Free Web NovelWatching grand operas during the Chinese New Year is a custom that has always existed in the areas surrounding Hua City, likely originating from sacrificial rituals to deities closely related to life, such as the River God and Kitchen God.
As the saying goes, "The year begins after the Laba Festival." In the past, large and small temple fairs were held in Hua City and its surrounding areas every year as the Laba Festival approached.
At these temple fairs, there were always opera troupes performing.
At that time, light snow was falling from the sky, colorful ribbons danced in the wind on the long street, red lanterns swayed in the breeze, and the sound of firecrackers came from afar.
People came and went at the temple fair, wisps of cooking smoke drifted from the roadside food stalls, accompanied by the hawking along the street, and as soon as the gongs and drums sounded and the painted-face characters appeared on the stage, a melodious opera tune rang out.
It was exceptionally lively!
However, no matter what kind of custom, it is easily lost in the passage of time, especially in this era of rapid urban development and ever-changing forms of entertainment.
Furthermore, many traditional crafts in the past emphasized single lineage transmission, passing only to sons and not daughters, and singing opera was not a lucrative skill, so many young people were unwilling to learn it, leading to its gradual decline.
Over time, there were fewer people watching operas, and fewer people singing them, and even temple fairs were not held many times throughout the year.
Even if they were, they were filled with a strong commercial atmosphere.
Of course, Gu Qianqian liked this kind of temple fair the most; every year at the temple fair, she would sell various things, set up a stall for games like ring toss, and always make a significant profit.
However, while many traditional customs gradually disappeared in the cities, similar customs still lingered on the outskirts of the cities, in the villages scattered around them.
Every year after the Minor Cold, these villages gradually became lively; neighboring villages would gather together, successively set up stages, and take turns inviting performers, with singing and dancing lasting from the Minor Cold until New Year's Eve.
Of course, this kind of activity, similar in nature to a gala, besides being lively, also had a hidden competition among themselves.
Simply put, whichever village had the most exciting performance and the biggest spectacle would gain face.
Regarding the issue of a village's face, everyone contributed money if they had it and effort if they could; according to past situations, the performances from the first and last villages were often the most spectacular.
Baiyanzi Village, located at the junction of Hua City and Yue City, was the first village among the surrounding villages to set up a stage this year.
The village had invited an opera troupe after a long time, busily set up the stage, and was about to perform a grand opera.
However, on the evening of the performance, the entire village, including the more than three hundred people from neighboring villages who came to join the fun, seemed to have vanished overnight, with no sign of the living or the dead.
----
Du Sixian drove from Peony Street in the early morning and only arrived at the town more than ten kilometers away from Baiyanzi Village just after noon.
When she arrived in the town, it seemed that a market had just finished; pedestrians were hurrying along the street, blocking the road completely.
Facing this situation, Du Sixian simply parked her car by the roadside, found a small noodle shop, and planned to have lunch and rest for a while.
Many of the people who came to the town market were from relatively remote surrounding villages and rarely had the chance to see luxury cars. Du Sixian's stylish G63 parked by the roadside almost became a scenic spot, and during her meal, quite a few onlookers gathered, pointing and commenting.
When Du Sixian came out of the restaurant, she saw a crowd gathered around her car, pointing and touching it, but she didn't get angry. She walked up with a smile, wanting to find someone to ask about the situation in Baiyanzi Village.
However, before she could even speak, the onlookers saw the car's owner return and immediately scattered like thieves.
Only a limping boy with freckles on his face, around twelve or thirteen years old, was stopped by Du Sixian because of his difficulty walking.
"Little friend, don't run! Sister won't hurt you, Sister just wants to ask you something."
Hearing this, the boy looked at Du Sixian with unfriendly eyes and remained silent.
Seeing this, Du Sixian pouted, got into the car, grabbed a handful of snacks, and stuffed them into the boy's hand, raising an eyebrow and saying, "Can Sister ask you questions now?"
