Chapter 1 Mass Grave

The stench, that thick, almost solidified smell, was like an invisible wave, surging with the mixed stench of blood and mud, mercilessly invading every inch of Shen He's breathing space.

The smell is extremely pungent and disgusting.

She instinctively raised her hand, but her fingertips unexpectedly touched something unusual—something cold, slippery, and sticky.

It's blood!

Not only that, her fingers also hooked onto a piece of stiff flesh!

Not far away, the howling of wild dogs pierced the silence of the night. It was a low growl that was a mixture of satisfaction after a full meal and alertness to new threats, which made people's backs chill.

Chen He suddenly opened his eyes!

Before my eyes, a heart-shaking scene came into view - corpses, piled up layer by layer, formed a small hill.

This is a mass grave!

Broken limbs were scattered around, faces were unrecognizable, and only a tragic scene remained.

Her hand accidentally touched a small broken arm belonging to the boy.

The fracture was extremely irregular, as if it had been torn apart suddenly by some force, leaving shocking marks.

The moonlight was like water, reflecting the mottled dark red stains on her fingertips. Those were traces of blood, with a hint of lingering warmth that was slowly cooling down.

No……

Something is wrong...

This touch, unusual yet familiar...

Shen He's neck twisted stiffly, his eyes full of disbelief.

A childish face with wide-open eyes and eyes that seemed to be open in death suddenly appeared before my eyes.

At the base of his throat, a shocking bloody hole was gushing out blood, looking hideous and terrifying.

“Ah…brother…”

She used all her strength to squeeze out this weak call from her almost broken throat, so hoarse that it was almost swallowed by the wind.

That was her only brother—Shen Ce!

In an instant, her heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible giant hand, and then suddenly torn apart, causing unbearable pain.

The heart-wrenching pain made her eyes go dark and she almost fainted.

"father……"

"aunt……"

She moved her eyes with difficulty, and what she saw were the equally mutilated and miserable bodies of her father and aunt.

The whole family...

The Shen family, young and old...

They were all abandoned in this gloomy and desolate mass grave!

Why...

How did it end up like this?!

Suddenly, she felt as if she was electrocuted!

Xiao Jingren!

Single pearl!

And... Chen Jiao!

Those extremely hypocritical faces flashed through my mind quickly, like dark clouds.

Hatred, like a poisonous snake that had been lurking for a long time, suddenly bared its fangs and gnawed her internal organs until they were riddled with holes!

Her eyes were fixed on the bloody hole in her brother's throat.

There, it seems like... there is something?

Chen He stretched out his hand tremblingly, and while enduring great grief and nausea, he reached in.

My fingertips touched something hard and cold.

She pulled it out with force.

It's a lily of the valley.

A jade hairpin that was exquisitely crafted but stained with her brother's blood!

In the moonlight, she could see the end of the hairpin clearly.

There, a small, delicate word was clearly engraved:

Jiao.

Shen Jiao!

It’s Chen Jiao’s hairpin!

She actually personally...

“Ah…ah…”

Shen He let out a beast-like roar from her throat, and the huge hatred and pain almost swallowed her.

Before my eyes, countless fragments of images flashed wildly.

***

"Sister, come here. This bowl of carefully brewed rock sugar and snow pear soup is specially prepared for you. It's still hot. Drink it quickly so that your throat can be as sweet and moisturized as this pear soup."

Chen Jiao held a white porcelain bowl as smooth as jade in her hands, her smile as beautiful as a flower, her innocent look like the brightest sunshine in spring, the shallow dimples on both sides of her cheeks gently spread out with her smile, revealing a bit of childishness and sweetness.

At that moment, she believed it, believed wholeheartedly in the care and warmth from her sister.

However, what she drank from the bowl with gratitude was not the pear soup that nourishes the body and mind, but a medicine that makes people faint.

***

At the very end of the dark and deep sky prison.

My father, the once majestic General Zhenbei, was now hung in the air with two rough and ruthless iron chains piercing his scapula.

The chains were maliciously burned red, and every arc created by his weak struggle was accompanied by a harsh sizzling sound as flesh came into contact with the hot metal.

“Hmm…”

A deep, almost painful groan escaped from his father's throat, which was no longer as strong as before.

My father, that iron-blooded man who has fought on the battlefield all his life and never frowned or retreated in the face of any pain, is now suffering unimaginable torture.

***

Above the mass grave.

A few crows were cawing and circling.

One of them, holding half a broken Qinzi Jue in its mouth, flapped its wings and flew into the distant darkness.

That was...her aunt left it to her, saying it would be her dowry...

Broken.

Everything is broken.

Chen He lay among the cold corpses, his nails digging deep into his palms. Blood flowed out from between his fingers and mixed with his brother's cold blood.

The sadness and despair in his eyes were gradually replaced by a crazy hatred that burned everything.

Xiao Jingren!

Shen Jiao!

Single pearl!

And this world is full of cannibalism!

The hatred was overwhelming, but it couldn't ignite the already cold body.

Chen He's gaze was fixed on the blurry figure of his aunt not far away.

Using up her last bit of strength, she dragged her broken body and crawled with difficulty among the cold corpses and in the sticky mud.

Gravel, broken bones, and unknown filth scratched her skin, but she felt no pain.

Finally, she crawled to her aunt's side.

The once gentle and beautiful face now only showed fear and unwillingness.

Auntie's hand...

Hold it tightly.

It was as if I was holding on to the last thing in my life that I was unwilling to let go.

Chen He trembled, stretched out his blood-stained hand, and tried to pry open his mother's stiff fingers.

His knuckles had already turned purple from the cold and were as hard as iron.

"aunt……"

A broken sob.

She used her teeth, bit it tightly, and tried to pry it open with all her strength.

“Click.”

A subtle sound.

My aunt's fingers finally loosened.

A broken... string.

Lying quietly in my aunt's cold palm.

The silver string is as thin as a hair and has a sharp break.

The string of my aunt’s favorite guqin, the “Fengming” guqin, broke.

Just like the Shen family, the entire family... is extinct.

Tears mixed with blood rolled down.

A drop of hot blood and tears fell on the broken end of the string.

Shen He's own blood.

At the moment the blood drop touched the strings——

On the broken silver string, there seemed to be extremely fine, almost invisible golden lines, flashing by like a dragon!

It was so fast that it seemed like an illusion.

Shen He blinked hard.

Nothing.

Is she so angry that she is blinded?

Just then—

“Ouch…”

The pack of wild dogs that had been circling around and greedily gnawing on the corpse suddenly stopped.

The biting sounds and growling sounds disappeared in an instant.

The mass grave fell into an eerie silence.

Those beasts, like well-trained soldiers, suddenly raised their heads, fear showing in their turbid eyes.

Then, they all lowered their heads and put down their front limbs towards the southeast.

As if on... pilgrimage?

Shen He's heart trembled.

Something is wrong.

"Rustle, rustle..."

The sound of light footsteps broke the silence.

Someone is coming.

Chen He suddenly looked up and looked in the direction of the sound.

Under the moonlight, a slender figure slowly approached.

A clean dress is totally out of place in this hell on earth.

It’s Chen Jiao!