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墨書 Inktalez
Shangguan Mingyue had been complaining about hunger all morning, and finally, under Bai Qiling's threatening gaze as if she were about to kill someone, I had no choice but to head down to the cellar to prepare some cured meat for her.
I couldn't understand what was wrong with Mu Xuanche; he had been in a hurry before, but now he refused to leave my house. If I didn't know he had an icy personality, I would almost suspect he was trying to take over the place.
The cellar, long deprived of sunlight, was particularly gloomy. I hadn't thought much of it before, but ever since I saw that strange shadow of a face last time, I felt an eerie chill in the cellar, a sense of foreboding creeping over me.
As I was slicing the cured meat hanging from the ventilation shaft with a knife, a strange sound reached my ears.
"Tick-tock, tick-tock,"
It seemed to come from behind me. I quickly turned around to check.
It was empty; there was nothing there.
Doubting that my recent lack of sleep had caused me to hallucinate, I shook my head and turned back to my task.
But when I faced the meat again, I nearly fainted from shock.
The piece of cured meat that had been so dry it was almost impossible to cut now appeared to be oozing blood.
The blood flowed down from the knife that had been inserted into it, dripping onto my hands and then pooling on the floor in front of me.
Each droplet hit the ground with a "tick-tock" sound.
My mind went blank in an instant. I wanted to understand what was happening, but it was already too late.
That thing was getting closer to me, and I could feel the coldness around my neck.
I told myself not to panic; there was always a way out. As long as I could hold off whatever was behind me, that would be enough.
Now was not the time to turn around. I waited quietly, pretending not to notice.
My hands kept moving, continuously cutting the flesh in front of me.
Blood flowed incessantly, soaking my entire arm. I didn’t dare stop.
With a thud, the piece of flesh I had been cutting fell to the ground.
Should I pick it up or not?
In an instant, I made my decision and quickly crouched down.
I grabbed the meat from the floor and headed upstairs.
The Yin Qi behind me grew closer and closer, almost reaching the cellar entrance.
I mentally prepared myself; if that black hand dared to grab me, I would fight back with everything I had.
As long as there was a commotion, the people above would definitely hear it.
It was getting closer, and I could feel the presence behind me almost right at my back.
My hands clenched tightly as I prepared to turn and pounce.
"Wife, what are you doing?"
A deep voice shattered the tension, and the figure behind me vanished in an instant.
Looking up at Mu Xuanche above me, I quickly scrambled out of the cellar, grabbing his hand and rushing outside.
Not long after leaving the house, I stopped by the roadside and dashed into his arms, holding him tightly.
I was trembling all over; that thing had been truly terrifying.
Inside, I had been too tense to feel it, but now that we were outside, my legs were shaking uncontrollably.
Nestled in Mu Xuanche's embrace, I finally felt a sense of peace.
"What happened?"
He asked me, but I didn't know how to respond.
Shaking all over, I couldn't find my voice.
Sensing that something was off with my emotions, he wrapped his arms around me tightly, his large hand gently patting my back.
"Did something happen in the cellar?" he asked me.
A push separated the two of us, and I emerged from his embrace. I looked at him and asked, "How do you know?"
"Do you want to know why I stayed?"
He fixed his gaze on me, his eyes filled with amusement.
"Is it because of that thing in the Cellar?"
He reached out, lightly brushing my fingertip with his own, a mysterious smile dancing in his eyes. "Not bad, your brain isn't too dull. I've been waiting for that thing for a long time. What have you encountered while coming with your Husband?"
I recounted everything that had happened in the Cellar to Mu Xuanche without missing a word, now waiting for his reaction.
"You see, she didn't intend to harm you; she was just trying to scare you."
I nodded at Mu Xuanche, acknowledging his words.
He reached for the Bone Whistle around my neck, and seeing his intent to take it back made me anxious.
"What are you doing?"
He ignored me, focusing on the Bone Whistle.
Then he grabbed my hand and gently pricked my ring finger, a drop of blood emerging.
