Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 49: Spirit Exploration
The Netherworld Flower can protect souls, has the power of resurrection, and can also be used to open the Gate of Hell.
How did I end up in this place?
I stood firmly on the ground, yet it felt unreal. Looking around, I saw a house amidst the vast whiteness.
The appearance of this house was strange.
Far removed from the mortal world, standing among the Netherworld Flowers, I wondered if there was anyone inside. This thought compelled me to walk toward the house. Step by step, I drew closer, but oddly enough, while it seemed near, it felt distant as I approached.
It was like seeing a mountain covered in pristine white snow glistening under the sun, appearing within reach and evoking a desire to get closer. Yet when one truly attempts to approach it, it feels far away. This sense of nostalgia felt familiar, as if it had happened before.
But no matter how hard I tried to recall, I couldn't remember.
The house was made of wooden beams, standing out prominently in the sea of Netherworld Flowers.
"Ma Qi... come here... come..."
A voice echoed through the space. I paused in surprise and looked around; the area was empty—there wasn't even a ghostly shadow in sight. I continued walking toward the house; perhaps the one calling me was inside.
I lost track of time as I walked until I finally saw a window of the house. There was only a window and no door. Standing by the window was a figure with their back to me. The silhouette seemed somewhat familiar, reminiscent of someone from my memories.
Then I noticed another person facing the one by the window.
The person by the window was speaking, but the eyes of the one opposite were fixed on me.
Those eyes were sunken deep into their sockets, and their face was terrifying, resembling a mask made from skin. The cold gaze seeping from those eye sockets sent a shiver down my spine; I felt an impending danger as I stood frozen in place.
Suddenly, without knowing when it appeared, a crystalline object emerged before me—delicate and intricate—with faint outlines of Pavilions and Towers visible within. Inscribed on it were the words: Eighteen Cubes.
Eighteen Cubes burst forth with dazzling light, and in the blink of an eye, the Ghostly Flower before me and the room vanished, including the two people I had seen. Then, memories returned, accompanied by anxious shouts: "Ma Qi, where are you?"
I reached out to grab something, straining to pull the trigger.
With a crack, someone screamed, "Is he in the coffin?"
Then came a loud crash as the coffin lid flew open, revealing three faces filled with urgency that blinded me.
Mi looked like she was about to cry, her eyes brimming with tears and her nose reddened.
Chi Xinrong also appeared anxious as she grabbed me and asked, "Ma Qi, what happened? You scared us to death."
Fatty relaxed his furrowed brow. "Brother Qi, you suddenly disappeared! We were frantic looking for you. We searched this coffin several times and didn’t see you. Who would have thought you were still inside?"
"Are you sure you looked for me several times?" I asked Fatty, reaching for Mi and gently kissing her tired red eyes. I whispered, "Don't cry; I'm fine. Just smile for me."
At that moment, Mi couldn't manage a smile. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she clung to my hand as if afraid that letting go would allow something to snatch me away.
Chi Xinrong had been inside this coffin before; she was puzzled as she peered around it, muttering aloud but addressing all of us: "I find it strange. When I went in, nothing unusual happened; I came out just fine. How did Ma Qi manage to hide? It took us ages to find him."
"I didn't hide. You wouldn't believe everything I've been through. By the way, what time is it now?"
"Look, it's dark already. What time do you think it is?" Chi Xinrong handed me her phone.
Eight thirty.
Qin Jian left, I entered the coffin—an entire afternoon? No wonder they were so frantic. Mi's eyes were still red; she hadn’t said a word. I wrapped my arm around her waist and stood up from the coffin, reaching out to refuse Fatty's help.
Fatty still couldn't understand how such an ordinary-looking coffin could possibly conceal a living person. He scratched his head in confusion.
"Brother Qi, what on earth happened to you?"
I shook my head and said to Chi Xinrong, "You won't believe this." Then I asked Pang to bring the Bagua Mirror and aim it at the coffin, while I instructed Chi Xinrong to prepare an infrared camera.
Chi Xinrong and Pang both went to get ready.
Mi quietly asked, "Brother Qi, what do you need me to do?"
I lifted her chin slightly. "I need you to keep me company."
"Okay, I'll go get you some tea."
Sitting in the living room, I couldn't help but glance toward the darkroom door. The door was closed, and there wasn't a sound coming from inside.
"Brother Qi, tea."
I took the tea and looked up at Mi. She shyly smiled and whispered, "What are you looking at?"
"I'm admiring how beautiful my wife is."
"Brother Qi, please don't scare me like that in the future."
"I won't. Look, you're crying again." I pulled her close and used a tissue to wipe away the tears that were about to spill over.
"Brother Qi, let's get married!"
"Sure, once these Orders are completed, we'll get married on New Year's Day."
"Okay."
Mi nestled in my arms just as Pang walked in with the cleaned Bagua Mirror. He saw us like this and paused for a moment before quickly backing out, saying, "You two continue; I didn't see anything."
"Continue your sister."
Chi Xinrong had returned, accompanied by Qin Jian.
Upon seeing me, Qin Jian cursed, "They called me, and I was in a meeting. You disappeared—what's going on?"
"It's a long story. Mi, go with Rongrong to set up the camera. Fatty, you take the Bagua Mirror and hang it in the dark room, and also the talismans—stick them one by one on the coffin."
"Okay!" Fatty agreed and took Mi with him to the dark room. With the three of them together, there shouldn't be any major issues.
I motioned for Qin Jian to sit down. Now it was just the two of us, and there was nothing to hide.
"I saw Li Gui."
"Li Gui? Where?"
"You won't believe it—inside that coffin."
"No way! That coffin is huge; how could it hide you and anyone else?"
"That's the problem. At first, I saw bats—just a mass of them. Then I accidentally triggered some mechanism, and my whole body flipped over. That's when I saw the Ghostly Flower—a vast expanse of white ice-like Ghostly Flowers—and a room. In that room was my grandfather's silhouette, and across from him was Li Gui."
"Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?"
"I'm sure. At that moment, my memory vanished; my mind went blank, as if I had entered a death space isolated from the world."
"And then what do you think will happen?"
"The Ghostly Flower has two effects: one is to open the Hell Gate, and the other is to resurrect souls."
"I don't understand this. Do you think it's serious?"
"Serious? Extremely serious! Once the Hell Gate is opened, all kinds of demons and monsters will come into the world and harm the innocent. It could lead to catastrophic consequences."
Qin Jian's expression grew serious as he rested his chin on his hand, his eyes fixed on me as he asked, "What's wrong? What do you mean?"
"It can be vast, vast enough to turn the world upside down—plagues, disasters, calamities."
Qin Jian remained silent, his brow furrowed, and the depth of his gaze made it impossible to discern what he was thinking.
Fat and Mi, along with Chi Xinrong, had also come out.
"What is the purpose of what you installed?"
"Just wait and see." I instructed Fat to turn off all the lights in the room. Each person placed a Breath-Holding Talisman on themselves, crouching in concealed spots to quietly observe the situation inside the room.
Comment 0 Comment Count