Arc 3: Luodong Village

Chapter 36: Newlywed

Tang Zihang, who stood in front, let out a sharp, painful scream. His hand on the human skin looked like it got burned, and he recoiled in terror. Luo Shu could not stand his jumpy behavior. She reached out one hand and easily held the boy’s back to stop him from retreating. She had none of the special gentleness she showed Qin Dongwan before.

“Stop screaming.”

She wasn't that scared. In the game world, strange things happen. Any kind of madness can appear. Someone laughing one second might turn into a corpse the next.

The first two levels trained their minds enough. Tang Zihang’s hand shook. He behaved and shrank to the back, and he stopped screaming.

What surprised them was that on the dusty, empty table, several bowls of the food they ordered suddenly appeared. Steam rose, and the smell spread. Green scallions on the fried eggs stood out clearly.

Qin Dongwan swallowed and looked at the human skin still slowly rocking on the rattan chair. She hesitated about taking the food.

In the end, Luo Shu took the lead. She carried a bowl of noodles, found a seat that was fairly clean, sat down, and lowered her head to eat. No rule was triggered.

The noodles tasted so-so, but there was no strange taste like at Pingping’s home. Sitting in a room with a skeleton and collapsed human skin, they finally had a normal breakfast and hurried away.

The morning sunlight was bright. They walked on dew covered ground. Grass and trees smelled fresh in the wind, washing away last night’s blood smell.

After walking along a pebble path for a short time, the view opened up. Not far ahead was a flowing stream. A little closer, they saw a girl standing by the water, admiring herself.

A ray of sunlight fell on her raven-black long hair and made it shine. Her hair was smooth. When the wind lifted it, it carried a bewitching beauty. Clear water reflected her face, but the people hiding far away could not see it clearly. They only heard her hum a local tune. Her words and sounds were hard for outsiders to understand.

Qin Dongwan and Lin Fengque both changed expressions.

As the song rose, it was like a fine needle piercing the mind. It stirred her curiosity again and pulled her to step forward. Qin Dongwan stepped back a little and grabbed Luo Shu’s slender arm. She even used some strength to drag herself out of the hazy illusion.

She looked at the others. Tang Zihang reacted the most. His eyes were empty. He wanted to walk forward. Hua Qingjiu and Lin Fengque grabbed him from left and right and covered his mouth. Luckily, he only wanted to go forward and did nothing else.

The girl’s singing continued. It hooked the soul and stole the spirit, like a soft, charming serenade. The sound passed through layers of forest. The echo lingered and didn't fade, as if it would not stop until it lured people over.

A flash of insight crossed Qin Dongwan’s mind.

“The well, water.”

She turned back and mouthed the words to the others who were also holding back.

Before, when she looked at the female ghost, she was mentally controlled. Now everyone was controlled by the song. It was easy to think of the strongest poison here. Gu poison is strange and hard to explain. This one was likely placed in well water and could control will.

Among them, Tang Zihang even ate the most suspicious sour fish soup, so his reaction was the worst.

A rustling sound suddenly came. Everyone held their breath and looked. The girl by the water suddenly turned her head toward the sound. Her sweet face was clearly Pingping.

Her eyes were beautiful and tempting. She balanced purity and desire just right. With a light hook of her pale fingers, a man staggered toward her.

Qin Dongwan recognized the man. He was the only short male player. He stared greedily at the girl sitting by the water. Under her lure, he lunged forward.

The person fell into the water and splashed hard. The gentle stream turned wild at once. Huge waves rose. Dense small wounds appeared on the short man’s body. Dirty water poured in and washed his flesh and blood. The pain made him scream so hard it almost tore his voice. He waved his arms in vain.

His screams were swallowed by the water. Floating up were only dull blood color and scraps of flesh torn and chewed by something unknown. Bones were bitten through and ground to powder, then taken away by the waves.

The bright sun hid behind clouds at some point. The sky showed a strange gray, like a storm was coming. Thick clouds rolled and pressed heavy on everyone’s heart.

