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墨書 Inktalez
The object floating in the river was a person. Severe Cold couldn't wait to call for help, so he jumped in and quickly swam towards the figure on the water's surface. He aimed carefully and grabbed hold of her, remembering that there were rules to saving someone from drowning. The rescuer must hold onto the drowning person without allowing them to take control, or else both could end up drowning.
Severe Cold held onto the person tightly, and Dog Wazi soon arrived as well. Upon closer inspection, they realized that the person was not Chun Ni. Frustrated, they wiped the water off their faces and, taking a deep breath, worked together to pull Chun Ni towards the shore. Seeing this, two adults rushed over to help.
Upon hearing that Chun Ni had drowned, someone quickly brought a large ox and laid her across its back. Chun Ni coughed up large amounts of water that had entered her lungs.
"Alright, girl, once you get that water out, you'll be fine. Let's get her back to rest," an elderly man said to Sun Guiying and her husband, who had hurried over.
The town was worried about the frequent accidents at Dog Wazi's home, and Sun Guiying was particularly anxious. After ensuring her daughter was settled, she hurried to the Incense Master's house.
The Incense Master also rushed over. Looking at Chun Ni lying dazed on the bed, she instructed Sun Guiying to bring a bowl of rice and sprinkle it from Chun Ni's doorway outside. She muttered something under her breath before sitting cross-legged in their living room, pulling out a piece of yellow paper filled with strange symbols.
The Incense Master chanted incantations and then took out a four-finger-wide red cloth strip. She gestured over it for a long time before mixing it with the yellow paper and setting it alight.
As the red strip burned down, the Incense Master spoke: "Come look; your wife just wanted to chat with her sister-in-law for a bit and decided to stay for a while."
Sun Guiying's family hurried over to see what the Incense Master was pointing at on the cloth strip. Indeed, where the sparks had burned away, there appeared images resembling human heads. Severe Cold leaned in closer to take a look; the likenesses were quite distinct.
After the strip had finished burning, the Incense Master placed it into the bowl of murky water that had contained the yellow paper. With her short fingers, she stirred it around. Severe Cold wondered why she was being so unhygienic but couldn't understand what she intended to do with that dirty water.
The Incense Master mixed the yellow paper remnants and ash in the water before moving her stout body towards Chun Ni's bedroom. She instructed Sun Guiying to lift Chun Ni's head and place chopsticks between her lips before forcefully pouring a bowl of murky water down Chun Ni's throat. The water spilled from the corners of Chun Ni's mouth onto her chest.
Then, the Incense Master took some of the remaining water into her mouth and sprayed it onto Chun Ni's face. Startled awake, Chun Ni began shouting incoherently.
After the Incense Master left, as usual, he took away the money that Sun Guiying's family should have used to thank her.
When Chun Ni later regained consciousness, she could not remember how she had fallen into the well, let alone how she ended up floating in the river. This incident became a mystery in the local area.
From then on, Sun Guiying forbade the siblings from bathing in the water, but they secretly went to another branch of the river to wash. Time flew by, and soon the biting cold of winter arrived. Dog Wazi had been living at his uncle's house, but the elderly man passed away after catching a cold due to his advanced age.
At this point, it is necessary to mention other circumstances in their family. Dog Boy's Father was named Zhang Bixian, a simple and honest man. With the captain's care, he easily obtained a spacious storage room filled with affordable goods, which made him quite happy. However, there was one thing that troubled them greatly.
Ever since they moved in, small livestock often died unexpectedly. Even a cat or a dog would mysteriously perish or sometimes go missing without explanation. In short, aside from a few family members, there were no other living beings in the house.
The old man had long since passed away, and Aunt Taiyi had to be buried alongside him. Dog Boy's Father invited a Southern Gentleman (also known as a Feng Shui Master) to choose an auspicious date for the burial. The Southern Gentleman appeared to have an ethereal demeanor but was actually a very tidy man who spoke politely and seemed very approachable.
When this Southern Gentleman arrived at their home, he frowned and shook his head with a sigh.
"Sir, do you think something is wrong with my house?" Dog Wazi observed every move of the gentleman and quickly asked.
The Southern Gentleman hesitated for a moment before replying, "Three mountains lack two mountains; sunset washes white; the utility pole behind the house brings eternal unrest."
Following the Southern Gentleman's instructions, Dog Boy's Father blocked the front door with bricks and opened a new entrance facing south. The utility pole behind the house was also moved elsewhere.
In the days that followed, Dog Wazi's family's livestock grew up healthily, and no more strange occurrences happened in their home. Sun Guiying also lost her previous enthusiasm for the Incense Master and devoted all her energy to work, soon being promoted to a Cleaner team leader.
Ziya smiled and said, "I finally understand. This story is actually quite similar to something... Feng Shui is very important. I remember at my adoptive mother's house, even moving a small piece of furniture required checking the Feng Shui first."
"Yes, I've heard about Feng Shui too. They say if you offend something bad, it can lead to serious consequences," Sun Meng chimed in. Then she asked curiously, "So what about the voice of the Incense Master?"
Severe Cold took a sip of water and replied, "The Incense Master's voice is a mystery that has accompanied me since childhood. Once, while I was out, I happened to encounter a street performer who was a ventriloquist. It felt quite strange; his lips didn't move, yet he was able to speak. It reminded me exactly of the time I saw the Incense Master when I was young. Out of curiosity, I quietly asked someone, and they told me it was ventriloquism."
"What about the head image on the red cloth of the Incense Master?" Ziya continued to inquire.
"That's even simpler. If you have some free time, you can try it yourself. Just light any piece of cloth, and you'll see that after it burns out, there will be an image formed in the ashes. It's a pattern naturally created at the junction of fire and ash."
"Uh..." Ziya and Sun Meng exchanged surprised glances, feeling quite speechless. But in their silence, Ziya recalled the strange phone call she received when she went to D City to find Sun Meng—the bizarre connection... Some things truly cannot be explained by science. At this thought, Ziya felt a shiver run down her spine.
Noticing that it was still early, Sun Meng covered her mouth with a smile and said, "Severe Cold, take a break for a moment. Next, I'll tell you a story about Ziya and me."
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