Chapter 8: The God Comes to the Rescue

The surroundings seemed to shift, becoming blurry and oppressive. Suddenly, a voice echoed, nearly bringing me to tears as I called out for Aunt Li.

“Red clothes for the bride marrying her love… Bowing to heaven and earth forms their bond… The groom unknowingly walks the path of death… The wife is forced to meet him… Their child turns into a ghost baby.”

The voice surrounded me, as if Yang Jian and his family were all around me.

“No, no… It wasn’t me, I didn’t kill you. I even tried to save you, please don’t come for me… please…”

At that moment, I didn’t care which direction I was heading. I ran down the path. Where had the villagers gone? Where did they all disappear to? My head felt hot, and I didn’t know how long I’d been running, only that something was chasing me.

It wasn’t until I looked back that my fear peaked—Yang Jian’s ghost child was chasing me with claws outstretched.

Oh my god, why was it chasing me? I never harmed them. Before I could react, I tripped over something and was flung several meters forward, my face hitting the ground.

As I tried to get up, I saw a person lying on the ground, dressed in burial clothes.

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Her face… Her face… Ah… Wasn’t that the village chief’s wife?

I had definitely encountered a ghost this time. Aunt Li… Wu Da Zhuang… Where are you?

After running for a long time, I felt like I was going in circles, never escaping. Somehow, Yang Jian’s ghost child stayed behind me, neither getting closer nor farther away.

I stood under a tree, the fog was thick, making it hard to see anything but the path at my feet. I climbed to the top of the tree, hoping to find a way out, and what I saw was unforgettable.

The villagers were still carrying the coffins up the mountain, moving like zombies, not speaking, just staring blankly. Yang Jian and his wife were on the coffins, and many paper figures were beside the villagers, seemingly guiding them to their deaths.

Despite Aunt Li’s harshness, seeing her in danger made me want to save her. I shouted, “Aunt Li… Aunt Li… Stop, don’t go any further!”

Unexpectedly, my shout seemed to alert the paper figures, and they all looked at me. The villagers didn’t hear me but suddenly sat down, their eyes tightly shut.

I had to leave quickly; otherwise, I’d have no way out. Behind me, a path led to the road. I jumped down from the tree and ran toward it.

Ahead, a procession carrying a large black sedan chair appeared. Eight men carried it, and others in black and white robes followed, their faces indistinguishable from a distance.

Were there more villagers in the back mountain?

But that couldn’t be. I remembered the whole village came to send off the village chief. Were they outsiders? I had to make them leave quickly.

As they got closer, I saw they weren’t human. How could humans walk without touching the ground?

Looking back, the ghost child and paper figures were getting closer. I knew I couldn’t escape. Among the paper figures, I saw Yang Jian too.

I was trapped. How could I escape?

I crouched down, burying my head in my arms. I couldn’t escape; the terror was penetrating my heart. All I could do was cry.

Suddenly, a figure flew out of the black sedan chair, kicked Yang Jian and his family away, and then landed gently.

I heard the sounds of a fight and slowly looked up to see a man with his back to me. I recognized him instantly; he was the one who saved me that night… No, he was a god… He was a god.

I knelt down excitedly, “Immortal, thank you, thank you for saving me.”

“There’s a path behind you. Run along it to escape!”

His voice was cold, each word like ice. His dominating aura exuded a masculine presence, making my pupils contract.

His tall figure, like a celestial being, radiated safety. But why was the immortal wearing black robes? Even his crown was black.