TBWE Chapter 30

Racing Toward Him

The day after tomorrow would be the day of the ritual ceremony, and the atmosphere of the main family grew increasingly solemn and tense.

Since yesterday, whether members of the main family or branch families, all had begun fasting. The Grand Nuo had gone to the ritual hall and needed to fast in service to the gods for three days.

According to past custom, seven days before the ritual, four divine attendants would be selected.

The selection criteria for divine attendants were strict – they must be no older than eighteen years old and of proper appearance.

For the Chu clan members, having a divine attendant in the family was an extremely glorious matter that would bring many practical benefits.

Therefore, every year during the ritual, the branch families would compete to have their children of appropriate age selected.

This year’s selection list had been delayed and was only announced this morning—

All branch family members who had returned to participate in the ritual and met the criteria would become divine attendants.

****

Chu Li had fled for her life in her dreams last night. When she woke up, Chu Ruoying had already left.

Her lips were numb and painful. When she touched them, she felt a small scab of dried blood at the corner of her mouth.

In a foul mood, she left the hidden room and found breakfast that her aunt had left for her in the kitchen – egg and scallion pancakes and corn porridge.

Tonight was the time to act.

Although she had no appetite, she still forced herself to eat as much as possible to maintain good physical strength and mental state.

Halfway through eating, the courtyard gate was struck forcefully.

When Chu Li opened the door, she saw Chu Queling with a pale face and completely flustered.

“Qingyu, Qingyu…” Her tears fell like raindrops, “We’re on the divine attendant list! This year, all qualified branch family members must serve the Nuo god!”

“My parents know and they’re very happy… but, but I don’t want to go, I don’t want to die…”

Chu Li’s mind went blank for a moment. “Why?”

Chu Queling sobbed uncontrollably. “Early this morning, the Nuo attendant said that because the Nuo god was greatly angered, the Chu family needed to express their sincerity to appease His fury, otherwise the Chu family would no longer receive His protection. There are over sixty qualified branch family members.”

“Are their brains waterlogged?!” Chu Li blurted out, then suddenly remembered Chu Qingyu’s character and forcibly suppressed her anger, “Why do they think this will appease the Nuo god’s fury?”

Instead of crushing all the divine attendants’ heads at once?

Chu Queling didn’t notice that she had cursed, and sobbed. “Every year after the divine attendants are sent up the sacred mountain, none have ever come back down… Qingyu, we’re going to die, what should we do…”

The girl before her was under eighteen, outside the mountains still of high school age.

Chu Li wiped away her tears and curved her eyes. “It’s okay, there will be a turning point. Go back and wait for news.”

Chu Queling’s anxious and restless heart miraculously calmed down.

“Qingyu, thank you.” She grasped Chu Li’s hand, “If there’s anything I can help with, please tell me.”

After sending Chu Queling away, Chu Li sat in the courtyard in a daze, the remaining breakfast gradually growing cold.

Something was very wrong.

Knowing that sending divine attendants would not appease the deity’s anger, they still insisted on sending them, and even more of them.

After staying at the Chu family for several days, she discovered that the people here weren’t as bad as she had imagined.

The kitchen aunt had privately given her delicious pastries, branch family members she met on the road had picked many wildflowers and shared a bunch with her…

Most of the people here were ordinary folk who had been brainwashed for a long time, willingly placing themselves in an inferior position, being driven and enslaved.

The most detestable was the Grand Nuo, and those main family members around the Grand Nuo who held power.

They were even more cold-blooded and ruthless than Chu Li had imagined.

The Grand Nuo must be eliminated.

Chu Li clenched her palms. In her past twenty years, she had never thought there would come a day when she would want to kill someone.

She opened her phone. Today was September 11th, and school had already started. Before coming to the Chu family, she had applied for a leave of absence from her advisor.

There was no network in the deep mountains. She silently scrolled through her photo album, those familiar people and scenes seeming like experiences from a past life.

After scrolling for a long time, Chu Li scrolled to the photos with her family.

Her parents embracing her and Chu You, all four smiling brilliantly at the camera.

A water droplet splashed onto the screen. Chu Li calmly wiped away the tear that had seeped from the corner of her eye.

