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墨書 Inktalez
Living Funeral
At this moment, my heart felt like an hourglass, with sand flowing out, leaving me feeling empty. I lay on the sofa, unable to sleep for a long time.
As Li Guang had said before, the Gao Family had been preparing for a long time to save Gao Ling. This time, the opportunity must have matured, and they were determined to give Gao Ling a new life. I spent the entire night awake, staring at the ceiling until dawn.
When morning light broke, Nian Chen was the first to wake up. I greeted him as he entered the room.
Nian Chen asked, "Fei, when did you come back last night?"
I replied, "In the early hours of the morning."
Xiao Tongwen and Hu Qingming soon followed suit and woke up, with Zhang Xun being the last one to rise.
I informed them about what I had seen regarding Jiang Changsheng last night, giving them a rough idea of the situation. However, I chose to keep the matter concerning Gao Ling to myself. I could handle it alone.
Xiao Tongwen remarked, "Changsheng showed up but didn’t come to find us. That guy is really heartless."
I responded to Xiao Tongwen, "He probably has his own matters to attend to."
Hu Qingming added, "Yes, with the days drawing closer, it’s better to be well-prepared."
After everyone finished washing up, we went out for breakfast. The situation regarding Gao Ling would likely unfold in the evening, so I suggested to Zhang Xun and Nian Chen that we should check on Fatty Zhang. Upon hearing this, both of them agreed without hesitation.
Xiao Tongwen chimed in, "It’s such a pity if that fatty is gone. I’ll go with you guys." I nodded in agreement.
After breakfast, we bought some fruits, Yuanbao Candles, Joss Paper, and hired a car to head to Dead Man's Cave. There we paid our respects to Fatty Zhang; without him, I might have already been dead by now.
When the Yin-Yang Ghost Path opens up, I will ensure that Fatty Zhang's soul can rest in peace as it embarks on its journey.
Nian Chen expressed his gratitude with a simple "Thank you."
Zhang Xun added a heartfelt wish for Fatty Zhang to have a good journey. Although Fatty Zhang and Zhang Xun had once been suspicious of each other, it was all for my sake. After all these years, changes were most likely to occur; Li Qiang had betrayed me, and their mutual suspicion was not unfounded.
"If you haven't died, I might consider taking you as my apprentice," Xiao Tongwen said.
I poured three cups of wine while Nian Chen squatted on the ground burning Ghost Money. I exchanged a few words with Zhang Fatty, and before we knew it, it was already noon.
Deep down, I already knew who the final obstacle was. If I guessed correctly, it must be related to the Underworld. After all, this matter had involved the Ghost Messenger. Some wanted the Ghost Path to open, while others wished for it to remain closed. Among the Ghost Messengers, Ling Yu seemed to be one who hoped for the Yin-Yang passage to open.
On the other hand, the White-Clad Ghost Messenger who nearly killed me was definitely against it.
In the afternoon, we left this place. Xiao Tongwen called Hu Qingming and said they were going to meet Jiang Changsheng, and off they went.
I asked, "Do you know where he is?" Xiao Tongwen replied, "We don't need to know where he is; he will definitely come out to meet us." After they left, Zhang Xun said, "If there's nothing else going on, I'd like to go out for a walk too."
I nodded in agreement.
Now there were only Nian Chen and me left in the room. We sat on the sofa together while Nian Chen turned on the TV. However, Nian Chen seemed distracted as she watched. She asked, "Fei, do you have any plans for tonight?"
I shook my head and said I had no plans.
Nian Chen then asked, "Can you accompany me for a walk?"
I agreed. It would be nice to get some fresh air while waiting for Gao Qing's call. It was still early—around seven or eight in the evening—when Nian Chen and I walked in a sparsely populated area. The night sky was brilliant with stars scattered everywhere.
I looked up and suddenly thought of Ling Yu's words. I focused on a particularly bright star that seemed to be winking at me, twinkling in the dark.
Nian Chen said, "Fei, my sister Ling Yu told me that everyone has a guardian star."
I looked at Nian Chen; I had heard that too.
Upon hearing my response, Nian Chen seemed pleasantly surprised and asked, "Is it your guardian star and Ling Yu's?"
It was.
I didn't know why Ling Yu would say such things; perhaps it was because they, as Ghost Messengers, couldn't just roam freely. So maybe the stars were the brightest light they could see! I thought about this and suddenly sighed, feeling a weight in my heart.
Nian Chen suddenly extended a hand, pointing to a star and said, "Fei, is that star yours?"
I followed Nian Chen's finger and saw the star he was indicating. His eyes sparkled brightly at that moment. After a moment of silence, I replied, "Yes!"
Nian Chen broke into a radiant smile and said, "Fei, look at that one."
I turned my gaze again, and Nian Chen continued, "That one is me."
Next to the star that belonged to me, there was another star that never dimmed. Nian Chen suddenly said, "Fei, you must be the star guarding me."
Nian Chen brought up this topic again. It seemed I couldn't avoid it any longer. I was just afraid that once I entered the Yin-Yang Ghost Path this time, I wouldn't come back. So I didn't want to make any promises to Nian Chen. He was stealing glances at me while I looked at the stars, unable to resist sneaking a peek at him.
A faint blush appeared on Nian Chen's face.
I had no words to say, but in the next moment, I suddenly felt a hand grasping mine. Soon, our fingers were intertwined. I lowered my head, looking at Nian Chen, whose gaze held no hint of avoidance.
Our eyes met.
I thought to myself that perhaps the brightest star should stand beside me. "Nian Chen," I called out.
