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墨書 Inktalez
Three days later, with a simple backpack slung over my shoulder, I set off on my journey deep into Daxing'anling.
After a bumpy ride, I finally arrived at a village called Yueya Gou.
As soon as I got off the bus, I sensed something was off.
The place was eerie, and the air was thick with a musty odor that sent chills down my spine.
The village was small, with only a few dozen households scattered at the foot of the mountain. The houses were dilapidated, their walls peeling to reveal dark, rotting wood beneath.
I walked along the uneven path into the village, flanked by overgrown weeds taller than me. The wind rustled through them, creating a haunting sound.
My heart raced; the silence was unnerving—there wasn't even a bird chirping.
I spotted a few villagers sitting by the roadside, their gazes vacant, resembling lifeless statues.
Approaching them cautiously, I greeted them tentatively, “Hello, could you tell me where the Old Village Chief lives?”
They slowly turned their heads to look at me with strange expressions, remaining silent.
Their stares were cold and hollow, as if they were looking at a corpse.
Feeling uneasy under their gaze, I asked again, “Where can I find the Old Village Chief?”
An elderly woman suddenly spoke up, “What do you want with him?”
Her voice was raspy and sent shivers down my spine.
“I have a few questions for him,” I replied, trying to maintain my composure.
The woman scrutinized me from head to toe, her eyes filled with suspicion. “Who are you? Where did you come from?”
“I’m from the city,” I explained. “I heard there’s a place called Yue Yuan Xu here and wanted to learn more about it.”
As soon as I mentioned Yue Yuan Xu, the villagers’ expressions changed dramatically.
Some looked terrified, others angry, and a few even showed signs of disgust.
The atmosphere grew tense; it felt as if the air had thickened around us.
I felt like I had fallen into an ice pit, chills spreading through my body.
“N-no… never heard of it…” the elderly woman stammered, her gaze darting away from mine in fear.
The other villagers echoed her words in unison: “Never heard of it…” “Don’t know…” “Stop asking foolish questions…”
They repeated these phrases like robots, their tones mechanical and devoid of emotion.
A sense of dread washed over me; something was definitely amiss here. I resolved to find the Old Village Chief first before proceeding further.
Guided by another villager, I found the home of the Old Village Chief. I knocked on the door, and a fit of coughing came from inside.
"Who is it?" an aged voice inquired.
"Old man, I’ve come from the city to ask you about something," I replied.
With a creak, the door opened, revealing a stooped old man at the threshold. His face was lined with wrinkles, and he carried a strong scent of herbs.
"Come in," the Old Village Chief beckoned me inside.
The room was dimly lit and the air was thick with dust. I got straight to the point, wanting to learn about Yue Yuan Xu.
The Old Village Chief's expression darkened, and a flicker of barely concealed fear crossed his eyes.
"Youth," he sighed, "there are some things you shouldn’t ask about, and some things you shouldn’t know."
"But..." I began to explain, but he interrupted me.
"I know nothing," he said firmly, "you should leave." I wanted to ask more, but the Old Village Chief turned away and ignored me.
With no choice left, I stood up to take my leave.
As I stepped out of the Old Village Chief's home, I felt more certain that this village was hiding some secret. At that moment, I noticed a Black Cat following me; it crouched in the corner, its green eyes fixed on me, sending chills down my spine.
It simply watched me quietly, its gaze filled with mockery.
A growing unease settled in my chest; I felt as if something ominous was about to happen. The sky gradually darkened, making the village even more eerie.
I saw villagers gathered at the entrance of the village, holding strange objects in their hands as if they were performing some kind of ritual.
I crept closer to see what was happening.
Suddenly, a shadow appeared before me, blocking my path.
"Don't go any further!" a hoarse voice warned me.
I looked up to see an old woman dressed in black, her sharp gaze cutting through the air like a knife.
"Who are you?" I asked warily.
"Don't ask what you shouldn't," the old woman said coldly. "Don't know what you shouldn't."
"I..." I was about to speak when the old woman suddenly grabbed my arm, holding me tightly and rendering me immobile.
"Come with me." She pulled me along, leading me out of the village.
The old woman brought me to a broken stone tablet at the edge of the village. The inscriptions on the tablet were faint and unclear. As I strained to read them, I realized they resembled the symbols that had fallen from the man's wooden plaque in the clinic.
"What is this?" I asked, pointing at the inscriptions on the stone.
The old woman did not answer; she merely sighed deeply, her eyes filled with sorrow. Suddenly, she grasped my hand and pressed it against the stone tablet. A chill emanated from it, spreading through my entire body in an instant.
I felt dizzy, and everything before my eyes began to blur. It was as if I could hear piercing screams echoing around me. Fear gripped me, and I tried to pull my hand back, but it felt as if it were firmly glued to the stone, unable to move.
At that moment, the Old Village Chief appeared, trembling as he approached me. With a tone that was almost pleading, he said, "Young man, please, leave this place. This is not where you belong."
I saw tears glistening in the Old Village Chief's eyes; his face was etched with pain and despair. He took my hand and trembled as he spoke, "Yue Yuan Xu... it's a curse... it's hell..."
He recounted an ancient legend in broken phrases—a terrifying tale about a full moon night, rituals, and sacrifices. He told me that Yue Yuan Xu was a cursed place where a mysterious market appeared every full moon night, gathering all sorts of monsters and ghosts.
To survive, villagers had no choice but to trade with these creatures, exchanging living souls for food and water. The Old Village Chief's voice grew weaker, his breaths more labored. With his last ounce of strength, he pointed toward a mountain deep within the village. "There... is the altar... it's the entrance to Yue Yuan Xu..."
With that, the Old Village Chief collapsed to the ground, lifeless. I stared at his body in shock and terror.
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