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Human Sacrifice
As Guo the Blind turned to leave, Zhou Cheng, who had been resting beside the moss-covered stone, called out, "Mr. Guo, I'm poisoned! Please come and save me."
"That's right, Zhou Cheng was scratched by that Big Black Cat that fell from the cliff and is now poisoned. Guo the Blind, you have to help him," Wang Hai added.
Guo the Blind shot a menacing glare at Wang Hai. "Is Guo the Blind also what you call me?"
Wang Hai's face turned pale, unable to retort. I looked at Zhou Cheng, leaning against the stone. "When you were on the cliff, you tried to push me down. In the cave, you targeted me at every turn, speaking aggressively and using your numbers to beat me up with a knife. And now you're begging for help?"
"Mind your own damn business! I'm not asking you for anything!" Zhou Cheng glared at me.
"Then in that case, I'll just give you the antidote," Guo the Blind said as he pulled out a white porcelain bottle and handed it to me.
Zhou Cheng watched as I took the bottle from Guo the Blind's hand and immediately tried to snatch it away. However, as soon as he stood up, the blood clots that had formed on his neck burst open, and blood began to flow profusely from his wound.
Zhou Cheng clutched his neck in agony as Huang San'er shouted, "He's about to die! Why aren't you giving him the antidote?!"
I stared at Huang San'er. "Why didn't you stop your brothers when they came at me with knives?"
"They were just messing around; they weren't really going to kill you!" Huang San'er retorted angrily. "Don't you have any humanity?"
I scoffed lightly. "Humanity? For some people, there's no need for such concepts. In your eyes, there's no understanding or tolerance; you don't know what it means to spare someone when you can. You don't even consider others. The antidote was given to me by Old Guo; I can give it to whoever I want. There's no need to save someone who might kill me in the future."
"Give me the antidote! Otherwise, I swear I won't let you go!" Zhou Cheng shouted with fierce eyes.
I looked at Zhou Cheng, a slight smile curling my lips. Without saying a word, I followed Guo the Blind away from the desolate ground.
Guo the Blind remarked, "Yang Hao, oh Yang Hao, I never realized how dark your nature truly is."
I said in a low voice, "There's no need for me to be polite with someone who threatens me like this. But will the poison in Zhou Cheng be treatable if taken to the hospital?"
"Are you worried about him retaliating?" Guo the Blind asked.
I nodded and replied, "People like him are capable of anything."
Guo the Blind said, "Don't worry. Whether there's a cure for his poison or not, the one who will die tonight is definitely him."
His words were firm and left no room for my doubts. I felt no pity for scum like Zhou Cheng.
However, I was confused about what had happened at the cliff in the back mountain. Who was that woman, and what was the story with Big Black Cat? Why had they both managed to survive for so long?
Guo the Blind's taciturn demeanor made it clear he wasn't prepared to discuss it. I hesitated for a while and only spoke up when we reached the village, asking, "Old Guo, do you know who that woman in the coffin is?"
Old Guo seemed not to hear me and walked straight home. Watching his disappearing figure reminded me of his words: "The more you know about the truth, the more afraid you become."
By the time I got home, the sun had already set, and it looked like it might rain. My mother was taking down clothes from the drying line in the yard. She looked pleased to see me and said, "Haohao, Manman can even use a sewing machine and an iron! Her skills are as good as mine. How can a girl from a county town be so handy!"
"Mom, is Manman inside?" I asked.
"Yes, she just tidied up your room without complaining at all."
I nodded and went into the house, where I saw Zhou Manman sitting on the edge of my bed folding my clothes. Noticing my hesitant expression, she asked, "What's wrong?"
I said, "Out of the seven people who bullied you, four are already dead: Yang Kuan, Dazhuang, Li Tong, and Zhang Kun."
Zhou Manman paused for a moment after hearing my words and replied, "Good riddance."
I held Zhou Manman's hand and said, "Manman, I know those who bullied you deserve no mercy, but things are getting more complicated. The mastermind behind this is beyond my understanding."
"I'll listen to you, Ghost Killing," Zhou Manman replied calmly. Having come to Bright Moon Village, she had experienced and learned a lot, and was no stranger to the concept of Ghost Killing.
