Chapter 51

Chapter 51

No one had expected this outcome.

Although there were fewer women than men in this mission, it was still surprising that most drew lots to become monks. Yet, the roles of Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing, the female leads in "The Legend of the White Snake," were ironically assigned to two men.

"There must be some mistake with this draw, right?"

Yu Qinwen, holding her lot, exclaimed, "Aren't we women? How can we play monks? And do we have to wear monk robes?"

Xu Lu, who also drew the monk role, chimed in, "If anything, we should play nuns. But does Jinshan Temple even have nuns?"

"The roles are determined by the draw; it's fate. I can't change it."

However, Min Yuandan didn't seem to care about their opinions. With a toothpick in his mouth, he stood up from the bench, handed out scripts to everyone with a nonchalant tone, "The roles are drawn. Here are your scripts. Memorize them thoroughly. During the performance, not a single line should be missed, or else..."

Min Yuandan left the consequence of messing up lines unsaid, ending with a cold, mocking chuckle.

Clearly, the outcome of forgetting lines wouldn't be pleasant.

So, those who initially had reservations about their roles, like Yu Qinwen and Xu Lu, quickly kept quiet when they saw the thin script handed to them—compared to the thicker scripts of Xie Yinxue, Liu Buhua, and Bu Jiuzhao. Bai Suzhen, Xu Xian, and Qing Snake were all main characters, hence more lines to memorize and a higher chance of mistakes. Those with minor roles like the monks had barely any lines, focusing more on action scenes.

Looking at it this way, being a monk doesn't seem too bad.

However, while those assigned monk roles didn't raise any more objections, Bu Jiuzhao, who drew the "Little Green" role, seemed unhappy. Frowning, he asked Min Yuandan, "Can I change my role?"

Other participants with fewer lines clutched their scripts tighter, obviously reluctant to swap with Bu Jiuzhao.

"Didn't you hear me? It's destiny. No swaps! Bad luck!" Min Yuandan replied irritably, rolling his eyes and then started briefing the schedule, "We'll be in Fengnian Village for seven days, performing 'Legend of the White Snake'. Today, there's not much to do; the village chief will arrange for the stage setup. After tonight's feast, you're free. Rehearsals start tomorrow, last for three days, then we'll perform for three days till the wedding of the Xue and Yang families ends. After that, we leave."

Every mission lasts seven days, which wasn't an issue. But Xie Yinxue noticed something odd. The cover of her script read "Rescue the Marriage," but inside, it told the story of the White Snake.

The seasoned participant, Lu Ling, caught this discrepancy and immediately asked Min Yuandan, "Aren't we performing 'Legend of the White Snake'? Why does the script say 'Rescue the Marriage'?"

Min Yuandan replied with a sideways glance, "We're here because of the union of the Xue and Yang families. We're naturally performing a play about saving a marriage."

No one understood his response.

However, everyone knew this theme was key to completing their mission.

Min Yuandan didn't seem inclined to explain further. He just strutted off towards the village square.

Everyone followed him out of the house. As they walked through the village, it was festooned with lanterns and red cloth banners, clearly preparing for a grand celebration.

The feast Min Yuandan led them to was hosted by the Xue family. Even before they sat down, they overheard villagers discussing the wedding. With a bit of probing, they pieced together some clues—

The groom was Xue Sheng, the youngest son of the village's wealthiest family. The bride was Yang Ruolan, from a humble background, positioned between an older sister and a younger brother. Despite her modest origins, her beauty had captivated Xue Sheng, who had begged his father for permission to marry her.

Now, with the wedding finally happening, it seemed like a match made in heaven.

Everything seemed in order.

As they were enjoying their meal, they suddenly heard a male villager exclaim, "Isn't that Ruolan? She's still so beautiful."

His wife immediately chastised him, "What are you looking at? With those lustful eyes!"

The man whimpered apologies as those around him laughed, "The old master Xue finally relented and let Xue Sheng marry her. She must be overjoyed."

"Exactly, Master Xue dotes on his youngest son the most," commented a woman dressed like a villager, enviously adding, "Marrying into the Xue family is like a sparrow turning into a phoenix for Ruolan. Who knows how much wealth and glory she'll enjoy in the future?"

Yet, as the participants looked in the direction of the voice, they caught just a fleeting glimpse of a pink silhouette turning a corner in the village alley, failing to get a clear view of the bride's face.

