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墨書 Inktalez
Zhong Kui's Diary
What a joke, how could a living person possibly disappear right in front of you? Do you think this is magic? Should I add that it's a moment to witness a miracle?
"Jin Yang, tell me what happened!" I tried to speak in a calm tone, hoping it would help him relax.
On the other end of the line, Jin Yang seemed to take a few deep breaths before explaining the situation to me.
After returning home, Jin Yang began taking over Shih Chih-Yang's duties. Finding a new butler wouldn't happen overnight, and Old Man Jin's affairs couldn't be put on hold. If it weren't for the fact that the family driver and servants were all long-time employees, things would have been chaotic by now. Even so, the workers were only doing their own tasks; no one was attending to things like repairing Old Man Jin's door or changing the flowers in each room.
Jin Yang's bathroom had already become a mess thanks to Fatty and me, so he called the maid Taozi to clean it up. He stood at the bathroom door chatting with her about recent happenings at home.
At that moment, Jin Yang's phone rang; it was from the flower shop, asking when they would deliver the flowers. After exchanging a few words, he hung up the phone and felt a flash of red light behind him. When Jin Yang turned around again, he found that Taozi had disappeared from the bathroom.
"Were you standing at the bathroom door the whole time?" I asked in surprise.
"Yes! Even when I answered the phone, I just turned my back," Jin Yang said, his voice somewhat hoarse. "I spoke only three sentences at most; after hanging up and turning back around, Taozi was gone!"
I shook my head and grabbed a cigarette from my Cigarette Case on the bedside table. I lit it and took a deep drag; the thick smoke rushed into my lungs, instantly jolting me awake.
I tried to recall what Jin Yang's bathroom looked like. It was about six or seven square meters—there was no place for someone to hide. The only thing that could conceal something was the Water Tank of the toilet, which was barely big enough to fit a cat.
Not hearing my response, Jin Yang grew anxious and shouted, "Zheng Nan, are you still there? Speak! What is going on?"
Feeling frustrated, I muttered that I would come over immediately and hung up without hesitation.
I made calls to Lingfeng and Fatty. Lingfeng's phone was off, while Ding Fatty had his phone on but refused to answer.
It was almost ten o'clock—why weren't they up yet? Especially Lingfeng; how could he justify this negligence as a taxpayer?
A person took a taxi to Chaoyang City. As soon as they got out of the car, they saw Jin Yang waiting for me at the District Entrance, and upon spotting me, he waved and shouted.
I frowned, thinking to myself, is it really necessary for you to wait for me at the District Entrance?
Jin Yang seemed to understand my thoughts and chuckled awkwardly, "Zheng Nan, I need to let you know something in advance. My dad might not be very fond of you. If he says anything cold later, please don't take it personally."
I looked at him in surprise, "What? I still have to meet your dad? To be honest, he's one of the last people I want to see right now. From a father's perspective, I can understand him."
Jin Yang sighed, "Understood! Understood! But some things need everyone to be present for them to matter." A hint of helplessness crossed his eyes, and I couldn't help but recall Lingfeng's words from last night. Could this involve some family interests?
As we walked into the living room on the first floor, Jin Zhenzhong and his wife were seated on the sofa along with Jin Xinghua, waiting for us. There were a few people standing nearby whom I recognized: Doctor Yang Guo'er, Driver Li Chao, Chef Old Xu, and Maid Sister Rong.
Everyone's expression was serious, especially Li Chao, whose face looked particularly grim.
Jin Zhenzhong did not greet me coldly as Jin Yang had suggested; he simply nodded and invited me to sit down. After I sat down, Sister Rong poured me a glass of water. I thanked her and took a sip; a chill ran down my throat.
"Mr. Zhong's reputation in Star City has reached us through Jin Yang. This situation is indeed quite strange, so we wanted to hear your opinion before deciding whether to call the police," Jin Zhenzhong stated directly.
"Did Jin Yang notice anything unusual at that time?" Since it had come to this, I settled in confidently, adopting an air of authority.
"No, I just turned around to take a phone call. There was something unusual though; when I hung up, there was a flash of red light behind me," Jin Yang repeated what he had told me earlier.
After asking some questions that I found quite baffling myself, we ran out of things to discuss. I frowned and thought for a moment; it seemed that Jin Yang had been chatting with Taozi at that time. Clearing my throat, I asked, "What were you talking about with Taozi before you took the call?"
"It was just some family matters; she was talking about various things in bits and pieces while I listened! Even when I took the call, she didn't stop," Jin Yang replied with a bitter smile.
"What was she saying while you were on the phone?" I sensed that Taozi's conversation with Jin Yang might be crucial.
