El decimonoveno nivel del infierno

Capítulo 24

He turned on his computer and continued organizing the uncategorized materials. He also downloaded some files for later use. When he was saving the file, he found a webpage on his desktop with the title "Blue Eyes".

He remembered that this was a webpage he had specifically saved when he investigated Ling Li's eyes last time, but now it was meaningless. To him it looked like a mockery, and if Ling Li saw it, he would probably accuse him of intruding on his privacy again.

Tao Rujiu sighed softly and clicked the mouse. After Shift+Delete, everything vanished.

At that moment, the network suddenly dropped, and there was a scratching sound from outside the door.

Tao Rujiu opened the door, and standing outside were Cat Fairy and Qin Huakai, whose expression was clearly abnormal.

"Dongli Bupo wants to talk to you about what happened that night," Qi Maoxian said to him. "Let's go to the backyard."

The backyard is a lush patch of night-blooming jasmine, interspersed with osmanthus trees taller than a person. Although it's not the season yet and the osmanthus hasn't bloomed, the sweet fragrance of the night-blooming jasmine fills the garden, which is quite refreshing.

Under the cover of the thick night, it seemed no one noticed Ling Li standing behind the makeshift shower room. He had come with Qi Maoxian to resolve the confusion in his heart. However, when he actually saw Tao Rujiu and Qin Huakai walk into the garden and leave, he was inexplicably afraid, afraid that the truth would contradict the revenge he had already taken.

“Dongli Bupo,” Qi Maoxian spoke first. “If you want to apologize, you should first come out of Huakai’s body.”

The boy nodded gently after hearing the white cat's words. He turned and walked to the bench in the garden, carefully lay down, closed his eyes, and then a tall man wearing a silver mask slowly sat up. His body was translucent, unlike that of a normal human, which was a characteristic of a ghost.

Ling Li frowned, not because he saw a ghost emerge from Hua Kai's body, but because he recognized the silver mask as the ancient totem of his mother's family, the same one that had appeared on the magazine cover in the guest room that night, leaving Tao Rujiu utterly bewildered.

The silver mask represents an ancestor from Ling Li's mother's side, and also her lover from seven lifetimes ago. This was something Qi Mao Xian had told Ling Li beforehand.

The man hid deep in the shade of the tree and saw the silver mask leave Hua Kai's body. It still walked back to the side of the cat fairy and Tao Rujiu, and knelt on one knee in the way of the ancients when facing Tao Rujiu.

"Tao Rujiu, I, Dongli Bupo, have wronged you!"

"this……"

Tao Rujiu was very unaccustomed to this ancient etiquette and hurriedly tried to help Dongli Bupo up, but he couldn't touch the ghost's body. So Dongli Bupo remained kneeling and said sadly, "The responsibility for the possession lies entirely with me. It has nothing to do with Huakai, and I'm even more sorry to you. I will explain to Lingli and will never let you suffer an injustice."

There's nothing more to explain.

Tao Rujiu looked at the ghost kneeling before him and said, "This matter has nothing to do with Ling Li anymore. I just hope you can be honest with Hua Kai and not make all the decisions for him. He might not be grateful to you that way."

Dongli Bupo was about to respond when a gust of wind swept through the garden, carrying a faint artificial fragrance amidst the sweet scent of osmanthus trees. Ghosts are always more perceptive than humans, and given that this was Ling Li's usual perfume, Dongli Bupo quickly realized that this was a trap.

Qi Maoxian deliberately brought him here so that Ling Li could put on a show to clarify the facts.

Unfortunately, he could not fulfill its wish.

"How the flowers bloom... is not important to me." Dongli Bupo suddenly changed the subject, stood up and moved closer to Tao Rujiu, "But don't you understand my feelings for you now?"

Tao Rujiu was stunned for a moment, and before he could understand the meaning of those words, he was already locked in the ghost's arms.

