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墨書 Inktalez
I was also in a daze, only remembering a woman who entered slowly, carrying a strong, intoxicating fragrance.
The woman had a face reminiscent of a snake spirit, and under the backdrop of the green mist, she swayed gracefully, captivatingly enchanting. Her hair was styled high, adorned with pearls, emeralds, and green hibiscus. Two bright moon beads dangled from her ears. Her complexion was whiter than mountain snow, with elegantly arched brows that seemed both angry and alluring. Her eyes resembled twin moons, her nose was delicate like a suspended gallbladder, and her lips were like cherry blossoms. She wore a tight-fitting short top that exposed her snowy belly and a flowing skirt in the color of lotus flowers. On her ankles were silver bracelets with several bells that jingled softly with her every movement.
A sound like pearls and jade falling onto a jade plate arose from the pipa she held on her right shoulder, its back facing us and decorated with jewels. She grasped the neck of the pipa with her left hand, her arm appearing as delicate as a lotus stem. With her right hand behind the pipa, her fingers danced fluidly as she played. The music accompanied her dance, flowing gracefully like a gentle stream, reminiscent of the dancers from Dunhuang or the songstresses of the Silk Road—fairies from the Moon Palace. Truly, it was a sight to behold, as if rain nourished her rosy beauty while peach and plum blossoms smiled alongside pear flowers!
The three of us listened to the sound of the pipa, our eyelids growing heavy as we struggled to stay awake.
Suddenly, a series of drumbeats echoed—though not melodious, they were invigorating beyond measure, far more effective than strong tea or coffee. The old man, Big Mouth Lee, and I were jolted back to reality by the rhythmic drumming. Upon seeing the woman, both the old man and Big Mouth Lee trembled uncontrollably, their faces turning pale as cold sweat trickled down their foreheads.
Big Mouth Lee was even more exaggerated; liquid seemed to seep from between his legs—he must have been scared out of his wits! His mouth gaped open as if he wanted to say something but could not manage to close it.
Experience speaks volumes; although the old man was equally terrified, he managed to exclaim, "That's the Beautiful Serpent!"
The Beautiful Serpent revealed herself; while her upper body retained that of a woman’s, her lower half transformed into that of a serpent. Most of her body coiled on the ground while her tail twitched at the end. When she noticed me staring at her, her piercing gaze locked onto mine. My heart raced as I felt paralyzed with fear; I was on the verge of losing control.
At that moment, a character appeared in mid-air—a "forbidden" symbol—as if projected from a 3D movie. Seeing this eased my tension somewhat. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was illuminated by Mausoleum Secrets. It seemed that the earlier drumbeats had also emanated from Mausoleum Secrets.
"I will not harm you," said the Beautiful Serpent. "Soon enough, you will all become my honored guests!" She pulled out a piece of colorful paper from her bosom.
"Hey! Sister Snake, we have no quarrel; just send them over to me!" A fierce woman's voice came from outside. A gust of cold wind followed as a ghostly woman with bangs stood in the street with hands on her hips. Her fangs had grown an inch longer since our last encounter. This Dirty Thing had been waiting outside; it seemed she wanted to put me in grave danger! A thousand curses flew through my mind—I had become a treasure sought after by a middle-aged ghostly woman!
"Aunt Huang, why don't you try touching them?"
"Please step aside!" Aunt Huang summoned dark winds and lunged forward. In an instant, the Beautiful Serpent merely lifted her head; amidst a blur of red light flashing past, Aunt Huang was severely injured—one arm severed—and fled in black smoke while cursing fiercely: "Xiazi, even if I reach the ends of the earth, I will not let you go!"
"Useless..." The Beautiful Serpent licked its lips, a look of disdain on its face. "What?" We three exclaimed in unison, staring at each other in shock for a moment. This Evil Spirit had been clinging to me for quite a while; it was already capable of possessing humans. How could it be defeated so easily by the Beautiful Serpent? Just how powerful was this creature? The thought sent a chill of fear through me.
"A soon-to-be groom like you shouldn't be so scared. Can't you show a little more ambition?" The Beautiful Serpent's gloomy expression flickered with a hint of delight, and a red light flashed across my face, sending a bone-chilling cold through me. "Not bad!" The Beautiful Serpent licked its lips, looking somewhat intoxicated.
I thought to myself that my luck had hit rock bottom; even monsters were coming to mock me. I hadn't even touched a girl's hand, so where was this bride coming from? A terrifying thought flashed before my eyes, and I stared at the Beautiful Serpent in horror.
"What do you really want?" The Beautiful Serpent was no fool. "I wouldn't dare compete with my master." "Master?" We three echoed in unison, realizing that we were in deep trouble. If even a minion was this powerful, what would happen if its master showed up? It would be like crushing us three as if we were ants!
"What's so surprising about it? Old Man Li already sent you the marriage certificate!"
