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墨書 Inktalez
"No way, absolutely not. I finally managed to get rid of her, and now you want me to go find her? That's like walking into a tiger's den. I won't do it, even if it kills me."
When we returned to Grandfather's House and found Molin, he shook his head like a rattle drum, repeating, "I won't go looking for Qianqian. You might as well give up on that idea!"
"Then are you really willing to see the Zombie harm humanity?" I feigned a pitiful expression.
"Exactly! Can you bear to watch us all get eaten by Zombies?" Chitaki chimed in, playing the pity card as well.
" Molin, I've helped you a lot. My family is here, and there are many uncles and aunts who have treated me well. They have been good to you too. Can't you show a little mercy?"
"Little Mozi, doesn't your master always teach you to sacrifice the small self for the greater good? Besides, Qianqian isn't some Evil Spirit or ferocious beast; she's just a girl who admires you wholeheartedly. How can you be so heartless and abandon her?"
"…"
Molin's face turned red and white in turns before finally settling into a sullen expression. He gestured for us to stop with a weary hand. "Fine, I understand. I'll handle this matter."
Chitaki and I immediately broke into smiles. Molin's lips twitched again as he added, "But I'll try to deal with it myself first. If that doesn't work, then I'll bring Qianqian back."
"It's a deal."
Chitaki and I were overjoyed while Molin let out a heavy sigh and slumped onto a chair, looking at Chitaki with a mournful expression. "Shishu, I'm your Disciple! How can you treat me like this?"
"What does being a Disciple matter compared to being my apprentice?" Chitaki said grandly as she patted my shoulder, making me feel like I might collapse under the weight. "Come on, let's go drink."
"But it's getting dark; we should eat."
"Is it free?"
"…"
So Chitaki, as my Senior Sister, also stayed at Grandfather's House.
That night, after having dinner and taking a shower, I returned to my room early to rest. Chitaki was still drinking with my grandfather, while Molin went off to study some books.
Lying in bed, I flipped through this and fiddled with that, feeling like time was passing slowly. I wondered when Jun Chong would arrive.
I felt a bit excited inside; I just couldn't calm down. He said he would wait for me tonight. Finally, I took out a mirror and lifted my clothes.
The Red Spider Lily glowed with an unusual red hue, flickering as if alive. I had felt a dull ache from it since my shower, just like last time, but this time it bloomed even larger. I fully believed that once it completely blossomed, I would die.
"If I really am going to die, will you shed tears for me? Jun Chong." I smiled at the mirror and wiped away the tears from the corners of my eyes. "Even if it's just a sad expression, at least I'll know I still hold some place in your heart."
Time passed second by second. By one in the morning, I still hadn't seen Jun Chong. My heart gradually grew cold during the long wait; it ached slightly but felt lost.
"Maybe something came up? Jun Chong wouldn't lie to me."
I tried to comfort myself before turning off the light and going to sleep. In the darkness, I covered my head with the blanket, letting my tears fall. Despite the bitterness in my heart, I forced myself to smile and welcome tomorrow.
A dark robe fluttered gently in the wind, entering slowly after the night deepened. The hand that reached out trembled slightly.
When I woke up the next day, my eyes felt cool as if they had been covered with ice all night. Surprisingly, despite crying myself to sleep, they weren't swollen.
As I got dressed, I noticed that the Red Spider Lily had stopped flickering; it seemed to be covered by black lines. I stared for a while, as if seeing the Red Spider Lily being suppressed by those black lines—two forces of red and black clashing against each other. It ached faintly there, but I could endure it.
I didn't have time to think much more before Molin called for me from outside.
Chitaki was sleeping like a dead pig; no matter how much we shouted, she wouldn't wake up. She had been drinking with my grandfather until late last night; they shared a bond that made them feel like old friends right from the start.
I spread my hands out towards Molin. "What should we do?"
"Forget about her, let's go."
Molin and I headed out, making our way first to Widow Wang's house. We followed the same method to enter. After observing Widow Wang's actions, Molin said to me, "She just doesn't want them to starve, which is why she's feeding them blood. As long as she doesn't give them the blood of living people, it should be fine. But they are Zombies, the lowest of the low. If they get manipulated and hurt someone, it could spiral out of control. I see that this house has a tiled roof. When noon comes, you distract Widow Wang, and I'll open the coffin. Then I'll uncover the roof tiles and use a mirror's reflection to ignite them."
"Why not just set it on fire directly?"
"This matter has been hard for anyone to believe so far; setting a fire would make us too obvious." Molin patted me on the shoulder. "Don't worry; I will handle this meticulously."
I rubbed my forehead. How many similar things had he done?