Nian Chen held my hand tightly. At first, I felt a slight chill, but as time passed, it transformed into warmth.
"Nian Chen," he asked softly, "why did you call me?"
I replied, "If we can safely return from the Yin-Yang Ghost Path this time, let's be together."
After my words fell, Nian Chen stared at me with tears suddenly welling up in his eyes. The light illuminated his face, making the tears shimmer as if they were flowing with light. In that moment, Nian Chen was breathtakingly beautiful.
"What's wrong?" I asked him.
"I'm fine," Nian Chen said. "I'm just happy."
His head slowly leaned against my shoulder as he said, "Chen Fei, you must keep your promise."
"I will." After a pause, I said, "If I don't come back, you don't have to wait for me."
Nian Chen was stunned for a few seconds and replied, "I will go with you."
I looked at Nian Chen and said, "Nian Chen, it's very dangerous this time. You shouldn't go."
Nian Chen seemed to want to say something, but I interrupted, "This is my only request. Please promise me."
Nian Chen stared at me, not looking away for a full minute. The tears in her eyes turned into glistening droplets that began to fall down her cheeks. I reached out to wipe away her tears, and she said to me, "Chen Fei, I won't."
I let out a breath and tightened my grip on Nian Chen's hand. She insisted, "Fei, I won't allow you to leave me."
I nodded in agreement.
At that moment, my phone rang. I pressed the answer button, and Gao Qing's voice came through. "Chen Fei, can you come over?"
"Sure." I knew where Gao Ling's house was. I turned to Nian Chen and said, "You should head back now. I have some things to take care of."
Nian Chen grabbed my arm with her other hand and said, "From now on, I want to stay by your side all the time. Otherwise, if you leave me behind, I wouldn't know what to do."
I reassured her, "I'm just going to Gao Ling's house. Nothing will happen."
Nian Chen replied, "Fei, you're my only family left in this world. If you die, I won't be able to survive either."
I said firmly, "Then let's go!"
"Where to?" Nian Chen asked.
"You just said you wanted to stay with me all the time. So let's start now."
Suddenly, Nian Chen broke into a smile, looking beautiful.
We hailed a cab and headed straight to Gao Ling's house. It was nearly ten o'clock when we arrived. I entered Gao Ling's home with familiarity; her entire family was there. Gao Ling seemed to have regained her composure as well. I called out her name.
Gao Ling responded, looking as if she had already accepted the outcome.
I politely called out to Father of Gao Ling and Mother. Gao Qing was straightforward, saying, "Let's set off now."
I replied, "Aren't we already here?"
At that moment, Nian Chen had already let go of my hand. Gao Yao walked over to me and said, "You've worked hard this time."
I responded that it hadn't even begun yet; we could talk about it once it started. I didn't have a good impression of Gao Ling's family, so I wasn't in the mood for small talk. We went downstairs, and Gao Ling and I got into one car while Gao Qing and his parents got into another.
There was another car following behind us.
I asked Gao Ling, "Your father is right."
Nian Chen still had no idea what was going on, so he remained silent.
Gao Ling said, "Maybe he is right. I don't really have any say in this; they are what they are."
I took a deep breath and decided not to hide anything from Gao Ling. I got straight to the point: the reason your family is switching your body is to save your life, so your parents' actions are understandable. There’s a dead person living inside you; do you know that?
Gao Ling replied, "I know. It's all that dead fortune teller's fault."
I told Gao Ling that it was too late for that now.
Then I continued, "This time, I might have to kill the dead person in your body. Once your body is switched, I'll take action."
Nian Chen looked at me in surprise. Gao Ling said, "Fei, you mustn't hold back when the time comes; just go for it and don't spare me any mercy." At that moment, Gao Ling's mood brightened a bit, reminiscent of how she was when we first met.
Gao Ling carried too many burdens on her shoulders.
After about an hour of driving, I suddenly felt like something was off with the route. This road seemed familiar.
It didn't take long for me to realize where we were headed; Gao Ling figured it out too.
I asked, "Are we going to the funeral home?"
Gao Ling replied, "It seems so! It's the funeral home where you used to work. But why are we coming here?" For some reason, even though many memories flooded back and my past skills returned, I felt uneasy arriving at this place.
I don't know if it's the place that left a shadow in my heart, but I felt uneasy as soon as I arrived.
After reaching the entrance of the funeral home, all the cars came to a stop. I got out and approached Gao Ling's Dad, asking, "Why are we here?"
Gao Ling's Dad replied, "This is the best place, and the body we need is here."
Something felt off to me; there wasn't a single person in the funeral home at that moment. It was just us and about fifteen others brought by Gao Ling's Dad. The rest were all dressed in black robes.
It seemed everyone was here to prepare for Gao Ling's life exchange.
As I entered the funeral home, I still felt an eerie atmosphere. I took a deep breath. Gao Ling's Dad and the others began preparing various items.
Gao Ling's Dad appeared to be quite familiar with everything in the funeral home. He directed everyone efficiently, and soon the preliminary preparations were complete. I had no idea which body they were looking for, but the one I had obtained from Snake Skin Gully was practically ruined after giving it to the Taoist priest.
I guessed that the body required for Gao Ling's life exchange must be of high quality.
After waiting for a while, the body was finally brought over, covered with a piece of yellow cloth. Gao Ling called out, "Dad, can I see what he looks like? I want to be mentally prepared." Gao Ling's Dad nodded, so together we went to take a look. The yellow cloth was quickly lifted, and then I saw the appearance of the corpse.
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