The boy looked at the exquisitely packaged snacks in his hand, then looked at Du Sixian, licked his dry lips, and nodded.
"Sister is asking you! Do you live near here?" Du Sixian smiled.
The boy nodded.
"Is it far from Baiyanzi Village?"
Hearing Du Sixian mention Baiyanzi Village, the boy was startled, a clear hint of hesitation appeared on his face, but after looking at the snacks in his hand again, he nodded.
"Just five li."
The area around Hua City is mostly mountainous, with rugged terrain and winding, complex roads; even the Night Watch's map has difficulty accurately marking every road.
If one accidentally takes a wrong turn, it could take one or two hours, or even more, to reach the desired destination.
Du Sixian was originally worried that it would take a lot of time to successfully reach Baiyanzi Village without someone to guide her.
Now that she met this boy who lived not far from Baiyanzi Village, her heart suddenly filled with joy.
"Great, Sister wants to go to Baiyanzi Village now, can you lead the way for Sister?"
Hearing that Du Sixian wanted to go to Baiyanzi Village, the boy's face immediately changed, and he subconsciously took two steps back and shook his head.
He seemed a little scared? Is it because of the strange things that have happened in Baiyanzi Village recently? Du Sixian muttered to herself and continued, "Little friend, don't be scared. You don't need to take Sister into Baiyanzi Village, just take me nearby and point the way."
"How about all the snacks in the car are yours when we get there?"
The boy continued to shake his head, and finally simply threw the snacks in his hand onto the ground and limped away.
"Hey! Don't go! What else do you want, I can buy it for you!" Du Sixian shouted after the boy's retreating figure. freёwebnovel.com
However, her words were met with the boy's reply, "Fool, that place is haunted, I'm not going!"
Du Sixian, "..."
Watching the boy's figure gradually disappear into the crowd, a hint of gloom quietly rose in her heart.
----
Du Sixian didn't pay too much attention to the boy's unusual reaction.
The strange disappearance of the villagers in Baiyanzi Village had happened four or five days ago, and it must have spread throughout the surrounding area by now.
It's not strange that some people don't want to go near there.
In fact, the Night Watch had received a report three days ago and dispatched the Special Operations Team to investigate, but they found no residual Spiritual Energy fluctuations or traces of urban legend activity.
Those villagers really seemed to have evaporated like a wisp of smoke and drifted away.
Strange it was, but it left no trace.
This time, Du Sixian came only to make a final confirmation.
Just after one o'clock in the afternoon, after a short rest, Du Sixian, after reporting to Lu Yibei and An Qing, embarked on the journey alone.
Leaving the town, she followed the route indicated by the navigation towards the village deep in the mountains.
The first half of the journey was relatively normal; small buses and tractors traveling between villages could occasionally be seen on the road.
The only frustrating thing was that from time to time, villagers would pass by herding cattle, sheep, chickens, and ducks; these animals walked slowly, with the leisurely posture of strolling after dinner, which was annoying to watch, but she had to stop the car and let them pass.
In the latter half of the journey, the closer she got to Baiyanzi Village, the fewer vehicles and pedestrians were on the road, and eventually, they all disappeared completely.
The car drove on the road surrounded by mountains; looking around, there were forests everywhere, with withered yellow leaves hanging on twisted, luxuriant branches, blocking the view from all angles.
Cracks also gradually appeared on the concrete road built alongside the mountains; perhaps due to the melting snow a few days ago, some mud and sand were washed onto the road surface, and the wheels made a soft "shasha" sound as they rolled over it.
...
A distance of more than ten li is not far, but it took Du Sixian more than two hours to cover it.
By the time she arrived at the entrance of Baiyanzi Village, it was already past three ten in the afternoon.
It always gets dark particularly early in the mountains; it was only just past ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ three o'clock, but Baiyanzi Village was already gloomy, and as the temperature dropped, mist gradually drifted through this village located at the foot of the mountain, making everything in sight indistinct and hazy.
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The whole world seemed to be becoming confusing and unpredictable.
