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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Three: The Circle
On the way back to the shop, there was still no conversation between them. Xin Yi glanced at Song Bunan through the rearview mirror and noticed that the smile had vanished from his face, replaced by a serious expression as he stared out the window, seemingly deep in thought. Compared to when he wore a smile, Song Bunan now exuded an air of the so-called "reclusive sage." Xin Yi found himself preferring this version of Song Bunan; it carried an inexplicable sense of authenticity.
What could he be thinking about? Xin Yi couldn't help but let his mind wander. He was curious about what people in their line of work pondered. In an industry that thrived on people's memories and fears, did they ever feel fear themselves when fabricating stories of the deceased returning to interact with their loved ones or enemies? Perhaps this question would remain unanswered forever.
He had claimed that he could provide Mighty Falcon with an answer in just two days, yet he left without taking any relevant materials. The headquarters even specifically inquired about it, but he merely shook his head, insisting that he didn't need anything. His tone was light, as if those papers were nothing more than inconsequential drafts.
The journey went smoothly. The village during the day looked no better than at night; the stronger light only revealed its dilapidation more clearly. Having once witnessed its former glory, Xin Yi now felt that it had completely "died." The few stubborn merchants who remained were like vultures circling above a burial site, searching for life among the bones.
"Thank you for driving me back," Song Bunan said as they reached the shop's entrance, finally meeting Xin Yi's gaze again and flashing that familiar smile, his bright eyes sparkling in the sunlight. Xin Yi was not one for pleasantries; he nodded in response and watched as Song Bunan entered the shop. The lantern at the door no longer emitted light but was visibly damaged, swaying gently in the breeze.
Strange people doing strange things. Xin Yi decided not to dwell on it any longer and drove toward the location sent by his captain. He wouldn't rest; work helped him maintain his composure, and besides, he couldn't think of anything else to do if he wasn't working. Now was the time for him to focus on what he needed to do.
Unlike Mighty Falcon's inexplicable disdain for him, Song Bunan held a great fondness for Mighty Falcon. There were two reasons: one was that a friend of his had once worked there, and the other was that many of his own tasks could be facilitated through them—essentially riding on their coattails.
When Big Guy stood behind Song Bunan, he knew who he was; after all, knowing oneself and one's opponent is crucial for gaining an advantage in certain situations. For instance, he could take advantage of his friend's connections to glance at some basic information about his good teammates and remember it with his clever mind.
However, he hadn't anticipated that Mighty Falcon's people would also attract "those individuals."
The funeral business was complex; both capable and incapable people sought to carve out their share of the pie here. At some point, even grave diggers became significant players within this circle. They engaged in morally questionable activities but provided many conveniences for others. Many people in the city were involved in jobs similar to Song Bunan's; there was a specific term called "messenger," referring to those who conveyed messages back and forth. It sounded like a decent job, but anyone could do it since it merely involved burning paper for someone else's deceased loved ones. Nowadays, metaphysical practices were no longer exclusive to practitioners; even Western tarot magic could connect with another world. Those relying on ancient postal skills were just scraping by.
What set him apart from other messengers was that he could genuinely communicate with those below; occasionally, he took on tasks from underworld agents to earn quick money. He interacted with Ghost Messengers—those living individuals who supposedly faced off against Yin and Yang in folklore—known as Underworld Messenger or shadow walkers, who could legitimately handle affairs below. He found himself stuck in between without reaching the level of Underworld Messenger.
Thanks to this quick money-making scheme, his communication with the deceased's relatives during the package delivery became much simpler. There was no guarantee that what others burned would actually be received, but here he could rest easy, even receiving feedback. Song Bunan's reputation soared, making him a well-known figure in the circle, referred to as "Mr."
He had a fondness for the Underworld Messenger and would often pester the Ghost Messenger assigned to him about what skills people could learn. Besides knowledge of geomancy and ghostly matters, there was a forbidden technique—Soul Snatching—that could take a person's life. It was primarily used on those who had reached the end of their natural lives, and it could only be employed when the Ghost Messenger assigned the task with a clear objective.
Typically, Soul Snatching was the responsibility of the Ghost Messenger, but there were always situations that fell through the cracks. In cases of unexpected events, nearby Underworld Messengers would be called upon to perform this task, sending the snatched souls to the earth god temple to await pickup by the Ghost Messenger. Most often, the cause of death determined by doctors would be a pre-existing condition; for instance, someone who seemed healthy but suddenly passed away would likely have suffered an acute myocardial infarction—fatal within seconds. However, those who died this way would have their eyeballs turn frosted like glass by the third day, serving as evidence for the Ghost Messenger's re-examination of the cause of death.
