Free Web NovelThe dark, dilapidated thatched cottage hadn't been inhabited for a long time. Dust covered everything. There was no furniture inside, only a wooden plank bed without even a straw mat. The room's window was not much bigger than a football, making it feel almost like being in a prison.
Strangely, in a room like this, which should have been filled with dirt and grime, there wasn't even the slightest sign of insects or rodents. It seemed as though life itself kept its distance.
The moment the wooden door was locked, the system noticed something strange. Only when it was completely quiet outside did it guide Gu Qianqian to step forward and inspect the wooden door.
Her slender, fair hand fumbled in the darkness for a while. Her fingertips felt the damp wood, and the entire door panel was smooth.
"system, it's true! Just as you thought, this door only has a lock on the outside," Gu Qianqian whispered.
"Mm, I know," the system replied.
It's not strange for a wooden door of this kind of house to have a lock on the outside, but there would usually be a bolt or something similar on the inside to prevent people from breaking in.
However, the wooden door of this thatched cottage not only lacked a bolt but didn't even have a doorknob. It seemed as if it had been intentionally made this way from the start.
Why would it be made this way?
Could it be that this thatched cottage was originally built to imprison something?
But what would this old man and young man build a room like a prison for, in a mountain deity temple? As the system was thinking, Gu Qianqian's words suddenly interrupted its thoughts.
"system, have we been tricked? I feel like my current situation is like a Miss being trafficked into a deep mountain ravine to be someone's wife! That's how it's always shown in TV dramas!" Gu Qianqian said gloomily.
system, "..."
"Gu Qianqian, you're overthinking it. No human trafficker could abduct a Miss to a place like this."
What's more, the deep mountain ravines are already poor enough. You eat so much in one meal; if any family bought you, they would definitely lose money, not profit, the system added silently in its mind.
...
Not long after the man with the ferocious face left, a gentle rain began to fall from the sky. The raindrops landed in the water tanks in the small courtyard, making soft sounds that masked all other noises.
But the rain, falling from the sky into the water tanks, seemed to be swallowed by something. They could never be filled, and not a drop of water overflowed.
In the dark environment, listening to the constant, faint sounds coming from the water tanks for a long time, it felt as if countless small hands were slowly, gently, tapping against the walls of the tanks from inside.
"system..." In the darkness, Gu Qianqian's voice softly sounded, seemingly carrying a hint of resentment, "I think I did something wrong just now."
This Gu Qianqian actually learned to reflect on herself? The system muttered inwardly and asked in surprise, "What thing?"
"Just now, I should have asked that Uncle about the situation in the village. That way, I would have completed the mission, right? And completing the mission means I can eat, right?" Gu Qianqian said weakly.
"Unfortunately, I was scared by his appearance just now. I'm so hungry now..."
"Gu Qianqian..." The system hesitated, perhaps feeling a little pity for Gu Qianqian's pathetic appearance. It pondered for a moment before finally reminding her, "You still have a chance to complete the mission. Didn't that person just say not to go out no matter what you hear?"
Other hosts try every possible way to complete their missions after receiving them. Why do I have to guide mine step-by-step? The system thought angrily, why not just give it to you for free? This kind of host is utterly ridiculous!
"That's right!" Gu Qianqian nodded and said, "This way, I'll have to wait until morning to ask him questions, which means I'll only be able to eat in the morning."
"No, Gu Qianqian!" The system continued to prompt, "My point is, don't listen to him. If you hear any strange sounds later, you must go out and see. That way, you can complete the mission."
"For ordinary people in this bizarre environment, listening to the mysterious NPC's advice is indeed a life-saving choice. But you are the protagonist, understand? A protagonist is someone who won't die even if they chase after urban legend."
You probably won't die, as long as the urban legend that appear aren't too outrageously strong... the system added subtly in its mind.
"Understood," Gu Qianqian nodded and replied.
She was so hungry she was seeing stars. At this point, as long as she could eat, that was all that mattered. If anyone dared to stop her, she would smash their head in!
...
The rain outside the window grew heavier, the night wind howled, and the rustling of tree branches sounded as if something sinister was approaching the dilapidated temple in a trance.
Gu Qianqian curled up on the wooden bed board, her eyes fixed on the small window of the wooden house. She used her desire to eat to constantly fight against the urge to sleep. After several hours of staring blankly, she finally heard strange noises coming from the small courtyard.
"Creak—!" A mournful sound of a door being pushed open echoed. The sound didn't come from any of the rooms in the small courtyard, but from the main gate of the temple.
Sensing several waves of foul, cold Spiritual Energy suddenly entering its spiritual perception range, the system quickly reminded Gu Qianqian in her mind, "Gu Qianqian, Gu Qianqian, stop spacing out, they're here!"
The moment the system's voice fell silent, the rain suddenly intensified. The darkness in the sky cracked, thunder roared unusually loudly, and brilliant blue lightning illuminated the sprawling black mountain range.
