Chapter 52
Chapter 52
Shang Mang seemed at ease. He glanced lightly at Meng Yingying's neck, while Tan Yuhua subconsciously moved her knife, creating some distance. Meng Yingying felt a sharp pain in her abdomen and couldn't help but furrow her brow.
Zhou Xiuqi noticed her frown, put down Quexie, and said, "Let her go."
Tan Yuhua raised her eyebrows, full of surprise: "You mean let her go? How could I possibly let her go? Her blood is of great use."
Zhou Xiuqi was immediately displeased; with the people in his hands, no one dared to make a move. Behind them, the villagers blocking the road held torches and smiled sinisterly, as if they were returning travelers, but in reality, they had completely blocked their escape route.
Meng Yingying looked around. Shang Mang led her out of the cave. As soon as she came out, a weapon was pressed against her throat. This must be part of the storyline. The original storyline is unfolding. Meng Yingying could only guess that this was the reason. She looked at Shang Mang. He could have come out, but he kept delaying because of the storyline.
Xiao Zheyu surveyed the situation; escape was impossible, and Tan Yuhua relished the feeling. He put down his dagger and pushed Meng Yingying forward, saying, "Don't worry, you won't die." Meng Yingying staggered forward, and Zhou Xiuqi reached out to support her, but Shang Mang swiftly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. Meng Yingying felt a sharp pain in her abdomen, and her brows furrowed even deeper.
Shang Mang buried his head in her neck and sniffed, keenly noticing something. He then whispered in her ear, "Are you injured?"
The feeling was hard to describe. Meng Yingying had a headache and heavy legs, so she simply lay down in his arms, where the temperature was very cold. This made her even more uncomfortable, especially in her abdomen. She leaned against him, then got up again and pushed him away, saying, "I can stand by myself." In reality, she didn't experience any menstrual pain during her period. It was Meng Yuan's weak constitution that caused her menstrual cramps.
Shang Mang's hand was now empty; his fingers contracted, and his gaze settled on her face.
Meng Yingying's face was always deathly pale, her cheeks thin, and her oval face full of tiredness and weariness. But today, her expression was very impatient, with a hint of anxiety. Shang Mang didn't understand people's situations, but he understood Meng Yuan's situation. He stood there for a moment, then walked towards her.
A shadow fell over Meng Yingying's eyes. She barely managed to lift them when his arm passed around her waist, warm to the touch. Meng Yingying wrapped her arms around his neck, and under the watchful eyes of everyone, Shang Mang lifted her up, his body warmer than a person's, and placed it on her lower abdomen. Meng Yingying was startled. The previous touch had been sudden; this time, it was indeed gentle.
Tan Yuhua gave a bitter laugh and threw the dagger on the ground: "You guys are really something—" His facial features twitched, his hatred for Shang Mang deepening, "Take them away." He waved his hand.
The villagers holding torches stepped forward and surrounded them. Meng Yingying looked them over one by one. Having stayed in the village for so long, she would go out for a walk every day. Most of the villagers were in this group, except for the village chief's family. Sure enough, the source was their family. Shou Changyue was highly suspicious.
Surrounded by this group, they could only move forward in the direction they had gone. Meng Yingying was carried the whole way, and the warmth coming from her lower abdomen made her feel much better. Meng Yingying coughed awkwardly.
Shang Mang observed her reaction, then turned his palm over. The area was white, the flesh had rotted away, and her body was functioning again. He then placed his palm on her lower abdomen.
Meng Yingying felt uncomfortable and said, "Put me down."
Shang Mang ignored him.
Meng Yingying gave up struggling. Anyway, it was quite comfortable this way. She looked around at the scenery. The villagers were holding a bunch of torches, and she could see all the surrounding scenery clearly. There were trees everywhere. She was moving through one forest after another. Where were they going? She wondered. Suddenly, she met someone's gaze, which was fixed on her.
Zhou Xiuqi didn't hide his gaze; he had been watching her since earlier. Meng Yuan only noticed him then. Meng Yingying felt a little guilty, as if she had been caught by her parents having an early romance.
Zhou Xiuqi's eyebrows were furrowed, and he looked very unhappy. He stared straight ahead, refusing to glance at her again. Meng Yingying had no choice but to shut her mouth, deciding to explain properly to Zhou Xiuqi once they got there.
After half an incense stick's time, they were finally locked up in a place, a place all too familiar. Meng Yingying looked at the Buddha statue before her, its expression one of compassionate disdain for all living beings, showing equality to all things. It was actually a dilapidated temple on the mountain, without any guards.
Seeing them close the door, Kong Fusheng said, "What does this mean? Are you looking down on us? Are you just going to leave us like this in this dilapidated temple?"
Zhou Xiuqi waved his hand: "Not necessarily."
Xiao Zheyu found a clean spot to sit down: "So much time has passed, and we still know nothing about this place."
Kong Fusheng sat down cross-legged: "These villagers will turn into ghosts if you ask them any questions, there's no way to ask them anything."
Xiao Zheyu propped her head up, feeling utterly exhausted. She hadn't had a good night's sleep in days; fourteen days had passed since they arrived. They had gained nothing from this place, knowing nothing except that Tan Yuhua was here.
Xiao Zheyu was in a real bind, not knowing where the coffin was or what Ji Cang was doing.
Everything felt like it had entered a dead end.
Meng Yingying sighed. They were clearly the main characters, but the storyline wasn't written around them. Why weren't they given any breakthrough opportunities?
A cold wind blew by, and the sound of wheels rolling on the ground could be heard outside. The people inside all had excellent hearing.
The door was pushed open, and a person in a wheelchair rolled in, wearing a black cloak that obscured their figure. Everyone was bewildered, and the person began to chuckle softly. The wind howled outside, the tattered curtains were torn into disarray, and the moonlight shone on him, making him appear like a demon from the underworld coming to seize souls.
After he stopped laughing, his hoarse and uneven voice rang out: "Only by killing you will this place have life forever, and everyone in the village, as well as Father and Brother, will live well."
His voice was shrill, as if he were still screaming.
In the silence, no one spoke. With a few swishes, the candlesticks lit up, and beneath the cloak, he stiffly raised his head. Bubbles bubbled up on his face, his eyes bulged. Meng Yingying saw this face; it was familiar, and she looked at it with a mixture of fear and curiosity.
He laughed, and when he laughed, his deformed mouth twisted and grotesquely hooked.
Meng Yingying looked left and right. Xiao Zheyu, Zhou Xiuqi, and Cong Rong were expressionless, but Kong Fusheng stared wide-eyed. The two women met eyes. Meng Yingying swallowed silently. Both nodded slightly, then turned away, trying to appear calm.
“I’ve been living like this for the sake of the last bit of beauty left here. He’s been forcing me to do this. If I don’t, he’ll destroy everything. What can I do? What should I do?” he cried out helplessly, his voice so sharp it could pierce eardrums.
Meng Yingying covered her ears.
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