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墨書 Inktalez
What kind of state is the Dead Monk living in? And what did Chen San experience back then? What "price" did he pay that allowed the monk to let him go?
I was curious as we walked forward, and without any incident, we returned to the original tomb chamber.
Inside the tomb, the Dead Monk had his back to us, his abdomen hollowed out. It looked eerie, and perhaps he had heard our footsteps.
He let out a faint cold laugh but did not turn around.
I began to suspect that this was a scam, a scam concerning the Relic. The East City Ruined Temple had legends about the Relic, which is why so many had come here searching for it, with countless lives lost. And of the nine Relics, it had been forty-five years, yet only one was missing.
Maybe Zhang Dexin was just deceiving us; perhaps there were only eight Relics after all. Eight Relics—over forty-five years, none missing?
If that were true, then this was indeed a scam.
The Dead Monk might need something from the living to maintain his current state.
All three of us felt uneasy. Wang Wei approached me and said, "Saning, if things go wrong, we run immediately. We must not let him see our eyes."
I nodded, though I didn't know what secret my eyes held. Wang Wei only knew part of it, just like how I inadvertently absorbed the Vengeful Spirit into my pupils earlier. That was a secret. But the monk had no soul; I couldn't see anything at all.
Wang Wei held the Sarira as if it were a bag of eggs.
After Wang Wei spoke, silence enveloped us. The Dead Monk seemed to be testing our patience while Chen San's hands had already formed fists.
He had met the Dead Monk once before, which was why he understood what the monk wanted.
Just as I suspected, the monk needed something from the living to continue existing. Chen San took a step forward, then another, and then a third.
Dead Monk never looked back from the beginning. Chen San had already reached a position parallel to the monk, and from Chen San's profile, I could tell how tense he was at that moment.
I was equally anxious.
But just then, it seemed I heard Ke'er call my name. I scanned the area, but I couldn't see Ke'er anywhere. I knew she hadn't gone down the well.
So I suspected it was just an illusion.
However, Ke'er's words kept echoing in my mind: that there was something else here besides Sarira. I had now categorized that something else as this Dead Monk.
Chen San and Dead Monk stood side by side.
I thought I heard them talking, but it didn't seem like "normal human" language; it was something I had never heard before. Perhaps it was a dialect or a foreign language, or maybe even ghostly whispers.
I just couldn't understand what they were saying, which added to my anxiety. Wang Wei's expression fluctuated between dark and light.
Wang Wei asked me, "Saning, what do you think they're whispering about?"
I replied that I had no idea. Wang Wei was also a smart person; he reminded me to be cautious in case things changed unexpectedly. I was worried too!
Wang Wei said, "Saning, if something happens later, you should run first. I'll hold them off for a while."
"What about you?"
Wang Wei gave a bitter smile and said, "I'll be fine. Even if I'm Soul Shattered, I believe you can bring me back. Saning, your eyes are full of mysteries; take your time to explore them, and you'll uncover more secrets."
As Wang Wei spoke, he already wore an expression of heroic determination. I felt a surge of emotion and opened my lips to say something, but in the end, I couldn't bring myself to speak.
"Wang Wei said, 'When you discover the mystery of your eyes, you will surely find me and bring me back.'
This dead Wang Wei was being quite dramatic.
But just then, the voices of Chen San and the monk had stopped. Chen San suddenly turned to us and said, 'You can leave now.'
Wang Wei's previously emotional expression vanished instantly, replaced by a questioning look. 'Is that for real?'
I was equally shocked; it seemed that we could leave just like that. I looked at Chen San, who met my gaze and nodded slightly.
His eyes seemed unusual at that moment, so I asked, 'What about you?'
Chen San fell silent for a moment, while the monk had yet to glance my way. Wang Wei urged me to go, insisting that he would find a way.
I looked at Chen San again, and he forced a smile.
'You guys go ahead; I'll come out later,' he said. There was something eerie about his smile, and I couldn't tell what agreement they had reached or what price Chen San had paid.
Then he added, 'Saning, you should go. I trust you.'
What did that mean? I didn't understand at all—what did he trust me with? Wang Wei had also said he trusted me, even if his soul were to vanish; he believed I could bring him back.
What did Chen San's words signify?
The Dead Monk had a terrifying body, but I believed he lacked a soul, and even his shell was in tatters.
'Let's go; don't waste time waiting for me outside,' Chen San said calmly. His earlier panic had completely disappeared."
Wang Wei leaned in close and whispered that something felt off, urging me to leave. He tugged at my arm and turned to Chen San, saying, "I can't thank you enough. Once you're up here, we'll definitely have a drink together."
Wang Wei pulled me outside, and as we walked away, I glanced back at Chen San's expression. He insisted he could still make it up and reassured me that he believed in me.
Was this a hint about something? But there were too few clues for me to analyze; all I felt was a growing sense of unease.
Chen San and I were merely acquaintances, yet he was willing to sacrifice so much for me and Wang Wei!
At that moment, Chen San's image filled my mind. Suddenly, a thought struck me: perhaps Chen San knew this was the end. Even if I gave my eyes to the monk, Chen San might not escape his grasp either.
Maybe Chen San had lost something here years ago and had returned to reclaim it. Yet in doing so, he might need to sacrifice even more to obtain it.
With that thought, I let out a sigh.
To be honest, I didn't really know Chen San, nor was I aware of his secrets. However, perhaps his secret was related to the Ninth Relic.
Wang Wei urged me to keep moving and suddenly remarked, "Chen San is truly a good person, a genuine one."
Earlier, Wang Wei had been wary of Chen San, but now he praised him.
It seemed that neither Wang Wei nor I truly understood Chen San.
The tomb passage appeared to have returned to normal; just like before, we could follow it straight to the wellhead. It felt like a natural progression.
However, halfway there, I finally heard Ke'er's voice clearly.
"Husband, can you hear Ke'er speaking?"
I stood frozen in place; the Wooden Box remained unopened. I called out, "Is that you, Ke'er?"
Ke'er responded with a sound that was neither cute nor delicate, but rather serious. She said, "Husband, can you help me with something?"
Of course, I agreed first and then asked what she needed.
Wang Wei also stopped in his tracks. He wasn't urging me this time; we both listened to Ke'er speak.
Ke'er continued, "Husband, there is a Wandering Soul at the bottom of this well. Can you help me find it? I just sensed it a moment ago."
A Wandering Soul—there indeed was one at the bottom of the well, but I had no idea what Ke'er meant by it.
Ke'er's voice seemed to take on a tone of pain as she said, "Husband, I can feel that this Wandering Soul is in great distress, and it feels familiar to me."
As I listened to Ke'er, I realized I had only possessed these eyes for a few days. Although I could see some Wandering Souls, I really didn't understand them at all.
For instance, Wang Wei had changed bodies twice, and I couldn't recognize him at a glance, while Jianjian and Ke'er identified him immediately.
I told Ke'er that I would definitely help her find the Wandering Soul.
Perhaps worried that I might not be able to see it, Ke'er turned to Wang Wei and said, "Wang Wei, you should go with my Husband. It would be a favor to me."
Wang Wei agreed, but just then, a heart-wrenching scream suddenly echoed through the tomb passage...
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