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墨書 Inktalez
I hurriedly looked down and was startled to see the calm surface of the river starting to tremble again. Soon, those black faces emerged from underwater, screaming as they reached out with their dark hands, grasping wildly.
I quickly threw the Diving Suit over my shoulder and climbed up the rope with both hands. "Hurry up, Loyalty and Righteousness, get a move on! The Spear is about to burst out!" Mike shouted. Shunzi and the others were gripping the rope tightly from the other side, straining to support me with their strength.
Just as I was about to reach the other side, my left foot was suddenly grabbed, rendering me immobile. Looking down, I saw a black hand gripping my left ankle tightly.
The strength of that hand was immense; it wanted to pull me directly into the river. This powerful force caused the rope to shake violently, and I felt myself about to fall.
At that critical moment, a gunshot rang out with a bang, and a bullet struck that arm, breaking it. As that black arm fell away, I watched in disbelief as it slowly vanished, as if evaporating into thin air.
I didn't have time to be stunned; I quickly climbed along the rope. When I reached the other side, I nearly stumbled to the ground. Jiao Ba stepped forward and caught me. "Brother Yi, are you okay? Is everything alright?"
I glanced at him; he was holding a handgun. That gunshot must have come from him. "I'm fine. Why do you have a gun?" I remembered clearly that we hadn't packed any handguns during our equipment check.
"Don't worry about that now. How's your leg?" Jiao Ba asked with concern.
"I'm fine, don't worry." I stood up immediately to show that everything was alright.
I turned to look into the Ditch. The faces of those black figures began to sink back underwater after their painful wails, and soon the surface of the water calmed down again as if nothing had happened.
Changshan walked over and said, "I hope they can rest in peace."
Mai Lao shouted from behind, "Stop staring; we need to keep moving. Let's go."
"Coming," I replied. Just as I was about to turn away, I suddenly spotted someone standing on the opposite side of the Ditch—a person I recognized well: the disheveled Shriveled Old Man.
He was hiding behind a large tree, revealing only half of his body. This time I couldn't see his eyes clearly, but I could feel he was watching us intently. He must have been lurking around us all along without us noticing.
I stared at him; what did this damned Mysterious Old Man want? Who exactly was he? Every time I saw him, I felt an overwhelming sense of anxiety. Remembering how close I had come to death at his hands last time filled me with an indescribable fear.
"Loyalty and Righteousness, what are you doing?" Mai Lao's voice came from behind me.
I turned my head and replied, "Oh, I'm coming." But when I turned back again, the Shriveled Old Man had vanished once more. Deep down, I knew he had hidden himself again. Who was he? What secrets did he conceal? I believed that sooner or later I'd uncover it; it must be closely related to this deserted island.
I turned and walked ahead, deciding to bury this matter in my heart; there was no need to speak of it again. Since the Old Ghost had already set its sights on us, there was no escaping it. I could only be more cautious.
We packed our things, dressed properly, and took down the Spear from the tree before continuing along the jungle path. This eerie island held unknown dangers that awaited us.
Everything here was beyond mere horror; calling it hell would not be an exaggeration.
After walking for a while, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my left foot and fell to the ground. Jiao Ba rushed over when he saw me down, quickly helping me to lean against a tree. "Brother Yi, what happened?"
Mai Lao and the others hurried over as well. "Loyalty and Righteousness, are you okay?" Jenny asked with concern.
I waved my hand dismissively. "I'm fine, probably just twisted my ankle."
At that moment, Mai Lao suddenly said, "Are you tired? If you're tired, we can take a break."
I wasn't tired; it was my left ankle that throbbed painfully, a concentrated pain as if it had been burned by fire.
I lifted my diving suit to take a look at my left foot. To my shock, there was a black handprint above my ankle. The mark was somewhat blurry and not very clear, almost like a watermark freshly stamped on. It was still emitting white smoke, as if it had been scorched.
"Oh my God, how did your foot end up like this?" Jenny exclaimed in fear upon seeing it.
The pain was unbearable, and I wanted to touch it with my hand, but Jiao Bayi grabbed my wrist. "Don't touch it yet."
I glanced at him and endured the pain for a moment—about ten seconds or so—until the white smoke gradually dissipated and the pain faded away. However, a deep black handprint remained on my left ankle, like a brand pressed into my skin.
I was stunned. "What the hell? Am I poisoned?"
