“Yuling Chun also provided another piece of intelligence, saying that there is a small trading caravan from Fanggu Village inside Qishan City.” Song Lianzhou tapped his fingertips lightly against the tabletop, the celadon cup reflecting a faint, knowing curve at the corner of his lips. “That caravan frequently appears around the city, claiming to procure supplies and tools for the sacrificial rituals. However, the frequency of their purchasing is simply far too high.”
“Moreover, if anyone strikes up a conversation with them, they enthusiastically invite people to come and witness the sacrifices. Yet, the true nature of what that ritual is sacrificing remains unknown, making such an enthusiastic invitation deeply suspicious.”
His voice grew slightly cold. “We might as well play along and follow their invitation up the mountain. That way, not only will we have a legitimate reason to go, but we can also take the opportunity to probe what tricks this caravan is really up to.”
Ye Xisheng smiled without speaking. Feiyi and Qingmiao thought it over for a few seconds before nodding in agreement.
Thus, their preliminary investigation plan was settled.
Following the intelligence provided by Yuling Chun, the group arrived at the marketplace where the caravan appeared most frequently.
This market was located on the extreme outskirts of Qishan City. Walking a bit further would lead to the suburban and rural areas, from where the path leading up Qishan could faintly be seen in the distance.
Three ostentatiously wealthy individuals (along with one unassumingly plain attendant) suddenly arrived in a place where people rarely frequented, prompting shopkeepers and peddlers to perk up and holler their wares with renewed vigor.
Song Lianzhou smilingly accepted a mantou forcefully shoved into his hand by an auntie, handed over a string of copper coins, and inquired, “Auntie, is this the way to Qishan?”
“Aye, it is!” The auntie had a booming voice and spoke loudly. “Just head that way and you’ll get there, but young man, what on earth are you going up Qishan for? Nobody in their right mind is willing to go to that place normally”
“We’re just a few travelers wandering about. We heard there’s a very mysterious village up on Qishan and wanted to go take a look” Song Lianzhou raised his voice as well to answer her.
The auntie’s expression suddenly shifted slightly. She leaned in close to Song Lianzhou’s ear and whispered secretively, “Young man, you’d best not go there anytime soon. That place is freakishly spooky…”
“This young master, are you heading to Fanggu Village?”
A clear, bright voice abruptly interrupted their conversation. The auntie paused in her movements, cast a somewhat obscure, warning glance at Song Lianzhou, and walked away on her own accord.
Song Lianzhou looked toward the newcomer: It was a youth around Ye Xisheng’s age.
It seemed a fish had taken the bait.
Song Lianzhou flashed a smile. “Yes, yes, that seems to be the name. Young master, how did you know?”
“To be honest, my hometown is right in that village.” The youth gave an honest, ingenuous smile. “I’ve been down the mountain these past few days helping my father purchase goods, and I’m heading back home today. Why don’t you travel along with us, young masters and miss?”
“Oh, right! Our village is holding a sacrificial ritual lately. It’s a grand event that only happens once every five hundred years wouldn’t it be a shame if you didn’t go take a look?”
Song Lianzhou said, “Since it’s a ritual within your village, wouldn’t it be rather inappropriate for a few outsiders like us to go?”
“Not at all.” The youth waved his hand dismissively. “The village chief said that the Holy Maiden is benevolent, virtuous, and full of universal love for all living beings, and she welcomes every guest. The more people who come to witness the ceremony, the better the ritual’s effect will be. On the day of the ceremony, the Holy Maiden will also bestow her blessings upon everyone in the village.”
“The Holy Maiden?” Song Lianzhou displayed just the right amount of interest. “We have truly never heard of such a rare event; would it not be a terrible pity to miss it? Then we must thank young master in advance for your hospitality.”
“My surname is Li, and my given name is Yusheng. You can just call me by my name,” Li Yusheng said very warmly. “I wonder how you all address yourselves?”
“My surname is Song, and my given name is Xisheng. This is my younger sister, and this is my younger brother.” Song Lianzhou pointed to Feiyi and Qingmiao, introducing them one by one. When it came to Ye Xisheng, his movements paused for a few seconds. “And this… this is a friend traveling alongside us.”
“My surname is Ye, given name Lianzhou.” Ye Xisheng replied with a smile, raising his gaze to meet Song Lianzhou’s eyes.
“I noticed it right away—your younger sister is truly adorable.” Li Yusheng suddenly reached out and gently patted Feiyi’s head.
Feiyi had originally been listening with idle boredom while her senior brother bantered with a stranger, but having her head suddenly patted sent a chill shooting straight down her spine. With a startled leap, she hid behind Song Lianzhou. “What are you doing?!”
“Ah, my younger sister has been timid since childhood and isn’t used to being close to strangers. Please don’t take offense, Young Master Li.”
Although Song Lianzhou said this, there wasn’t a shred of apologetic sincerity in his eyes, and in the bottom of his heart, he even gave his junior sister a silent thumbs-up.
