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墨書 Inktalez
Living Funeral
"Is tonight really the best time?" I repeated. At first, I didn't quite grasp it, but after a moment, I realized what the Taoist meant.
What he was saying was that tonight was the best opportunity for that ghost to find a substitute.
To be precise, that brat might also be a Substitute Ghost. Damn it, the term "Substitute Ghost" was undoubtedly the perfect descriptor for this bizarre situation.
Damn it, becoming a Substitute Ghost wasn't going to be that simple.
However, if the ghost came knocking tonight, I might as well resolve this matter while the Taoist was present; otherwise, it would feel like this ghost would linger indefinitely.
I asked the Taoist when would be the best time tonight.
He replied, "When yin and yang are in transition."
The woman in red turned to the Taoist and said, "Master, you must help Chen Lang through this crisis."
The Taoist nodded and said, "I've been here before; I will definitely help him." The woman in red thanked him on my behalf, and I also expressed my gratitude to the Taoist.
He had helped me many times, but until now, he had only asked me for one favor: to obtain the blood of the Transmutation Child.
Around nine o'clock in the evening, Gao Ling returned and called me out for dinner.
I informed the Taoist and the woman in red that I was going to eat.
The Taoist acknowledged with a sound, while the woman in red accompanied me to dinner. As I ate, she watched me from beside.
During dinner, Gao Ling suddenly said to me, "Fei, why do I feel like you have something weighing on your mind?"
I replied, "Do I?"
Gao Ling continued, "Yes, and it feels like there's a heavy presence around you." After she said this, I looked at her in surprise, wondering if she could sense the ghost in red following me.
At that moment, the ghost in red spoke to me, "Chen Lang, does he know about me?"
I shook my head, indicating that I didn't know. I asked Gao Ling, "How did you sense that?"
Gao Ling said, "Fei, I know you've been worried about that brat showing up, right? You're putting too much pressure on yourself, which is why you seem a bit gloomy."
Hearing Gao Ling say this made me inexplicably relieved, and the ghost in red also sighed in my presence.
If Gao Ling knew there were two ghosts around me, she would probably be scared half to death. In hindsight, it's quite an unbelievable situation.
If I hadn't worked at the funeral home, none of this might have happened. But life has no 'what ifs'; everything has already occurred around me, and I can only accept it.
After finishing my meal, I returned to my room with the ghost in red. The Taoist was waiting for me inside. When he saw me enter, he instructed me to find an incense burner to place the Spirit Tablet on.
I looked at the Taoist in confusion and asked, "Why should I offer it?"
The Taoist replied, "You can't go wrong by listening to me. Also, place a piece of cinnabar under the incense burner." Following his instructions, I stepped out into the living room.
Gao Ling had turned around and gone back inside to play games. I took the incense burner from the Spirit Platform at Gao Ling's house into my room. Cinnabar is something essential to have at home.
I placed the cinnabar under the incense burner and then set the Spirit Tablet behind it. I then asked, "Should we light the incense?"
The Taoist said, "No need, he doesn't have such great fortune yet. Just burn a little less Joss Paper."
I didn't delay either; I opened the window to let in some air and then began to burn the Joss Paper. Once it was done, the room was immediately filled with a swirling mist.
After some time, it was almost ten o'clock.
The best moment for the yin-yang transition was close to midnight, and with two hours left, all we could do was wait. The woman in red said to me, "Chen Lang, you've experienced too much on Coffin Street this time."
I nodded in agreement, not denying it. The first trouble I had caused was attracting this ghost.
In fact, when I looked at the first Spirit Tablet, I discovered that this person had lived for thirty-eight years. So, he must have been a ghost looking for someone to take his place and had likely harmed many innocent people along the way.
The Taoist had just mentioned that I wouldn't be the first or the last. This time, I didn't want to be the last; I wanted this ghost seeking a substitute to pay the price.
Time passed second by second, and around eleven o'clock, the Taoist said to me, "Take off your upper clothes; this way, your Yang Qi won't be obstructed."
I complied and removed my clothes as instructed. Now everything was ready; we just needed the right moment.
As it approached midnight, the Taoist instructed me, "Chen Fei, release your Yang Qi."
At first, I didn't understand what he meant.
Just then, a cold wind blew in from outside. The Taoist told the woman in red that we should leave first. She hesitated, seemingly worried about me.
The Taoist added, "If you don't go, it will be even more dangerous." After hearing this, the woman in red had no choice but to agree. As she left, she turned to me and said, "Chen Lang, be careful. If there's any danger, call out for Master to save you."
I glanced at her and quickly nodded in response.
I finally asked the Taoist, "What does 'expel Yang Qi' mean?"
The Taoist replied, "Exhale a bit longer and slow down your breathing rate." After hearing this, I finally understood.
After the Taoist and the woman in red left, I was alone in the room.
I glanced out the window but saw nothing. So, I took out my phone to check the time; it showed that it was already midnight.
A heaviness settled in my heart; this should be the best time for a substitute death.
I began to feel tense. Despite experiencing so many strange events, I was still terrified of the eerie happenings.
Following the Taoist's instructions, I started to breathe. I fixed my gaze on the window, subconsciously thinking that the ghost would come in through there.
So, while exhaling Yang Qi, I kept looking outside.
Time ticked by second by second; I was counting silently in my mind. When I reached forty-four, my heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Slowly, a hand patted my shoulder, and then I heard a child's eerie laughter beside my ear.
Damn it, I was scared out of my wits. I turned to look and found the brat standing next to me. My mood tightened immediately.
I felt foolish; the ghost clearly stood right by my bed. Why was I looking out the window? Earlier, both the woman in red and the Taoist had mentioned that this ghost resided in the Yin card. Yet here I was, gazing outside. Perhaps it was because that night on Coffin Street, it had appeared from outside the window, which led me to act this way.
I stared at the brat's pale face, feeling a sense of dread. One of his hands rested on my shoulder and hadn't moved away, as if he were a friend casually placing his hand there.
At that moment, I held my breath. Before I could say anything, the brat asked me, "Why are you offering yourself?"
Upon hearing those words, I was momentarily stunned, but then it hit me—something really seemed off! Wasn't my name written on the Spirit Tablet?
Was I offering the Spirit Tablet as a tribute to myself? But I was still alive; why would I do that?
I hesitated to respond, my thoughts frozen. I wondered if the Taoist would actually harm me. Yet, the Spirit Tablet in the incense burner clearly bore my name.
A wave of uncertainty washed over me. The Brat continued to stare at me, and I finally asked, "Is this spirit tablet mine?"
The Brat replied, "It's not yours. If it were mine, wouldn't I have thrown it away ages ago? Besides, I've been by your side for so long without any intention of harming you. If I had wanted to, you would have been dead a thousand times over by now. And now someone wants you to offer your own Spirit Tablet in the incense burner? That's clearly an attempt to kill you."
Damn, the Brat made a compelling point. But wait! Did offering the Spirit Tablet really mean someone wanted me dead? It felt increasingly sinister.
The Brat continued, "You're still alive; what’s the point of offering the Spirit Tablet? Isn’t that just a way to get you killed?"
I found myself swayed by the Brat's words. I quickly reminded myself not to believe this nonsense.
The Brat urged me, "Listen to me—take the Spirit Tablet out of the incense burner."
After a moment's pause, I reached out my hand. The Brat's eyes lit up at my movement.
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