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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 1: Ghost Month Taboos (Part Twelve)
I had been through this; my grandfather's bedroom was not a place someone like him could handle. However, I didn't make things particularly difficult for him; I let everything be. In my memory, Fatty was timid and fearful, yet his heart wasn't so dark. Yet later on, he always targeted me, even using a soul-binding incense while I lay in the coffin, trapping me in that dark, sunless space to fight against things that didn't even exist. When I finally woke up after exhausting struggles, I realized I had missed my date with Han Mi.
Indirectly, Han Mi got into trouble because of this. All of it stemmed from the mess Fatty created. What kind of curse did Li Gui cast on him that allowed such a timid person to repeatedly take reckless risks?
I searched thoroughly, checking the pillow and peering under the bed. Then I moved to the wardrobe, an old-fashioned piece belonging to my grandfather, with a brass lock hanging on it that hadn't been opened since his passing.
There was nothing inside that I needed.
Finally, my gaze landed on a Paper Man hanging at the head of the bed.
This was an extremely ordinary-looking Paper Man, so thin that it could be easily pierced with a finger. Its facial features included a pair of lifelike eyes that seemed to stare at you from any angle, much like a portrait framing a deceased person.
This was a male Paper Man. Why was it a male Paper Man? Fatty loved to amuse himself; wouldn't it have been better to hang up a female Paper Man for the task?
The word "strange" popped into my mind as I couldn't help but reach out for the Paper Man. Those eyes seemed to look right into me from such close proximity, giving me an unsettling feeling as if they were peering into my soul. My skin prickled with discomfort, and I couldn't help but feel hatred towards those eyes as I unhesitatingly poked at them.
As my finger pierced through the Paper Man's eyes, it felt inconsequential at first. But at the moment of contact, a shocking reality hit me; there seemed to be blood at the point of penetration. At the same time, outside, Fatty let out a horrific wail.
I was startled and grabbed the Paper Man as I rushed out.
On the ground, Fatty was bleeding from his left eye, writhing in pain. When he saw me emerge with the Paper Man in hand, fear filled his gaze as he stared at it. "Brother Qi, what have you done?"
The Paper Man was connected to Fatty?
In an instant, I understood; Li Gui's Evil Arts had reached an astonishing level where he could remotely control the Paper Man to manipulate Fatty's mind and consciousness.
I sneered and said, "I haven't done anything; I'm saving you." Then without hesitation, I jabbed my finger through both eyes of the Paper Man again and meticulously cleaned it up. This entire sequence of actions was completed so quickly that Fatty barely had time to react.
Just as I finished all this, Fatty lost his balance while trying to rise and fell back to the ground.
The Paper Man had been infused with a soul; only an Evil Sorcerer like Li Gui could achieve such a feat. The rest involved my grandfather and Uncle Luo; for now, I wasn't sure if Qin Ye had any real abilities. What I aimed for was for Fatty to permanently break free from Li Gui's control.
The one who is least valuable is Grandpa. After a trip out of town, he attracted the attention of Li Gui, and the cowardice of the Fat One allowed evil to take advantage, as if a time bomb had been placed beside him.
I burned the Paper Man infused with Evil Arts, then fetched a cup of water. I drew a talisman and used chopsticks to pry open the Fat One's tightly clenched teeth, slowly pouring the water into his mouth. I heard a gurgling sound. The Fat One opened his eyes and asked, "Brother Qi, how is Grandpa?"
This was the true Fat One.
The Fat One, untouched by evil, had flaws—he was timid and wouldn’t gamble or betray friends for personal gain. But he had strengths too; he was an excellent cook and a true foodie. His question indicated that after Li Gui had stalked and tormented Grandpa, the Fat One had also been indirectly affected, which explained why he didn’t know about Grandpa’s current situation.
It was good that the Fat One woke up, but I felt uneasy. Remembering the stone Grandpa gave me, I realized I had given it to the unconscious Fat One. At that time, I thought it was merely because of Yin Yin's matter; now it seemed clear that it was all due to Li Gui's mischief.
Feeling uncomfortable and not wanting to discourage him, I lied casually, "Grandpa is fine. The floor is cool; you should get up."
As he got up, he instinctively rubbed the back of his head and frowned. "My head hurts."
"You hit your head on the ground just now." He was too heavy for me to help him up easily, and he stumbled as we managed to walk.
"Brother Qi, I had a very long dream. I dreamed of Grandpa and my Dad. They were running because they were so hungry; they wanted to eat each other."
I told him to be quiet and casually remarked, "You've been watching too much Animal World."
The Fat One grinned but then froze in place, stubbornly stepping back and asking me, "Brother Qi, this is Grandpa's room; I won't go in." Indeed, when Grandpa was alive, neither the Fat One nor I could enter this room without permission.
"How about you go sleep in my room for a bit?"
"No, I'd rather go to the other room," he replied and turned toward the adjacent room.
I remembered the Soul Stone and called out to him, "Fat..."
He awkwardly turned back and asked, "Brother Qi, is there something else?"
"Do you remember the stone I gave you? Where did you put it?" This was also a test for him; if he hadn’t truly awakened, he wouldn’t know or would deny ever receiving a stone from me.
"Brother Qi, remember the time you gave me the stone? Wasn't it when we used to skip stones on the water?"
Fatty recalled the days of playing with stones by the water, but I had long forgotten. I shook my head. "It wasn't during childhood; it was recently when you..." I paused, knowing that continuing would bring up Grandpa's passing, a matter for which Fatty felt a heavy burden of guilt.
"What?"
"It's nothing. You rest, and I'll rest too." I didn't turn back to look at Fatty. I was exhausted, and with the ongoing investigation into the inaction at Hongqiao Supermarket, I didn't want to waste precious rest time. I headed straight to my bedroom to prepare for sleep.
Lying on the bed, I recalled the jokes I had shared with Han Mi earlier and couldn't help but smile. I wanted to open my laptop, but fatigue overwhelmed me; my eyelids felt too heavy to lift. In a daze, I heard a rustling sound in the room and soft murmurs: "I'm coming; I'll see you soon."
Was it Mi? There was no response, and the air was filled with a familiar fragrance that I hadn't sensed in a long time. In my hazy state, it felt as if someone stood before me. She wore a loose red sheer blouse that revealed a black bra beneath, accentuating her full curves. The sleeves had long flowing edges, and she wore a very short white skirt that seemed to flirt with revealing what lay beneath—actually a pair of white shorts adorned with decorative fabric that transformed them into an updated version of a skirt.
She smiled at me, and when I reached out to grasp her image, my hands closed around nothing.
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