The Heroine Fell Deeply For Her [Quick Transmigration] 218

Chapter 218: What’s This About Marrying First and Loving Later? 3

The dim candlelight illuminated the path beneath her feet, guiding the lost soul home. Through overgrown mountain paths, she arrived at the foot of the mountain.

The lantern will protect the holder from evil spirits. No matter what happens, do not let go of the lantern.

—This was the first sentence every tourist who came to Lingxiu Village heard, and it was also treated as gospel in the game forum.

“We’re here, everyone come aboard.”

The small boat carrying the passengers reached the shore. The withered, old village chief nimbly stepped out first, smoothly taking the lantern hanging from the boat.

Although it wasn’t dark yet, only approaching dusk, and the visibility was high, no one questioned why the village chief carried a lantern with him.

In this strange world, all unusual actions seemed unusually normal.

The tourists who arrived on the other side disembarked one after another, their cautious gazes constantly scanning their surroundings. The more vigilant tourists had already begun to memorize the way back, deeply imprinting the path they had taken in their minds.

They didn’t know why they had suddenly arrived here, but the old man who claimed to be experienced, Lei Ge, and his companion said that this was a life-or-death game, and everyone who came here was nearing the end of their lives, about to die.

The man in a suit with a briefcase might have died in a car accident on the way to the airport, the housewife with the shopping basket might have been killed by something falling from a high-rise building, the rider with the helmet in his hands would die at the bottom of a mountain road…

Including Lei Ge and his companion, they had entered this life-or-death game because of this. After passing nine levels, they could survive and completely escape the game.

These words sounded like a fantasy, but everyone had arrived on the tour bus in the blink of an eye. Now, they had no choice but to believe it.

After everyone disembarked, the village chief, waiting by the side, slowly introduced the local customs in a hoarse voice.

According to the village chief, Lingxiu Village was a famous ancient village in the area, and every year, many tourists would come to experience the village’s annual celebration.

Hearing this, everyone thought, who would want to experience life in this godforsaken place? Wouldn’t staying in a farmhouse for ten days or half a month be much better than this ghostly place?

They grumbled inwardly, but few spoke out loud.

Following the village chief, the group gradually went deeper into the village. Due to inconvenient transportation, not many houses in the village had electricity, so naturally, there were no electronic devices for entertainment. As for cell phone signals, there were none.

“This lantern, one for each household. When it gets dark and the fog is thick outside, you must use a lantern to see the road.”

Following the village chief’s aged voice, the tourists looked at where he was pointing with strange expressions. It was a cylindrical bamboo lantern covered with a layer of tissue paper, its color slightly yellowed.

In the center of each lantern, a simple pattern was drawn in red ink. At first glance, it looked like an open eye, staring at passersby.

Lanterns were hung in the main hall of each household, placed in the most conspicuous spot, like red-eyed monsters, looking rather creepy in the dim light.

Upon closer inspection, the totem appeared ancient and mysterious. A bold tourist asked the village chief what the pattern meant, but was brushed off with a few words, only being told that it was a rune for the Mountain God’s protection, and not to touch it casually.

In addition, the village chief mentioned a series of things that couldn’t be done in the village.

For example, don’t go out after dark, go to bed early.

Tourists could visit the ancestral hall, but don’t damage any sacrificial items, as it would anger the Mountain God.

The most important point was, don’t go up the mountain, especially after dark.

Then, he assigned everyone to their respective houses. They weren’t all staying together, but were dispersed in twos and threes among the villagers’ homes.

This arrangement undoubtedly reduced everyone’s sense of security.

Especially when everyone was about to disperse and settle in, Lei Ge, who had appeared calm, suddenly said, “Someone has no shadow. Don’t fully believe anything anyone in the village says.”

No shadow, didn’t that mean they were dead? But how could dead people appear before them, acting as if everything was normal?

Goosebumps immediately rose. The less experienced tourists became even more panicked, but under the villagers’ cloudy gazes, they helplessly settled into their assigned houses.

At dusk, a few people gathered in front of a house at the very edge of the village. After confirming their accommodation, they gathered again to discuss how to clear the level.

They didn’t know much yet, only that the Mountain God Festival was seven days later, and during these few days, every household in Lingxiu Village would prepare sacrificial items.

