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墨書 Inktalez
"Since when did you learn to eavesdrop?" Jun Chong leaned back on the sofa, one hand resting on the back, his legs crossed casually, exuding a natural air of dominance.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head as I sat down beside him, replying bluntly, "With you around, how could I dare to eavesdrop?"
"Feeling brave enough to talk back?" He pinched my cheek with one hand, leaned in closely to scrutinize me before letting go. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah." My mind was elsewhere; their earlier conversation piqued my curiosity. I recalled Jun Chong mentioning that the second seal was the "Feast of Taotie," and I hadn't expected to find a clue so soon.
"Was that person you mentioned earlier Taotie? Did he kill those two innocent people? If so, he should be in this city, probably around the nearby streets. We should investigate and catch him quickly."
"Why are you so eager?"
"Of course, it's for your seal!" I said without thinking. "The sooner we get your body back, the happier I'll be, and I'll be able to let go of my worries. It's a wish fulfilled! How great is that? So of course, I have to be more proactive." I turned to Shizui and smiled, "Right, Shizui?"
Shizui glanced at Jun Chong and nodded with a smile. Jun Chong lowered his head, allowing his bangs to obscure his true emotions. "Anxin, actually the seal—"
I turned back to him. "You have a lead, don't you?"
Jun Chong paused for a moment, his expression complex, but he still said, "Yes."
"What is it? Is that person the Boss of 'Delicious Enjoyment'? You mentioned yesterday that it came without effort; is it really him?"
Jun Chong nodded. I continued, "If it's him, then the human flesh I ate was also his doing. But where did the human flesh come from? Ah—could it be from those two dead bodies?"
Neither Jun Chong nor Shizui spoke, but their expressions confirmed everything. " Molin mentioned yesterday that those two corpses were left at the police station and had their flesh stripped away, turning into skeletons. The police have no idea who did it. We sent Tian Yuan to steal the surveillance footage, but halfway through lunch, Tian Yuan ran off without any explanation. I can't believe what I ate yesterday could have been those two corpses!"
Jun Chong squeezed the back of my hand, his tone serious. "I've already told Shizui that for the time being, you will be eating vegetarian and drinking porridge."
"…"
"Tao Tie has always loved to eat. After being deprived of meat for so long, he will surely revert to his old ways now that he's out. This morning, several people died in West Street. I went to investigate and found many claiming their family members have gone missing. I suspect Molin must know something, which is why he went there. But he also consumed the flesh prepared by Tao Tie, so he probably lost control at that moment."
Shizui spoke up, his voice low. It was then I noticed he didn't wear his usual light smile today; instead, he seemed burdened.
I knew about the situation between him and Molin's sister; he had taken care of Molin despite Molin's lack of appreciation. However, this time he didn't confront him directly upon returning, which had kept Shizui's mood relatively good these past few days. Now that Molin was in trouble, Shizui must be the most anxious one. He had promised Jian Rou to take good care of Molin.
"Has there been any news from Tao Wu?"
Jun Chong shook his head. "Tao Wu was ambushed halfway through her pursuit."
That meant they hadn't caught up.
"Did she say who it was?" I recalled how Tao Wu had been bound by a mysterious figure last time and couldn't escape. With this incident occurring again, I had a suspicion. "Do you think it could be that mysterious person who has been lurking in the shadows? They've attacked multiple times; it could very well be them again."
"No." To my surprise, Shizui was the first to dismiss that idea. He leaned forward with his hands on his thighs, rubbing his temples as he said, "I've crossed paths with him before; he's a Half-Demon."
"Half-Demon?"
"A being caught between two species, evolving towards a demonic nature. They carry a heavy Malice and often act on instinct rather than thought. The claw marks on those dead bodies this morning are definitely connected to him."
I didn't understand much of what Shizui was saying or how it could help in this situation. The atmosphere grew heavy with silence. Seeing Shizui like this made me feel sad, so I tugged at Jun Chong's sleeve and asked, "Isn't there any other way to save Molin? Being taken by the Ghost Bus is definitely dangerous for him. You all are spirits; don't you know where the Ghost Bus goes?"
"The Underworld."
"Jun Chong" coldly uttered two words.
"The Ghost Bus is a transportation tool similar to that of humans, capable of carrying souls into the underworld. It only operates extensively during the three days of the Ghost Festival, from the 14th to the 16th of each year, ferrying souls back and forth between realms. At other times, each trip is strictly regulated, and there must always be a Ghost Messenger on board."
At this point, he habitually furrowed his brow, holding my hand and lightly patting it rhythmically. "But it's only the beginning of the month, and the Ghost Bus has been entering and exiting the human realm so frequently, carrying more souls than usual, and without a Ghost Messenger on board. This is concerning."
His tone made me uneasy, and Shizui's expression was particularly grave. "I asked Xiu about it, and the information I received was that everything was operating normally; it's just that there has been an increase in the number of deceased. I don't think he would give me false information. Perhaps we should—"
"That's not possible." Jun Chong sensed Shizui's thoughts and interrupted him. "Anxin is human; we must wait until the fifteenth of the Ghost Festival. Otherwise, her body won't be able to handle it."
