Chapter 36

Chapter 36

That night.

When Lin Xingshu arrived at Liu Rong’s house, the main hall buzzed with activity. Four banquet tables were laden with food, surrounded by men, women, and children of all ages, their faces alight with joy and laughter.

“Oh, Xiao Lin, you’re finally here!”

Liu Rong hurried to greet him, a wide smile on her face. She turned to the crowd and announced, “Everyone, quiet down! This is the young man Yuting brought back for us. What do you all think?”

The villagers fell silent, their gazes converging on Lin Xingshu. They exchanged knowing glances, then nodded in unison.

“What a distinguished young man!”

“Indeed, so handsome and dignified! Yuting truly outdid herself—where on earth did she find such an outstanding young man?”

Amidst their relentless praise, Lin Xingshu scratched his head, a blush creeping up his neck. Why did this feel so much like a matchmaking session?

“Come, come, sit down! We’ve been waiting for you for ages. Some of us have waited until our hair turned white!”

Liu Rong gently pulled him toward the head seat. Her words, though a little odd, didn't strike Lin Xingshu as particularly strange; he simply assumed she was being polite. He quickly waved his hands in protest. “No, no, I’m just a guest. How can I sit in the main seat?”

“Don’t be so modest with us, just sit down!”

Liu Rong insisted, practically forcing him into the seat of honor. Two elderly men with silver hair sat beside him. As soon as he was seated, one of them eagerly poured him a drink, his demeanor almost fawning, his enthusiasm so overwhelming it was hard to refuse.

Lin Xingshu waved his hands again. “No, no, I don’t drink.”

“Oh, come on, just one sip! What kind of man doesn’t drink? After this one… you’ll want to drink all the time!”

The old man gave him a mysterious smile, and the others joined in, egging him on. Unable to resist their insistent hospitality, Lin Xingshu reluctantly took the cup. Gritting his teeth, he closed his eyes and downed the drink in one gulp. A cheer erupted from the crowd, and the atmosphere soared to a new peak.

“By the way, Xiao Lin, our town’s sacrificial ceremony is approaching. There’s an event tonight—would you like to join us at the ancestral hall?”

The old man spoke, refilling his cup and gesturing for him to drink again.

Lin Xingshu hadn’t quite recovered from the fiery burn of the strong liquor, yet he found it impossible to resist the old man’s fervent hospitality. He managed an awkward smile and took a tiny sip.

“I heard the ancestral hall is only for locals. Wouldn’t it be inconvenient for me to go?”

“You’re special—of course you can go! Our Xiushan Village isn’t so strict about these things. I see you have a camera; why not take some promotional photos of the event later?”

“Hmm…”

Lin Xingshu mumbled in agreement. After being pressured into two cups of strong liquor, he felt a little dizzy. The villagers’ incessant chatter buzzed in his ears, making him wince slightly. He pressed a hand to his forehead, forcing himself to maintain a cheerful facade and engage in their conversation.

“Oh, why are you all forcing Xiao Lin to drink? He’s just a tender young man. Look how uncomfortable he is; it’s gone straight to his face.”

At this moment, Lin Xingshu was indeed pressing his hand to his forehead, his fair face flushed crimson, the corners of his eyes a vivid red. His brows were slightly furrowed, and his pale lips, now glistening with alcohol, made him appear even more delicate. With his naturally refined features and slender build, unlike the robust physique of most men, he truly resembled a sickly beauty from an ancient painting.

Liu Rong watched him, her eyes narrowing slightly. She quickly exchanged a meaningful glance with the old man, and they shared a knowing smile. Liu Rong cautiously moved closer to Lin Xingshu and asked softly, “Xiao Lin, are you alright?”

“I-I’m fine.”

“If you can’t handle it, don’t drink anymore. Have some food. If you feel unwell, just tell me.”

Lin Xingshu lifted his head and offered a faint smile. “Sis, I’m fine, just a little dizzy. Don’t worry about me.”

To show his appreciation, he politely picked up a piece of the food Liu Rong had meticulously prepared. Seeing that he seemed relatively stable, Liu Rong nodded in relief and turned her gaze to the old man beside him. “Grandpa, that’s enough. Don’t make him drink anymore. We still have important business at the ancestral hall later.”

“Alright, alright, I won’t force him anymore. Come, Xiao Lin, eat, eat!”

The main hall once again filled with lively chatter, everyone talking about everything under the sun, the atmosphere utterly joyous.

*

“Xiao Lin, are you alright? Your face is so red.”