“No, no, it was truly my own presumption.” Li Yusheng withdrew his hand and rubbed his head somewhat awkwardly. “Seeing your sister, young master, instantly reminded me of my own younger sister. She’s just as bright and adorable, so I couldn’t help reaching out. I’m truly sorry.”
Song Lianzhou steered the conversation away. “Then when shall we set off up the mountain?”
Li Yusheng looked up at the sky. “Soon. Once everyone in the caravan has reassembled, we can return to the village.”
“I’ll lead you all to the assembly point first to wait.”
The assembly point was right beside the roadside marker at the foot of Qishan. The stone marker was thrust into the bushes on one side of the road, and the dark red characters “Qishan” carved upon it were already somewhat blurred and indistinct. Looking past the stone tablet upwards revealed a rugged dirt path that wound its way upward, disappearing into the swirling mists.
Along the way, Li Yusheng had also purchased some ritual supplies, consisting entirely of incense and candles, which made it look as though they were merely preparing for an ordinary ceremony. Near the foot of the mountain, he even bought two flatbreads and split them between Feiyi and Qingmiao.
“The path up the mountain is very long. If you’re hungry, you can eat these to pad your stomachs first,” Li Yusheng said with exceptional gentleness and consideration. “Once we reach the village, I’ll prepare a table full of fine dishes to host you.”
When the group reached the vicinity of the stone tablet, they saw quite a few people already seated and resting.
Catching sight of the leading man, Li Yusheng trotted over eagerly. “Dad!”
“Back?” Looking tall and stern, Li Father nevertheless spoke in a tone brimming with paternal warmth. “And these people are…?”
“These are guests I met along the way,” Li Yusheng introduced. “They are traveling here and wish to visit our village. Hearing that the village is currently holding a sacrificial ritual, they expressed a great deal of interest!”
“Splendid, splendid,” Li Father laughed heartily. “A warm welcome to our guests. The path up the mountain is treacherous, so you must all be careful.”
After waiting a while longer until the final scattered stragglers had all gathered, someone from the queue shouted out, “Old Li Tou, everyone’s here!”
“Alright, up the mountain we go—”
Swish, rattle— A crowd of people stood up, some shouldering carrying poles and others gripping bundles, truly looking like a trading caravan sounding the horn of departure.
Carrying very few things himself, Li Yusheng turned back to greet the four of them. “Everyone, we’re setting off.”
“Feiyi younger sister, is your luggage heavy? Shall I help you carry it?”
“No need.” Hiding behind Song Lianzhou, Feiyi played the role of the timid young maiden to absolute perfection.
Suddenly, a mischievous glint flashed in her eyes as a wicked thought struck her. “Qingmiao elder brother, could you help me carry my pack?”
Qingmiao: ?
He instinctively wanted to ask what kind of madness Feiyi was up to, but the moment he raised his head, he found four pairs of eyes staring straight at him.
Qingmiao: ……
Enduring and re-enduring, Qingmiao finally took the small pack from Feiyi’s back, wearing a smile that looked grindingly pained. “Of course I can, Feiyi younger sister.”
“How nice,” Li Yusheng said, shaking his head with a trace of disappointment in his eyes. “My little sister was also very clingy when she was small.”
Qingmiao: …… My heart is bitter, but I cannot speak of it.
The procession ahead began to move, and the caravan set off.
Not long after following behind Li Yusheng, the group was enveloped by rolling mists, dropping visibility down to just a few feet around them, as if some invisible barrier was isolating them from the outside world.
The system, which had been dormant in his mind all day, finally came online: Host, I’m back! Where are you heading off to right now?
We’ve blended into the group heading up the mountain and are getting ready to go to Fanggu Village. Why have you been absent so much lately? Song Lianzhou asked.
I… The system hesitated for a few seconds before saying, Didn’t you say you weren’t going to contend with the male lead anymore? Since I couldn’t be of much use to you here, I figured I’d just head back to the Time-Space Administration for some routine maintenance.
Oh~ So you went back to slack off.
I did not!
The system bounced three feet high within Song Lianzhou’s spiritual realm. I even performed a system upgrade and iteration, expanding my perceptual sensitivity and detection range! For instance… for instance, I sense some very ominous vibes around us. Host, go check what they’ve hidden inside those carrying poles!
Got it, I was planning on checking anyway. Song Lianzhou chuckled under his breath. I’m not blaming you; if you want to take a vacation, feel free, just remember to give me a heads-up next time before you vanish.
Warm breath suddenly brushed against his ear as Ye Xisheng’s voice chimed in unbidden, “Who is Senior Brother talking to? You’re smiling so happily.”
Song Lianzhou: !!
For a terrifying fraction of a second, he honestly thought his entire conversation with the system had been overheard. He instantly pulled back his expression and lifted his eyes. The system, for its part, shrank back in absolute terror into the deepest recesses of his sea of consciousness and dared not make another peep.
Ye Xisheng tilted his head slightly, gesturing for him to look at their surroundings, whereupon Song Lianzhou noticed that quite a few people were casting curious gazes their way.
“I was talking to myself.” Song Lianzhou smoothly improvised, speaking vaguely. “Just remembered some happy things.”
