TBWE Chapter 24

TL/N: Apologies, it was Chu Queling, not Chu Quelian; Hundred Thousand Mountain, not Ten Thousand Mountains. I already edited the previous chapter.

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Chu Li’s breathing gradually became rapid.

The close-fitting pocket suddenly grew hot, the curse banner stopped fluttering, and the vision disappeared without a trace.

She supported herself against the door frame, slowly easing the tightening sensation in her throat wave after wave, then pulled up the kneeling Chu Queling and fled the great hall like she was escaping.

Thin sunlight penetrated through the cloud layer, falling on the two people who were chilled to the bone.

Chu Queling’s face was completely bloodless, saying anxiously, “Qingyu, just now… just now did the Nuo God manifest—ah! Your, your neck?”

A circle of crimson marks remained on her slender white neck, winding and undulating like a snake with head and tail connected.

Chu Li took out a folding mirror, silently pulled up her collar a bit, barely managing to cover it.

If she hadn’t had the copper coin sword for protection, He might have killed her.

Realizing this, she felt no great emotional turmoil in her heart.

After all, she had made the first move twice; if He wanted to retaliate, it was understandable. She had never expected monsters to possess the quality of tolerance.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry.” Chu Li gave her a reassuring smile. “Let’s clean up first, it’s getting late.”

Chu Queling’s pupils trembled with shock, and Chu Li’s image in her heart instantly grew taller.

“Okay.” She hurriedly fetched cleaning tools. “You just sweep around the bronze cauldron area, I’ll do the rest.”

The brooms rustled across the ground.

Chu Li multitasked, sweeping the ground near the bronze cauldron while occasionally glancing toward the shrine with her peripheral vision.

Until they finished cleaning the small plaza, nothing unusual happened in the surroundings.

“That’s wonderful.” Chu Queling wiped the sweat from her forehead, pursing her lips in a smile. “The Nuo God didn’t blame us.”

The shrine in her peripheral vision stood quietly, but Chu Li felt a shallow unease spreading in her heart.

This was too unlike His usual behavior.

Normally, He would use any means necessary to drag her into the depths of the shrine.

Was it because of the seal’s limitations?

Chu Queling pulled Chu Li to sit on the stone steps leading down the mountain, opened the food box, and took out dishes that, though cold, still smelled deliciously fragrant.

“Stop daydreaming, eat quickly, then we’ll go down the mountain after eating. Going down the mountain after dark is very scary.”

Chu Li was shocked. “This… can be eaten?”

Eating the god’s offerings, wouldn’t that poison you to death?

“The Nuo God never touches the offerings we send, they all have to be thrown away in the end anyway, might as well go into our stomachs.” Chu Queling stuffed a plump peach bun into her hands. “Red bean paste filling, try it.”

From her practiced movements, you could tell this wasn’t the first time she’d done such a thing.

Chu Li was indeed hungry, and with a strange mood, took a bite.

The outer skin was soft and fluffy, the filling fragrant and smooth, emanating rich red bean aroma.

The great hall was cold inside, which actually became the best condition for preserving food.

She wolfed down the entire red bean bun, and Chu Queling handed her a plate of red peach cakes. When bitten open, they contained glutinous rice and mushroom filling mixed with dried shrimp, salty and fresh and delicious.

“Tasty, right?” Chu Queling’s cheeks were puffed out.

Chu Li gave her a thumbs up.

They sat side by side like hamsters sharing food, eating most of the withdrawn old offerings.

The daylight gradually darkened. Chu Queling hurriedly cleaned up the mess on the ground and pulled her companion to quicken their pace down the mountain, as if ghosts were chasing them from behind.

Chu Li chewed half a cake in her mouth, finally managed to swallow it, and asked breathlessly, “Why must we go down the mountain before dark? Are there ghosts here too?”

“After the sun sets behind the mountain, you’ll get lost in the mountains… Before, someone forgot the time and came down late, wandered around the mountain all night, and when they found him, he had been scared to death!”

