diskusbooks #557 - Graffiti
#557 - Graffiti
The afterglow of the setting sun filtered through the old window lattices, casting dappled shadows on the floor, with tiny dust particles floating in the air. Tang Yin sat on a wooden chair, his slightly forward-leaning posture revealing the unique focus he possessed when thinking. A glimmer of wisdom flashed in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth tilted up slightly: "This is the smartest choice, isn't it?"
Wang Lina gently caressed the red woven bracelet on her wrist, the only memento left to her by her mother. Her brow was furrowed, and her slender fingers unconsciously rubbed the rough knots of the thread: "...However, why was Old Man Gao Zhijie so silent at the time, and how do we explain this?"
Tang Yin took a deep breath, and his entire demeanor suddenly became more solemn. His slender fingers gently tapped the tabletop, making a light rhythmic sound: "From now on, everything I say is speculation."
Outside the window, the sycamore tree rustled, and a few golden fallen leaves fluttered into the room with the wind. "The reason Old Man Gao kept silent was to prevent himself, with his leadership abilities, from becoming the wolf's target." Tang Yin's voice was low and magnetic, his gaze becoming deep, as if he could see through people's hearts.
Outside the window, a robin flapped its wings and landed on a branch, chirping crisply. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on Tang Yin's handsome profile. He continued to analyze: "Why do this? Because he knew that in order to protect everyone, he had to survive."
"In other words..." He was interrupted by Wang Lina before he could finish.
"! Could he also be a Guardian?" Wang Lina stood up abruptly, her hands tightly clutching the hem of her skirt, her fair face flushed with excitement, and a look of surprise flashing in her clear black and white eyes.
Tang Yin nodded gently, his gaze piercing: "Yes, and it should be the Spider's Guardian." There was a hint of certainty in his tone.
Wang Lina sat down again, her hands unconsciously twisting together, her knuckles turning white from the force: "Why do you say that?" Her voice trembled slightly, as if she had a premonition of the truth that was about to be revealed.
The air in the room seemed to freeze. Tang Yin stood up and walked to the window. The distant mountains presented a magnificent purplish-red color in the setting sun, giving a surreal feeling. He turned his back to Wang Lina and slowly revealed the truth: "The risk of the Spider exposing its identity is the greatest, because the Spider has no way to protect itself."
A cool breeze slipped in through the half-open window, carrying the desolate atmosphere unique to late autumn, blowing the curtains and the corners of Tang Yin's clothes. He turned around, his gaze becoming more determined: "Conversely, as long as the identity is not exposed, the Spider has the possibility of preventing the wolf from killing."
The last ray of sunlight gradually disappeared, and the shadows in the room became darker. Wang Lina stared at Tang Yin's profile and suddenly realized how astonishing the truth contained in every word he said was. She subconsciously bit her lower lip, her mind replaying the various abnormal events that had occurred in the past few days.
The sound of cicadas outside the house gradually subsided, and Tang Yin's reasoning was like a sharp knife, peeling away the surface of this bizarre incident layer by layer. He walked back to his seat, his fingertips gently tapping the armrest, and continued to analyze: "Old Man Gao's choice to remain silent was wise, but unfortunately... this behavior aroused the wolf's vigilance instead."
Wang Lina leaned forward unconsciously, her heart beating faster with every word Tang Yin spoke. Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes were filled with concentration and contemplation, as if trying desperately to understand this complex puzzle.
Wang Lina suddenly stood up from the wooden chair, her lively big eyes filled with disbelief. Her black hair swayed gently with her excited movements, setting off a flush on her fair face: "No, that's impossible!? Her clothes were so complicated! Where would she have the time to change!?"
Her voice trembled slightly, and her slender fingers clenched the hem of her clothes tightly. The gorgeous kimono lingered in her mind: "Moreover, she has no chance of winning against two men!"
Tang Yin's deep gaze fell on the setting sun in the distance, and his slender fingers gently tapped the stone table. The light of the setting sun cast a warm color on his handsome profile: "...What if it was like this? Xiao Liang and Grandpa Wolf killed each other, and when only one person was left, she killed the survivor."
The air in the courtyard seemed to freeze. Tang Yin continued to analyze: "Because she killed the second person, it also meets the conditions for being contaminated." His voice was low and magnetic, and every word seemed to carry a convincing power.
