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墨書 Inktalez
Yang Su finally noticed that the feet of the figures in white were not touching the ground; they were floating in mid-air. Their garments fluttered, yet no sound could be heard, as if the entire world was enveloped in the tolling of a bell.
The foremost figure slowly turned around. In the moonlight, the face made Zhou Yue scream in terror—it was unmistakably her mother, Wang Lanzhi! But that face was pale, devoid of any color, with a ghostly blue light flickering in her eyes.
"Mom... Mother..." Zhou Yue trembled all over.
Wang Lanzhi's spirit slowly raised a hand, pointing toward the clock tower. The other figures in white followed suit, turning and mimicking the same gesture. Their movements were synchronized, as if controlled by some unseen force.
"They want us to go to the clock tower," Yang Su said.
"No, don't go!" Zhou Yue clutched his arm tightly. "It's a trap! They aren't real spirits; they're being controlled by something..."
Before she could finish her sentence, the figures in white suddenly moved. Their bodies twisted and contorted, flowing through the air like smoke, emitting a piercing shriek. Wang Lanzhi's spirit reached out with a skeletal hand toward Zhou Yue.
Yang Su grabbed Zhou Yue and ran desperately. Behind them came the sound of fabric tearing and distant cries. The sounds ebbed and flowed, as if chasing them or lamenting their fate.
They reached the village entrance, where the figures in white abruptly halted. In front of Old Woman Zhong's stall stood a figure— Old Woman Zhong herself. She held a string of copper coins and seemed to be calculating something.
"You can't escape," Old Woman Zhong said without looking up. "What is meant to come will come."
"You knew this would happen all along?" Yang Su gasped.
"I know nothing," Old Woman Zhong finally lifted her head, her gaze cloudy. "All I know is that everything is fate. That bell has chosen you, just as it chose her." She pointed at Wang Lanzhi's spirit.
Zhou Yue asked tremulously, "Why us?"
"Because of your bloodline," Old Woman Zhong replied. "That bell favors special blood. Your mother had it, and so do you. As for him..." She glanced at Yang Su, "He has a calling about him, just like that Gu person."
"What bloodline? What calling?" Yang Su pressed on.
Old Woman Zhong shook her head and began to pack up her stall. At that moment, Teacher Li appeared from nowhere. His expression was grave as he carried a rusty iron box.
"At this point, you should know the truth," he said as he opened the box and took out a roll of yellowed parchment. "This is a record from the Qing Dynasty."
The parchment told a strange story: during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, this village suffered from an epidemic that claimed many lives. A shaman claimed that an ancient tomb lay beneath the village, housing malevolent entities. To resolve this, special bloodline individuals had to be sacrificed.
This bloodline was called "spirit-blood," capable of seeing ghosts and hearing celestial sounds. Every thirty years, those with this bloodline would hear the tolling of a bell. That bronze bell was cast from the ashes of the first batch of spirit-blood individuals.
"Are you saying..." Zhou Yue's voice trembled.
"Your mother had this bloodline; so do you," Teacher Li said. "But you are not like her. She is pureblood, while you..."
"Your bloodline is even more special," Old Woman Zhong interjected. "Your father is not an ordinary man; he is from that ancient tomb..."
"Stop!" Teacher Li interrupted sharply. "Some things cannot be spoken openly."
In the distance, the bell tolled again. The white-clad souls twisted under the moonlight, as if performing some eerie dance. Wang Lanzhi's spirit floated at the forefront, the blue light in her eyes growing brighter.
"Time's up," Teacher Li said. "You can't escape. That bell has waited too long; it must complete the final ritual."
"What ritual?"
"Sacrifice," Old Woman Zhong replied. "With your blood, we will open that door."
"What lies beyond the door?"
Teacher Li and Old Woman Zhong exchanged a glance but remained silent. The distant tolling of the bell grew louder, and suddenly, the white-clad souls surged forward, rushing towards them.
Yang Su grabbed Zhou Yue and ran. Behind them, Teacher Li's voice echoed, "It's useless! Today is the fourth day; in three days, you will understand everything..."
Under the moonlight, the shadow of the bell tower stretched long, as if it were trying to engulf the entire village. The white-clad souls darted through the shadows, emitting chilling laughter. The sound of the bell reverberated through the valley, uncertain whether it was summoning or mourning.
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