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墨書 Inktalez
As the first rays of sunlight illuminated the earth, I woke up, my eyes wide open as I gazed at the familiar room. Outside the curtains, a gentle stream of Golden Radiance seeped in, brilliant and warm, dispelling all darkness.
I tried to turn over, but my entire body ached severely; even moving my fingers brought discomfort.
I felt as though I had experienced a terrifying and strange dream. In it, I was attacked by a swarm of snakes, and just as the White Snake was about to burrow into my Navel, I seemed to transform into someone else, like the Just Warrior had possessed me. I turned the tables and controlled the snake demon.
"Ha ha, that must have been fake, right?"
I looked at my flat abdomen and struggled to move. Lying in that position was uncomfortable, and as I thought about that dream that felt so real, I blinked.
"What happened next?"
I rolled my eyes around in thought. It seemed that the snake demon had been killed by someone, and then I had also harmed someone.
"I hurt someone?"
I couldn't remember who I had injured, but a deep pain spread within me, filling my heart with a piercing ache that felt bone-deep.
At that moment, the door creaked open gently from the outside. A tall figure entered, holding a bowl in hand. Upon seeing my open eyes, he paused for a moment before breaking into a smile. "Anxin, you're awake."
"Shizui."
I attempted to sit up, but he pressed me back down. "You were injured by the snake demon. Lie still and drink your medicine first."
"Oh."
Shizui helped me up, and I took the bitter medicine from the bowl. The taste was extremely unpleasant, and I pointed to my mouth. "Is there any sugar, or can I rinse my mouth? This is awful."
"Wait a moment."
Shizui poured me a glass of water. After rinsing my mouth, I felt much more relaxed, and the sourness faded significantly. Sitting on the bed, I looked around and couldn't help but ask, "Where's Jun Chong?"
He hesitated for a moment before replying, "Tonight is the fifteenth; there are still some arrangements to be made. You know how important tonight is. He’s replenishing his strength and told you to rest well."
"Right, we need to break the seal tonight."
I scratched my head and smiled at him, but a sharp pain shot through my mind as a soft voice echoed in my head.
"This full moon night, he will go to the development site in the Southeast of the City to break the First Seal in order to reclaim his body. If he regains his body, few will be able to stop him. He is determined not to let the child be born; you should know what to do, right?"
Under the Red Tree, as the Wind Sound stirred, branches swayed. A man in a Black Cloak stood beneath the tree, whispering these words. No matter how strong the wind blew against him, it could not lift even a corner of his cloak to reveal his face.
"The baby will be born in Late August. If by then you haven't obtained that thing, she will resist Mother even if she doesn't want to."
"Next month on the fifteenth is the Ghost Festival. At that time, the Ghost Gate will open wide. You will enter as the Lord of the Ghost Fetus; Freeman will take you to the underworld."
A flood of thoughts surged into my mind, causing a sharp pain in my head. Seeing this, Shizui immediately grabbed my arm and anxiously asked, "Anxin, what's wrong? Where do you feel uncomfortable?"
"I have a terrible headache. There's a voice in my mind saying the baby will be born in August, telling me to go to the Underworld on Ghost Festival, and that I need to stop Jun Chong from opening the First Seal tonight for the sake of the baby. This is all a lie, right?"
The more I spoke, the worse my head hurt. I buried my hands in my hair, enduring the waves of pain, when I accidentally touched something cold hidden within my locks. My entire body jolted as I failed to hear what Shizui said, and I quickly yanked the object from my hair.
The Ice Lotus Qilin Hairpin lay quietly in my palm, and I felt something inside my head explode. Trembling, I lifted the hem of my clothing; the mark of the Qilin Hairpin had vanished from my pale skin.
"Jun Chong said the Qilin Hairpin was meant to seal the Demon Fetus, but now it's in my hand. Could it be my child? No!"
I pushed Shizui away forcefully, retreating behind him, my back chilled.
"Anxin, calm down. The baby is fine; it's still safely in your womb."
"No, you're lying!" I shouted, images swirling in my mind, blurring the line between truth and illusion. "Jun Chong wouldn't want the child to be born; he would surely harm it."
"So now I've become less significant than a few words of provocation from others in your heart?"
His deep, hoarse voice carried a hint of fatigue, his heavy nasal tone suggesting he had been abruptly awakened. The next moment, the man in Flowing Robes appeared before me, his icy gaze sharp.
"Anxin, whose words do you choose to believe—mine or his?"
He asked, his emotions flat as if he were a glass of plain water. Yet I knew it was not tasteless ordinary water; only someone familiar could sense the turbulence hidden within.
"I told you I would respect your choice."
