Chapter 31031 (Newly revised) The bride is actually…………
In the alley, the chilling air of the empty sedan lingered for a long time, mingled with the stench of old dust and decay, lingering in my nostrils. I leaned against the cold, rough earthen wall, Lian Zha's extended lotus stems tightly wrapped around me. Even so, my heart continued to pound in my chest, its drum-like thump nearly drowning out everything around me.
The lotus stems patted my back, helping me breathe smoothly.
"Are you feeling better?" The lotus fragrance permeated my nose, bringing a sense of security.
“…Better.”
God knows, as someone who grew up under the red flag, how could I have ever seen such a scene? Dead fish and bones could at least be considered a major crime scene, but the scene just now was something I couldn't even dream of. It was truly terrifying.
"What were those things just now?" I asked with lingering fear.
Nezha said in a deep voice, "It must be a paper figure. I just don't know why it appeared here. Since it's called the Mountain and River Altar Map, it probably bears some resemblance to the real one. Whatever the person holding the painting thinks of will be reflected in the painting. So there's no need to worry too much."
After Nezha said this, I felt a little less scared. We quickly returned home.
…
When I got home, something suddenly occurred to me, so I asked Lien-tsah, "Since my thoughts and my imaginations are the world, then was the so-called incident at Yunshui River also a figment of the imagination of the person holding the painting?"
The more I think about it, the more possible it seems.
Lian Zha said, "I'm very pleased that you thought of this."
I:……
I always feel underestimated.
Lian Zha pondered for a moment, then added, "Whether the person holding the painting's imagination is true or not is not yet clear. But I hope it turns out to be true in the end."
"Why?"
Lian Zha said, "If this is true, then the Yunshui River did indeed suffer such a disaster. And such disasters cannot be appeased simply by offering candles on a boat, so generally, such situations require a large-scale sacrifice."
Lian Zha's words made me think of something, "human sacrifice."
"Yes, human sacrifice."
…
The human sacrifice Lianzha had suspected hadn't yet materialized. However, the next night, my brother and I moved the folded lotus boats out, as we were going to offer sacrifices tonight.
When we arrived at the Yunshui River, we found that the riverside was full of people, but there was no expression on every face - if numbness can be considered an expression.
The river, stagnant and dark as iron, reflected the figures gathered on the shore, as well as the flickering candles they held. The candlelight flickered timidly in the evening breeze, forming a flowing galaxy. As the water rippled, the galaxy shattered into countless dancing golden scales.
A paper boat carrying a bright candle floats in the middle of the river, as if attracting countless wronged souls. When the candle burns out the last drop of wax, it sends the paper boat and the wronged souls away together...
I didn't see Nezha's face in the crowd, so I guess he wouldn't participate in such an event.
When the last paper boat had burned out, we returned home, but my brother had to go to the town meeting, so I went back first.
After returning home, Lianzha asked me how things were going and I told him the truth.
I hope this sacrifice is useful.
After a long time, my brother still hadn't returned. I couldn't help but worry about whether he'd run into that paper figurine. I seemed to really think of him as my brother. If only one day we could leave the Shanhe Shejitu...
"Don't worry about separation, Ayu. People will separate when they grow up. It will be your turn, my turn, and it has always been like this." The lotus stem tapped me lightly, as if seeing through my thoughts, and spoke comforting words.
But these words sounded so docile that they almost showed resignation, unlike Nezha's usual rebelliousness.
"Is this what you said?" I asked curiously.
Lian Geng paused for a rare moment, "You forgot, this is what you said to me."
"Me?" I felt a little surprised and moved closer to it. "How did we meet? What was I like in the past?"
I thought I had traveled here after death, but I didn't expect that I had an experience before this, and now I am just trapped in a corner of the painting.
Lian Zha slowly recounted the story of our acquaintance. He was a little carp in the lotus pond of Qianyuan Mountain, and was accompanied by Lian Zha, who nourished his soul. Just from his plain and straightforward language, I could feel the carefree days of that time.
If I were a carp, I wouldn't have any big ambitions. An ordinary carp, living an ordinary life would be fine. Thinking about my current situation, I actually envy the old days that Lian Zha talked about.
