Arc 3: Luodong Village
Chapter 33: Variable
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5039729
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
A heavy, stifling pressure started to spread through the air.
Facing Fan Lin, who had lost his girlfriend, no one could feel the same as him, and no one kept comforting this weird-talking boy anymore. The woman Zhao Huaqiong, who had taken the lead to be friendly with them just now, saw this and moved a little farther away from Fan Lin. She waved at Lin Fengque, who looked easy to talk to, and signaled him to come over.
Qin Dongwan simply pulled Luo Shu and walked over together.
The three of them coming closer didn’t put much pressure on Zhao Huaqiong. The woman only paused for a moment, and then continued.
“Actually, last night I also heard some sounds. It felt like someone went out of a room. Then Fan Lin and Bai Wanwan were arguing. It sounded very intense. That man went over to start calming them down. I didn’t hear the details clearly.”
Zhao Huaqiong smiled awkwardly. Her eyes couldn’t help glancing at Lin Fengque’s handsome and gentle face. “I’ve said so much, so when it really matters, can you protect…”
“Don’t worry, sister. When it’s within our ability, everyone will look out for each other. Otherwise, how could we get out of here easily by fighting alone?”
Before Lin Fengque could speak, Qin Dongwan kicked the ball back first. The words “within our ability” and “look out for each other” clearly showed they didn’t want Zhao Huaqiong to take advantage. The woman wasn’t stupid. Seeing they had no plan to directly take her along, she thanked them and stepped back first. After the woman walked far away, Hua Qingjiu and Tang Zihang came over.
“Just now I saw that man who was with the tour guide last night. He’s still in the group.”
Hua Qingjiu, who had been silently watching the surroundings, said something shocking.
Since Pingping’s mother said the bonfire party needed ten people to go together, everyone assumed that the man who went with the tour guide last night and didn't board the boat in the first group was dead. However, Hua Qingjiu just counted the number of people. Aside from the dead Bai Wanwan and the tour guide, there were still nine people left.
“Qin Dongwan.”
Luo Shu suddenly spoke.
“…It should be that buzz-cut guy.”
Her memory has always been good. It was not to the level of photographic memory, but for faces with clear features, she could almost remember them after seeing them once.
After getting the answer, Luo Shu turned around and walked off.
“Hey, what are you do…”
Before Tang Zihang could finish speaking, he saw the small and delicate girl walking fast like the wind. She rushed straight to the side of the buzz-cut man. After a few short exchanges came dirty curses from the man’s mouth. Before Qin Dongwan and the others could rush over, a heart-ripping scream suddenly rang through the sky.
The rustling locust leaves swayed in the wind and trembled lightly. They opened the strange and uneasy chapter of the morning.
Luo Shu had never politely questioned anyone. It was always others explaining things clearly to her. If a few sentences could not communicate, she would directly use her hands.
The people over there were also startled by the sudden sharp scream. They were even more shocked when they saw it was a short girl who made the move. The man was tall and big, yet Luo Shu knocked him down in two moves and stepped on him. The girl’s purple eyes flickered with faint excitement.
“Will you talk or not? Answer me within ten seconds.”
“A’Shu!”
Thinking of how the NPC student in the last level turned into a ghost after dying, Qin Dongwan quickly went up to stop Luo Shu, but the girl pushed her away right away. Luo Shu held back a bit of strength, but even so, Qin Dongwan was pushed back several steps before she could barely stand steady.
“I just followed that tour guide over here, damn it. If you want to target someone, go target that ghost tour guide. Why are you coming at me? What could I even have on me!”
Buzz cut was clearly beaten into fear. A smart person knows when to bow. Even though he had no idea how a small girl could have such scary strength, he didn’t dare talk more. Several dirty words that almost came out were swallowed back down.
Luo Shu snorted lightly. She clearly didn’t believe him and was about to ask again, but Qin Dongwan came up from behind and grabbed her wrist once more. She spoke softly to calm her.
“Our goal right now is to see what this so-called mountain god really is. No matter what, this guy can’t be the mountain god, so there’s no need to waste time.”
After going through two levels, Qin Dongwan was already very good at calming Luo Shu down. A moment later, under everyone’s gaze, the rampaging villainess finally lifted her foot off the man’s back. She shot him a warning look and then slowly walked away.
“Um… wait!”
Seeing the group turn around and not knowing where they were going, Zhao Huaqiong, who had been standing not far away, quickly followed them. She put on a pleasing smile and spoke before they got completely annoyed.
“You’re definitely not going back after coming out like this. What if you get thirsty? When I was at that NPC’s house, I filled some water and brought it out. If you don’t mind, we can share?”
The strong intention to please in her words was far too obvious. When water is full, it overflows. Too much purpose-driven flattery only makes people annoyed. Even good-tempered Qin Dongwan had her patience worn down. She frowned and refused without hesitation.
“No need.”
The woman let out a disappointed sigh.
