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墨書 Inktalez
Second pushed hard against the wall, but it showed no response, as solid as an iron barrier.
“Second, there's no need to rush. Let's take it easy,” Seven said from below the stone steps.
The flashlight had been turned on, and after finding the lamp, it was switched off. The crimson flame flickered and slowly brightened.
Now, the group found themselves in a Stone Path made of stacked bricks, mostly a bluish-gray color. The Stone Path was about two meters high and only one meter wide, allowing only one person to walk at a time.
Wang Er Gou remarked, “Could this be an escape route?” They had arrived in an unknown place in a way that few of them could believe, and their emotions were still unsettled.
They also forgot to ask Third how he knew about the Ancient Script and how they managed to get in.
Cautiously, they entered the Stone Path and walked deeper inside.
“This might really be the escape passage Wang Er Gou mentioned,” Seven said.
The distance of the Stone Path wasn't long, about ten meters. Upon reaching the end, they encountered stone steps leading downwards, about three or four steps. After descending, they found another similar Stone Path, slightly longer than the previous one, but they quickly traversed it. After finishing that path, the Stone Path turned again, just like before with several steps.
However, along the walls of the Stone Path, lamps were placed every few meters, making their journey relatively obstacle-free.
The walls and floor of the Stone Path were covered in cobwebs, with some moss creeping along. It was clear that no one had been here for a long time.
As the flame ignited, the cobwebs were instantly destroyed by the heat, leaving nothing behind. A few small spiders caught in the strands quickly scurried up towards the ceiling.
Their voices echoed in this narrow passageway.
The four moved forward in formation: Seven led the way while Second brought up the rear. The path was so narrow that only one person could pass at a time. They walked forward in unison.
After advancing for a while, Seven said, “This doesn’t seem like an escape route.” The path twisted and turned sharply. Since entering, they had been constantly changing direction.
"Those who build roads aren't that foolish," Second remarked. "If they were escaping, they wouldn't take so many twists and turns. They'd be dizzy by now!"
Seven examined the materials that made up the Stone Path and said, "I'm afraid this place is meant for refuge!"
Third added, "It's very likely a shelter."
"In the past, during times when the four regions weren't fully stabilized, some prominent families or major sects would construct secret places for refuge!" Third concluded.
Walking at the back, Second commented, "How can one find refuge on such a narrow path?"
Seven chuckled, "Just wait a moment; there will be a spacious area ahead."
"According to Third, there might be treasures hidden here belonging to those wealthy and powerful individuals. We might strike it rich soon."
The others remained noncommittal. Seven was always eager for wealth, a habit he couldn't shake off from his days in Beikou City.
They continued forward, navigating several more turns. With each turn, they descended about a meter underground, meaning they were now approximately eight or nine meters below ground level.
"Damn it," Second exclaimed. "I'm feeling a bit dizzy." As Seven led the way, he lit the lantern after a while. The kerosene had been stored for too long, and a rancid smell filled the air, making everyone feel slightly nauseous.
This back-and-forth seemed endless! Each of them shared this thought.
Feeling somewhat fatigued, Second finally asked, "What was that all about earlier? How did you manage to write those strange characters?"
Right! Second exclaimed loudly. "I told you that wherever that woman is, nothing good comes of it. Now it's proven true."
Seven added, "It seems this isn't just a coincidence after all."
“Seductive Beauty,” Second exclaimed.
After Second finished speaking, Third finally spoke up, “I can’t really explain why, but when I stood beneath the Altar, I couldn’t take my eyes off the gaze of the Divine Countenance.”
“And then it felt like I entered another world.”
The others didn’t interrupt Third. They happened to encounter a teacher who was giving a lesson. Out of curiosity, Third leaned against the window to listen in. The language being spoken was not Chinese.
“I don’t even know what language it was. Anyway, I couldn’t understand it,” Third continued calmly.
The teacher was instructing only a little girl. With a focused gaze, the teacher wrote some characters on paper with a brush, teaching the girl to read in that strange language.
Third glanced at the characters on the paper, which resembled those inscribed on the walls of an ancient temple. However, Third couldn’t be sure. After all, these peculiar characters generally looked similar, and Third couldn’t distinguish them. As the Teacher earnestly taught the little girl, Third followed along, even though they had no idea what was being said.
Before long, Third memorized the entire text of symbols. At that moment, the little girl also learned it. The Teacher gently stroked her graying beard and smiled at the girl.
The little girl suddenly burst into joyous laughter and glanced out the window as if by chance. Then she surprisingly recited the characters she had just learned in Chinese.
Holding up the paper with the written characters, the little girl read aloud in her tender voice. Each word struck Third like thunder!