"One day, we will be able to return to Qianyuan Mountain." Lian Zha said with confidence.
I wanted to nod in agreement, but I hesitated for some reason. This hesitation came suddenly, as if some emotion was quietly holding me back, and I ultimately couldn't nod.
At this moment, a faint but familiar creaking sound came from the wooden door. I stood up and looked in the direction of the sound. I saw my brother holding a dim lantern in one hand and holding the door frame with the other, his chest heaving slightly, as if he had just returned from a hurried walk.
"Brother?" I called him.
My brother looked up at the sound, his tense profile illuminating the dim light. Only when he saw I was standing safely in the room did the solemnity in his eyes relax slightly, like ice and snow just beginning to melt. He let out a long sigh, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
"That thing appeared again today." My brother's voice was low and solemn, with an oppressive feeling of impending storm.
I looked up at him with a hint of inquiry: "What should we do then?"
My brother approached, lantern in hand, his gaze brooding. He was silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "Ever since dead fish started turning up in the Yunshui River, exposing bones, all sorts of bad things have happened one after another." He paused, his gaze turning toward the dark night outside the window. "Today's meeting was originally to discuss what to do about the useless group of priests."
I pursed my lips and looked at him, "If sacrifices are useless, then what about... human sacrifices?"
My brother seemed surprised that I would guess this, and then seemed to regret it deeply.
"You guessed right, it wasn't originally necessary. However..."
"My brother showed a puzzled expression. 'The river god is furious and his wrath is so great that he needs a bride as a sacrifice to appease her.' That's what the old folks in town say. It's said the last time a bride was brought in was sixty years ago."
Sixty years is a Jiazi period.
"That's ridiculous!" I stared at my brother's expression, a nameless fire rising in my chest. "Why should I marry a bride just to appease the wrath of the river god? Why marry a bride?"
My brother seemed to have anticipated my reaction. Far from being annoyed, he nodded in agreement. "Of course, this is a completely illogical argument. After all, it's Empress Yunshui who protects Yunshui Town. Even if she truly wants to appease her anger, common sense dictates that she marry a young man."
Ah... That's not what I'm angry about! And now is not the time to joke around!
My brother suddenly smiled. "I see you're frowning, but it was just a joke. Don't take it seriously, Ayu. The so-called marrying of a bride is just a name for a sacrificial ceremony, not a real marriage to the river god. Therefore, it doesn't matter whether the bride is a man or a woman."
My brother’s words were like a thunderclap exploding in my heart.
"Well, it's getting late today. Go to bed early."
The next day, my brother went to town early. The matter of choosing a bride was urgent, so he had to decide it early. When he returned at noon, my brother said to me:
"Ayu, the bride has been chosen."
My brother's expression when he said this was very strange. It showed pain, relief, and a hint of regret, like a color palette.
"The date is set for the sixth day of June."
Today is the third day of June.
After my brother left, the heaviness and melancholy in my heart were like a cold tide that could not be dispelled for a long time. I looked at the lotus in my arms. My voice was bitter:
"Lian Zha, did you hear that? On the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, they are going to kill someone."
"Yes," Lian Zha said in a deep voice, "Even though the river god has long since disappeared, they still commit murder under the guise of offering sacrifices to the god... The ignorance and cruelty of human nature have remained unchanged for thousands of years."
Its words are imbued with a profound aversion and compassion for the human sacrifices of the Shang Dynasty and earlier. Even though later dynasties explicitly abolished them, in those corners shrouded in ignorance, the practice of killing people in the name of God was merely a rebranding, the essence remaining the same.
In less than three days, the bride will be married.
…
My brother told me to stay indoors for the next few days, but I can't really stay indoors. We're trapped in a painting, but we can't really live there forever. The Goddess of Cloud and Water in this world has vanished, and the people of Yunshui Town are actually thinking of offering a bride as a sacrifice to appease the River God's wrath. But why is the River God furious? And why did the Goddess of Cloud and Water disappear?
"Lian Zha, actually I have a question." Amidst the chaotic thoughts, a key point suddenly became clear.