Old Man Li stared blankly at the Beautiful Serpent, his face turning beet red. "What marriage certificate?"
"You must have forgotten, old man. The marriage certificate on that meteorite—didn't Old Man Xia give it to you?"
A flash of red light passed by as the colorful paper in the Beautiful Serpent's hand flew into mine! "This is the marriage certificate personally written by the old man. I've delivered it to you. You are now our esteemed guest! I still need to report back to my master; we will meet again!" With that, the Beautiful Serpent glided away.
It took me a moment to regain my senses. I hurriedly looked outside; the street was dark and empty, not a soul in sight.
"Sigh! Old Man Xia did tell me when he handed over the meteorite. However, it's been so long that I completely forgot... I think they used this meteorite to track you down!"
"Child, I'm not trying to scare you; you've already been marked by Corpse Qi. Aunt Huang will find you again!"
"You're joking!" I refused to believe any of it.
I didn't even glance at the marriage certificate before tossing it into the trash outside the door. I thought to myself, "I'd rather be a lifelong bachelor than marry a fairy!" My grandfather quickly snatched the certificate back, sighed, and uttered a chilling remark: "Alas! I never thought this would be true!" He handed the marriage certificate to me. "Xia, you can't escape this. Although this matter was initiated by your grandfather, it is indeed a marriage contract he made with that being!"
I could hardly believe it. My grandfather had already passed away when I was born. How could he have arranged for me to marry that creature? This was not only incomprehensible; it defied all logic. What kind of grandfather would arrange a Yin Marriage for his grandson? I stood there in shock, unable to accept it deep down. Nevertheless, I unfolded the marriage certificate to take a look.
Marriage Certificate of the Xia and Wei Chi Families
Xia Ji: Year of the Fire Snake, Yihai Month, Xinmao Day, Yi Hai Time
Wei Chi Wan Er: Year of Bingwu, Month of Gengyin, Day of Dingchou, Hour of Jiayin
It is hereby established on the sixth day of the sixth month in the Jiawu Year that both families are in harmony and joyfully unite in matrimony.
With this union between our families, we pledge our vows in one hall. May our good fortune be everlasting and our match be recognized. As we witness the blooming peach blossoms tomorrow, may we find a suitable home and may our descendants flourish for years to come. This is a solemn promise for a lifetime together, recorded on fine paper, ensuring our bond is clearly stated. This serves as proof.
This year is the Jiawu Year, and there is still about a month until the sixth day of the sixth month.
The format was indeed similar to that on the meteorite. I read it three or four times in succession, feeling both angry and amused. Although it was well-written, there wasn't even a location for the wedding; it looked like nothing more than a prank. Later on, I secretly discarded the marriage certificate behind my grandfather's back, but to my surprise, it returned to my bedside repeatedly—four or five times just like that. I casually placed it in the drawer beside my bed and chose to ignore it thereafter.
"Old man, tell me about my grandfather!"
"Your grandfather, your father, and your ancestors were not ordinary people!"
I already understood that without him saying so. My ancestors were Antique Dealers who had acquired numerous artifacts looted by eunuchs during the early years of the Republic of China. After the founding of the nation, my grandfather handed them over to the state and received commendations for his efforts. As for my father, he was just an ordinary Archaeologist who spent his days engaged in fieldwork without fail throughout rain or shine; there was nothing particularly special about him either.
"Old man, stop keeping me in suspense. Just say it, let it all out!" After everything we had been through, we had become close as life and death companions, so I felt comfortable speaking freely. The old man, instead of getting angry, chuckled and said, "You little rascal, why are you so impatient?"
Big Mouth Lee, after coming back to reality, realized he had wet himself and his face turned beet red as he hurried to the backyard to change into clean clothes. He squatted there, not saying a word.
"Alright! I'll start with a story. Once you finish listening to this story, then I'll discuss your marriage contract with you. You better be ready for it!"
Ready for what? Was it something about my grandfather? I pounded my chest and swore that I could handle anything. The old man finally put away his smile and became serious.
"Where should I begin?" He pondered for a long time before speaking. "Let's start with the book. This story is a bit long and somewhat terrifying. Do you have the courage to listen?"
"Old man, we've seen life and death countless times; why would we be afraid of a story?" My experience with life and death was naturally from the events of the past few nights. At first, this story wasn't scary at all. But as I listened further, it became increasingly chilling. If I had to hear it again, I'd rather not.
The old man pulled out a cigarette, and I lit it for him. His voice was a bit hoarse as he said, "Earlier, when I talked about the stories in the book, they were half true and half false. But the real story behind it has been buried deep in my heart. Just thinking about it makes my hair stand on end! If it weren't for you, I would never want to recall it."
"I understand!"
"Alright! Then I'll start with the strange beasts. The latter part of the story—if I hadn't experienced it myself, I wouldn't believe it was real!"
If only I could go back to that night; I truly wished the old man wouldn't tell this tale. But alas, everything had already happened!
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