Every word felt as heavy as a thousand pounds; Third listened intently, afraid to miss any single word. The little girl spoke Chinese fluently.
Once she finished reciting, the Teacher remarked in Chinese, “This child is teachable! Truly teachable.”
At that moment, Third felt as if a giant stone had been thrown into a calm lake, creating waves of astonishment.
Taking a deep breath, Third concluded, “That was ‘sorcery.’”
Even Wang Er Gou couldn't help but exclaim, repeating Third's words, "Witchcraft!"
Wasn't witchcraft supposed to have been extinct thousands of years ago? How could it still exist now?
Seven added, "When I was flipping through an antique book," he quickly mentioned the antique book, intending to refer to ancient texts.
Second glanced at Seven with a smile, while Wang Er Gou looked on in surprise. Third, however, showed no reaction.
Seven chuckled and added, "Close enough, close enough." He composed himself and said, "That book records a witchcraft artifact made of bronze. Just looking at it on paper makes it seem exquisite and absolutely beautiful. It also gives off an ethereal feeling. If I could get my hands on it, it would definitely be a rare treasure."
Second remarked, "Seven, you really have a deep understanding of these unorthodox practices!"
Seven smiled in agreement.
Afterward, the little girl went to a certain place, and I followed her. The little girl joyfully skipped along, occasionally glancing back. Third always managed to cleverly avoid being seen.
Soon, Third followed the little girl to a family shrine. Inside, there surprisingly hung a portrait. Third paused as he mentioned this.
Curious, the others asked, "Who is the person in the portrait?"
Third shook his head and said, "At that moment, I woke up and found that I couldn't move my body; later, I was scorched by the sun."
Upon hearing this, everyone shifted their gaze aside as if nothing had happened. Wang Er Gou felt even more guilty since he had come up with this ridiculous idea! He felt more uneasy than the other two.
Fortunately, Third did not pursue the matter further. When I woke up, I realized it had all been a dream. Yet my body couldn't move, as if telling me this was not just a dream.
Seven asked, "Third, what does that phrase mean when translated into a call?"
Third organized his thoughts and replied, "The way of honoring the gods; Divine Countenance's path; the way of life; the way of heaven and earth; humans arise from the earth's essence; the earth arises from heaven's vitality; heaven arises from all beings. That's what those seven lines say."
A few people were still struggling to understand. It was rather bitter and confusing.
"Calmly," Second said, "could you explain it directly?" Third smiled wryly and replied, "It's a spell, but I don't really understand it; I only remember the literal meaning."
Third continued, "Earlier, I noticed that the wall could sink in. Later, when we were chasing the suspect, we fell for a diversion tactic. When we returned, all the characters had been destroyed."
At that moment, Seven spoke up, "I get it now. All those years of rumors about the haunted ancient temple were orchestrated by someone to keep people away from it."
Third pondered for a moment and said, "I suspect that the fortune teller from decades ago is still alive. He told a colossal lie."
Wang Er Gou asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Third replied, "It hasn't been verified yet. Once we get out of here, some things might become clearer."
"So you're saying that this fire could also have been set by that fortune teller?" Second inquired.
Third nodded and said, "It's possible."
"We've fallen into another quagmire; we need to investigate until everything is clear," Third added.
"He clearly wants to put us in danger. There must be some unspeakable secret he doesn't want us to uncover," Seven remarked.
"Yes, he never intended for us to survive," Third agreed.
Wang Er Gou optimistically said, "At least we haven't perished in flames."
After listening to everyone, Second realized that the ghost from last time was also fake. "Damn it! How dare they pretend to be a ghost and scare me? Once I find you, I'll definitely snap your neck, you bastard!"
Speaking of necks made Second recall what had happened last night.
Seven looked at Seven with a faint smile, while Second paused, casting an angry glance at Seven. Only then did Seven awkwardly retract the smile.
Third said, "As soon as I fully woke up, I had to verify my thoughts. I traced the characters, and indeed, it worked."
Second continued, "Then we ended up in this cursed place."
"There's always a way out," Third said. "Don't be discouraged."
Second grinned and said, "I'm not the type to cling to life; I'm not afraid of death! Whether I die early or late, it's all just a wasted life."
Seven praised, "Still as bold as ever, Second."
"You little brat, all you know how to do is talk."
Meanwhile, Wang Er Gou was still pondering the matter of witchcraft, and Third had more to say. There were many things that couldn't be revealed yet; knowing too much wasn't always a good thing.
The group continued to push forward along the narrow Stone Path, which seemed endless and twisted. They had likely descended over ten meters underground by now; the ground was already somewhat damp, filled with moisture.
From the gaps in the Stone Path, plants had sprouted, lush and green, glistening with droplets of water.
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