She was very clear that regardless of success or failure, she could never return to her former city or her previous life.

But she didn’t regret it.

****

Late at night, a light rain fell in the mountains, with faint mist shrouding the sleeping building complex.

A cluster of flames shot skyward, turning half the black night red as fire devoured the wooden buildings and spread rapidly.

“Dong——” The long bronze bell sounded in the night.

Clamoring sounds, water-carrying sounds, and running sounds broke the quiet night.

Chu Ruoying passed through the chaotic crowd, through several gates, reaching only the entrance of the ritual hall.

The area around the ritual hall was quiet and secluded, with only Chu Chenghe, serving as a Nuo attendant, guarding the entrance.

“The Grand Nuo is serving the gods. What are you here for?” Chu Chenghe had always been at odds with her, viewing her as a rival competing for the position of Lesser Nuo. His tone was cold and harsh.

Chu Ruoying pointed to the red sky in the distance. “There’s a fire, I came to report it.”

“So what if there’s a fire?” He looked completely impatient, “The patrol guards will handle it. Such a small matter and you want to disturb the Grand Nuo?”

Chu Ruoying’s face darkened. “It’s the small building storing the ritual Nuo masks that’s on fire. I suspect someone is playing tricks.”

“…What?!” Chu Chenghe was thunderstruck.

The Nuo masks used for the ritual were special. The day after tomorrow was the ritual, and now they were destroyed. With only one day left, there was absolutely no time to rush new ones!

Before he could react, an aged voice drifted from within the ritual hall. “There’s a traitor in the clan. Follow the priest to investigate.”

The Grand Nuo had spoken, and Chu Chenghe could only nod and accept the order.

On the road, he remained fully alert to Chu Ruoying’s every move and said directly, “Let’s investigate separately. You investigate the cause of the fire, I’ll investigate who entered or passed by the small building today.”

The two crossed several gates together. High stone walls blocked the moonlight, and a very faint fragrance floated in the air.

It seemed to be incense from Chu Ruoying’s clothes.

Chu Chenghe couldn’t see her expression clearly and only heard her say: “Does the Nuo attendant suspect me?”

“You’re overthinking.” He wrinkled his nose and gave a cold brush-off.

Actually, he did suspect Chu Ruoying of crying thief to catch a thief. Several years ago, when the Grand Nuo personally went out to capture the former Lesser Nuo Chu Ruoxian and her daughter Chu Li, it was an extremely secret plan, conducted without Chu Ruoying’s knowledge for fear she would leak information.

Yet she had so coincidentally sent Chu Li on a trip. And happened to be inspecting the abandoned factory that very day, ultimately detonating the waste fuel and leveling most of the factory.

It was his good fortune that he barely escaped, protecting the Grand Nuo’s return to the main family.

Chu Chenghe had always suspected that Chu Ruoying had detected this in advance and tipped them off. But he found no evidence and couldn’t convict her.

The shadows of the stone walls were uneven, with visibility alternating between bright and dark.

“Chu Chenghe.” Chu Ruoying spoke in her usual tone, slowly saying, “There’s a question I’ve wanted to ask you for a long time.”

A section of bright blade caught the moonlight and stabbed straight at Chu Chenghe’s heart.

He was reminiscing about the past when suddenly interrupted. His reaction was slow for a moment. Catching a glimpse of the bright light from the corner of his eye, he quickly retreated.

“…As I suspected!” With the high wall behind him, he frantically twisted his body but was still struck by the blade below his ribs.

The smell of blood permeated the air.

The second strike came without pause. Chu Chenghe’s mind raced, and in that split second, he made a decision—

He neither dodged nor avoided, grabbing the bronze bell at his waist and shaking it urgently.

However, his movements unknowingly became sluggish. Just before the bell could ring, it was knocked away by the blade, rolling on the ground with a clattering sound.

“Puchi!“

The short blade pierced straight through his heart, pinning Chu Chenghe to the stone wall.

That faint fragrance became rich and thick. His hands and feet went completely numb, blood continuously gushing from his throat. He realized that Chu Ruoying had prepared thoroughly to kill him.

“Before those things exploded, was my sister still alive?”

