El decimonoveno nivel del infierno

Capítulo 32

"It doesn't look like it was caused by being hit by a rock." Sharp fingers gently traced the edge of the wound. "Have you encountered anything strange?"

Tao Rujiu immediately recalled the white figure and was about to speak when Qi Linpo suddenly asked, "What's that hanging behind you?"

Tao Rujiu was taken aback. Ling Li immediately reached behind him, touched him a few times, and pulled out seven or eight slightly yellowed pieces of paper of various sizes.

Each of these pieces of paper was about the size of a 16notebook, and without exception, they were cut into a shape that was round at one end and long at the other. Tao Rujiu immediately thought they looked very similar to the white shadow from before.

Qi Linpo walked over, picked up one of the papers, glanced at it, and immediately confirmed, "It's a paper figure."

Ling Li replied sharply, "It really does look somewhat similar."

Tao Rujiu looked at the piece of paper again. There were three small holes on the round end, shaped like eyes, giving it a simple and sinister feel.

The horrors of this world often lie hidden in things that seem innocent and pure. Like a newborn baby, a beautiful doll, or a simple white paper figure.

"Is this Dongli Bupo's thing?" Tao Rujiu asked hurriedly. "He ran away from the villa this morning!"

"What?"

Both Qi Ling and Qi Linpo were taken aback. But Qi Linpo was the first to calm down.

“It’s not Dongli.” He analyzed, “It’s daytime now, and ghosts are restricted in their movements. Dongli wouldn’t have arrived so quickly. There must be something strange about this Sea God Temple.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than Qin Hua suddenly broke free from Tao Rujiu's embrace and desperately began to sign language at Ling Li.

(I've dreamt about this place!) Ling Li asked in surprise, "You've dreamt about this sea god temple?"

The flowers nodded in agreement.

(When Brother Dongli possessed me before, I would see certain scenes, and I would often see this Sea God Temple. Sometimes it was exactly as it is now, and sometimes it was bustling with people and full of incense offerings...)

Qi Linpo hurriedly asked him, "Have you ever seen a white paper figure?"

Hua Kai glanced timidly at the piece of paper in Ling Li's hand and nodded.

(I've seen her before, several times, always in that place...) He pointed towards the Temple of Poseidon and gestured, "There's a woman dressed entirely in white inside. I'll wake up whenever she appears."

“It’s a white statue!” Ling Li blurted out. “I did see a completely white statue inside the temple just now.”

“I understand!” Qi Linpo concluded, “The scenes that Hua Kai saw were actually Dong Li Bu Po’s memories. They were also the history of Hai Ling City over the past few hundred years. The ‘woman dressed entirely in white’ was actually the ‘Bai Zi’ who frequently appeared in the Dong Li family and was revered as a divine child; however, this was quite different from the white paper figure we just saw.”

Tao Rujiu asked in confusion, "Could it be that the white figure I just saw wasn't the ghost of 'Bai Zi'?"

Qi Linpo shook his head: "Ling Li and I have already been to the depths of the Sea God Temple, and we did not find any other souls. Bai Zi's ghost should have been reincarnated long ago."

“But you just said there are other strange things that exist…” Tao Rujiu pointed out the contradiction in his words.

Qi Linpo frowned and said, "Can't you let me finish what I have to say? I did say there might be something strange, but I didn't say it was definitely a soul. The water filled with malevolent energy is itself a kind of lifeless spirit. When I was walking in the Sea God Temple, I also felt an aura very similar to this malevolent energy, but I thought it was coming from the water. It wasn't until I saw those little paper figures on your back that I realized they were completely different things."

Ling Li asked sharply, "What's the deal with those little paper figures?"

Qi Linpo nodded and said, "Why are those little paper figures stuck to Tao Rujiu's body? This is an ancient spell that uses paper figures to control other people's actions. Basically, it involves attaching a part of one's own will to the paper figure, then sticking the paper figure to someone else, and then letting one's own will permeate and dominate the other person's soul."

