The mule cart rushed along the bumpy dirt road, with inked words on the paper swaying in front of Xia Chan’s sleepy eyes, and she drifted into a hazy slumber.
She sank into a dream, as if seeing everything that happened on the day of the Nie God sacrifice fifty years ago.
...
"Huilan!"
At dusk, the setting sun was like blood, and flocks of crows were startled into flight by this call.
In the woods behind the mountain, amidst piles of rocks, clusters of white bell flowers swayed in the wind, and the scent of alcohol was overwhelming.
Nine flower sedans surrounded the ancient well, from which bursts of crying could be heard, and beside each flower sedan stood a family servant holding a long knife.
Two servants pressed the bound Huilan against the well’s edge, with a veil covering her face. Her mouth was tied with cloth, she shook her head, tears filling her eyes.
She had been obedient initially, but upon hearing Ming Wanxi’s voice, she began to struggle.
Ming Wanxi, clad in white, wearing a bamboo cyan cape sewn by Huilan herself, stood under the shadow of the trees, pulled down the hood, revealing her snowy white face.
"What are you doing here, go back!"
A voice full of righteousness ca from the crowd, Ming Wanxi looked up to see a group of people cloaked in black, wearing masks imprinted with the Ming Family emblem.
They were all elders of the Ming Family, a group of immortal old n.
The voice just now, naturally, was from her father Ming Shilong, and behind him, a younger one quickly followed, her brother Ming Qingyang, also sixteen, the sa age as Huilan, participating in the Nie God sacrifice for the first ti as the future Family Head successor.
Ming Qingyang was raised by their grandmother and, like her, he despised her, seeing her as a stain on the Ming Family.
Ming Wanxi looked at Huilan, "Give her back to , I want to take her away from the Ming Mansion."
Woo!
Huilan struggled hard, shaking her head, dislodging the veil, revealing a tearful face, looking at Ming Wanxi pleadingly, asking her not to do this.
The steward behind recognized Huilan, his heart shook, realizing Huilan had replaced Huixin.
Fortunately, Ming Family elders and the Family Head didn’t know Huilan, and they didn’t care whether it was Huilan or Huixin, as long as they were age-appropriate girls.
Beside him, Ming Qingyang also recognized Huilan but did not speak out, simply looking at Ming Wanxi with deep-seated hatred in his eyes.
"Presumptuous!" The Family Head Ming Shilong shouted fiercely, "This is a sacrifice for the Nie God, how can you claim it at will? Get back imdiately, or the family’s punishnt awaits!"
Ming Wanxi did not leave; instead, she walked out of the shade and stood in the sunset glow, feeling the warmth of sundown, her skin gradually flushing red, as if on fire and being scorched.
"I said, give her back to ."
"Ming Wanxi! Are you going to defy your elders for a maid?!"
"She’s not a maid; she’s my most important sister."
Ming Wanxi looked at Ming Shilong with determination, her eyes unwavering.
"Also, what is filial piety? Is unconditional obedience, turning a blind eye to your evils, considered filial?"
Ming Wanxi looked at Huilan again.
"Ignoring your own needs or even your life, forcing yourself when unwilling, solely for others’ satisfaction, is this filial?"
Ming Wanxi lowered her head, looking at her hands burned by the sun, "I don’t want to be such a filial son or dutiful granddaughter."
Ming Shilong, enraged, tore off his mask, revealing a stern and angry face.
"Your body and hair are received from your parents; the Ming Mansion has supported you until now, and you show no gratitude! The Nie God is the lifeline of the Ming Mansion, you appear recklessly, disrupting the Nie God sacrifice, are you not afraid of angering the Nie God, bringing retribution upon the Ming Family? Soone, take her away!"
"Whoever cos will die!"
Ming Wanxi shouted, making the guards who were ready to rush hesitate, looking at each other.
"Ha~"
Ming Wanxi suddenly laughed, realizing the rumor that she was a cannibalistic Evil Ghost still held so power.
"Huilan told , people respect Ghost God, hoping for good returns from good actions and evil retribution for evil deeds. But Huilan, look at these heartless people, how can they receive retribution? The retribution for the Ming Family, isn’t it all on ?"
"Father, stop wasting words with her; she wants that maid, no way!"
Ming Qingyang suddenly approached, unexpectedly kicking Huilan.
Bang!
"Huilan——"
Plunk!
The sound of water splashing, Ming Wanxi’s eyes widened in shock, while Ming Qingyang smiled smugly.
Ming Wanxi, disregarding everything, rushed to the well’s edge, seeing only a corner of red clothing sinking into the Jade Liquid.
Blood color filled Ming Wanxi’s eyes; she suppressed her tears, looked up at Ming Qingyang.
"Why treat her this way? She has never wronged anyone, never hard anyone, nor done any evil! Why!"
Lowering her head, Ming Wanxi smiled sorrowfully.