Chu Ruoying gripped his cheeks, squeezing his jawbone until it creaked. “Tell me.”

Chu Chenghe wheezed and panted, then suddenly grinned maliciously. “Cough cough… You really, really have been thinking about that traitor! I’ll tell you, before the factory exploded, she and that man were both still alive. They were burned alive—”

Chu Ruoying gripped the short blade and yanked it out, the blade slicing across his throat.

Spraying blood stained the round moon red.

****

The ritual hall for serving gods did not allow noise. After Chu Chenghe left, no second person remained on guard.

Patrols came every ten minutes, with eight minutes until the next one.

Chu Li, wearing a black robe like a shadow without presence, stood outside the ritual hall with a knife in her hand, the handle pressing painfully into her palm.

After the first time emerging from the dream realm, she had saved two concealment talismans and one demon-breaking talisman, waiting for tonight.

Just one door away, the Grand Nuo was inside offering to the gods.

——Kick down the door, rush in, stab the vital points from behind, hold on until Chu Ruoying came to support.

Chu Li silently rehearsed the procedure, took a deep breath, and her eyes under the hood blazed with intense hatred.

“Bang——!“

Candlelight flickered in the ritual hall. A thin figure sat motionless on a cushion, facing a god statue covered with red cloth.

Chu Li’s heartbeat reached its peak. Gripping the short knife, she charged straight forward. Three steps, two steps, the knife tip stabbed into the thin figure’s back!

“Poof!“

The knife pierced into a mass of soft, dry material.

The Grand Nuo flashed out from behind the god statue. A dark red walking stick shot out like a venomous snake, striking Chu Li’s knife-wielding hand. Excruciating pain hit, but she bit her teeth and held on, sweeping the knife forward.

The blade drew blood, and the Nuo mask fell to the ground, revealing an indescribable face.

The ancient skin sagged deeply, aged to the point of death.

But this wasn’t a human face – it writhed and shifted, as if composed of countless human faces.

The walking stick knocked the short knife from Chu Li’s hand. The Grand Nuo’s shoulder bled profusely, her gaze sharp and venomous. “You are not Chu Qingyu.” Ancient, strange laughter echoed, “I’ve been waiting for you, waiting for a very long time. With you, this ritual can be complete.”

Speaking thus, the Grand Nuo’s hand formed eagle claws, reaching for Chu Li’s skull.

“Your gu isn’t obeying anymore. Let me plant you a new one!”

A figure rolled in, knocking Chu Li aside.

Chu Ruoying pulled down a bronze bell and shook it violently. The bell sound was like a soul-chasing rope, making people dizzy and disoriented.

The Grand Nuo’s movements slowed for a moment, and a bright blade swept upward, severing three of her fingers, which rolled to the ground.

Chu Ruoying, half her face splattered with blood like a demon reborn, saw the Grand Nuo’s face and was stunned for only an instant before stabbing another blade into the Grand Nuo’s waist.

“Traitor!” The Grand Nuo’s walking stick struck Chu Ruoying’s shoulder with a crack. Chu Ruoying smiled grimly, twisting the blade viciously in the wound. “This is for my sister!”

“Too naive.” The Grand Nuo’s lips moved, chanting a strange spell, and the wounds on her body writhed and healed.

Chu Ruoying clutched her chest as several black lines protruded under her skin, quickly crawling to her neck!

It was a witchcraft gu.

She had never realized she had been implanted with a witchcraft gu.

“Your sister betrayed me. Do you think I wouldn’t guard against you?” The Grand Nuo laughed hoarsely as moving threads emerged from the snake mouth at the top of her walking stick. The threads were crimson, so deep in color they seemed saturated with blood.

The red threads lashed out fiercely at both of them!

“Go!” Chu Ruoying resisted the gu’s control, embraced Chu Li, and they tumbled out through the high window.

Outside the window was wet grass.

Chu Ruoying served as a cushion, groaning as they landed. Chu Li, ignoring her dizziness, quickly got up. “Little Aunt, Little Aunt!”

Black lines had crawled to her face, looking quite frightening.

“The patrol guards are coming. I’ll lead them away!” Chu Ruoying forcefully caressed her face, wiping away tear tracks. “The ritual isn’t over – she won’t kill me. Don’t be afraid, run quickly!”

