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墨書 Inktalez
Jun Chong pulled me along as we followed the group of fighters ahead. They moved in a stiff, awkward manner, heading towards a specific direction, and then turned into an alleyway in front of "Delicious Enjoyment."
I was familiar with this path; I used to wander here with Lin You, knowing that this small road led to the back doors of various shops. It was filled with narrow alleys cluttered with junk, and hardly anyone ever passed through.
Jun Chong had not revealed himself; he wrapped me in his dark robe, saying that this way no one would see me.
I quietly followed him forward, and from a distance, I saw the woman in the qipao open the back door and usher a few people inside. They offered no resistance at all. After they entered, the Qipao Woman glanced around, saw no one else, and closed the door behind them.
"What do we do now?"
"Go inside." To make it easier to move, Jun Chong took off his robe and draped it over me while he put on another one before we approached the entrance. However, when we reached the door, it was he who found it difficult to enter.
"What's wrong?"
"This entrance is warded. Any Spirit or demon attempting to force their way inside will be detected."
"Do we really have to go in?" Seeing Jun Chong nod, I took off his robe and draped it over my arm. "Then let's just walk in through the front door boldly. I refuse to believe they would turn us away."
With that, I tugged on Jun Chong's hand and circled around to the main entrance, brazenly cutting in line. The others were initially displeased, but when Jun Chong shot them a glare, no one dared to speak up.
"May I help you?" The attendant greeted us with a polite smile.
"Two of us."
"Two?" The attendant glanced behind me with some confusion but maintained a courteous smile. "Is your friend joining you later?"
Just as I was about to respond, Jun Chong's voice interrupted, "The aura she carries is different from that of the woman earlier; she is an ordinary human. I've concealed my presence; let’s go in first."
"Yes, she will be joining us shortly."
"Alright, this way please."
There were so many people that having a seat was already a good thing. I was led to a corner by the window, where the waiter enthusiastically presented me with the menu.
"Our dishes are simple, but each one is incredibly delicious. You can try our specialties or order whatever you like."
I flipped through the menu, not really reading it. Just looking at the pictures of the dishes made my stomach churn and sent chills down my spine. The thought that these delicacies were made from human flesh made me feel uneasy, especially since I had enjoyed them so much before.
I glanced around at the other diners; they were all eating with great enthusiasm, as if they could never get enough. However, due to the crowd, there was a strict dining time limit, and they would rush people out when their time was up.
"Miss, miss, what would you like to eat?"
Jun Chong had just entered and called for me to pretend to eat while he looked around. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to escape; I couldn't possibly eat. Those dishes seemed even more disgusting than rotten entrails in my eyes.
With great reluctance, I ordered two dishes. Seeing the waiter's astonished expression, I explained, "I want to wait for my friend to arrive before ordering more. He’s picky and I don’t want to order too much if he doesn’t like it."
"I see," the waiter said with a bright smile. "I'll place your order right away; please wait a moment."
Their service speed was exceptional; it felt like only five minutes had passed when all the dishes arrived. Holding chopsticks felt awkward; I didn’t know whether to eat or not.
As I hesitated further and noticed the waiter's curious gaze, someone finally came to my rescue.
"I reserved a table; come with me for some better food."
I looked up, somewhat confused, at a strange woman in front of me. She acted very friendly towards me, almost like a close friend. She linked her arm with mine and pulled out some money to place on the table before trying to drag me outside. "Hurry up! There are people waiting outside!"
I had no intention of going with her, but she was surprisingly strong. I couldn't shout for Jun Chong without drawing attention, so I quietly pulled out the Qilin Hairpin from my hair and held it tightly in my hand. It wasn't convenient to act here with so many people around, but things would be different outside.
"Ugh, the air inside is disgusting! I really don't understand how those people can eat that stuff—it's so revolting! It's just a mix of human flesh with rats and cockroaches stir-fried together. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps."
As soon as she stepped outside, she let go of my hand and desperately gasped for fresh air, her actions exaggerated. It was then that I felt a sense of familiarity, but I couldn't quite place it. "Who are you? Why did you pull me out?"
"Hey, girl, this is the second time I've saved you. Don't you think you should show some gratitude?" She pointed to her face and said, "My name is Akame. I told you my name that night."
It suddenly clicked; I had indeed encountered a woman named Akame that night, and Molin had speculated that she was a spirit medium.
"Why did you save me?"