But Lingxiu Village didn’t accept currency in exchange for food. They needed to help with work to get food.

Unclear about what kind of work they needed to help with, everyone didn’t dare to agree easily, making excuses that they weren’t hungry and avoiding work.

So they dispersed to look for clues to clear the level, and to compile a map and routes of the village.

With a clear goal and a leader, everyone’s survival enthusiasm soared, and they began to act.

Walking around the dilapidated house, someone said, “This is just a broken house, nothing to see, let’s go.”

Even the eighty-year-old man in Lingxiu Village had kerosene lamps in front of his house. This family was truly poor, their doors and windows were broken and hadn’t been repaired.

Not only was the area around the house bare, but observant tourists also noticed a large hole in the roof.

The housewife, still holding her shopping basket, noticed a gap in the door. She peeked inside: “Someone should be living here, it’s quite tidy, but this big hole… aren’t they afraid of getting wet when it rains?”

The young girl with the backpack had good eyesight. Looking around for a moment, she suddenly pointed in a direction: “There’s someone over there! It might be the owner of the house.”

The two who were actually curious about who would live in such a dilapidated place walked in the direction the young girl pointed. Under the setting sun, a stream came into view.

Someone was spearfishing in the river, their shadow reflected on the water tall and slender, a long braid hanging down their waist.

Seeing that it was a young girl, the housewife with the shopping basket lowered her guard considerably and spoke first: “Little sister, why are you there alone?”

The male rider in his rider’s uniform muttered softly, “Not alone, could she be half a person?”

These words made the other two subconsciously shudder, terrifying images appearing in their minds. Suddenly, they didn’t dare to go over, hesitating where they were.

They were afraid of seeing a person cut in half, the cross-section revealing their internal organs, the stream flowing with crimson blood.

The figure in the river remained motionless, holding a sharpened bamboo pole, their eyes slightly lowered.

While they hesitated, someone came over: “Why are you all here, any discoveries?”

Lei Ge’s companion arrived, a slender woman, but no one dared to underestimate the muscle lines on her arms. She called herself Liang Chun, and everyone spontaneously called her Sister Liang.

The girl with the backpack said, “Sister Liang, we found someone over there and wanted to ask her some questions.”

Anyone who dared to live alone in a house near the mountain must know a lot of things, there might be a big discovery.

Liang Chun: “Someone?”

She glanced at the figure in the river and said, “Don’t bother with her, that’s the village idiot. You won’t get any useful clues from her.”

As she spoke, the figure in the river suddenly moved, throwing the bamboo pole in her hand. The pole moved so fast it was a blur, its end landing firmly in a certain spot.

Her legs, immersed in the cold stream, moved forward through the water. Her hand gripping the bamboo pole tightened slightly, pulling it out of the stream. Something pierced by the pole splashed out of the water.

A live fish, quite heavy, was impaled on the tip of the bamboo pole. Its movements restricted and in pain, it thrashed its tail.

At this moment, everyone understood. She had been standing motionless in the water to spearfish.

Carrying the large fish, she returned, facing the few people. Their eyes lit up, a flash of amazement in their depths.

Standing in the stream earlier, they hadn’t been able to see her clearly. Now, walking closer, they could see that although she was thin, she wasn’t short, seeming even slightly taller than Liang Chun in her thick-soled boots.

The housewife whispered, “The nutrition in this village is pretty good, this little sister is as tall as the green onions in my garden.”

Not only was her height remarkable, but her face wasn’t bad either.

Long eyebrows, beautiful eyes, snowy skin, and red lips. Stream water had dampened strands of her hair, a few clinging to her face.

Unlike the other villagers in Lingxiu Village, with their ordinary and dull appearances, everyone here looked like dried-up jerky, their features similar. At first glance, they looked like mummies stolen from a museum.

The sudden appearance of a fresh radish among a group of dried jerky surprised everyone.

Who would have thought that the only one in Lingxiu Village who lived up to the name “Lingxiu” (meaning beautiful and elegant) was this silly village girl NPC.

It made one question the world’s strange sense of humor.

The person walked straight towards the group led by Liang Chun, seemingly oblivious to them blocking her way, carrying the fish and sharpened bamboo pole.

