Chapter 107 A Fake Picnic: Heartbreak Comes Quicker Than Regret. ...
The group started packing their things early in the morning.
With the matter of Ruoshui Village settled, they discussed moving on to their next destination.
After the fog dissipated, the village looked quite picturesque, and it's highly likely that the terrifying atmosphere of the fog will never return.
They stayed there for two extra days to see if Isuzu, who had sunk to the bottom of the Ruoshui River, would still create nightmares. As a result, they spent two nights peacefully, and even the fog that covered the sky and the strange rules about not touching water no longer had any effect.
For some unknown reason, Isuzu seemed to be a misty dream created just for them, a recollection of the past.
In short, Xia Zhu indeed reaped a great harvest.
The next destination was a new point that had temporarily appeared on the official map, which was the closest mission to them. However, it was only relatively close. A rough calculation showed that they still had to travel west for three days and two nights, and the entire journey would be through the mountains.
The unidentified official who posted the task did not specify the exact location. She mentioned that this demon-like entity was active within a certain area and its location was not fixed.
Why is it described as "similar" to a demon god? Because this unidentified official mentioned that she had briefly seen this creature once, and its appearance was not like that of a traditional demon god, resembling a beast or bird.
On the contrary, it's like a "person".
To be precise, it was a corpse.
As for why she said it looked more like a corpse, she didn't explain, only leaving a mysterious emoticon at the end of the post, letting other uninformed officials go and find out for themselves and then come back to confirm her.
Speaking of humanoid demon gods, Xia Zhu couldn't help but think of Yinglong, whom she had dreamed of once at Xuanyuan Hill. Yinglong was also human-like. Apart from that, she didn't seem to have heard of any other demon god who could transform into human form.
Since the road ahead was likely to be deep in the mountains, Feng Mian went to the neighboring town early in the morning to buy some supplies and fill up the car with gas, while Xia Zhu and the others waited for him by the fire in the lobby of the guesthouse.
Judging from the sky, it looks like a storm is brewing, so it's best to set off sooner rather than later.
The car horn beeped twice, and a black SUV with a tank-like front end pulled into the gate. Feng Mian rolled down the window, gesturing for everyone to get in.
Ji Yinxiu moved to the passenger seat, where the back was much more spacious. She was no longer pressed against Ying Huo's fleshy frame, and her clothes rustled softly with every slight movement. Xia Zhu found a comfortable position, half of her body nestled into the seat, then pulled out her phone and opened the text message interface again. Besides the payment notification and the notification of entering the new area, there was only one message from Ji Wuchou.
They were forced into Ji Wuchou's dream, where they glimpsed her past that she never wanted to talk about. After waking up, she left only a farewell text message and disappeared silently from everyone's side.
She didn't say goodbye, only told Xia Zhu that there was a place she had thought about for a long time, and perhaps after this experience, she really should go and see it. She asked Xia Zhu to convey her apologies to everyone for leaving without saying goodbye.
When Xia Zhu relayed the news to others, Feng Mian was only worried about whether Ji Wuchou had brought enough things. There were still many of her favorite sweet cakes in the car. She wished she had taken them out and put them in her bag in advance.
As she said this, she noticed Feng Feng twisting his fingers, secretly turning his back to wipe his eyes, and muttering to himself whether he was angry because he had seen her secret.
Xia Zhu himself had also thought about this issue.
It wasn't that they were wondering if Ji Wuchou was angry because of their sudden intrusion, but rather why she was still having dreams even though she was wearing the talisman, and why she couldn't wake up in the short term because of the pain she had experienced in the past.
During the two days she spent in Ruoshui Village trying to determine whether the fog would return, she shared her doubts with several other people.
After pondering for a moment, Ji Yinxiu suggested that perhaps it was because of Isuzu's own ability that this area surrounded by Ruoshui had become a natural dream-baku, making it easy for restless people to fall asleep here.
After all, entering a dream within the tapir also relies on some kind of "pool" as a medium.
Feng Feng nodded. She guessed that it was also related to the prophecy. With the natural disaster approaching, Ji Wuchou's fate was not as stable as before. In addition, Ji Wuchou's obsession was too strong, which is why she was trapped in her dream.
The honeycomb charcoal in the stove was burning white. Xia Zhu reached out and poked at a few sweet potatoes roasting beside her, asking the question that had always been on her mind.
She said, "If that's the case, then what exactly is this 'natural appearance'?" Upon hearing this, everyone present fell silent, except for Ying Huo, who had a strange expression.
Here we go again, that cognitive issue.
For this group of people who have been struggling in the world of divine blood since birth, asking this question is like asking an ordinary human who has completed compulsory education and worked in society for many years, "What is blood?" or "What is oxygen?"
