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墨書 Inktalez
I held Mumu's hand as we left the hotel, sending a text to Lin You before heading towards the eastern side of the resort.
It was surprisingly dark there; once we stepped outside the hotel's range, the lights were nearly nonexistent, with only a crescent moon hanging in the black sky, casting a gentle glow.
"Are you really planning to walk over like this?"
A voice suddenly emerged from the darkness. I wasn't scared; instead, I felt a rush of joy. "Jun Chong, is that you?"
The familiar wide robe flashed before me, and Three Thousand Black Strands danced in the wind, brushing against my face and tickling me. I reached up to brush them away, feeling that his hair was softer than mine.
"I'm not here; by the time you get there, it will be dawn."
"That won't happen," Mumu said, lifting her adorable little head. "Once we enter the darkness, I'll help my sister fly over."
Jun Chong's lips twitched. "Just you?"
Mumu shrank closer to me, looking aggrieved. I quickly comforted her, "Don't argue with a child. Mumu is capable enough to say that! Right, Mumu?"
Mumu tugged at my clothes tightly, too shy to look at Jun Chong. I bent down to pick her up, only to find my body suddenly feeling lighter. "Ah—what are you doing?"
Jun Chong had suddenly lifted me off the ground, causing my heart to race and my face to flush. "Hold on tight; don’t fall."
His gentle tone made me feel as if he was regaining some memories, but I didn’t dwell on it for long as my body lifted into the air. It was truly flying; it was my first time realizing that ghosts could fly.
His wide sleeves wrapped around Mumu and me, shielding us from the rushing wind. I nestled into his embrace, feeling his coolness against my skin. Cuddled in his strong arms, I suddenly felt that just a little sweetness from him made me incredibly happy.
"Jun Chong, if we could have a child, do you think it would be a boy or a girl? What name would be good?"
Jun Chong's body suddenly stiffened, his grip around my hand tightening painfully. I struggled to lift my head to look at him, but the dappled shadows of the trees and moonlight obscured his expression. "Jun Chong, what's wrong?"
"Sister, we're here."
Mumu's voice interrupted my question as Jun Chong gradually lowered me until my feet touched the ground.
I saw that we had arrived in a small valley, dominated by a massive Sophora Tree standing proudly in the center. It was the largest Sophora Tree I had ever seen, requiring several people to stretch their arms wide just to encircle it.
I couldn't help but shiver; Sophora Trees were known to attract spirits, and this place felt excessively cold—not just from the air, but from the dense darkness surrounding us. In the shadows, I vaguely noticed several pairs of green eyes watching us from a distance without approaching.
Jun Chong stood motionless behind me. I leaned back against him, and surprisingly, he didn't pull away.
Above us, small houses were built among the branches of the Sophora Tree. Mumu dashed over to its base, took a deep breath, and shouted, "Granny Mi, Mumu is back!"
"Mumu is back? Let Granny Mi see you."
An old hag leaned on a cane as she descended from one of the small houses. Mumu joyfully rushed forward, wrapping her arms around the old hag's face and kissing her cheek. "Granny Mi, look! I brought my sister back! She said she's willing to help us."
"Mumu is wonderful." Granny Mi resembled an ordinary old woman as she slowly approached me but did not speak directly to me. "Lord Jun Chong, may I ask you to conceal your aura? Otherwise, it will trouble our companions here."
Jun Chong narrowed his eyes. "You know who I am?"
"Lord Jun Chong is renowned; who wouldn't know?" Granny Mi took a step back and performed a deep bow. The gesture was formal and carried an air of respect. "Elder pays respects to the Lord of the Abyss. I hope Lord will grant Elder some consideration and conceal his aura; the ghost power here is weak and cannot withstand the Lord's eerie presence."
I gently tugged at Jun Chong's sleeve and whispered, "They don't seem hostile; just let it go for now."
"Hmph." Jun Chong flicked his sleeve dismissively but did not refuse.
Granny Mi's face was lined with wrinkles, her eyes nearly obscured by them except for a narrow slit. Yet through that slit, I sensed a thoughtful expression lingering in her gaze.
Granny Mi invited us into her small house.
Just as I was about to step inside, Granny Mi suddenly asked Jun Chong, "The Sophora Tree belongs to the realm of spirits. Can the young lady handle it?"
Jun Chong shot me a glance and nodded.
"That's good. Please, come this way."
I expected the dwelling of a spirit to be vastly different from that of a human, but to my surprise, it was exactly the same once we entered—there were tables, chairs, and even a bed. Mumu bounced onto the bed as soon as we walked in, pulling out a small box filled with his toys and began playing by himself.
"Please sit here."
Granny Mi invited us to take a seat, and only then did I notice that the square table had something special about it. In the center of the tabletop was a glass bowl about the size of a basin, beneath which water flowed continuously. I leaned down to look underneath the table and saw nothing but emptiness, prompting my curiosity to ask, "Granny Mi, what is this?"
