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墨書 Inktalez
I strained to hold up the Flower Crown, trying to pull it off in one go, but no matter how much I struggled, the Flower Crown refused to budge from my head.
With no other options, I turned to Hills for help. Her face, which had been smiling moments before, suddenly froze like molten iron cooling in a mold.
I still hadn’t realized what was happening and continued to plead with Hills.
Hills approached me quickly and whispered, "Don't move."
Seeing her serious expression, I calmed down a bit and stopped fidgeting.
Outside the curtain, a rhythmic sound echoed, like someone tapping their fingers on a table—one tap after another, perfectly timed.
Listening to that tapping, I couldn’t help but start humming along softly.
I quickly covered my mouth with my hand. Hills shot me a glare.
The sound continued in the stillness of the dark space, reverberating far and wide, while I struggled to keep quiet despite the urge to sing along.
I bit down hard on my teeth, my face flushed from holding back, but eventually, a high-pitched note slipped out like the final note of an opera.
I felt as if I were being controlled by that tapping sound.
It persisted—tap, tap…
I clenched my jaw again; the sensation was incredibly uncomfortable. The veins in my throat were standing out.
"I can't hold it in!" I shouted, then threw aside the curtain and burst out as if I were a leading actress making her grand entrance, ready to unleash a torrent of complaints.
Outside, it was pitch black, and I couldn't see anything at all. I pulled out my flashlight, and when I turned on the light, there was no one outside—not even a ghostly shadow.
"Be careful..." Hills' voice suddenly rang out.
I quickly turned around, and in a flash, a dark figure disappeared instantly.
I couldn't see it clearly; its speed was too fast, like a gust of wind that blew past.
Hills was already standing behind me.
"What was that?" I asked.
"I only saw its back," Hills replied.
Suddenly, a thudding sound echoed again. I couldn't help but let out a small gasp, but I didn't hesitate; I directed the flashlight toward the source of the sound, yet there was no trace to be found.
The high-pitched tune began to rise, almost resembling someone about to sing.
"Why are you singing now?" Hills couldn't help but ask.
My face flushed with embarrassment as I nearly choked on my words in defense. "It wasn't me!"
I swung the flashlight around, trying to find the culprit to prove my innocence, but there was no one in the entire theater on the second floor.
Then it hit me—Hills seemed to realize it at the same time. We both turned around simultaneously, and the beam of the flashlight caught a glimpse of a floral shadow, but it vanished in an instant.
"It seems like a complete set of costumes," I said thoughtfully, as the Flower Crown on my head trembled slightly.
Hills did not respond to me.
Its speed was too fast, like a phantom in the night, leaving no trace behind.
Thud... thud... a sound echoed from somewhere.
A surge of desire to harmonize arose from deep within me, and I quickly covered my mouth with my hand. I cursed silently in my heart.
After a few minutes, I noticed it had gone quiet. I lowered my hand from my mouth and said, "Keep an eye out; I need to figure out how to get this damn Flower Crown off."
Hills acknowledged with a sound.
I turned off my flashlight and put it in my pocket, placing my hand on the Flower Crown as I continued to struggle against it. I really didn’t know what had gotten into me at that moment to do something so foolish.
I wrestled with it for nearly a quarter of an hour, but a wave of helplessness washed over me. It was hopeless; there was no way I could get it off.
I slumped down on the Stage to rest.
Suddenly, the beam of my flashlight was blocked by a shadow.
Hills darted forward like a keen leopard, and I sprang up, following closely behind Hills.
The shadow moved incredibly fast but did not leave the confines of the theater.
I hurriedly pulled out my flashlight, and two beams of light crisscrossed rapidly within the theater. At times, I could catch glimpses of the shadow, but it was still difficult to confirm anything.
From its appearance, it seemed to be a living person, I concluded in my mind.
If it were a living person, I wouldn't have to hold back so much. I quickened my pace and chased after it.
However, the Flower Crown on my head became a burden. Not only did it bounce around as I ran, but it also emitted a faint creaking sound. "Damn it," I cursed under my breath.
An inexplicable surge of anger rose within me.
I sprinted forward, and after circling around, I ran into Hills at the staircase. We both shook our heads at each other.
I sighed, noticing beads of sweat forming on Hills' forehead.
"Damn it, if you're a man, come out!" I shouted, borrowing Fat Ma's words.
Thud... thud...
Hearing that sound made my bravado wane instantly.
But Hills showed no hesitation and quickly ran toward the Master Seat.
I steeled myself and followed in the direction of the Stage.
Thud... thud... creak...
"Stop knocking! Are you trying to scare me?" I shouted in a low voice.
Yet, there was no mercy from him; he continued to knock—thud... thud...