According to Feng Feng and Feng Mian's original explanation.
A natural appearance is a divinely bestowed quality.
But they also said that the physiognomy power within the unknown official's body and the innate physiognomy stone in the dream were of the same origin.
Who proposed this definition? Or rather, who was the first to propose it?
Regarding the next question, Feng Feng raised her hand shakily, looked at Xia Zhu with a lack of confidence, and gave her the answer she had in mind.
"The Supreme God?"
The Supreme God was the first to propose that the power of appearance and the power of nature are of the same origin. He also condescended to descend to the mortal world and bestowed upon them the power of appearance, thus enabling these people to find the power of appearance scattered among the human world for him generation after generation.
This supreme god's existence was only proven by the divine strategy that Wu Ji returned from the Heavenly Gate.
That's right.
She turned her head and stared intently at Ying Huo.
"Whatever the supreme god says goes. For thousands of years, no one has raised any objections."
So, is that really the case?
Ying Huo blinked, his face pale. He frowned and turned his face away, muttering, "Why are you looking at me?"
Xia Zhu withdrew her gaze. The person who was most likely to answer the question ignored her. She wouldn't press him. After all, she had already caught someone's fox tail that had been accidentally revealed. There was still a long time before she found out.
But this question ignited Ji Yinxiu's interest. He was the kind of person who listened very attentively in class and would chase after the teacher to ask questions after class. So for the next two days, he would always linger by Xia Zhu's side, wanting to analyze with her the various anomalies he had seen in Isuzu.
However, Ying Huo always interrupted their studious discussions for various reasons, and in the end, he even made the outrageous statement that Ji Yinxiu was like a fly buzzing around Xia all day long.
As soon as he said this, he was immediately scrutinized by the other four pairs of eyes on the field.
Ying Huo stood there stunned, unaware that in everyone's eyes he was the one who was the fly with gray eyes.
Fortunately, Ji Yinxiu was a decent person. He left with the words "I have offended you" and moved away from the two of them. Even later, when they were in a carriage, Ying Huo forced him to sit in the passenger seat because "the Xuanyuan Sword kept poking his hip bone".
After that, Ying, who always preferred a spacious seat, would stare at the other two people in the back seat with a probing look, wishing he could make a big fuss and announce that he was thinking of a way to get rid of Feng Feng and Ying Ya.
One is too noisy and chattering, and the other smells like birds.
Of course, none of these are valid.
As a result, he was met with an incomparably big eye roll from Feng Feng, who said, "Why don't you just drive and let Xia Zhu sit in the passenger seat? Can you do it? Do you know how?" At this point, Ying Huo stopped talking and secretly made up his mind that he would take the driving test when he got back this time.
Without Ji Wuchou, only Feng Mian remained as the main force. In order to avoid fatigue, the group traveled and stopped frequently, and when they got tired, they would squeeze into the car to take a short rest. It drizzled for two consecutive days, and the sun finally came out when they were almost at their destination.
So they found an open space and decided to set up camp there.
This place is truly deep in the mountains and forests, the kind that is isolated from the world. It is almost impossible for anyone to pass by. The surrounding flowers, plants and trees grow wildly. If you go any further in, the car probably can't even drive in and you can only take a detour.
To avoid a repeat of the previous incident where everyone was separated during their dreams, Fengmian took out a large camping tent he had prepared in advance from the trunk, deciding that everyone should squeeze together tonight. Then he and Ji Yinxiu went to gather firewood nearby to start a fire. The rest of the group stayed behind to set up the tent and pack their belongings.
Before leaving, Feng Feng reminded her brother that this place was a perfect combination of weather and terrain, and that the beginning of horror movies always featured a group of people courting death in the wild, with the first one to get into trouble often being the one who strayed from the group to gather firewood. She told him to be very careful.
Feng Mian cursed her for being a jinx, whether it was accidental or intentional, she had inadvertently hurt Ying Ya beside her. However, after her reminder, he decided to take Miao Miao with him, not because he was really afraid of any accidents, but because he had finally gotten out of the car and could take the dog for a walk.
In short, everyone had their own tasks and worked in an orderly manner. It was still early, and the weather in the mountains was fine and sunny, so it felt like we were going on a trip together.
Feng Feng and Ying Ya were in charge of setting up the tent, while Xia Zhu went to the car to unload things. It had been a long time since she had a proper meal, and she was especially looking forward to Feng Mian's cooking skills. Before leaving, she made a special promise that she would arrange everything properly.
She went back and forth with great enthusiasm, carrying the wood-burning stove, the water tank, the Dutch oven, and the folding chair she would sit on later.