They stepped on the last trace of sunset glow, hurrying down the mountain along the blue-black stone steps.

Chu Li looked back.

The blood-red sunset completely hid behind the rolling mountains, the entire mountain shrouded in dim and unclear twilight. Red ribbons were tied on the fir trees, with bronze bells hanging below that swayed without wind.

In the clear, crisp ringing, it sounded like a strange ballad.

Never go up the mountain at night.

Chu Li silently noted this point, and together with Chu Queling went to return the food box.

With their stomachs uncomfortably full, neither went to dinner. They passed through the great sacrificial ground and walked toward the small red building complex to the east.

The east side was the residence arranged for Chu family branch members.

The small buildings constructed of red cedar wood were of varying heights, with the most primitive wooden windows, window frames formed in continuous “卍” patterns, covered with translucent bright paper.

Chu Li and Chu Queling’s room was on the second floor, a large single room. Pushing open the latticed wooden door, outside was a small scenic viewing corridor, directly facing the mountain where the shrine was located.

The Chu family main house buildings clustered around a huge plaza. After nightfall, scattered candlelights lit up, like starlight in the night sky.

Everything here preserved an ancient style, with modern traces hard to find.

There were almost no electrical appliances; even lighting used oil lamps.

After glancing at the distant mountain, Chu Li immediately closed the floor-to-ceiling wooden door and locked it.

This small building had only two floors, and the second floor activity space belonged entirely to Chu Li and Chu Queling.

Outside the room was a spacious small living room, with a fully equipped bathroom.

She took out her phone to check—as expected, no signal.

After taking turns bathing, the two nestled in the small living room chatting idly.

From Chu Queling’s mouth, Chu Li learned much about the sacrificial ceremony.

In seven days, the annual Nuo God sacrificial ceremony would be held to make offerings to the Nuo God. Moreover, the Grand Nuo would select the next Chu family successor on that day.

“The Grand Nuo is over a hundred years old. A few years ago she fell seriously ill, the situation was very dangerous. Although she recovered, it still affected her health. This sacrificial ceremony concerns succession, so the entire Chu family takes it very seriously.”

Chu Li frowned. “Over a hundred years old?”

Chu Queling was surprised by her ignorance, but thinking she was returning to the main house for the first time, patiently explained, “The Grand Nuo can communicate with the divine, receiving divine favor, so her lifespan is longer than ordinary clan members.”

There was something fishy about this.

Chu Li could guess that each generation of Grand Nuo living long must have used some underhanded method.

They chatted for a while longer, and Chu Li basically understood the Chu family’s composition and the general process of this sacrificial ceremony.

The mountain night quickly grew completely dark.

The two young women living downstairs also returned. They were responsible for cleaning the mountain gate stone path. Hearing that Chu Li was Chu Ruoying’s cousin and was well cared for by her, they specially came up to chat, with warm and friendly attitudes, constantly probing whether she knew news about the next successor.

Chu Li’s first impression of them was that they were shrewd and calculating.

Worried about her identity being exposed, she spoke evasively, only exchanging brief pleasantries.

Sensing Chu Li’s evasiveness, they exchanged glances, and one of them spoke with a slightly sour tone, “No wonder people say being born is a technical skill. Qingyu, with a priestess looking after you, you’ll stay at the main house this year, right? Maybe in a few years, you can even get on the main house roster.”

“Uh…” Chu Li carefully chose her words. “Actually, I think it’s quite good outside, life is convenient.”

Who would want to come to a place like this with no internet and no modern technology?

Obviously, they didn’t think so. Their facial expressions stiffened a bit, they forced out a bit of smile, and hurriedly said goodbye before going downstairs.

Chu Queling bit into a crisp, sweet plum and patted Chu Li’s shoulder. “Staying at the main house is the dream of all branch members, getting on the main house roster is even better fortune. Speaking like that, they probably think you’re mocking them.”

Chu Li sighed. “I was speaking truthfully. Queling, what about you, do you also want to enter the main house?”

After a day together, they had become friends.

