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墨書 Inktalez
Death Apostle calmly leaned his staff against the nearby table and said, "Who am I? Haven't I already told you? My name is Death Apostle. As for why I want to help you, it's twofold: first, I hope you can assist me, and second, I'm looking for something."
"Although you saved my friend, your elaborate manipulation of me suggests that whatever you're searching for must be crucial to you," he said with a smile as he clapped his hands. "Clever. I knew I didn't misjudge you. Given the circumstances, I might as well tell you the truth. When I saw your friend entangled with a somewhat capable Vengeful Spirit, I brought him here to see if I could gain something from it. However, I never expected it would lead to you. And you are exactly the person I'm looking for. So, I had someone secretly monitor you. Little did I know that Vengeful Spirit intended to frame you, which gave me the perfect opportunity to execute my plan. First, I opened the Ghost Gate and led you into the Underworld. Then, I provided you with that last letter and sent someone to assist you. So, strictly speaking, I've saved you twice. However, I anticipated that the person I sent would not return; her absence does not concern me."
Upon reaching Sheng Dan, she had at least saved our lives, but in Death Apostle's eyes, she was merely a pawn he could discard at any moment. Just as I was about to question him about his motives, Li Zhisheng noticed my agitation and quickly grabbed my arm, whispering, "Don't get worked up; let's clarify things first."
I suppressed my anger and asked, "Since you're so powerful, what else do you need my help with?" Death Apostle picked up his staff and pointed it at my chest. "The Nine Lives Star Map. Only it can seal Onizuka. Additionally, I believe you can help me find something else. Once found, I think I can help you completely lift the curse on you."
Hearing this made me somewhat intrigued, but then I thought about sealing Onizuka. Even without his help, I'd pursue that goal; otherwise, how many people would die and become wandering spirits? It would be unbearable. However, if he could help me remove that mark, it would indeed be beneficial—but what he needed in return...
Feigning indifference, I asked, "What do you want me to find?" Seeing my willingness to assist him, he hurriedly urged me to sit down. "In fact, I'm not the kind of villain you think I am. The thing I'm asking you to find is also meant for the benefit of all."
I interrupted impatiently, "Stop beating around the bush; anyone can preach grand ideals. Just say what you need." He cleared his throat and straightened up. "Since you're so straightforward, I'll get right to it: the item I'm looking for is called the Soul Sealing Talisman."
Upon hearing the words Soul Sealing Talisman, I felt a surge of surprise but dared not show it because the only one I knew of was a single talisman currently suppressing an Evil Spirit in Baiyan Village. Yet I had no intention of revealing this fact.
After hesitating for a moment, I replied, "I think I've heard of that item before, but I'm not clear on its specifics. If you truly want my help finding it, you'll need to explain what it is so that I have a lead."
He nodded at my words but seemed skeptical. "That can't be right. As far as I know, an ancient hermit used extraordinary techniques to forge three Boxes, each containing different treasures with distinct functions—one for opening, one for sealing, and the last for destruction. The methods for opening them vary as well. The Soul Sealing Talisman is one of those treasures."
He glanced at my hand and continued, "According to legend, anyone who encounters those Boxes will inevitably be marked by a seal—the same seal that's on your hand. Coupled with your Nine Lives Star Map, how could you possibly not know where the Soul Sealing Talisman is?"
I was taken aback by how much he knew about the Boxes, even mentioning the Third Box, which was unknown to me. He seemed increasingly mysterious in my eyes and raised my caution levels significantly.
However, since I had no idea what he intended to do with the Soul Sealing Talisman or its true value, I decided to continue playing dumb in hopes of extracting more valuable information from him. "Since you're already aware of this matter, I'll be honest: yes, I do have one of those Boxes. But inside is only a book meant to suppress the mark on my hand—nothing else."
At this moment, Hu Fang behind me began to show signs of impatience; she put her hands in her pockets and paced back and forth restlessly. Meanwhile, Li Zhisheng remained composed beside me, carefully listening to our conversation.
After hearing my response, Death Apostle frowned slightly. He took hold of his staff and began spinning it on the ground thoughtfully. After a moment's pause, he said to me: "So you're saying that the Soul Sealing Talisman is in one of the other two Boxes?"
I noticed that he didn't seem to know what exactly was inside the Box or how it was used, which made me breathe a sigh of relief. I pretended to ponder and said, "Well, if you want to find this so-called Soul Sealing Talisman, why don't you tell me its purpose? Otherwise, even if I find it, I won't be able to tell if it's real or fake."
He laughed heartily and replied, "There is only one Soul Sealing Talisman in the world, and I believe no one would want to forge it. This item is used to suppress the malevolent energy of evil spirits that have existed for thousands of years, and it can also be used to pacify vengeful ghosts. Using a fake would be like seeking one's own demise. Moreover, there are no more than ten living people who know that this thing exists, so it's even less likely that there would be a fake."
