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墨書 Inktalez
Shi Xiu reacted quickly, jumping up with a knife in hand, charging towards the source of the sound. However, he immediately realized he had missed his target. He saw Shi Jin still standing in place, her expression serious as she looked toward a specific spot.
Following Shi Jin's gaze, Shi Xiu noticed a rock formation against the wall inside the temple. At first glance, it seemed ordinary, but upon closer inspection, he found the shadow cast by the rock formation to be somewhat peculiar. The darkness there was unusually deep.
Just as Shi Xiu was about to approach, Shi Jin grabbed him firmly. At that moment, the shadow appeared to twist as if it were a tangible entity, and a pair of eyes suddenly emerged in mid-air.
Shi Xiu was startled; could it really be a ghost? But Shi Jin's expression remained calm, with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
Regaining his composure, Shi Xiu scrutinized the eyes and found them strikingly clear and bright, quite beautiful even—though the surrounding darkness made them seem eerie as they blinked in the shadows.
The three pairs of eyes examined each other, and an unusual silence enveloped the scene. After a moment, it was Shi Jin who broke the silence.
"Miss, where did you buy the fabric for your outfit?"
The eyes widened in surprise for a moment before the shadow shifted as if separating from ink; a woman dressed in black emerged. She was completely shrouded in dark fabric, making it impossible to discern her figure or features.
"You have quite the nerve," she said with a crisp voice that sounded youthful and carried a hint of defiance.
Shi Jin smiled slightly; it was clear that the woman had merely used light and clothing to create an illusion.
At this point, Shi Xiu steadied himself and demanded sternly, "What did you mean by what you just said?"
His concern lay with what the Talented Woman had just mentioned. The woman glanced at him lazily and replied, "How rude. I'm not talking to you."
Angered and embarrassed, Shi Xiu moved forward but was pulled back by Shi Jin. Turning to look at her, he saw her shake her head while her gaze scanned their surroundings.
A chill ran through Shi Xiu as he listened closely; indeed, there were unusual sounds in the wind—there were people hidden in the grass all around!
The woman let out a soft snort. "You are quite perceptive."
Ignoring both of them, she walked slowly to the entrance of the main hall and looked up at the carvings above. She sighed softly, "I didn't expect Lanruo Temple to have fallen into such disrepair."
Turning back to them, she added, "But it's quite a good place for murder, isn't it?"
Shi Xiu's heart tightened as he instinctively gripped his short knife tighter. Although Shi Jin's face remained calm, she felt a heightened sense of alertness within her.
The woman scrutinized the two and suddenly spoke, " Du Laoqi, how many people can we kill today?"
"Three!" A hoarse voice echoed from the bushes.
The woman smiled suddenly and said, "What do you think of those two?"
"Pretty good!"
Shi Jin pondered for a moment, smiling as he replied, "It's a beautiful day, with the consort by our side. Killing people would ruin the scenery."
The woman scoffed and said, "Who said I'm a consort?"
With that, she shook her head and sighed, her voice suddenly becoming very old: "Alas, lately the quota is always unfulfilled. I'm getting old, and my heart is softening."
A chill rose in Shi Jin's heart; could she really be a female ghost?
"Then that's still one less!" The woman's voice returned to its clear tone, sounding somewhat troubled.
"Adding you makes it just right," Shi Xiu suddenly interjected coldly.
"Bold!" A rustling sound came from the surrounding bushes, and shadows flickered!
The woman waved her hand, and the surroundings fell silent again.
With great interest, she looked at Shi Jin and asked, "Do you want to kill me?"
Shi Jin felt a headache coming on; this woman's words and actions were bizarre, treating human life as if it were worthless, like a madwoman.
But just by silently surrounding him and Shi Xiu, he knew these people were powerful and not easy to deal with.
Shi Jin shook his head and said, "If people don't offend me, I won't offend them. If they do offend me, I'll dig up their ancestors' graves!"
The woman was taken aback and then burst into laughter.
Her laughter eased the tense atmosphere.
Shi Jin suddenly noticed that when she smiled, her eyes had a distinctive feature; they were curved like... a little fox.
"What did your first sentence mean?" Shi Jin asked.
The woman replied, "It means exactly what it says!"
Shi Jin asked, "Were those hooligans you killed?"
She casually replied, "Sort of."
Shi Xiu angrily said, "Either it is or it isn't; what do you mean by 'sort of'?"
But the woman didn't even glance at him.
Shi Jin asked seriously, "Why?"
She replied nonchalantly, "No reason; just a few hooligans—worthless things—killed them."
A chill ran down Shi Jin's spine.
The woman's clever eyes turned as she asked, "So what? Are you going to tie me up and take me to the authorities?"
Shi Jin and Shi Xiu exchanged glances, feeling quite troubled.
The woman did not answer but continued to look at Shi Jin.
Shi Jin smiled and said, "Don't look at me; I'm just here for the ride. The main person is him."
She pointed at Shi Xiu.
Shi Xiu felt complicated inside; although this woman was ruthless, she had indirectly helped him vent his anger and take revenge, even if it wasn't intentional. He replied sullenly, "That person has enmity with me. I won't do such an ungrateful thing."
The woman didn't care how Shi Xiu responded; instead, she asked Shi Jin, "What do you mean by 'running errands'?"
Shi Jin smiled and said, "Well, it's just the literal meaning. I came out to run errands and ended up in a fight."
The woman snorted and said, "Weren't you just looking for the murderer?"
"I just need to report the truth to the authorities; capturing the culprit is their job."
"Will they believe you?"
"With witnesses, even if they don't believe it, they won't easily convict."
"Witnesses? Good idea. What if a bunch of people says they saw that old man commit murder?"
"You... I have no grievances with you; why would you harm me?" Shi Xiu's expression changed.
"Most things in this world are not caused by grievances," the woman said lightly.
"It's just a matter of spending some silver," Shi Jin smiled.
The woman coldly snorted, "Can that old man afford it? After a beating, he probably won't last through tonight."
Shi Xiu's face turned ugly, and Shi Jin fell silent; this was exactly what they were worried about.
The woman leisurely examined the mural.
"What do you want?" Shi Jin suddenly asked.
The woman turned her head to look at him in surprise, "What?"
Shi Jin said leisurely, "You followed us all the way here from so far away; it can't just be for sightseeing. Look, the sun is almost setting. Let's not beat around the bush; just say what you want."
The woman beckoned Shi Jin with her finger, indicating for him to come closer.
Shi Jin exchanged a glance with Shi Xiu, signaling him not to act rashly, and stepped forward.
As he approached the woman, he caught a faint fragrance in the air.
She leaned close to his ear and said softly, "I want you..."
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