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墨書 Inktalez
Yama's Wedding
"Gather the brothers, we have something to discuss." After resting for over a month, Jun Ruo received a message. He had rested long enough; it was time to stretch his limbs along with his brothers.
"Xue, why are you calling us over at this time?" Yao Guang asked Xue.
Xue shook his head, indicating that he didn't know either.
In the past month, Jun Ruo hadn't summoned them, but just a moment ago, someone came to invite them to Brotherhood Hall, saying that the Head of the Family had important matters to discuss with them.
The two tidied themselves up and headed towards Brotherhood Hall. Along the way, they encountered many familiar faces; Xue and Yao Guang smiled and greeted those they met.
"I don't know why, but I increasingly feel like this place isn't a den of thieves at all. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would definitely doubt my own sanity," Yao Guang said with a smile as he exchanged pleasantries with those around him. Everyone acted like old friends, chatting amiably.
Yao Guang's words resonated with Xue as well; this place felt like a paradise. Everyone lived in peace and contentment. Even now, as Jun Ruo called them to Brotherhood Hall, their steps were light and cheerful.
"Head of the Family, what do you need us for?" Before they even entered, Yao Guang and Xue ard Old Five's booming voice.
Upon entering, they saw that quite a few people had already gathered inside, mostly men. Old Five was animatedly chatting with Jun Ruo.
Seeing that most of the group had arrived, Jun Ruo shared the news he had received. "I just got word that in a few days, a wealthy merchant from Jiangnan will pass through here, transporting a shipment back home. According to my inquiries, this merchant is rich but ruthless, oppressing the common people. He won't be bringing many men with him. So everyone should prepare and stretch your muscles; in a few days, we will wait for him here."
As soon as Jun Ruo finished speaking, excitement spread among the crowd.
"Hahaha! Finally, we can stretch our legs! I've been cooped up for half a month!" Old Five's hearty laughter echoed around him, and everyone was eager to join in.
"I’m starting to feel that this really is a den of thieves," Yao Guang said as he tugged at Xue's sleeve.
Xue smiled gently at Yao Guang upon hearing those words, his eyes filled with warmth.
" Xue, you should come with us this time," Jun Ruo said after a moment of thought, addressing Xue.
"Alright."
"Brother, I want to learn your martial arts properly this time," Old Five exclaimed excitedly as he ran over, his face full of admiration upon hearing that Xue would be going too.
"Head of the Family, I want to go as well." Upon hearing that Xue was going, Yao Guang could no longer sit still; how could she stay at home?
"Yao Guang, wait for me at home," Xue quickly interjected upon hearing her words. The situation here was not fully understood yet; he couldn't just take Yao Guang out on an adventure like this. He instinctively tried to stop her.
"No way, I want to go with you," Yao Guang insisted firmly. She wanted to accompany Xue precisely because the situation was unclear. If anything happened, they could look out for each other.
"Fine, you can come along," Jun Ruo thought for a moment and agreed to Yao Guang's request. Observing the way Yao Guang and Xue interacted that day, even though Yao Guang had not fought, it was clear from a month of observation that she was not the kind of weak woman who couldn't protect herself.
Upon hearing Jun Ruo agree to Yao Guang's request and seeing Yao Guang's determined expression, Xue decided to relent. After all, he could protect Yao Guang; it should be fine.
"Since everyone has no objections, let's all head back. We'll set off in two days," Jun Ruo announced.
Everyone dispersed.
Yao Guang and Xue walked slowly back to their residence.
"Yao Guang, you shouldn't come with me," Xue said.
"Since it's come to this, if you want me to leave, I won't go. Anyway, there's no need to worry; if danger comes, I'll just hide behind you," Yao Guang said playfully to Xue.
What else could Xue do? It was already like this. Yao Guang would definitely follow him. Rather than trying to keep her away, it was better to have her by his side so he could protect her properly.
"Xue, I don't understand. If these people aren't Mountain Spirits, why do they go out and rob those wealthy merchants?" Yao Guang asked.
Xue felt puzzled about this too. Normally, such things shouldn't happen.
"Yao Guang, maybe I should return to the Underworld for a while and ask those Ghost Messengers," Xue thought it would be better to go back to the Underworld since he wasn't very familiar with the matters concerning Chimeras and Specters.
"Alright, then go early and come back early. It's good to clarify things."
Since Yao Guang had agreed, Xue had nothing left to pack. The two of them walked into their room together.
Once back in the room, Xue tightly closed the door and said to Yao Guang, "I'll be off now. Don't worry; I'll be back soon."
Yao Guang watched as Xue disappeared into the room and sat down patiently, waiting for his return. As time passed slowly, Xue still hadn't come back. Yao Guang's initially relaxed mood began to turn anxious with the passing minutes. The setting sun's rays streamed into the room, casting a long shadow on the floor.
"Xue's Wife, why is the door closed during the day?" Suddenly, a voice from next door broke the silence; it was Aunt. Yao Guang jumped in surprise and momentarily didn't know how to respond.
"Xue's Wife, Xue's Wife, are you not there?" The person outside didn't hear Yao Guang's reply and raised their voice to ask several times.
Yao Guang was pacing anxiously inside the room. What should she do? Everyone clearly saw her and Xue enter the room together; now that they had vanished in broad daylight, how could she explain this when she stepped outside?
The knocking on the door grew more urgent. Yao Guang opened her mouth but closed it again. What should she say?
“Xue's Wife? Xue's Wife?”
“Aunt, is there something you need?” Xue's voice came from behind Yao Guang as he walked to the door and opened it. Yao Guang looked at Xue's back, and her previously worried heart relaxed instantly.