"They became like this after being bitten by another Zombie. Don't you want to use them to find that mastermind Zombie?"
At my suggestion, Molin's face paled, and he slapped his forehead. I leaned in and said, "You didn't forget, did you?"
Molin didn't argue, so it was likely true. I asked again, "How did your search outside go yesterday? Did you find anything strange? Like the ancient tomb you mentioned?"
"I did." Molin lowered his hand and turned to walk outside. The sun was so bright that my eyes struggled with the alternating shadows and light as I listened to him say, "I found a Tomb in the Southwest Direction. The entrance has signs of being dug up; it was probably looted."
"Southwest?" I suddenly recalled, "Didn't you say Lin Shan's trail was in the southwest? Could it be there?"
"That's possible, but I didn't sense any presence."
"Did you go inside?"
Molin paused and didn't respond. I curiously leaned closer. "You didn't go in? Why not? This is such a good opportunity! It's not night; there shouldn't be any danger, right?"
"I have a bad feeling about that place, so—"
"Oh!" I nodded in understanding. "So you're just scared. No worries; why not take me and Chitaki with you? You can keep watch."
"No way," Molin firmly rejected, his expression serious. "You carry the heavy Yin energy of Jun Chong, and the ancient tomb is already filled with it. If you go in, you might attract even bigger trouble. Shishu hates tomb-related things the most, so he won't go either."
"What should we do then? We have to check it out; there might really be a Zombie inside."
Molin frowned at me, his gaze somewhat strange, as if he had something to say but ultimately held back. He lifted his foot and walked ahead. "I'll find someone to scout it out. We'll wait for news."
I pestered Molin for quite a while, but he still didn't tell me who he was sending to explore the ancient tomb, nor would he let me get close.
Since it was still some time before noon, we decided to visit a few of the elders in the area to see if anyone knew anything about that ancient tomb.
"Ancient tomb? Here?" An old lady chuckled as she looked at us. "Young people these days read too many novels and want to learn how to be tomb raiders? There are no ancient tombs around here."
"Besides the ancestral hall, we only have the Ancestral Tomb; I've never heard of any ancient tomb!"
"You haven't heard of it? Why are you asking about this? Is it for fun?"
As we continued on, several elderly people expressed their ignorance. I remembered that my grandfather had taken me to visit them before; they were village elders who had lived here for generations without stepping outside. If they didn't know, it would truly be puzzling.
"It shouldn't be!" I propped my chin on my hands, sipping my drink and muttering, "From your description, that Tomb should be quite large. How could no one know about it? Could it be that you got it wrong? Maybe it's not an ancient tomb at all, just a naturally formed cave?"
"Cave your head!" Molin scolded me and then slumped on the table like me, sipping his drink.
"Then why do you think no one knows about it? Should we ask my grandfather or the village chief?" I took a deep sip of my drink; the coolness was very refreshing. "I'm sure the village chief would know. If even he doesn't know, then it means the owner of this Tomb is either a low-key gentleman or a miser who hid himself so well after death that no one knows about him."
"Li Family Girl, what are you talking about Tombs for?" The Boss came over with a plate of snacks. "Try this new batch; does it taste like your mother's?"
Every time my mother came to stay in the village, she would make some pastries. Since they tasted so good, the Boss would occasionally buy some from her and experiment with making his own. Sometimes when I came here, he would let me taste them.
I took a bite; it melted in my mouth with a fragrant peach blossom flavor lingering on my palate. "It's delicious! But it seems to be missing something."
"It's nothing, consider it a treat for you."
"Thank you, Boss."
"By the way, I heard you talking about a Tomb just now?" The owner of the shop wasn't too busy, so he sat down at our table and started chatting.
The Boss was in his forties, round and plump like a dumpling, but he was a kind person. Sometimes, when he saw someone in need, he would share some food with them; he had a good heart.
I asked casually, "Well, we got lost while playing in the woods outside and stumbled upon a Tomb. It seemed quite large."
To my surprise, as soon as I mentioned it, the Boss's expression changed. Molin noticed immediately and asked, "Uncle, do you know about that Tomb?"
"Where did you find the Tomb?"
"To the southwest, about a hundred steps down a small stream."
I admired Molin; he even calculated the distance.
The Boss's face turned even paler, and his hands trembled uncontrollably. I noticed there was a teapot on the table, so I poured him a cup. He held it in his hands, feeling the warmth of the tea, which helped him slowly calm down.
Molin and I exchanged glances; whatever made the Boss react this way must mean that Tomb was definitely problematic.
"Well, since you've brought it up, I might as well tell you!" Molin and I perked up immediately, eager to listen.
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