Dongli Bupo lowered his voice and whispered in Tao Rujiu's ear, "I know you like Huakai, which is why I possessed him, and even willingly let you pin me down. Even now, do you still think that I like Huakai...?"

Tao Rujiu was unaware of Ling Li's presence, and he found Dongli Bupo's sudden words utterly baffling. When he slowly realized there seemed to be some conspiracy at play, he desperately tried to refute, but felt an unseen hand gripping his throat, rendering him speechless. He looked down to search for Qi Maoxian, but she had vanished without a trace.

"I must do this so that the flower can bloom." The ghost's thoughts were conveyed through his body. "Even if he resents me, I will do it! Or I will simply erase his memories of me. I will stay by his side until he dies, and then I will be reincarnated with him!"

"You arrogant bastard!"

Tao Rujiu echoed her anger in her heart, "Do you think that doing this will make Huakai happy, will make him live a good life? He will suffer for the rest of his life, and so will you..."

He wanted to say something more, but the tightness in his chest grew even more intense. To onlookers, it appeared as if Dongli Bupo was gently embracing him, but in reality, the ghost was firmly gripping the young man's neck, preventing him from uttering a single word of disobedience.

Ling Li stood in the shadowy corner, unable to hear the unspoken conversation between Tao Rujiu and the ghost. He simply pondered what he could hear over and over again. Was this the truth that the Qi Mao Fairy wanted to tell him? Tao Rujiu loved Hua Kai, Hua Kai fell in love with the ghost, but the ghost had fallen for Tao Rujiu instead?

What an absurd love triangle.

The ghost possessed Hua Kai's body, perhaps using some magic to bewitch Tao Rujiu. In any case, it was Hua Kai's body that led to a relationship between her and Tao Rujiu.

What is this?

Qi Maoxian said the whole truth would be heartbreaking? Ling Li pressed his hand to his heart, but felt nothing. Had anything changed? He had only confirmed that he was indeed the so-called "third party," forcibly possessing a body that didn't belong to him, and then claiming to be the victim.

But did Tao Rujiu really not love himself?

Then what about all those kisses and tenderness of the past few days? Was I really just a foolish one-sided infatuation? Did Tao Rujiu really interact with everyone in such a blatantly naked way?

The more he thought about it, the more gloomy he became, while at the same time, an answer was about to emerge in his mind. Just in the midst of the chaos, Hua Kai, who had been put to sleep by Dong Li Bu Po, suddenly woke up.

"ah……?"

The boy looked up and saw Dongli Bupo tightly embracing Tao Rujiu.

Although the ghost didn't actually touch the young man, the ambiguous posture and atmosphere said it all. Hua Kai gasped in disbelief. He swayed as he stood up from the bench and slowly walked towards Dong Li Bu Po. However, the ghost not only didn't release Tao Ru Jiu, but turned its face towards Hua Kai in an even more ambiguous manner, smiling indifferently.

Hua Kai didn't know Dong Li Bu Po's intention. She only felt a chill all over her body. She wanted to ask, but she was too embarrassed to speak. So she swayed and came up to let the ghost touch her body and convey her question in her heart. But the ghost dodged away.

"My darling, we've been through seven lifetimes, aren't you tired? Let's not be together in this life. Come find me again in the next life when you're not mute..."

Hua Kai was stunned. He had heard every single word Dong Li Bu Po said clearly, but together they sounded so jarring. Mute? Was Dong Li looking down on him for being mute? He withdrew his hand in a daze, but what did that mean to a ghost communicating through thoughts? He didn't understand, but Dong Li Bu Po's expression clearly showed resolve. Hua Kai subconsciously opened his mouth, but no words came out.

The ghost continued, "Seeing you unable to speak and embarrassed in front of others, I slowly realized that I had no other feelings for you besides pitying you."

"…………"

Hua Kai finally understood the meaning of "East Fence Unbroken." He was already somewhat insecure, and now he couldn't stop trembling as he walked step by step into the depths of the courtyard. Ling Li, who was standing in the shadows, saw that he was in a daze and hurriedly followed, not caring about the swaying trees around him that made a clear rustling sound.