Holding a pair of chopsticks in one hand and a bowl in the other, Liao Xinyang whispered to the group, "Something's off. Before entering the game, I was an enthusiast for role-playing mysteries. From my experience, there's definitely something amiss with this wedding."

Xu Chen, having played such roles before, agreed with Liao Xinyang, "Isn't that obvious? Otherwise, our play wouldn't be called 'Rescue the Marriage'."

"So, what's the issue with the wedding?" Duan Ying, agreeing with her boyfriend, speculated, "‘Rescue the Marriage’... could it mean someone intends to sabotage the wedding, and we need to ensure it proceeds?"

Li Lumeng pondered for a moment, "The leader did say we're here to add festivity to the wedding, and we can only leave after its conclusion. That must be the case, right?"

Liu Buhua, however, had a different perspective, "What if the real goal is to disrupt the wedding? Didn't you hear the villagers? Master Xue was initially against Yang Ruolan and Xue Sheng's union, but he's suddenly in agreement now. Maybe he's pretending to agree but is planning a massacre at the wedding, targeting Yang Ruolan—"

As he spoke, he mimed a throat-slitting gesture.

Xu Lu was startled by the gesture and nervously said, "Aren't you overthinking it?"

"You newcomers don't understand the brutality of this game," Lu Ling said with a cynical chuckle, wrapping his arms around himself, "I actually think Liu Buhua might be onto something. And who knows? Master Xue might even target us to truly 'enhance' the festivity."

As the discussion continued, Xie Yinxue ate in silence, not participating. However, he soon finished his modest meal and simply listened to the others.

Ultimately, Chao Qinghe settled the discussion, "Why are we speculating so much when we can just ask a villager?"

"Chao has a point," Li Hong agreed with Chao Qinghe, "Let's approach a few villagers for information."

Consequently, everyone hastened to finish their meals in anticipation of their inquiries.

Xie Yinxue, with nothing else to do, turned his gaze to his "sister" Bu Jiuzhao, who had not touched his food since sitting down, and asked, "Mr. Bu, why aren't you eating? Is the food not to your liking?"

Bu Jiuzhao glanced sideways at him and simply replied, "Yes."

With Bu Jiuzhao's concise response putting an end to the conversation, Xie Yinxue merely uttered, "Oh," and shifted his attention to the engrossed Liu Buhua, ignoring Bu Jiuzhao.

This time, Bu Jiuzhao initiated the conversation, asking Xie Yinxue, "How can you guys eat such distasteful food?"

Sighing softly, Xie Yinxue responded, "Growing up poor, having something to eat is already a blessing; who are we to be picky?"

Bu Jiuzhao: "..."

"Mr. Xie... you grew up poor?" This comment also caught Li Hong's attention, especially recalling that Xie Yinxue and Liu Buhua arrived at their school in a Lamborghini.

Mimicking Bu Jiuzhao's succinct style, Xie Yinxue replied, "Yes."

Li Hong: "..."

Li Hong scratched his head, momentarily doubting his memory.

By this time, everyone had almost finished their meal. Given the urgency to seek information about Yang Ruolan and Xue Sheng, Li Hong didn't linger on the matter of Xie Yinxue's claimed poverty. The group got up and began questioning villagers.

However, after inquiring more than a dozen villagers, the consistent response was that Yang Ruolan and Xue Sheng had always been deeply in love. If not for Master Xue's initial disapproval, they would have been wedded much earlier.

Liao Xinyang felt that something was off, "If Master Xue initially disapproved, why did he suddenly give his consent now?"

The villager Liao had questioned retorted, exasperated, "Are you dense or just deaf? I told you, Xue Sheng pleaded with Master Xue for a long time. Moved by his persistent requests, the old man finally agreed."

Liao Xinyang, with his face splattered with the villager's spittle, wiped himself off and sought support from the other participants, especially the veterans among them: Bu Jiuzhao, Lu Ling, Liu Buhua, and Xie Yinxue.

Bu Jiuzhao's face was expressionless, showing no intent to chime in. Lu Ling appeared similarly indifferent, while Liu Buhua looked lost.

"It's getting dark," Xie Yinxue said, glancing up at the darkening sky. "If we can't gather any information today, let's head back and continue tomorrow."

Their limited knowledge about this scenario made them uneasy, especially with the approaching darkness. Xu Lu, along with some of the more timid girls, quickly agreed with Xie Yinxue, "Yes, let's return and continue our inquiry tomorrow when it's light."

