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墨書 Inktalez
Under the Zhonghekan, the people standing in a circle formed a strange formation. The Night Mist was thick, making them appear hazy and indistinct. Although Severe Cold felt an eerie sensation in his heart, he wasn't afraid of the many people gathered by the riverbank.
Severe Cold stepped into the circle formed by the adults, initially thinking he would be able to see who they were or recognize someone he knew. However, once inside, he realized that the height of these individuals made it impossible for him to see their faces, let alone identify anyone.
With a stubborn temperament that feared nothing, Severe Cold was even more determined to uncover the mystery. He noticed that despite his intrusion into their circle, the people continued to ignore him.
Once inside the circle, however, Severe Cold still couldn't hear what they were saying. Without thinking much about it, he grabbed the pants of the nearest person and stood on tiptoe, shouting, "Uncle, what activity are you all doing?"
His question seemed to genuinely disturb those in the circle. They shifted slightly, and a chilling wind swept through—whether it came from the ground or blew down from above was unclear. In that moment when one person leaned down to look at him, Severe Cold felt a peculiar cold wash over him. The face that came into view had hollow eye sockets dripping with dark blood… Severe Cold recognized this man; he was someone who had become wealthy by dredging sand and gravel in town.
At that moment, Severe Cold truly understood what fear was—the gut-wrenching sensation brought on by terror hit him deeply as he let out a hoarse scream.
"Ah... ghost... ah..."
Gasping for breath, Severe Cold suddenly woke up in his bedroom, which had excellent soundproofing. His screams had startled him awake, and he was drenched in sweat. Looking around, he realized he had just experienced a nightmare. The man from his dream had died a year ago in a Capsizing Incident. It was said that his body was never recovered; the raging flood had swept him and his sand-dredging boat away into the river.
Wiping the cold sweat from his face and neck, Severe Cold turned on the light and got up to pour himself a glass of water from the dispenser in the living room. He slowly backed up to his bedside. His hand trembled slightly as he held the cup; his heart was still racing from the terrifying dream that lingered in his mind.
At that moment, Severe Cold truly regretted provoking those unclean things. The nightmare was a clear indication that he and his friends had inadvertently stirred up something spoken of by their ancestors—the Vengeful Spirit.
Did Vengeful Spirits really exist? With no desire to sleep anymore, Severe Cold got up and went to search through the bookshelf in his study for information about Vengeful Spirits. The complex explanations didn’t clarify anything! The book stated that Vengeful Spirits were formless and voiceless, lacking jaws.
The more he read, the more tedious it became. He shoved the book—bought from a street vendor—back onto the shelf. Nearby, sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking indicated dawn was approaching. Yet his eyes still felt heavy with fatigue, so he lay back down on his bed, hoping to catch another brief nap.
Dog Wazi still had not awakened as expected. After Incense Master left, Dog Wazi had another high fever that night, alarming the family enough to call their relative, Dr. Xiao Zhang, who administered a shot to bring down the fever.
Dog Wazi had been in this deep sleep for a day, and the family was at their wit's end, fearing that he might be on the brink of death. However, the strong heartbeat in his chest indicated no immediate danger. Dr. Xiao Zhang continued to check on him and reassured them that there was no serious issue, leaving the family in a state of anxious uncertainty.
The next day, Sun Guiying returned from town with many offerings of Ghost Money and other ritual items. After a hasty dinner, the family prepared to set out. In the dead of night, she, along with her husband and daughter, made their way to the riverbank with the items.
Along the way, they occasionally startled a frog that croaked underfoot, causing the timid Chun Ni to cling tightly to her mother Sun Guiying's arm in fright.
The night was dark and foggy, with droplets of dew quietly falling from the leaves to the ground. Chun Ni kept glancing into the pitch-black forest, terrified yet peeking cautiously as if something sinister lurked within those woods.
The three of them trudged toward the Riverbank, filled with hope of bringing Dog Wazi's soul back. The night breeze gently brushed against their faces, carrying a weight of heaviness and helplessness in their hearts.
"Don't be afraid; as long as your brother can get better, we just need to sincerely ask them to bring him back..." Sun Guiying said to her daughter in a choked voice.
They knelt on the slippery moss-covered stones by the riverbank, bowing repeatedly and murmuring prayers asking the Vengeful Spirit to return Dog Wazi.
Incense candles were lit at the Riverbank, and the swirling smoke dispersed in the gentle breeze. The flickering light of the white candles cast eerie shadows beneath them.
Chun Ni felt a sharp pain in her knees from the stones beneath her. While her parents were deeply engrossed in their prayers, she glanced around under the flickering candlelight and noticed something moving in the dark corners... It seemed like something was drifting toward them.
"Mom, Dad, let's go!" Chun Ni suddenly interrupted her parents' earnest prayers, trembling as she tightly grasped her mother Sun Guiying's hand.
The parents were startled by their daughter's condition, their hair standing on end as they hurriedly looked around. They quickly scrambled up from the ground, grabbing their daughter and rushing home.
They had come with hopes of burning Ghost Money, but now they were filled with fear, wanting nothing more than to leave this place as soon as possible. Their family knew from the legends and warnings passed down by the older generations that everyone in the town was aware of the many unclean things by the riverbank. Every year, during floods, some people would be swept away or drowned.
The bodies, they didn't know where the river carried them, but their Souls lingered on this Riverbank, a truth shared by the elders.
Sun Guiying's family stumbled back to their home, all three of them aware of how pale their faces must look. Just then, a noise came from Dog Wazi's bedroom.
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