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墨書 Inktalez
Big Black was momentarily stunned before he took off running. The night was still dark, and the cold wind howled, accompanied by a light drizzle that seeped into every pore of his body, chilling him to the bone.
He stumbled several times along the way but finally made it home. He dove under the covers, pulling them over his head, and didn't come out all night. It wasn't until dawn that Big Black emerged from his cocoon; with light came courage, as was common knowledge among people.
Having not slept a wink all night, he was still in bed when he heard someone knocking at the door. The sound started off loud and gradually became softer.
Big Black was terrified. Could it be that they had come looking for him again? Hadn't he already promised to leave them alone?
Knowing he couldn't hide forever, he prepared to get up.
After what seemed like a long wait outside, the person finally spoke up, "Is anyone in there?" Instinctively, Big Black replied, "No one."
The person outside paused for a moment before continuing, "I am here to help you avert disaster."
A weight settled in Big Black's heart as he rolled out of bed. When he opened the door, a figure resembling a Taoist priest stood at the entrance, looking somewhat authentic.
Quickly stepping aside, Big Black invited the priest in with respect, saying, "Master, please come inside."
Once the priest was seated, Big Black pulled out a pack of imported cigarettes from his pocket and offered one to him.
The priest frowned slightly. Realizing his mistake, Big Black hurriedly withdrew the cigarette. To his surprise, before he could fully put it away, the priest took it from his hand and placed it in his mouth, gesturing for Big Black to light it for him.
Big Black was taken aback but complied and lit the cigarette.
After taking a deep drag, the priest said, "I happened to pass through this area and sensed an ominous presence. I followed my instincts here because I have always been kind-hearted. Thus, I have come to help you resolve this matter."
Big Black still felt uncertain. Could a smoking Taoist really possess any skills? But desperate times called for desperate measures; he was willing to try anything at this point.
He recounted the entire situation to the priest. After listening attentively, the priest nodded repeatedly.
Big Black couldn't help but doubt the abilities of the Taoist priest.
Finally, he stared at the priest, who seemed oblivious to Big Black's gaze. The priest eventually said, "Tonight, we will perform the ritual."
After all that had been said, this was the most reliable statement.
Big Black sold some antiques for a bit of money and then bought the necessary items for the ritual. By nightfall, surprisingly, the wind and snow had calmed down, and the Big Dipper hung in one corner of the sky. The moon shone brightly.
Big Black set up a table at the entrance.
However, when the priest stepped outside, he declared that performing the ritual here would be ineffective; they needed to go to the place where the deceased was located.
With no other choice, Big Black agreed and took the priest to where Haruko had died.
The priest observed the celestial phenomena, scooped up a handful of soil from the ground, sniffed it, and then rubbed it between his fingers, feeling a surge of joy inside.
But seeing others nearby, he had to suppress his excitement.
The priest instructed Big Black to arrange the items for the ritual.
After casually humming and creating a few sparks, he told Big Black, "The ritual is complete. Within seven days, he will be reborn as a human."
Upon hearing this, Big Black felt a wave of joy. He continuously burned paper money and even sent off two beautiful girls in spirit form.
Then he left with the priest. On their way back, the priest looked at the sky again, calculated something with his fingers, and said there was a place nearby that was facing great danger and they needed to leave. Thus, he parted ways with Big Black midway.
Big Black was glad about this and didn't try to hold him back.
Big Black let out a sigh of relief, finally resolving one issue. Days passed peacefully.
One night, as Big Black went to sleep as usual, a fierce wind howled outside, making it impossible to keep the door shut. It sounded as if a ghost was wailing in despair. Terrified, Big Black curled up in a corner.
Thinking it was just an accident, Big Black was startled again the next day when the same eerie sounds returned.
Determined to find answers, Big Black hurried to a nearby temple over the following days and sought out a highly skilled Taoist priest to explain the recent events.
After calculating with his fingers, the priest turned to Big Black and said, "You are about to face great danger."
The priest followed Big Black to the location in question and discovered that the Tomb had been robbed, with everything inside missing. Big Black's face turned ashen as he cursed inwardly, "Damn it! I ran into someone from the same profession who cleaned out the Tomb."
The priest examined the surrounding landscape and celestial signs before stating, "This was done by a powerful individual; they even dared to rob the Tomb of an Evil Spirit."
Currently, the Evil Spirit was trapped inside by some method employed by this thief.
Big Black felt a wave of dread wash over him at the priest's words. He quickly asked, "Master, what should I do now?"
Over these past few days, Big Black had been so tormented that he hardly resembled himself anymore. His eyes were vacant, he hadn’t rested well, and his spirit was utterly depleted.
The priest pondered for a moment before saying, "You must descend and rescue him; then perform another rite of passage. Otherwise, if he escapes on his own, he will haunt you for eternity."
