Chapter Thirty-Six: The Bride's Lament (Part 6)

Su Man didn’t respond, nor did she say whether she believed him or not. She simply said, “I understand. Let’s go—let’s take a look at the ancestral hall. If we’re late, we might not see anything at all.”

Lin Qi was still somewhat dissatisfied, feeling annoyed. He thought their attitude was a sign of distrust, but he really had seen that news. Determined not to be looked down upon and to bolster his credibility, he couldn’t help but spill an even juicier piece of information. “I also know that the bride was killed by the secret of this village!”

[Congratulations, player. You have unlocked a side quest: Explore the village’s secret before nightfall. Depending on your progress, you’ll receive different rewards. Failure carries no penalty.]

Su Man raised her brows. So now there were side quests, too.

Well, that was convenient; it was all part of the plan anyway.

“Do you still not believe me?” Lin Qi was annoyed, his small eyes glaring. “If you keep this up, I won’t go with you anymore!”

“Then go ahead,” Su Man waved him off and called to Huang Mei, “Let’s go.”

She had already learned the crucial points; if Lin Qi wanted to leave, let him. She didn’t believe these secrets could only be uncovered from his mouth.

“You... how can you be like this?” Lin Qi was stunned as he watched Su Man, realizing she wasn’t joking and was actually leaving with Huang Mei. His face was filled with disbelief. “Are you just casting me aside after getting what you wanted?”

He hurried after them. “I’ve told you so much, and you haven’t told me anything! You just kicked me out?”

He looked at Su Man with the expression of a spurned lover.

“Wasn’t it you who said you didn’t want to go together?” Su Man asked calmly.

“Yes, but—”

“No need for ‘but.’ You said it yourself. I’m only following your wishes.”

“But my intention was for you to value me so we could investigate together, so I could trust you.”

“Mm. Then I value you now. Shall we go?”

“Huh?”

“Not going?”

“I’ll go!!” Lin Qi followed behind Su Man, unable to comprehend how he ended up in this situation—how had all the control slipped into her hands? He’d originally wanted to act coy to get Su Man to reveal some information, but now, forget the information, he was being completely led around.

At last, the group arrived at the ancestral hall. Lin Qi was still reeling from the blow, his enthusiasm for the firsthand information he’d sought now dampened.

Su Man, on the other hand, was intensely curious, her gaze fixed on the ancestral hall.

It wasn’t a two-story building, but its grandeur was no less impressive. The lofty gate plaque exuded solemnity, the carved and latticed windows in the courtyard walls hinted at mystery, and from the yard came the indistinct, majestic sound of chanting.

What excited her most was the presence of points of light in the hall.

That meant there was a resurrection card here.

“I... I heard screams,” Huang Mei, her face pale, clutched Su Man’s sleeve and pointed at the hall. “From inside.”

“Then let’s go see,” replied Su Man.

It seemed these people wouldn’t call the police; this was a place beyond the law.

“But... but...” Huang Mei hesitated, “If I go in, I’ll only hold you back.”

She was self-aware—if someone found her, she’d probably collapse right there, not even able to run.

“Then find somewhere outside to hide and wait for me,” Su Man said. She didn’t force her, but she herself was determined to go in.

She glanced at Lin Qi. “You stay out here and keep her company. I’ll scout ahead. If there’s no danger, you can come in.”

Hearing Su Man’s instructions, he nodded instinctively. By the time he realized and wanted to protest, Su Man was already gone.

Su Man climbed over the wall to enter. After several resurrections, her physical strength and agility had improved remarkably; this wall was easy to scale.

Before getting down to business, she checked her backpack. The slots for horror coins and cash were now empty—all assets transferred to her identity card. Only the dagger remained in its slot.

She tapped the air lightly, and the dagger instantly appeared in her hand—quite handy.

She put the dagger away, crouched low, and moved toward the sounds she heard. With agility now on her side, her steps were so light that ordinary people wouldn’t notice.

The sound came from an old, dilapidated cabin in the backyard. As she drew closer, she realized the chanting was from many people reciting scriptures.

Perhaps the village chief trusted the villagers too much, or for some other reason, but no one was guarding outside.

Su Man crouched behind the cabin. The paper windows here were still made of oil paper. She moistened her finger and poked a hole in the window.

Sure enough, the villagers were all inside, gathered around the drowned bride.

She lay on a gigantic ritual array, thick iron chains wrapped around her body like a criminal.

The chanting continued, but Su Man couldn’t make out the words. She only saw that as the voices rose, the bride struggled desperately, the chains clanking.

Could she be saved after soaking in water for so long?

Su Man wondered silently—was this ritual to save her?

She quietly shifted her head for a better angle, and finally saw the bride’s face clearly. But when she did, she wasn’t so sure this was a rescue.

The bride showed signs of gigantism, her whole body swollen several times over. She didn’t look freshly dead—more like she’d been dead for days.

Her face was twisted in agony and struggle, as if enduring some cruel punishment.

Their guide, Chang Gui, sat at the front of the crowd, reciting incomprehensible scriptures. Seeing the bride’s increasing pain, his face showed pity. He hesitated, turned to say something to the village chief, and Su Man saw the chief slap him without hesitation.

Now she regretted not bringing Huang Mei.

But it was precisely because of that slap—the chanting from Chang Gui broke off for a moment—that Su Man suddenly felt a chill. At the little hole in the window, a grotesque eyeball, streaked red and white, blocked her view, almost pressed against her face. Accompanied by screams, it rasped, “Save me, save me! Da Yuan, save me!”

The chanting resumed, and the screams echoed. The eyeball’s owner was dragged back onto the ritual array by chains, restoring Su Man’s view.

The whole process happened so quickly that she didn’t have time to act.

“Hey? Chief, the window has a hole in it!” After the bride was dragged back, someone finally noticed the hole Su Man had made.

“Go check it out! Is it those tourists?” The chief was alarmed and furious. “Our village’s secret must not be allowed to leak out!”