"I—"
I looked at him, his face marked by exhaustion, his complexion even paler than before, the blood on his lips replaced by a ghostly white. I knew that with his abilities, it would be easy for him to destroy the child growing inside me. The only reason he hadn't done so was for my sake, to spare me from sorrow and despair. Even though there were countless dangers involved, he was willing to respect my choice, unless it became absolutely necessary.
It was because of the inexplicable words echoing in my mind that had stirred my nerves and led me to misunderstand him, giving rise to a sense of guilt within me.
"I'm sorry, Jun Chong."
I didn't want to explain, nor did I feel it was necessary. A mistake is a mistake, so I chose to apologize. My hand trembled as I held the Qilin Hairpin tightly until that cold touch gently enveloped my hand, dispelling all the trembling within me.
"Fool, don't cry." Jun Chong softly wiped away my tears, but I only cried harder. He sighed helplessly and continued to wipe my eyes, speaking softly, "I know how much you care about this child. Once I break the First Seal, we will go to the Underworld and search for something like that. If there is truly hope, I, Jun Chong, will do whatever it takes to ensure our baby is born."
I blinked through my blurry vision and looked at him. "But isn't that just a fantasy?"
Jun Chong wrapped his arms around me. "There are too many truths and lies. If we don't try, how will anyone know which is real?"
In a daze, I fell into a deep sleep again. The coolness beside me lingered as I faintly heard him talking with Shizui. "Are you really going to enter the Underworld now?"
"If we don't go, she will truly die."
"But if you go, you might die too! After all these years of preparation, are you really going to give up so easily? If she really is who she claims to be, what then?"
"Whatever comes our way, we must accept it. I might not die if I go; but if I don't go, she will definitely die. Rong Zhi, I think you should understand me best."
Shizui was taken aback, his face pale, and he fell silent.
I didn't understand what they were talking about, the words were vague and fragmented, and then I saw a large, dark tree ahead.
"Mommy, I'm here."
"Baby?" A wave of joy surged in my heart as I walked over. "Why is this tree so black? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, really!" The baby moved slightly, and several branches reached down to lift me up and place me on the trunk. I looked at the baby's adorable little head and smiled. "You can do this too?"
"The baby's abilities are great!" the baby said with a cheerful laugh. "Mommy, tonight is the fifteenth. Daddy will definitely break the seal. What are you going to do?"
"Of course, I'm going to help your father. That man is not a good person; don't be fooled."
"Mommy!" The baby sounded displeased, but in the next moment, her voice turned dark and her eyes glowed red. "Who is fooling whom is very clear!"
I looked up and saw the Yin Hong in the baby's eyes and the killing intent radiating from her. My heart trembled. "Baby, what's wrong? Did that person do something to you?"
"Big Brother treats me very well, a hundred times better than Daddy! I'd rather have it this way!"
I felt a bit worried and was about to speak when she cut me off.
"Big Brother told me how to do it before he left. As long as Daddy puts the Seven Orbs into the barrier, he will use all his power to activate the orbs' strength to break the seal. At that time, Shizui will assist him, and you can use Blood Flame to kill him from behind."
“Blood Flame... Did I hurt him?”
A sudden pain shot through my head as I recalled the long sword shimmering with red ripples at the center of the tree, remembering who it was I had injured in that dream with the serpent demon.
“I—I actually hurt him!”
I stared at my hands, imagining them drenched in blood. With a scream, I leaped out of bed. The room was dimly lit with a soft yellow light, and Jun Chong stood by the window, gazing at the round moon, his three thousand Three Thousand Black Strands dancing in the wind.
I could no longer care about anything else. I threw off the covers and ran barefoot to him. Grabbing his shirt, I pulled it open to reveal a fist-sized wound near his heart on the left side. It was clearly visible, and I could see through to the other side. The edges of the wound were all burned, struggling to heal.
“I—I really hurt you.” I took a step back, trembling uncontrollably as a chill filled my throat. “I almost killed you. I—I didn’t mean to; I—”
Panic seized my heart. Jun Chong’s expression darkened as he pulled me into his embrace, soothing my shivering form. “This isn’t your fault; it was my own carelessness. It has nothing to do with you, so don’t think like that.”
“Really? You’re not lying to me?”
“To lie to you would be like lying to a puppy.” Jun Chong teased as he gently brushed his fingers against my nose, smiling at me. “My Anxin would never harm me, right? Even unconsciously, that would never happen.”
I nodded, but he leaned down and kissed my lips lightly. Though it was just a fleeting touch, I could feel his determination clearly reflected in his dark gaze.
“Anxin, we’re setting off now.”
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