Host, why do I always feel like this male lead knows something… the system whispered cautiously using a breathy voice. I don’t dare come out anymore… I’m going back to sleep, Host, you’ve got this!
Alright. Song Lianzhou was left between laughter and tears.
Confirming that the system had gone back into dormancy, Song Lianzhou cast his gaze toward the large and small bundles of the caravan.
Although the supplies Li Yusheng had bought seemed completely normal, with so many people hauling crates sealed up so tightly, something felt inherently amiss.
His divine sense probed forward, only to be forcefully blocked back.
Sure enough, aside from a few crates that were obviously ordinary at a glance, all the rest were sealed off with barrier restrictions. A casual, rough scan revealed that these barriers possessed the strength of the early Nascent Soul stage.
Without changing his expression, Song Lianzhou expanded the range of his divine sense, expending a bit of effort to breach the barriers and slip his spiritual awareness inside.
In that instant, his breathing abruptly froze for a fraction of a second.
“?” Sensing his abnormality, Ye Xisheng gently squeezed the palm of his hand.
Song Lianzhou grabbed his hand back in reverse, his fingertips rapidly tracing a single character across his palm: “Blood.”
Catching on instantly, Ye Xisheng’s expression grew similarly grave as he wrote back in Song Lianzhou’s palm: “Human?”
Straining his divine sense to analyze further, Song Lianzhou replied: “No.”
Regardless of the specifics, any ordinary sacrificial ritual requiring that much animal blood felt deeply sinister no matter how one looked at it.
Sensing that the atmosphere had grown somewhat stagnant, Li Yusheng took the initiative to chat with them, leaving Song Lianzhou no choice but to收回 mind and focus on handling him.
After walking for who knows how long, the mist ahead finally thinned out somewhat, faintly revealing the outline of the village entrance.
Li Yusheng announced, “We’ve arrived.”
A single sentence reignited the withered energies of the youngsters; Feiyi and Qingmiao immediately began craning their necks to look around in all directions, while Song Lianzhou also pulled himself together, preparing to welcome the eerie sights of this mysterious village—
The sight…
To everyone’s absolute astonishment, what unfolded before their eyes was an exceptionally picturesque and vibrant landscape brimming with vitality.
Trees within the village flourished with lush foliage, houses were clustered amidst verdant grass and foliage, framed by patches of blooming blue flowers. Wisps of culinary smoke curled upward from chimneys, weaving through the tiled eaves before gradually dissolving into the distant sky. Looking into the distance, Song Lianzhou could vaguely make out a cascading waterfall plunging down from the heights.
As the caravan passed the village gate, the chiming of bells drifted in from an unknown direction.
Villagers poked their heads out from windows and doorways one after another, and the tranquil, peaceful village instantly bustled with life: “Oh my, they’re back!” “Have you eaten yet? Come eat at our house!” “Come to my place! I cooked way extra food today!”
This scene was indistinguishable from any ordinary, rustic, and unpretentious village.
“Dad and the others need to go unload the cargo; I’ll take you all to my home first,” Li Yusheng said warmly. “Mom must have already prepared lots of delicious food.”
Leading the four of them down a side path deeper into the village, Li Yusheng soon spotted a woman standing in front of a house waving her hand. “Goudan! Where’s your dad—”
“Dad went to unload the cargo—” After answering, Li Yusheng turned back apologetically to the others. “Forgive the guests for laughing; Goudan is my childhood nickname.”
“Goudan, who are these people?”
As they approached, Li Mother asked while taking the bundle off Li Yusheng’s shoulders.
“These are guests who came to the village to witness the ritual. Oh, right, Mom, how many dishes did you make today? Are there enough to treat our guests?”
“Goodness, you didn’t even give a heads-up that we had guests coming. Mom will go whip up a few more right now. Oh dear, guests, please have a seat anywhere.”
Upon catching sight of Feiyi, Li Mother’s eyes lit up instantly: “My, what a sweet little girl… Oh my, she is truly adorable~”
“Hello, Auntie~” Feiyi called out in a crisp, sweet voice, instantly coaxing Li Mother into a beaming smile. “Hello, hello! What would you like to eat? Auntie will go make it for you right now, yes she will.”
“Mom, this is Song-xiong’s younger sister,” Li Yusheng introduced the group one by one.
“No wonder. She looks just like Nannan.”
Li Mother’s gaze turned complicated, slowly shifting from initial maternal affection to a hint of lingering regret. Shaking her head gently, she turned around and headed back into the kitchen.
“Everyone, come sit.” Li Yusheng served tea and snacks, inviting them to take a seat. “My mother just saw Feiyi younger sister and was touched by her own memories, that’s all.”
“It is naturally wonderful if my younger sister could win the esteem of your esteemed mother,” Song Lianzhou smiled. “Along the way, I’ve heard Brother Li mention your younger sister constantly. She must be exceptionally lovely as well is she not at home today?”
Li Yusheng’s movements faltered for a fraction of a second, his eyes drooping with a desolate sorrow. “She…”