Chapter 127
Chapter 127: If You Want to Enter, Then Enter
A group of Buddhist cultivators quickly performed the rite of atonement.
The vicious ghosts in the locust tree were visibly decreasing, vanishing at a rapid pace.
After a single incense stick burned through, no more vicious ghosts emerged from the tree.
Guan Zhuang approached and circled the tree, inspecting it. Then, with a flick of his hand, he struck down a porcelain vial from one of the branches.
Inside the vial, a paper slip unfurled.
“Daoist Shi,” Guan Zhuang turned to Shi Zi Chu, who was among the crowd, “Perhaps you should come and see what this is.”
Under the gaze of countless eyes, Shi Zi Chu walked over.
—Nannan, keep moving forward, I am waiting for you.
The handwriting on the paper slip was somewhat blurred. After a moment’s hesitation, Shi Zi Chu spoke softly, “To be honest with the Buddhist disciples, my parents’ connection to me… this paper slip is likely unrelated to me.”
Seeing that Shi Zi Chu did not seem to be lying, Guan Zhuang glanced at Pei Luo Xiu.
Pei Luo Xiu stepped forward, his gaze sharp as he examined the slip. His voice was filled with cold certainty, “This has nothing to do with me either.”
With the two survivors denying any involvement, the lead grew cold, and the thread of inquiry was severed.
A heavy silence hung over the group.
Shi Zi Chu walked around the tree several times before tentatively speaking, “What if we cut down the locust tree?”
“Second senior sister, if the tree is related to the path to Water Road Village, would cutting it down be such a good idea?” Chu Zhi Rou’s thoughtful voice rang out.
Shi Zi Chu smiled slightly, “I was being thoughtless.”
In her past life, this region’s secret realm had not existed, and the immortal-ranked Azure Luan sword had not appeared at this time.
This sudden emergence of a regional secret realm seemed to be aimed directly at her.
Catching Shi Zi Chu’s look, Pei Luo Xiu unsheathed his sword and, before anyone could react, cleaved the locust tree in half.
“Bang!”
The tree split in two, crashing to the ground.
Before anyone could scold Pei Luo Xiu, the halves of the tree slowly revealed the Water Mirror Sect.
Shi Zi Chu and Pei Luo Xiu were uncontrollably drawn toward the left side where the Water Mirror Sect appeared.
Xing Lan quickly followed after them.
—
Water Road Village.
Hand in hand, Shi Zi Chu and Pei Luo Xiu stood at the village entrance, the scorched stones blackened, their markings barely visible.
After a moment, dozens of people appeared in succession.
The midday sun shone brightly, casting a golden glow over the scattered houses. Thin plumes of smoke rose from chimneys, and on the small paths, men, women, and children moved about, their laughter and playful shouts filling the air, mixed with the calls of elders urging them to come home for a meal.
It was a scene of peaceful tranquility.
Shi Zi Chu gazed at the Water Road Village before it was burned, her eyes filled with a wistful, longing expression.
Pei Luo Xiu, for once, spoke softly, “This is Water Road Village.”
Seeing the real Water Road Village, everyone felt a sense of relief.
Yet, the calmness of the village soon put them on high alert again.
Water Road Village was a dead village!
Beneath the warm and peaceful facade, an immense danger lurked.
Chu Zhi Rou’s bright voice rang out again, “There are words on the stones!”
Ye He Qi summoned a stream of water to cleanse the soot-covered stone, revealing the blood-red characters carved into it.
March 1st.
Who killed me?
A date and a repeated question.
Jun Yue Hua suddenly spoke, “On what date did Water Road Village meet its end?”
Pei Luo Xiu replied, “April 16th.”
A span of a month and a half.
It seemed they had only a month and a half to find the killer of the village, or else something truly terrible awaited them.
“Could the names of suspects be written below the question?” Chu Zhi Rou asked.
Without warning, Hua Ting Li rushed forward, swiftly carving Shi Zi Chu’s name onto the stone.
Xing Lan did not move.
Nor did anyone else.
They were all curious about the consequences of answering incorrectly or correctly.
Hua Ting Li turned to Shi Zi Chu, a twisted, smug grin on his face, “Shi Zi Chu, it must be you who killed and destroyed the village!”
Shi Zi Chu pressed her lips together.
What to do? Hua Ting Li had actually guessed it right.
Within a few breaths, the markings on the stone faded, and the date changed to March 2nd.
Xing Lan glanced at Shi Zi Chu.
