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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 17: The Trial of the Ghost (Part One)
The more my grandfather tried to remain calm, putting on a facade of indifference, the more anxious I became. What exactly was I uneasy about? At that moment, I couldn't quite tell. Was there a hint of sadness hidden in his smile? I hoped I was mistaken.
He handed me a bag made of golden thread. When I took it, it felt heavy in my hands, and I couldn't help but want to take a look inside.
"Ahem... it's the Soul Stone."
"What is the Soul Stone for?"
As I asked, I brought a cup of water to my grandfather, but he waved his hand dismissively, indicating to set it aside. He didn't answer my question but instead pointed toward the door. "How's Fatty doing?"
"He's doing alright!" I had more unflattering things to say, but considering my grandfather's feelings, I held back and focused on the strange stone he had given me.
"The Soul Stone needs to be stored in a place rich in Spirit Energy, a feng shui treasure spot. I recently retrieved it for you. You must keep it safe in a secluded area with good feng shui and Spirit Energy. Make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. And don't underestimate this stone; it is your lifeline. As long as the Soul Stone exists, you will live; if it is lost, you will die."
"Grandpa..."
He waved his hand and coughed slightly. The red glow that had been so vibrant dimmed, and his tone became urgent. As he coughed, I noticed blood in his phlegm, and my heart tightened with worry.
"Grandpa... are you feeling unwell?"
"You brat, do you want me to live forever? To be honest with you, my time is running out. Those who are meant to go will eventually leave. You understand Fatty better than he does; take care of him more from now on. This Funeral Home will be left to you; it's going to be tough for you."
"Grandpa, don't say that." I lifted the Soul Stone and offered it back to him. "The Soul Stone can save lives; you should use it..."
"Child, I don't need it. This treasure was obtained through my master after I was saved by a Maoshan wandering Taoist. I'm an unofficial disciple without a name or sect. Throughout my life, I've helped countless ghosts and saved many people, yet I've never been able to save myself from death's grasp. And then there's Fatty... he's connected to me and Sun Widow..." Just as my grandfather began to explain about Fatty, he suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit, gasping for breath and unable to finish his thought.
I quickly stood up to fetch water for him, but as he reached out with trembling hands to take it, he missed and the cup fell, shattering into pieces on the floor.
"Grandpa..."
Grandpa waved his hand again, "I'm not going to kick the bucket that quickly. I..." He started counting on his fingers. Since I began learning this trade, I had come to know one thing that not many people are aware of: a normal person and a seriously ill person, as long as they are counting their fingers and checking the calendar constantly, are not far from their death.
Grandpa was counting his fingers, then glanced around the room, "What's the rush? I'm not going anywhere yet; at least give me a month."
Is there someone in the room?
At first, I didn't think much of it, but seeing Grandpa like this made me uneasy. I involuntarily turned around and looked around; despite the emptiness of the room with just him and me, it felt cold and eerie without air conditioning, a chilling draft creeping in that gave me goosebumps.
I was afraid Grandpa might die. Sniffling, I mustered my courage to ask, "Grandpa, what's wrong with Fatty?"
"He was taken in by the Sun Widow. When she died, she entrusted him to me. Unfortunately, he has bad luck; he can only achieve nothing... cough cough..."
Phew—I let out a sigh of relief. Just now, when Grandpa was halfway through his sentence, I had been daydreaming and thought Fatty was his illegitimate child with the Sun Widow.
The Sun Widow, whom we called Grandma Sun, had passed away many years ago.
I had never met her in person, but I had heard plenty about her.
In her youth, the Sun Widow was an exceptionally beautiful woman.
Unfortunately, beauty is often fleeting; her fate was full of misfortunes. She brought misfortune to her husbands and eventually ended up here. Her husband died while fishing with electricity, leaving her alone to guard those three dilapidated houses until her death.
Grandpa was fine; he let me take the broken stone and leave while he needed to rest.
Little did I expect that his resting would nearly scare me to death.
Seeing Grandpa resting, I picked up the bag he had given me and walked outside, then eagerly opened it to take a look.
Inside the bag was a stone, just an ordinary stone, yet my grandfather treasured it dearly, claiming it was my lifeline. For a few seconds, I speculated that it was merely an inconspicuous river stone, and that my grandfather had become muddled in his old age to regard this stone as a treasure.
But how could an ordinary stone be preserved so well? It was carefully wrapped in golden thread.
Never mind; my grandfather's condition wasn't great. Even if I pressed him about the Soul Stone, he wouldn't provide a satisfactory answer. Instead of getting tangled up in this matter, I should focus on how to arrange Ji Xiaoying's funeral ceremony.
To smoothly handle Ji Xiaoying's burial affairs, I first needed to eliminate any hidden dangers.
The current threat lay within this talisman. I couldn't keep this talisman harboring an evil spirit hidden in the Dao Bottle forever. I needed to find a way to quell the resentment between Ji Xiaoying and this evil spirit. Before doing that, I had to uncover the reason behind their grudge that turned them into vengeful spirits.
I had to interrogate the ghost overnight.
Fatty woke up just in time, making him perfect for a task.
I pulled out the Soul Stone my grandfather had given me and handed it to him. "You know how to use the compass to test for favorable Spirit Energy environments. Hide this somewhere no one can find it. Also, tonight you’ll move into Grandpa's bedroom and stay by his side in case anything happens."
"But Grandpa..."
"He's fine for now."
As I set up the Altar and placed the Altar Table with a Willow Branch on top, Fatty understood that the Willow Branch was used for exorcising spirits. He chuckled quietly and took the stone into my grandfather's room while I released the evil spirit from the talisman.
The spirit tumbled to the ground. Having witnessed my abilities before, she dared not confront me openly but looked at me with a face full of grievances, her eyes brimming with resentment.
"Sister, please don't hold it against me; I'm just following orders."
She remained silent, casting me a wary glance before standing up and silently moving away.
Don't ask why she was so compliant; any ghost would know something was about to happen just by looking at the setup.
I then released Ji Xiaoying.
When enemies meet, their eyes widen. I cleared my throat, and the two female ghosts silently stood to the side.
"Ji Xiaoying, causing trouble on your seventh day back is not good."
"I'm not willing to..."
I stopped Liu Mei, who was about to speak or act on the other side: "You keep quiet and state your name."
The female ghost shot a fierce glare at Ji Xiaoying. "Everything that happened to me was caused by her..." Seeing the authoritative look in my eyes, she stopped her complaints and replied obediently, "Wu Shengxiu."
"Wu Shengxiu, explain how you and Ji Xiaoying came to have this grudge. Tell me everything without any deviation; not even a millimeter of error is allowed. If there is any deviation, I will ensure that one of you suffers a fate worse than death, unable to reincarnate for eternity."
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