"This is Elder's Divination Water."
"Is it really that magical?" I reached out to touch it, but Jun Chong quickly swatted my hand away, frowning in displeasure. "Sit still and behave."
"Why are you being so fierce? You're such a miser." I pouted, but Granny Mi laughed and explained, "You are a living person; this is an artifact from the underworld. You cannot touch it."
"Oh."
"Now tell me, why did you bring her here?" I couldn't help but notice that tonight Jun Chong seemed a bit on edge, speaking with an edge of authority even towards Granny Mi.
"Well, here's the thing. Recently, an Earthbound Spirit sealed here has awakened."
Jun Chong frowned deeply at this. I curiously asked, "What is an Earthbound Spirit?"
"It's a type of ghost bound to a specific location. Because they cannot leave, they harbor great resentment. Especially those Earthbound Spirits that have been exposed to the essence of time for over a hundred years are the most dangerous. People often refer to them as evil spirits or Vengeful Spirits—those who are perpetually bloodthirsty."
"So the one I encountered yesterday was the Earthbound Spirit?"
Granny Mi's expression tightened, and she asked urgently, "You met her?"
"Yes." I nodded and recounted the events from the restaurant yesterday. Granny Mi's face grew even more serious. "That must have been one of her subordinates. If you encountered her, we might not see you again today."
"Why?"
Granny Mi sighed. "She originally died with grievances and was sealed here. But a few months ago, the stars shifted, and unexpected changes occurred. I remember that night was a full moon; a strong beam of light struck the Earthbound Spirit's seal, breaking it apart. As a result, she revived. With so much resentment built up from being sealed for so long, she has already consumed many spirits and harmed numerous people since awakening. This place was once a spiritual mountain with pure natural energy and the native Sophora Tree, attracting many spirits and monsters. However, ever since her revival, those who could escape have fled, while the rest have either been eaten or are trapped here."
"Spirits can eat other spirits?"
"Humans can eat humans; why can't spirits do the same?" Granny Mi chuckled lightly. "But the underworld has strict rules against it. I once sent a letter to the Netherworld, but for some reason, no one responded. Thus, I had no choice but to ask Mumu to assist you."
"Me?" I pointed at myself. "What help can I provide?"
"You actually are—"
"Why didn't that Taoist kill her directly back then? Why choose to seal her instead?" Jun Chong interrupted Granny Mi and continued, "And how do you know all this? Who are you?"
"I was once an Earthbound Spirit myself, but I was transformed by the Lord and stayed here. Has the Lord forgotten?" Granny Mi seemed unfazed by Jun Chong's insistence on remembering and sighed softly. "That was thousands of years ago; perhaps the Lord doesn't remember an old woman like me, but I have always remembered him. It was because that Earthbound Spirit released her resentment that she escaped disaster. There are still seven days until the full moon; if we cannot stop her by then, she will break free from this mountain and wreak havoc on the human world."
"And so what? We don't necessarily have to help you."
"Respectable Mountain Master, are you still holding onto past grievances—" Granny Mi didn't finish her sentence as Jun Chong's narrowed eyes revealed a heavy killing intent. The atmosphere suddenly felt tense, prompting me to interject quickly. "Granny Mi, let's set that aside for now. Why did you call me? How can I help? I'm just a human; can I really make a difference?"
"Of course you can. The Divination Water first revealed you; only you can resolve this matter." Granny Mi turned away and coughed a few times before continuing, "This Earthbound Spirit has already merged with the mountain itself. I'm afraid that confronting her directly would cause significant damage, so I hope you can go back in time to find the source of her resentment and resolve it. That way, she won't exist in her current form anymore."
"Hmph, that's easy for you to say. Human destinies are intricately connected; people affect people, spirits affect spirits. If she had not died with grievances, then the fates of those she harmed would change as well—it's far-reaching and complicated; how could you bear such a burden?" Jun Chong suddenly grabbed my hand and stood up with an unfriendly expression. "I cannot assist with this matter; let's go."
“ Lord, Lord.” Granny Mi chased after me, her withered hand grasping mine. Suddenly, a chill coursed through my body, and she paused. Jun Chong flicked his sleeve, causing her to retreat.
“What is this—who are you?” Granny Mi looked at me in shock, taking a long time to regain her composure. Then she murmured, “So this is fate!”
“Granny Mi, what do you mean?”
“Don’t ask so many questions, just come with me.”
Jun Chong’s expression darkened further as he wrapped one arm around my waist and leaped out of the Sophora Tree.
In the night, I saw Granny Mi standing at the door of the small house, her sharp gaze seeping through the tiny cracks. Even from a distance, I could feel her eyes fixed on me.
That feeling was strange and eerie.
“Granny Mi isn’t as kind as she seems; be careful,” Jun Chong’s voice drifted on the wind. I looked up at him and smiled, saying, “Jun Chong, are you worried about me?”
“Anxin, actually—”
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