Then, the thunder gradually stopped, and everything became eerily quiet. But the quieter it became, the more unsettling it felt. Before long, a soft rustling sound came from outside the temple's dilapidated courtyard wall.
The sound seemed like something was moving. The footsteps were chaotic, as if several people were huddled together, shuffling forward.
Gu Qianqian got out of bed and tiptoed to the smooth door panel. She pressed herself against the door and looked through the crack towards # Nоvеlight # the small courtyard.
From outside the temple's main gate, a wave of cold air suddenly drifted in. Half a minute later, several women wearing large red coats walked in.
Their figures were almost identical. On their pale faces, like those of frozen corpses, hung small pieces of red cloth covering their eyes and foreheads, leaving only their unnaturally pointed faces, like those of over-plastic-surgery victims, and a pair of dark red lips exposed.
The blood-colored lanterns they carried instantly dyed the entire courtyard a scarlet red.
But strangely, the water in the tanks was not dyed. It was pitch black, as if filled with foul, dark liquid, or like gaping mouths swallowing light.
Against this stark red and black backdrop, the women moved forward, their legs stiff, walking on tiptoes, seemingly hopping forward. Yet, their speed was not slow at all. In just a few breaths, they crossed the center of the small courtyard and stopped.
The moment they stopped, the water tanks in the small courtyard suddenly began to tremble. It was as if something had awakened inside the tanks, violently slapping against their walls, splashing countless droplets of water, as if boiling.
Amidst the splashing sounds of water, the door of the thatched cottage where the tall man lived was pushed open. He hurried out of the house, bowed respectfully towards the women, and then turned and walked towards one of the water tanks.
The man walked up to the water tank, paused briefly, then rolled up his sleeves and abruptly plunged his hand into the pitch-black water. Immediately, his expression turned painful and distorted.
As the man put his hand into the water tank, the water inside immediately churned more violently. Not long after, accompanied by a painful groan, the man yanked his hand out of the water tank. On his arm, there was now something extra.
It was a deformed infant with pale, bluish skin all over, a highly distended abdomen, still attached to an umbilical cord, and legs like they had no bones, coiled together in a circle. On its head grew long, dark hair that was completely disproportionate to its size, resembling seaweed.
The infant opened its mouth wide and swallowed the man's arm up to the elbow. Two bone-white fangs, like those of a venomous snake, sank into the man's flesh. Bright red blood slowly flowed down his arm and into the infant's mouth.
Seeing this, the system instantly understood where the ferocious and strange scars on the man's face came from. They were most likely bitten by those ghostly things in the water tanks!
The man endured the intense pain of being bitten by the infant and walked in front of the women. He raised his arm high, presenting the deformed infant to them, and said a few words with a fawning expression.
The women faced the man and remained silent for a long time. Then, they all shook their heads in unison. Their head-shaking posture was bizarre; three or five of them moved identically, with not the slightest difference even in the arc of their heads. They looked like puppets who had lost their souls.
Seeing this, the man gritted his teeth and turned to enter the room where the old man who had brought Gu Qianqian earlier was. Soon, he came back out and closed the door. The deformed infant was no longer on his arm.
Immediately after, a series of hair-raising screams came from the room where the old man was. Vaguely, the women let out excited laughter.
Only when the screams from the room completely stopped did the man continue walking towards the next water tank. Then, in just over ten minutes, he repeated the process of taking an infant from the tank, handing it to the strange women for confirmation, and going into the room to dispose of the unqualified infants several times.
"system... that child..." In the darkness, having witnessed the scenes before her, Gu Qianqian couldn't help but whisper a question to the system.
"Should have been disposed of, right?"
"With these people doing this, the mothers of those children are all... Oh, no, they might not have mothers."
system, "..."
Just as the man walked towards another water tank, the women suddenly stopped him and said something in low voices.
The man's eyes immediately filled with fear and unease. With a "thump," he knelt before the women, shaking his head desperately and babbling explanations, as if vehemently denying something.
The women stared at the man without moving. Then, they all turned their bodies in unison and looked towards Gu Qianqian's direction. They all raised their hands together, then tilted their heads back ninety degrees and let out a series of high-pitched screams that were difficult for the human ear to hear.
Amidst those screams, shadows constantly flickered around the temple. Occasionally, strange sounds could be heard, as if someone was hiding outside the temple, scraping the walls with sharp fingernails, making a sound that set teeth on edge.
Evil entities were awakening. Terrifying and ominous Spiritual Energy fluctuations enveloped the entire village.
"system... we seem to have been discovered?"
"Be more confident, remove'seem to have'," the system said. "Now that you've been discovered, you know what to do next, right?" freeweɓnovel.cøm
"I understand, I understand!" Gu Qianqian replied twice. She grabbed the metal baton next to her, kicked the door panel in front of her flying with one foot, pointed at the women in red, and shouted, "Let that Uncle go! Whatever it is, come at me!"
What did the system say before? Oh, right, as long as I kill all the enemies who discover my presence, then it doesn't count as a failed stealth mission! Gu Qianqian thought.