Tao Rujiu, who had been released by Dongli Bupo, looked in the direction of the sound and saw the man's face disappear completely into the darkness. He immediately understood Dongli Bupo's intention, and felt as if he had been hit hard in the heart, which made him feel weak all over.

"After this is over, I will repay you with all the funerary objects from my grave," Dongli Bupo whispered in his ear. "If you have any other needs, I will try my best to meet them as well."

His voice was deep, and after saying this, he chased after the boy in the direction he had left. In the end, only Tao Rujiu was left standing in the garden.

Once the play is over, is he, the prop, no longer needed? He smiled wryly.

“I woke Hua Kai up,” Qi Maoxian said, walking around from behind the bench where Hua Kai was lying. “I didn’t want to upset Hua Kai, but Dong Li Bu Po is just too hateful. As for Ling Li, I believe he can judge for himself who is right and who is wrong.”

Tao Rujiu shook his head and said, "I don't care." After a pause, he picked up the big white cat from the ground. "After things are over here, would the Cat Fairy like to come with me to Xiyao City for a visit?"

The big white cat squinted its eyes, a half-smile playing on its lips: "With pleasure."

Just as the person and the cat were facing each other, a commotion suddenly came from the third courtyard, and Xiao Li's voice was shouting something.

Cat Fairy suddenly shouted "Oh no!" and jumped to the ground, running towards the front yard. Tao Rujiu also understood that Xiao Li's shouts were repeatedly directed at Master Lü, the troupe leader.

"What happened!" Tao Rujiu followed the white cat into the courtyard and saw that almost all the members of the opera troupe had run out of the house. Zheng Qinglong and several strong men were about to leave Cuiying Pavilion.

"Master Lü is missing!" Xiao Li explained anxiously.

The old man had been in a bad mood lately. He usually insisted on walking back to Cuiying Pavilion from the cafeteria after dinner as a stroll. However, these past few days, Xiao Li had been bringing him his meals, and he naturally felt a bit stifled after staying there for so long. That evening, Xiao Li was supposed to accompany him for a walk in the evening, but he was delayed by some errands. When he came back to find Master Lü, the old man had already disappeared.

"Don't worry, maybe he just went out for a walk alone." Tao Rujiu told Xiao Li to calm down. "Didn't Ling Li also give Master Lü his phone? Let's try calling him."

After being reminded, Xiao Li hurriedly took out his phone.

The once noisy courtyard suddenly fell silent. Everyone held their breath and waited for the result. Xiao Li simply switched to speakerphone.

"Beep...beep...beep..."

A prolonged silence.

The gentle notification tone tests everyone's patience and nerves on this night during this special period.

Tao Rujiu told himself that everything would be alright; the elderly reacted much slower than the young, and perhaps he was currently fumbling for his phone, figuring out how to answer. His assumption proved correct, because after the eighth beep, Master Lü's aged yet gentle voice came from the other end of the line.

"Hello……?"

"Master Lü, where are you? I'm so worried!" Xiao Li's voice was trembling with tears.

Master Lü replied, "What's the rush? Although I'm getting old, I'm not senile yet. Besides, isn't Hailing City like my own home?"

Tao Rujiu interjected, "Master Lü, where are you now? We're here to find you."

"Is that Tao Tao?" Master Lü smiled. "Don't be so nervous. I'm walking along the edge of the imperial city now, and we'll see the gate to the underground palace soon..."

A small commotion arose within the opera troupe. Tao Rujiu hurriedly said, "Master Lü, you can't go to the underground palace! You must turn back quickly, Xiao Li and I will come to get you..."

Just then, a faint static noise suddenly came from the other end of the phone, making Master Lü's voice muffled. Tao Rujiu adjusted the speakerphone volume, which amplified the faint noise.

It's the sound of flowing water!

Everyone in the courtyard turned pale. Xiao Li's hands even trembled. There was no running water near the Imperial City, so how could it have been transmitted to his phone?

