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墨書 Inktalez
The enchanting scenery and captivating passage of time, with the night breeze gently caressing my face, created an alluring atmosphere.
When I woke up, Jun Chong was already gone. Blinking at the quilt draped over me, I felt my cheeks flush slightly. I touched my lips, where his cold temperature still lingered, making my face burn even more and my heart race uncontrollably.
I sat there in a daze for what felt like ages until I heard the voices of the maids outside. "Miss Su, this is the Underworld King's Palace. No one can enter without the King's command."
"I'm here to find Wing Spirit; please relay that message."
"There is no Wing Spirit here."
Su Yi added, "It's Anxin."
"Ayi." I ran barefoot outside, only to find that Su Yi was not waiting just outside my bedroom. "Could she be outside?"
I dashed toward Dragon Spring Palace and sure enough, there stood Su Yi, with my maids blocking her way. "Let Ayi in."
"But—" The maids looked visibly troubled; after all, it was a command from the King that they could not defy.
"Then I'll go out."
I lifted the hem of my long skirt and walked outside without caring that I wasn't wearing shoes. Grabbing Su Yi's hand excitedly, I said, "Ayi, did you come to play with me? Can I take you out for some fun?"
"But are you sure it's okay?" Su Yi squinted at my neck. Oblivious to her concern, I laughed and replied, "It's fine."
With heart-shaped eyes, I linked arms with Su Yi and headed out. Since Jun Chong had previously assured me that as long as I stayed within Underworld Palace, no one would stop me from going anywhere. With Su Yi by my side, I roamed freely through Underworld Palace, chatting non-stop along the way.
Su Yi had always quietly watched me, saying little and always staying by my side.
It wasn't until we passed a desolate area in the southwest of the Underworld Palace that Su Yi suddenly spoke up. "Anxin, have you always wanted to talk, to become a complete person and live a human life?"
"Yes." I nodded, feeling a bit shy as I replied, "From the moment I opened my eyes, I met Ayi. Ayi left a wonderful impression on me; I really like Ayi. I want to be like Ayi. Even without being brave and skilled in battle, I could live like a person—laughing when happy, crying when sad, eating when hungry, sleeping when tired, without worrying about day or night, because humans don’t just disappear for no reason. So I truly envy that and often think about how even just for one day, one fleeting moment, I could become a person and experience life for real."
"So you're happy now? Happy with everything you have? Happy that Jun Chong gave you such a good soul? That he turned you into a spirited soul? Although not human, it’s undoubtedly similar."
Under Su Yi's gaze, I revealed a radiant smile like sunlight and nodded vigorously. "Yes." Opening my arms, I looked at a corner of the resplendent Underworld Palace in the distance and closed my eyes. "I am very grateful to him. So I want to repay him. Ayi, what do you think?"
"Repaying is possible, but some things cannot be done just because you want to. Wing Spirit, you need to understand what you are."
Su Yi gradually approached me, her garments fluttering as an unsettling aura filled the air—a faint scent of blood. Ever since coming into contact with Jun Chong, I had become sensitive to this kind of atmosphere.
Su Yi placed her hands on my shoulders and leaned in slightly, whispering softly, "You are merely a shadow, lacking any spiritual power. A soul cannot linger on you for long; he is only deceiving you to better manipulate the Su Family. Wing Spirit, all of Jun Chong's affection for you is a lie because during my time here in the Underworld as his guest, he treated me the same way—sharing meals and living together. But you’ve seen how he acts towards me now? You are my shadow, a part of me; do you really think he could ever love you?"
Her words pierced my heart painfully, an undercurrent of discomfort spreading within me. The phrase "he treated me the same way" from Su Yi was something I shouldn’t care about, yet it made me feel uneasy as if being scratched by an itch.
"But... but I—" I bit my lip. The whispers from Jun Chong last night echoed in my ears—the soothing tones and heartfelt warmth stirred something deep within me. "But I like him a bit; he doesn’t seem like a bad person."
"You like him." Su Yi squinted as she repeated my words, clenching her fists where I couldn’t see while still smiling at me. "Your affection is just like my initial feelings; it may not earn his true heart in return. But I have a method—do you want to try it?"
"What method?"
Su Yi pointed toward the ruins and said, "I sense there’s a powerful beast over there. But don’t be afraid; we’ll go in soon. If Jun Chong truly cares for you, he will definitely come in to save you. At that point, won’t you be able to make your decision?"
"But over there, Jun Chong told me I can't go in."
I could sense a powerful beast locked inside, its presence intensifying with our approach, mingling with the earthy dust and the scent of blood from its past battles.