Standing under the sycamore tree, Tang Yin frowned slightly, his gaze looking towards the distant mountains, as if searching for some clue: "Regarding the clothes, I have no idea either. Maybe she was wearing an apron or a haori at the time, but now there's no way to verify it."
Wang Lina slowly sat back on the stone bench, her hands unconsciously twisting together: "...But even if there's only one person left, the other person is still a man..." There was a hint of hesitation in her voice.
A few golden fallen leaves fluttered down with the wind, swirling on the stone slab ground. Tang Yin turned to face Wang Lina, his eyes sharp as knives: "One of them is an old man so old that no one even knows his age, right? Maybe after they killed each other, the survivor was already on his last breath."
"Self...destruction." Wang Lina murmured, repeating the word, her delicate brows furrowed tightly, a trace of fear flashing in her eyes. After a long time, she raised her head, her voice trembling slightly: "...Why...why can you think of things to this extent..."
A cool breeze blew, stirring the wind chimes in the courtyard, making a crisp sound. Tang Yin's voice remained calm: "It's just speculation, although I don't know the motive, the logic is sound."
Wang Lina suddenly raised her voice, her beautiful eyes flashing with unease: "What does this speculation have to do with the wolf's conspiracy!?"
Tang Yin was silent for a moment, his gaze becoming deeper: "...So, is it possible that this so-called motive is the method used to make her kill, such as using weaknesses to force her to obey." He paused, his voice even lower: "Or she herself is the wolf."
This sentence was like a heavy stone, weighing down the atmosphere in the courtyard even more. Wang Lina was silent, her fingers unconsciously stroking her skirt, her eyes revealing deep confusion.
A clear bird song came from afar, breaking the tranquility of the afternoon. Tang Yin walked to Wang Lina's side and continued to reason: "...In order for other companions to gain an advantage, it's possible that one of the wolves would sacrifice itself."
Wang Lina suddenly looked up, a flash of inspiration in her clear black and white eyes: "No, the fewer wolves there are, the more disadvantageous it is, right?"
The setting sun stretched the shadows of the two people very long. Tang Yin's voice was particularly clear in the evening breeze: "Indeed, according to the current ratio of people, for the wolves, even a one-for-two exchange would be a losing proposition."
Walking through the stone slab path in the courtyard, the distant mountains were faintly visible, and mist swirled between the mountains. Tang Yin put his hands in his trouser pockets, looking ahead thoughtfully: "However, not everyone is so calculating, right?"
Wang Lina stood beside him, silent. The breeze brushed her long hair, creating a faint glow in the sunlight. A trace of confusion flashed in her clear eyes: "..."
Tang Yin turned around, his gaze falling on Wang Lina's slightly pale face. His voice was still steady and powerful: "Not everyone acts rationally, even if there are unreasonable behaviors, it's normal, but there's no way to predict such things, right?"
Wang Lina suddenly covered her ears, her slender body trembling slightly: "Don't... don't say it." There was a hint of pleading in her voice, as if every word was torturing her.
Tang Yin took a step forward, his tall figure blocking the sunlight shining on Wang Lina: "You can't just give up like this."
"I don't want to keep thinking..." Wang Lina lowered her head, her hair covering her expression, but her slightly trembling shoulders exposed the unease in her heart.
A silence spread between the two. Tang Yin looked at the fragile girl in front of him, a trace of apology in his eyes: "..."
After a moment, he said softly: "...Sorry, I was too hasty."
Wang Lina slowly raised her head, forcing a smile: "...It's nothing, I should apologize... But, I feel a little... uncomfortable..." Her voice was getting lighter and lighter, as if she was talking to herself.
Tang Yin's gaze became firm: "I don't think you need to continue killing each other. If you want to escape, I will help."
"...Impossible." Wang Lina shook her head, her eyes suddenly becoming empty. Her voice had a strange calmness: "Born in Kirigakure Village, die in Kirigakure Village, this is our destiny."
"That's just superstition." Tang Yin frowned, his tone a little impatient.
Wang Lina raised her head, a hint of sarcasm flashing in her eyes: "How can someone who can't see the gods understand us?"
"Yeah, I don't understand. So what?" Tang Yin looked directly into her eyes, his voice carrying a challenging tone.
Wang Lina fell silent again, her eyes wandering, avoiding Tang Yin's gaze: "..."
