C72 A New Journey
In 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' Jia Baoyu was born with a piece of spiritual jade in his mouth. Surely, I wasn't born with this pen, was I?
The first two questions I needed to clarify were: where did this pen come from? Was it a birth keepsake left by my biological parents, or was it something akin to Jia Baoyu's experience?
The second question: what purpose does this pen serve?
Had it not been for the black rune mark that appeared on my right hand, I might never have been able to reveal the pen's tip. Despite numerous attempts, I still don't know how to use it, let alone guess its purpose.
The pen feels like a wall at the gates of the underworld, like a stone door in a pitch-black cave, accessible only to those who meet certain conditions.
To unravel these mysteries, I believe I need to return to Hundred Ghost Slope and seek answers from the Mountain God Master.
However, I have more pressing matters at hand, so these enigmas must be set aside for the moment. Perhaps in the future, I'll gradually find the answers through other means.
I packed the three items from the wooden box into my backpack, and after a moment's consideration, I decided to bring the finely crafted box along as well.
I'm preparing to depart tomorrow, heading first to the county city. The transportation from West River Village is far too inconvenient. This time, my destination is Wuling Mountain, not Yin Spirit Mountain, which means I'll need to travel by car, train, and plane.
I must book the soonest available tickets and stock up on some daily necessities to properly prepare for the journey. Then, I'll need to quickly locate my foster father's brother, Zhao Guizhen.
Once everything was packed and the courtyard gate locked, I hopped on my motorcycle and sped toward the village exit. But en route, I stumbled upon something peculiar.
Many of the local villagers were hurrying towards the Weak Water River, and I had no idea what had happened.
Driven by curiosity, I followed them and arrived at the riverbank, only to be astonished to see that the water level had risen significantly, spilling onto the bank.
The villagers by the river were stunned, buzzing with speculation. They remarked that the water level of the Weak Water River had been rising steadily each day, and corpses were frequently found drifting ashore.
As I witnessed the scene unfold before me, I was reminded of my foster father's ominous words. He had warned that the uncorrupted corpse's retrieval would herald a disaster.
Their faces etched with worry, I shared their concerns. Truthfully, the people of West River Village had been incredibly kind to me, and I had come to see this place as a second home. Out of both affection and duty, I felt compelled to assist them.
Moreover, I had made a vow at Old Master Jiang's grave to recover his remains and vanquish the Ghost Dragon King in his honor.
Yet, with my current abilities, I doubted my capacity to avert the looming catastrophe. Staying behind seemed futile. It seemed wiser to use the time before disaster struck to grow stronger so that when the moment came, I could aid the villagers in overcoming their trials.
As I was about to depart on my motorcycle, a sudden recollection stopped me in my tracks. I turned back to gaze upon the tumultuous river and thought of the undecayed female corpse.
Could she be one of the thirteen bodies my foster father had mentioned? The undecayed female corpse certainly had an eerie presence.
Regrettably, Old Lady Jin had already taken the corpse away. Its whereabouts were unknown to me, but I had this nagging premonition that our paths, both mine and that of the corpse, would cross again soon.
Three hours after leaving West River Village, I arrived in the county city, embarking on what I knew would be a lengthy and challenging journey.
I was bracing for the trials ahead, aware of the ticking time bomb within me that could spell danger at any moment. Little did I know, that peril would arrive sooner than I had anticipated.