****

Three bronze bell tolls echoed through the deep mountains.

Lights lit up one after another in the sleeping building complex as Chu clan members ran through streets and alleys, searching with all their might for the two traitors.

The fire that Chu Ruoying had deliberately set earlier hadn’t been extinguished yet, stretching dozens of meters like a towering wall of fire.

Shouts and dog barks came from all directions.

“This way!” someone shouted loudly. “They went this way!”

Chu Li turned and rushed into a narrow alley, quickly lighting her last concealment talisman. The tracking hounds soon lost their target, sniffing and circling in place.

Torchlight rose and fell in the black night.

She endured various bruises and injuries from running and escaping, moving along the stone wall of the alley.

As long as she didn’t run directly into someone, her tracks would remain hidden for now.

But where could she hide?

The mountain gates were sealed. Even if she escaped tonight’s search, she couldn’t leave the deep mountains.

Chu Li hid in the alley as the noisy search sounds gradually moved away. The concealment talisman was about to lose its effect too. She had to find a safer hiding place.

She cautiously stepped out of the alley.

Not far away, several people carrying torches walked toward her. Chu Li immediately flashed back into the alley, praying for these people to leave quickly.

The hounds were restless and agitated, as if they smelled something.

“Seems to be here, don’t know where they’re hiding!” They pulled at a hound, searching carefully around the area.

A torch was raised to the alley entrance, and in an instant, four eyes met.

The jumping firelight and Chu Queling’s face reflected in Chu Li’s eyes.

There was struggle in her eyes, but it quickly became resolute.

“Follow me…” Chu Queling silently mouthed, quietly glancing back at her companions. Seeing no one paying attention here, she suddenly grabbed her hand.

Outside the alley were piles of deep, wide bamboo baskets.

Chu Queling’s heart pounded as she used the fastest speed to hide the person among the basket pile.

The hounds became more agitated, barking and running toward this area.

“Quick! Quick, come here, they ran out of the alley!” Chu Queling shouted loudly, her voice trembling.

With the basket inverted, Chu Li watched through the woven gaps as the shy, timid girl raised her torch and led several people with hounds rushing into the alley.

Footsteps and firelight gradually moved away.

This method couldn’t fool the hounds for long – the concealment talisman had completely lost its effect.

Chu Li pushed aside the basket, her gaze falling on the nearby cedar forest.

That place was somewhere the Chu family members dared not set foot.

****

Night wind howled past her ears, the air in her lungs grew thinner, Chu Li’s throat tasted of rust, and her legs had lost all sensation.

The blue-black stone steps were shrouded in faint mist, seemingly endless.

She stumbled and ran, with fires behind her forming a swaying sea mixed with frenzied dog barks.

Chu Li remembered the night when her mother had carried young her in their escape.

Back then, her mother had taken her to flee from the place where the deity resided.

Now, she was going to that very place.

The pursuing people didn’t understand what Chu Li was thinking. In their eyes, this was suicide.

The Grand Nuo had given a death order – she must be captured alive.

The stone steps finally reached their end. In the faint mist, the shrine stood in the night.

Unlike the daytime shrine, at night it had no vermillion gates, but as Chu Li had seen in her dreams, it was a towering gate composed of countless Nuo masks.

They were like seals, locking away the deity being worshipped.

“Creak——“

The heavy gate was torn apart by some force, slowly opening to both sides, welcoming the visitor.

Beyond the gate was a thick blackness that eyes could not penetrate.

The entire mountain seemed to fall into silence – not a single sound could be heard, only Chu Li’s rapid breathing and wild heartbeat.

Sweat streamed down her cheeks as she stood on the last stone step, as if standing on a cliff.

Whether advancing or retreating, both led to bottomless abysses.

“There!” A loud shout awakened Chu Li.

She looked back once – flickering firelight approached, revealing many fierce, malevolent faces.

These were the clan members connected to her by blood.

Chu Li turned and took a step forward.

Two steps, three steps… her black dress like a gust of wind, disappearing behind the deep gate.

“Bang!“

The shrine gate slammed shut with a thunderous sound.