"Control? Then why wasn't I controlled?" Tao Rujiu was even more confused. He looked down, wanting to look at the little paper figure on the ground, but Ling Li pulled him behind him.

“You weren’t controlled because Qilin Po has given your soul special protection, isn’t that right?” he explained. “Now nothing can enter your body, and you’ve protected Hua Kai by holding him close to your chest.”

Qi Linpo nodded in agreement and added, "In fact, the true nature of these little paper figures is similar to the malevolent energy in the river; they are both manifestations of human obsession. The resentment of the white paper figures originates from the white children who have been worshipped as divine children in the Sea God Temple for generations. On the one hand, they endure pressure and pain from their families, and on the other hand, they willingly become victims of pressure and pain, guarding the Sea God Temple generation after generation. If we try to forcibly dig up Dongli Bupo's grave, we will probably encounter their stubborn resistance."

Hearing him say this, everyone felt even heavier and fell silent for a while before Qi Linpo spoke first: "Don't waste time."

Ling Li then patted Tao Rujiu on the shoulder: "Let's go."

Before Tao Rujiu could respond, Qin Hua suddenly knelt down in front of everyone with a thud.

(Please, please everyone, don't hurt Brother Dongli!)

He knelt on the ground, raised his head, and grabbed Qi Linpo's sleeve, frantically gesturing regardless of whether others understood his sign language. (Brother Dongli is just too concerned about me. Everything he did was because of me. If you want to blame him, you should punish me first!!)

"What are you doing! Dongli's affairs are none of your responsibility!"

Understanding the sharpness of the sign language, they quickly tried to help Hua Kai up, and the other two, realizing what was happening, also came to help. But Hua Kai, with unexpected strength, stubbornly knelt on the cold bluestone slab and refused to get up, waving her arms even more violently, as if she were already shouting.

(Without Dongli Bupo, my life has no meaning... If you want to destroy it, then kill me too!)

"Ling Li, what did he say?" Tao Rujiu vaguely understood something.

Ling Li hesitated for a moment, but still translated it as before. No sooner had he finished speaking than Qi Linpo suddenly slapped Hua Kai hard across the face!

He shouted angrily, "Foolish! Do you think you can stay together forever like this!"

Hearing the loud slap, Tao Rujiu was startled and immediately went to check on the flowers, but was stopped by Ling Li.

"Wait a minute." The man, who always protected Hua Kai, appeared unusually calm at this moment. "We can't let things continue like this."

Tao Rujiu's heart skipped a beat, and then he heard Qi Linpo's rebuke:

"Do you think that a soul wandering in the world will never disappear? Dongli is only able to survive because of the malevolent energy in the underground water. If it were an ordinary wandering ghost, its soul would be scattered within five hundred years. Why do you think those three ghosts in the underground palace are so eager to find a substitute? Even I need to find someone to possess. Are you just going to watch him disappear little by little?!"

“No.” He paused, correcting himself, “You won’t see the day he disappears, because your lifespan is only a hundred years. After a hundred years, you will be reincarnated somewhere else, and Dongli will never leave this underground waterway to find you beyond the sea ridge. At that time, you will no longer remember his existence, and Dongli Bupo will disappear little by little in some corner you don’t know! Are you satisfied with this ending?”

Qin Hua covered her aching cheek.

He also understood that Qi Linpo's words were entirely correct; these were things he had never dared to consider. He didn't want Dongli Bupo to disappear, but if he destroyed the Sea God Temple immediately, his elder brother Dongli would also leave him. The only difference between these two difficult choices was the length of the torment.

Amidst utter hesitation, tears streamed down the young man's face. His hands trembled as he asked Ling Li, "Aren't you trying to drive Brother Dongli out of Hailing? Won't he just disappear anyway?"

"But it's not the kind of disappearance you're imagining," Qi Linpo explained patiently. "We're sending Dong Li Bu Po back into the cycle of reincarnation. After he's reborn, I can take you to see him again."

