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墨書 Inktalez
In the evening, Yang Su waited at the school gate for Zhou Yue to finish work.
"About your mother..."
"Don't mention it," Zhou Yue quickened her pace.
"But you know something, don't you?" Yang Su caught up with her. "The symbols on the classroom wall today are the same as those on the Art Room window. It's not a coincidence."
Zhou Yue stopped and remained silent for a long time before saying, "I was only three years old that year, so I don't remember much. But I recall my mother kept saying she heard the sound of bells and saw a group of people in white dancing."
"The White-Clad Woman Play?"
"Yes." Zhou Yue nodded. "She said those people in white came down from the bell tower and danced a strange dance in the classroom. No one believed her; they all said she was crazy. Later..." Her voice choked, "she hanged herself in that classroom."
"Do you believe she was crazy?"
Zhou Yue shook her head. "I think she saw something. Because..." She lowered her voice, "I can hear the bells too; I've been able to since I was little."
"Then why are you okay?"
"I don't know." Zhou Yue forced a bitter smile. "But I know the sound of the bells isn't an illusion. It really exists, right below us."
"Below?"
"Under the bell tower." Zhou Yue looked around. "I heard that long ago, there was an altar beneath the bell tower. Every year, rituals were held there called the 'White-Clad Woman Play.'"
"What is the White-Clad Woman Play?" Yang Su pressed on.
Zhou Yue glanced around and pulled him into a narrow alley. "It's a taboo in the village that no one wants to talk about. But I've heard the elders mention it in whispers since I was young."
Leaning against the wall, her voice dropped to a whisper: "Legend has it that during the Qing Dynasty, there was a plague here. A shaman said they needed to find seven unmarried girls to wear white and perform ' Soul Summoning Dance' at the Underground Altar. This dance is very sinister; it requires sacrificing a virgin's life force to quell the plague."
"What happened next?"
"The seven girls really did perform, and the plague truly receded. But all seven died the next day, claiming they heard the sound of bells before they passed away. Since then, every year they seek out virgins to perform this dance, believing it will suppress the village's Sha Qi."
"Do people still perform it now?"
Zhou Yue shook her head. "Not since liberation. But..." She bit her lip. "My mother said what she saw was this dance. She claimed those people in white weren't alive; they were girls who had died long ago."
Just then, a sudden chill swept through the alley. Zhou Yue shivered. "Let's not talk about this anymore; it's getting dark, and I need to go home."
"Wait," Yang Su called after her. "Do you know how to get into the underground of the bell tower?"
"Don't go," Zhou Yue's face turned pale. "I'm begging you, don't go. Those who hear the sound of bells don't live beyond seven days. Xiao Wangzi is a prime example."
"I must get to the bottom of this," Yang Su said. "Otherwise, more people will fall victim."
Zhou Yue bit her lip, thinking for a moment. "I've heard there's a tunnel beneath the bell tower and the ancient well, but I don't know exactly where it is. You should ask Zhang San Shui; he's the Keeper of the Bell Tower and should know."
As night fell, Yang Su arrived at the bell tower as agreed. Zhang San Shui was indeed waiting there, still holding that rusty iron bucket.
"Follow me," the old man said without much conversation, turning to walk behind the bell tower.
Around the back of the tower was a patch of wasteland, overgrown with grass taller than a person. Zhang San Shui weaved through the grass and finally stopped in front of a large stone.
"Under here," he said, tapping the stone with his cane, producing a hollow sound, "is the way to the Underground Altar."
"You knew about this all along?"
"I am the Keeper of the Bell Tower," Zhang San Shui replied. "My grandfather was the Keeper of the Bell Tower, and my father was too. It's our family's responsibility." He sighed. "Every month on the Initial Seven, we burn paper here to guide those lost souls."
"Why on the Initial Seven?"
"Because the first batch of White-Clad Woman Play was performed on that day," Zhang San Shui's voice trembled slightly. "The souls of those maidens still wander underground. They seek substitutes to find their release."
"So they look for those who can hear the bell toll?"
"Exactly." Zhang San Shui nodded. "Those who hear the bell are chosen by them." He paused for a moment. "Since you can hear it, you have the right to know the truth. There’s a hidden compartment beneath this stone; inside is a key that can open the iron door underground."
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