Chapter 183 Hunting
Thump—thump thump.
The sound of the festival drums came from a distance, neither too close nor too far, and the drumbeats were not particularly loud.
Rather than a high-profile announcement, it's more like a secret whisper.
Each time the drumhead strikes heavily, there is a brief interval, followed by two more concentrated drumbeats. This cycle repeats itself in groups of three, at a leisurely pace.
The faint sound of drums echoed through the silent world, like the restless heartbeat of an unseen giant in its sleep...
It's like walking down a deserted street, and suddenly a vendor with a blurry face appears from a dark corner, wearing a suspicious smile that only shows half of his face.
The vendor didn't shout out his wares; he simply tapped out a repetitive drumbeat with his hands. This simple act seemed to possess a strange allure, causing lone pedestrians to stop, forget their original purpose, and become completely lost in the music, as if bewitched, slowly following the drumbeats into the depths of the dark night...
I don't remember where I heard this story.
But at this moment, he seemed to have become the lost traveler in the story.
Thump—thump thump.
The full moon hung high in the sky, radiating an incredible, dazzling light.
Thump—thump thump.
The firelight flickered, surrounding a cluster of dark figures.
Thump—thump thump.
Pipa was gradually losing the ability to distinguish whether what he was hearing was the drumbeat or his own anxious heartbeat.
Finally, he arrived at the open space deep in the village, a place usually used to store grain or hold weddings and funerals, which was now occupied by a lively crowd.
The high platform used for operas during the day is now enshrined with an indistinct statue of a deity, with a huge bonfire burning below. Everyone in the village except him is gathered around the fire—men, women, the elderly, children, and even a woman who has recently given birth, holding her infant…
Looking out into the distance, amidst the towering flames, the villagers chatted and laughed, each with a peculiar smile on their face.
A deathly pale face, with bright red, upturned lips.
Everyone was smiling.
The eerie smiles, so uniform and orderly like those of a wholesale market, sent a chill down Pipa's spine.
Upon closer inspection, he realized that those were not the people's original appearance, but rather painted on. He neither cared nor concerned whether they were painted with oil paint or something else.
All Pipa wanted to do now was find Yuanxiao as soon as possible and go back together... He instinctively felt that this place was not a good place to stay.
Pipa glanced at the list briefly and, not finding her mother among them, breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Although I know that what the eyes see is not everything.
But knowing in your heart that your mother might be one of them is fundamentally different from actually seeing your mother painted with that terrifying ghost image.
Pipa was wondering how she could blend in without being discovered.
—Would you also try to paint your face like that?
Regardless of whether he felt any resistance, the most important point is that he simply doesn't have the relevant materials at hand.
Looking at the noisy and chaotic scene, Pipa thought it over and over and decided that it would be better to just sneak in.
He was already short and thin; even an average adult wouldn't be able to see his face clearly, even if they bent down.
With the cover of night, it wouldn't be entirely impossible to slip through undetected.
If you accidentally let the cat out of the bag, you can lie and say that you were scared at night and couldn't sleep, so you ran out to find your mother.
Having made up her mind, Pipa quietly approached the noisy crowd from the side via a side path.
As Pipa got closer, she could see clearly that there was an equally large iron pot sitting on top of the roaring campfire.
The pot is black, whether it's its original color or the result of long-term use, it looks like it blends into the night background.
Pipa couldn't see what was cooking in the pot, but she could still hear the bubbling of water amidst the noisy voices and crackling sounds of the fire... and there was also an indescribable, strange smell that swirled and permeated the air, which was scorching hot from the campfire.
Pipa guessed that it was the taste of seasoning, and the food being cooked in that big pot was probably the food offered to the deity during the worship ceremony.
It's the same principle as the fruits and vegetables placed on the offering table during festivals.
Pipa's thoughts were wandering, and her gaze involuntarily drifted to the statue above.
He had actually seen it once during the day, when the statue was placed in a shrine.
Only a few scattered glimpses could be vaguely seen from the shadows of the shrine... At that time, the loquat had a vague feeling of being watched.
Now, the statue has been brought out and placed on the high platform.
Although we didn't face each other directly, the feeling of being watched by many eyes at the same time still existed. It didn't fade away under the cover of night; on the contrary, it seemed to become even stronger.
A slightly warm night breeze blew by.
Pipa suddenly shivered.
He couldn't help but reach up and touch his arm, and sure enough, he had goosebumps all over his body.
Pipa suddenly regretted it and wanted to back out.
He thought that perhaps Yuanxiao hadn't come here. After all, with so many people and such a commotion, someone as wary as Yuanxiao wouldn't risk going into the crowd even if she was craving food.
Or perhaps, Yuanxiao was simply tired from playing outside and overslept during her nap, which is why she didn't get home on time.
Perhaps Yuanxiao has already gone back by now.
So what am I doing right now?
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Pipa seemed to wake up suddenly from a dream, and the muddled mess in her mind disappeared.
What followed was a deep sense of lingering fear and relief.
Pipa was glad she hadn't acted rashly and plunged into the crowd as she had planned... The idea that she could easily get away with a lie was far too naive.
Since his last failed escape attempt resulted in his father breaking one of his legs, he should know better.
Since it concerns the most important worship ceremony in the village, he, who broke the rules, may very well face even more cruel punishment.
If she were to be discovered, facing a group of able-bodied adults, Yuanxiao, as a cat with night vision, would have a great chance of escaping. But what about herself?
Moreover, even if the monk can run away, the temple can't.
A bead of cold sweat silently slid down Pipa's forehead. At this moment, he was acutely aware that his current situation was far from optimistic.
The most urgent task is not to find the cat, but to leave this troublesome place as quickly as possible without alerting those people.
Based on the previous situation, returning the way we came should not be particularly difficult.
After all, the environment was so noisy, and people were arguing and discussing matters related to the sacrificial ceremony, their attention completely elsewhere than to the venue.
However, just as Pipa made up her mind to leave, she suddenly realized that the surroundings had become unusually quiet.
The villagers, who had been gathered in small groups, suddenly fell silent.
It was only at this moment that Pipa belatedly realized that the drumming had stopped sometime earlier.
Just like that strange drumbeat, which had been designed to lure me here from beginning to end, now that it had fulfilled its mission, it was time to quietly make its exit...
Or perhaps, did that drumming sound really exist?
Because after watching for so long, Pipa didn't see anyone playing a drum, or even anything resembling a drum.
Thump—thump thump.
Pipa swallowed hard, this time with absolute certainty that what she heard was her own heartbeat.
It was the sound of a violently beating heart, a mixture of unease and fear, almost deafening.
Pipa suddenly had a feeling that the ominous premonition that had been troubling her for the past few days was about to become a reality right now and in the right place.
It was at this moment that he heard voices coming from the center of the arena. The hoarse and muffled voices sounded like a cruel and solemn verdict.
"The time has come. According to the will of the gods, the chosen sacrifice has been banished and now lurks around us with the hope of escape. Go, capture it, throw it into boiling water, skin it and bones it, and enjoy its wailing and weeping, as the most devout offering to our gods."
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