He placed the blood droplet inside the Bone Whistle and then put it back around my neck.
"Don't worry. With this, that guy can only scare you; he won't be able to harm you or the baby. Remember not to tell anyone about this for now. I still don't know who she is, but if we want to find out why Your Parents left, finding her is the key."
The reason Mu Xuanche stayed behind was because of my parents. I had been a bit angry before; when I returned and found my parents missing, he didn’t seem worried at all. I cursed him silently for being cold-hearted, not realizing he had been quietly doing things without letting me know.
Strange ghostly apparitions appeared in the house, along with the incense sticks placed in a peculiar arrangement at the door. These pranks suddenly happening in my home made me wonder why I hadn’t connected them to my parents’ disappearance. I had always thought their vanishing was related to the Cult of Spirits. Wasn’t that the case?
Why did Mu Xuanche seem to trust no one? Every time he entrusted me with something, he always reminded me to never tell anyone.
Since there were odd occurrences in the house, even if I couldn’t tell Mingyue, why couldn’t I share it with Bai Qiling?
Wasn’t Bai Qiling his brother?
Was there some secret hidden within all this?
Originally, Mu Xuanche wanted me to go back, but I preferred to be alone for a while, so I let him return first.
Whenever I felt down, I would sit on a broken bridge in the village, letting the gentle breeze wash over me, which always made me feel much better.
I had too many mysteries and secrets bottled up inside. Sitting on the stone slab at the edge of the broken bridge, I stared blankly ahead, my mind a complete void.
Before long, a cool breeze swept by, and someone appeared beside me.
Knowing who it was, I felt no surprise at all.
Since we were both troubled, why not share the moment and enjoy the breeze together?
“Don’t you have anything you want to ask me?”
He spoke up, but I didn’t look at him.
"I ask you, will you answer me, Second Senior Brother?"
The person beside me stiffened, struggling to respond.
I turned my head to look at him; his face was somewhat pale. It seemed the injuries he sustained in the ruined temple had not yet healed. I hadn't expected him to stay; he remained in the village.
Did that mean the members of the Cult of Spirits had not left either, merely hiding in corners unknown to me?
"Go ahead and ask what you want," he said again.
I focused on the corner of his eye, seeing no hint of jest.
Finally, I steeled myself and asked him, "Tell me why you betrayed Master."
He lowered his head, and after a long pause, slowly raised it again. "I'll give you my story."
When I was thirteen, my parents passed away.
Due to my age, I couldn't be adopted or go to an orphanage; I could only stay in a juvenile rescue center. But you could never imagine how filthy that place was.
I escaped and wandered the streets for a year before meeting my Master.
The next ten years were the most spirited years of my life.
I aspire to be a respected figure like Master Xuanzong,
Yet dreams remain dreams, and in the end, I fell into the Cult of Spirits.
He smiled at me,
But I noticed the glistening tear stains at the corners of his eyes. He never spoke of why he betrayed his master, yet I wanted to believe he had his reasons.
"Chuchen, tell me your purpose for coming to the village. Is it for the Gold Foil Silk?"
He fell silent for a moment before responding, "That's one reason. The other purpose I cannot disclose because I don't know either. The leader is too meticulous; he only gives instructions bit by bit."
What could be so important that Mu Xuanche and the Cult of Spirits would go to such lengths to find it?
I tentatively asked Chuchen, hoping he would reveal a bit more.
"Chuchen, do you know whose tomb is on the Gold Foil Silk?"
He countered with a question, "Do you know Ying Ziying?"
Ying Ziying—I knew him well.
This emperor, who had almost no mention in history, was Qin San Shi.
He stood up, gazing up at the sky,
As if speaking to the air or perhaps to me.
"If I could, I truly want to take you away from all this conflict, to protect you for a lifetime."
I remained silent; my question had already been answered, yet I couldn't respond to his.
He turned and vanished from my sight.
I didn't try to hold him back, not even a hint of reluctance showed on my face.
To express even the slightest concern would be the real harm to him.
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