Jiao Ba's expression darkened as he touched the black handprint on my ankle. "Does it hurt?"
I shook my head. "No pain; I don't feel anything now." It was strange; just moments ago, the pain had been excruciating, but now it felt as if nothing had happened at all.
"Try standing up and see if you can walk," Jiao Ba said as he helped me up by the arm.
I stood up and moved my left foot around before taking a few steps forward. Remarkably, I felt nothing—no pain or discomfort at all. "I don't feel anything anymore; it's like... like nothing happened."
Jiao Bayi looked even worse after hearing my words. Li Xin, who was nearby, asked, "Are you really okay?"
I quickly kicked out with my foot and said, "It seems like it's fine."
"That can't be right. The handprint is so deep; it doesn't look like nothing's wrong," Big Guy remarked, glancing at my left foot.
"Could it be poisoned? The river water is toxic, and that shadow... never mind, it's too frightening to think about," Mantou shivered and shrank his neck.
Jiao Ba remained silent, his face pale. Changshan also didn't say anything; only Mai Lao stepped forward and said, "It might really be poison. It's better to be cautious; I'm worried it could flare up later."
I smiled and replied, "Even if it is poison, there's nothing I can do about it. Worrying won't help. At least for now, it seems fine."
Jiao Ba's complexion improved. "Brother Yi, it's nothing to worry about. In a few days, that handprint will fade."
I shot him a glance and said, "Lao Ba, tell me the truth. Is there really nothing wrong?" I had a feeling Jiao Ba was hiding something from me; his unusual pallor and gaze confirmed my suspicions. I knew him well enough.
But this time Jiao Ba firmly denied it. "It's really nothing; you can rest assured, Brother Yi."
Changshan suddenly chimed in, "It's fine, Loyalty and Righteousness; Jiao Ba wouldn't lie to you."
I didn't understand what Changshan meant by that, but I sensed something was off. He must have noticed something too, but I couldn't ask him for details just yet.
Mai Lao patted my arm and said, "If everything's fine, let's set off. If anything happens, let me know. Keep an eye on the wound along the way."
It seemed we had no choice but to proceed this way; as long as we weren't delaying our journey, that was what mattered. I nodded and said, "Alright, let's go, Mai Lao."
We set off again toward the mountain. I walked at the back of the group. Although I claimed not to care, I felt uneasy inside; that strange black handprint was deeply imprinted on my foot.
Could it really be true that everything was fine just because Jiao Ba said so? That seemed impossible. I'd rather feel pain from the handprint than have it remain numb; at least then I'd know what I was dealing with. The fact that it didn't hurt or itch was the biggest problem.
As Jiao Ba walked ahead of me, I quickened my pace to catch up and quietly asked, "Lao Ba, what exactly is going on with this handprint on my foot?"
Jiao Ba hesitated before saying, "Oh come on, didn't I tell you? It's nothing to worry about. Just walk steadily."
I glared at him and growled in frustration, "What do you mean you're leaving? You better tell me the truth right now, or I won't let this go."
Jiao Ba looked at me helplessly, his face filled with distress. "Just tell me what’s going on! Even if it means death, I’ll accept it." I couldn't stand this kind of torment; it felt like waiting for a sentence to be handed down.
Jiao Ba was caught in a dilemma, and finally whispered in my ear, "Brother Yi, it's not really a poison... I feel it's... it's..."
"What is it? Why are you being so vague? Spit it out!" I said, glaring at him while stroking my beard.
"It's a curse, just like what Changshan mentioned before," Jiao Ba said with a serious expression.
I knew that damned palm print would bring trouble; my guess was right. It turned out to be this so-called curse. If it were just Changshan saying it, I might have doubted it, at least I'd be more cautious mentally.
But now that Jiao Ba was saying the same thing, it seemed likely. Coupled with the fact that Changshan had specifically told me earlier that everything was fine, he must have been coordinating with Jiao Ba; he definitely noticed something too.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" I remained calm and wasn't that surprised; I had prepared myself for the worst.
"I... I didn't want you to worry. How could I say it in front of so many people? Wouldn't that just make Mai Lao and the others anxious too? I had no choice; just consider it for the greater good," Jiao Ba said seriously, clearly not joking.
"So this so-called curse is real?" I still couldn't understand what exactly was cursing what. My mind felt a bit muddled.
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