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墨書 Inktalez
I was taken aback as I watched the grocery store owner suddenly kneel before me. After a moment of hesitation, I hurried over to help him up. "What are you doing? Speak your mind, get up..."
The owner stood up, wiping his tears, and choked out, "So you all have agreed to help me with this?"
"Honestly, even if you hadn't brought us here, we would have come anyway. We have our own reasons for being here... so why sacrifice yourself like this?" I sighed.
Before the grocery store owner could respond, Li Zhisheng interjected, "You can't say that. If it weren't for this owner's daughter’s sacrifice, we might not have noticed the signs of illness in time. By the time we arrived in this town, it could have been too late."
I pondered Li Zhisheng's words and realized he was right. If it weren't for that girl, we wouldn't have known about any of this in advance, nor could we have taken preventive measures.
Just then, the grocery store owner cleared his throat and steadied himself before saying to us, "Regardless of your reasons for being here, please make sure to eliminate the source of the calamity that has struck recently..." He lowered his voice and continued, "Though I have no right to say such things since this disaster was caused by me..."
Seeing his deep sense of guilt, I replied, "Don't be like that. If what you told us is true, then you are also a victim. The real culprit isn't you; it's that wealthy merchant. Now, can you tell me where that merchant is? If we find him, there might be a solution..."
When I mentioned the merchant, the grocery store owner gave a meaningful look and said, "He’s already dead... died over a decade ago..."
"What?! Dead?!" I exclaimed, my eyes widening in surprise.
The innkeeper nodded. "You heard me right; he is indeed dead. Although my memory isn’t very clear on this matter, I still recall some details. It was during his second year after moving to this town. He went out as usual to handle business at the mine but returned home suddenly going mad and died mysteriously that very night."
"The reason his death was so strange is that it wasn't like someone who fell ill and bit themselves to death. His body showed no external injuries at all; even forensic experts brought in from outside couldn't determine any cause of death. They only concluded he died of natural causes due to aging—no diseases whatsoever. But he was only in his forties..."
"Afterward, the merchant's company withdrew its investments and left the town for good. Since then, the town's mayor has also started acting strangely; he not only hired security for his own home but also erected a stone tablet in the town. I believe you've seen it already..."
Hearing this, the Death Apostle spoke up, "Is the stone tablet you mentioned the one with the characters all reversed?"
The shopkeeper nodded, "Indeed. From my years of experience as a Feng Shui Master, that stone tablet is not used for grounding or warding off evil; it serves another purpose. Moreover, the way the characters are inscribed is quite peculiar. Not only are they reversed left to right, but the writing order is also backward..."
"Then do you know what it says?!" the Death Apostle pressed urgently.
"I do know. The content on it is from an ancient book called 'Divine Anomalies Classic: Nine Star Chart.' I wonder if any of you have heard of it..."
"No, the full title is 'Divine Anomalies Classic: Nine Star Life and Death Diagram...'" I interjected.
The Antique Shop owner widened his eyes in astonishment upon hearing me. He stared at me incredulously, "Very few people know its true name. How do you know? Do you have that book? Show it to me..."
Noticing his unusual behavior, I instinctively took a step back and replied cautiously, "I do have that book, but it's not with me right now. Just tell us what exactly is recorded on the stone tablet... You still want our help, right? If you tell me the truth, I might be able to think of a way to break this."
The Antique Shop owner realized he had acted out of line and quickly composed himself. "You don't need to try and pry information from me. If I want your help, I will certainly explain the situation. Besides, I'm already a dying man; what reason do I have to deceive you... As the saying goes, when a person is about to die, their words are sincere."
With that, he pulled one hand out from under his cotton coat and rolled up his sleeve for us to see. His arm was withered and gaunt, with dark brown skin tightly clinging to his bones, devoid of any color. On his arm was a faint mark similar to the one on my hand, but this one was black, just like when I was first branded.
The people behind Li Zhisheng gasped collectively at this sight. However, I remained unfazed because I recognized this condition; it was the price paid by Yin Li for merging his soul with the Void Spirit. No wonder he possessed enough power to contend with Yao Long.
Thinking about this, I furrowed my brow and asked, "How long have you been doing this..."
"It seems you know what this is..." He lowered his sleeve and adjusted his coat while sighing at me. "It's been over two years... Initially, I did this for self-preservation, but unexpectedly, it only accelerated my demise."
"You did this without knowing the side effects? How did you find out later?"
I expected him to show signs of sadness after my question, but to my surprise, he replied calmly, "I learned about this method from hearing some rumors among fellow practitioners, but none of them had ever succeeded. At that time, I was just trying it out..."
"I never expected to actually succeed, but pain followed closely behind. My body continued to deteriorate, and I grew weaker and weaker, as if something was constantly draining my life... Until later, a passing expert noticed my condition and informed me about the side effects of merging with the Void Spirit."
"At first, I was indeed very desperate. However, over time, I gradually got used to it... If I hadn't done this, I would either have to escape from this town or stay here and wait to die. Although I could run away, I didn't want to do that because I didn't want to live with the guilt on my conscience." The shopkeeper's eyes revealed a determined expression.
Hearing this, I sighed at the unfairness of the world. Why do good people always end up in such dire situations? This Feng Shui Master came here initially perhaps unaware that it was a den of Onizuka, and he was only trying to earn a living for his family through his profession. Yet now he faced such a fate...
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