Still, even though Zhao Huaqiong was annoying, she wasn’t wrong about one thing. Their most urgent task wasn’t finding the mountain god, but finding a cleaner water source. This place had gu poison, and the long-haired female ghost lurking in the well made them afraid to drink the water. They could only look for it themselves.
By the end of the day, the group got nothing and was both thirsty and hungry. When lunchtime came, they went back to eat a bit. No one touched the problematic sour soup fish. They only ate some plain rice with vegetables to fill their stomachs.
It was only the second day, yet it already felt like years passing. Qin Dongwan couldn’t help missing the small castle from the first level. At least there, if you worked with your hands, you’d have food, and there was no need to worry about meals. After two levels of trials, her mindset had improved a lot. At least she wouldn’t lose her appetite anymore just because an NPC died.
After a simple lunch, they went out again to search. Before evening, they had to head back to prepare for the so-called bonfire party. During the day, they were almost like headless flies, running around with no direction, only slowly figuring out the layout at low efficiency.
Where the mountain god was, and what strange rumors existed, the villagers here kept their mouths shut. It was as if they feared touching bad luck, so no one would mention it at all.
As night fell, singing and laughter began to ring through the village. Every household skipped dinner and walked out of their stilt houses, heading toward the center of the village. A bright full moon hung in the sky. Frost-like moonlight covered the ground and also covered the shadow of death hanging overhead.
Pingping dressed up very beautifully tonight. She was already a fresh and lively girl, and with light makeup she gained an extra touch of refined beauty. Her collarless, edge-trimmed cardigan was mainly navy blue. It didn't look old at all. Instead, it hid much of the childish look on her face. Her knee-length pleated skirt fluttered in the wind. Her whole body looked light like a butterfly, moving through mountains and plants.ip
During festivals, the girls in this village wore colorful clothes. Qin Dongwan and Luo Shu, who had come here, could not avoid this either. At Pingping’s mother’s request, they also changed into beautiful new outfits, with gold and jade on their heads.
The two women in Pingping’s family were both around 1.6 meters tall, so there were no clothes that fit Qin Dongwan and Luo Shu. Pingping’s mother kindly went to a tailor shop to borrow two sets. Because of this, they were a bit late on the way.
“Our Pingping loves to run around the most, so I let her go ahead first. Don’t mind it.”
As she spoke, the woman looked at the two of them, smiling all over her face, yet the smile felt strange. Last night, Lin Fengque’s kerosene lamp broke. He said he hit it by accident when he got up at night, and she didn't blame him at all. Now her enthusiasm burned even hotter, which really made it hard to handle. Compared to her, Pingping’s father seemed more normal. He stood at the door, smoking his dry tobacco on and off.
By the time they reached the center of the village, the bonfire party had already started. Singing and dancing filled the place with joy. They were not real travelers from all over the world, so they had no mood to throw themselves into happiness that they didn't know how long it could last.
Fragrant roasted meat sizzled on the fire, dripping oil. The fresh smell of special grass seasoning rushed to the nose and stirred up appetite. The group had not eaten a proper meal for two days, yet none of them dared step forward to grab a piece and bite into it.
Qin Dongwan stood on the outer edge and quietly watched. She saw Pingping, dressed bright and flashy, chatting happily with a tall and strong young man. The two looked very close. While talking, the young man kept reaching out to gently stroke the girl’s soft long hair. His fingers slid into the thick strands, and he pressed her head forward. The girl’s face leaned against his chest.
In a flash, a somewhat familiar figure suddenly crossed Qin Dongwan’s mind. She gave a light cough, and her gaze, which had just turned away, fell back on the two of them.
She couldn’t help feeling that the strong man in the erotic painting she saw earlier in Pingping’s room looked a bit like the man in front of her.
“I already told you to let me have some peace. Is that so hard? I don’t want to come to this damn place at all!”
Amid the singing and laughter, an out of place shout suddenly rang out. Qin Dongwan turned her head at once and saw Fan Lin, who had been furious under the locust tree during the day, being dragged and pulled by several people toward the bonfire party. The leaping flames lit up his face and made it look twisted. He was very strong, and the people beside him struggled to hold him. After a moment, they finally let go.
When he saw several colorful feathered roosters tied up and standing quietly to the side, a strange look spread over the young man’s face, which had been full of anger just moments ago.
The rooster that had been pecking at rice was covered by a tall shadow. It lifted its neck and saw the greedy young man reach out. His movements were clumsy as he grabbed both wings.
Crack.
The warning cry didn’t even make it out before it was cut off in the throat. The young man pulled out a small knife from who knows where. The blade flashed and sliced across the rooster’s neck. Thick, hot blood burst out.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5039729
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
He lowered his head, as if greedily sucking sweet nectar, and licked the broken neck. Blood bubbled up and splashed, staining his pale face red.
His fairly handsome features were soaked in blood. Under the jumping firelight, they twisted into something twisted and hideous.
“Fan Lin, you… ah—”
Zhao Huaqiong, who forced herself to step closer, had her words cut off all of a sudden. The tall young man grabbed the woman by the neck in one move, about to twist it hard and snap it, like an eagle gripping a chick.