“I just made some pastries, and thinking about how delicious they are, I brought some over for you and your wife.” The Aunt, seeing that it was Xue who opened the door, hurriedly handed the pastries to him.
“Thank you so much, Aunt.” Xue looked at the pastries in his hands; they were indeed exquisite, delicate, and translucent.
The Aunt glanced into the room and before leaving, said to Xue, “Although this is a matter between you two, it’s still important to exercise restraint during the day.”
Upon hearing this, a blush crept onto Xue's fair face.
When Xue entered the room, Yao Guang felt utterly embarrassed. The Aunt had spoken so loudly that she could hear their conversation clearly from inside.
“Aunt wants us to exercise restraint!” Xue set down the pastries, picked one up, and placed it into Yao Guang's mouth.
Yao Guang had no choice but to let Xue feed her the pastry.
After a moment, Yao Guang finally regained her composure. “Did you investigate thoroughly?”
When it came to serious matters, Xue became earnest. “Yes.”
The two sat down as Xue began to share everything he had just learned with Yao Guang.
Specters, although formed from the souls of the deceased, were different from ordinary ghosts. It is well known that when a person dies, they become a ghost—a spirit formed when one leaves their physical body. If this spirit dissipates, it vanishes into the earth. However, there is another possibility: if this spirit does not dissipate on its own but is instead subjected to premeditated harm by someone else, then these spirits will transform into another kind of being with a different physical form—neither aging nor dying. This is what is referred to as Chimeras and Specters.
“Xue, do you mean that the people here have been deliberately killed again?” Yao Guang asked.
“Yes, according to the records, that is the case,” Xue replied affirmatively.
“Why?” Yao Guang was puzzled. Since they had already been killed, why would anyone want to harm their souls again?
“That’s something only those who killed them can answer. The so-called Specters still appear as they did in life, visible to mortals. They continue to live their lives, unaware of their own deaths. So what we see now are still those we perceive as living,” Xue continued to explain.
“But this place has been burned before; why does the scenery and the people we see here still look so beautiful?” Yao Guang pondered another question.
“Yao Guang, you forgot what I just said. They are Mountain Spirits. It is rare for Mountain Spirits to form, and this may be related to the spiritual energy of this place. These people lived here in life, and their bodies already contained the spiritual energy of this forest. By some twist of fate, they became Specters and unconsciously came back to life, continuing to live here while retaining memories of the scenery from before. The uniqueness of Specters lies in their ability to restore the forest because they are closely connected to it. What we see now is a restoration of the forest shaped by their own thoughts. If they were to disappear, then this forest restored by their thoughts would revert to its original state.”
After such an explanation from Xue, Yao Guang finally understood what was happening here.
“So that means, in the eyes of others, and even in their own eyes, they truly exist?”
Xue took a sip of tea and shook his head. “No, in the eyes of others, they are indeed dead. Just think about those two; they all believe this place is haunted.”
Yao Guang nodded in understanding. “Then can they still feel pain? Do they still have sensations?”
Xue was surprised by Yao Guang's question; it touched on a key point. “They can still be injured and bleed like ordinary people. In fact, they do not truly feel these sensations; it’s just that in their subconscious, they believe they are still mortals. Therefore, they think their bodies are no different from those of ordinary people and experience all the feelings that normal people do.”
After hearing Xue's words, Yao Guang felt it was unbelievable. She had never thought there were such beings in the world. She had always believed that after death, one would become a ghost at most. It turned out there were many different forms beyond that. Even though she was a deity who had lived for such a long time, there were still many things she did not know. This world was simply too vast.
“These Mountain Spirits themselves have no aggression; in fact, their abilities can help restore the forest. Therefore, the Underworld generally does not pay them any mind. Moreover, it is rare for Mountain Spirits to form; large-scale occurrences of Mountain Spirits are quite uncommon.”
Yao Guang understood the meaning behind Xue's words. The situation here was indeed quite rare.
"We should investigate here to find out who is so ruthless as to drive everyone to extinction," Yao Guang said to Xue.
Upon hearing Yao Guang's understanding of his intentions, Xue felt a surge of emotion within him. Initially, they had entered this place only because there was a possibility of finding treasures that could heal Yao Guang's soul. However, now that they were faced with such a dire situation, Xue could not simply leave these people behind without understanding what had happened. Such widespread extermination could not be known by ordinary people; it must involve someone with cultivation abilities. This kind of event was too shocking and chilling.
From what he observed, Xue believed that the villagers here were not deserving of hatred to the extent that they could not even be considered human anymore.
"Yes, I also want to know who is behind this. If it weren't for their luck in becoming Specters, they might have turned into vengeful spirits. Fortunately, the spiritual energy here is abundant, preventing them from becoming uncontrollable vengeful spirits. If that were the case, the mastermind behind this would be truly terrifying."
Xue did not continue further, but Yao Guang could imagine that if it were indeed like that, then the world would not be peaceful. These vengeful spirits were usually more terrifying than ordinary ghosts. Yao Guang had once encountered a vengeful spirit consumed by slaughter, devoid of any other emotions. The power of such spirits was already formidable; if they were the worst of the worst among ghosts, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Xue, we must find out who is behind this and punish them severely." At this thought, Yao Guang was eager to uncover the identity of the mastermind.
"Yes, we just need to wait patiently. I found out in the Underworld that these people died about half a month ago. Since they have not turned into vengeful spirits yet, the person behind this will surely come to check on them. At that time, we will definitely catch this person."
"Agreed." Yao Guang nodded firmly; at this moment, she wished she could throw the culprit into the depths of hell.
As deities, although this matter had nothing to do with them directly, both regarded mortals as their own children. Upon learning of such events, they naturally could not stand idly by.
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