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墨書 Inktalez
He leaned closer to Lin Dahe's ear and whispered, "I heard that Cui Hunter's daughter often visits you? Be careful, that girl has a strong fate; she's caused the deaths of two men already..."
"Bang!"
Lin Dahe slammed his fist against the door of the grain shop, abruptly cutting off the conversation. Zhou Liangzhang wasn't angry; he smiled and bowed to take his leave, the mouse trap in his hand swaying back and forth, while the red string had mysteriously disappeared.
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 moldy grains in the corner of the wall—gray-green mycelium had spread across the husks, giving off 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 burst into the yard, sweat beading at her temples. "Aunt Ma went to the old cave to the west, carrying such a big bundle—" She gestured with her hands to indicate a size like a rice bucket. "My father said that cave connects to an ancient silver mine; 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 the western mountain under the pretense of gathering herbs. The entrance to the abandoned cave was overgrown with weeds, and the inscription "Sealed in the Third Year of Xuande" on the rock wall had become faint. Cui Xiaoman pushed aside thorns and squeezed inside, suddenly exclaiming, "Hey! This chain has been tampered with!"
A rusty iron chain hung loosely from the door ring, and fresh grease still lingered in the lock hole. As Lin Dahe touched the cave wall, his fingertips came away coated in something slimy—it was saltpeter! The further they ventured inside, the more densely packed glimmering silver crystals appeared on the rock walls, like countless pairs of 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 sack's mouth, revealing a faded seal of Yan Zhou Wei. The system screen flashed wildly: [Danger! Spore concentration exceeds safety levels in this confined space!]
Cui Xiaoman stumbled slightly. "I feel so dizzy..." A strange flush crept across her face as she reached for a cluster of crystals 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, sounding oblivious: "Hand me the torch; you two guard the entrance."
The chaotic footsteps grew closer, and torchlight cast distorted shadows along the corridor. Lin Dahe dragged the disoriented Cui Xiaoman backward until his back suddenly hit a loose section of rock—Mad Old Woman's water-finding song flashed through his mind:
"Three stars on a bluestone slab..."
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 waves of air sent 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 the mouse's tail...
A bone-chilling cold 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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