NOVEL NEXT 024 Accompanying a Tiger
“Could you give me a little time?” Ning Zhe raised his head and smiled at Feng Yushu. “I need to be alone for a while to think carefully about what just happened and what we should do next.”
“I’ll listen to you…” Feng Yushu hesitated, then stepped out of the ancestral hall. She adjusted her skirt and sat on the doorstep, occasionally glancing back worriedly at Ning Zhe, who was leaning against a pillar, lost in thought.
Before long, a sudden buzzing vibration came from her thigh. It was her phone, but it wasn’t a call—just a text message.
Feng Yushu unlocked the screen and saw the sender: Zhang Yangxu.
“Huh?”
Meanwhile, inside the ancestral hall, Ning Zhe sat before the Serpent God, re-evaluating everything he had done that morning.
The logic behind Ning Zhe eating the Serpent God’s offerings was straightforward and could be summarized in one sentence:
“If someone mistakes me for the Serpent God, then I am.”
This was a rule—a rule that even gods had to follow.
When Ning Zhe ate the Serpent God’s offerings and deliberately left traces, as long as even one villager thought, “The Serpent God ate this,” the rule would be triggered. Through this misperception, he would use the villagers’ mistaken belief as a medium to steal a portion of the Serpent God’s “identity.”
Judging from the Serpent God’s reaction, Ning Zhe knew he had succeeded.
“At least one person mistook me for the Serpent God. Over time, as more traces of the offerings being eaten are discovered, more people might do the same.”
Ning Zhe quickly confirmed his current state. “Right now, I’ve at least stolen the identity of the Serpent God as perceived by one believer. Based on this, the momentary blackout and hallucinations I experienced earlier might be side effects of acquiring that identity.”
So the hallucinations earlier, the faceless woman, and her sorrowful song… were those the memories of the Serpent God?
Was that it?
Ning Zhe couldn’t be sure. Only time would tell. “Next, I just need to see if more people mistake me for the Serpent God, allowing me to steal more of its identity.”
This small success didn’t bring Ning Zhe much joy. After all, discovering this rule and stealing the Serpent God’s identity was only the first step in unraveling this bizarre event.
On the contrary, this marked the true beginning of his attempt to decipher the rules governing this world.
“With the Serpent God’s identity, I can move more freely and do what needs to be done.”
Having clarified his current situation, Ning Zhe stood up and walked out of the ancestral hall. He still didn’t understand the meaning behind the hallucinations or the mournful tune, but that didn’t stop him from knowing exactly what he had to do.
As he stepped outside, Ning Zhe saw Feng Yushu sitting on the doorstep, staring blankly at her phone.
“What are you looking at?”
“Ah! Ning Zhe… Nothing, nothing.” Feng Yushu hurriedly shook her head, shoved her phone into her pocket, and stood up. “I was just thinking… Can we really solve this mystery and leave Hejia Village like this?”
“I don’t know. But do you have a better choice than trusting me?” Ning Zhe countered.
“Good point.” Feng Yushu shook her head, discarding her scattered thoughts. After some hesitation, she pulled her phone back out of her pocket, unlocked it, and handed it to Ning Zhe. “Here, take a look.”
Ning Zhe took the phone and saw a chat interface. The sender was Zhang Yangxu.
“Zhang Yangxu just texted me,” Feng Yushu said. “You should see for yourself.”
Ning Zhe gave a faint “hmm” and sat on the doorstep of the ancestral hall with Feng Yushu. Together, they read through the conversation:
—
Zhang Yangxu:
[Ye Miaozhu is dead.]
[She went alone to the He Residence and was killed by a ghost.]
[If Ning Zhe hadn’t deliberately provoked her, Ye Miaozhu wouldn’t have ended up alone, and she wouldn’t have died.]
[Ning Zhe did it on purpose.]
[He may have already figured out some special rules of Hejia Village. Provoking Ye Miaozhu was his way of making her a test subject, knowing a ghost would target her.]
[This man is insane. He doesn’t care about anyone’s life or death.]
[Are you sure you want to stay by his side?]
[If Ning Zhe could use Ye Miaozhu’s life to test his theories, he could just as easily use your life to achieve his goals.]
[You are not special to him.]
—
Feng Yushu:
[I know what you mean, but I don’t know who you are.]
[Are you Zhang Yangxu? Or are you a ghost?]
—
Zhang Yangxu:
[You can ask me some questions to verify if I’m really Zhang Yangxu.]
[Or we could meet in person.]
—
Feng Yushu:
[I don’t know you well enough to ask questions that would distinguish you from a ghost.]
[Also, why are you texting me?]
—
Zhang Yangxu:
[What do you mean by that?]
—
Feng Yushu:
[I mean, why did you choose to text me instead of calling?]
[Wouldn’t calling be better for something like this?]
[Is it because you know Ning Zhe is by my side and don’t dare to call?]
—
Zhang Yangxu:
[Of course. You’ve been with him the whole time.]
—
Feng Yushu:
[No, that doesn’t make sense. If that were the case, you wouldn’t even dare to text.]
—
The conversation ended there. “Zhang Yangxu” hadn’t replied since.
—
After reading, Ning Zhe handed the phone back to Feng Yushu. “How did you know it was a ghost?”
Feng Yushu accepted the phone and explained, “Because you’re an incredibly sharp and perceptive person. Zhang Yangxu knows what kind of person you are.”
“He wouldn’t dare act recklessly while I was with you. You’re like a tiger guarding its prey. Any slight movement would alert you. In that case, not to mention calling, even texting would be risky.”
“But earlier was different,” Feng Yushu continued. “You were in a bad state. Although we were still together, I was sitting outside, and you were inside the ancestral hall, deep in thought. Under those circumstances, calling would alert you, but texting wouldn’t.”
Ning Zhe thought for a moment and smiled. “You’ve gotten smarter.”
“I learned from you,” Feng Yushu said softly.
“But why do you compare yourself to prey? Don’t you trust me?” Ning Zhe asked.
Feng Yushu nodded. “The ghost wasn’t wrong. You don’t care about anyone’s life or death. You’re cold, ruthless, and even more terrifying than the ghosts.”
“And yet you’re still with me?” Ning Zhe chuckled.
“Because you’re my only way out.” Feng Yushu lifted her gaze, her slightly vacant eyes meeting Ning Zhe’s. “If you’re a dangerous tiger, then the ghost is a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, waiting to devour us both.”
A curious metaphor.
“But you wouldn’t hand over your prey to it, would you?” Feng Yushu asked.
“Who knows?” Ning Zhe didn’t answer her directly.
What they could be certain of now was that Zhang Yangxu was likely already dead.