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墨書 Inktalez
After leaving the library, Zhou Jing and I went our separate ways. She set off to investigate the details of the evening's ritual, while I followed the clues she had provided to find the village's oldest resident, Granny Li.
Granny Li lived in the most remote corner of the village, in a dilapidated old house that looked as if it might collapse at any moment. In the yard stood a massive locust tree, its trunk adorned with several faded wind chimes that jingled softly in the breeze.
"Who is it?" an aged voice called from inside.
"Granny Li, I'm here to inquire about something," I replied.
The door creaked open. Before me stood a hunched old woman with a gaunt face, yet her eyes sparkled with an unusual brightness. She scrutinized me for a moment before suddenly saying, "You are Li Mingzhi's son?"
A jolt ran through me. "You know my father?"
"Come in," she said, turning to enter the house as the wind picked up outside.
Inside, the light was dim, illuminated only by a flickering oil lamp on the table. Dried herbs hung from the walls, releasing a bitter scent into the air. Granny Li settled into a rattan chair and gestured for me to sit.
"You look like your father," she remarked. "He stood at my door just like this."
"Can you tell me what happened back then?" I asked.
The old woman fell silent for a moment. "Your father discovered something he shouldn't have."
"What did he discover?"
"The underground altar." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "It is not an ordinary altar; it is an entrance to hell."
I struggled to maintain my composure. "Are you saying it's underground?"
"Yes, beneath the village lies an entire realm." She trembled as she pulled out a cloth bag from her bosom. "This is something I have kept for seventy years."
Inside the bag was a piece of parchment made from animal skin, depicting a complex map. As I examined it closely, I realized it was a floor plan of an underground complex, with intricate passages connecting various rooms; at its center was a circular altar.
"Are these passages still there?" I asked.
"They are," she pointed to a location on the map. "This is the main entrance, right in the cellar behind the village chief's house. Every full moon night, they perform rituals underground."
"Who are 'they'?"
The old woman suddenly grew agitated. "Demons! They are all demons! Under the guise of rituals—" she broke off into a violent cough.
I quickly poured her some water. Once she calmed down, I pressed on, "What exactly do they do?"
"Child," she grasped my hand tightly, "do you know why this village has never declined over hundreds of years? They use the purest blood for their sacrifices. The purest blood is..."
"The blood of children," I finished her sentence.
She nodded, "Every time after the sacrifice, the village receives a large sum of money. On the surface, they say it’s the blessing of the gods, but in reality..."
Suddenly, a flurry of footsteps echoed from outside. Granny Li's face changed dramatically. "Quick, hide!"
I barely managed to slip into the wardrobe when I heard someone push the door open.
"Granny Li, it's time for your medicine," came A Hu's voice.
"Just leave it there."
"Have you seen anyone today?"
"Who could I see? I've been lying in here all day."
A Hu seemed to circle around the room. "That police officer—if he comes looking for you, don’t say anything foolish."
"I'm old and confused; what could I possibly say?"
Once the footsteps faded away, I emerged from the wardrobe. Granny Li's face was even paler.
"You need to leave quickly," she urged. "They must be suspicious by now. Take this map with you, and don’t let them find it. Remember, the entrance to the underground altar is..."
Before she could finish her sentence, a sharp whistle pierced the air outside.
"It's over!" She pushed me urgently. "They’re here! Quickly, escape through the back window; don’t let them catch you!"
I didn’t have time to ask more questions and climbed out through the window. In the dusk light, I could vaguely see several figures approaching. I circled around a few courtyard walls and hid in a patch of weeds. From this angle, I could see Granny Li's house.
I watched as the village chief entered her home, followed by A Hu. After a while, there was a muffled sound, like something heavy hitting the ground. When they finally came out again, A Hu was holding a cloth bag.
My heart sank; that was exactly the bag Granny Li used to hold the map.
The sky had completely darkened, and the moon peeked out from behind the clouds. I touched the parchment in my pocket; under the dim light, those intricate underground passages looked like twisted, ghastly faces.
In the distance, the temple bell began to toll again. This time, its sound felt particularly heavy—one chime, two chimes, three chimes... twelve chimes.
The time for blood sacrifice was approaching.
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