"Inquiry? What are you trying to find out?"

The participants hadn't been particularly discreet in their conversations. Perhaps their unique "outsider" appearance caught the attention of a young villager carrying a load of straw, who addressed Xu Lu's comment.

"Young man," Liao Xinyang began, seeing the youth with the straw load who appeared to be in his mid-twenties, "We are keen to understand more about Yang Ruolan and Xue Sheng. As you might know, our troupe is here to perform for their wedding."

Their earlier informants were elderly villagers. Maybe the younger generation would have a different perspective.

"The two of them?"

Indeed, the young villager smirked at the mention of Yang Ruolan and Xue Sheng's names, asserting, "Though they're genuinely in love, I doubt this wedding will happen."

"I knew it!" exclaimed Xu Ying in excitement. "I always felt something was amiss with this wedding."

Trying to contain his enthusiasm, Liao Xinyang continued probing, "Why do you think it won't take place?"

The young villager glanced at the vegetables he was carrying, "You'd have to ask my younger sister. She and Yang Ruolan seem to share a similar disposition."

Without much thought, Xu Chen asked, "Where's your sister? Can you take us to meet her?"

"Sure," the youth replied with ease. "Follow me, then."

He turned and led the way, expecting the group to follow.

Without hesitation, Liao Xinyang, Xu Chen, Duan Ying, and other newcomers followed.

However, Xie Yinxue paused, quietly asking, "It's getting dark. Are you sure about this?"

"Mr. Xie, is it dangerous to wander around in the dark during a scenario?" Li Hong immediately stopped, looking apprehensive.

"In some scenarios I've participated in, nighttime wandering is fine; in others, it's forbidden," Xie Yinxue pondered briefly, "However, in the latter, the NPC guides typically give prior warnings. In this case, Min Yuandan mentioned nothing. Theoretically, it should be safe. What do you think?"

His final question was directed more towards Bu Jiuzhao and Lu Ling.

After all, both were seasoned participants.

Bu Jiuzhao, as always, was laconic, "I'm fine either way."

"I suspect danger might be lurking." Lu Ling, usually a lone wolf, surprisingly began analyzing the situation in earnest, "But it's likely we'd uncover crucial clues."

"Then let's proceed," sighed Chao Qinghe. "We should stick together for mutual protection. If we split up, some going and others staying, it might be even riskier."

"Exactly," murmured Ying Yishui, her voice barely audible. "Haven't people in horror movies always met their ends after splitting up?"

The rest pondered this notion and generally agreed. Especially since the clue was right in front of them, giving up seemed implausible. Observing the darkening sky, the moonlight still illuminated the village path clearly, so they all decided to follow the young villager.

Thankfully, the young man didn't lead them to a remote area. Holding up a lantern, he chatted casually, "My name's Gao He. My sister is Gao Wan. She's quite beautiful but very headstrong, often doing things her own way."

As they reached the village bridge, Xie Yinxue gazed at the moonlit ripples in the water, remarking softly, "Being directionless and going with the flow isn't necessarily better."

"True..."

The group was taken aback when Gao He sighed in agreement with Xie Yinxue's statement.

To add to their confusion, Gao He halted before the bridge, then turned toward the embankment beneath.

Following his lead and seeing no one else around, one of them inquired, "Brother Gao, where's your sister? We don't see her."

"You'll meet her shortly," Gao He replied, retrieving a bundle of straw from his load, distributing it amongst the group, then continued rummaging through his belongings, instructing, "Place this over your heads first."

Yu Qinyun, compliantly doing as told, still wondered aloud, "Why the straw?"

Xie Yinxue stared at the straw in his hand, deep in thought.

Moments later, Gao He turned, revealing what he had been searching for—a stick of incense, like the ones used in temples.

Gao He lit the incense by the lantern's flame.

An eerie red glow emanated from the burning incense, casting a ghastly shadow on Gao He's face. In this chilling illumination, his smile appeared sinister as he said, "Didn't you all want to meet my sister?"

Realizing the implication of the ritual, Xie Yinxue exclaimed coldly, "He's summoning spirits!"

A bridge over a river, straw, and incense—

The combination could only point to one answer: a ritual to summon spirits.

The reason for Xie Yinxue's initial delayed reaction was the rarity of this method. If not for his prior research on summoning spirits with his disciple Shen Qiuji, he wouldn't have been familiar with this technique.

