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墨書 Inktalez
I feel like in my twenty-something years of life, this year has been particularly strange.
In the past, no matter how uncomfortable I felt, I never fainted or lost consciousness. But ever since I encountered Jun Chong, an array of bizarre events has unfolded around me, including inexplicably finding myself in unfamiliar places, which seems to happen quite often now.
The surroundings are filled with rippling water patterns, yet when I raise my hand, I see no water. The only thing that resembles the shimmering light seen from beneath the water is the sky above me.
I feel as if I am at the bottom of a body of water, just without any actual water.
But this time, I am not afraid because I want to be strong. I want to protect myself rather than become a burden to others.
I don’t understand why Granny Mi would deceive me and confine me here. If she truly serves Jun Chong as the Lord, there would be no need for such actions; there must be a reason behind it.
The two biggest possibilities are: first, she is not Granny Mi. Second, she has ulterior motives and is likely in cahoots with that Earthbound Spirit.
But why would she trick me into coming here?
Many questions linger in my mind, refusing to dissipate.
I don’t know how long I have been standing underwater, but eventually, I decide to move forward; perhaps I will discover something different.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, I notice that my surroundings begin to open up. The moonlight above is full and beautiful, illuminating the night sky with countless sparkling stars. The valley below is shrouded in darkness; branches sway gently, casting dappled shadows that make the entire night appear both beautiful and eerie.
“It shouldn’t be fifteen yet; what exactly is this place?” I look around and find some familiarity in the scenery, but these mountains and forests all look quite similar to me, making it hard to distinguish one from another.
A cool breeze sweeps by, causing me to shiver as I hug my arms tightly. “So cold.”
“Please let me go, my lord. I truly regret it; please spare me. I promise I won’t dare again.”
A woman's cries and pleas echoed through the wind, drawing my attention to a nearby location.
I didn't know where I was, but hearing a voice compelled me to investigate. Perhaps I hadn't been locked away after all!
With that thought in mind, I cautiously approached, careful not to make a sound. As I drew closer, I heard a rough male voice say, "You wretched woman, did you not think about the consequences when you were with that man? Drag her inside."
"No, my lord, I truly didn't. It was Concubine and Concubine Three who set me up; I don't even know that man! How could I have had relations with him?"
"Who would believe you now? I only trust what I've seen. Bury her, quickly!"
"Yes, my lord."
I saw a small clearing where a middle-aged man in a long robe stood, his long hair flowing. Beside him was another man dragging a woman along. In the moonlight, I could see that the woman was extraordinarily beautiful, stunningly graceful. Tears streamed down her face, and her disheveled hair couldn't hide her exquisite features.
Yet the man showed no regard for such beauty.
"My lord, I'm carrying your child. Please spare my life for the sake of the child! I will prove my innocence!"
"A child? Hmph!" The man scoffed, stepping on the woman with contempt. "You dare claim that child is mine after being with another man? Have you any right to bear my child? You filthy whore, drag her away and bury her."
"My lord, how can you be so heartless? The child is innocent! It truly is yours!" The woman was thrown into a prepared pit but couldn't resist due to her bindings. "You once loved me dearly; how could you do this? Why don’t you believe me? Why?"
"You loved me only because you cast your spells on me. Now that I've seen your true nature, this is your fate. Tomorrow I'll announce that the Rong Family's second concubine has committed suicide by jumping into the river after her affair with another man was exposed. You betrayed me; I won't let you have an easy end!"
With a wave of his hand, another man produced a white bag from nearby and opened it, dumping its contents into the pit.
From my vantage point, I could see clearly: the bag contained snakes, scorpions, maggots, and spiders—all of them poured onto the woman’s body. They seemed ravenous and began to crawl and bite at her quickly. The air filled with her piercing screams, yet no one came to stop it.
As a woman myself, I could not stand to see men bully women. Under the moonlight, her cries of despair, helplessness, anger, and struggle were clear to me, and I felt a pang of pain in my heart.
I couldn't bear to watch any longer. I rushed out from behind the branches. "How can you treat a life so carelessly?"
I ran forward, though I was afraid of those things as well. But when a life is at stake, fear must be endured. I tried to push the man away, only to find my hands passing right through him, the same with another man.
I stared blankly at my hands, which had become transparent in the night. Looking closely, I could even see the grass beneath them.
"What is happening to me?"
