Chapter 165: Coincidence
“Are you not going to participate in the sacrificial ceremony?”
The three Hui Mothers asked in unison, and Lu Yibei felt a strong malice emanating from them in an instant.
She was not a villager here; the three Hui Mothers had ultimately sensed something unusual about her.
This slight abnormality was enough to be fatal!
Raindrops fell from the sky, seemingly becoming intense in an instant, the temperature around her rapidly dropping, and white mist condensed around her mouth and nose with each breath.
The three Hui Mothers turned to look at Lu Yibei in an extremely bizarre manner, the twisted, serpent-like lines behind them writhing.
They slowly moved closer, drifting to Lu Yibei’s side, surrounding her, quietly observing what was happening, their pale, emaciated faces almost touching her.
She could even smell a strange odor coming from them.
The surroundings were chillingly eerie, everything had fallen into an unusual silence, but the quieter it got, the more anxious Lu Yibei felt.
She vaguely sensed something unclean was awakening in the dark mountains, slowly approaching this way with an overwhelming sense of negative emotions.
Hurry up, it has to be faster!
Make a gamble, or talk about something; anything to change the situation.
That terrifying, bizarre entity that could not be perceived was coming!
Lu Yibei urged herself anxiously in her heart, she knew very well that in such a strange and dangerous situation, giving up could mean d*ath.
At that moment, various details about the Hui Mothers that Meng Raoze had previously told her flashed through her mind.
“Hui Mothers long lost their memories and emotions as humans…”
“They view humans with an attitude similar to that of beasts and cannot accurately discern differences in appearance and speech…”
“They only react based on the villagers’ emotions and their faith in the Great Serpent God…”
So.
Their behavioral guidelines have bugs, right? It might work, let’s give it a try, exploit a bug!
Recalling Meng Raoze’s words, Lu Yibei’s gaze slightly sharpened. She suppressed the unease and shivering in her heart and forced a bland laugh.
“Ah hahaha, ha… how could I possibly not attend the sacrificial ceremony?
Our divine being is the beacon in this tumultuous world, the mountains, the rivers, the endless sky, and the immovable foundation of stability…
…
If a mere girl like me were to attend the sacrificial ceremony without dressing up, it would absolutely be a blasphemy against the divine.
I’ll change into the ceremonial dress passed down from my grandmother’s grandmother’s grandmother and then attend the ceremony!”
For almost five minutes, Lu Yibei spoke rapidly, pouring out a stream of heartfelt praises without taking a breath.
She was not only talkative but also could lie so convincingly that at one moment, she truly convinced herself she was an ardent devotee of the Great Serpent God.
After finishing, she squinted her eyes slightly, quietly observing the three Hui Mothers, nervously waiting for a response.
Can I trick them?
If I can avoid conflict, that would be best; even if I could win against them, I might not be able to escape from that entity.
Lu Yibei thought as she cast a silent glance toward the wilderness behind the Hui Mothers. At this moment, the mountains and the wilderness had already been swallowed up by an exceptionally deep darkness.
In the darkness, something massive was approaching, emanating a despairing sense of pressure, as if it wanted to stuff her, every part of her body, into itself.
That must be the imprisoned Great Serpent God, right?
That is a true deity, as powerful as Jumeng, even if He is already dead.
As she stared into the ever-expanding darkness, such thoughts flashed through Lu Yibei’s mind.
Then, a cold, bloody power began to rise within her, her heart racing. Her body felt like it was frozen; she gasped desperately but could not relieve the suffocating sensation.
It was the power from the Witch’s Egg! Lu Yibei thought. It was actually awakened by the aura of the fallen deity?
It seemed to be trembling in fear, but also with more desire and ecstasy?
Affected by the power of the Witch’s Egg, Lu Yibei felt her emotions inexplicably turn bloodthirsty and violent, as if thousands of tormented girls were whispering to her in her ears.
They said, “Accept her… accept her… accept her…”
No! Lu Yibei growled fiercely in her heart. The next moment, as if punishing her for her stubbornness, her heart felt like it was pierced by countless blades, bringing intense pain.
d*mn… it hurts so much…
The agony that felt like her heart was about to be torn apart caused her consciousness to waver.
