Chapter 82: A Trip Back to My Mother’s House
Everyone could tell that this phone call was a bit creepy. If it was just Zhao Mingyue, she definitely wouldn’t go back. She was afraid that if she returned this time, she wouldn’t be able to leave again. She couldn’t even be sure if her uncle was alive or dead.
But she had Bai Yu with her, which at least guaranteed her safety.
“Is the village where your grandma and uncle are located the front village or the back village?”
“It’s the back village. The front village is pretty much deserted,” Zhao Mingyue sighed. “I don’t have a great relationship with my grandma—it’s bad, really bad. She’s quite the believer in ‘boys are better than girls.’ My mom had me and my sister, so she never liked my mom and treats me and sis like we’re invisible.”
“I was chosen to be a sacrifice. According to my sister, it was grandma’s idea; she wanted to trade me for a little boy.”
“And my relationship with my uncle isn’t much better.”
“Realistically, even if my grandma was celebrating her 80th birthday, she wouldn’t bother inviting me. I’m just the lowly younger generation, and considering my low profile, why would they specifically call me? They’d probably prefer it if I stayed away.”
“Do you think they’re still alive? That tone was really weird.”
Whether they were alive or dead didn’t really matter; she didn’t know them well anyway. What mattered was that they were dead but still calling her—that was a bit horrifying.
Honestly, if they really were dead and still calling, that wouldn’t be a problem—but why demand that she go? What do they want her life for? She had already escaped, and now they wanted to drag her back? Why couldn’t they just leave her alone?
With that thought, Zhao Mingyue felt a bit helpless; she genuinely didn’t know what was going through their heads.
“Guess we’ll find out when we go,” Bai Yu said, sitting beside her. “What’s meant to come will come; if I’m right, if you don’t go back the day after tomorrow, they’ll come looking for you in person.”
“Come looking for me?”
“Want to hear my thoughts?” Bai Yu asked. “My guess is they’re currently not dead, but their condition isn’t far off, and whether they d*e or not depends on whether you go back and the choices you make afterward.”
“If you don’t return, they will definitely seek you out, and in the end, you’ll go back to that place.”
After Bai Yu’s words, Zhao Mingyue fell silent. “I feel like you’re just trying to mess with me.”
“Just a guess.”
“Well then, I might as well go back; I really don’t want to see them showing up in my house.”
Zhao Mingyue confirmed her plan: two days later was her grandma’s 80th birthday, so she should head back a day early, which meant going tomorrow to make preparations.
But once she was there, she would definitely need to spend the night. Just thinking about the horrors of being there overnight made her shudder.
She wasn’t brave enough to do it alone, but good thing she had Bai Yu.
After consulting Bai Yu’s opinion, Zhao Mingyue reluctantly set her schedule for tomorrow afternoon.
Of course, she wasn’t agreeing to this for nothing.
Her condition was that Bai Yu had to pretend to be alive and accompany her.
Bai Yu hiding in her shadow was fine, but it gave Zhao Mingyue a feeling of fighting alone. With no one around, it was just plain scary. Having Bai Yu pretend to be alive beside her would be different. At least she’d have company and feel more at ease.
After some thought, Bai Yu agreed, with the condition that she wouldn’t let her wear a skirt.
Skirts weren’t great for battles, but fine for daily wear.
·
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The next day, Zhao Mingyue didn’t go to school. Given her situation, she would probably just draw a crowd of teachers and students.
It’s totally normal; if she heard about some girl at school fighting off a criminal, she’d definitely want to go check out this “little hero” in action too.
She had to make a stop at the convenience store, as she would need a reason to take time off school.
In the afternoon, while resting at home, she hadn’t even called her homeroom teacher when a call came in. After a lengthy exchange of pleasantries, her teacher immediately told her she didn’t have to come in for the next few days.
The police had said the murderer was still at large and likely to retaliate against Zhao Mingyue. Sending her to class would just put her in harm’s way.
As soon as that call ended, the old store manager called too.
He echoed the same message: she didn’t need to come to work for the next few days, and her pay would still be processed as usual.
While the teacher’s remarks hadn’t moved her, the store manager’s words did touch her deeply. Not only did she not have to work for five days, but her salary would still be intact.
After thanking the store manager, Zhao Mingyue plopped on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.
Suddenly, she found herself with nothing to do.
“Bai Yu, do you think I could get really strong too?”
Waving her delicate hand into a fist, her eyes glazed over. Her body felt fine now—earlier, when Bai Yu had used her body, she’d felt some soreness, but aside from that, she felt okay.
This also showed that her body could handle a significant intensity.
At least she’d strengthened her physical capabilities during the mission.
However, she still felt weak.