This ritual, performed beneath a bridge with a river flowing underneath, required one to cover their head with straw, light three sticks of incense, and sit silently. This would make the spirits think you're the land deity, causing no harm. Instead, they'd offer their reverence. However, complete silence and stillness were crucial.

The spirits invoked by this method were usually the restless souls of those who had drowned in the river. Disturbed and resentful, any sound or movement could alert them to the performer's true identity, resulting in a violent retaliation.

"Summoning spirits?!"

Duan Ying, Yu Qinyun, and Li Lumeng, who had recently encountered paranormal activities, screamed in terror upon hearing Xie Yinxue's revelation. Dropping the straw, they tried to flee from the bridge's vicinity, reminiscent of their escape from the dance room atop the Wenxin building.

...

Yet this time... their luck might not be as good as the last.

For fog has begun to form by the bridge.

The fog, a harbinger for the appearance of spirits.

Using this method to summon spirits is dangerous enough when the ghosts can also see you. Not to mention, Gao He only gave them straw and not the incense sticks. Duan Ying, Yu Qinwen, and Li Lumeng discarding the straw and shouting loudly was practically courting death.

In the urgency of the situation, Xie Yinxue didn't have time to explain much. Before they could scatter, she shouted, “Stay silent! The fog is forming! Pick up your straw, place it on your head, and sit down cross-legged. Stay still!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the lantern beside Gao He went out without any wind. The bright moonlight from their journey seemed to have disappeared behind the clouds, leaving them to see only the ember glow from the incense stick in Gao He's hand. No other light was discernible.

Thankfully, Duan Ying, Yu Qinwen, and Li Lumeng heeded Xie Yinxue's words. After all, Li Hong had told them about Xie Yinxue's prowess. So Duan Ying and Yu Qinwen quickly retrieved their discarded straw and sat down immediately as instructed.

But Li Lumeng had thrown her straw too far, and with the surrounding darkness, she couldn't find where it landed. Almost in tears, she cried out, “Where's my straw? I can't find it! What should I do...”

Xie Yinxue, hearing her sobbing, was exasperated. She had clearly warned her to stay quiet. With a barely audible sigh, he was about to approach Li Lumeng to share some of his straw when someone else moved faster—Li Hong.

“Stop crying,” Li Hong said, quickly making his way to Li Lumeng in the dark. He divided his straw in half, placing some in her hand and helping her adjust her posture, whispering, “I've given you some of mine. Sit tight and don't move.”

Li Lumeng sniffled and complied, finally staying silent.

After Li Hong helped Li Lumeng settle down, the moon reappeared.

It peeked out from behind the clouds, casting its glow below. However, this time the moonlight was not as clear and pristine; it seemed diffused, shrouded in haze.

Such a moon is called in folk lore: "Hairy Moon."

It's believed to be a night when ghosts appear, so when encountering such weather, it's best for everyone to stay home and not wander about. Otherwise, they might encounter spirits. And yet, here they were, summoning ghosts on such a night.

If they don't encounter a ghost now, that would truly be bizarre.

As the moonlight descended, everyone saw a disembodied head suddenly emerge from beneath the bridge.

It was dressed in a striking blood-red robe, drenched from head to toe. Its long, wet hair covered its face, leaving no skin exposed. Rising from the water, it floated towards them through the mist, leaving a trail of water wherever it went.

It seemed to mistake the participants sitting cross-legged with straw on their heads as deities of the land. It knelt before them, offering a bow to each.

“My sister is here.”

Seeing this, Gao He chuckled and said, “If you have questions, ask her directly.”

If looks could kill, Gao He would probably be torn apart by the participants' glares by now. Even with Xie Yinxue's recent warning to remain quiet, any normal person, upon witnessing this, would either scream in fear or stay silent. Who in their right mind would converse with such an entity?

“Gao Wan.”

Surprisingly, someone did speak, directly addressing the water ghost by name. The spirit in red turned to the source of the voice upon hearing it.

Everyone else wanted to see who spoke, but they all suppressed the urge. Just by the sound, they recognized the speaker: it was the veteran participant, Bu Jiuzhao.

Author's note:

① A method of summoning ghosts from folklore.

NPC: I don't want to play Xiaoqing.

Xie Lao: Then who do you want to portray? Xu Xian?

Liu Buhua: No one can come between me and my godfather! No one!

NPC: Huh, then I'll play Fahai.

Liu Buhua: ?