Then.
Everything dissipated as if the darkness was torn apart by something. The distant mountains and rivers flew back, and the horrifying pressure faded like a tide.
The three Hui Mothers slowly retreated, adjusting their postures, standing a few steps away from Lu Yibei like three statues.
“You are a remarkable candidate for the priestess. We hope to see you again at the sacrificial ceremony.”
After saying this, the three Hui Mothers turned to leave, their cold, eerie aura surrounding them as they floated out of the small courtyard like phantoms, cradling a strange infant.
“Ah, this…” Lu Yibei was momentarily stunned, then quickly bowed respectfully, exclaiming, “I send off Lady Hui Mother!”
As she spoke, she stealthily observed the retreating figures of the Hui Mothers, her brows tightly furrowed, her mood gradually becoming heavy.
What’s going on? What is this? How can this be?
I just wanted to sneak through this phase and quietly infiltrate that shrine to steal magical knowledge; now I’m being focused on by these Hui Mothers… how can I infiltrate? Lu Yibei thought.
After sending off the three Hui Mothers, Lu Yibei immediately felt her body weaken and collapsed to the ground, staring blankly at the sky, her lips slightly parted, breathing in the cold air deeply.
She could sense that if she allowed the power from the Witch’s Egg to awaken just now, she might have had a chance, but it would have definitely come at a painful cost.
For example, no longer being herself.
After a long time, she raised her hands, buried her face in her arms, and murmured in a voice only she could hear, “d*mn it, I’m so weak…”
This was the first time she earnestly felt the need to become stronger or, rather, to master the power within her body faster…
Feeling Lu Yibei’s low spirits, her coat moved uneasily, as if trying to find a way to comfort her.
Then.
“Whoosh—!”
The hem of her coarse cloth skirt suddenly flew up, resting on Lu Yibei’s face, gently rubbing against her as if acting spoiled.
Cuddle up, my Witch! You need to cheer up!
(•̀ᴗ•́)و̑̑
Lu Yibei, “…”
Though I did feel your encouragement, still…
“Put me down! What if someone sees?”
…
Lying on the cold ground soaked by rain, after a long time, Lu Yibei gradually felt her strength return and slowly got up.
In the moment she stood, her coat wriggled back into its original form and then, like a drenched kitten, shook its body dry of the rainwater.
Lu Yibei gently stroked her coat, gazing towards the direction of the dilapidated temple’s main hall. Her gaze sharpened slightly as she walked forward.
The bl**d-red lanterns in the main hall had somehow gone out, and in the darkness, Lu Yibei relied on the light emitted by the lantern parasitically residing inside Meng Raoze to find his position.
She crouched down beside Meng Raoze, slightly parted her lips, just about to inquire some details about participating in the sacrificial ceremony, when Meng Raoze spoke up first.
“You… who exactly are you? Outsiders cannot worship the Great Serpent God.”
“…” Lu Yibei pondered for two seconds, “There’s nothing impossible about it; He is indeed powerful! There’s nothing wrong with worshiping Him, right? I excel at clinging to the strong.”
“You…” Meng Raoze hesitated to speak.
Originally, upon seeing Lu Yibei deceive the Hui Mothers, the long-silent hope in his heart reignited. However, her words at that moment doused that hope with cold water.
“However,” Lu Yibei changed the subject, “since it doesn’t cost anything, worship when you should, and if it’s not appropriate to worship, you can betray at any time, stab in the back!”
Meng Raoze was momentarily stunned, his murky eyes quietly observing Lu Yibei through the darkness.
This girl… d*mn it, how did she do that?!
Should I say her will is as firm as steel, or that her face is thicker than a city wall, daring to lie even before a deity?
Tsk, despicable outsider!
Thinking this, he took a deep breath and said to Lu Yibei, “Girl, may I ask you for a favor? Infiltrate the sacrificial ceremony, and if you find any normal infants, take them away.”
Lu Yibei knitted her brows, “Aren’t you setting a trap for me? This kind of thing sounds dangerous; you should go if you want.”