Under normal circumstances, Old Otter could be said to have truly passed away peacefully. However, about ten years ago, issues arose among the Underworld Messengers; several individuals used their abilities for nefarious purposes, prompting orders from above to exclude them from Soul Snatching. Strangely enough, this ability was not revoked entirely. In fact, several individuals died at the hands of Underworld Messengers without any issues being uncovered by the Ghost Messenger.
Since then, any reports of accidental deaths or sudden illnesses in the circle have been found to be somewhat linked to those Underworld Messengers.
After bad elements emerged among the Underworld Messengers, rumors began circulating in the funeral industry about a List that detailed all Underworld Messengers in Rongcheng—their names, backgrounds, and abilities. If someone obtained this List, they could easily find them to request assistance. Given the Soul Snatching abilities of these Underworld Messengers, this rumor spread widely within the circle; many claimed not to believe it but secretly spent large sums searching for clues. Song Bunan couldn't quite grasp how this List related to getting people to help.
This rumor quickly reached several families who were also on the lookout for clues. The Jiang Family acted first, heading straight to his shop for information. A group surrounded him like interrogators, demanding answers with an air that suggested they wouldn't let him live if he didn't comply. Curious about why they cared so much about this List, he asked one of his friends who promptly knocked him on the head and said, "Don't you know that these Underworld Messengers never use their real names? How many have you seen in person?"
Just before being summoned by Mighty Falcon, Song Bunan had just left the Jiang Family and heard some gossip about the Zhang Family from his friend.
The backbone of the city's economy lay with several families; the Zhang Family started as peddlers and had a small but extensive shop covering nearly all daily necessities. However, compared to other families, they were only average—better than some but not as strong as others. While other families fought openly and covertly for fame and fortune, they occasionally found themselves mentioned in passing. Over time, this led to feelings of imbalance within them; they wanted to establish themselves more firmly within their family and gain more influence.
Naturally, they did not miss out on the matter of the List; not only did they search for it themselves but also subtly sabotaged other families to prevent them from advancing faster than they did. Unfortunately, rumors are often elusive; over ten years no one has produced any solid leads on it. Those interested in the List went from being passionately enthusiastic at first to now being more subdued—merely holding onto hope while occasionally searching.
Then this year, several individuals working under the Zhang Family mysteriously died; officially it was explained as an accident during long-distance travel. However, some things cannot be hidden easily. Friends told Song Bunan that those individuals had died during Soul Snatching; some had even seen their bodies with eyes resembling frosted glass balls. Everyone speculated that perhaps his family had found the List and those individuals were likely paid off.
Furthermore, news of a transaction between the Zhang Family and Mighty Falcon stirred up waves among several families; everyone believed what they were trading involved that very List. But why it ended up with Mighty Falcon remained a mystery no one could decipher.
Just two days after Song Bunan heard the gossip, he was approached by someone from Mighty Falcon at his shop. They said they wanted to schedule a time for him to go with them to Mighty Falcon for an autopsy. He was completely puzzled by this; Mighty Falcon was known for being a modernized team that used high-tech equipment, so why would they need a talker like him for an autopsy?
He expressed his doubts, but the other party simply replied that this matter had been assigned from above and that he was just following orders. After sending the person away, Song Bunan brainstormed for a while and recalled the gossip about the Zhang Family's dealings with Mighty Falcon. He casually asked a friend when the two families had made their transaction.
"Yesterday at nine in the morning, but the deal fell through. Someone from Mighty Falcon died, someone from the Zhang Family went missing, and the items exchanged vanished without a trace."
The time they had agreed upon was exactly three days after the failed transaction.
Did Mighty Falcon know about Underworld Messenger? If they did, then they must also be aware of the soul-snatching, but why would they want him to go for an autopsy? The timing was precisely on the third day. The person who came to find him mentioned it was an order from above; Mighty Falcon had three departments: Cloud, Sky, and Earth. The Earth department, which operated in the city and accepted commissions, was notoriously dismissive of metaphysics, so it couldn't have been someone from their department. That left only the other two departments, which weren't based in the city—how did they know about him?
Sitting in his shop and gazing at the sky outside, Song Bunan found himself deep in thought. To be honest, he only liked to secretly take advantage of Mighty Falcon to facilitate his own tasks, but this direct contact made him feel uneasy. Coupled with the lack of context surrounding this situation, it gave him a sense of impending danger.
He wanted to discuss this with a friend, but hadn’t received any replies; his friend had sent their steward to run errands and wouldn’t be back for ten days or so.
He prepared the items ordered by his clients and took out a ghost lantern from a box. He decided to go directly to Ghost Messenger to see if he could find any clues.
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