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墨書 Inktalez
“ Molin?”
I thought there was something wrong with my ears and repeated it. If he is Molin, why do I feel so unfamiliar with him?
He frowned slightly, a look of displeasure on his face, or rather impatience. Clearly, there were many things he could say, but he simply repeated, “I am Molin.”
“ Molin, it really is you! That's great.”
If he says he is Molin, then I will believe him. I reached out to grab his sleeve, but he recoiled in fear, shouting sharply, “Don’t touch me!”
“What’s wrong with you?”
I looked at him in confusion. Although he claimed to be Molin, he resembled Qin Ling too much. But Qin Ling wouldn’t be so bored as to trick me.
My joyful heart began to feel somewhat uncomfortable.
“After finally meeting again, can we not return to the past? Or are you not really Molin?”
He pressed his lips together and lowered his Ink Black eyes. I noticed the blackness at his chin extending upward, creeping up to his mouth. The stark contrast of black and white was shocking. “What is this black thing?”
“It has nothing to do with you.”
He turned away and ignored me.
At that moment, the sunlight was bright. He suddenly clutched his chest, bending forward slightly, cradling his head in his hands.
I couldn’t tell if it was an illusion caused by the reflection of the light, but at that moment, I saw Molin flickering, becoming transparent, then slowly recovering before turning transparent again, like an unstable image that might disappear at any moment.
“Molin, what’s wrong with you?”
“It’s nothing.”
After a long while, he slowly stood up straight, his voice hoarse and lacking the liveliness it once had. “Anxin, don’t worry about me. Just leave this place.”
I parted my lips slightly; only Molin could say something like that.
But why had he changed so much?
I fidgeted with my hands, wanting to catch up and ask him, but I knew that sometimes Molin was tighter-lipped than anyone else. If he didn’t want to share something, there was no way I would find out.
A wave of helplessness washed over me, and I sighed heavily as I watched his silhouette fade away. I vowed, “I promised I would take you back, so no matter what, I will make it happen. Molin, we will go home together.”
As I reached the door, my stomach suddenly growled. I was about to call Aunt Song for some food when I stepped inside and saw Lianchi sitting at the table.
“Lianchi?”
I noticed the food on the table, and my stomach growled even louder.
He chuckled softly and waved me over. “I figured you’d be hungry by now. Come eat something.”
I never skimped on feeding myself, so I naturally sat down to eat.
Lianchi rested his chin on one hand, watching me eat with amusement. “With the way you’re eating, how could Lord ever like you?”
“Mind your own business.”
I shot him a glare, set down my chopsticks, and wiped my mouth. “You can leave now.”
"Burning bridges, I'm taking the risk of punishment to tell you about Molin. Don't you want to hear it?"
"......"
Worried about Molin, I decided not to be coy. "Go ahead!"
Lianchi picked up the teapot and poured me a cup of tea, handing it to me.
"The reaper I sent out to search has returned with a report. They didn't find Qin Ling there. So at that time, there were only two possibilities: first, his soul dissipated on its own or was consumed by a Vengeful Spirit from the Underworld. Second, it returned to Molin in the Underworld Palace."
"So now it's the second possibility?"
Lianchi nodded. I lowered my head to sip the tea, noticing my hands trembling slightly.
"I think when you were with Qin Ling, you also saw the changes in his hair and the darkness in his brows, right? Qin Ling was already incomplete in soul and couldn't become a whole person. It was the King who used his own spiritual power to give Qin Ling a new life and then employed magic to transfer Molin's original soul into Qin Ling. When Qin Ling's hair completely turns black, Molin's soul will fully enter his body. Moreover, when Qin Ling is injured, Molin's soul will heal him. Qin Ling has a strong will; during his continuous killings, he tried to supplement himself with the soul of a Vengeful Spirit, but unfortunately, he couldn't successfully merge them and instead suffered backlash. This backlash weakened his own one soul and three spirits, causing the magic to reverse, making Molin stronger. Did you see the darkness around his neck? That's the best proof of their soul struggle."
"So this really is Molin now?"
Lianchi took the cup I was gripping tightly and held my hand.
"Anxin, he is both Molin and Qin Ling. The will of Qin Ling hasn't completely vanished; their souls are incompatible and are engaged in an open struggle. When that darkness covers his entire face, they will both be lost forever. The King desires this outcome and is forcing you to make a choice—to save Molin."
My palms were clammy with sweat. I clearly remembered how the King had said from the beginning that whether or not Molin could be saved depended on my choice. I had always thought it was a lie; I never expected it to be true.
My heart wavered between feeling deceived and struggling with resentment and anger.
I rarely hated anyone this much; the King was definitely one of them.
