阴兵·黑脸鬼 Revenant Charface
白驹忽而已，去来何依依。
事往如流水，魂梦委尘泥。
Time gallops like a horse so fair,
Here and there, seeming without care.
Past flows like water in its course,
Dreams buried deep, without remorse.
黑脸鬼是枉死城的鬼差，与勾魂使不同，他们主要负责守卫枉死城。
他们能在刀上焚起业火，将亡魂烧成灰烬，所以他们身上总是黑黢的。
这日，有两个黑脸鬼在城门前成守，有个亡魂企图混出城去，被抓了个正着。
一个黑脸鬼燃起刀刃就要斩灭那亡魂。
亡魂赶紧求饶道:“两位大哥若能放我还阳，我就烧十库纸金锭作为报答。”
另一个黑脸鬼拦住了前者，对亡魂道:“那不如我们打个赌赛。若是你赢了，放你回去。若是你输了，就别怨我们。”
亡魂问:“赌什么?”
黑脸鬼答:“就赌今日排队入城的人，是不是都如你一般想还阳。若有半数，就算你赢了。”
言罢，他递了纸笔过去，让亡魂在城门前，把新死者的姓名，以及生前执念都记下来。
待要闭城时，亡魂找到黑脸鬼，激动道:“我赢了!我赢了!”
鬼差把名单交于城门使对比，发现数量和名姓都能对上，还补充了许多亡魂没有交代的内情。
城门使十分满意，很欣赏亡魂，给了它不少好处，道：“今日城门已闭，你明日再来吧。”
一连数月，亡魂天天都来，黑脸鬼每次都和他打起了同样的赌赛。
后来，亡魂不再吵着还阳了，他在城门使手下当了主簿，放下了阳世的执念。
咦，生活究竟是该往前看，还是该执着地贯彻目标呢？
或许没有完全正确的解答，重要的是，自己心甘情愿地决定这样做。
The gates of the City of Injustice are guarded by the charfaces. Unlike soul reapers, they wield blades of karmic flames, burning lost souls to ash-hence their perpetually smoked visages.
One day, two charfaces at the gate caught a soul trying to sneak out. As one raised his flaming blade to strike, the desperate soul pleaded, "Spare me, kind sirs. Should I revive, I'll burn ten houses of paper ingots in your honor." The other charface restrained his companion and proposed, "Let's have a wager then. If you win, you go free. But if you lose, blame your own luck." The soul asked, "What would be the wager?" And he answered: "If half the souls entering the city today wish to return to life like you, you win." With that, he handed over paper and ink and tasked the soul with recording the names and earthly obsessions of those newly deceased.
As the gate closed for the day, the soul hurried to the charfaces and declared, "I've won! I've won indeed!" The charfaces presented the list to the Gatemaster, who found that it matched perfectly in both numbers and names and even included details the deceased themselves hadn't revealed. Satisfied, the Gatemaster held the soul in high regard, generously rewarded him, and said, "I know you seek to leave the city, but the gates are shut for today. Perhaps you should come again tomorrow."
Months passed with the soul returning daily, and each day a similar bet was made. Over time, the soul ceased longing for a return to life and took up a role as a scribe under the Gatemaster.
Alas, it makes one wonder: should we look ahead and accept whatever future awaits us, or stay committed to steadfast goals? Perhaps there's no right answer. What matters is the willingness to make your choice.
