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墨書 Inktalez
“Six Days Twenty-Three Hours…” The countdown loomed over me like a shadow, unshakeable and persistent. I sat despondently in front of the bronze mirror, my fingers trembling as they brushed against the Vermilion Birthmark on my forehead. My parents' words echoed in my ears, cold and merciless, each syllable piercing my heart.
The room was filled with the stale, suffocating scent of Camphor Balls. I forced myself to calm down. Since I had come to this cursed place, there must be a way to survive. My gaze swept across the room, landing on the dilapidated walls adorned with the portrait of the Liao Family Ancestor. The features were indistinct, yet they exuded an eerie presence.
Suddenly, my eyes fell upon a dusty Red Lacquered Wooden Box in the corner. The runes etched on it were intricate and strange, barely visible in the dim moonlight. My Vermilion Birthmark began to throb violently, as if sensing something.
“This box… feels off,” I murmured to myself, treading lightly toward it.
As soon as my fingers made contact with the box, a tingling sensation coursed through me, and the Vermilion Birthmark burned fiercely. Gritting my teeth, I opened the box.
Inside lay a pile of tattered clothing, but at the very bottom, I discovered a yellowed journal. The cover was stained with dark red blotches that resembled… dried blood.
“Xuanming Manual…” I whispered as I read the title, my heart racing. Could this be the legendary tome that held the secrets to unraveling yin-yang sorcery?
I carefully flipped open the journal; its yellowed pages were filled with tiny script—spells, illustrations, and some records of what appeared to be bizarre rituals.
“Yin Qi Technique, Gathering Yin Technique, Tongling Spell…” I read aloud these unfamiliar terms when suddenly a particular passage caught my eye:
“The world is divided into yin and yang; every person possesses both soul and spirit. To draw in yin energy, one must be as calm as water and focused like the moon. Remember three essentials: first is timing; midnight is best; second is location; places where yin energy converges yield better results; third is harmony; only with a clear mind can one draw energy into their body and transform it for personal use.”
Following the guidance in the journal, I sat cross-legged and concentrated on calming my thoughts. The camphor scent in the room seemed to fade slightly, replaced by an indescribable chill.
“Breathe… inhale…” I adjusted my breathing according to the journal's instructions. Suddenly, a cool sensation surged from all directions, like countless tiny streams flowing gently into my body.
The Vermilion Birthmark began to heat up, but this time it felt different—not painful but rather… warm and peculiar. I could almost see dark red threads moving through the air, appearing and disappearing with each breath I took.
“This must be… yin energy…” I thought in astonishment. Just as I was about to continue my practice, an eerie ringing sound echoed from outside.
“What are you looking for? Young lady.” The voice was cold and laced with amusement, suddenly resonating behind me.
I whipped around to see a young man dressed in a white funeral robe standing in the moonlight. His features were handsome yet pallid without a hint of color; his eyes glimmered with an otherworldly light.
“Who… who are you?” I took a cautious step back, gripping the journal tightly.
“Liao Yanzhi,” he replied with a slight smile that held a touch of bitterness. “Just… a dying man.”
“You… you are that sickly young master from the Liao Family?” I exclaimed in surprise.
“Indeed, I am your future ‘husband’,” he said with self-deprecating laughter. “And also… the malevolent spirit who will drain your soul.”
A tightness gripped my heart as instinct urged me to flee, but he continued speaking: “However… I do not wish to do so.”
“What do you mean?” I asked in confusion.
“I am also… not in control of my own fate.” A flicker of pain crossed Liao Yanzhi’s eyes. “The clan leader has used dark sorcery to control my soul. If I do not complete the ‘Reverse Life Stake’ within seven days, I will… be lost forever.”
"So... you came to kill me?" I tightened my grip on the notebook, ready to flee at any moment.
"No," he shook his head. "I came to... help you. The Xuanming Manual might be able to save us."
I looked down at the notebook in my hands, then raised my gaze to him. "Why do you want to help me?"
"Because I don't want to see any more innocent lives lost," his voice was deep and resolute. "Over the years, far too many women like you have become victims of the Liao Family."
Just then, a sudden commotion of footsteps echoed outside. Liao Yanzhi's figure became translucent in an instant. "Quick... hide the notebook. Tomorrow night, we'll meet by the dry well in the backyard. Remember, don't trust... anyone!"
Before his words faded, his figure vanished into the moonlight. At that moment, my Vermilion Birthmark throbbed with an unprecedented pain...
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