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墨書 Inktalez
It was a diary, its pages yellowed and brittle due to improper storage. The faux leather cover had dried and begun to peel away, revealing the inferior paper lining within. On the first page was an embossed square seal, displaying a crest that had never been seen before. The entire book was nestled in a wooden box lined with velvet, and a few pages bore the marks of later repairs, exuding the scent typical of decaying paper products.
Song Bunan didn't even dare to touch it; just watching Lin Mo Hui take it out of the box made him feel uneasy, fearing that a gust of wind might whisk it away at any moment. Yet the owner of this treasure seemed unconcerned, spreading the diary out before him and saying, "Look at this. We can talk afterward."
Respecting his wishes, Song Bunan was greatly intrigued by the contents within. He settled into his seat, pushing aside the bowls and chopsticks in front of him to clear a large space, anxious not to cause any irreversible damage to the diary through carelessness.
As he began to read, he realized that it was less a diary and more of a collection of essays. The author had not noted specific dates but had recorded their observations and thoughts in chronological order.
The author's ancestors had come from outside the city, establishing themselves in Rongcheng by mining for coal to support their family. Over time, they managed to secure their position by adapting to circumstances, eventually owning their own residence and farmland in what was then not yet a city, becoming the leading family among the powerful and influential.
As generations passed, when Rongcheng was established, they gradually abandoned their coal mining business in favor of developing their interests in the city center. However, as urban construction progressed and the population grew, their family's weaknesses were exposed by rising talents and influential families that emerged in the city, becoming their equals.
Fortunately, several other families respected their elder brother's position and negotiated a mutual non-aggression pact that allowed them all to prosper together peacefully for decades.
Their family focused on managing city affairs while numerous subordinates addressed residents' issues for a fee. Yet society was always progressing; differences began to arise due to various matters, leading to an unhappy conclusion during one allocation meeting that created a rift between them.
The family that had intended to develop elsewhere was severely impacted by the sudden emergence of an organization known as Mighty Falcon. Their vitality was greatly diminished because Mighty Falcon's members were more combat-ready and had no ties or concerns here; they could accomplish any task more efficiently. Soon enough, everyone in the city shifted their focus away from this family towards Mighty Falcon.
If losing their means of livelihood was merely a setback for a family with a century-long legacy, it did not signal complete ruin. However, other opportunists took advantage of this situation to launch coordinated attacks that caused their empire to collapse almost instantaneously.
The Gu Family, once the foremost family in Rongcheng, nearly vanished within half a month, leaving even their descendants untraceable. Lin Mo Hui's father was the youngest son of the then-head of the family and died in what was termed an accident—a car crash—when Lin Mo Hui was only three years old.
"I have almost no memory of my family's downfall. Just before our home crumbled, my parents whimsically took my sister and me out for an outing. By the time we returned to Rongcheng after receiving news about our home, we found ourselves without shelter.
On the night my father met with misfortune, my mother said there was a torrential downpour outside; raindrops hitting her skin felt painful. Yet someone told her that my grandfather had left something for me that needed to be retrieved immediately—time was of the essence. My mother tried desperately to stop him but ultimately failed and could only watch as he walked into the rain. Meanwhile, my sister had a high fever but could not be taken to the hospital due to road closures caused by the heavy rain.
She said that night was a nightmare; in her dreams she lost both her husband and one daughter forever. The culprits were those treacherous individuals who struck from behind when we were already down; she vowed revenge against them and wanted me to be her weapon for slaughtering them.
I grew up as her tool, exposed to all the dark sides of this city. In pursuit of vengeance, I used every ability at my disposal to seek out clues until I finally uncovered information about the leader within their laboratory—only for her to die.
She died on a sunny day.
That day truly was beautiful; there wasn't a cloud in the sky above. My home stood amidst mountains with fields of wheat stretching before it, merging with distant green hills that extended infinitely toward the horizon. I wiped clean my knife, which had become dirty from practice sessions on killing techniques, and walked back inside to see what we would have for lunch.
She collapsed beside the Wheat Field, her face twisted in agony, her eyes filled with deep resentment, clutching a phone sent by an unknown person. I picked up the phone and found only a video inside.
It was that rainy night when my father stood in front of our old house. Several men in black blocked his way, mocking him as a drowned rat, foolishly hoping to return to his former golden nest. They sneered at him with annoying laughter while casually recounting how the Gu Family had been exterminated, even detailing where my uncles' remains had been discarded.
Calculating the time, it wasn't long after my father left that he had a car accident. The investigation concluded that the cause of the accident was poor visibility due to extreme weather conditions, resulting in his death.
