Her clawed fingers pressed gently against his neck. Threatening to slit and bleed Mo Yu to death. He couldn't move nor could he breathe. His entire body locked in fear. Behind him, the stranger snarled through his teeth.
"住手!"
Stop
The blade screamed through the air once more. A silver arc of light tore through the darkness as the stranger leapt towards them, slicing at the shadow tendrils binding Mo Yu.
But the spirit was faster, dodging the energy wave shot at her, she released Mo Yu and vanished, her figure disintegrating into smoke, then - instantly reappearing above them, floating midair with her red umbrella.
Its red fabric stretched, distorting and swelling into a massive disc that cast a blood-soaked glow over the alley. The shadows lengthened again, this time twisting downward like black rain. The now hardened tendrils, filled with thorn, slammed between Mo Yu and the stranger. Weapons clattered from their hands.
Then –
* Drip.* Drip.* Drip.
From under the umbrella, sharp crimson droplets began to fall.
"你们拒绝我?"
You refuse me?
Her voice echoed—warped, layered like ten people whispering in sync.
"既然你们也一样—— 那我就夺走你们的'名字'吧."
Since you're the same—then I'll take away your 'names'
She raised one hand and then, hundreds of sharp objects—nails, scissors, pens, needles, broken mirror shards—rose around them, aiming in perfect synchrony. Shooting towards the duo like bullets, shadows hissed, and Mo Yu's breath was caught. Just as the projectiles lunged,
"好, 我答应你, 我答应你!"
墨玉喊道.
Alright, I promise you, I promise!
Mo Yu shouted
Everything stopped. The bulleted shards stopped in place, inches away from their death. Slowly, they crumbled in ash, dissolving into thin air. Reappearing between Mo Yu and the stranger, the ghost wore a wide grin. she asked,
"真的?"
Really?
she asked, tilting her head.
"真的, 我们答应你"
墨玉再次强道."
Really, we promise you
Mo Yu repeated, forcing his words out.
同时, 他看到了陌生人那威胁及愤怒的眼神, 带着一点点的疑惑, 仿佛在心理质问他, 到底在干嘛, 墨玉摆了一个: '我有分寸. 别吵' 的样子, 安抚了陌生人, 然后继续说道:
At the same time, he saw the stranger's eyes, full of threat and anger, with a hint of confusion, as if questioning him mentally, asking what he was doing. Mo Yu gave a gesture, signaling 'I know what I'm doing, don't worry,' to calm the stranger, then continued,
"您这仇, 得报, 必须报. 您就放心, 包在我们身上. 保证这群禽兽必死, 而且死得无葬身之地."
You will get your revenge, it must be done. Don't worry, we'll handle it. We guarantee these beasts will die, and they won't have a grave to bury them in
The ghost girl's smile remained—but her eyes narrowed.
"好狂妄的一句话呀, 你就怎么自信, 自己能够杀掉一个活? 且不还能不留痕迹?"
幽女质问道.
"Such a bold statement. How are you so confident that you can kill a living person? And without leaving any trace?"
The ghost girl questioned.
Mo Yu faltered.
突如其来的质疑使得墨玉,不知所措. 转头看着陌生人, 眼神充满着「救救我」的意味. 然而,陌生人并未做出他的请求, 甚至连一举一动都没有,只是呆在哪,看着墨玉.
The sudden doubt left Mo Yu at a loss. He turned to look at the stranger, his eyes filled with a silent 「help me」 But the stranger made no move, standing still, staring at Mo Yu
被气到想掐死他的墨玉,骂骂咧咧的在心里道:
Mo Yu, so enraged that he wanted to strangle him, muttered in his mind:
「屌你阿妈㞓, 你望㞗住我做乜杘, 講嘢啦大佬! 」
F*ck your mother, what the hell are you looking at me for? Say something, damn it!"
"看来你这情人... 不行呀, 哈哈哈哈哈哈"
幽女笑道.
Looks like your lover... isn't helping, huh? Hahahahaha
the ghost girl laughed.
幽女句子里的"情人"瞬间引起了双人的注意.
The word "lover" in the ghost girl's sentence instantly caught both of their attention.
"他不是——!"
"我们不是——!"
He's not—!
We're not—!
They both shouted at the same time, voices overlapping, eyes wide. 两人争吵着, 想要澄清幽女,不知从哪只眼睛看出"情侣"的意义. 但在要反驳的那一刹那, 幽女懒洋洋地举起了手又道:
They both shouted at the same time, voices overlapping, eyes wide. They argued, trying to clarify to the ghost girl, not knowing which part of the sentence led her to think of them as a "couple." But at the moment they tried to argue back, the ghost girl lazily raised her hand and said:
"好啦~. 他不帮你,我来帮. 反正这忙本来就是我要求的."
Alright~, he's not helping you, I will. After all, this task was my request in the first place
Closing the umbrella with a smooth twist, she held it by the handle. Then, with sudden force, she slammed the tip of it onto the ground.
* Crack.
The impact sent a ripple through the air. The ground beneath them fractured like glass. Tendrils seeped from the cracks, spider webbing outwards. The glow of her umbrella pulsed once, and from her outstretched palm, objects began to manifest. One after another, drawn from within the cracks,
A rusted Silver Chinese Hairpin, trailing black hair like smoke.
A folded Bloodstained School Page, edges burned to ash.
A flickering Talisman — its ink crawling like worms.
