the umbrella right now?"
"If you burn it, I'll disperse it immediately," Master Chen said, suddenly serious.
I retorted, "Old man, stop bragging. You think you can disperse it that quickly? Come on, it would take at least two or three days. Right now, you can only trap it at best. Do you believe I could expose your Nourishing the Soul business to all the masters in Guangzhou tomorrow?"
"Go ahead; I'm not worried about my reputation. I have no intention of mingling with those people anyway. You should consider whether you want your so-called friend or that umbrella," Master Chen said before hanging up.
"Hey! Wait!" I put my phone away, momentarily at a loss for what to do. No wonder he hadn’t shown any concern during our previous call when I mentioned recording him; he simply didn’t care. If a master in this field doesn’t even worry about that, then there’s really nothing that could threaten him.
I looked at Liu Bi's Oiled Paper Umbrella and felt torn. I couldn't just ignore it; even if I had to trade the umbrella for her freedom, I would do it without hesitation. But now I had serious doubts about Master Chen's character. He acted recklessly and cruelly. Even if I gave him the umbrella, would he really let Liu Bi go?
He would surely see Liu Bi as a threat. If she and I teamed up, we might be able to snatch that umbrella back from him.
According to his temperament, he would definitely have this concern. In other words, even if I gave him the umbrella, he would certainly not let Liu Bi go.
This time, I was truly at a loss. I was weak and powerless, and Liu Bi was trapped by him. The only one who seemed capable, Master Xiao, had left Guangzhou in the morning. I thought that after obtaining that recording last night, everything would be fine, but it turned out that the person who recorded it didn't care at all, and the world suddenly fell into darkness. I really didn't know what to do.
Sitting on the stool in my study for a long time, I couldn't come up with a feasible plan. I opened the phone book and aimlessly flipped through it, unsure of whom to seek help from. I considered contacting my master but quickly dismissed the idea; I didn't want to drag him into this. There were some social delinquents involved, and they wouldn't hold back when things got physical.
After thinking it over, I finally called Master Hu and explained the situation, asking if he could offer any advice. Master Hu said this was our private matter and that masters in the industry wouldn't interfere. He also had no sufficient reason to intervene since my friend had indeed harmed his disciple. Therefore, they had no reason to help. He merely suggested that I have a good talk with Master Chen to see if I could exchange the umbrella for Liu Bi.
That call was meaningless; if it were possible to exchange for Liu Bi, I would have done it already. After thanking Master Hu, I began to ponder again. What intimidated me wasn't Master Chen's Daoist Techniques but rather his underlings who were involved in social mischief. The best way to deal with delinquents was definitely through our People's Police. With that thought, my mind started to clear up gradually, and finally, I slapped my forehead in realization and muttered to myself: "When in trouble, just call the police."
A plan gradually formed in my mind...
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