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墨書 Inktalez
The fox silently stood behind Xing Ruyi, its gaze fixed on the woman in black standing at the door. There was a hint of coldness in its eyes, and the corners of its mouth curled slightly upward.
The woman in black also had a chilling gaze. She tightened her coat as she stepped into the courtyard, deliberately avoiding eye contact with the fox and instead asked Xing Ruyi, "How is it? Have my husband and son's souls been called back?"
As soon as the woman finished speaking, a voice echoed from inside the house—the first call of "Mother" from the son of the Night Watchman after waking up.
"It seems my son has awakened."
The woman in black smiled, but her expression was so flat that it seemed as if the one who had just awakened in this house was a stranger.
Xing Ruyi finally realized what had felt strange to her: it was the expression.
Her husband and son had mysteriously fallen ill overnight, yet the woman in black's demeanor as a wife and mother was too indifferent. Even her panic was merely verbal; nothing could be seen in her brows or eyes.
As the woman in black passed by Xing Ruyi, the fox instinctively pulled Xing Ruyi back. However, Xing Ruyi was focused on the faint scent of Fruitwood Fragrance that accompanied the woman in black.
She furrowed her brow slightly and finally understood the second thing that felt strange to her: it was the smell.
It wasn't unusual for a general's wife to carry such a fresh and elegant Fruitwood Fragrance. The general was a man who fought on the battlefield, surrounded by nature's pure environment. Whether the general's wife wore this scent to cater to his preferences or if she was inherently a quiet and elegant woman, it seemed normal for her to have such a fragrance.
The Watchman's Wife, however, was different.
The Watchman's House was impoverished; the family's livelihood relied almost entirely on the Night Watchman's nightly duties. As his wife, she spent most of her time managing household chores and caring for their child. Moreover, judging by the furnishings in this home, The Watchman's Wife did not seem like someone particularly concerned with appearances. Everything was casually placed, and the clothes piled on wooden boxes were ordinary fabrics suitable for work, smelling of oil smoke but lacking any trace of Rouge and Face Powder or this fresh Fruitwood Fragrance.
"Fox, I have a feeling that this Sister-in-law standing before us is not The Watchman's Wife."
Xing Ruyi said as she suddenly walked quickly toward the woman in black. She initially intended to get closer to see if she could find more clues about the Night Watchman's wife. However, as she approached, the woman in black immediately turned around, her mouth wide open as she exhaled a cloud of dark energy toward her.
Seeing the dark energy rushing toward her, Xing Ruyi's brain hadn't yet reacted when her legs moved first; she quickly sidestepped to avoid it and then launched an attack against the woman in black.
The Black-Clad Woman had just tried to dodge when the Fox silently blocked her intended path, her cold eyes fixed on her.
"You attacked my Wife and still thought you could escape? You really are quite naive."
"Wife?" The Black-Clad Woman let out a cold laugh, feigning an attack on the Fox before quickly turning around to strike at Xing Ruyi again.
The Fox didn’t move at all; she simply shifted her gaze to Xing Ruyi and said, "Be careful. Although she is just an Evil Spirit, she has some malice and temper. If you're not cautious, you might end up suffering."
"Stinky Fox, so you noticed it long ago?"
"Not for long; it's just that Husband isn't as dull as you. After all, she's a woman chosen by me, Yin Chensi. How could she be toyed with by an Evil Spirit? Fox Demon, you're truly embarrassing Husband."
The Fox shook her head. Although she was clearly showing off her affection, she wore a look of disappointment.
Meanwhile, the Black-Clad Woman's previously calm face showed signs of anger due to the Fox's words. Her fist aimed at Xing Ruyi instantly transformed into claws, viciously reaching for Xing Ruyi's fair face.
"Want to ruin my looks? Women shouldn't make things difficult for other women!"
With the Fox backing her up, Xing Ruyi naturally felt more confident in the fight. Whether dodging or attacking, she moved with the grace of a martial arts master.
A ghostly blue Ghost Fire flickered across the Black-Clad Woman's cheek, causing a sharp scream to echo in the room. Following that, a dark shadow burst out from the Black-Clad Woman's body.
"Trying to run? Fox, stop her!" Xing Ruyi shouted like a shrew while rolling up her sleeves. "I want to see who else besides that Old Taoist Moxuyou dares to set traps for me at this Yun Family Gathering."
She reached out and grabbed the dark shadow. The woman within the shadow turned around in panic but ended up startling Xing Ruyi. She had seen many ghosts before, especially female ghosts with particularly gruesome appearances, but encountering one without a face or skin like the one before her was exceedingly rare.
"Have you seen clearly now? Are you scared?" The female ghost let out a strange laugh and then turned completely around to stand face-to-face with Xing Ruyi.