Parking the car at the village entrance, Du Sixian took out a stab-proof vest made of Alchemy materials and put it on under her Coat, carefully checked the magazine of her pistol and the spare magazine, tucked a few standard Spells into her pocket, brought two bottles of Pure Silver, and of course, her beloved camera, before getting out of the car and walking towards the village.
At this time of dim and unclear light, the village seemed to be silently enveloped by a huge shadow.
Du Sixian walked through the village, hearing nothing but the sound of her own footsteps, as if she had stumbled into a deserted village left empty for years.
The windows of every building were pitch black, showing no light, making her feel vaguely that someone might be hiding in the darkness, peering out with strange eyes.
From the outside, Baiyanzi Village, apart from being empty, was like most surrounding villages, with brick courtyards and small buildings, as well as a few houses built of stone.
The only thing worth noting was the small Western-style building deep within the village; its style was very different from the surroundings.
Its pointed gray roof was like a strange large hat, pressing heavily down, while the facade was like a pale face. The few windows were dark holes, appearing unfathomable.
It stood there lifelessly, without a trace of human presence.
The moment Du Sixian stepped into the village, standing in the narrow alley, the moss-covered walls on either side seemed to suddenly close in, making it hard to breathe.
It felt as if countless eyes were watching her from the shadows, sending shivers down her spine.
But...
Having undergone the nightmare baptism that Mengmeng had upgraded three times consecutively, in terms of courage alone, she was no longer the same as before. Now, she even chased after the urban legend in her dreams, using them to practice her Spell, much to Mengmeng's embarrassment, whose ability to construct terrifying scenes was limited.
There's nothing to be afraid of. The Special Operations Team members have already investigated, and there are no signs of urban legend activity here.
Furthermore, didn't Senior Lu say?
urban legend are mostly outwardly strong but inwardly weak. As long as you're not afraid of them, just charge through boldly! Du Sixian muttered to herself, continuing deeper into the village.
As she passed a house, she noticed the door was open. After gently knocking, she bravely walked inside.
Upon entering, she was met with a dining table set with bowls and plates. The food in the bowls and plates had long since highly decomposed, turning into a black paste. Small white worms wriggled within, emitting a foul odor.
Seeing this, Du Sixian quickly covered her mouth and nose and backed out of the house, a hint of doubt rising in her heart.
Although the winter in Hua City this year was warm, the temperature wasn't particularly high. How could that food have decomposed to such an extent in just four or five days?
Moreover, it looked like they had finished eating and were in a hurry to go watch the opera without even having time to clean up. They didn't even lock the door when they left, so they should have returned quickly.
So, did the villagers disappear while watching the opera? Du Sixian wondered.
As she pondered, she looked up towards the depths of the village, her gaze falling upon the small Western-style building that stood out from the village, and then she took a step forward.
According to the information provided by the Elder brothers of the Special Operations Team, the stage was set up on the open ground in front of the small Western-style building.
When Du Sixian arrived at the open ground in front of the small Western-style building, she was surprised to find that it backed onto a small river about twenty meters wide.
The small river flowed around the small Western-style building, silent and still, heading towards the depths of the mountains.
Perhaps to save space and make more room for the audience, the simple stage built with steel pipes and wood extended from the open ground, with a portion hanging over the river.
At this moment, the few strands of red decorative cloth and red lanterns on the stage swayed in the wind. Under the dim light of the sky, there was no hint of festivity; instead, it exuded a chilling strangeness.
Beneath the stage, many long benches were arranged, empty and deserted, yet many clothes were scattered around, making it feel as though the audience was still seated there, staring blankly ahead.
"Life is forced, a fleeting moment, startled and panicked, lost... Oh, how it pains me so... Leaving me, my form and shadow, so lonely and desolate..."
Suddenly, a line of opera singing seemed to pierce Du Sixian's ears like an illusion. She paused slightly, concentrating to listen closely, but heard only the sound of the wind.
A hallucination? But I clearly heard it! Du Sixian muttered.
