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墨書 Inktalez
The vision blurred for a moment, and as my body swayed, I was caught in someone's embrace just before I fell. A coolness seeped into my body and mind, gradually pulling me away from consciousness.
In my haze, I seemed to see that void where Jun Chong stood beneath the Cherry Blossom Tree, calling out to me, "Anxin, come here."
I ran toward him, blood-red petals danced slowly in the wind's wake, filling the short distance with the most beautiful scenery. Jun Chong took my hand and plucked a petal that had fallen onto my head. He held it delicately between his fingers, the red petal looking small and adorable against his long, sharp nails.
"Jun Chong, what kind of flower is this?"
"Sakura, the sakura that grows in the underworld."
"But aren't sakura pink? Why is it bright red here?"
I blinked, the faint fragrance of sakura wafting through the air. For some reason, it felt more fragrant than any sakura I had smelled before. Jun Chong held my hand and gazed at the massive Cherry Blossom Tree before suddenly asking, "Do you want to know the answer?"
"I know!" I stuck out my tongue and smiled. "Because there are corpses buried beneath its roots, and the fertilizer is human blood, so the petals are red."
I was just rambling; I had heard something similar in an anime before. Jun Chong paused for a moment before pinching my cheek. I pouted and leaned against him. "So what do you say it is?"
"Remember, the reason sakura are red is because—"
A gust of wind blew through, stirring up a shiver. I raised my hand to shield myself from the fierce wind and tightened my grip on Jun Chong, only to find that he was no longer beside me. When I looked up again, everything around me was pitch black; I couldn't see my hand in front of my face as if even I had been stained by ink in this darkness.
"Jun Chong—Jun Chong—"
I felt like I was calling out but heard nothing in return. I sensed that I had walked a long way forward yet encountered no obstacles.
"Where am I?"
The Phantom Spirit Pearl was sealed by Jun Chong; all I could rely on for protection was the Qilin Hairpin. Yet when I tried to raise my hand, I couldn't feel my hair or even touch the Qilin Hairpin.
"What happened to me?"
Everything seemed to come to a halt. I could neither see nor feel anything; my senses were gradually fading away, replaced by a piercing panic.
"Where is this? Let me out!"
I shouted desperately, struggling with all my might, but I couldn't escape or feel anything until my voice finally faded away.
Time passed without me knowing how long it had been, until a surprisingly quiet sound reached my ears—noise.
Voices, cheers, music—various sounds suddenly pierced through my eardrums, causing a slight pain in my ears. I felt a white light shining in front of me; my eyes moved slightly, my eyelashes trembled, and I slowly opened my eyes.
What is a scene filled with vibrant colors? What is dazzlingly beautiful? I was witnessing it for the first time.
The brilliant night was illuminated by countless lights. A massive red Cherry Blossom Tree stood in the center, surrounded by numerous spirits dancing around it—women were enchanting and alluring, while men were imposing and handsome.
Colorful lanterns floated above the Cherry Blossom Tree, casting a radiant glow that enveloped the entire tree. The cherry blossoms appeared hazy and exuded an unprecedented beauty.
All around, flowers bloomed in full glory, swaying in the night breeze, their fragrance wafting through the air. The starry sky above was once devoid of stars, but now someone had conjured a dazzling celestial display—pure white jewels illuminated by moonlight, radiating an extraordinary glow.
I blinked, witnessing such a scene in the underworld for the first time. Not to mention the countless flowers surrounding me; in my daze, I heard spirits nearby saying, "This year's Flower Battle Courtesan Competition is truly unprecedented! It is said that the King of Hell will personally come to watch! This year's Courtesan will surely become the Queen of the Underworld; I really envy them!"
"Envy what? If you work hard next year, you might succeed too. If you can't become the Queen of the Underworld, being a concubine is still a lifetime of fortune."
"But isn't the King of Hell not fond of women? Why has he been selecting Courtesans for his palace all these years? Moreover, it's said that those Courtesans never appear again after entering."
"What do you know? This is the King of Hell hiding his favorites! Oh, don't talk anymore; it's about to start. Look over there—that's the top courtesan from East City named Stunning; they say she's a beauty that can topple kingdoms!"
"Stunning?"
My heart stirred as I turned to see a beautiful flower spirit surrounded by admirers gradually walking toward us. Her luxurious phoenix-tail dress flowed gracefully, accentuating her slender waist—slim and alluring.
Stunning was accompanied by Mu Yan, dressed in a golden-threaded gown paired with a flower-patterned sheer top. Adorned with golden hairpins that sparkled as she walked, she exuded an air of nobility and elegance that was impossible to ignore.
