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墨書 Inktalez
The sky was devoid of stars, with only a slender Crescent Moon remaining. Someone once told me that this was called the Weiyue Swallow, located at the tail of the Black Tortoise.
The Weiyue Swallow is an ominous sign, indicating that all matters are ill-fated.
The tomb mentioned by Wei Changfeng had now appeared before us. From the side, a square Tomb Entrance was set into the ground, just large enough for a person to enter. I didn't know much about tomb specifications, but it was clear that the space below must consist of multiple burial chambers.
Looking down, I saw nothing but darkness beneath the Tomb Entrance, an abyss that seemed bottomless. Zhao Mingkun turned on his flashlight and shone it downward, but even then, it was difficult to discern the full extent of what lay below. I could only see that the long walls of the Tomb Entrance had been carved with numerous pits, likely for easier climbing.
It seemed this group of Grave Robbers had taken this place as their base. If it weren't for the text message from Wei Changfeng, it would have been nearly impossible for the police to locate this spot.
Zhao Mingkun and I exchanged glances. He licked his lips and said, "Let's go take a look. I'll go first; you follow me."
With that, Zhao Mingkun tossed me a dagger.
The sharp blade spun through the air several times, and I dared not catch it with my hands. It landed on the ground before I picked it up.
Zhao Mingkun shook his head and entered the Tomb Entrance first, with me closely following behind.
The Tomb Entrance sloped down at about a forty-five-degree angle into the earth. Near the underground walls, several holes had been carved out for footholds. The length was over thirty meters; clearly, this was a large tomb. Ordinary burials wouldn't be this deep. It must belong to someone wealthy or noble; no wonder they had so many Mingqi in their sack.
At the end of the Tomb Entrance was a burial chamber, not very spacious—about a dozen square meters. A coffin lay inside, its lid already opened, but there was no body within. Instead, there was only a decayed mass resembling clothing, suggesting it was merely a Clothed Tomb.
On one side of the burial chamber stood a circular stone door, leading who knows where.
I shone my flashlight around and noticed fine specks of blood on the ground, leading straight to the stone door.
"There are signs of a struggle," I said to Zhao Mingkun. "For some reason, they must have fought."
Zhao Mingkun was the first to push open the stone door. "Follow me."
Behind the stone door was a dark passage, possibly leading to the main chamber of the Tomb or another side chamber. We followed the trail of blood forward, only to find that this tomb had three branching paths. The flashlight barely illuminated the way, and at the end of its beam, darkness still loomed.
The blood led into the left passage. This was my first time in a tomb, and without knowing its structure, I could only take it one step at a time.
Zhao Mingkun gestured for me to follow her.
At the end of the left passage was another chamber, which contained a coffin. The blood had vanished beside it, and the lid was tightly sealed on top of the coffin. Could it be that the person who fled here hid inside?
I held a dagger in one hand and cautiously pushed the coffin lid aside. A body slowly emerged, and through the gap, I recognized the familiar clothing—it was what Qian San had been wearing. I abruptly pushed the lid open, revealing Qian San before us.
Before I could react, Qian San lunged at me with a dagger. I quickly stepped back, but my reflexes were too slow. Just as the dagger was about to pierce my neck, a hand appeared in front of me. Upon closer inspection, Zhao Mingkun had already seized Qian San's arm.
A cold sweat broke out on my forehead; if she had been any later, I might have lost my life.
Qian San crawled out while clutching his abdomen.
Looking closely, I saw that a long gash had been cut into his stomach; the blood we had seen in the passage was flowing from him. Through his fingers, I could see his intestines writhing inside. If he didn't receive treatment soon, Qian San wouldn't last much longer.
"What are you two doing here?" Qian San asked weakly as he looked at us.
"Wei Changfeng sent me to rescue him. There’s a traitor among you four; no one can be trusted," I replied.
Hearing my words, Qian San burst into laughter, blood oozing from his cracked lips. "Don't believe that bastard Wei Changfeng; I think he's the most suspicious one."
"What exactly happened?" I asked. "What are you all afraid of?"
Qian San clutched his stomach and began to tell us a story in fits and starts.
There were six of them, all apprenticed under a Grave Robber.
Their master was known in the martial world as Master Choo, for Old Chu had hands so skillful that he could open a Tomb Entrance with bare hands and was also adept at using a dagger, earning him this title.
Master Chu had lost affection for his original wife long ago. A daughter born to them did nothing to mend his heart. They lived apart, and Master Chu had never returned home to see his daughter.
Master Chu had a woman, but she was young enough to be his daughter.
