Chapter 230: Both Sides Are Terrified
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
“I-I’m so scared of the dark…” Wen Ning confessed, her face ashen as she clutched her handkerchief tightly. Panic and unease filled her eyes, reflecting her deep-seated fear.
For some time now, Wen Ning found solace only during the daylight, when she could catch fleeting moments of restful sleep, free from the terrifying nightmares that tormented her nightly. Despite knowing they were merely dreams, the terror they instilled felt piercingly real, entrapping her in an unbreakable cycle of dread.
“He… he said he would come to marry me tonight,” Wen Ning whispered, her voice quivering. In their society, a woman’s reputation was exceedingly fragile, and even the slightest hint of impropriety could ignite a scandal. The mere notion of discussing these nocturnal visits was unthinkable.
Seeking solace, she had visited the temple to obtain a protective charm, but it had proved ineffective. “He even dared to send a betrothal gift…” Wen Ning said, as she walked to her bed and pulled out two small paper dolls from beneath her pillow.
Crafted from yellow paper, the dolls—one boy and one girl—had cheeks painted bright red and smiles drawn in a disturbing blood red, giving off an unsettling aura of malevolence.
“I can’t tell dreams from reality anymore. How could these dolls appear beside my bed if it was all just a dream?” Wen Ning’s voice trembled with fear as she questioned her own sanity.
“I care so much for your second brother. I long to be his wife. If tonight I can’t escape…” Determination sparked in her eyes. “If I can’t escape, I will fight to my last breath and drag him down with me!”
Despite being only two years old, Lu Chao Chao felt a surge of anger heating her cheeks. Her beloved second brother was bravely fighting for their kingdom, and here she was, unable to protect his intended bride. She felt her Radiant Sword tremble with shared indignation.
“Sister Ning, don’t be scared. Did he tell you where he lives?” Chao Chao asked, her expression grave yet her voice retaining a childlike tone.
Tears brimmed in Wen Ning’s eyes as she nodded. “Yes, he told me to find his home, but I was too scared to go there,” she admitted, her voice laden with shame as she sought comfort from the toddler.
“You still just a little baby, Chao Chao. I’ll find a way to handle this. You should stick to your usual routines,” Wen Ning suggested gently.
Chao Chao pouted, her words childish yet firm, “No way! You gonna be my brother’s wife. I promised brother to look after you.”
Blushing, Wen Ning led Chao Chao toward the door.
“Yuhua, I need a day off from school,” the little baby called out to the maid.
Yuhua frowned, puzzled. “How can I ask for leave…?”
Undeterred, Chao Chao climbed into the carriage, pulling Wen Ning with her. “Sister Ning, where does he live?”
Wen Ning took a deep breath and shared, “In my dream, he said his home is three miles east of the city, by a huge locust tree at the entrance to Da Huai Village. There are many homes, and a river flows in front of it…”
“He always asked me to come find him, but fear kept me away. Last night, he grew angry in my dream…” His wrath felt palpable, haunting her sleep.
“Da Huai Village? Three miles away?” Chao Chao scratched her head, a vague memory flickering in her mind.
As the carriage ventured out of the city, Yuhua asked passersby for directions.
“Old man, could you direct us to Da Huai Village?” Yuhua inquired of a passerby.
The man, wearing tattered clothes and straw shoes, looked perplexed. “Da Huai Village? Why go there?”
Peering out, Wen Ning noticed his poverty and offered him a thick blanket and some coins. “I have a relative there I need to visit.”
The man accepted gratefully but cautioned with a furrowed brow, “Miss, you seem kind, but please reconsider. Da Huai Village was obliterated long ago during King Xue’s reign. Now, it’s merely a graveyard, shunned even by locals.”
“Recently, there have been ghost sightings…” he added in a hushed tone.
“An early-dead ghost baby with a soul-locking chain has been seen crawling from graves, seeking living souls…”
“Miss, take my advice and turn back. That place is cursed,” he warned, wrapping himself in the blanket.
“A burial ground?” Wen Ning mused aloud, a shiver coursing through her.
“Could he truly be a wandering spirit?” The chilling thought echoed in her mind.
“We’ve already left the city; let’s at least take a look. Don’t be scared, Sister Ning,” Chao Chao encouraged, squeezing her hand.
As they followed the old man’s directions down a narrow path, Chao Chao’s memory stirred. “I’ve been here before…”
“There’s a river ahead, and that big locust tree…”
“I never saw any ghosts here. But there was a crazy old man who fished. He scared me so much last time…” Chao Chao recounted, her voice a mix of fear and curiosity.
“That man was really scary,” she affirmed, her small voice trembling as she clung to Wen Ning’s arm.
The carriage stopped under the looming shadow of the locust tree.
“Locust trees are known to attract spirits…” Yuhua muttered, her expression fraught with worry.
“There, by the river, that’s where I met the crazy fisherman,” Chao Chao pointed out, her tiny finger trembling.
As Wen Ning surveyed the area, scattered with graves, her complexion turned ghostly pale, her body shaking uncontrollably.
“Miss, perhaps we should return. Or maybe seek help from the National Temple?” Yuhua suggested, her teeth chattering in the cold.
“The abbot won’t return for three months; we can’t wait that long,” Wen Ning replied, tightening her grip on her handkerchief.
“Sister Ning, what’s his name?” Chao Chao asked, her curiosity piqued.
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
“Zhu Yonghe,” Wen Ning answered, her voice barely audible as they ventured deeper into the chilling expanse of the burial ground.
As they walked among the unmarked graves, a voice suddenly echoed around them, chilling to the bone.
“Wife…wife, have you come to see me?”
“Tonight, you will be my bride, wife… you are my chosen bride…”
Wen Ning clapped her hands over her ears, her eyes wide with terror as she spun around, trying to locate the source of the voice.
The wind howled, whipping up the snow and rustling the trees violently.
As fear gripped the maid, turning her ashen, Chao Chao unsheathed her Radiant Sword, ready to protect them from whatever specter might emerge from the shadows.