And finally,
A thin, pulsing Red Thread, coiling in midair towards Mo Yu's wrist.
She offered them wordlessly. Only her voice, cold and exact, followed:
"既然你们答应了, 就拿着这些."
Since you agreed, take these
"这发簪能引出罪人的魂,纸会告诉你他们藏在哪里, 符咒能让你暂时看见真相."
This hairpin can summon the souls of the guilty, the paper will tell you where they are hidden, and the talisman will let you see the truth, temporarily
Her eyes fell on Mo Yu last and with a wave of her hand, she said.
"这根线... 是你我之间的命.你不能断它.当然,你尽可试试看,后果是如何我可不敢担保."
This thread... is the bond between you and me. You cannot cut it. Of course, feel free to try, but I can't guarantee the consequences
The red thread floated forward on its own, wrapping itself around his wrist just nicely, a perfect fit, as if made specifically for Mo Yu.
"你听得见吗?"
Can you hear me?
Mo Yu blinked.
The voice wasn't in the air. It was inside him, through the thread, it pulsed softly, like a heartbeat in his skin.
He nodded slowly.
Then, her lips curled into a grin, one that wasn't friendly, nor kind. But satisfied.
She lifted her red umbrella again, this time more gently, and let it hang loosely from her shoulder. The air around her shimmered as if the rain were falling in reverse.
Her pale hand extended once more, this time towards the stranger.
"竟然帮我复仇. 就不能空手上路."
Since you're helping me with my revenge, you can't go empty-handed
Her fingers twitched—then spread wide.
From her palm, a weapon began to form, drawn from shadow and sorrow. First came the handle, wrapped in faded red cloth. Then the blade—curved, thin, and jagged—like a splinter from a cursed guzheng string. The metal rippled with trapped reflections, as though it remembered every face it had struck.
When fully formed, she gripped it once and passed it to the stranger.
"这是他们留下的痛苦. 它只对有罪之人出鞘."
This is the pain they left behind. It only draws blood for those who are guilty
The stranger stared at it for a moment—expression unreadable—but accepted it. Then the ghost girl turned back to Mo Yu. The ghost girl didn't speak. She simply looked at him. Then, slowly, she crouched.
Her hand pressed against the floor—pale fingers sinking into the fractured concrete. From beneath her palm, something rusted and curved emerged, drawn not from metal, but memory. A pair of scissors.
Old. Heavy. Stained.
The tips were blunted from age, but the inner blades, still sharp. Rust traced along the hinges like dried blood
. The handles were smeared with something darker, something that time hadn't washed away.
She lifted them gently, almost reverently. Then placed them into Mo Yu's hands.
"这把剪刀... 他们用来剪碎我的衣服."
This pair of scissors... they used it to shred my clothes
"现在, 我把它交给你."
Now, I'm giving it to you
He stared at the weapon—if it could be called that. For some reason, It felt heavier than a sword. The metal hummed under his fingertips, alive with every scream it had heard. A phantom heat clung to it, as if the ghosts of pain still breathed through the handle. Showing an " that's unfair" face to the ghost girl, Mo Yu pouted. She replied with a faint smile, a smile shown towards a child who is oblivious to the real world.
"不是每一把武器都是用来杀人的."
Not every weapon is meant to kill
"有些, 是用来切断回忆的."
Some are meant to sever memories
Mo Yu's jaw tightened. He nodded. The space behind his eyes flickered and the system spoke.
[SYSTEM INTERFACE]
[SYSTEM INTERFACE]
★★★★ Mission – 殯雨之追問 (The Funeral Rain's Inquiry)
Mission Accepted: Aid the Umbrella Maiden in delivering justice
Tools Received:
通灵红线 (Red Thread of Communion）Grade: Bronze 青铜级 (Grade 2)
Effect:Allow user to communicate with the ghost girl across realms.
幽触剪刀（Ghost-Touched Scissors）Grade: Gold 黄金级 (Grade 4)
Effect: Cuts guilt-bound memory threads
伞女发簪（Umbrella Maiden's Hairpin）Grade: Silver 白银级 (Grade 3)Effect: Reveals the aura of those who are guilty
染血校页（School's Tainted Secrets）Grade: Bronze 青铜级 (Grade 2)Effect: A burned school page that shows where the guilty hide.
朱缚符咒（Crimson-Tethered Talisman）Grade: Silver 白银级 (Grade 3)Effect: A fading seal that reveals corrupted truths when burned. Single use.
Hidden Condition: At least one player must survive
Reward: 800 Wen
Mission Failure: Your Soul Will Be Devoured
Time Limit: 89:59:59:59
The ghost girl turned to face them one last time. Her voice was soft, less an echo now, more like wind passing through the ribs of something long buried.
"你们该走了. 时辰到了."
You should leave now. The time has come
She turned. The red umbrella opened over her head one final time.
"等一下!"
Wait!
"你叫什么名字?"
What's your name?
Realising that the ghost girl's name was still unknown, Mo Yu shouted instantly, but the shadows only stirred slightly in response. There was no answer, the umbrella was gone and so was she.
He exhaled sharply. The stranger hadn't moved. Trying to break the awkward tension between them, Mo Yu turned to him slowly.
"嘿, 我还不知道你的名字. 我是——"
Hey, I still don't know your name. I am—
"墨玉."
Mo Yu
He never finished the sentence.