As expected, the question wasn’t so simple.
But if the killer wasn’t Jiu Jiu, who could it be?
Hua Ting Li’s arrogant, self-satisfied expression stiffened on his face. His eyes fixed on Shi Zi Chu, as though he couldn’t fathom how it could not be her.
“Answering incorrectly will shorten the time by a day,” Clan Chief Nan Rong’s grave voice echoed, “If we don’t solve it by April 16th, we could die in that fire.”
Even if they miraculously survived the fire, something even more dangerous might be waiting for them.
At this, someone reached out and pulled Hua Ting Li away, as though fearful he would try to carve more names.
Clan Chief Yu Wen spoke, “Let’s enter the village first.”
Arguing here would do no good; they should enter and gather information.
Shi Zi Chu held Pei Luo Xiu’s hand, her tone gentle, “A’Xiu, come with me, let’s go back and have a look.”
The muddy dirt road twisted ahead, and Shi Zi Chu, alongside Pei Luo Xiu, carefully stepped where the mud had not splashed, heading deeper into the village.
“Yo! Where did such a beauty come from? So pretty! Those curves—”
Countless water needles instantly pierced the filthy man’s mouth, and fine blood droplets oozed out.
Chu Zhi Rou furrowed her brows, a deep disgust flashing in her eyes.
This place was awful!
Filthy, shabby.
Their Ye Clan’s desolate courtyard was ten times, a hundred times better than this!
The man grabbed a hoe and cursed, “Stinking whore! You dare hurt me! I’ll beat you up today—ahh!”
Water-blue silk threads wrapped around the man’s long, beautiful fingers, the other end embedded in his body.
The man, unable to break free, twisted grotesquely, his limbs contorted at unnatural angles, and his bones creaked in a sickening way.
The commotion drew the attention of numerous villagers, who approached with weapons in hand. But seeing the impressive group of people, their posture immediately slackened, their confidence draining away.
“You… you… aren’t you that dead girl from the Qin Clan?!”
A thin, sickly woman suddenly cried out from the crowd.
Shi Zi Chu smiled gently, “Yes, I am the girl from the Qin Clan.”
With a slight curl of her fingers, the man’s clothes were stained red with blood, his screams echoing with pain.
“I went out for a bit and brought some friends back with me,” Shi Zi Chu said, her voice sweet and cheerful. “Uncles and aunts, are you going to stop me from going home?”
Underneath her beauty lay a bloody scene, and the stark contrast chilled the villagers to the core.
None of them dared speak further, scattering in a hurry.
Shi Zi Chu waved her hand, continuing to walk toward the end of the village.
At the far end of the village, the houses were sparse, but two connected buildings stood out.
Jiang Wan Sheng appeared at Shi Zi Chu’s side, “Qing Qing, come sleep at my house.”
His voice, not exactly low, rang out clearly for all to hear.
The intense stares made Shi Zi Chu feel as though needles were poking into her skin. She shot Jiang Wan Sheng a sharp look.
Is he trying to set me up?
Jiang Wan Sheng wore an expression of innocence, “I’m just concerned about you.”
Shi Zi Chu ignored him, walked up, and pushed open the courtyard door.
The courtyard, surrounded by earthen walls, was small—barely large enough to hold twenty to thirty people.
Since there were few who could enter, Chu Zhi Rou rushed ahead and squeezed in.
“Wait for me,” Shi Zi Chu said as she released Pei Luo Xiu’s hand and walked toward the main house.
She pushed open the door, her gaze falling on the earthen bed inside.
The bed, somewhat messy, was empty except for a rusty iron chain.
In that instant, Shi Zi Chu seemed to see the frail woman huddled in the corner. Despite her mature, graceful face, her expression was that of a three-year-old child.
Her lashes fluttered, concealing the depth of her eyes.
Seeing Chu Zhi Rou move forward, Pei Luo Xiu’s gaze turned sharp, “What are you doing?”
“I’m just worried about second senior sister,” Chu Zhi Rou’s sweet face revealed a hint of helplessness. “Why does Daoist Pei seem so hostile toward me?”
Many subtle, unfriendly glances were cast at Pei Luo Xiu.
Pei Qing You spoke sharply, “Pei Luo Xiu, don’t judge others by your own standards. This place reeks of something sinister. Rou Rou is just worried about Shi Zi Chu.”
“It’s fine.” A gentle voice interrupted, and Shi Zi Chu turned to smile faintly. “If you want to come in, then come.”
With that, she opened the door and stepped inside.