When Bai Yu controlled her body, it was like watching a pro, defeating that red-haired thug was proof enough of her power.
Controlling her own body, she couldn’t possibly pull off something that ridiculous; at least a third of that fighting ability would suffice, right?
But in reality, forget a third—she didn’t even have a thirtieth of it!
“It’s possible, but the process will be tough; you might even d*e.”
“Then, can we take it slow? I don’t need to be as strong as you, just enough to protect myself,” Zhao Mingyue said, sitting up with wide, sparkling eyes directed at Bai Yu.
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes, yes, yes!”
“Don’t rush it. Physical training is just one aspect; there are many other factors to consider,” Bai Yu lowered her gaze. After a moment of silence, she suddenly said, “There’s a shortcut you can take. If successful, your powers will grow tremendously.”
“However, the success rate is quite low, and I can’t guarantee a hundred percent success.”
“What’s the plan?” Zhao Mingyue asked, her interest piqued.
“Within you lies something sleeping. It can invade your body, but you can also consume it.”
“As long as you can consume this thing, you will become stronger, even without professional training.”
With that, Zhao Mingyue hesitated: “How dangerous is it?”
“It’s hard to say for now, but it’s a step you must take. When the time comes, I’ll assist you.”
“Let’s do it then!” Zhao Mingyue agreed without a second thought. With Bai Yu saying it, she believed it was a feasible enough plan with a decent success rate.
Night fell, and with Bai Yu in the house, Zhao Mingyue wasn’t the least bit scared of that red-haired woman exacting her revenge or the guy who texted her showing up.
The night passed in silence, and soon it was the next day.
The day after tomorrow was Zhao Mingyue’s grandma’s 80th birthday, and she planned to go today. No rush; she’d slept in until nine in the morning, catching up on some much-needed rest.
It wasn’t until after lunch that she left with Bai Yu.
Today, Bai Yu wasn’t donning a little dress or the outfit Zhao Mingyue had bought her. Instead, she wore a black tracksuit made of bl**d threads, which looked quite formidable. The main concern was not to get recognized.
What she wore didn’t really matter, as long as it was suitable for battle.
Zhao Mingyue pondered for a while and, after changing Bai Yu’s hairstyle to a high ponytail, nodded in satisfaction.
After getting out of the car, Zhao Mingyue walked along a cement road that led to the village. Just a little further ahead was the back village.
The front village was remote, and the back village was equally secluded.
Close to Ping Shan, there were only two villages within a thirty-kilometer radius, and they were quite far apart, meaning once you got there, there was no village in sight nor even a convenience store.
Tianchang City wasn’t particularly wealthy or poor either, but it mostly developed in the center; the surrounding villages appeared quite backward, especially the ones in the mountains.
“Our village has always been a bit strange, with quirky rules—like no outsiders can enter, and no dogs can be kept in the village.”
“Things should be a bit better now; it shouldn’t be as behind the times as before.”
“Honestly, it doesn’t matter. I’m heading back to my own home, and since they’re the ones calling me back, it’s my choice who I bring along. They’d better not try and kick me out.”
As she walked along the path, Zhao Mingyue rambled on and on.
“Bai Yu, if anyone starts saying weird things once we get there, just ignore them; it’s not worth your time.”
“No need to follow those silly rules. We came back, so let’s do whatever—we can’t leave empty-handed.”
As she walked, Zhao Mingyue felt like the surrounding light had dimmed significantly, much like dusk, but it was barely two-thirty in the afternoon.
An eerie silence surrounded her, giving her a nostalgic sense of returning to her school.
Not a single chirp from birds or buzzing from insects. No cars passing by—she hadn’t seen a single living soul after walking for twenty minutes.
Most of the fields on either side of the road were overgrown, and amidst the abandoned land, clusters of tomb mounds stood out prominently.
Zhao Mingyue noticed that not only were the fields barren, but even the weeds along the cement road were dry and blackened.
At a glance, there was hardly any green anywhere.
Oddly enough, there were still two rows of trees lining the road, their branches drooping and extending along the small path ahead.
Walking along this reference-less path often gave one a feeling of stagnation.
Looking back, the road seemed very far away, while the village ahead was still an unclear blur.
Just as she thought it was too quiet, a crow swooped in, flapping its wings and landing on a branch, letting out a harsh, grating croak.
It seemed as if black smoke wafted in the air from somewhere on fire; the deeper she walked in, the colder she felt.
It was clearly June—one of the hottest days of the year—and she wasn’t wearing anything thick. Clad in a tracksuit and carrying a backpack, how was she feeling cold?
Just as she pondered this, Bai Yu suddenly spoke up beside her.
“Ghost wall.”