The housewife couldn’t help but say, “Little sister, you…”

Tao Ning paused, her dark eyes lifting to look at them. Her clear and calm gaze successfully extinguished their urge to ask questions, turning them into speechless gourds.

Everyone: “…”

Seeing her eyes, their first reaction was cold, as cold as glass beads, devoid of any emotion.

An intense inhuman feeling washed over them, more frightening than the village chief’s cloudy, gray eyes. Compared to the villagers, she seemed strangely perfect.

Whether it was her appearance or temperament, it didn’t match the image of the silly girl Liang Chun had described.

Liang Chun subconsciously reached behind her, her hand resting on the butterfly knife she always carried at her waist. For a moment, the other party had given her a sense of oppression.

Then, she stopped in front of them, saying nothing.

Water droplets from the bamboo pole dripped down continuously. She held the fish and the sharpened bamboo pole, looking at them indifferently.

Liang Chun, who had advocated leaving quickly, didn’t move, staring at the newcomer with a strange look: “Tao Zi?”

Tao Ning’s eyes flickered, looking at Liang Chun with a confused look: “Why are you calling me?”

Liang Chun breathed a sigh of relief, removing her hand from the butterfly knife. Stepped aside, motioning casually: “Nothing, you go back.”

Tao Ning responded with an “oh” and walked past them towards her house.

Seeing this, their expressions became even more subtle. Wouldn’t ordinary people, when called by their name by a stranger, ask how the other party knew their name, feeling strange and confused?

How could she respond so casually, without any apprehension towards strangers?

And, it turned out that she hadn’t stopped in front of them to do anything, just to go home.

But the path in front of the door was so wide, yet she insisted on passing through them, following the small, trodden path back, as if it had become a fixed behavior.

If this wasn’t a fool, what was?

With a sense of regret, the group gathered in front of Tao Ning’s house quickly left before the white fog spread.

Tao Ning, however, stopped at her doorstep, looking back at the already blurred figures, calling out the name of the woman at the front: “Liang Chun, one of the accomplices who broke my roof.”

Although her features had changed, and her outline was different, looking very different from before, Tao Ning still recognized her.

She had thought she had died on the mountain, but she hadn’t expected her to survive and clear the level. Not only that, but she had also returned.

Just now, Liang Chun had become suspicious of Tao Ning, but finding that she was still the same as before, and presumably unable to recognize Liang Chun herself, she had temporarily dismissed her doubts.

In this world, appearance, figure, and voice could all be changed, but not the name.

The name was a gamer’s shortest curse, unable to be changed no matter what.

Completely unaware that she had been exposed, Liang Chun led the group back to the village. This wasn’t her first time in Lingxiu Village; it was her second time back.

On the way back, she kept recalling Tao Ning’s eyes, cold and calm like a still, cold pool. In Liang Chun’s eyes, it always seemed like a casual appraisal.

This was subtly different from the Tao Zi she had met last time, but still as dull and wooden. For a moment, Liang Chun couldn’t say what was wrong with her.

But even if something was wrong, it didn’t matter. She was just a silly girl, no one would believe anything she said.

And she was an NPC in Lingxiu Village, not to be trifled with, as it could attract strange things.

From afar, Liang Chun heard the commotion coming from the ancestral hall. Before the others could react, she had already started walking towards it.

The female student with the backpack hurried after her: “Sister Liang, what’s wrong?”

Liang Chun didn’t answer, arriving at the ancestral hall ahead of them.

Many people were gathered in front of the ancestral hall. A man in indigo cloth, carrying a sword on his back, was surrounded by villagers, all talking at once.

After listening briefly, Liang Chun managed to distinguish a few sentences from the heavy local accent.

“Don’t you dare disrespect the Mountain God!”

“How dare you say our Mountain God is a ghost?”

“If you dare disrespect the Mountain God, I’ll burn you!”

“Saying our Mountain God is a ghost, I think you’re the one with a ghost in your heart, coming to disrupt our Mountain God Festival!”

Hearing this, the man in indigo cloth turned serious: “I am a Taoist priest of the Changyang Sect. Traveling nearby, I sensed an evil ghost dwelling here, harming living beings, so I came specifically to eliminate evil. Don’t be misled by the so-called Mountain God, I’m not lying.”