(But……)

It seemed like there was still a glimmer of hope, but Hua Kai knew that if he really did that, he might never have the chance to reunite with Dong Li Bu Po in this life. Putting aside the sixteen-year age difference between himself and the reborn Dong Li Bu Po, he couldn't even be sure if Dong Li Bu Po could be successfully reborn as a human.

On the other hand, if his willfulness truly led to the demise of Dongli Bupo, he would never forgive himself. Any decision would be a cruel separation, yet he could not afford to hesitate even a little longer.

At this moment, Ling Li walked to his side and comforted him, "Things aren't that bad. Perhaps we can temporarily store Dong Li Bu Po's soul and then find a suitable body for him, so you can still be together..."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope appeared in the boy's eyes. At the same time, Tao Rujiu turned his questioning gaze to Qi Linpo, only to receive a sigh of denial.

However, the most urgent task is to stabilize the blooming of the flowers. And judging by the time, Dongli Bupo will arrive soon.

The four stood in front of the archway for a while longer. Qi Linpo instructed Ling Li to keep an eye on Tao Rujiu, while he himself captured Qin Hua. They walked back to the Sea God Temple together. Tao Rujiu had never seen such a well-preserved ancient building before, and the slight fear in his heart had long been replaced by amazement. If Ling Li hadn't been holding his hand and leading him forward, he would have almost forgotten why he came there.

Passing the screen wall and entering the main hall, the dim light still illuminated the same few dusty items. Qi Linpo protected Hua Kai and quickly found the small door leading to the backyard. However, the light in Ling Li's hand accidentally caught sight of something quite different from what he had seen before.

“…Qilinpo.” He called out softly to the person walking in front, “When we were looking just now, wasn’t Bai Zi wearing a piece of clothing?”

Qi Linpo immediately stopped and, after recalling for a moment, answered affirmatively: "Yes, white clothes, which look very loose and don't look like clay sculptures."

Ling Li nodded and said, "This garment is now gone."

Tao Rujiu immediately shone his flashlight on the two statues in the center of the hall. The shorter one on the left was indeed dressed entirely in white, wearing a close-fitting robe, but it was clearly a clay sculpture rather than an extra piece of fabric. As he was pondering what the problem was, he heard Ling Li say, "I also remember it was a very large garment, and somewhat tattered... no, it shouldn't be described as tattered—it looked like many fragments were glued together."

Qi Linpo immediately made a connection to something.

“That’s not a piece of clothing,” he said. “It’s the white paper figures we’ve seen, a large piece of paper stuck tightly to the clay figure, looking like clothes. When it’s time to move, the paper figures will detach from the clay figure they’re attached to, just like bats leaving their nest.”

Hearing him say this, everyone shuddered. They couldn't help but check if there was anything stuck to their clothes.

Qi Linpo comforted her, saying, "I won't go into detail about Ling Li's fate. After the last incident, Tao Tao's soul will no longer be manipulated by external forces. So as long as we protect Hua Kai, there won't be any problems."

As he spoke, he put his arm around Qin Hua's shoulder and bent down to draw a talisman on his forehead.

"This can only provide ordinary protection, which is better than nothing."

Qin Hua didn't quite understand what was going to happen, but from Qi Linpo's serious tone, he could tell that the current situation was very unfavorable to him.

(Is there a ghost here?) He asked Ling Li.

Ling Li comforted him, "Yes, there are, but since this is Dongli Bupo's territory, these paper figures shouldn't do anything to you, right?" As he spoke, he actually turned to Tao Rujiu seeking an alliance.

Tao Rujiu paused for a moment, then immediately nodded in agreement. Although he was still not completely comfortable communicating with Ling Li, he could not stand idly by in the face of the terrified and heartbroken Qin Hua.

"Yes...yes."

He reluctantly agreed, saying, "If Dongli doesn't break the people around him, they naturally won't do anything bad to you."

However, Qi Linpo did not agree with their judgment.

“If you think like this and let your guard down, the consequences will be unimaginable.”