“I’m fine…”

On the path to the ancestral hall, Lin Xingshu’s steps were unsteady, and he shuffled slowly beside Liu Rong.

Though he claimed to be fine, his vision was blurry, and Liu Rong’s voice sounded fragmented in his ears. He felt incredibly lightheaded; if not for the mission, he would have collapsed long ago.

“He looks like he’s about to pass out…”

It was Liu Rong’s voice, but he couldn’t make out a single word. Instinctively, he tried to lift his head, but his foot caught on a loose stone, sending him stumbling sideways.

At that moment, he, Liu Rong, and a few villagers were on the narrow stone path leading to the ancestral hall. To one side of the path lay an artificial lake, where villagers typically washed clothes and vegetables.

As Lin Xingshu teetered precariously toward the lake, the crowd gasped. Someone reached out to catch him, but was quickly restrained by a companion, who shook their head in warning.

“Don’t forget, he’s the offering chosen by the deity. Ordinary people cannot touch him, or we’ll bring bad luck!”

Splash—

The crowd gasped, craning their necks to look into the lake.

In their sight, the inebriated young man landed squarely on a small boat. His breathing was steady, his body cushioned by a soft scarecrow that seemed to cradle him protectively.

“T-This isn’t my boat, is it? I didn’t tie it here! And I didn’t put a scarecrow on it either…”

The boat’s owner stared in utter disbelief. The villagers exchanged nervous glances, not daring to speak further. Just then, a young man burst out from the ancestral hall, panting.

“The deity says to quickly help him up!”

At the deity’s command, Liu Rong quickly rallied a few strong men to pull the boat ashore. Together, they hauled the nearly unconscious Lin Xingshu onto land. Suddenly, one of the men’s eyes widened as he noticed the scarecrow.

“Sister Liu Rong, look!”

Liu Rong quickly looked down, and when she saw the scene in the small boat, her breath hitched.

Dozens of fishhooks lay haphazardly in the boat, their sharp tips piercing the scarecrow’s soft chest. Had they been even slightly off, those hooks would have impaled Lin Xingshu’s body instead.

The scarecrow lay on the fishing boat, its chest impaled by fishhooks, its straw body disheveled. Its button-black eyes were fixed in Lin Xingshu’s direction, and its mouth remained fixed in a perpetual smile.

Liu Rong was utterly shocked. At that moment, she finally understood what was happening.

Their deity, silent for hundreds of years, was now willingly shielding a mere offering from harm. Was this offering… truly that important?!

Liu Rong’s lips parted, then she lowered her head, a flicker of unwavering resolve in her eyes as she looked at Lin Xingshu.

She now understood Lin Xingshu’s significance to the deity. Though what she was about to do felt morally wrong, for the prosperity of Xiushan Village, she had to proceed!

“Hurry, don’t keep the deity waiting.”

Her voice was cold as she supported Lin Xingshu and strode purposefully toward the ancestral hall. By now, Lin Xingshu had completely lost consciousness, allowing her to maneuver him as she pleased.

Inside the ancestral hall, everything was already prepared. The lights were dim, and a large group of people knelt silently on the ground. The massive deity statue in the distance remained covered by a red cloth. Liu Rong instructed the villagers to carry the unconscious Lin Xingshu to the altar before the statue.

She performed a complex ritual gesture toward the statue, then knelt reverently:

“As you wished, we of the Liu clan have presented the offering to you. We hope you will accept it!”

Whoosh—

A cold gust of wind swept through, yet the deity statue remained motionless. The entire ancestral hall was so quiet that only the sound of everyone’s breathing could be heard. The villagers exchanged fearful glances, wanting to lift their heads to check the situation, only to discover—to their shock—that they couldn’t raise their heads at all!

“Mmm!”

“Ugh!”

Their eyes widened in terror. They frantically clawed at their lips with their fingers, but their mouths felt sewn shut, just like their heads—they simply couldn’t open them!

“Do you admit your wrongdoing?”

From the darkness above, a rough, hoarse voice descended, its tone carrying an inherent authority. A relentless chill seeped from beneath the red cloth. Liu Rong, kneeling before the statue, was the first to feel this coldness. Her heart seized, her face instantly drained of color, and her body trembled uncontrollably.

“M-My Lord…”

Among the crowd, only Liu Rong could still speak. She stammered, her voice shaking like a sieve, “My brother and I have offered him to you as instructed. I don’t understand… Please, My Lord, enlighten us…”

“My request?”

The statue suddenly chuckled, its deep voice reverberating through the entire ancestral hall. Liu Rong felt a shiver run down her spine, and her trembling intensified.

