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墨書 Inktalez
Looking at the shop, which was not large, just two stories up and down, I was surprised when the Qipao Woman led me inside and went straight to the back. It was then that I realized this place concealed Xuan Kun.
After descending the stairs to the basement, I was greeted by a scene of opulent decoration, adorned with luxurious court-style furnishings. Everywhere I looked, colors danced vibrantly, so beautiful that it almost hurt my eyes.
I followed the Qipao Woman deeper inside, where five golden dragons coiled around five massive pillars, lifelike and seemingly real.
Each dragon held a water-colored orb in its mouth, within which flowed shimmering water that changed colors beautifully.
I stared at those orbs, feeling as if something within me was being drawn in, creating a tangled discomfort. A large hand gently rested on my shoulder, and as the deep purple sleeve swept past my eyes, I suddenly felt refreshed.
"Don't look at those dragons."
Jun Chong slightly embraced me, moving his hand away from my view. I blinked a few times before opening my eyes again, no longer gazing at the dragons.
"Miss Anxin, I sincerely apologize. I thought you were just an ordinary person, not the wife of the Lord. For my previous actions towards you, I am truly sorry."
A sharp male voice rang out ahead of me. It was only then that I realized I had unknowingly stepped into a living room. The intricately carved windows let in light, and white feathers floated through the air. A strange floral fragrance enveloped me, causing my nose to tingle and prompting an uncontrollable series of sneezes.
Jun Chong pinched a gesture with one hand and flicked it at my nose. Instantly, I felt that fragrance vanish. Blinking in surprise, I asked, "What kind of trick is this?"
"A small trick," Jun Chong replied with a faint smile as he patted my head. He turned to the Short and Chubby Man standing by the door and said, "Don't use these things anymore; Anxin can't handle them."
"Yes, yes," the Short and Chubby Man replied with great deference to Jun Chong and to me as well. "Please have a seat; someone bring tea."
I found his obsequious demeanor somewhat strange.
After all, Taotie was the son of the East Sea Dragon King in mythology, a being of divine origin, while Jun Chong was merely a ghost. There was no reason for Taotie to show such respect towards Jun Chong unless he wasn't truly Taotie. But if that were the case, Jun Chong would surely have noticed.
Yet Jun Chong seemed to feel it necessary, sitting in his chair like a revered Buddha, one hand gently caressing the tea cup on the high table. The cup was made of red plum ceramic, its vibrant red contrasting with the pale whiteness of his fingertips, which glimmered faintly.
“She doesn’t need it. You should continue discussing serious matters!”
Taotie paused, rolled his eyes, and smiled, “Everything the Lord wants to know, I have told you truthfully. I indeed used soul-controlling techniques to manipulate people's hearts and souls just to savor the delicacies of the human world. I used rotting flesh as bait to see who would fall for it and then lured them into my establishment to satisfy their cravings. But I assure you, the Ghost Bus incident has nothing to do with me!”
I was astonished; could it really have been him?
Thinking of Molin and Tian Yuan, I immediately asked, “What about Molin and Tian Yuan? Did you later capture them and bring them into your establishment?”
“You mean that fox and that man?” Seeing me nod, Taotie shook his head slightly. “I did notice that man was different from ordinary people; I intended to follow him for further investigation. However, my subordinates lost track of him, and I haven’t seen him since. As for that fox, it ran away so quickly that who could catch it?”
When he mentioned the fox, I noticed he lowered his head, concealing his expression.
Now that something had happened to Molin, I had to find Tian Yuan. It had appeared in the human world to help me; if it went missing, I wouldn't even know how to inform its master.
Just as I was about to ask more questions, Jun Chong placed his hand over mine on the table and gently squeezed it. His voice turned serious, “I’ll ask you again: is the Ghost Bus incident truly unrelated to you?”
At this question from Jun Chong, Taotie flinched. I sensed he was definitely hiding something. Akame had mentioned that this establishment separated souls and dealt with ghosts; Taotie must know about it. Akame didn’t seem like someone who would deceive us.
Taotie nodded and said, “Does the Lord not trust me?”
"Can you tell me where the souls of those who were eaten went, Fifth Master?"
Jun Chong asked again, his tone light and unbothered, yet the words struck deep, causing a quickening of my heart as if he had found a weakness to exploit.
Taotie paused, looking up with an expression that revealed nothing unusual. "Most of those people I consumed; a small portion was mixed into rotten flesh and sold. As for their souls, they naturally went down my throat. I am Taotie; consuming human souls is as natural as eating. Are you suggesting that the Lord intends to confront me over the souls of the dead?"
His words dripped with sarcasm, and I felt a surge of anger rising within me. Yet Jun Chong remained unfazed, displaying no sign of outrage despite Taotie's audacity.
His long fingers playfully scratched my palm, and upon hearing Taotie's words, he smiled slightly. "You carry my second seal. If I were to confront you, and you went missing, it would be quite troublesome for me."