"What about Molin? Can he handle it?"
Shizui's voice suddenly rose in pitch. I knew he was anxious about Molin, but arguing wasn't going to help at this moment, so I had to intervene.
"How about this? Since it's very likely that Molin has been taken to the underworld, let Shizui go ahead to search for him. Tao Wu can accompany him to relay messages back to us. When the Ghost Festival arrives, we can meet up with him then. What do you think?"
Shizui nodded at me and then looked at Jun Chong with anticipation. I thought my suggestion was good, but they were much smarter than I was; they wouldn't overlook something so simple. So I had a feeling that Jun Chong was determined to keep Shizui behind.
Jun Chong remained silent with a serious expression, his light patting on my hand turning into circles. My palm felt ticklish; I wanted to pull away but he held on tightly.
"You contact Mu Yan and have her prepare everything. Tao Wu will stay behind; if anything happens, let Mu Yan assist you in preparations. As soon as there's news, report back immediately. But remember, until we enter the underworld, no matter what happens, do not reveal your identity or take action. Otherwise, I will destroy Molin's body and ensure he can never be revived."
"I understand. I'll prepare right away; please take care of Molin's body."
"Huh? Molin's body?" I asked in confusion as I watched Shizui stand up quickly. "Isn't Molin a Ghost Bus in a human form?"
"The Ghost Bus only carries spirits; if a living person were on board, they would be torn apart and devoured," Shizui explained. "At first, I thought Molin was a Ghost Bus in human form too, but when I returned later, I found his body lying by the roadside without any external injuries; however, his soul had indeed been separated."
"Alright, you go ahead," Jun Chong interrupted. "I'll meet with Taotie and see what he knows. Rong Zhi, contact me immediately if anything comes up."
"Got it."
I watched Shizui hurry away, genuinely worried for him, but my greater concern was for Molin. After all, his agitation yesterday was due to that human flesh incident. I couldn't let him leave; something had happened today, and how could one not feel anxious?
And then there was Tian Yuan, whose whereabouts remained unknown.
"I know you're worried, but his body is being kept safe. Rong Zhi may seem gentle and refined on the surface, but he is decisive when it comes to action. He won't fail to save those he intends to help, so don't fret too much. You need to start preparing for entering the Underworld; we will meet with Taotie at dusk today."
Since Jun Chong had said so, I had no objections. As I waited for time to pass slowly, I found that the hours which usually flew by now felt like they were dragging on endlessly, truly giving me a sense of time crawling.
Watching the sun gradually set on the horizon, I clasped my hands in front of my chest and prayed towards the fading light, "Please let Molin be safe. I don't want to see anyone else around me get hurt. I'm begging you."
Jun Chong's large hand gently rested on my shoulder, pulling me into a comforting embrace before he patted my forehead. "It'll be fine. It's almost time; let's go find Taotie. He must know something."
Strangely enough, the shop we had searched high and low for last night was now bustling with business, with a long line of people waiting outside.
"Was I dreaming last night?"
"No, it was just an illusion. This building resembles a vehicle."
As soon as Jun Chong finished speaking, I heard a commotion ahead—two young men had just exited the shop and were arguing heatedly about something, their faces flushed as they raised their voices and even started throwing punches. Yet no one around them stepped in to break it up.
Before long, another couple began quarreling over something as well; the woman took off her high heels and struck the man on the head with one of them, blood gushing forth immediately. The man retaliated with a slap, and they began grappling with each other.
The others who came out of the shop simply ignored the chaos and walked past without a glance.
Yesterday, when Molin and Tian Yuan were arguing, many people were pointing and whispering. Now, those same people appeared quite dull, their eyes only reflecting the glow of Delicious Enjoyment. A few of them looked familiar; I had seen them yesterday.
I quietly asked Jun Chong, "What's wrong with them? Even if some people are unreasonable in today's society, it shouldn't lead to so many being indifferent and lost in thought, right?"
"Look into their eyes."
Following his suggestion, I glanced over and noticed that each person's eyes flickered with a hint of green light, which would flash and then disappear, only to reappear moments later.
Jun Chong leaned closer to me and explained, "This is Soul Captivation, a technique used to control people's minds."
"What does Taotie intend to do with this?"
"A dog can't change its nature. His greatest passion is indulging in delicacies, but the most exquisite dish on earth is human flesh. After he had tasted it all, he was locked away. Now he's definitely unhappy. He stimulates people's nerves through food because, for him, when a person reaches the peak of their emotions, those feelings distribute evenly throughout the body. This way, every part of the meat tastes even better. I suspect these enraged individuals will ultimately become his food."
As Jun Chong spoke, he pointed at the few people who had been arguing. A woman in a qipao stepped out from the shop to mediate, and astonishingly, they immediately stopped fighting and obediently walked away.
I was amazed. "What just happened?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
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