"You ask." Lian Zha responded.
"So," I sat up straight, my thoughts racing. "Just because dead fish and bones are appearing in the river, can we conclude the river god is angry? No one has actually died yet." Even in horror movies, people only take things seriously when people start dying. Even one or two deaths isn't a big deal. But here, even though no one has died yet, and only dead fish and bones and paper figurines are appearing, they're already eager to find a wife for the river god. It's incredibly suspicious!
Lian Zha's voice was filled with thought. "You just heard your brother say that the so-called bride-giving was just a cover-up. So, whether the river god was angry or not was probably never the point."
"Right! That's the key!" I straightened my back suddenly, a sharp light flashing in my eyes. "Precisely because the real Yunshui Niangniang has long disappeared, the so-called wrath of the river god is completely nonsense. At this moment, even if Yunshui Town does nothing, it shouldn't be in catastrophic turmoil!"
What is their purpose in marrying off the bride?
"The town leader must have known about the disappearance of Lady Yunshui, otherwise why would the River Fairy Temple have been abandoned for so long? Without a river god, there would naturally be no punishment. And perhaps their purpose in marrying off a bride is to capture the essence of this 'Mountains, Rivers, and States' painting!"
The so-called "eye" of a painting is the visual center of a painting. This painting of mountains, rivers, and states must have its own eye!
Yunshui Town, Yunshui River, Hexian Temple...
Perhaps after the disappearance of Lady Yunshui, another spirit took over the Yunshui River. The wet, sticky footsteps of those paper figures, along with the earthy and rancid odor, now seemed to be clearly coming from the river...
"Ayu, don't forget one thing."
Lian Zha interrupted my gushing thoughts, "This is a map of mountains, rivers, and the state. The thoughts and ideas of the person holding the painting are also the world. Everything is just his thoughts."
"So he wants to force the townspeople to perform a human sacrifice?"
"You could say that."
"But what's the purpose?"
"Let's go to Yunshui River first tomorrow." I said to Lianzha.
Lian Zha said without hesitation: "Okay."
I didn't sleep much the entire night, thinking about the human sacrifice. The next day, while my brother wasn't home, I went to find Nezha and told him what was on my mind. Without a word, he went with us to Yunshui River.
When we reached the shore, I suddenly remembered an important clue: "Oh, right! Where's the scale you found at the bottom of the river?" He had dived into the river that day and brought back a shimmering scale. Unfortunately, I fell ill that night, and a series of misfortunes happened, so I forgot about it over time.
However, Nezha's voice was tinged with regret. "That scale... has already decayed and rotted. It seems that as soon as it emerged from the water, out of that specific environment, it quickly lost its vitality and turned into a mortal object."
I was speechless for a moment. How could it have such a strange characteristic?
The lotus stem trembled slightly, and there was a hint of annoyance in her voice: "It's such an important matter, why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Nezha's voice came coldly, with his usual arrogance: "Forgot."
Lian Zha: “…”
Looking at the Yunshui River that looked like a black ribbon, Nezha plunged into the river again. But this time, he found no scales, not even ordinary river shrimp.
"If we can't find anything in Yunshui River, there are two other locations." Nezha said slowly, looking at me, "Hexian Temple, and Yunshui Town—where the bride is."
Lian Zha said, "The Hexian Temple is simple, but as for the bride's location, since it's a wedding, a large red "囍" character must be pasted on the door. This is a common ritual, and even when offering sacrifices, the superficiality is done. This may be a breakthrough point."
After a moment's thought, I quickly made arrangements: "Let's do this. Lian Zha and I will go to the Hexian Temple to investigate, and Nezha will be responsible for finding the bride in the town. I think... the bride's side may be more dangerous, and we need a fighter like you to take charge." Although he can't use magic, Nezha is definitely better than me, a weakling.
Nezha nodded, agreeing with my plan. I went back home first. After all, I had to go to Hexian Temple, and the round trip would probably take a whole day, so I naturally had to tell my brother about it. However, before I could find my brother and was about to leave him a letter, the gate opened and my brother appeared at the door, holding two fresh fish tied with straw ropes, still struggling slightly.
