Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
I got up and had something to eat, then I tugged at Jun Chong's sleeve and asked, "Has Shizui arrived? Is there any news?"
"I've already met Molin's master, but there wasn't much more said."
Molin's soul was unstable; staying in the underworld for recovery was actually the best option. However, a person's soul couldn't be away from their body for too long. Even if there was no way to mend the soul, it was essential to get him back into his body as soon as possible.
Molin was a mortal. Once his body died, even if his soul survived, it was still considered dead. So Shizui decided to take him back to the Sect; perhaps there were other methods available.
I nodded, feeling a heaviness in my heart. Shizui was clearly in so much pain, yet Jun Chong and I were blissfully in love. Although he never said anything and only smiled lightly, I knew he must be missing Jian Rou deeply, just as I had missed Jun Chong when I saw him reunite with Jian Rou.
Now Molin was his only hope. I clasped my hands together and prayed to the heavens, hoping for Molin's safety. No matter how difficult the road ahead might be, it was better than dying like this.
If it weren't for Jun Chong saying that Hikaki wouldn't save those without fate, I would have dragged him along to Heavenly Pool Mountain to find Hikaki. But Hikaki had such a peculiar temperament; once he decided against something, not even ten oxen could pull him back. So I let it go.
The next morning, I woke up early on purpose. Jun Chong was still resting, while Taotie had already come to prepare breakfast. Tao Wu was his assistant and was now responsible for our meals. Even Jun Chong, who rarely ate human food, would have some. However, Taotie didn’t live here; he still ran his Small Restaurant but made sure our meals were ready on time three times a day.
I pulled back the curtains to let the light brighten the living room. I opened the floor-to-ceiling windows and stepped out onto the balcony, watching people come and go on the street below. The high-tech designs and planning were all so familiar; cars drove away and returned one after another. It all felt so familiar, yet we had almost not returned.
Coming back here made me realize that this place, where I had lived for over twenty years, held emotions after all. At least between the underworld and the human realm, my choice had always been the latter.
It was only late August now; we had been gone for less than two months, yet it felt like years had passed. That adventure had been thrilling and required courage. Each peril demanded not just good luck but also taught me how to protect myself.
I remembered when I first met Jun Chong; he tested whether I could protect myself. He was powerful but faced many dangers and couldn't always look after me. So being able to protect myself well was the best comfort I could give him.
Since Jun Chong's spiritual power hadn't recovered and he couldn't use the Sealing Spell effectively, it wasn't convenient for him to go out. Therefore, I went back home with Tao Wu for a visit and spent a few days living with my parents. Seeing their smiles made me feel that being alive was truly wonderful.
"I've gotten off the train; I'll stop by the supermarket before coming back. Didn't Taotie say he hasn't had time to come over lately? I'm going to buy some food to cook."
As soon as I got off the train, I called Jun Chong. He was relieved to hear I was safe and quickly hung up.
"What should I do today?" I pondered as I made my way to the supermarket. Passing by a street, I noticed a crowd gathered outside a new Photography Studio that had just opened, seemingly offering many discounts.
I smiled slightly; Shizui had excellent photography skills, and his business had thrived back then. Unfortunately, he was no longer around, and the shop had temporarily closed. However, due to a pillar inside, the space couldn't be rented or sold, leaving it empty.
After casually picking up some ingredients at the supermarket, I hurried back home. As I was about to exit, I looked down at my phone and didn’t see a woman approaching me. I accidentally bumped into her and knocked her things to the ground. She was dressed in dusty gray clothes, looking quite disheveled.
Since it was my fault for not paying attention, I immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." I bent down to pick up her scattered belongings and handed them to her, only to realize she hadn’t reacted at all. Normally, people would respond or even scold me if they were in a bad mood.
"Miss, are you okay?"
I looked at her curiously; her pupils were unusually dark and larger than most people's, while the whites of her eyes were strikingly bright, giving me an unsettling feeling.
She emanated a strange aura that reminded me of something from the Underworld but wasn’t quite the same—something complex that I couldn't quite articulate. Although I had encountered many unusual beings before and could sense otherworldly presences, I didn’t truly understand them.
"I'm fine."
She numbly accepted the bag from me, her voice weak and barely audible. Her cheeks were unusually flushed, resembling the rosy hue one gets when running a fever. Then she turned and walked into the supermarket.
I watched her curiously; her hands had felt quite cold earlier.
"Could it be that she's possessed by some ghostly entity?" I mused aloud. "She must be sick; there can't be that many strange occurrences. She doesn’t have any deathly aura; maybe I'm just misreading things."
Shaking my head, I carried my bag home and didn’t think much more about it in the following days.
Before I knew it, early September arrived. Jun Chong needed a significant amount of time each day to recuperate, but no matter how hard he tried, the Sealing Spell continued to linger.