"Are you stupid? Do I need a reason to save you?" Akame patted my shoulder hard, causing me to stumble slightly. She burst into laughter, "You're really something! What about that guy who was with you?"
Her mention of him brought back memories of Molin's predicament, and my heart sank. "He got into trouble."
"Don't tell me he really got on the Ghost Bus?" Akame's eyes widened as she looked at me, her mouth agape enough to fit a fist inside. "That guy seemed capable; how could he be so reckless?"
"We both ate at that place, and then he got angry and left. He didn't come back, and I only found out later that something happened." I knew she understood what was going on, which was why she came to save me. I took her hand and asked, "Can you tell me how to save him?"
"From what I know, the frequent appearances of the Ghost Bus are due to the weakening of the boundary at the entrance to the underworld, which is related to the disturbances from the fifteenth of last month."
Her words reminded me of Jun Chong breaking the seal on the fifteenth of last month. Could it really be connected?
"The Ghost Bus usually doesn't appear more than three times in a row. If it shows up more than three times, trouble is guaranteed. The biggest issue is that the Ghost Gate might open early and close late. This year marks a rare occurrence in sixty years—a year of the Jiazi—and coincides with the Ghost Festival, which is a very ominous Three Break Day. It's particularly dangerous for those with a yin attribute."
Akame crossed her arms and leaned on one elbow while tapping her head with her fingers as she spoke. "Based on my recent investigations, I've found this restaurant to be quite strange. It appears during the day and disappears at night, surrounded by barriers. Moreover, they use soul-controlling spells in their food to manipulate people's emotions and lure them in. However, not everyone is affected; I've observed that only those who are extremely angry seem to fall victim. Since it first appeared three days ago, I've calculated that dozens have gone missing. The duration has been too short for many families to notice anything yet. If this continues for much longer, there will likely be crowds outside the police station. But it’s also possible that entire families have been ensnared."
I felt a chill run down my spine. "So this restaurant is connected to the frequent appearances of the Ghost Bus?" Her speculation echoed what Jun Chong had mentioned, suggesting that reality couldn't be too far off.
"Will those people die? The ones whose souls have been captured?"
"No," Akame explained. "Only those who enter the restaurant die. Soul capture merely controls their souls; it doesn't necessarily mean they are separated from their bodies. Generally speaking, souls detached from their bodies remain as living beings as long as their bodies are alive—most are non-aggressive and weak—and their soul purity tends to be quite high. Some spirits like to devour souls for cultivation; these living beings are their best nourishment. A few possess their own consciousness and can resist crises at will. But once a body dies, its soul can never return. So is your friend still alive?"
I nodded, and Akame let out a sigh of relief. "Now we have a way. Do you need my help? I'm an Onmyoji, you know! My investigation is nearly enough to prove that this shop is controlling souls, separating spirits, and bargaining with ghosts. They definitely know how to retrieve the souls that have been taken away. I feel a connection with you, so I'll give you a ten percent discount. Just pay a deposit of ten thousand, and once the funds are in, I'll assist you."
She was an Onmyoji and seemed quite capable. With her help, there would be a greater chance of bringing Molin back. However, Jun Chong didn't like me associating with Onmyojis; he was already upset about the Su Family. If I took the initiative to seek help from an Onmyoji, he would surely ignore me.
Seeing my hesitation, Akame assumed I was worried about the money and urged me, "Think about it—he's your boyfriend! You can't just let him die like this, can you? A body without a soul will perish quickly. If you don't want him to become a corpse, you can't afford to delay! The price I'm offering is already very reasonable; I haven't even included the costs from the two times I've saved you. It's quite a bargain. What do you say? Go get the money right now!"
"…"
"Stop overthinking it! Every second you hesitate is another second of danger for your boyfriend. Let's go!"
"But I—" I struggled desperately, but just then, Akame suddenly stopped, her ears twitching as if she were listening for something. Her expression turned frantic. Following her gaze, I looked around but saw nothing unusual; however, she released me.
"I have something to take care of. I'll come back later, but make sure to think it over!"
With that, she slipped away quickly. I watched her hurried departure and glanced at the crowd but didn’t notice anyone suspicious.
As I pondered how to re-enter Delicious Enjoyment, the Qipao Woman who had led several people to the back door approached me from behind.
She smiled slightly and politely gestured for me to follow her. "Miss Anxin, my master requests your presence."
I hesitated at first because I feared it might be dangerous, but she quickly added, "The Lord of the Abyss is also present; Miss Anxin can rest assured." Only then did I feel relieved and followed her inside.
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