That line of opera singing seemed to enter her mind like an illusion, leaving clear words, only to disappear in an instant.
Du Sixian was not familiar with opera. Relying on her memory, she took out her phone and searched online for what she had just heard. After finding the source, her face changed slightly.
That passage of opera was from 'The Palace of Eternal Life: Weeping Over the Statue'.
It was a funeral opera...
Du Sixian looked up again. Those fluttering red silks and red lanterns, under the gradually dimming sky, seemed to fade, their colors becoming dull. In a trance, only gray and white remained before her eyes.
It looked as if several people were standing on the stage, each wearing loose opera costumes, all standing at the front of the stage, their backs turned, motionless.
Her heart skipped a beat. She composed herself and looked at the stage again, but everything she had just seen seemed to disappear like an illusion, and everything returned to normal.
The wind swept up the objects left by the vanished villagers on the ground, gently shaking them and making faint rustling sounds. Within the range of her spiritual perception, there was no trace of Spiritual Energy fluctuations remaining.
Du Sixian, "..."
It seems something terrible did happen here, otherwise the Special Operations Team wouldn't have asked me to come and confirm after their investigation.
But why is there no trace of Spiritual Energy fluctuations remaining? Du Sixian wondered.
...
After a brief stop at the open ground in front of the small Western-style building, Du Sixian spent some time investigating inside the building.
Inside the small Western-style building, like everywhere else in the village, there were still no residual Spiritual Energy fluctuations. Judging from the award certificates and banners hanging in the study, this seemed to be the home of the Baiyanzi Village chief.
What was strange was that it seemed no one had lived here for a long time; thick dust covered the floor, furniture, and walls, and there were a few spiderwebs hanging in the corners of the ceiling.
Even stranger to Du Sixian was that the dust was densely covered with messy footprints, making it unclear whether they were left by humans or something else.
...
She investigated in Baiyanzi Village for over an hour and also took the lilies for testing Spiritual Energy fluctuations from the car. After finding no abnormalities, the sky had become very dark.
Du Sixian was worried that staying in this eerie place after dark might be dangerous, so she decided to leave first, find a hotel in the town to stay, and return the next morning to complete the final cleanup.
Although Lu Yibei told her to charge through if she encountered urban legend, for safety's sake, it was best to avoid direct confrontation with urban legend as much as possible.
Before leaving, she passed by the stage again. The messy footprints in the small Western-style building flashed through her mind. A thought struck her, and she jogged back to her car to retrieve a tripod and a power bank.
Returning to the open ground, she adjusted the angle and set up the camera in front of the stage. After securing the tripod with a Spell, she left feeling satisfied.
"Maybe I can record some important clues,"
Du Sixian muttered to herself, looking thoughtfully at the tripod in the distance.
----
Late at night, Baiyanzi Village.
On the open ground in front of the small Western-style building, a tripod stood alone in the cold and damp mountain wind. The camera on it was still running, its night recording mode lens capturing the empty and deserted stage.
"Life is forced, a fleeting moment, startled and panicked, lost... Oh, how it pains me so... Leaving me, my form and shadow, so lonely and desolate..."
A line of opera singing emerged from somewhere, and the camera screen immediately flickered with patches of what looked like static from a bad signal.
Immediately after, a group of people in opera costumes appeared as if from nowhere, suddenly showing up in the frame.
The open ground remained empty.
Immediately after, in the frame, paper money drifted from somewhere, covering the sky and earth, falling like snowflakes.
A long line of people, their opera costumes appearing only in black and white in night recording mode, slowly walked towards the river, their cries earth-shattering and heartbreaking, tears blurring their faces, paint mixed with tears, distorting their makeup into chilling shapes.
They continued to wail mournfully and slowly walk forward, as if to send something continuously to another world.
Then...
"Clang--!"
On the empty and deserted open ground, the tripod was pushed down forcefully as if by someone, then dragged and moved sideways for more than ten meters, crashing heavily against the wall in the distance, scattering fragments everywhere...
