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墨書 Inktalez
"So you suspect this is the work of the Yin Master?" The Death Apostle nodded, "It's just a possibility. Whether it is or not, we'll only know after we investigate."
I pondered for a moment, planning to press further and take the opportunity to inquire about the Death Apostle's background. "Since you seem so knowledgeable about everything, you must be either Yin or Yang yourself..."
"I guessed you would ask me that. Since I've already told you, I might as well be straightforward. I am the Yang Master... However, there are very few Yang Masters left in the world today, which is why I want to find the Soul Sealing Talisman as soon as possible. Otherwise..."
The Death Apostle coughed twice and cleared his throat before continuing, "Otherwise, if that talisman falls into the hands of the Yin Master, it could lead to serious trouble."
At that moment, Li Zhisheng also found it strange and asked the Death Apostle, "Weren't you saying earlier that the talisman is used to subdue Vengeful Spirits and Millennium Evil Spirits? Isn't the Yin Master trying to use them? Why would they want to use the Soul Sealing Talisman against them? Isn't that contradictory?"
The Death Apostle shot Li Zhisheng an unfriendly look. "Brother, while your curiosity is commendable, this matter doesn't concern you. It's best if you refrain from asking too many questions..."
Hearing this made me think, "This Death Apostle is like squeezing toothpaste; he won't say anything unless pressed. And if he doesn't need anything from me, he won't bother at all." I glanced at Li Zhisheng, who looked somewhat displeased after being rebuffed.
Seeing his expression, I decided to give the Death Apostle a hard time and let off some steam for Li Zhisheng. "Death Apostle, I'm actually curious about this too. Don't keep it all to yourself; just tell us everything you know."
The Death Apostle noticed my deliberate provocation and his face shifted between shades of green and white. However, since he needed something from me, he could only force a smile. "Ah... since you want to know, I might as well tell you. Your friend just mentioned that the Soul Sealing Talisman is used to customize Vengeful Spirits and Millennium Evil Spirits."
"Vengeful Spirits are one thing; dealing with Millennium Evil Spirits isn't something one or two Yin Masters can handle. It takes at least ten or twenty highly skilled Taoist practitioners working together to confront them. At their peak, there were only about ten famous Yin Masters; even if a few hundred unknown ones came together, it would be futile. That's why we need the Soul Sealing Talisman—to suppress the Millennium Evil Spirits and then use spells to harness them."
Upon hearing this, I couldn't help but sigh inwardly. "So that ancient scroll really has significant value; there's no way I can hand it over to this Death Apostle." I feigned realization and said, "So that's what the Soul Sealing Talisman is really for..."
Fearing I would continue questioning him endlessly, the Death Apostle stood up. "Alright, that's all I have for you. When do you plan to set out to investigate that village?"
I thought for a moment. "Anytime in the next few days should work. But aren't you going to send someone with me?" The Death Apostle sighed. "There are too many matters at hand right now; everyone has been dispatched. If I hadn't run out of options, I wouldn't bother troubling you."
"Then I'll head back now to prepare and set off tomorrow or the day after." With that, I stood up to leave.
"Wait!" The Death Apostle suddenly grabbed my arm from behind. "Take this; it's for emergencies." He handed me a black silk pouch.
I opened the pouch and found three rectangular pieces of paper inside—similar to those talismans used by Taoists in movies—but these three were not only old and yellowed but also somewhat damaged.
I thought to myself, "This person is so stingy; what good are three torn pieces of paper?" Though I felt this way inside, I didn't voice it out loud. Instead, I smiled and tucked away the pouch. "Thank you so much for being so considerate and preparing something for me."
The Death Apostle replied politely, "Not at all; it's only right to prepare something when asking someone for help." Afterward, Li Zhisheng and I bid farewell to the Death Apostle and left the exhibition hall.
On our way home, Li Zhisheng curiously asked, "What did he give you before we left? Can I see it?" I huffed in annoyance and tossed him the pouch.
He quickly caught it with both hands and weighed it in his palms while mumbling, "What is this? Why is it so light?" Then he opened the pouch and exclaimed in surprise.
Hearing this, I quickly turned my head to look at him. "What's wrong?!" I saw Li Zhisheng standing there, cautiously pulling out three pieces of paper from the bag and examining them closely. "This Death Apostle... is really generous..."
"Three pieces of scrap paper, how is that generous?" I scoffed. However, Li Zhisheng held the paper up to the sunlight and said, "You don't understand. These Yellow Talismans used for exorcism are graded. The lowest is paper, then symbols, followed by orders, and finally this type. Generally, if you want to buy a genuine one in the market, it costs at least several tens of thousands..."
Upon hearing this, I couldn't help but exclaim in surprise and hurried over to look at the talisman under the sunlight with him. Li Zhisheng noticed me getting closer and said, "Look closely; the fibers on this paper are arranged like the incantations used for exorcism."
