NOVEL NEXT 013 Breaking the Deadlock
“Do you remember what the villagers of Hejia Village said when we first arrived?—The omens in the almanac are divine revelations from the Serpent God.”
Ning Zhe took two steps back, leaning against a pillar beside a candelabrum, his gaze lifting to the vibrant wooden sculpture of the Serpent God on the lotus altar. “The Serpent God is magnanimous. Violating taboos for the first time only brings bad luck, perhaps some misfortune.”
“However, divine will cannot be disclosed. Using the almanac to discern today’s omens is already the limit of the Serpent God’s tolerance. Attempting to pry into tomorrow’s omens beyond this point leads to one outcome: death.”
An immediate and inescapable death.
Fragmented pieces of information assembled in the silent ancestral hall, forming a chilling but coherent process of murder:
The ghost roaming Hejia Village possesses the ability to impersonate others. When it used the identity of “Gu Yunqing” to prematurely consult the almanac, Gu Yunqing himself was deemed by the Serpent God to have violated the ultimate taboo and died instantly.
Just as Ning Zhe had hypothesized, the ghost itself has no direct ability to kill. Its sole action is to assume others’ identities.
In essence, a murder by proxy.
“That’s all we need to know.” Zhang Yangxu set down the tablecloth he used to cover Lin Zhiyuan’s corpse, saying, “Next, I’m going to the central area of Hejia Village to check out the ‘He Mansion’ and look for clues to leave this place. Are you two coming with me?”
His words were directed at Ye Miaozhu and Feng Yushu, with no intention of inviting Ning Zhe. This was understandable. Whether Lin Zhiyuan had examined the almanac out of his own curiosity or under Ning Zhe’s instigation, Ning Zhe’s image in the others’ minds was irreparably damaged. He was seen as untrustworthy and extremely dangerous.
In some respects, he was even more threatening than the supernatural entity.
If circumstances allowed, Zhang Yangxu would have considered teaming up with the others to eliminate Ning Zhe as a threat. Unfortunately, conditions did not permit it. With Lin Zhiyuan and Gu Yunqing both dead, only two men—Zhang Yangxu and Ning Zhe—remained alive in Hejia Village, and Zhang Yangxu’s physical abilities were mediocre at best.
That Ning Zhe hadn’t already killed him was perhaps evidence of the Serpent God’s mercy.
Zhang Yangxu’s suggestion tempted Ye Miaozhu, who hesitated visibly. Noticing her uncertainty, Ning Zhe suddenly chuckled softly.
“What are you laughing at?” Ye Miaozhu asked.
“I’m laughing at how weak, self-loathing, and pathetically twisted you are, like a maggot writhing in a sewer,” Ning Zhe said casually. “When Gu Yunqing died, you didn’t even try to find the true cause of his death. You didn’t rationally consider anything, not even for a second. You just lost control and vented your anger on me, accusing me of being the cause of his death.”
“But now you know, don’t you? Gu Yunqing’s death had nothing to do with me. Even if we hadn’t gone to the riverside to examine the corpse, he still would have died at 2 AM—killed by the ghost flipping through the almanac.”
“And now that the truth is out, you still can’t face your mistakes. You don’t even have the courage to apologize. Instead, you’re driven by your pitiful pride and fear, trying to run away as far from me as possible. Because only by doing so can you avoid confronting the fact that without Gu Yunqing, you’re nothing but an incompetent, irrational mess.”
This kid’s words were venomous. Zhang Yangxu couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath, an unsettling feeling rising in his chest.
Turning his head, he saw Ye Miaozhu’s eyes had reddened. Her clenched fists trembled slightly, her teeth tightly gritted like a wild beast on the verge of attack. Yet, even after being humiliated to this extent, she didn’t dare lay a hand on Ning Zhe. She knew he wasn’t someone who’d shy away from retaliation, even against a woman. He would respond with violence if necessary.
“As if you’re so virtuous yourself! You’re nothing but a madman, a murderer, a heartless psycho! What right do you have to judge someone else’s emotions?” Ye Miaozhu shouted, her voice shaking. After her outburst, she turned and fled the ancestral hall, leaving Ning Zhe leaning casually against the candelabrum, his expression as calm as ever.
Zhang Yangxu’s doubts deepened.
Since their encounter in Hejia Village, this boy named Ning Zhe had never acted without purpose. Every word he spoke, every step he took, and every decision he made had an explicit or hidden objective. He never wasted his time or energy.
But what was he doing now? What purpose could there be in driving the group’s only doctor to an emotional breakdown?
Unable to fathom it, Zhang Yangxu felt a growing chill. The more he interacted with this seemingly amiable and mild-mannered boy, the more terrified he became.
“I’m leaving now, Madam Bai. Would you like to come along?” Zhang Yangxu asked, his voice strained.
Feng Yushu hesitated, taking a step forward before stepping back. Finally, she bit her lip and shook her head gently. “Thank you, Mr. Zhang, but I think I’ll stay. The He Mansion… it feels dangerous.”
Ning Zhe is even more dangerous… Zhang Yangxu shook his head, deciding not to press further. “Very well. Take care.”
With that, he left the ancestral hall, heading in the direction Ye Miaozhu had fled.
A round, plump moon climbed into the sky, resembling a silkworm inching toward the heavens. Ning Zhe sighed softly and turned his gaze to Feng Yushu, who remained in the hall. Her face was weary, her neatly styled hair slightly disheveled, and her elegant purple dress stained with dried mud, leaving her looking rather haggard.
“Why are you still here? Aren’t you afraid this murderer might suddenly lose control and kill you too?” Ning Zhe joked half-heartedly.
“…I am,” Feng Yushu admitted quietly. “But I’m more afraid of being trapped in this cursed place forever, worse than death.”
“Staying with me doesn’t guarantee you’ll escape,” Ning Zhe said, shaking his head. “You know where Zhang Yangxu is headed, don’t you? The He Mansion. None of us have explored it yet. If there truly is a way out of Hejia Village, it’s likely to be there. If leaving is your priority, you should go with him.”
Feng Yushu shook her head again. “No. Whether it’s Zhang Yangxu, myself, or Ye Miaozhu, none of us know as much or have as much information as you do. You’re incredibly smart and calm. While everyone else is floundering for clues, you’re already unraveling the Serpent God’s rules, watching impassively as the others die one by one.”
If anyone in Hejia Village had the capability to solve the mystery and leave alive, it was undoubtedly Ning Zhe.
Ning Zhe couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re an interesting person. You lack courage and capability, yet your judgment of people is remarkably sharp.”
Straightening up, he stopped leaning against the candelabrum and pointed to his temple with a finger. “It’s true. I already have a preliminary understanding of this village and some hypotheses. If everything goes well, I’ll soon find a way to break the rules and escape. And yes, I believe the method is worth trying…”
“But why should I help you?” His tone abruptly changed, the warmth in his smile vanishing. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch. You want my help, but what can you offer me in return?”
“Anything,” Feng Yushu replied. “Anything at all.”