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Rainbow Ink seized the inkstone in an instant and made a dash for the door!
Zhang Liang stepped forward, shouted “Stop!” and reached out to grab Rainbow Ink.
Mei Qing and the others, seeing Zhang Liang take action, all thought the same thing: Rainbow Ink would surely be subdued effortlessly, captured without difficulty.
This wasn’t surprising. Rainbow Ink was merely a child of about a dozen years, somewhat thin and frail in appearance, and as a servant boy, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he lacked the strength to even tie up a chicken. In contrast, Zhang Liang was broad-shouldered and strong, constantly training his body. If he failed to subdue Rainbow Ink, he wouldn’t even dare to show his face in the capital anymore.
However, what happened next shocked everyone present.
With a strange cry, Rainbow Ink ignored Zhang Liang’s hand grabbing his chest, lowered his head and rushed forward, ramming straight into Zhang Liang’s chest. Surprisingly, he sent Zhang Liang, who was nearly twice his height, stumbling backward with such force that he crashed into a flowerpot outside, shattering two potted plants into pieces on the ground. Without caring that his shirt had torn open at the chest, Rainbow Ink lowered his head and charged straight out, screaming wildly, “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”
The people inside the room were startled. Zhang Liang, still on the ground, swung his hand and flung off the broken soil and leaves on him, then sprang to his feet with a powerful twist of his body, roaring furiously as he charged outside.
Everyone hurriedly rushed out after him. They saw Rainbow Ink continuing to scream, then heavily throw the inkstone onto the ground. Somehow he picked up a brick, raised it high above his head, and prepared to smash the inkstone with it.
Zhang Liang shouted, “You little brat!” and lunged forward. With both hands he seized Rainbow Ink’s arm holding the brick. Then, stepping forward with a bow stance and extending his leg, he twisted hard with a shout. They heard Rainbow Ink cry out in pain as the brick flew from his hand and he tumbled sideways.
Zhang Liang immediately pounced on him, attempting to pin him down. But Rainbow Ink, nearly mad with fury, pushed off the ground with both hands, flipped over, and rolled with Zhang Liang into a fierce tangle. His strange, guttural cries were like the howls of a ghost or a wolf—piercing, frantic, and chilling to the bone.
Seeing the situation getting out of hand, Mei Qing and the others rushed forward. The shop assistant and Chi Ge joined in, and after much effort, finally managed to pin Rainbow Ink down. His previously pale face was now flushed and twisted with rage, his eyes bulging as if they would pop out, like a wounded wild beast. He kept growling and struggling. Even though he was firmly restrained, he continued to thrash about violently. If it hadn’t been for the combined strength of several people, he might still have broken free.
“Damn it, this is really strange. What’s gotten into this kid? He’s got the strength of a demon!” When Rainbow Ink finally stopped struggling, everyone let out a sigh of relief. The shop assistant and Chi Ge loosened their grip, but Zhang Liang remained cautious, still holding Rainbow Ink tightly as he panted heavily.
Mei Qing and the others also found the situation extremely odd. Their gazes involuntarily turned toward the inkstone lying on the ground.
“There’s definitely something strange about this inkstone, but I can’t figure out why,” thought Mei Qing. For some reason, as his eyes fixed on the inkstone, a strange feeling welled up inside him. Though he was certain it was the same one from Lao Liu’s trunk, something about it seemed different now.
Taking a few steps forward, Mei Qing slowly bent down, ignoring the fearful glances from the others, and picked up the Seven-Star Inkstone. It had been thrown to the ground, but since the courtyard was made of dirt, it had only gotten a little muddy and was not damaged.
As Mei Qing slowly straightened up, he felt the inkstone’s surface icy cold against his palm, and a sense of unease involuntarily crept into his heart. He carefully turned the inkstone over and looked closely. His mind suddenly felt like it had been struck by thunder.
On its back were still seven “stone eyes” arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper. But while all seven had been “dead eyes” the last time he saw it, now two of them—Tian Ji and Tian Xuan—had become “living eyes”!
Tian Ji’s eye was round and greenish. Its pupil was large, surrounded by a dark ring, giving it a sharp, lifelike gaze. Tian Xuan’s eye was slightly blurred, as if covered by a thin mist, making it appear hazy and unfocused.
A chill ran up Mei Qing’s spine. He shivered involuntarily. Those two eyes seemed to be staring sideways at him, exuding a chilling aura that pierced straight into his mind through his eyes.
It felt as if a dark cloud had descended into his heart. Suddenly, Mei Qing felt as if he had plunged into a dark void, unable to hear or see anything. In the distance, shadowy figures flickered about. A cold feeling deep inside him suddenly flared up violently.
Mei Qing seemed to hear his own heavy breathing. A surge of anger and agitation filled him. He wanted to roar, to smash through this gray, gloomy world. He tried to raise his hands, but felt as if bound tightly.
Ghostly shadows flickered around him, accompanied by strange mocking laughter and curses, though he couldn’t make out what they were laughing or shouting about. Mei Qing felt that cold, dark force inside him swelling, driving him to destroy everything.