“Me? Hehe…” Meng Raoze chuckled dryly, “I’ve tried before, but failed. So, I lost my qualification as a priest and barely saved my life.”
In the darkness, Lu Yibei was pondering something, her gaze shifting a few times before she asked in a low voice, “Why do you want to do this? I mean, aren’t you a priest of the Great Serpent God?”
Shouldn’t you be colluding with them? Lu Yibei added in her heart.
“Yes, we are indeed servants of the deity, but…” Meng Raoze paused before continuing, “Those who have done wrong have long been killed, receiving their due punishment.
Now living here, the villagers whose bl**d flows with that of sinners have also been tormented for far too long.
Perhaps these villagers have committed sins for many years and should face karma, but what wrong do the newborns have?
I think if the deity truly has mercy, they would spare them, but…”
Meng Raoze fell silent at this point, yet the despair in his words lingered in Lu Yibei’s mind like an unvanishing ghost.
After a long time, she softly spat, “Tsk! You’re right, but why should I help you? How could I possibly do what someone like you, who can’t even make it as an insider, can’t do?”
“You can’t really think I’m a deity, right? No, right? No way?”
“I believe, I believe in you! You at least seem more like a deity than that being!” Meng Raoze’s emotions suddenly became excited.
Lu Yibei’s previous displays were definitely not something a villager or those monsters could achieve, which made him genuinely begin to believe in her, that she might indeed be an external deity.
“I can tell you a secret; as long as you know this secret, you can… cough cough cough—!”
Meng Raoze said halfway through when suddenly something seemed to grip his throat, and he began to cough violently, his body spasming uncontrollably as the broken bones inside him rubbed against each other, making chilling sounds.
Lu Yibei was still immersed in the indescribable wonderful experience that rose after hearing the word “believe” from Meng Raoze, when she noticed something strange happening, stunned for a moment, before anxiously exclaiming, “What the hell! Sir! Sir? What is happening to you…”
Before she could finish, Meng Raoze’s body suddenly straightened rigidly, his abdomen bulging high; it was as if something was gnawing at him from within, making crackling sounds.
The lantern within him wants to come out! Lu Yibei’s gaze sharpened slightly, and she hurriedly grabbed the kitchen kn*fe by her side to strike at Meng Raoze.
However, at that moment, just as she was about to swing down, she hesitated.
At that moment, Meng Raoze suddenly let out his last scream, “He! He doesn’t want to be released; this is the secret I discovered! Hurry, go! The river ritual has already begun; if you wait until the mountain ritual is over, it will be too late!”
As he said that, his eyes lost focus, and foul bl**d continuously poured from his mouth.
“He is here… Hurry, k*ll me! k*ll me!”
As soon as Meng Raoze finished speaking, his abdomen suddenly twitched violently, the light of the bl**d-red lantern under his skin shining brighter and brighter, as if it would break free from his body at any moment.
Seeing this, Lu Yibei gritted her teeth; she raised the kitchen kn*fe, closed her eyes, and fiercely struck down towards his abdomen.
Thus…
Her first non-favored believer vanished less than three minutes after his birth…
…
Gu Qiqi followed the scent of something being stewed to the vicinity of the village, but before she could enter the village, she ran into a group of strangely dressed people.
Those people wore pure black long robes, looking very much like costumes often seen in dramas set in the Wei Jin period.
A group of about twenty people wore short tops, long pants, and draped themselves in scarlet gauze robes, holding bl**d-red lanterns in hand, stretching their necks as they moved forward in bizarre postures like those about to hang, seemingly engaged in some kind of sacrificial ritual.
The whole sacrificial procession numbered around twenty people, four of whom were carrying a wooden box that had been painted red with an unknown material. The leaders held instruments, playing them; the atmosphere appeared festive.
However, upon closer inspection, one would find that the expressions on their faces were extremely solemn, even their eyes dimming with fear.
Seeing this scene, under the guidance of the system, Gu Qiqi stealthily followed behind the sacrificial procession, heading away from the village.
They crossed the street, passed through a small grove, and finally stopped in front of a river outside the village.