"Ayu," he greeted with a smile, handing over the two fish, "Here, give this to the bride."
I was stunned: "Send fish?"
"Of course I have to," my brother said with a warm smile, as if describing a commonplace act of neighborly support. "Marriage is a major event, and it's all about harmony and good fortune. Since the wedding is approaching, most of the town has gone to the Hexian Temple to help with the preparations, so I'll trouble you to go and get this fish." His eyes casually glanced at the lotus in my arms. His tone was casual, yet it held no room for questioning. "Since you're going to give the fish to celebrate, it's a bit inappropriate to hold this lotus in your arms. Alas, what's the point of holding a lotus every day? What's going on? Are you planning to marry this lotus someday?"
I:……
Lian Zha: ...
A surge of heat shot up my cheeks, instantly burning my ears. I knew my brother was just joking, but the joke had hit a hidden, awkward spot—because this lotus was truly more than just a lotus!
The lotus stem stiffened imperceptibly in my arms. Blushing, under my brother's loving gaze, I could only reluctantly place the lotus leaf carefully into a vase filled with clear water in the corner of the room, watching it sit there quietly. Then, resignedly, I picked up the two slippery, heavy fish and left the house.
Not far from the courtyard gate, I passed Nezha's temporary residence. This was the first time I'd paid any attention to his abode. The door was ajar, and inside, it was quiet. I subconsciously glanced inside and met a pair of sharp eyes—Nezha was sitting cross-legged inside, and he had obviously noticed me.
His eyes swept across my empty arms, then fell on the fish I was holding. His eyebrows raised slightly, as if he understood something. Before I could say anything, he stood up and flashed out the door.
"My brother asked me to give fish to the bride." I held up the fish in my hand and explained.
Nezha nodded and said concisely: "Let's go together." Obviously, he instantly understood the reconnaissance opportunity behind sending the fish.
With him by my side, I felt at ease. Following the address my brother had given us, weaving through the town's somewhat deserted streets. Perhaps because most people were heading to Ha Tien Temple, the journey was surprisingly smooth, and we arrived at our destination without encountering any obstacles.
There was indeed a double happiness pattern pasted on the door of the bride's house.
I took a deep breath, took a few steps forward, and knocked on the door. "Is anyone there? My brother asked me to deliver the fish!"
There was dead silence inside the door and no one answered.
"Strange, could it be that the bride's family also went to the Hexian Temple to help?" I whispered in confusion, but a feeling of uneasiness surged in my heart.
Nezha calmly led me behind him and whispered, "Be careful." He stretched out his finger and gently pushed the heavy door open.
“Squeak…”
The door hinge made a dry friction sound, and the door opened unexpectedly.
A scent of old wood and faint incense wafted out from the crack of the door. We looked at each other, and Nezha, protecting me, pushed the door open first.
Behind the gate lay a small, square courtyard. Opposite the main entrance stood the main house, flanked by two side rooms, three in total. The entire courtyard was hushed, an unnatural stillness permeating its surface. However, the glaring red "囍" character, affixed only to the door of the central main room, stood out strangely and abruptly in the otherwise dusty courtyard.
"There." Nezha's eyes were fixed on the door with the word "囍" pasted on it, and his voice was low.
We edged closer to the door. My heartbeat began to accelerate uncontrollably, and my palms broke out in a cold sweat. Nezha motioned for me to wait, then reached out and gently pushed the door.
In the dim light, a person in a red wedding dress sat on the edge of the bed...
Hearing the sound of the door being pushed open, the figure seemed to move slightly.
Nezha's muscles tensed instantly, and he stood in front of me warily. I held my breath and cautiously peered over.
At this moment, the person in the bright red wedding dress slowly raised her head.
A face with delicate eyebrows, red lips and white teeth, but a bit pale and tired, came into my sight. At this moment, he was looking at us calmly, with a hint of understanding, a hint of helplessness, and a hint of... indescribable complexity.
My pupils suddenly contracted, my breathing stopped instantly, I could hardly believe my eyes, and cried out in shock:
“Holy…holy monk?!”
"Tang Monk?!"
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