Pingping’s red lips curled slightly. She wiped her mouth and walked away, satisfied. At the same time, the strange feeling on them disappeared. Their minds took back control and were no longer disturbed.

Qin Dongwan leaned on a rough tree trunk and let out a long breath.

The luckiest one was Tang Zihang. He almost went over just now. If he wasn't held back, the result would be terrible. His clothes were soaked. He held his throbbing temples and rested before calming down.

“I just…”

“You almost died.”

Qin Dongwan shot him an annoyed look. She still held a grudge about his strange joke.

“Stop talking. Catch up.”

Lin Fengque urged.

Luo Shu already walked toward Pingping without a word. To get clues and push the plot, the others followed. It was only the third day, but many players were already dead, with strange deaths. For now, they could tell Pingping was a night female ghost. In the daytime, she was less scary and mostly lured people to die.

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5039729
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

Die… the man who jumped into water was bitten full of holes. It made Qin Dongwan think of the Tale of the River God.

Feudal superstition kills people. The River God is one kind. Some villages offered pigs, sheep, or even boys and girls to the River God to get good weather or stop floods. The fate of living people sent into water varied. Some said they were eaten. Some said they became the River God’s bride.

Either way, it was never good.

Thinking this way, it matched being a bride for the Mountain God.

The man’s death flashed in Qin Dongwan’s mind. Linking it with earlier events, a scary thought began to grow.

“Mountain God and River God…”

“Could the Mountain God be the River God?”

Hearing Qin Dongwan’s muttering, Hua Qingjiu, who was walking fast beside her, suddenly spoke. Everyone ahead except Luo Shu stopped. Sweat filled their palms. Qin Dongwan, whose thought was exposed before it formed, breathed fast and looked at Hua Qingjiu. She slowed her steps.

“You mean, one mountain cannot hold two tigers, so the Mountain God is the River God?”

The man nodded with a few words.

Luo Shu, a woman with a few words and acts quickly, walked the fastest and already left them far behind. Now wasn't the time to discuss. The tree of doubt in their minds was already big and shaking, just one push from breaking.

Qin Dongwan gestured to Hua Qingjiu and quickly followed Luo Shu. Being so close, she easily saw Pingping ahead, looking excited.

The girl softly hummed a local love song and happily walked toward a direction they never explored.

Further ahead was a narrow winding path, clearly unsuitable to follow. Luo Shu stopped. The others stopped too. After Pingping squeezed in, Luo Shu decided to stay alone to watch. The others should all go back.

She didn't allow doubt or refusal. Only she had the strength for this.

“Alright.” Lin Fengque, who originally intended to stay, said reluctantly. Her willful style gave him a headache. Then he thought they only knew each other for a few days. Her distrust of him was understandable. “We will meet at the small restaurant at noon. Their food is not normal. Try not to eat it.”

Luo Shu didn't speak or reply. She picked a leafy tree and climbed up fast, agile like a cat.

Lin Fengque shrugged, clearly unhappy. The others were used to Luo Shu’s attitude, especially Qin Dongwan. Luo Shu was always moody and distant. If she spoke gently, the sun would rise in the west.

The group circled back and headed into the village. They saw every house hung red lanterns at some point, matching the local stilt houses. It wasn't New Year, and the bonfire party just ended. Qin Dongwan asked a village child. The little child, covered in mud, clapped and laughed loudly.

“Wang family’s silly girl is getting married. She will eat good food and drink good wine and have a fat baby soon.”

The dirty hand patted Qin Dongwan jokingly. The child looked up with an innocent face. His black eyes were scattered.

“Big sister, will you marry too? Give the Mountain God a fat baby. He will treat you well, and you will not worry for life.”

“Wait, marry the Mountain God?”

The last doubt burst open. Qin Dongwan squatted and brushed the child’s warm face. She tried to sound gentle.

“The sister you mean, when she married the Mountain God, did she go into a mountain cave, then come back, then stop eating and drinking, and then…”

“That big sister over there!”

The child's bright black eyes darted around,  he cut her off and pointed far away.

But it was empty there. No one was there.

Author's Note:

There will be another update this afternoon! Hard work pays off, so I'm fully energized!