"In other words," I continued, "if I can find the other two Boxes and obtain the talismans inside them, you can help me break this seal?" The Death Apostle nodded in agreement. "That's right. You give me the Soul Sealing Talisman, and I'll help you regain your freedom. So, what do you say? Shall we cooperate?"
I thought to myself, "Regardless of whether I ultimately need his help to break the seal, I have to search for the Third Box anyway. It's possible that the method to lift the seal is hidden within it. Besides, he knows more clues than I do at this point. Since he wants to use me, why can't I turn the tables and use him instead?"
With that in mind, I feigned hesitation and said, "I suppose that's fine, but I currently have no clues at all. How am I supposed to search?"
Seeing my agreement, the Death Apostle smiled and said, "Since you've agreed, I'll find the clues. But right now, I only know that the Box is likely hidden in Onizuka, which is why I need your Nine Lives Star Map ability. The reason I led you to Fengmen Village before was also for this."
Noticing that it was getting late, I stood up and said, "Since you don't have any extra clues right now and we've reached a consensus on cooperation, let's wait until you find some clues before contacting me. It's getting late; I should take my leave."
"Yes, that's all we can do," he replied as he stood up and escorted us to the door.
After parting ways with the Death Apostle, the three of us walked along the road. Hu Fang had been waiting impatiently; she exclaimed, "I'm starving! Look at the time—it's past eight! We haven't even finished dinner yet; all we've done is listen to you two go on endlessly." I rolled up my sleeves and extended my hand toward her. "Look at me! I'm about to collapse here! Can't you let me go home first to finish my masterpiece?"
Hu Fang shot me a glare and pouted as she muttered, "People can starve to death without food..." Seeing that she was a bit upset, I suggested, "How about this? Let's hurry home now. Once I've finished my writing, I'll treat you both to a meal since there's nothing left at home anyway."
Upon hearing there was a chance for a feast, she clapped her hands excitedly. "Great! What are we going to eat?" Li Zhisheng chuckled from the side. "You seem pretty energetic; you don't look like someone who's starving." The three of us continued walking with laughter, and the heavy atmosphere from earlier with the Death Apostle had long since dissipated.
Afterward, we took a cab and rushed home as quickly as possible. As soon as I entered the door, I dashed into my bedroom and pulled out the Sheepskin Book to start writing furiously. However, due to the numerous events that had transpired, it took me a full two hours to finish writing everything down. The incident at the hospital involving the Old Man's family didn't make it into my notes because I felt some sympathy for them.
Just as I finished writing, a slight burning sensation surged through my arm. I quickly rolled up my sleeve to take a look. To my surprise, I found that the seal had receded by less than one-fifth. "That's strange; there were thousands of ghosts involved! How could it only diminish by such a small amount?" Just as I was feeling puzzled about this development, Li Zhisheng walked in.
He had intended to check if I was done so we could eat but found me sitting in my chair with an astonished expression as I stared at my arm. He asked curiously, "What's wrong? Is something not right?"
"This number doesn't add up. Previously, I could clearly see signs of fading after recording a few ghosts. But now, I see at least a thousand ghosts over there, so why is it that..." I said anxiously.
Li Zhisheng thought for a moment and replied, "Think about it. At that time, did you not scatter those ghosts into oblivion?" Hearing him say this, I suddenly realized. Not to mention how many were taken out by Sheng Dan, afterward, the Void Spirit used my body to absorb almost all those ghosts and even converted them into power, which was eventually used up. Now, being able to eliminate this many is already a stroke of luck. I was lost in thought and muttered to myself, "No wonder it's only this little."
Seeing me dazed, Li Zhisheng nudged me and asked, "Hey, have you figured it out?" I snapped back to reality and replied, "Uh... I think I get it now. But let's put that aside for now; let's go find a place to eat."
With that, I took Li Zhisheng and Hu Fang, who was slumped on the sofa from hunger, to a twenty-four-hour Western restaurant. The environment was decent, but there weren't many people since it was nearly eleven o'clock.
I called the waiter over, and Hu Fang was still following her usual practice of selecting dishes based on what wouldn't kill her. Normally she would only choose what she needed, but this time she eliminated some unwanted items and ended up wanting everything left on the menu, which nearly made me fall to my knees in shock.
Li Zhisheng shook his head repeatedly at the sight. I asked him if he wanted to order anything, and he mischievously suggested, "How about we add those unwanted items too?" Upon hearing that, I quickly waved my hand at him to stop trying to trick me.
However, Li Zhisheng soon dropped the playful expression and furrowed his brows as he said to me seriously, "Given the current situation with the mark on your hand, how much longer do you think you can hold on?!"
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