The world felt so narrow and suffocating, crushing him, leaving him helpless and unable to struggle. He struggled desperately to break free, but even the weakest groan seemed beyond his strength.
“Ahh—” As he exerted all his strength, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his arm, and then he cried out. Suddenly, blinding light filled his vision, dazzling him so he couldn’t open his eyes. Then he realized he was lying flat on the ground, with Zhang Liang’s bearded face nearly pressing down on his own. He could smell the man’s heavy breath blowing onto his nose.
Squinting, Mei Qing turned his head to the side. His right arm hurt as if it were broken. He used his left hand to push Zhang Liang away, asking, “Zhang, what… what happened?”
Wang Siguo’s round, worried face appeared behind Zhang Liang. After observing for a moment, he said, “Alright, alright, Mei, you seem to be okay now. Zhang, help Mei up.”
Zhang Liang grunted, got off Mei Qing, and helped him to his feet. As soon as Mei Qing stood up, he couldn’t help but cry out in pain again. His whole body ached, and his right arm burned with unbearable pain.
Wang Siguo, still looking worried, held Mei Qing’s shoulders and examined him closely for a while before saying, “Mei, for some reason, just now when I tried to take the inkstone from your hand, you suddenly looked very strange—making strange noises, your eyes wild and furious… something was definitely wrong. It was Zhang who acted quickly, wrestling with you and knocking the inkstone from your hand, which finally brought you back to your senses.”
After hearing this, Mei Qing recalled the strange sensations he had felt moments ago, and a chill ran through his heart. He turned to thank Zhang Liang, who, still shaken, merely grunted in response, his eyes casting wary glances at Mei Qing.
Mei Qing then looked again at the inkstone lying nearby. Its seven “stone eyes” stared coldly at him, seeming to mock him with disdain.
Quickly turning his head away, Mei Qing’s heart pounded. A vague sense of unease told him there was something deeply mysterious behind this incident, something connected to himself. Yet he couldn’t explain why he felt this way—only that his mind was in turmoil.
Just then, they heard loud voices from outside, followed by the sound of someone clearing the way. The Prefect of the Capital had arrived. Behind him followed a crowd of local residents, curious about the commotion and eager to see what was happening.
Zhang Liang quickly tidied his clothes and went out to greet the official. Mei Qing and Wang Siguo, both holding official ranks, weren’t particularly concerned. But Chi Ge had already knelt down, and the shop assistant, unsure whether this would bring him fortune or disaster, was also kneeling on the ground, trembling like a leaf.
In a short while, the sedan chair arrived at the gate. A group of people surged into the small courtyard, quickly filling it to the brim.
Mei Qing had heard of this Prefect before. His name was Zhao Boxu, a native of Jinling, and he had a reputation for integrity. However, the position of Prefect of the Capital, though prestigious, was notoriously difficult. In the capital, there were countless officials of higher rank and greater power. To survive a full term without offending anyone was no easy task.
In just two years, this post had already gone through five different occupants—some had offended powerful figures, others had been impeached. Zhao Boxu had only taken office in the second half of last year, reportedly without strong political backing. The fact that he had managed to hold the position for over half a year already surprised many people.
In other regions, if someone had gone mad in public and caused a death, it might have been handled by subordinates. But in the capital, where the emperor resided, and especially with reports of strange occurrences, Zhao Boxu was deeply concerned. He dared not delay and rushed to the scene immediately. He understood that his superiors were particularly sensitive to anything related to ghosts, spirits, or the supernatural. If rumors spread among the people or unusual events occurred, he could be blamed for failing to prevent superstitious disturbances. Thus, he had come in person as quickly as possible to take control and ensure nothing slipped through the cracks.
Zhao Boxu was about forty years old, of medium height, with a dignified appearance, thick eyebrows, and a neatly trimmed goatee. After Zhang Liang greeted him and quietly explained the situation regarding their visit to Li Mei’s residence, his voice grew lower. He glanced at Mei Qing and whispered in Zhao Boxu’s ear for a long time.
Zhao Boxu’s thick eyebrows furrowed tightly. He cast a glance at Mei Qing before turning his gaze toward the corner of the courtyard, where Rainbow Ink was shackled.
“That’s Li Mei’s servant boy?” Zhao asked.
Zhang Liang nodded beside him, “Yes, yes. I’ll bring him over for questioning right away.” Saying this, he quickly stepped forward and kicked the prostrate Rainbow Ink, shouting, “Get up! The magistrate has questions for you!”
But Rainbow Ink remained motionless on the ground. Losing patience, Zhang Liang bent down and lifted him up. As he did, he suddenly cried out in alarm. Everyone looked closely and saw Rainbow Ink’s eyes bulging, his mouth wide open, his head tilted sideways, his face gray and lifeless. Zhang Liang, trembling, checked his nose for breath, then felt his neck for a pulse. His face suddenly turned pale with shock. He let go, and Rainbow Ink collapsed to the ground with a thud.
“Your Honor… he’s… he’s dead—” Zhang Liang stammered, his face pale.
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