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墨書 Inktalez
He leaned closer to Lin Dahe's ear and whispered, "I heard that the Huntress Cui's daughter often visits you? Be careful, that girl has a strong fate; she has caused the death of two previous suitors..."
"Bang!"
Lin Dahe slammed his fist against the door of the granary, abruptly cutting off the conversation. Zhou Liangzhang wasn't offended; he smiled and bowed in farewell, the mouse trap in his hand swaying back and forth, while the red string had mysteriously vanished.
As the sun reached its zenith, Lin Dahe finally shook off the dizziness. He squatted in his yard, inspecting the grain bags that had been ravaged by mice when he suddenly spotted a few grains of moldy millet in the corner of the wall—gray-green mycelium had spread across the husks, emitting a pungent earthy smell.
"This isn't ordinary mold..." He pinched one grain and rubbed it open, revealing an eerie pink endosperm inside. Suddenly, a warning from the system popped up: [Detected a mutated strain of Aspergillus flavus; contact may result in delirium symptoms.]
The sound of hurried footsteps interrupted his thoughts. Cui Xiaoman rushed into the yard, sweat beading at her temples. "Aunt Ma went to the old cave in the west, carrying such a big bundle—" She gestured with her hands to indicate a size about that of a rice measure. "My father said that cave connects to the silver mine from the previous dynasty; it should have collapsed long ago..."
Lin Dahe grabbed a handful of dried chili peppers and stuffed them into his pocket. "Let's go check it out!"
The two made their way to the foot of West Mountain under the pretense of gathering herbs. The entrance to the abandoned cave was overgrown with weeds, and the inscription on the rock face reading "Sealed in the Third Year of Xuande" had become indistinct. Cui Xiaoman pushed aside thorns and squeezed inside, suddenly exclaiming, "Hey! This chain has been tampered with!"
The rusty iron chain hung loosely on the door ring, and fresh grease still lingered in the lock hole. As Lin Dahe reached for the cave wall, his fingertips brushed against something slimy—it was saltpeter! The deeper they went, the more densely packed glimmering silver crystals appeared on the rock walls, resembling countless watchful eyes.
"Be careful!" Cui Xiaoman suddenly pulled him back. Before them lay dozens of bulging burlap sacks; one at the top had torn open, spilling out that same pink moldy grain!
"Government warehouse seal..." Lin Dahe used a stick to pry open the bag's mouth, revealing a faded "Yanzhou Guard" lacquer seal. The system interface flashed wildly: [Danger! Spore concentration exceeds safety levels in this enclosed space!]
Cui Xiaoman suddenly staggered. "I feel so dizzy..." Her face flushed unnaturally as she reached for a crystal cluster on the rock wall. "Look at these stars..."
Lin Dahe hurriedly covered her mouth and nose with his clothing but then heard a soft click from the cave entrance. Zhou Liangzhang's voice came through the stone wall as if he were oblivious to their predicament: "Hand me the torch; you two guard the entrance."
The chaotic footsteps grew closer, and the torchlight cast distorted shadows along the passageway. Lin Dahe dragged the disoriented Cui Xiaoman backward until his back collided with a loose section of rock wall—Mad Old Woman's water-finding rhyme suddenly flashed through his mind:
"Three stars on blue stone slabs..."
Frantically searching along the rock wall, he finally felt a depression at the third crack. Pressing down hard, an entire stone slab silently turned inward!
"Boom!"
Zhou Liangzhang's torch just happened to illuminate the hidden grain cave as a wave of air surged forth, sending clouds of mold dust swirling like thick fog. The last thing Lin Dahe saw was Aunt Ma covering her mouth and nose while screaming in retreat, her waist trailing a red string identical to that on a mouse's tail...
The chilling sensation jolted Lin Dahe awake. He found himself lying in an underground river, with Cui Xiaoman gently wiping his face with a damp cloth. In the dim light filtering through cracks in the rocks above, countless tiny crystals sparkled overhead.
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