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墨書 Inktalez
With an unpleasant odor clinging to me, I had no idea when I had fallen asleep.
When I woke up again, the old man who had been kneeling was gone, likely having descended the mountain.
The vines had previously wrapped around him and attacked two young men while sparing him. It seemed they found him too old and unappetizing, lacking in nutritional value.
At this moment, dawn was just breaking, and the forest was shrouded in mist. The bloodstains on my body and face, along with the grime and flesh remnants, had mysteriously vanished, as if absorbed by my skin.
I guessed that the vines must have helped clean me up.
Amidst the thin fog, voices could be faintly heard.
“Zhu Fei Da, Grandma says this person is a prime Ding Lu. If you don’t listen, go ahead and try a bite… just wait until Grandma sucks you dry.” The voice carried a strong warning tone.
The entity referred to as Zhu Fei Da grunted in annoyance, expressing its dissatisfaction. “Zhu Fei Er, do I need you to teach me a lesson?”
Then there was a rustling sound, likely as it ran deeper into the woods.
I heard footsteps approaching and quickly closed my eyes.
“I know you’re awake; why are you pretending?” a deep voice said.
When I opened my eyes, I was startled. What on earth was this creature?
It had a human body and limbs, standing upright, but its head resembled that of a pig, covered in black bristles like those of a wild boar.
No, this was clearly the Wild Boar Spirit.
On its large head, two big ears drooped at the sides of its face like fans. Its pig snout protruded prominently. Surprisingly, its eyes lacked the aggressive nature typical of animals.
Instead, they were filled with a look of pity or perhaps regret.
“Are you Zhu Fei Da or Zhu Fei Er?” I managed to ask while suppressing my nausea.
“Do you think if Zhu Fei Da were here, you would still be in one piece?” Zhu Fei Er retorted with a mocking glint in its eyes.
I scoffed, "That’s not necessarily true. I heard everything you just said. Right now, I’m the one favored by the Grandmother, so you wouldn’t dare do anything to me..."
Zhu Fei Er shook her head, her large ears flopping along with it. She looked at me with disdain, saying, "You're about to die, and yet you still take pride in that? I think you're one of the more foolish humans. People often use pigs to describe someone as stupid, but compared to you, pigs seem quite clever..."
I was taken aback by how articulate Zhu Jing was. Deep down, I knew that since the Grandmother had chosen me as Ding Lu, it surely wasn't for anything good.
"Um, Zhu Fei Er, big brother. What does it mean to be Ding Lu? Is it about dual cultivation? Nourishing the yin with the yang? But age-wise, it doesn’t quite match up," I asked curiously while glancing at the large tree.
Zhu Fei Er chuckled, "Well, at least you’re starting to understand. Since you've figured it out, I won’t hide it from you anymore. Being the Grandmother's Ding Lu is a fate worse than death."
I looked at Zhu Fei Er with eager curiosity, wanting to learn more.
Zhu Fei Er continued, "Have you seen potted plants? Being the Grandmother's Ding Lu is just like being a potted plant. The Grandmother will send her seedling into your body to absorb your essence and blood until you're completely drained. Eventually, another tree will grow out of your body. That tree will be a part of the Grandmother, a means for her to survive."
My heart sank; this old hag actually wanted to use me as fertilizer.
"Because the Grandmother’s true form is a plant and has its limitations, once her clone is fully developed, she can leave this valley and venture into the outside world..." Zhu Fei Er said with a hint of longing.
I asked again, "Then what about you?"
Zhu Fei Er retorted sarcastically, "Didn’t you see? Why ask when you already know? Isn’t that redundant?"
I felt somewhat disgruntled after being so ruthlessly dismissed by a pig.
Just as my mind raced with thoughts of how to escape, suddenly all my bindings loosened.
Zhu Fei Er bent down and began gnawing at the vines that had bound me until they snapped apart.
"Why did you save me?" I asked while stretching my somewhat numb limbs.
Zhu Fei Er remained silent for a long time before finally looking up and saying, "Everyone else screams and runs away when they see me... but she didn’t mind my ugliness... she was willing to stay with me... but in the end, she became food for the Grandmother..."
Zhu Fei Er pointed at a corpse hanging from the tree and spoke calmly.
I felt embarrassed, scratching my head and not knowing what to say. I didn't understand matters of love and affection at all; I hadn't even figured myself out.
"I'll go get you something to eat," Zhu Fei Er broke the silence.
I nodded. "Aren't you afraid your grandmother will punish you?"
Zhu Fei Er shook his head. "For someone like me, if I die, then so be it. Besides, you're favored by grandmother; you can't be allowed to starve..."
I had initially thought of persuading Zhu Fei Er to let me go, but hearing him give up so easily made me realize he was just another pitiful soul bound by others.
Before long, Zhu Fei Er returned with some wild fruits and a handful of water held in large leaves. I didn't care whether they were poisonous or not; I devoured them hungrily.
"Did your grandmother do this to you?" I asked in return.
Zhu Fei Er nodded. "Grandmother enlightened my brother and me, granting us consciousness. We became gatekeepers."
"Are you happy now? Have you never thought about seeing the outside world?" I inquired.
Zhu Fei Er touched his face with his hand. "With my appearance, I'd scare people if I went out. As for happiness, what does it matter? We all have to live anyway..."
I sighed and took a bite of the wild fruit. "You're right..."
After walking a short distance away, Zhu Fei Er turned back to me and said, "If I could leave, I'd want to become a monk. Grandmother is like a monk—desireless and tranquil as water..."
I fell silent for a moment; it seemed I had encountered a rather pessimistic Zhu Jing. Yet he was quite endearing despite his rugged appearance.
Once we were full, it was time to think about how to escape. Waiting idly was not my style.
Since Zhu Fei Er had confidently untied the vines, he either intended to let me go or had immense confidence in his grandmother.
I cautiously began to walk up the mountain; there was no way I could return to Shan Xia. After walking for a while without any reaction, I felt a surge of joy—could it be that these vines really wouldn't bind me?
I quickened my pace and started running, but just a few steps in, my body suddenly felt light as a vine whipped me into the air.
Before long, Zhu Fei Da and Zhu Fei Er seemed to have received orders and hurried over.
Zhu Fei Da came up and slapped me, saying, "You troublesome thing, you’ve made me lose sleep!"
I raised my hand to block it and shot a cold glance at Zhu Fei Da. How could two brothers from the same Zhu Jing family be so different?
"Oh? You dare to dodge? Just wait, I’ll take one of your legs!" Zhu Fei Da exclaimed angrily.
Zhu Fei Er intervened, "You should calm down. If you anger Grandma, you’ll regret it."
Zhu Fei Da, feeling apprehensive, huffed and puffed before running off to sleep in a corner.
Zhu Fei Er added, "And don’t think about anything else; no one here can outmatch Grandma..."
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