It dawned on me then; I had momentarily forgotten about Taotie being tied to the second seal.
Jun Chong continued to smile as he said, "However, I admire your boldness. You kill indiscriminately in the mortal realm without leaving behind souls. If the King of Hell were to pursue this matter, even as Fifth Master, it would be difficult for you to extricate yourself from the situation."
He tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, matching his words' pace. "Fifth Master has been imprisoned for so long; having finally gained freedom, you wouldn't be foolish enough to offend the Netherworld and risk being locked away again. The world today is not what it used to be; if you were imprisoned again, Fifth Master, you might very well meet your end there. To throw away your future for mere consumption—surely you wouldn't be that foolish."
Taotie's expression shifted to something strange at these words; his eyes flickered restlessly before he covered his mouth with his hand and coughed lightly. "Of course not; who would dig their own grave? So—"
"So you made some adjustments and devised a way to consume people freely while evading the Netherworld's notice, right?"
"This—this is impossible! The Lord is overthinking this."
Taotie smiled coyly, his hands clasped tightly at his waist.
I glanced between him and Jun Chong, choosing to remain silent.
Jun Chong suddenly laughed, as if everything he had just said was inconsequential. He waved his hand casually and continued before Taotie could speak.
"Of course I trust Fifth Master, but Anxin's friend was taken by the Ghost Bus, so I'm a bit worried. I came here today just to inform Fifth Master. To investigate the Ghost Bus incident, I had Rong Zhi transform into an ordinary soul and take the place of a deceased person's spirit on the Ghost Bus. I believe we will receive news soon, and I hope Fifth Master can lend a hand when that time comes. What do you say?"
At this point, Jun Chong chose not to press further. He picked up the Porcelain Cup and elegantly sipped his tea.
I couldn't help but smile slightly; it was my first time seeing Jun Chong manipulate someone so calmly and naturally, like a gentle spring breeze. However, Taotie was not as composed. Upon hearing that Rong Zhi had infiltrated those people, his face turned pale and flushed in turns, and his lips began to tremble slightly.
After struggling with himself, he finally said, "Since it’s a request from the Lord, I will naturally offer my full support wherever needed."
"That's all I needed to hear."
Jun Chong smiled, while Taotie nearly jumped out of his chair.
At that moment, Jun Chong suddenly grasped my hand and pulled me up from my seat. "It's getting late; Anxin needs to rest. Fifth Master, we take our leave now."
With that, Jun Chong led me out without looking back. I glanced at Taotie one last time; he remained seated but had lowered his head, his hands resting on his knees visibly trembling.
As we exited Delicious Enjoyment, the sky outside had darkened. Remembering what had just happened, I joked, "I didn't expect you to be so adept at manipulation! Are you trying to throw him off balance? But if he's already committed to something, how could your words change his mind?"
"I told you Taotie is lazy and greedy; he would do anything for food. If you disrupt his enjoyment of eating, it would be like a fate worse than death for him. If he were smart, he would know which side is more beneficial."
"But there are two points I don't understand. First, assuming he really has allied with others—he eats human flesh, and their souls belong to those people. Yet those souls still enter the Netherworld with the Ghost Bus; Shizui also mentioned that there were no abnormalities in the Netherworld. Isn't it contradictory for you to manipulate him like this?"
"Because a person’s soul leaves their body only after they are killed; this is different from being forcibly separated from their body. The former can be classified as natural death while the latter is illegal death. Once the Netherworld receives such souls, they undergo strict investigation. When I entered beneath his shop, I found that those people had been killed and their bones stripped for meat; their souls then left their bodies naturally."
"It turns out that's how it is." I finally understood that Taotie could have simply eaten meat directly, but to avoid detection from the Underworld, he resorted to human methods of killing. "So who could be collaborating with him? The Ghost Bus travels in and out of the Underworld; could it be a ghost?"
"That's a possibility," Jun Chong said, his brow slightly furrowed. "The Underworld has strict regulations; every Ghost Bus must have at least one Ghost Messenger on board. Regardless, we should check if a Ghost Bus appears again tonight."
"Alright."
Jun Chong and I walked toward that location. Halfway there, I suddenly remembered a question I hadn't asked. I grabbed Jun Chong's large hand and said, "Jun Chong, you mentioned that Taotie is your second seal. What if he uses that to threaten you?"
"Do you think I look like a ghost who fears being threatened?"
Jun Chong reached out and affectionately ruffled my hair. Just as his hand was about to land on my head, a sharp Malice shot in from behind, striking the back of Jun Chong's hand with a loud smack.
At almost the same moment, Jun Chong wrapped me in his other arm, his wide sleeve enveloping me tightly.
"Evil Spirit, let her go."
A clear voice interrupted us. Under the dim glow of the streetlight stood a tall, slender figure. "Girl, come here quickly."
"Is it you?" I paused for a moment when I recognized the person's face. "Akame?"
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