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墨書 Inktalez
Hearing the shouting, my heart skipped a beat. I quickly grabbed the clothes by my bed, put on my shoes, and ran outside.
Following the sound, I arrived at the front of the Chen Family's house in the center of the village. I stopped in my tracks; two white lanterns hung on the door of Chen Daye's home, swaying back and forth with a creaking sound in the North Wind.
Seeing that the main door was wide open, I stepped inside. In the center of the entrance hall stood a long table adorned with an incense burner and some offerings. Behind the table was a white curtain.
As I ventured further inside, I noticed the place was in disarray. The bamboo bed where the body lay had been knocked askew, and a basin used for burning paper had rolled far away, scattering yellow paper ashes everywhere due to the wind.
A chilly draft swept through, causing me to shiver involuntarily; there was a heavy aura of gloom in the room.
“Uncle Chen? Aunt Wang?” I called out into the house but received no response. Just as I was about to step outside to look for them again, I bumped into a crowd of villagers rushing in with farming tools.
Zhao Heitie entered with a shovel in hand, looking fierce. Upon suddenly spotting me, he let out a loud shout and turned to run away.
I laughed and said, “Zhao Heitie, why are you still so jumpy…”
Zhao Heitie glanced at me and then slapped his forehead. “You’re Ling Jiao Zi, right? When did you come back? You didn’t even say goodbye when you left; my son still holds a grudge against you for that…”
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I scratched my neck. “You know how it is with my master—always busy with important matters. What can I do? By the way, Zhao Heitie, what’s going on here?”
Zhao Heitie looked around cautiously and lowered his voice. “Chen Laoyezi has faked his death! It scared the living daylights out of those mourning at Chen Family; that’s why we gathered everyone from the village to come take a look.”
I frowned. “I rushed over after hearing the commotion; there’s no one inside—not even a ghostly shadow. Isn’t Chen Laoyezi’s body missing too?”
Before I could finish speaking, Zhao Heitie covered my mouth with his hand and muttered to the air, “To all passing deities, forgive this child’s innocent words; do not take offense.”
I struggled to breathe under his grip and yanked his hand away.
Just then, a woman wearing a brightly patterned coat pushed her way through the crowd and collapsed on the ground, wailing towards the bamboo bed, “My poor father… how can he rest in peace when even his body is gone…”
I quietly pulled Zhao Heitie aside and asked, “Zhao Heitie, what exactly is going on?”
Zhao Heitie replied impatiently, “Why are you asking so many questions? Go play somewhere else…”
I clasped my hands together and muttered a prayer for peace.
I slightly infused my voice with internal energy, and it resonated with a thunderous quality that filled the room. Suddenly, everyone fell silent, five pairs of eyes turned towards me, their expressions shifting from confusion to surprise and then to disappointment.
Perhaps they thought the chant was from my Master, but upon realizing it was just me, a mere child, their hopes dwindled, and they looked away.
Zhao Heitie rubbed his hands together and asked, "Ling Feng, it's been three years since you left with your Master. Have you learned any skills?"
I nodded and replied, "Buddhism is boundless; I've only scratched the surface."
Zhao Heitie's eyes widened in disbelief as he grasped my hand tightly. "Ling Feng, you're one of us in the village. We all grew up under the care of our community. Now that such strange things are happening here, you see..."
Feeling uncomfortable with an old man holding my hand so tightly, I pulled away and patted my chest. "Zhao Heitie, don't worry. I'll take care of this."
It wasn't that I was boasting; deep down, I felt uncertain. Three years was too short a time to learn much, and what I had learned was scattered. Yet growing up in this village gave me a different sense of attachment. No matter what, I had to give it a try.
Suddenly, a noise came from the backyard—chickens squawking sharply as if being strangled. The sound of flapping wings echoed like a desperate struggle for life.
The room fell silent instantly; fear gripped everyone's hearts as they peered through the open back door into the dark yard.
One by one, the chickens' cries were heart-wrenching and struck at everyone's hearts.
Someone instinctively began to back away; it was unclear who started it, but a scream pierced the air like a retreat signal, prompting everyone to flee from the Chen family's house.
Zhao Heitie grabbed my arm to run outside but I broke free. "Zhao Heitie, you go ahead. I'm going to check the backyard."
Before Zhao Heitie could respond, I dashed towards the yard. Seeing me go alone didn’t deter him; he stomped his foot and picked up a nearby iron shovel before following me into the backyard.
The layout of rural courtyards is generally similar; the chicken coop was located at the west rear of the main house. I tiptoed closer to the coop as the sounds grew clearer—crunching noises interspersed with sharp clinks. A thick stench of blood filled the air along with an overwhelming sense of death.
Suddenly, a beam of light shone behind me—a circular glow illuminated the chicken coop where a humanoid figure clutched a chicken and chewed ravenously. Blood and feathers stained its mouth.
Perhaps sensing the flashlight's beam, the creature froze and stared intently in my direction.
With the flashlight's light illuminating clearly, I recognized it as the deceased Chen Laoyezi. His skin resembled rough pine bark, and his once murky eyes had turned a ghastly white. A beast-like growl escaped his lips.
Zhao Heitie dropped his flashlight in terror; it rolled far away, plunging us back into darkness.
I took the Shari from my chest, holding it in my hand as I stepped forward. Zhao Heitie trembled, gripping my arm and asked in a shaky voice, "What is that thing? It looks like a wolf from the mountains..."
I didn't answer, as I honestly didn't know how to respond. There are many types of corpses that can transform, and I wasn't sure what kind Chen Laoyezi belonged to. However, I knew that anything that feeds on blood must not be left alive; otherwise, today it might suck chicken blood, but tomorrow it could harm someone.
I pressed my palms together and silently recited the Six Character Mantra. The prayer beads in my hands sensed the Buddhist power within me and emitted a faint glow, particularly striking against the darkness of the night.
Chen Laoyezi seemed to sense the danger. With a howl, he leaped at me like a starving wolf pouncing on its prey. Fortunately, after three years of training, my fundamentals were solid. My body instinctively recoiled slightly, allowing me to evade his grasp. If that claw had landed on me, it would have surely left a five-clawed mark along with skin and flesh.
However, Chen Laoyezi's hand inadvertently brushed against the Buddhist light, instantly releasing the smell of burning flesh. He let out a deep, guttural roar and began circling around me restlessly, seemingly waiting for the right moment to strike.
Yet he also appeared fearful of the flickering light before me. I dared not relax either; I focused my mind and continued to chant the Six Character Mantra repeatedly.
In the snowy winter night, I stood in the snow facing off against Chen Laoyezi's corpse...
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