"He knows everything, knows our purpose, yet pretends not to. He waits for us to come knocking, wanting to watch as we fall into traps one by one, struggling for our lives only to beg him? Ha! He toys with others like this; one day he will face retribution!"
Lianchi rarely wore a smile, and his face, slightly lowered, appeared as pale as water. He let out a deep sigh, as if trying to expel all the breath from his body.
"I suppose you've seen the one with heterochromia, right?"
"Yes." I pulled my hand back and scratched at an itchy spot on my face. "Who exactly is he?"
"Have you heard about the invasion of the Demon Realm into the Underworld to rescue the Demon King?"
I recalled vaguely, saying, "I think Molin mentioned it once, but I don't know the details."
"To seal the Demon King back then, Lord sacrificed a lot. In the end, the Demon King was sealed, but half of his malevolent thoughts escaped."
Lianchi fell silent at this point, as if this matter was not something to be spoken of lightly, almost like a taboo. Yet I understood; I felt a shock within me. The events surrounding Heavenly Horse Soaring were real at this very moment.
Silence lingered for a long time, with neither of us speaking until suddenly it started to rain outside. The sound of rain broke the tranquility around us, prompting me to say, "These matters are beyond my control, and I feel powerless to intervene. All I want is to protect my friends, even if it's just once; that would be enough."
Lianchi shuddered and rubbed his face with both hands. "There are only two ways to save Molin."
"What are they?"
"One is to use a similar soul to repair and merge with him; ideally, it should be a relative's soul."
"But I've never heard him mention his family. The only one I know about is his sister Jian Rou, who is already dead. Even Shizui doesn't know her whereabouts."
"Then there's only the second method."
"Using the blood of a Demon Fetus to save him. But if you do that, your child will die in the womb."
My hand trembled, nearly knocking over the teacup beside me.
Lianchi sighed, "The King loved Su Yi dearly back in the day, but Su Yi only loved Lord until her death. At that time, the King was controlled by the dark thoughts of the Demon King, and he did things that could never be undone. Over the past thousand years, things have improved a lot, but when he learned that Lord was once again searching for your reincarnation, everything returned to the past."
"In the end, it's just jealousy—jealousy of being possessed by someone else while he cannot have it."
"Indeed." Lianchi nodded in agreement, his expression filled with an unshakeable melancholy. "Having followed him for so long, I know his nature well. Ultimately, the only one he wants to drive to death is himself."
"Can such a ghost really drive himself to death? Ha ha." I smiled noncommittally and said nothing more. Lianchi also remained silent as he stood up to leave. "Oh, by the way, since we've opened up today, let me tell you one more thing."
"What is it?"
"Stunning's plan to send you to the Underworld—he eventually found out about it. That's why he pretended to be taken away; in reality, he was locked up."
"Does Jun Chong know about this?"
"I guess he will."
I also guessed that Jun Chong must have known; otherwise, there wouldn't have been that scene with Little Bugs. With the Blood Flame Sword in hand, my ability to protect myself increased a bit, which must have put him at ease!
"Where is Stunning locked up?"
"I don't know that either, but it must be in the Underworld Palace. Oh, and this morning Rong Zhi came here; the King met with him privately."
I pressed my lips together as Lianchi said nothing more and left.
I looked outside at the light rain; this was the first time I had seen rain since arriving in the Underworld. As soon as it rained, the weather turned even colder. The chill and dampness struck me from both sides, making it quite uncomfortable.
I never asked Lianchi which side he stood on. Many times, even if people are in different positions, they can still make similar choices.
"Since Shizui has come, then Jun Chong must have already begun to act!"
I touched my belly and stared blankly at the rain.
I didn't know how long it had been when I saw Aunt Song approaching with a stranger, a maid. She was exquisite and beautiful, not at all like an ordinary maid. Her demeanor was reserved yet graceful, and just the way she walked gave off an air of elegance.
Aunt Song and the maid both bowed to me, and then Aunt Song said, "Miss Anxin, this ghost is named Rou Er. She has been sent by the king to serve you."
"Rou Er?" The name sounded somewhat familiar, but I couldn't recall why. She looked pleasant enough, so I didn't object. "Since she's here, let her stay!"
"Yes," Rou Er replied with a bow.
Aunt Song patted her shoulder and said, "Serve Miss Anxin well; there must be no mistakes."
"The servant understands."
"Miss Anxin, I will take my leave now."
"Alright."
I stood at the door without moving, while Rou Er stood quietly beside me, watching the rain grow heavier. Suddenly, she spoke up, "Miss, the rain in the underworld is mixed with intense yin energy. I heard Aunt Song mention that your health is not good. It would be best not to catch a chill. Shall I help you back to rest?"
I glanced at her. This woman had been forced upon me by the king, who claimed it would be a pity if I missed out on her service. So I held some suspicion towards her, but still nodded in agreement. "Back to my room."
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