What kind of face is this? Xing Ruyi suddenly recalled a scene from an old horror movie she had seen long ago. The panicked female protagonist was bound to a wooden bed, and the killer brought in boiling hot water, pouring it over her face scoop by scoop. That originally beautiful face began to bubble, slowly becoming thin and fragile. A sharp blade sliced along the protagonist's hairline, and then someone grabbed a corner of her skin and with a "rip," tore it away.
However, that was not the most terrifying part; the scariest thing was that at that moment, the protagonist was still alive.
Xing Ruyi shivered suddenly, shaking her head to prevent herself from thinking further. The horror movie she had accidentally watched back then haunted her for more than half a month.
Now, it felt as if she had placed herself back into that nightmare, standing face to face with the female protagonist. This dual stimulation of sight and psychology made her head ache a bit. She took a step back, averted her eyes, and hoarsely said, "Fox, you can come now!"
"Okay!" The Fox nodded. "If you don't want to watch, just close your eyes and rest for a bit. Once I handle this, I'll take you home." With that, he raised a hand, ready to deal with the faceless female ghost.
After reciting a few incantations and just as he was about to cast his spell, the Fox's hand was suddenly grabbed tightly by someone who jumped up from the bed. Upon closer inspection, it was the Gravedigger's Son, who had just awakened and hadn’t fully regained his strength yet. He used all his might to hold onto the Fox's hand and urgently shouted at the female ghost, "Hurry! You need to leave now!"
The female ghost glanced at the Gravedigger's Son and seemed momentarily stunned. Perhaps he hadn’t expected the ghost to have such a face. But opportunities are fleeting; with that hesitation, the ghost vanished.
Once the black smoke in the room dissipated, aside from the unconscious Night Watchman's wife on the floor, only a Copper Mirror remained.
"This mirror..."
"It should belong to her!" The Fox said as he took the Copper Mirror. When he flipped it over to examine its back, he pointed at the protruding image of a woman to Xing Ruyi. "If I'm not mistaken, this is probably what she really looked like."
"What about that Taoist? I feel like he resembles Moxuyou somewhat."
"Much uglier than Moxuyou," the Fox scoffed. "Did you not notice that this Taoist's eyes are filled with evil? Moxuyou may not act well, but his gaze is clear."
"Indeed, that guy Moxuyou is full of malice yet has very clean eyes. If it weren't for that, we wouldn't have been toyed with by him repeatedly. Forget him; just thinking about it makes me furious. I've seen many Copper Mirrors before, but it's my first time encountering a ghost hidden within one."
Xing Ruyi said as she took the Copper Mirror and handed it to the Gravedigger's Son. "Do you know where this Copper Mirror came from?"
Gravedigger's Son bit his lip tightly, refusing to speak.
"Your father and mother were harmed by the ghost in this Copper Mirror. Here you are, as a son not helping your parents seek revenge, but instead causing us trouble by releasing this ghost."
Hearing Xing Ruyi mention his parents, Gravedigger's Son slowly relaxed his grip on his lip. He lowered his head, staring at the edge of the bed, and asked gloomily, "What happened to my father and mother? The ghost has left; shouldn't they wake up now? My father and mother will be fine, right?"
"No!" Xing Ruyi angrily put away the mirror. "You are lucky; you only lost your soul. Your father, however, is in a terrible state; his soul is gone and has been consumed. If I'm not mistaken, it was eaten by the very ghost you just saved. She first devoured your father's soul and then borrowed your mother's body. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have been unable to see her true form and almost fell into her trap.
Being kind is good; there's nothing wrong with saving a ghost. But before you act to save a ghost, shouldn't you first determine whether it's worth saving or not? Your father won't wake up now; if he can be delayed for a while, let him be. If it can't be postponed any longer, then prepare for his final rites.
As for your mother, she isn't in serious danger. Just brew the herbs I left earlier for her to take; at most in two hours, she will wake up. However, since the ghost hasn't been dealt with, I can't guarantee that the ghost hidden in the Copper Mirror won't come back to find your mother."
Gravedigger's Son was still young and had never experienced anything like this. The courage he had just gained from saving the ghost vanished instantly upon hearing these words. With red eyes and tears streaming down his face, he looked pitifully at Xing Ruyi: "What should I do?"
Xing Ruyi let out a helpless sigh and shook the mirror in her hand: "If you want both you and your mother to be safe, then tell me where this Copper Mirror came from."
Gravedigger's Son shook his head: "It's not that I don't want to tell you; I really don't know. This mirror doesn't belong to my family. I only remember seeing my mother holding it when I woke up. After that, I seemed to have had a long dream—a very long dream—in which I saw a girl and witnessed some things... Those things were so terrifying that when I just woke up, I couldn't tell whether it was a dream or reality. All I know is that the girl is very pitiful, and I need to help her."
Although Gravedigger's Son wasn't clear about it, Xing Ruyi and the fox understood; the girl he referred to must be the faceless ghost without skin.
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