"Stunning! Mu Yan!"
As I saw them approaching and wanted to rush over, I realized my body was stiff and powerless. Only then did I take in my surroundings clearly.
I sat in a spacious pavilion surrounded by sheer fabric, my back straight yet completely immobilized. My foot, which should have stepped forward, was stubbornly pulled back, and the voice I tried to release caught in my throat.
This feeling was reminiscent of that presence in the darkness. Until someone lifted the sheer fabric and approached—a strange female ghost with twisted braids, holding a Glazed Bead Crown to place upon my head.
"Who are you?"
I felt I had spoken, but she didn’t hear me; I couldn’t even hear myself. After she placed the crown on my head, she left. I saw that across from me, Stunning from East City had also taken her seat behind a veil, her true face hidden.
“Hello everyone, tonight is our annual Flower Battle Courtesan Competition in the Underworld. The courtesans representing the Four Cities from the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest are all present. The competition will now officially begin.”
A wave of applause erupted below. I furrowed my brow in confusion; I had indeed seen Stunning from East City, along with others behind the veils to her left and across from her. My position was to the right of Stunning, representing North City. An ominous premonition arose within me.
Could I be the courtesan representing North City?
How could that be possible?
Regardless of whether it was true or not, the competition outside continued. The host droned on about various matters that I didn’t catch at all. I struggled to recall how I ended up in North City, but my memory was blank except for the conversation beneath the Cherry Blossom Tree with Jun Chong.
“Jun Chong, where are you? Why haven’t you come to find me?”
I strained my eyes behind the sheer fabric, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jun Chong among the vast sea of ghosts, but all around me was darkness—where could he possibly be?
“Oh dear, I just received an order from the King of Hell. This year’s Courtesan Competition has new rules; victory will be determined by a single question rather than beauty—it requires wisdom. Which of these four beauties will emerge victorious? Let’s reveal today’s question!”
Immediately, a ghost presented what was said to be the King of Hell's question. To be honest, when I heard the host say this, an uneasy feeling settled in my heart. This King of Hell had made Jun Chong show such an expression and had harmed Shizui; he might even be behind Molin's troubles. Therefore, I couldn’t muster any good feelings toward him.
“Please have the four courtesans write down their reasons for ‘Why are cherry blossoms red?’” As soon as he finished speaking, ghosts began distributing paper currency. “Everyone please count to one hundred together: one, two, three—”
The counting outside was perfectly synchronized; each voice drowned out the last, striking a painful chord within me. I stared at the blank paper before me; that premonition grew stronger.
“It can’t be this coincidental.”
In truth, what Jun Chong had whispered in my ear at that moment was clear in my memory now—it was indeed the correct answer. But I couldn’t write it down; doing so would mean taking Stunning’s place at Underworld Palace and ruining Jun Chong’s entire plan. That simply wouldn’t do. Perhaps he was searching for me right now? I had to come up with an answer only he would know.
But there was still a problem: I couldn't move at all, so how could I write?
Just as this thought flashed through my mind, I suddenly found my hand moving, holding a pen and writing that sentence on the blank paper.
No matter how strange it was, I hoped this could become a clue for him to find me.
"Time's up!" The host organized the answers from our side and cleared his throat. "Now, I will announce the answers from each party. First up is East City's Stunning. Her answer is, 'Because the underworld has the most Red Spider Lilies, which absorb the essence of blood and seep into the soil, that's why the petals that grow are bright red.'"
I breathed a sigh of relief; this was exactly Jun Chong's answer, but thankfully, it wasn't what I had written. Next, the host read out the answers from South City and West City, which were similar but not the standard answer. Then it was my turn.
When the host read mine aloud, I felt certain that tonight's Courtesan was undoubtedly Stunning. Just as I was panicking, loud applause erupted outside. Before I could react, someone lifted the thin veil.
A long hand with pale, tender skin reached out, its familiar patterns scattered across the palm. When I looked up, I saw a man wearing a Human Skin Mask, someone very familiar.
His long black hair shimmered with an unusual brilliance under the golden crown jade in the night. A cool breeze suddenly rushed in, lifting his Black Silk Embroidered Robe. The Jade-Colored Auspicious Cloud Pattern Wide Belt tightly cinched his waist, adorned with a piece of exquisite jade that emitted a faint buzzing sound in the wind. Suddenly feeling my body relax, my hand unconsciously rested on his.
The touch was icy and bone-chilling. I shivered, and in the next moment, I was pulled into his embrace.
"Who are you?"
The man's thin red lips curved slightly into a smile that seemed both genuine and mocking. His voice was pleasant like a spring breeze. "I am Jun Chong."
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