Ying Huo stood to the side with his arms crossed, watching her go back and forth. Then, he casually took a folding chair from her, found a shady spot where he couldn't get any sun, unfolded it, sat down, and comfortably crossed his legs.
Xia Zhu glanced at him, and as she passed by him again, she accidentally dropped a spatula. Since she was holding things in both hands, she could only look at Ying Huo with anticipation.
"Ah, could you help me pick this up? Chi... oh, Ying Huo."
The man had just bent down and reached out his hand when he heard the second half of her sentence and his movements suddenly froze. His hands, with their prominent blue veins, were just exposed to the sunlight. His reaction was like a vampire being scorched by the sun. He quickly leaned back and stared at Xia Zhu with a look of horror.
"What's wrong?"
Xia Zhu seemed particularly concerned about him, slowly leaning down closer and closer. This action was perhaps even more terrifying to Ying Huo than directly calling out his pseudonym in front of everyone.
Unfortunately, he is now trapped in a folding chair with nowhere to retreat.
"Ying Huo." Xia Zhu called his name, looking at his face, which could be described as peerless, cast mottled shadows of leaves. She suddenly felt that there are some things in life that should not be hesitated over. Being sad is more painful than regret.
As for why she used "heartbreaking" to describe a certain outcome, she doesn't want to delve into it yet.
So Xia Zhu asked, "Am I the person you're looking for?"
Ying Huo's pupils contracted for a moment. Being called by her full name was already unsettling enough, but he never expected that an even more terrifying problem awaited him.
He stared at the face so close to his, the handsome features and the eyes hidden behind thick glasses, as firm as two candles in the dark.
His gray pupils dilated slightly, and the answer hidden deep in his heart was spoken out so naturally.
"No." His tone was surprisingly sincere.
"Oh." Xia Zhu didn't show any emotion. She let go, and everything in her hand fell into Ying Huo's arms.
She straightened up, widening the distance between them again, and swung her arms as she walked toward the center of the open space.
"Then let's get moving. Only those who move deserve to eat."
Ying Huo stared blankly at the pile of pots and pans on his body, scratching his hair in frustration.
How could you just say that out loud?
He suspected that Xia Zhu might be well-versed in some kind of hypnosis.
This hypnosis method is incredibly sinister; otherwise, why would he have stood up after revealing his secrets and started fiddling with the cooking utensils alongside her?
When Feng Mian and his companion, along with their dog, returned carrying firewood, all the props and ingredients had been prepared, and the tent behind them had been set up.
Feng Mian surveyed the area with satisfaction and found Ying Huo standing among them, looking dejected and waiting for praise from his superior. He nodded meaningfully and said seriously, "Not bad, not bad, everyone is not bad."
Taking advantage of the daylight, everyone ate their most filling and warmest meal in recent days. After cleaning and tidying up, the moon was already high in the sky, and then they removed the chairs and squeezed into the tent.
A lamp hung from the ceiling, and a grayish-yellow moth flew in from somewhere, fluttering and bumping against the glass dome. Strange cries occasionally rang out from outside the tent, accompanied by the chaotic dance of shadowy trees.
The tent was quiet, with only Feng Mian holding his laptop, trying to find more useful information about the local demon god, his keyboard occasionally clicking. Feng Feng, feeling dizzy and weak, leaned against Miao Miao's belly. Seeing her like this, Xia Zhu suddenly realized something.
She moved closer to the center, and Ying Huo, who was next to her, subconsciously followed suit. She glanced at him inexplicably, then dragged her old backpack to the front and pulled out a copy of the "Classic of Mountains and Seas".
He quickly scanned the table of contents of the book and said to everyone, "Now it seems that these legends and stories from the past are all true. If we follow this logic, then can species like demon gods also be found in some books?"
For example, the mandrill she first encountered.
Upon hearing this, Feng Feng became interested. His dizziness and blurred vision disappeared, and he sat up with a swift motion.
"That's right. I used to think that what you wrote in your books was inaccurate, but I never thought that even if it was inaccurate, it could still be used as a reference."
Curious, she stood up, wanting to sit next to Xia Zhu. Her figure momentarily blocked the light source inside the tent, and the surroundings darkened for a second before immediately returning to normal.
"So, did the book ever mention any monsters that resembled humans or corpses?"
"Yes." Xia Zhu nodded firmly; she remembered seeing it before.
As I scrolled down the table of contents line by line, my gaze suddenly fell upon a few words.
"Found it."
The sound of pages turning filled the tent. She paused for a moment, then stood the book upright and showed a particular page to everyone.
Feng Feng immediately brought his face close to the book and then read out the title of each paragraph, word by word.
"The corpse of the ugly woman".
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