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墨書 Inktalez
My common sense was severely challenged. I had no idea why these figures had turned into black mist or where they would take me, but my instincts told me that if I were captured by them, it would surely be a terrible fate.
I didn't have time to think much; I turned and ran down an alley. This place resembled the narrow, winding streets of a Jiangnan Water Town from the Qing Dynasty, and I hoped there might be a chance to escape.
Glancing back, I saw that the black mist had transformed again into Wolf-faced Guards. It seemed that when they became mist, they spread out too wide to fit through the alley. Now that they had reverted to their human forms, they were glancing in my direction.
I couldn't afford to hesitate. Spotting several houses on my left, I quickly climbed over the low wall of one of them. The wall was low enough for me to scale easily. Once inside, I hurried to hide behind the back of the house.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."
The Wolf-faced Guards followed suit and leaped over the wall as well. Their movements were somewhat clumsy, likely due to the heavy armor they wore.
They seemed anxious; unable to see me, they shouted loudly, "Capture the criminal! Cut down any obstructors!"
I dashed further behind the house and began to understand something: while these figures moved quickly on the Main Road due to their ability to turn into black mist, they were not as agile when fleeing. Clad in cumbersome armor, they struggled with climbing walls compared to me.
I let out a slight sigh of relief and paused behind a grinding stone at the back of the house to catch my breath. As I rested, my mind was filled with questions about those wolf-faced beings—what exactly were they?
Just then, I heard voices coming from inside the house in front of me.
"It's the Ghost Wolf Guards! They can't be here to catch you, can they? Hurry up and leave!"
"Why would they catch me? I'm just having an affair with you; do they really care?"
"Are you crazy? It could be my husband who reported us!"
"What? No way! He can't possibly want me dead! I'm out of here!"
The conversation inside was quick, and I quickly understood that there were lovers engaged in an affair within that room. From their dialogue, it seemed that those creatures behind me were called Ghost Wolf Guards and that being caught by them could lead to dire consequences—how terrifying!
As I pondered this unsettling revelation, a figure suddenly burst through the window. The person was bare-chested and only wearing shorts. After jumping out of the window, he sprinted toward the back gate.
As soon as I saw him, I realized this was an opportunity. This guy had probably been here for a long time; he might have a way to escape the Ghost Wolf Guards. With that thought in mind, I immediately followed closely behind him and headed toward the back door.
The man must have heard my footsteps because he started running faster, likely thinking I was one of the Ghost Wolf Guards. I didn’t say anything, just kept following him, and then with a swift leap, I jumped out through the back gate.
The Ghost Wolf Guards were tracking me and also rushed toward the back door, their armor clanking heavily as they moved.
At that moment, I felt much more at ease. I had decided to stick with this guy in front of me; he clearly knew this place well as he turned left and right.
Sure enough, half an hour later, both of us were panting heavily from exhaustion. When I looked back, the Ghost Wolf Guards had vanished from sight.
“B-Brother, don’t… don’t run anymore. It’s kind of scary,” I said.
The man in front jumped in surprise. He turned around, saw me, and then glanced back to confirm there were no signs of the Ghost Wolf Guards. He was furious and glared at me. “Was it you following me all this time? What do you want?”
“I… I was scared! I saw you running like mad, so I ran too. Have you seen Forrest Gump? When he runs, everyone else follows him!” I replied casually, making up an excuse. There was no way I would admit that the Ghost Wolf Guards were chasing me.
The man had a bit of stubble and looked fairly handsome, but his deep-set eyes indicated he was exhausted from overexertion.
“Forrest Gump? Who’s that?” He frowned in pain as if trying to recall something familiar.
I was surprised and puzzled. “Brother, what is this place? How did I end up here? And what’s with all those Qing Dynasty people on the streets?”
He stared at me intently. “A newcomer?”
“Huh? A newcomer? Me? Yes, I’m definitely new here,” I replied.
He laughed heartily. “Forget about it! Newcomers are great; they’re usually well-off. By the way, how many blood points do you have left?”
“What blood points?” My mind was filled with questions.
He let out an “oh” sound. “I forgot; you’re a complete newbie! Blood points are… well, I don’t really know what they are either. But every time you drop a drop of blood into that container over there, you’ll feel yourself aging a bit. I've seen many people who dropped their last drop of blood and just died right there.”
