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墨書 Inktalez
I shivered all over.
Xu Master’s voice was as sharp as ice shards, piercing through me and leaving me feeling utterly cold.
“Refusing me?” he repeated ominously, his tone laced with disbelief, as if I had committed some unforgivable crime.
He slowly withdrew his hand, the warmth that had flickered in his eyes vanished completely, replaced by a bone-chilling coldness that felt like falling into an icy abyss, making me tremble uncontrollably.
The air around us seemed to solidify into a wall, pressing down on me and making it hard to breathe; my chest felt as if a thousand-pound stone was resting upon it, heavy and suffocating.
I struggled to maintain my composure, but my heart raced wildly, pounding like a drum, threatening to leap out of my throat at any moment.
It’s over, I thought to myself; I must have really kicked a hornet's nest this time.
Xu Master fell silent for a few seconds before suddenly erupting into a strange laugh. “Hehehe…” The sound was sharp and grating, like nails scraping against a chalkboard, sending chills down my spine and raising goosebumps all over my body.
“Interesting,” he said mockingly. “It’s been hundreds of years, and you’re the first person brave enough to refuse me.” He scrutinized me from head to toe, his eyes glinting with a wicked light.
“You’ve got some guts,” he continued, “but unfortunately, here, courage is worthless.” He paused for effect, lowering his voice to a near whisper that brushed against my ear. “Do you know? The price of refusing me is extremely high.”
I swallowed hard, struggling to find my voice.
A wave of cold surged from my feet to the top of my head; I regretted every decision I had made, wishing I could slap myself for not just agreeing to him—at least that would have saved my life!
Suddenly, Xu Master lunged forward and grabbed my collar, lifting me off the ground entirely.
My feet dangled in the air like a rag doll, and I nearly choked from the sudden lift.
“What do you think you are?” he roared at me. “You’re just an ant! It would be easier for me to crush you than it would be to squash an ant!”
His eyes blazed with fury as if he wanted to devour me whole.
I was terrified beyond belief; I had never experienced such fear in my life. It felt as though the shadow of death loomed over me, and everything around me faded into darkness.
Just then, an elderly voice thundered like a clap of thunder: “Stop!”
Xu Master abruptly halted and slowly turned his head toward the source of the voice.
An old man leaning on a cane emerged from the shadows, trembling as he walked forward.
He was hunched over and moved with difficulty, yet his eyes shone brightly as if holding some earth-shattering secret that made it impossible to look directly at him.
“Xu Master,” the old man said slowly, “you’ve gone too far.”
Xu Master snorted disdainfully and tossed me onto the ground as if I were nothing more than trash.
I fell face-first into the dirt, wincing in pain and coughing uncontrollably.
"Who are you?" Xu Master asked, his tone unfriendly and filled with hostility.
"Me?" The old man chuckled lightly, his demeanor calm and carefree. "I'm just a bystander."
He walked over to me and extended his wrinkled hand to help me up. "Young man," he said with concern in his eyes, "are you alright?"
I shook my head and glanced at him gratefully. "Thank you for saving me."
The old man smiled but said nothing, turning his attention back to Xu Master. "Xu Master," he said in a steady voice, "you should know the rules of the market; you can't harm the guests."
Xu Master scoffed derisively. "Rules? Rules are just constraints for the weak."
"You are mistaken," the old man replied firmly. "Rules are meant to maintain order. Without rules, the market would descend into chaos."
Xu Master fell silent for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Hahaha, what a great way to maintain order! Who do you think you are? What right do you have to lecture me?"
The old man ignored his mockery and continued, "Xu Master, you have already violated the market's rules; you must pay the price."
Xu Master's expression changed abruptly. "What... what do you want?"
The old man smiled calmly. "Nothing much; I just want to make a deal with you."
Xu Master's face shifted between emotions as he warily stared at the old man. "What deal?"
The old man spoke slowly, "I will trade my life for his..."
Everything went dark before I lost consciousness.
When I woke up again, I found myself lying in the waiting hall of a train station, clutching a locked notebook tightly in my hands, with a train ticket wedged on top of it.
To this day, I still keep that notebook, filled with awe and fear, never daring to open it and discover what secrets it holds inside.
I am waiting... for a chance to open it, for an opportunity to unravel its mysteries... perhaps also for a chance to change my fate...
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