The river water was murky and turbulent, and its roaring sound could be heard from afar.
Gu Qiqi had been here before, intending to fetch water, but after just one sip, she found that the river water emanated a strong, foul odor, making it undrinkable.
The sacrificial procession reached the riverbank, placed the raised wooden box down, and began chanting something repeatedly. Gu Qiqi was distanced from them and the loud water noise muffled much of their voice, so she couldn’t hear clearly what they were saying.
After chanting several times, they finally opened the wooden box, revealing several bizarre infants, gasping for air with weird runes painted all over their bodies.
They took the bizarre infants out one by one and threw them into the dark river; the infants struggled for a moment before quickly sinking down.
“System! What are they doing!? Are we just watching this?” Gu Qiqi’s eyes reddened, her voice trembling, gripping her metal bat tightly, ready to rush over and start slaughtering.
“Gu Qiqi, don’t be impulsive; we can’t intervene in this!”
“Why can’t we? Didn’t you say our mission is to save the world? If we can’t save even a few infants, what does saving the world even mean?”
“Gu Qiqi, this is different!” the system said earnestly. “Those infants have basically become urban legends; saving them would be useless!”
“Aren’t urban legends a part of this world? They are so small and haven’t done anything bad!” Gu Qiqi retorted.
Hearing her say this, the system was momentarily stunned, memories of that cold face that once brought it much fear suddenly surfacing in its mind.
She also said similar things…
She said, “If you are going to save, then save them all; otherwise, it’s better to d*e together…”
Years later, the system recalled those words, unsure if there had ever been a moment of kindness in the heart of disaster.
Even if there was, it was ultimately too extreme.
“Gu Qiqi, who taught you that?”
“Do I need someone to teach me this?” Gu Qiqi huffed angrily. “Isn’t this just the way it is? System, hurry and issue a task; otherwise, I will, I will…”
“What will you do?”
Betray? The system’s mood suddenly became serious.
“I won’t play with you anymore!”
The system, “…”
As expected of you!
Just as the system was at a loss for words to say to Gu Qiqi, a sudden thud of something heavy hitting the ground caught their attention. They turned to see that the bizarre infants thrown into the river had been thrown back ashore by something.
Those infants appeared as if they had been gnawed upon, large chunks of flesh torn from their chests and abdomens, letting out tragic howls before struggling for a moment and quickly losing their breath.
Upon witnessing this scene, the sacrificial procession erupted in chaos, panic evident on almost every face; they seemed to dare not linger by the river any longer, hurriedly fleeing towards the village.
As they ran, they shouted frantically.
“Someone has contaminated the sacrificial offerings! The deity is angry; the village is going to suffer!”
“The river ritual has gone awry; the mountain ritual can’t possibly proceed!”
They looked as if the end of the world was upon them.
Until those people had run far away, Gu Qiqi squatted on the ground, burying her head and crying quietly, as if suffering an immense grievance.
Seeing her silent for a long time, the system sighed helplessly, “Sigh, Gu Qiqi, I promise you; from now on, if we encounter any normal or lightly urban legend-ified infants, I will issue a side quest for you.”
Lightly urban legend-ified babies still have the potential to transform into spiritual ability users; if all the infants here are like those bizarre infants just now, they’ve seriously become urban legends—saving them and taking them away would only harm others.
Sometimes, infants that are urban legends without mature minds can be even scarier than other urban legends!
Upon hearing the system say this, Gu Qiqi immediately smiled through her tears, “Really?!”
“Really, but…” the system paused, “For side quests that delay the main task, I can’t give you any substantial rewards; at most, you’ll get a title of ‘Infant Rescue Little Champion,’ which means completing the task will yield nothing. You think it over carefully!”
“I will complete it wholeheartedly!” Gu Qiqi replied.
“Well, I really don’t know what to say to you.” The system was momentarily speechless.
“System…”
“Mm?”
“After so long, you’ve finally issued a meaningful task.” Gu Qiqi said earnestly.
“Oh… really?”
Does that mean the tasks I issued before had no meaning? The system thought.