He took Hua Kai's arm and brought her to his side. "Think carefully about how Hua Kai died in her previous life. Then you'll know that the Dong Li family would never allow Hua Kai to be with Dong Li."

Tao Rujiu's heart tightened, and he immediately recalled the illusion he had seen when Dongli Bupo possessed him.

Indeed, the traditional and strict Dongli family could not tolerate the love between Dongli Bupo and Qin Hua, a love that defied reason and humanity. Perhaps confining Dongli Bupo's soul in this underground sea god temple was also to prevent him from meeting his lover in the afterlife. And the "Bai Zi," representing the cruelty of the Dongli family and also their sacrifices, would be even less likely to tolerate Qin Hua's existence.

Even though Bai Zi's soul has been reincarnated, the white paper figure representing their obsession will still make a move.

Thinking of this, Tao Rujiu couldn't help but feel nervous and began to regret why he had brought the boy into danger.

Hua Kai seemed to understand something, and gestured to Ling Li, saying, "(Do the ghosts here hate me? That's why I always wake up immediately when I see a white figure in my dream. So I must have been terrified of these white figures in the past, right?)"

Ling Li lowered his head and stroked Hua Kai's soft hair, lying, "That's because Dong Li Bu Po didn't want you to recall some sad memories, so he didn't want you to watch anymore."

Tao Rujiu, listening to this far-fetched lie, couldn't help but smile bitterly. Qi Linpo coldly murmured, "He transferred all the kindness he should have shown to others to you. How could it not be good? Enough nonsense, let's continue." The four of them filed out through the small door at the corner of the hall and came to the narrow path in the backyard.

It's been quiet here all along, with no apparent changes. The empty, dark houses are devoid of any human presence; even without ghosts, it's still quite frightening.

“Once this is over, you can move this set to the surface; it should be quite effective,” Qi Linpo suggested. “Or you could simply open this underground cave to the public.”

Ling Li smiled bitterly and said, "I think I won't be setting up haunted houses in Hailing anymore."

As they talked, they retraced their steps. The backyard of the Tanah Lot Temple was built into the cave's terrain, and the gradually rising stone steps actually encased an increasingly higher rocky ground. At the end of the path was a wooden walkway, so dark that even with a flashlight, one could not clearly see the view on the other side.

"So far, this road hasn't forked yet. Judging from the situation, Dongli Bupo's grave should be at the end of this corridor," Qi Linpo affirmed.

The corridor was narrow, allowing only two people to walk side by side at a time. Qi Linpo led the way, his arm around Qin Huakai. The bluestone slabs under their feet had been replaced by rotten wooden planks, and the decaying wood chips painted red crunched underfoot like snow. Yet, there was a strange sticky feeling when they lifted their feet.

Qi Linpo pointed to the left and right: "Look at the boxes on both sides of the corridor, this should be the core part of the Sea God Temple."

Tao Rujiu listened to him and took a flashlight to illuminate the left and right sides of the corridor. Behind the same vermilion railings, there were two rows of stone troughs recessed into the mountainside. Several large, colorful wooden chests were neatly arranged on them, clearly having once stored important artifacts—ritual vessels, precious metals, or even a portion of Dongli Bupo's estate. Perhaps some precious relics still remained inside. However, in the current atmosphere, no one thought to stop and take a look.

(I think... I think I saw something white.) Hua Kai suddenly turned around, comparing herself to Ling Li.

"Where?" Ling Li asked in a low voice.

Hua Kai silently pointed straight ahead.

Qi Linpo raised the emergency light in his hand and shone it towards the end of the corridor.

A white "curtain" had somehow appeared on the door, which was taller than a person, and hung all the way to the ground, trembling in the faint, eerie breeze.

“It’s a paper doll,” Qi Linpo said calmly. “It’s blocking our way.”

"So what should we do?" Ling Li asked sharply. "Fight these paper figures?"

Qi Linpo said, "No need. They are just a group of fragile paper figures. As long as they don't invade the human body, they won't pose much of a threat. So now we just need to protect the most vulnerable flower bloom, and everything else should be fine."