“Did I ever ask you to treat him like this? Branding him a bad omen, so much so that you wouldn’t even lift a finger when he was in danger?”

“N-No! That wasn’t our intention! We were just afraid of violating taboos…”

“Today, I shall make this clear to you.”

The man’s voice echoed through the hall as a fierce wind whipped up, forcing everyone to shut their eyes. Yet, the red cloth covering the statue remained perfectly still. A bone-chilling cold penetrated their skin, deep into their marrow, and every single person began to tremble uncontrollably.

“Lin Xingshu is not an offering. He is mine, he is my wife. If any of you dare show him the slightest disrespect again, I cannot guarantee what I might do.”

Wife?!

Liu Rong’s eyes widened slightly as her gaze fell upon the unconscious Lin Xingshu, her face etched with disbelief.

How could their deity choose a man as his wife?! This… this was utterly inconceivable!

“Now, get out.”

Instantly, everyone regained control of their bodies. Faced with the deity’s wrath, they dared not linger any longer and hastily fled the ancestral hall. Liu Rong followed the crowd, but as she left, she stole a glance back at the statue—only for her terror to deepen.

From beneath the red cloth, a wisp of shadowy mist, snaking like a tentacle, had emerged. It caressed the young man’s face with tenderness before nuzzling his neck with a lover’s possessiveness…

Liu Rong gasped, too horrified to look any longer. Shaking, she bolted the temple doors before fleeing in panic.

In an instant, the entire ancestral hall fell silent once more.

Lin Xingshu lay before the altar, his breathing growing ragged, his brows slightly furrowed. A feverish blush stained his cheeks as his hands wandered restlessly over his body, fumbling to remove his clothes.

“Hot… so hot… Ugh…”

A desperate, animalistic whimper escaped his lips. The shadowy tendrils thrummed with excitement, gently brushing against his face, their movements tender. Sensing the coolness, Lin Xingshu panted softly, eagerly pressing closer, nuzzling the tendril like a starved animal.

The tendril convulsed, and the hall was suddenly filled with the sound of a man’s low, ragged breathing.

“My wife…”

He murmured softly. At the same time, dozens of shadowy tendrils slithered out from beneath the red cloth. No longer satisfied with just grazing the young man’s face, they slipped beneath his collar, boldly mapping his body.

Unlike his own icy temperature, his wife was warm—deliciously warm everywhere.

His tendrils coiled around the young man’s limbs almost instinctively. The deity’s gaze lingered on his wife, his breathing growing increasingly erratic.

Lin Xingshu remained deep in slumber, but as the tendrils continued to caress his skin, his clothes became disheveled, revealing his pale, smooth abdomen.

His skin flushed with a soft, inviting hue, but what truly tested the deity’s restraint was the way his wife responded to his touch.

The deity was overjoyed. In his excitement, the tendrils squirmed with delight, their movements growing bolder as they explored the young man’s body. Some had even stealthily coiled around…

“Mmm…”

Lin Xingshu shifted unconsciously, his thigh draping over one of the tendrils. Hazily, it felt as though he were hugging a massive ice block—cool and soothing, easing the heat that plagued him.

Slowly, he opened his eyes. In his arms was an enormous black popsicle, jet-black, like burnt charcoal, oozing cold. Tentatively, he stuck out his tongue and gave it a small lick.

…Huh? No flavor? Maybe another taste.

…Still nothing. What kind of idiot sells flavorless ice?

But it was so refreshing… In his dazed state, he drifted back into sleep.

Meanwhile, the temple’s lanterns guttered violently. The tendril he held trembled with excitement, the black mist flushed pink, revealing its master’s rapture.

“Wife… my wife…”

The god gasped, beyond restraint. A pale hand emerged from beneath the red cloth, trailing up along his arm. A towering figure slowly took shape. Gently, he cradled Lin Xingshu’s face, brushing a frost-soft kiss to his lips.

“As much as I long to be close to you, the time isn’t right yet… Bear with me, my love. You must wait a little longer… But I can still serve you in other ways…”

……

In the silent depths of night, within the solemn ancestral hall, a gaunt, naked figure knelt in worship on the ground, ecstasy etched across his face as he tended to his beloved.

Gazing at his wife’s peaceful sleeping face, his dark eyes smoldered with obsession. A lurid blush crept across his otherwise pallid skin.

Only after obtaining what he desired did he reluctantly withdraw. With devotion, he cradled the youth’s slender ankle, sealing his vow with a kiss to the calf. “My wife, I will make you the most cherished bride.”