This woman had no name; Master Chu called her Mei. According to the story, she had been abandoned by her family on the roadside when she was still an infant. The reason for her abandonment was simple: she had six toes on each foot. This was not a serious issue and could easily be corrected with surgery—if she had been a boy.
Unfortunately, Mei was not a boy and had six toes.
Master Chu took the abandoned infant and made her his woman.
When Qian San and Qian Er became apprentices, Master Choo was forty years old, while Chu Mei was twenty.
Twenty is when a woman is at her most beautiful and alluring.
Qian San heard from Big Egg that when Mei turned fifteen, Master Chu made her a true woman. Now, Qian San observed that Master Chu was aging rapidly, while Chu Mei grew younger and more beautiful. In terms of looks and figure, Mei was simply perfect.
The stars on television often pale in comparison to Mei's beauty. Especially her pair of eyes, which exude an indescribable allure and sensuality. Whenever Mei gazed in his direction, Qian San felt as if he should be in bed. It seemed as though the sky turned a deeper blue and the grass smelled sweeter just for him.
Sometimes, seeking a mentor isn't solely about learning from the master; it could also be about pursuing the master's wife.
During the day, Mei was like any normal girl, attending school and classes. But at night, she transformed into Master Chu's secret lover.
At that time, Qian Er and Qian San were both twenty-six years old, while the master's wife was only twenty.
Every night, Qian San felt a hardness below. He knew that someone resided there. Whenever he held himself, images of that person flooded his mind. He had been with women before, but none compared to Mei.
He said to Qian Er, "I have to taste this woman's flavor. Her face is truly adorable; I want to savor it. I wonder when I'll get the chance—would she ever notice me?"
Qian Er touched his thinning hair at just twenty years old and replied blankly, "Look at you; your hair is almost gone. It's clear your health isn't great. How could such a lustful woman like Mei ever look at you?"
"Don't you want to?" Qian San asked.
"I do," Qian Er admitted. "But we need to come up with a plan."
Six months later, Old Six became a disciple.
All six apprentices were gathered: Big Egg, Wei Changfeng, San'er, Qian Er, Qian San, and Old Six.
To win Mei's heart, the master had to die.
Five years ago was Master Chu's forty-second birthday.
This was the best opportunity to make a move. Mei couldn't rush back to celebrate Master Chu's birthday due to university, so only Six Brothers were there to honor him.
Master Chu raised his glass, saying, "With no women around today, we can drink freely."
"As the eldest brother," Big Egg lifted his glass, "I wish Master a fortune as vast as the East Sea and longevity like the South Mountain's ancient pines."
"I wish Master wealth and prosperity, with gold flowing in daily."
"I wish Master peaceful nights and long years of health."
The six brothers took turns toasting.
Master Chu was delighted. "Haha, the eldest has been with me from the start, and the second has followed me for over ten years. Qian Er and Qian San have been with me for two years now, while Old Six has only just joined us. I may not have any sons in this life, but I truly see you all as my own. I may not have much skill, but I am good with a knife as a Grave Robber. Everything I know, I've taught you."
"Master, come on, let's have another drink!" everyone cheered.
That night, Master Chu drank until he was quite intoxicated. Several disciples rushed to support him and eventually helped him down onto the floor.
Big Egg sat on Master Chu's lap, tightly gripping his neck.
The other brothers quickly grabbed hold of Master Chu's limbs.
"Old Six, you've been here the shortest time; take a knife and finish him," several voices urged Old Six, who stood by in shock.
Qian Er had spent over half a year realizing that the other brothers had long desired Master’s Wife. The only unresolved issue now was Old Six. But everyone understood that if Old Six didn't comply in this situation, he should know what awaited him.
Moreover, Old Six had only been around for half a year; what kind of feelings could he possibly have for Master Chu? Besides, when the time came to face the consequences, wouldn’t he also share in the blame? Now that all five had taken action, only Old Six remained. If Old Six joined in, these six would be like grasshoppers on the same boat from then on.
Whether they were to be avenged by Master Chu's friends or caught by the police, all six would be murderers, with no escape for any of them.
“Make your move!” Qian Er shouted.
Old Six slowly walked over and pulled out the dagger that his master had given him.
His hand trembled as it approached, the dagger shaking unsteadily in Old Six's grip.
Master Chu, being choked, managed to force the words out through gritted teeth: “You beasts! Go ahead! Kill me! I taught you how to use a dagger! Give me a quick end!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Old Six plunged the dagger into his chest.
The others also drew their daggers and stabbed them into Master Chu's body.
All were fatal wounds; each one was now a Murderer.
“There will be revenge,” were Master Chu's last words. “If you can betray me, there will come a time when you betray each other.”
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