At the edge of the crowd stood a few tourists who had gotten off the bus, looking at the crowd with confused expressions, not understanding, thinking it was part of the set process.

Liang Chun and Lei Ge exchanged glances, both seeing the shock in each other’s eyes. They hadn’t expected an extra person, who shouldn’t be there, to appear in the village.

Last time, there was no Taoist priest.

Only the bustling ritual, the suddenly deceased bride, and their teammate who was dressed in bridal clothes and sent up the mountain as a sacrifice.

From beginning to end, no Taoist priest claiming to be from the Changyang Sect had appeared. What was going on?

“…Of all times.” Liang Chun felt a vague unease in her heart, feeling that there were too many things wrong with this game this time.

Finally, the village chief stepped in to stop the commotion. He tapped his cane on the ground and said authoritatively, “Guests are welcome. Since the Taoist priest has come to our Lingxiu Village, and it’s getting late, please stay for the night.”

“The Mountain God is the deity who protects our villagers, beyond question. If you continue to speak nonsense, I won’t be able to help you.”

Under the gaze of those old, cloudy eyes, the Taoist priest fell silent.

At this point, continuing to argue with the ignorant villagers was pointless. It was better to find a way to stay here and deal with things later.

Because of his earlier words, the Taoist priest had angered the villagers, and no one was willing to host him. In the end, the village chief took him away and let him stay at his own house.

The angry villagers returned to their homes. On the distant horizon, the red moon was about to appear from behind the clouds.

After eating and drinking her fill, Tao Ning looked out through the crack in the door. The white fog was thick outside, and it was completely dark.

Looking up at the sky, the red moon looked even fuller than yesterday. Tao Ning lay on the bed and looked at it for a long time, suddenly saying, “It looks like a red velvet macaron.”

520: […] It’s over, the host has gone mad from hunger!

Tao Ning closed her eyes: “Forget it, I won’t look. I’ll have red velvet macarons in my dreams.”

Turning over, Tao Ning fell asleep on the simple bed. Outside, the white fog was thick, and the lantern placed on the table emitted a dim light.

Light in the darkness always attracted many things. Light represented safety, but also danger. Many things in the white fog were drawn to the light.

However, they were all blocked outside by an invisible barrier, piling up outside the doors and windows, peering inside through the broken cracks. They saw someone sleeping soundly inside, the lantern on the table quietly glowing.

Rustling sounds could be heard, as if countless mouths were whispering, all saying the same thing: “Fragrant… so fragrant…”

At midnight, Tao Ning was awakened by a bloodcurdling scream that pierced the sky. The sound came from afar, extremely loud and penetrating.

Because of the distance, the scream only lasted for a moment before quickly subsiding. The person alone in the house could only hear their own breathing.

Tao Ning didn’t go out to check, but turned over and went back to sleep. Early the next morning, she carried the lantern and went up the mountain.

She remembered the way she had come and easily found the cave, carrying the lit lantern inside.

In the depths of the cave, the figure in red looked up at the murals on the cave wall, her eyes full of confusion.

She had looked all night, but couldn’t understand the meaning of the murals. Something about protecting someone, killing someone, and being imprisoned…

Suddenly sensing something, Xuan Miao turned her head as if she had realized something, her eyes widening slightly. An unexpected person was standing near the entrance.

Tao Ning carried the lantern, her eyes smiling: “Sister Ghost King, I’m back. What are you looking at?”

“B-Back?” Xuan Miao became angry as soon as she saw her, “W-What do you w-want?”

Before Tao Ning could answer, Xuan Miao said again, “No, h-how did you g-get in?”

She had set up a barrier outside, not allowing anyone to enter the cave. How did this Tao Ning appear here?

Tao Ning looked innocent: “Don’t you need a bride? The village down the mountain is bustling with preparations for your bride. I think I look alright, so I wanted to recommend myself.”

She patted her chest: “Sister Ghost King, marry me! I’m proficient in laundry, cooking, and everything. I’m fair-skinned, beautiful, and can warm the bed.”

Xuan Miao: “…”

After a while, she finally understood what Tao Ning meant.

Xuan Miao spoke the most fluent sentence she had spoken in the past two days: “What bride?”