"Do you really think I'm afraid of you?" I muttered to myself, gritting my teeth. Then I took off running again. Hills had stopped right in front of me, and I saw someone in a costume sitting in one of the Master Seats, their back turned toward us.
One of his hands rested on the table, completely capturing my attention. I thought to myself, if you dare to strike, I'll rush forward and fight you without hesitation.
At that moment, his hand lifted, and my heart leaped into my throat.
As his hand came down, I shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.
However, the outcome was inevitable; I missed and nearly fell flat on my face. I steadied myself, only to find that Hills had already grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Who exactly are you?" Hills asked coldly.
But unexpectedly, he ducked away and broke free from Hills' grip, then jumped onto the stage. I happened to be right below the stage and immediately scrambled up after him.
Yet, I was kicked back down before I could react. In that instant, he snatched the Flower Crown off my head.
I felt a lightness in my head and a surge of joy in my heart; I had finally rid myself of that cursed thing. My mood was akin to that of a scholar who had just passed the imperial examination.
I touched my head with my hand and suddenly felt a fondness for him.
Looking up at the stage, I saw that he had placed the Flower Crown on his own head. Now he had completed a full set of costume, though he still faced away from me and Hills.
Hills and I stood there dumbfounded at the foot of the stage, gazing at his silhouette as we illuminated the stage with our light.
At that moment, I had an illusion that he was about to perform a show for us.
I stared at his 'beautiful and splendid' back, thinking that when he turned around, he would astonish everyone present.
In reality, I was overthinking it. When he finally turned around, a wave of intense chill surged through my back. I tightened my fists, wanting to step back, but my feet refused to obey.
Hills instinctively wiped his forehead with his hand, but the beads of sweat quickly flowed down again.
Although we were staring at that face, our hearts felt uneasy.
It was actually a cat's face—human body, cat face—extremely bizarre. It reminded me of the previous Black Cat, and I couldn't help but tremble as I asked, "Are you human or ghost?"
It ignored my question and walked briskly behind the curtain, surprisingly bringing back a Flower Spear. Now things were getting serious.
In disbelief, Hills and I watched as it circled around the Stage, stepping lightly. For the next ten minutes or so, it actually performed a play for us.
Can you imagine two tomb raiders standing below while a Cat-Faced Person sang on stage?
Amidst this strange combination, Hills and I managed to listen to the entire performance. I dare say it was the most heart-pounding show I had ever witnessed in my life—without exception.
Our eyes were wide open, still in disbelief that this was real. It wasn't until I pinched myself that I confirmed this wasn't a dream; what had just happened was indeed real.
Since it could sing, it had to be alive. But why it looked like that remained a mystery.
As I was still immersed in deep shock, Hills leaped onto the stage and engaged in combat with it.
I couldn't afford to hesitate, fearing something might happen to Hills. So I placed both hands on the Stage and used my momentum to spring up.
I had never seen Hills fight before, so I didn't know her strength. Given the current situation, if I rushed in, I'd probably just end up getting hit. I guessed that Hills' skills might be better than those of the Mud Man and Brother Jiang combined.
Watching from the side, I felt anxious but had no opportunity to intervene. So I looked for an opening to prepare for a sneak attack and take it down in one go.
Chairman was also skilled at guerrilla tactics; thinking of this eased my mind a bit.
At that moment, the opportunity arose, and without hesitation, I remembered the old saying: opportunities are for those who are prepared. Damn, it was all nonsense. As I rushed forward, I was immediately kicked back several steps.
Caught off guard, I spat out blood. I wanted to get up, but I found myself unable to muster the strength. It suddenly dawned on me that my hidden ailment had worsened significantly.
Since arriving at this tomb, I had inexplicably coughed up blood several times.
I forced myself to stand because Hills was already at a disadvantage. Once again, I charged forward without hesitation, but after less than three exchanges under his hand, I was knocked down to the ground.
"Don't come any closer," Hills said to me.
I had no choice but to accept my fate; in the current situation, I couldn't contribute at all and could only blame myself for being too weak.
Hills was engaged in combat with the Cat-Faced Person, who surprisingly took a moment to sing a few lines of a tune.
Suddenly, it seemed like I heard Hills say something to him, but it was too fast for me to catch.
The Cat-Faced Person appeared stunned for a moment before quickly jumping away from the stage. Hills did not pursue him but stood on the stage watching as that figure disappeared into the darkness.
"Are you okay?" I asked as I rushed forward with concern.
Hills kept her gaze fixed on the direction where the Cat-Faced Person had vanished, her eyes seemingly losing their luster. I waved my hand in front of her.
Hills pushed my hand away and calmly turned to pick up the flashlight from the ground. She seemed a bit off, but I didn’t want to disturb her.
Even now, Hills had yet to tell me what her purpose was and why she needed me here.
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