"A family’s Nie God, why sacrifice soone else’s daughter? How about sacrificing , along with the entire Ming Family."
As soon as the words fell, Ming Wanxi jumped into the ancient well without hesitation.
The sound of splashing water resounded, and a bone-chilling wind suddenly blew from the bottom of the well.
Under the bewildered gaze of everyone, the weather changed abruptly, crows flew in flocks, and the trees in the forest shook violently.
The pure white bellflowers around the ancient well suddenly took on a layer of blood-red, spreading rapidly like a tide.
Wherever they passed, fresh green sprouts erged from everyone, drinking blood and blossoming into dazzling red flowers.
"Ahhhh!!!!"
A sudden gust of wind, a bolt of lightning struck fiercely, trees broke, and wild flas roared.
"Quick, put out the fire! Quick!"
"The Nie God has cursed us, the heavens want to destroy our Ming Family!"
"Ahhh! Help! Help—"
"Nie God, have rcy! Nie God, have rcy!"
Amidst the chaos and heart-wrenching screams, the entire Ming Mansion was instantly engulfed in a sea of flas, burning through the night.
The next day, when the man with the Evil Blade led a group of ordinary constables from the Evil Suppression Bureau to arrive, Ming Mansion had only Ming Qingyang, lying amidst a field of blood-red bellflowers, barely alive.
A ghost-faced flower pattern was branded on his chest, and when the fierce sun shone down, his entire body began to fester as if scorched by fire, the pain was excruciatingly piercing.
Facing the constables from the Evil Suppression Bureau who ca to rescue him, Ming Qingyang lost control and lunged forward, biting off the constable’s neck and devouring it eagerly, eventually being driven away with sticks by more constables, treated like a beast.
However, even with broken bones, Ming Qingyang could not die and continued to live like a monster, enduring the tornt day after day.
In Dongyang County, Zhou Renshou and the Li family, who received Ming Mansion’s reward money, began to itch, growing red blisters like ghost faces, the more they scratched, the itchier it beca.
They kept scratching, kept scratching, until they bled, tore flesh, and had bones exposed...
...
"Mulan? Miss Mulan? Wake up!"
Sang Que was awakened by Qin Fangru, erging from a long and heavy dream, she was montarily lost, still imrsed in the sorrow of Ming Wanxi watching Huilan being kicked into the well.
Ming Wanxi thought she could die with Huilan, but unexpectedly, that man with the Evil Blade from the Evil Suppression Bureau took Huilan away from her, keeping her in the copper mirror.
That man should also have been cursed by Ming Wanxi, but since he was from the Evil Suppression Bureau, he had so ans, so he died later.
After fifty years, Huilan finally returned to Ming Wanxi, and Ming Mansion disappeared without a trace.
This matter has finally co to an end.
After returning ho, Sang Que planned to give Ming Wanxi’s notes to her mother, so she could write about Ming Wanxi and Huilan’s story, allowing more people to know they once existed.
In a world filled with eerie powers, perhaps they could et again in the future.
"Sister~ Have we arrived? Little Chan is so hungry~~"
ow~
Xia Chan rubbed her eyes, Xuan Yu stretched its claws, both were awake.
Qin Fangru, sitting opposite, smiled, "We’ve arrived, we’ve reached the outskirts of Dongyang County."
Sang Que secretly checked her pocket watch, it was past three in the afternoon.
She lifted the curtain of the small window beside her and leaned out, indeed seeing the low city walls and the vendors setting up stalls below. The bustle of people and the shouting made her feel as if she were in another world, an unreal sensation.
She wondered if the town had anyone selling blood pudding, she really craved a bowl.
Swallowing her saliva, Sang Que jumped off the donkey cart, stretching her muscles outside, watching the slow procession of people entering and exiting the city.
"Sister, wait for ~"
Xia Chan, holding Xuan Yu, followed her down. Sang Que turned back and extended her hand, grasping Xia Chan’s, and they both ran towards the city gate.
Kou Yushan watched their joyful steps, smiled, and said to He Baosheng beside him, "We’ve finally arrived; we can relax now."
Skinny lagged a few steps behind, scratching his neck incessantly, "Let’s find a place later, I need a good wash, ever since leaving Ming Mansion, I’ve been itching all over."
Inside the donkey cart, He Shouhui asked Qin Fangru, "Mother, now that we’ve arrived in Dongyang County, how will we make a living?"
Qin Fangru pondered for a mont, then smiled, "Mother can make Jade Liquid, how about we sell Jade Liquid?"
Giddy up!
Liu Tianyou flicked the whip, and the donkey cart accelerated into the city.
*
In Dongyang County, at the Evil Suppression Bureau branch.
He Buning, after dealing with the aftermath of the Ghost Opera Troupe sacrificial incident, returned to the backyard to find a man in white, exuding a sickly aura, holding a folding fan and seated in the hall.
The man smiled and flipped open the folding fan.
"Junior Brother, how have you been~"
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