Meanwhile, there had been no news from the Su Family. Jun Chong advised me against reaching out to them directly. "Why not? The sooner we act, the greater our chances against Molin."
"Don't forget, the Su Family has countless ties with you," Jun Chong interrupted me, pinching my nose between his fingers and leaning in closer. "Even if we need the Soulstone, it's always better to have it delivered to us rather than begging for it. So, one word: wait."
I understood that Jun Chong wanted me to have enough leverage to suppress the Su Family, rather than allowing them to oppress me. Even though I felt uneasy about Molin's situation, waiting was necessary.
There had been no news from Shizui for a while, and Lianchi was also silent, including Mu Yan. Everything seemed to have come to a standstill, making the days drag on slowly.
That day, I sat on the sofa watching television while Jun Chong was meditating in the bedroom. Out of boredom, I flipped through local news to catch up on what was happening in my city.
"Hey, isn't that the woman from the other day?"
I recognized the woman in the news report; her photo looked somewhat familiar. Her eyes weren't as strikingly clear as they had been that day, but I remembered her name.
She had dropped her student ID during our encounter, which identified her as a university student from my school. Her name was quite unique—Shi Qingqing—so it stuck with me.
The news reported that she had become increasingly withdrawn since late August. She ignored everyone around her; although she had never been particularly outgoing, she used to communicate with her family. They thought she was under a lot of pressure and tried taking her out to relieve stress, but it was completely ineffective. Eventually, they took her to see a psychologist, who diagnosed her with depression.
Depression isn't something young people today should feel ashamed about; after all, it's a condition that can be treated if one learns how to cope with stress.
Her family worked hard to support her with medication and counseling, but instead of improving, her condition worsened. She began talking to herself in front of the mirror every night at midnight. Her family watched in fear; no matter how much they tried to pull her away or talk sense into her during those moments, it was futile. She would still be there, conversing with her reflection as if it were someone she cherished deeply.
Then three days ago, Shi Qingqing suddenly fell into a deep sleep for no apparent reason. Her family noticed something was wrong and rushed her to the hospital. The doctors said she was in a deep coma but found nothing physically wrong with her—a perplexing situation that led her family to seek help from the media in hopes of saving their daughter.
Given the strange nature of her condition, I immediately searched online after watching the news. Many speculated that she might be possessed by a spirit. Coupled with the odd energy I sensed that day, I couldn't wait for Jun Chong to come out; I eagerly pulled him into the living room.
Jun Chong wrapped his arms around me and grinned mischievously. "So enthusiastic—there must be some conspiracy here." He licked my earlobe and whispered seductively in my ear as his hand slipped under my shirt and began to roam restlessly. "Without some reward, I won't be giving anything back!"
"Hey! Jun Chong!" I pulled his hand out from under my shirt and said very seriously, "You are the Lord of the Abyss, the former King of Hell, a high and mighty Male Ghost! You possess an overwhelming aura of power and charm—how can your mind be filled with such unhealthy thoughts?"
"Unhealthy? Are you saying I'm unhealthy?"
Jun Chong's gaze darkened, like a night suddenly devoid of light, evoking a sense of fear.
He turned my body and pressed me against the sofa. The dangerous aura that seeped out with his dimming eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by a rogue's demeanor. "How can something unhealthy give rise to Heart Eyes? If you're unhealthy, how come you keep getting more beautiful? Or do you think Heart Eyes and you are just products of my unhealthiness?"
Oh my! I was going crazy. If anyone saw Jun Chong in this rogue-like state, wearing a look of a forsaken woman’s grievance on that strikingly handsome face, no one would believe he was the Lord of the Abyss.
Yet, this appearance made it hard to let go.
This was his unique charm—ruthless to the outside world but tender as water to one person.
"Alright!" In the face of such charm, my choice had always been surrender, as I couldn't resist that overwhelming aura. "But right now, there's something I need your professional opinion on."
Jun Chong raised an eyebrow, arrogantly lifting his chin. He rested one hand on the armrest of the sofa and crossed his legs, exuding an undeniable air of dominance. The fleeting glances exchanged between us didn’t feel awkward; instead, they made my heart race.
My face felt warm as I turned away, grabbing my notebook to show him the news report and the netizens' comments. "That day, I did feel a presence similar to Underworld; it felt very dark, but I couldn't pinpoint what kind it was. It was somewhat different from what Death carries."
"Are you concerned about ghosts and inexplicable presences?"
I nodded. "So what do you think it could be? Could it be magic?"
"You think your husband is all-knowing? Can I tell just by looking at a computer?" Jun Chong poked my forehead with his finger. "Go rest for a bit; tonight we’ll go to the hospital to check on that woman."
Comment 0 Comment Count