I began to understand. It seemed that the blood points this person mentioned were likely something akin to lifespan or essence, similar to what that innkeeper had me drop. Thankfully, I hadn’t done so. But what exactly was this place, and how did I end up here?
The person across from me finished getting dressed and said, "Hey, I'm Wang Dong. Since you're new here, why don't you stick with me? Welcome to the Hall."
"The Hall?" I sighed. "Is this place really a Hall too?"
He grinned at me and patted my shoulder. "Of course! This place is even more of a Hall than you think. Come on, let me show you around." With that, Wang Dong led me down a street behind us.
As I followed Wang Dong, my mind was clouded with confusion. I realized I was starting to forget even more things. Gradually, I could no longer remember how I had come to this place or where exactly it was.
Wang Dong took me to a main street. We were both cautious; mainly because Wang Dong thought the Ghost Wolf Guards were after him, so he was being very careful. Naturally, I was even more cautious since I knew the Ghost Wolf Guards were actually after me.
We sneaked onto the main street, which was bustling with activity. There were crowds of people everywhere, and the street was lined with many delicious food stalls—most of which were free.
Wang Dong spoke up, "Here, a lot of things are free. But you need to be careful; if it's a paid place, then you're in trouble. They charge in blood points. Of course, if you want something really good, you'll need blood points; but for regular stuff, you can get it for free."
Seeing all the free food stalls around made my stomach growl. I started to follow Wang Dong into one of them. I ordered eight-treasure rice, which tasted much better than anything I'd had before, along with braised pork knuckle. I ate a lot and slowly began to ignore the fact that it felt like the more I ate, the more I forgot.
As I indulged in various delicacies, an emptiness grew inside me. I looked up at Wang Dong; his eyes seemed hollow as he grinned at me while stuffing his face with food.
Suddenly, I lost my appetite. I felt like there were many questions I needed to ponder.
"How's it going? Are you full yet?" Wang Dong wiped his mouth and chuckled before pulling my arm. "Brother, come on! Let me take you to see something really fun—something all men love! I'm telling you, this place is a Hall where free stuff is enough for you to enjoy for a lifetime."
With that, Wang Dong dragged me deeper into the street. Up ahead came a cacophony of laughter and flirtatious voices that felt oddly familiar—like something out of a television drama set in a brothel.
As we walked forward, we saw a row of brothels lined up next to each other—there were so many! Not only brothels but also clubs; the women in the brothels wore revealing outfits and waved handkerchiefs to attract customers while those in the clubs donned black stockings and high heels with lacy short skirts doing the same.
One after another—there were just so many.
I was astonished and turned to Wang Dong. "Are all these... free?"
Wang Dong chuckled, "Most of it is free, but if you want something better, you'll naturally have to pay a price."
"Since it's so good, why are you still cheating?" I asked.
Wang Dong's expression darkened. "Let's not talk about that. A wife is not as good as a concubine, a concubine is not as good as a mistress, and a mistress is not as good as one you can't have. Don't you understand this? Back in the day, my girlfriend... Wait, why am I saying 'my girlfriend'? Do I even have a girlfriend? I think I'm single."
He slapped his forehead and then dismissed the thought. "Come on, I'll take you there. This is the street for men. If you're tired of this place, you can try the women's street. There are all kinds of designer bags and beautiful clothes there, and of course, various services from men. You know what I mean."
I followed Wang Dong.
It seemed he liked the ancient vibe as he led us toward a brothel. The girls in their traditional outfits approached us, and to my surprise, they were all quite beautiful. I stared at their faces; most of them had looks like movie stars, and their figures were impressive.
I felt myself getting lost in thought when a woman who resembled Fan Bingbing grabbed my hand and pulled me into a room. She was even more beautiful than Fan Bingbing because her chin wasn't as sharp. I wondered what would happen if Li Chen found out about this. Wait, who was Li Chen? Why did strange thoughts keep popping into my head?
I started to recall things, but before long, Bingbing was leaning against me, her outfit slipping down. Her figure was truly stunning, and soon I could see all her secrets. I couldn't hold back any longer; I wanted to pounce on her...
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