"Then let's forget it," Su Yi said, glancing at the sun above. She took my hand and started to walk back. "We've been out long enough; we should head back before it finds you."
"Okay."
As Su Yi held my hand, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my palm. Looking down, I noticed that the hand she was holding had split open, a crack appearing in my palm, with red blood seeping out. This was the first time I had seen blood flowing from my soul, and for a moment, I was at a loss for words.
Su Yi gasped in shock, gripping my hand tightly, her eyes wide with disbelief. "How can a soul bleed?" She stared at me incredulously. "What is your heart made of?"
"I don't know." I couldn't remember what it was; all I knew was that it was some kind of orb. Because of the bleeding, I could feel that orb pulsating strongly in my chest. The blood flow wasn't much, and soon the wound began to heal on its own, along with the pulsation fading away.
Su Yi narrowed her eyes, a look of intense displeasure crossing her face. "Guardian Pearl."
"What?"
The blood dripped but did not sink into the ground; instead, it coalesced into small orbs that floated away with the Wind Sound towards the ruins behind us.
A glimmer of excitement flashed in Su Yi's eyes as she pulled me forward. "This is bad! That beast is absorbing your blood. Beasts like this go wild for blood; we need to hurry!"
"Roar—"
The earth trembled under the thunderous roar. Su Yi had already started to run with me, but we were still a moment too late. Although the chains bound the beast, they inexplicably became fragile. As the beast drank in the blood for excitement, it broke free with a powerful tug. Its claws lashed out, wrapping around my legs like ropes and yanking me backward with force.
“Ayi, save me!”
I fell to the ground, reaching out my hand toward Su Yi. She could have grabbed me, but she hesitated until I was almost pulled into the ruins. Only then did Su Yi rush toward me.
She formed hand seals to confront the beast, but it was futile. In the end, she could only run over and grasp my hand. I held onto her tightly, but the force pulling me from behind was immense. The overwhelming scent of Blood Taste intensified, making the beast even stronger.
“Ayi, save me! Ah—”
My nails scratched across Su Yi's hand, leaving several trails of blood. Not far away, the Grim Reaper, who had noticed the disturbance, was gradually approaching. Su Yi anxiously pleaded with them to save me.
I was dragged directly into the ruins, which appeared to be a desolate area from the outside—nothing but white mist lingering year-round.
However, once inside, I discovered that it was a vast world within. A huge dark stone cave lay beneath the ruins. The thick iron chains that had once ensnared the beast were now mostly broken, except for one that bound me in its claws. If it weren't for the barrier outside affecting it, it would have surely escaped.
Having been a shadow before, I had always feared darkness. Even with a soul now, I still dreaded it. Trembling all over, I panicked but forced myself not to cry. Jun Chong had said that to be strong meant not to cry easily.
“It’s okay, don’t be afraid. Everything will be fine.”
I shivered as I got up from the ground. The moment I moved, the beast let out an even more powerful roar. The smell of blood filled my nostrils, and I realized that many parts of my body were scratched and bleeding, staining my clothes; yet the wounds were already healing on their own.
“Roar—”
“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid.”
As the beast roared, I covered my ears with both hands and desperately told myself to stay calm. But my mouth trembled uncontrollably; facing such fear for the first time made it impossible not to be scared.
"Blood, blood, give me blood!"
The beast approached me with its massive body, and the fierce wind that rushed at me made me even more panicked. I shut my eyes, too afraid to look.
Just as its enormous claws reached for me, a sharp sword sliced through its claw, but the sound was like striking against a copper wall—hard and unyielding.
"Roar! It's you again! Damn it, let me out!"
"I told you long ago that if you could be completely purified, I would let you go; otherwise, you'll die here."
Jun Chong broke the chains binding me and pulled me into his embrace, whispering softly, "Don't be afraid; nothing will happen."
"I must get out today; I will kill you."
The beast no longer hesitated and launched an attack. Jun Chong held me with one arm while wielding his sword with the other. I was a burden after all; in the back-and-forth struggle, and with the darkness obstructing our vision, precise attacks required consideration of many factors. After a few exchanges, I noticed the air was thickening with the scent of blood—different from before; this blood had a distinct aroma.
With a loud bang, a large hole was smashed into the dark stone cave, allowing light from outside to pour in. The sudden sunlight made my eyes sting for a moment, but once I adjusted, I finally saw what stood before me.
It resembled a horse, adorned with multicolored patterns on its back and rare golden mane flowing down. A single horn crowned its head.
It was a Qilin—a rare Multicolored Qilin.
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