黃昏過後,城市換上一層華燈初上的外衣。女侍應換下了制服,穿上簡潔柔和的便服,一身素色長裙,髮束依舊高高紮起,只是少了幾分工作時的拘謹。22Please respect copyright.PENANACdz0pfOFpE
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她朝店主輕聲道別,語氣溫婉:「那,明天見了,謝謝。」22Please respect copyright.PENANAQqVa5UivjJ
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店主點頭,想說什麼,卻只是笑了笑,沒有開口。22Please respect copyright.PENANAuE4wB7c5HF
22Please respect copyright.PENANAnhPnuNuUu3
走出咖啡館,她並沒有立刻回家,而是轉進一條幽靜的斜巷,沿著石階往上走去。22Please respect copyright.PENANAgMTjTIzT66
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這裡是市中心的一隅,古老與嶄新共處,歷史的年輪仍清晰可見。兩旁的唐樓被現代商廈壓得低矮,樓梯上的石磚被千萬雙鞋磨得光滑,潮濕的空氣裡,依稀還留著舊報紙和沉香的氣味。22Please respect copyright.PENANAaxAqY5BaIo
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她輕聲自語,語氣中藏著一絲說不出的感觸:22Please respect copyright.PENANAtRadIx0kx6
「這裡……和以前,也沒太大變化呢……」22Please respect copyright.PENANAlzORozcfA3
她的步伐不快,像在走過一場遲來的回憶。過了幾條街口,她來到文武廟前。22Please respect copyright.PENANAv5On4kDHoy
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廟宇靜默佇立,香火未熄,卻不見熱鬧。幾縷輕煙在空中纏繞,帶來淡淡的檀香與塵灰味。天色暗沉,廟內比外頭更顯陰鬱,但整潔如昔,沒有半點頹敗。22Please respect copyright.PENANASqjiWFzwKn
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她緩步走進去。22Please respect copyright.PENANAt0UTmX0iK9
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一名年邁的老人坐在一旁,翻著帳冊,偶爾抬頭看看香爐。見她靠近,放下手上的東西,點頭致意。22Please respect copyright.PENANAx1rOdGjGpL
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「請問……」她的聲音輕得像風,「七十年前,在這裡擔任廟祝的張道成先生……他,還在世嗎?」22Please respect copyright.PENANA8unDPnt7SA
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老者愣了一下。22Please respect copyright.PENANAxlCyn4kJUn
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「七十年前……?」他沉思良久,露出歉意的微笑:「唉,我也算年紀一大把了,但七十年前……我還只是個孩子,知道的不多。」22Please respect copyright.PENANAEyeOzLA4QS
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女孩仍舊微笑,眼神溫和,並不失望。她站得筆直,身形瘦削,卻有一種奇異的安靜力量。22Please respect copyright.PENANAevv8LPv60h
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老人猶豫了一下,然後像下定了什麼決心。他起身,掏出手機,撥了一個又一個電話,語氣小心地詢問著——向上一代的老人們請教,追索那個張姓廟祝的消息。22Please respect copyright.PENANAEF3hfQ4cHT
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「……應該是戰後來的……後來一直住在廟邊那幢樓……」22Please respect copyright.PENANA3HDzj9wGmy
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女孩默默站著,等待著,眼神望向廟堂深處,不知落在哪一尊神像身上。22Please respect copyright.PENANAiCzTRJ7Zft
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風從廟外吹進來,捲起幾張積灰的香紙。她站在時間的交界處,一邊是活人尚存的世界,一邊是被遺忘的記憶——她站得如此自然,仿佛這本來就是她應該回來的地方。22Please respect copyright.PENANATWE9Pty3Tc
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她靜靜站在廟內,香煙繚繞間,記憶像細塵般悄然飄回來——22Please respect copyright.PENANAH3wEh2rYsu
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那是七十年前的某個黃昏。22Please respect copyright.PENANAOlI95v43OJ
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當年的文武廟還未如此靜默,屋脊朱瓦閃著夕陽餘暉,木樑與石柱之間,是人聲鼎沸、善信如織的時光。而她,則藏身在廟宇高處的屋頂,腳邊是一地碎瓦與血跡。22Please respect copyright.PENANAl502zrVS4D
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她喘著氣,口中還殘留著剛吞噬過生命的餘溫。下方,是那位張廟祝——也是一位術法高明的法師,正仰望著她,手中持著桃木劍。22Please respect copyright.PENANAqrZLH1nu4r
「妖孽,」他怒喝,「還不束手就擒?」22Please respect copyright.PENANAhS9BJSb0YI
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「他們是該死的。」她輕聲說,聲音清脆,甚至還帶著一點不合時宜的天真,「但他們也真的……很好吃。」22Please respect copyright.PENANAS8y1rUwWBY
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她不是說謊。對她來說,人的氣息有千百種:有腐敗、有甜膩、有清澈如泉。那些被她吞食的人,無一不是罪行纍纍之輩,因為他們的確最美味。那些正直善良的人還真的淡而無味。22Please respect copyright.PENANAITBMbd4uA4
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只是在人類眼中,她的行為也是血腥屠殺。22Please respect copyright.PENANA6wknTiBtFa
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那天,廟前聚集了許多圍觀者。他們用驚懼的目光看著她,嘴裡低聲咒罵,有人丟石頭,有人點香禱告。她只記得那種眼神——像看一頭野獸,又像看某種詛咒。22Please respect copyright.PENANAKsFjuvb8iu
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她想對他們說:「我不吃好人。」但沒有人會聽。又或者,沒多少人自信是個好人。22Please respect copyright.PENANA3n5COnbKmU
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這個時代,妖怪與人類距離已遠,神明被遺忘,法術逐漸凋零。妖怪成了上個時代的異物,是不該存在卻仍倖存的遺留。22Please respect copyright.PENANAYif6IB4WnX
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法師的桃木劍挾著法力逼近,她還未決定如何反應。