My mother died of grief; people around me insisted that I must fulfill her dying wish to avenge my father and the Gu Family.
I was unwilling; it was not something I could change. Following the clues left by my mother, I returned to the abandoned old house and found this diary in my father's former bedroom. Everything lay before me like an insurmountable mountain.
Bunan, I'm telling you these things because they relate to your current investigation. Considering the content of the diary, I believe you have already formed a judgment. Now, tell me, who do you think among those remaining in the laboratory who can give orders is connected to my family?
Lin Mo Hui spoke with a calmness that resembled reading from a script; there was not a hint of emotional fluctuation in her eyes. Seeing this, Song Bunan felt a mix of emotions, his mind momentarily stalling from the influx of information.
He did not hide his fatigue, rubbing his temples as he temporarily redirected his focus back to Lin Mo Hui's question. He had indeed captured relevant content in the diary; although he had taken note of it, he had only read it once and did not have a deep memory of it.
After some contemplation, he replied, "It must be your Second Uncle and his son. Both are medical professionals and Underworld Messengers; they were the first to propose the idea that souls could be stored and exchanged, which should be the origin of the laboratory's concept."
Upon hearing this, the woman finally smiled, her red lips curling slightly as she casually said to him, "Then I'll trouble you to help me clear things up; after all, they are my uncle and cousin—it's not appropriate for me to get my hands dirty."
This heavy blow completely stunned Song Bunan; he nearly jumped from his chair, stammering for a long time before managing to ask her why.
"When the laboratory was raided back then, many members of the Gu Family were captured. This proves that the Gu Family wasn't completely exterminated at that time. Why would you want to make things worse for an already small family? Those are your uncle and cousin!"
Faced with this questioning, the woman remained indifferent and even called over a waiter to bring more Hot Soup while savoring it before responding. She said, "To be honest with you, my father was considered the most favored child at home; my grandfather had a strong protective instinct towards him and almost wanted to bypass other brothers to pass on the vast family fortune to my father.
My uncles were all exceptionally skilled and had strong abilities to win people's hearts. After my father came of age, they targeted him everywhere and never managed to coexist peacefully. The night before everything happened, my father suddenly took us on a trip because he sensed that his brothers were brewing something detrimental against him; thus he chose to avoid confrontation.
But how coincidental it is that right after my father left, our family suddenly fell into decline and was exterminated by Rivals. There were even people specifically contacting him about retrieving items left by my grandfather. I refuse to believe there weren't insiders from the Gu Family involved in this.
As for those who were captured at that time, they were people who changed their names for convenience and pledged loyalty; when trouble arose, they could serve as shields."
After piecing together all the information, I realized that the things in the laboratory were related to my family, and I knew I couldn't take action myself. After all, there was still the matter of blood ties; even if they might not recognize me now, it wouldn't be right for me to intervene.
Killing my own relatives, whether they were elders or siblings, would surely bring down divine retribution from above. So, I decided to hand over this responsibility to you entirely; it would be a win-win situation.
But where's the win-win in that? Song Bunan was at a loss for words.
He truly didn't know how to continue the conversation. For a moment, he couldn't think of anything new to say and could only sit in silence, pouring himself a bowl of soup for comfort. The rich aroma of the hot soup smoothly traveled from his mouth down to his stomach, making him feel as if every pore was opening up, releasing his fatigue along with the steam.
"I think I understand why you are reluctant to take action. I won't shortchange you on the reward, but there's a prerequisite: tell me why your surname isn't Gu." Song Bunan didn't actually have clarity on this matter; he was simply trying to trick her into revealing something by using this tactic.
To his surprise, Lin Mo Hui smiled as she put down her spoon and said that in their line of work, one couldn't use their real name. Revealing one's true identity was akin to signing one's own death warrant.
"Then why do you go by Lin? Before coming here today, I thought you might be from the Lin family."
"Don't jump to conclusions," she laughed. "I chose the surname Lin because it sounds nice. As for that family, they don't deserve someone as formidable as me. Right now, even the Gu Family shouldn't think they can shake me. Speaking of you, Hidden in a Golden Chamber's darling from Mighty Falcon must have been hit hard recently, right?" The woman laughed wickedly.
Song Bunan let out a short laugh and said he felt Xin Yi was on the verge of breaking down, especially after receiving a message from his boss telling him not to come back. He feared that in a fit of rage, the man might just open a window and jump out.
Upon hearing this, Lin Mo Hui burst into laughter, dramatically wiping away tears as she remarked that it seemed one needed a strong spirit not to seek death in such times.
"But you," she continued, "having taken on my task means you'll need to work even harder!"
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