I continued, "It's not that simple. Today, Guo the Blind and I went to Dagu Village. The Zhang family of four is dead. Zhang Kun's death was just like Yang Kuan's and Dazhuang's; he strangled himself. However, Zhang Kun's parents and sister were hanged by someone else. The culprit is that fat bully Huang San'er who led the harassment against you."
"Why?" Zhou Manman asked in confusion.
I explained, "According to Guo the Blind, he saw them get into a conflict. Huang San'er accidentally killed Zhang Kun's father, and to cover up the murder as a suicide scene, he killed the entire family. With the capabilities of the Huang family, they could indeed pull off something like this. But it made me think of something else: Li Tong was also hanged. If there really is Ghost Killing involved, then Li Tong might not have been killed by a ghost."
Zhou Manman replied, "Whether it was a ghost or not doesn't matter; what matters is that they are all dead. Those thugs who bully men and women deserve no sympathy."
I said, "But whether it's a ghost or a human, it feels like fate is helping you take revenge."
"Are you doubting me?" Zhou Manman's eyes flickered with emotion, a hint of sadness creeping in.
"How could I doubt you, Manman? I'm worried about your safety. I feel that this matter will eventually involve you or me. I want to send you back to the county first; once this is over, I'll come find you."
"I'm not leaving," Zhou Manman said stubbornly.
"Listen to me, Manman. There’s likely someone scheming behind this. This afternoon, Guo the Blind, Huang the Lame, and I went to the place where the bus fell off the cliff. We found a cave halfway down the mountain where you fell."
Zhou Manman's face turned pale instantly as she asked, "What happened? Is there a ghost inside?"
I shook my head and replied, "Inside there was a Big Red Coffin and an old cat that had lived for a long time. When we opened the coffin, we found a woman inside. Didn't I tell you before? Before the founding of the country, there was a woman from outside our village who was drowned in a pig cage by the villagers; she might be that woman. The most incomprehensible part is that she wasn't dead at all."
"How is that possible? The person buried in that coffin must have been there for at least seventy years; how could she still be alive?" Zhou Manman questioned.
I said, "I don't understand this either. I've heard from the Old Man in the Village that there are many extraordinary people hidden in the depths of the city, and that woman might be one of them. Moreover, it was one of our Old Immortals from Futu Ridge who nailed her into the coffin."
Zhou Manman replied, "The Old Scholar? I've heard stories about him from the older generation when I was in the county town. He lives in a Taoist temple in the mountains, and his reputation is quite remarkable. He was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution."
I continued, "It seems that the Old Scholar had no intention of killing that woman; he merely locked her in the coffin. I wonder what his purpose was. We all believe that the haunting in the mountains was caused by this woman. Guo the Blind pierced her heart with a Soul Fixation Nail right in front of us and burned her to ashes."
"Is she dead?" Zhou Manman asked, somewhat surprised.
I confirmed, "Yes, she's dead. Whether she was human or ghost, the evil spirit in the back mountain has been dealt with, and Guo the Blind should be fine now. But when I asked him about Zhou Cheng's fate, he was extremely certain that Zhou Cheng would die tonight."
"Do you suspect Guo the Blind has a problem?" Zhou Manman inquired.
I nodded, saying, "Feng Shui calculations are based on certain scientific theories. The I Ching and Bagua are treasures left by our Ancestors, undoubtedly containing much wisdom. However, I don't believe in predicting death. From my interactions with Guo the Blind, I feel he is not a bad person. That night when Li Fugui brought people to capture you, it was Guo who crushed the jade to save you. I don't understand what problem he could have."
My words not only puzzled Zhou Manman but also left me feeling confused.
A multitude of questions began to grow within me, coiling around my mind like a venomous snake, making it hard for me to breathe as I tossed and turned.
And just as Guo the Blind had predicted, early the next morning, Zhou Cheng was found dead in his own bed.
PS: Good night! During this new book period, there will be two updates daily. New readers are encouraged to download the Heiyuan Reading Network app for easier access to updates. Human Sacrifice will take you into a world filled with mystery and intrigue.
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