Chu Li also learned that Chu Queling lived in a small town at the foot of the Hundred Thousand Mountain, where the town was full of her clan relatives, responsible for mining iron ore.

If she couldn’t successfully stay at the main house this year, she would go help at the iron mine.

“Mm-hmm!” Chu Queling nodded with small movements. “What a glorious thing that would be.”

Branch members who stayed at the main house were like the lowest-level employees of a large corporation, doing menial tasks like serving tea every day.

Only by having great luck and making contributions, or marrying someone from the main house bloodline, could they enter the roster.

Pine resin oil lamps burned in the small building, giving off a faint pine fragrance when burning, with soft light that didn’t hurt the eyes.

Chu Li looked at her young, expectant face in the lamplight, really wanting to tell her that the outside world was vast, her life had unlimited choices, and she needn’t be confined to the depths of these mountains.

Looking down, she glimpsed her hands covered with calluses. Chu Li ultimately said nothing, saying gently, “Let’s sleep, we have to go up the mountain tomorrow.”

****

The latticed wooden doors were covered with a layer of bright paper. Outside each small red building, a torch was inserted, flames swaying, all sounds silent.

Two single beds were arranged in the room.

Chu Li slept on the side near the door, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

Through tonight’s idle chat, she basically understood the structure of the Chu clan.

The Chu family was divided into the main house and branch families.

The main house had nearly a thousand members, all people with outstanding talent and exquisite Nuo arts. They were the upper class of this huge family, enjoying support from the branches.

The branches had over a hundred lineages, with unknown numbers of people, living around the edges of the Hundred Thousand Mountain.

Their business scope was very broad, from clothing, food, housing, and transportation to mining, river transport, antique dealing, and so on.

Because the Chu clan bloodline was cursed, causing descendants to be sickly and short-lived, while Nuo arts could alleviate this, they willingly supported the main house.

Above both the main house and branches was the Grand Nuo.

The ruler of this ancient family.

She could listen to the Nuo God’s divine pronouncements, with Nuo arts reaching the heavens.

Chu Li silently recalled the information she had obtained today.

This return to the Chu family was very rushed. After calling Chu Ruoying, the other party immediately came to pick her up. With mountain closure imminent, they didn’t have much time to catch up.

When they met in the car, looking at each other’s similar faces, both couldn’t help but redden their eyes.

Chu Li only asked one question: “Little Aunt, was it you who told my mother the news about the Grand Nuo leaving the mountain three years ago?”

Chu Ruoying’s hands trembled, stroking her face, nodding tearfully. “So much like her. Whatever you want to do, tell little aunt, no matter how difficult, little aunt will help you.”

Chu Li said word by word: “I want to enter the main house, to avenge my parents.”

So Chu Ruoying arranged a cousin’s daughter identity for her, giving her Chu Qingyu’s information, with content from clothing, food, housing, and transportation to preferences and dietary restrictions, listed in exhaustive detail.

Chu Qingyu was two years younger than her, frail and sickly since childhood, had never returned to the main house, and few people were familiar with her.

All along the way, Chu Li was busy memorizing information. Chu Ruoying was skilled in disguise and spent some time changing her appearance. Because she already had Chu clan bloodline, she successfully passed through the mountain gate.

Chu Ruoying had previously agreed with her to come find her after finishing her business.

She hadn’t come at this hour, probably truly unable to get away.

Chu Li turned over again.

Looking at the sleeping Chu Queling, she inexplicably thought of her mother who had resolutely left the Chu family.

What was her mother thinking before she decided to leave the Chu family back then?

The bed frame creaked as she tossed and turned, and Chu Li gradually fell asleep.

****

Chu Li opened her eyes and woke up.

Her head felt dizzy and heavy, as if she had had a very long dream. She forgot everything, only vaguely remembering that she had promised someone to bring gifts up the mountain to give thanks.

She intermittently spoke to her mother, asking in a childish voice: “Mom, who lives on the mountain?”

The room was lit with oil lamps, with many strangely dressed people sitting inside, and many strange masks hanging on the walls.