Tang Yin stood there, his heart churning with complex emotions. If it were a normal tabletop game, he would have flipped the table and punched someone long ago. But this time it was different. This was a game of life and death, not only related to his own life, but also involving the lives of many innocent people.
The current situation made him feel extremely anxious. The situation was already so serious, but the person involved was still so uncooperative. This made him begin to wonder if he had misunderstood the basic rules of the game?
He deeply understood that in order to save her, he had to eliminate the shadows deep in her heart. Or rather, find out the truth behind the cage that imprisoned her soul - those supernatural phenomena.
But in just a few days, could he really complete such a near-impossible task? However, even so, he had to struggle to the last moment.
Since he was excluded from the banquet, Tang Yin could only pin his hopes on Wang Lina. He quietly looked at Wang Lina, who was lost in thought, without disturbing her, because he believed that she would eventually understand his intentions.
Just then, a thick fog quietly rose. They then realized that they had unknowingly distanced themselves from Xiao Me. Looking back, they saw Xiao Me's figure looming, preparing to walk into the depths of that unsettling fog.
"Hey!" Tang Yin's voice echoed in the mist. He strode forward, his leather shoes making rustling sounds on the ground covered with fallen leaves.
Hearing his call, Xiao Me turned around. She was wearing a light pink dress, and under her black short hair was an innocent little face. "Me?" She tilted her head, blinked her round eyes, and waved her little hand at Tang Yin. This action revealed that she had begun to develop some affection for Tang Yin.
Tang Yin squatted down, looking Xiao Me in the eye: "What are you drawing?"
"I'm drawing guardian beasts!" Xiao Me's voice was crisp and sweet, full of the vitality unique to children. She held a wooden stick in her hand and was concentrating on drawing on the ground.
"Guardian beasts?" Tang Yin's gaze fell on the crooked circles on the ground. They were filled with messy lines, which seemed to have no rules at all at first glance.
But these patterns reminded Tang Yin of the patterns he saw in the cafeteria. If he remembered correctly, that should be the Qin family's crest. He carefully identified the graffiti on the ground. There seemed to be four different patterns. Although they looked very abstract under the little girl's naive brushstrokes, it was probably only she herself who could fully understand their meaning.
Suddenly, Tang Yin noticed one of the patterns, which was the mark of the Underworld Wolf that had appeared on the Tateishi. \n
"I see, this is the guardian beast of Chimei God, right? Did your sister teach you?" Tang Yin asked tentatively.
"Yeah!" Xiao Me nodded vigorously, a bright smile on her face.
Tang Yin pointed to another pattern: "What about this one? It shouldn't be a guardian beast, right?"
"Livestock!" Xiao Me's answer made Tang Yin stunned for a moment. A child of about four years old could actually say such a professional word.
"Animals?"
"Yeah, this is a cow!" Xiao Me enthusiastically introduced her work.
"Okay, okay."
"This is a donkey!"
"Oh ~"
"This is a pig!"
"Ah..." Tang Yin looked at the blurry graffiti on the ground. These creatures, which conformed to the style of children's paintings, had nothing but four legs, so it was impossible to see any recognizable features.
"What about this one?" he continued to ask.
"Me!" Xiao Me announced proudly. Tang Yin silently looked at the graffiti that also had four legs and decided not to ask any further.
"What about this biggest graffiti?"
"Wolf..." Xiao Me's voice suddenly became low.
A chill ran down Tang Yin's spine. "...Hey, why is it a wolf?"
"Because the wolf is coming." Xiao Me's tone was innocent and calm.
The wolf is coming? This sentence gave Tang Yin an ominous premonition.
"...The wolf is coming, run away, must run away." Xiao Me continued, with a hint of fear in her voice.
"Wait, Xiao Me, have you seen a wolf?" Tang Yin asked eagerly.
"No, but it's so scary." Xiao Me shook her head, a trace of panic flashing in her eyes.
"Are you talking about the wolf here?"
"Me?" Xiao Me tilted her head, looking puzzled.
"What about snakes and monkeys?"
"I don't know ~" Xiao Me shook her head innocently.
An eerie atmosphere permeated the air, and Tang Yin took a deep breath: "What will the wolf do?"
"Eat livestock..." Xiao Me's voice was almost inaudible.
"...Eat?"
"Yeah, the horse has already been eaten." Xiao Me's words carried a sense of weight that was disproportionate to her age. Her pure big eyes seemed to hide some unknown secrets.