"No—I've given you everything, yet you treat me so unfairly! I cannot accept this!" The woman cried out hoarsely, her voice filled with despair and rage. Her eyes were fixed on the man with intense hatred. "I will make you regret this! Even in death, I won't let you go! I want your Rong Family to live under this curse for generations; none of your descendants will escape my wrath!"
I turned around, my heart trembling. The woman's face and body were already torn apart by those things, blood staining everything.
My legs weakened, and I felt like retreating. Yet defiance surged within me as I reached out toward her, shouting anxiously, "Whoever you are, I don’t know if I can help, but I want to try! Please take my hand!"
I was frantic, pacing back and forth. The woman laughed eerily, her eyes—whether stained with blood or something else—I couldn't tell. The color of Yin Hong suddenly burst forth under the moonlight, a terrifying thirst for blood.
Then I saw her smile faintly at me before closing her eyes.
I froze; that smile seemed directed at me. But there was no one behind me.
How could that be?
While I was still in shock, the scene abruptly changed. I found myself standing in front of several houses with flying eaves and steep cliffs—Pavilions and Towers—resembling a grand estate from ancient times.
Outside, the sky had turned an eerie dark black; the Full Moon had vanished, leaving only a few stars to accompany the night. Yet inside the courtyard, it was brightly lit, with sounds of shouting echoing all around.
"Master, we still can't find the young master."
"What a bunch of useless fools! You can't even keep track of a child. What good are you to me?"
"What happened?" I wondered, recalling what had just occurred. "Maybe they can't see me; I'll just go in and take a look."
With that thought, I followed the voices and entered the hall. It was then that I realized the 'master' they spoke of was the same man from the forest, proud in demeanor, his face dark with anger as he sat high in his chair, fuming. "Get moving and find him!"
"Yes, sir." The man trembled as he retreated, while beside him, a noble lady dressed in elegant attire was quietly sobbing, continuously wiping her tears with a handkerchief. "Master, you must find my son! He is my lifeblood; nothing must happen to him."
"I understand." The man waved his hand dismissively, clearly irritated. "Stop your crying; it's bad luck."
"Master," an older noblewoman sitting on the other side suddenly spoke up. "I believe this is the work of someone with ill intentions; otherwise, how could a child simply vanish?"
"And what do you suggest?" he replied.
"I have been unable to eat or sleep these past few days, feeling as if something is amiss at Yong Residence. Moreover, I've heard from the nursemaid that the young master has been waking up in fright during the night. She too feels a chill in the air at night, as if a shadow is lingering outside the door. It's clearly summer; why would there be such a cold breeze?"
"You mean—" she gasped, her face turning pale. "Could it be that she has returned?"
"Nonsense!" The master slammed his hand on the table in fury. "She is dead; how could she possibly return?"
"But the child was sound asleep just moments ago; both my sister and I saw him before we turned to come here to you. Isn't it strange that he disappeared so suddenly?"
"Report—" Before she could finish her sentence, a servant rushed in, collapsing to his knees, trembling slightly. "Reporting to you, Master, we... we found the young master."
"Where is he? Bring him here quickly."
"In, in—"
"Speak quickly!"
"In Yuren Residence," the Servant said, lowering his head, trembling all over.
I blinked, unsure what was so terrifying about Yuren Residence. But when I looked up, I saw the three people in the main seats were all pale. The Concubine trembled as she said, "Yuren Residence is Stunning's home. Today is her seventh day; could she have returned?"
"What nonsense!" The Master scolded, standing up from his chair. "Let's go take a look."
So the group shifted their position, and I followed suit. Yuren Residence wasn't far from here, but the scenery was pleasant, with large, vibrant flowers blooming throughout the garden. It was clear that the owner had once loved these blossoms.
At this moment, Yuren Residence was brightly lit, and faint cries seemed to emanate from within. As I walked inside, before I even crossed the threshold, I spotted a drop of blood on the ground, scattered in spots.
Looking up again, I saw a child of a few years old bound in the center of the entrance by countless red threads. The child's face was pale, eyes closed, showing no signs of pain—only a serene expression. Yet blood dripped steadily from their body, creating a rhythmic dripping sound.
The trail of blood extended to the Master's feet and came to a halt.
Concubine Three saw her child and immediately fainted, her eyes rolling back.
"Quickly carry Concubine Three back inside and find a doctor!" The Master was also stunned into silence. Only the Concubine remained somewhat composed, directing everyone. "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and get the child down!"
"Yes."
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