"I wasn't paying much attention while taking the call; it seemed like after Steward Shi passed away, her husband Li Chao was overwhelmed with work or something like that. She seemed to be complaining about how even though the old man has his own car, he still needs someone to drive him around," Jin Yang said while glancing at Jin Xinghua intentionally or unintentionally.
Jin Xinghua's expression changed, and he shouted, "Yang, if it's irrelevant, then there's no need for it, right?"
I, however, looked at Li Chao with great interest. Li Chao's face turned pale as he looked at Jin Xinghua, desperately trying to explain, "Second Master Jin, that's not what I meant."
Jin Xinghua waved his hand impatiently and said, "Everyone is quite tired. I won't blame you. Mr. Zhong, let's go to Jin Yang's room on the second floor and take a look."
We all agreed with Jin Xinghua's suggestion and marched to Jin Yang's room, gathering around the bathroom door.
I took a quick look around the bathroom; I was already very familiar with it. Fatty and I had even taken apart the Flower Board to inspect it. If someone could hide in here, I... I... would shout that I like Sister Feng at the entrance of Star City Shopping Plaza!
"What position was Taozi in at that time? Do you remember?" I asked Jin Yang as I stepped out.
Jin Yang paused for a moment, walked into the bathroom, stood in front of the sink, hesitated for a while, and uncertainly said, "It should have been here, and then I turned around to answer the phone."
Just as I was about to speak, Jin Xinghua suddenly pointed at the window and shouted, "Look, what is that?"
His face was filled with such horror that it made us all involuntarily shudder as we followed his gaze.
The window was closed, but the curtains seemed to be blown by the wind, rising high. The billowing curtains resembled a human face, with distinct features that seemed to mock us as they moved.
"Ah!" The maid Sister Rong let out a sharp scream, and everyone's face changed. What was happening?
Before we could react, a flash of red light passed by, and then the curtains deflated like a punctured balloon, gradually settling down as if nothing had happened.
What was this? A demonstration?
Confused, I turned around, and what we saw next was the most unbelievable scene. In an instant, our minds went blank; everyone first wore a dazed expression before fear rapidly spread across their faces.
Jin Yang had actually disappeared!
Jin Yang mysteriously disappeared right behind us.
Jin Yang vanished in the restroom behind us.
The restroom entrance was crowded; even a rat passing by would trip someone. How could Jin Yang just disappear like that?
But the reality was as it was—a large group of people, and with just a turn of Kung Fu, Jin Yang had vanished without a trace.
Everyone's faces turned pale, and no one spoke, as this situation had surpassed human comprehension. Jin Yang disappeared like air.
Moments later, Lin Xuan let out a piercing scream and rushed into the restroom, shouting at the air, "Yang! Yang, come out, don’t scare Mommy!"
Jin Zhenzhong followed her in, grabbing Lin Xuan and raising his hand to signal Yang Guo'er and Sister Rong to support Lin Xuan.
"Everyone get out! All of you, out!" I shouted sternly.
Only then did the crowd react and rush out.
I quickly locked the door behind them and returned to the hall. No one spoke; only Lin Xuan continued to cry, while the others were still in shock. They huddled on the sofa, trying to squeeze their bodies into it as if that would provide them with more security.
"Call the police!" I broke the silence.
Jin Zhenzhong looked at me and nodded weakly. I dialed Lingfeng's number; this time he answered. Before I could say anything, he laughed and said, "I just received a notification..."
I rudely interrupted him and quickly explained what was happening here. On the other end of the line, Lingfeng gasped and said, "I'll bring people over right away."
I hung up the phone and looked at Jin Zhenzhong, who seemed to have aged several years in an instant, his lips trembling.
Another silence fell over us.
After a long while, Jin Zhenzhong spoke up and asked, "Mr. Zhong, are you confident you can handle this?"
I remained silent. Damn it, all the ghosts I had caught before were ones I had personally crafted, and I could catch them with certainty. But this situation clearly exceeded my capabilities. In the blink of an eye, the person vanished; even the Purple Gold Gourd of the Golden Horn King wasn't that impressive. At least that one would respond when called.
But I couldn't outright refuse. The circle in Star City was that small; unless I planned to stop eating from this bowl of rice in the future.
After pondering for a moment, I said, "This matter is a bit tricky; I need to call for reinforcements!"
Jin Zhenzhong hesitated for a moment and asked, "Are you sure?" He was asking if the reinforcements I called would be effective.
I chuckled dryly, "It should be fine!"
A person popped into my mind: Qingfeng Daozhang. It wasn't that Qingfeng Daozhang could solve this issue himself, but he knew someone—Kong Xuan. The Kong from 'Nan Kong' refers to him, who is reputed to be the foremost cultivator south of the Yangtze River, on par with the witch Xiao Qingcheng from the capital.
For matters like this, seeking him out was definitely the right choice.
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