I widened my eyes and examined it carefully, astonished to find that the fine fibers on the paper formed extremely tiny symbols that indeed resembled the incantations used by Taoist priests for exorcism.
"So this thing is a treasure?" I asked in confusion. After inspecting it further, Li Zhisheng cautiously put the yellow paper back into the pouch and handed it to me. "It truly is a treasure. Unlike ordinary talismans that need to be written or drawn, this one is naturally formed. Even making billions of copies wouldn't guarantee creating another one like it. Moreover, judging by its craftsmanship, it's likely quite old. For it to have been preserved so well is remarkable; such things can't be made anymore today, and even reproducing them would be nearly impossible."
Listening to Li Zhisheng's awe-inspiring words, I thought for a moment. "Even if this thing is impressive, I still can't draw talismans; it's basically just a piece of waste paper."
He smirked proudly. "That's where its power lies; it doesn't require drawing talismans at all. Ordinary symbols may not even work when drawn; it depends on Taoist practice. Yours only needs a drop of blood applied to it; in fact, it can be used even without that, which already makes it far superior to ordinary talismans. Applying blood enhances its effectiveness further, and depending on the strength of the owner's soul, it can yield varying degrees of enhancement..."
Before Li Zhisheng could finish his explanation, I eagerly tucked the pouch into my pocket, afraid of losing it. He watched me from the side and shook his head helplessly.
When I got home, I initially planned to go alone this time, but as soon as Li Zhisheng returned home, he said to Hu Fang, "We might need to go out tomorrow or the day after."
Upon hearing we were going out, Hu Fang excitedly danced around; she had probably been cooped up at home for months working on her manuscript. No matter how much I tried to persuade her otherwise, she insisted on going along, so in the end, I had no choice but to compromise.
Since Hu Fang was going too, I decided to bring Li Zhisheng along as well; at least he could offer some advice if we encountered any issues.
After dinner that night and watching some television together, we each returned to our rooms.
Back in my room, thinking it was just a trip outside the city and not too far away, I didn't pack much. But remembering what the Death Apostle had told me, I stuffed Jiang Ling's pouch along with the one given by the Death Apostle into my backpack. Once everything was roughly prepared, I collapsed onto my bed and fell asleep.
The next morning, as soon as I opened my door, I saw Hu Fang had prepared a large bag of luggage in the living room while continuously stuffing cosmetics and other items into her backpack.
At that moment, Li Zhisheng also opened his door and upon seeing Hu Fang's luggage displayed an expression of surprise. We exchanged glances and simultaneously exclaimed, "You didn't tell her yesterday?"
Hu Fang heard us waking up and began humming a tune while saying to both me and Li Zhisheng, "Aren't you two going to get ready? Aren't we leaving soon?"
I covered my face and pushed Li Zhisheng slightly. "Go... you spilled the beans; you explain it..." Li Zhisheng turned back with an innocent look on his face as if saying to me, "I didn't know it would turn out like this."
Ignoring him, I waved my hand at him dismissively and went about washing up.
After a brief moment of silence outside, Hu Fang's wail echoed through the house: "Why didn't you tell me sooner?! I've packed a month's worth of clothes! We're just going out of town!"
"Not at all, Auntie, I... please don't hit me! This isn't my fault! You... just talk nicely, don't get physical! Don't throw things... you can't throw the cup! It could kill someone!"
As I brushed my teeth, I couldn't help but laugh at Li Zhisheng's cries, accidentally swallowing several mouthfuls of toothpaste and choking, coughing repeatedly.
Afterward, to calm Hu Fang's emotions, Li Zhisheng spent several hundred on a lavish breakfast for her, which finally managed to soothe her. After breakfast, I thought that even though we were just heading out of the city, taking a taxi back might be inconvenient, so I decided to drive the company car.
At this point, Hu Fang had enjoyed a luxurious breakfast worth hundreds and was in an exceptionally good mood from the morning "exercise," humming a tune in the back seat. I glanced over at Li Zhisheng in the passenger seat; his face and arms were covered in scratches. Unable to hold back, I laughed again. Seeing me mock him, Li Zhisheng turned to look out the window, muttering, "If you had told me earlier, would I have let it slip?"
We drove in silence for over two hours until we finally arrived near the place where Death Apostle had been. I got out of the car and looked around; there was no village in sight. Besides the straight highway stretching ahead, there was nothing.
Just then, an old man rode up on a motorcycle from the opposite direction. I quickly waved him down and asked, "Hello there! Do you happen to know if there's a village nearby?"
The old man sized me up and replied, "Buddy, there used to be a village around here, but it was completely burned down in a big fire. As far as I know, everyone in the village—hundreds of people—perished. After that, it was flattened and trees were planted..."
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