Tao Rujiu realized that something was wrong, but before he could ask any more questions, he heard the sound of water grow louder, and then another, even hoarse voice came from inside.

"It sounds like Master Lü is speaking?"

Xiao Li couldn't hear clearly, so he slowly leaned closer. At that moment, Master Lü's amplified exclamation almost deafened him.

Who's up ahead? Who's there...?

After the inquiry, there was only silence; no breathing could be heard on either end of the phone.

Suddenly, the sound of water disappeared. The noise that had seemed like interference became clear all of a sudden.

“Master…Master Lü…it’s me…Wang…Bai…Hu…” “Ah!”

Xiao Li yelled and tried to throw his phone away, but Tao Rujiu snatched it away in a flash. He desperately shouted for Master Lü to turn back, but all that was left on the phone was a noisy whistling sound before the connection was quickly lost.

Qi Mao Xian, who had been silent for a long time, immediately ran out of Cuiying Pavilion. Tao Rujiu followed closely behind it. Zheng Qinglong and Xiao Li reacted and also caught up with them. The remaining people remembered the two Taoist priests who exorcised spirits and hurriedly called Ling Li.

"Today is the new moon, the time when the yin energy is at its heaviest, and it's especially unpleasant when something goes wrong," said Qi Maoxian on the way. "The two remaining vengeful spirits in the underground palace area shouldn't be able to break through the Vajra Wall's encirclement so quickly; there must be something wrong with that."

Tao Rujiu, panting heavily, said, "No matter what, we must find Master Lü first."

As they were talking, the two had already run all the way to the Imperial City. They chased after each other along the dark red parapet. Before long, the Cat Fairy suddenly stopped and shouted at Tao Rujiu.

Watch your step!

Tao Rujiu paused, slowed his pace, and then noticed a thin trail of water at his feet.

“This is probably where Master Lü was standing just now,” Qi Mao Xian said earnestly. “Look, you can see the underground palace ahead.”

Tao Rujiu looked up, and the high wall illuminated by mercury lamps in the distance stood out conspicuously in the darkness.

The big white cat gestured for him to carefully avoid the water flow and slowed down as it continued walking forward.

About ten steps later, a gap appeared in the imperial city's wall, with a large puddle of water on the ground. Upon closer inspection in the dim light, the water had even spread onto the wall itself, and some unidentified light-colored objects remained within it. The cat fairy asked Tao Rujiu to pick it up and examine it carefully, then muttered, "It's maggots."

“Wang Baihu’s head should have been hiding here,” it explained. “It used the gap to hide its smashed half of its head, leaving only the more intact half exposed, and under the cover of night, it lured Master Lü to follow it.”

Tao Rujiu said with deep regret, "I should have told Master Lü about Wang Baihu."

The big white cat shook its head and said, "You just don't want to hurt him. Besides, judging from the current situation, the underground water hasn't surged out on a large scale. The vengeful spirits need to lure Master Lü back to the underground palace before they can take the next step. If we go there now, there might still be a chance to salvage the situation."

Tao Rujiu nodded, and at this moment, Xiao Li and Zheng Qinglong also caught up. The Cat Fairy had Tao Rujiu tell them what they needed to pay attention to, and the four of them ran towards the main gate of the underground palace.

The main gate of the underground palace was brightly lit by two mercury lamps on either side. The tightly closed vermilion gate had been opened at some point, leaving a gaping wound about the width of a person. A hunched black figure was slowly sweeping the groundwater that had overflowed from inside the gate onto the street outside with a huge bamboo broom.

"The reason has been found," Qi Maoxian said bitterly.

Upon receiving the call, Ling Li immediately set off to find the two Taoist priests. Because he was worried about leaving Hua Kai outside, he took him with him. Dong Li Bu Po, who had been following behind, listened to the situation in the underground palace, pondered briefly, and then silently left the two.

The main gate of the underground palace.