Hearing this question, everyone in the room’s expression changed.

Chu Li was a bit scared and quietly hugged her mother tighter.

Her mother gently stroked her head as usual, but her hand was cold as ice, trembling slightly, her words also intermittent. “It’s the Chu clan’s shrine… you’re still young, when you grow up a bit—”

Her words were interrupted by an old, hoarse voice.

“Since the child has a connection with Him, then go worship the Nuo God, there’s no harm in it.”

Chu Li secretly observed the thin figure sitting on the high chair. That person wore heavy black and gold sacrificial robes, with a strange mask on their face.

Soon, everyone in the room withdrew, including this strange person and her mother.

The room door was locked from the outside, and people outside were arguing.

Chu Li pressed against the door to eavesdrop. The adults seemed to be fighting about her going up the mountain.

Outside the door, that weathered voice suddenly rose, repeating shrilly. “Can’t escape… once chosen by that lord, can never escape!”

Her voice was like an inescapable curse, frightening Chu Li into covering her mouth and falling on her bottom.

There was nothing in the room. The arguing voices outside suddenly disappeared after becoming intense.

Chu Li waited for a long time, watching the light coming through the door crack slowly turn black, but her mother didn’t return.

She cried and shouted while clawing at the door, but no one paid attention.

Crying and crying, she fell asleep from exhaustion.

When she woke again, she was tightly held in her mother’s arms, cold raindrops dripping on her face along her mother’s disheveled long hair.

It was terrifyingly dark all around, the deep mountain trees swaying like ghost shadows.

Chu Ruoxian noticed she was awake, her voice gentle and very soft. “Xiao Bao don’t be afraid, mom will take you home. Let’s play a game—you can’t make any sound until the game is over, okay?”

Chu Li hugged her neck tightly, swallowing her crying into her stomach, nodding vigorously.

Chu Ruoxian kissed her forehead, and when she raised her head again her gaze was stern. She bent down and rolled down the grassy slope.

Behind them, torches and dog barking rose and fell continuously.

Rumble—

Lightning briefly illuminated the deep forest. Through her mother’s shoulder, Chu Li clearly saw twisted black mist surging from all directions.

She heard distant, ancient murmuring.

“You… are mine…”

****

Chu Li struggled to wake from the dream.

Everything was pitch black before her eyes. After a while, she slowly adapted to this darkness.

There was not a trace of firelight outside the latticed door, as if the entire Hundred Thousand Mountain had fallen into silence, quiet except for her breathing alone.

Dim moonlight flowed on the door.

Chu Li’s nerves suddenly tensed—something had entered!

She couldn’t hear it, couldn’t see it, but her subconscious told her something had come, and very quickly.

She turned to look at Chu Queling beside her. The other person’s eyes were tightly closed, chest rising and falling, mumbling as she turned over.

What was strange was that this scene was silent, without any sound.

A dream…

She was still in a dream.

Whose dream it was went without saying.

No wonder there was no reaction during the day—He was waiting here for the mantis to catch the cicada.

Chu Li forcefully closed her eyes, controlled her breathing, and suggested to herself in her heart—

Wake up quickly, wake up quickly!

Creak.

The room door was gently pushed open.

The invisible presence step by step walked closer to the single bed on the inner side.

Chu Li lay on her side, her disheveled long hair covering half her face, her hands tightly curled under the blanket.

Wake up! Wake up!

She screamed frantically in her heart.

Writhing mist condensed into a slender hand, with two circles of red jade bead strings wound around the wrist, gently swaying in the silent space, making clear and pleasing sounds.

Cold fingers tenderly and intimately stroked the slightly trembling spine.

Tentacles drilled into the blanket through gaps, greedily winding around her ankle.

“…….&#&￥…..Li Li…..%&#..….”

He uttered unclear low murmurs.

His fingertip moved inch by inch, stopping at the neck artery.

Chu Li, who was desperately pretending to sleep, heard the demon’s whisper:

“Li Li, I know you’re not sleeping.”