Big Black felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, chills running through his body. Summoning his courage, he asked the priest, "When is the best time to go down?"
The priest replied, "Now is the time; the yang energy is strong, and he cannot harm you."
Big Black nodded and took a deep breath, trying to suppress his fear.
As he descended into the tomb, the Taoist priest handed him a protective talisman. Big Black took it, unsure of its effectiveness.
Climbing down the rope, Big Black found the tomb damp, with sunlight barely reaching a small area. Once inside, his heart raced with anxiety. He searched around for a moment before softly calling out Haruko's name.
Venturing deeper, Big Black discovered that the tomb was more expansive than he initially thought. On one wall, he spotted an opening, suggesting there might be another hidden world within. However, at that moment, he lacked the courage to explore further.
Summoning his bravery, Big Black called out again for Haruko and finally received a response—a voice that sounded sorrowful and cold. The chilling tone sent shivers down his spine, but he pressed on, shouting Haruko's name once more.
Soon after, he heard another reply coming from the opening. Big Black deduced that it was a burrow, likely created by that fake Taoist.
Leaning closer to the entrance, Big Black called out again for Haruko and clearly heard her say, "I'm here."
Gathering his courage, he crawled inside. It was pitch black within, so he ignited the firestarter he carried with him. The moment it lit up, the space became illuminated, revealing a shocking sight.
Before him lay an underground palace with a coffin placed in the center—one that had clearly been opened before.
Haruko's voice echoed again, growing closer and intensifying the eerie atmosphere that instilled fear deep within him.
"Haruko, where are you?" Big Black asked.
"I'm in the coffin," she replied. His heart raced as he began moving toward it.
As he approached, a green light emanated from within the coffin. "I... am... here," her voice came again.
Big Black edged closer to the coffin's edge and shone the light inside.
All that could be seen was a completely transparent figure, pinned to the bottom of a coffin by a talisman, unable to move. He had completely transformed into a soul.
Big Black trembled and asked, "What should I do?"
Haruko replied, "You just need to tear off the talisman." Haruko's form was becoming increasingly thin, weakening to the point of almost dissipating.
Big Black carefully tore the talisman. As soon as it was ripped away, Haruko lunged at Big Black, hands reaching for his neck.
Big Black panicked and didn’t react in time, but fortunately, he had a life-saving talisman given by a Taoist priest. Haruko was repelled.
Gasping for breath, Big Black felt as if he were still being choked.
Haruko lay on the ground, temporarily unable to move. Big Black struggled and began to run outside.
From within came Haruko's voice, "Don't run; I won't harm you anymore."
Big Black halted in his tracks and asked, "Really? Or is that a lie?"
Haruko said, "I know you didn't mean to hurt me; I won't take revenge on you."
Upon hearing this, Big Black turned back. Looking at Haruko still lying on the ground, he sighed and said, "Haruko, this time it was my fault."
Haruko remained silent.
Big Black continued, "Last time I trusted someone else and almost got you harmed." After a pause, he added, "If you can trust me this time, I will personally invite a Taoist from Maoshan to perform a ritual for you."
Haruko still did not speak.
Big Black seemed to have made a decision. "If something goes wrong this time, I’m willing to become a ghost and accompany you down there."
Haruko finally looked up at Big Black, and when their eyes met, Big Black felt a chill run down his spine.
Haruko nodded, as if to agree.
Big Black quickly left the place.
When the Taoist saw that Big Black had safely returned, he knew the task was accomplished.
That night, the Taoist performed a ritual to help Haruko move on. As he was leaving, he told Haruko, "You have been tainted by death energy; the consequences are dire. You need to dispel this by marrying a wife!"
After saying this, the Taoist bid farewell to Big Black.
Now it was Big Black's turn to worry. Setting aside whether he had money or not, who would be willing to marry him after all the foolish things he had done in the past?
That night, Big Black tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Suddenly, a cool breeze swept through, and he fell into a deep slumber. Haruko appeared in his dreams, understanding his predicament.
He left some treasures near the Tomb as a token of gratitude.
When Big Black woke up, he was drenched in cold sweat. The next day, still with a mindset of giving it a try, he went to that place. Sure enough, he dug up some treasures next to the Tomb. Among them was an exquisite item tied with a golden string that shimmered like metal in the sunlight, slightly blinding. Two symbols resembling characters were engraved on it. However, Big Black could not read. Yet, due to his years of experience in tomb raiding, he recognized it as a valuable item—small and delicate with an impressive appearance. Holding it felt somewhat awkward for him, so ultimately, Big Black decided to hang it around his neck.
Suddenly, Big Black shivered as if he heard a ghostly voice rising from the Nine Hells below: "Finally, there is someone to carry on."
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