Free Web NovelChapter 380: Chapter 354: The Mountain God is Angry, Everyone Prepare the Sacrificial Ceremony
Soon, they arrived at a residence located near the center of Xia Shui Village.
The residence was extraordinary, its scale quite grand.
A single glance was enough to reveal its distinct magnificence.
Every detail hinted at the family’s considerable wealth.
It was a three-story building constructed entirely of brick and stone, solid and unyielding.
The latticework on each story’s windows was carved with incredibly fine patterns.
These lifelike patterns depicted soaring dragons, phoenixes with spread wings, and blooming peonies.
They showcased an extremely high level of craftsmanship.
At the main entrance, a pair of tall, imposing stone lions sat majestically.
Like loyal guardians, they watched over the home, their solemn presence intimidating to all who looked upon them.
What was particularly eye-catching was the pair of "double happiness" characters pasted on the doorframe, so red they seemed to drip.
They were like two balls of fire, exuding a unique charm in the darkness.
The calligraphy was powerful and vigorous, each stroke seemingly carved by a master.
The edges of the characters were meticulously outlined in glittering gold trim.
Under the dim yellow light, they appeared even more dazzling,
perfectly complementing the uniquely festive atmosphere.
On the ground before the door, the remnants of firecrackers were mixed with dirt, with red paper scraps scattered about.
The edges of these scraps were slightly curled, and their color had faded.
Even so, one could still faintly recognize them from the remaining color and shape
as the traces left behind by exploded firecrackers.
They were the last marks of a once-bustling celebration, silently telling of joyful times past.
The air seemed to hold the faint smell of fireworks—
a unique scent, a mixture of sulfur and gunpowder,
with a barely perceptible hint of something burnt.
All these signs indicated that the family had recently held a grand wedding.
The newlyweds were supposed to be immersed in the sweet bliss of their new life together.
However, just as the afterglow of this joy had yet to fully fade,
lingering over the household like a wisp of smoke,
the sudden, shrill, and bloodcurdling scream from earlier, like an incomparably sharp dagger,
had mercilessly shattered the tranquility. That sound was like the cry of a vengeful ghost from the depths of Hell.
It echoed through the night sky, each note like the footstep of the Death God,
making one’s blood run cold, instantly dragging the wonderful atmosphere into an endless, dark abyss.
By now, a crowd of curious villagers had gathered outside the main gate.
Some villagers whispered in small groups,
their voices kept low as if afraid of disturbing something.
Others murmured in pairs, their eyes glinting with a mixture of curiosity and unease.
A variety of expressions were written on their faces:
surprise, confusion, and fear.
From time to time, someone in the crowd would look up at the red "double happiness" characters, which looked increasingly eerie in the night.
The red characters swayed gently in the breeze.
Bathed in the dim yellow light, the brilliant red
appeared jarringly bright, the color like fresh, dripping blood,
looking as though it could start streaming down the doorframe at any moment, creating a powerful visual and psychological shock.
At this moment, the red was no longer just a symbol of celebration.
Under the combined influence of the dark night and the crowd’s fear,
it had taken on another meaning—
one that struck fear and unease deep into people’s hearts.
Whenever a gust of night wind blew past, the red "double happiness" characters would sway gently.
The glaring crimson danced in people’s eyes,
like a silent warning, or a summons from the Dark World.
Everyone who witnessed this scene felt an involuntary chill run down their spine.
A cold dread shot up from the soles of their feet to their hearts, and their pulses quickened uncontrollably, threatening to leap out of their throats.
When Chu He and the others arrived and saw the scene inside,
everyone gasped in horror, the hair on their bodies standing on end.
Deep within the courtyard of the three-story building,
an extravagantly decorated wedding bed stood silently.
The bed’s main color was a red so vibrant it was almost jarring,
a rich crimson that looked as if it had been dyed with fresh blood,
creating a powerful visual impact.
The silk duvet was embroidered with incredibly intricate gold thread patterns.
The gold thread shimmered faintly in the candlelight.
The exquisite patterns depicted mandarin ducks symbolizing love and a dragon and phoenix signifying good fortune.
Every detail was perfect. It should have been a symbol of celebration and happiness.
But now, the wedding bed was shrouded in a suffocating, cold atmosphere.
On the bed, a young man and woman lay quietly.
Their faces had long lost their former life and vitality,
replaced by a horrifying death mask.
Their faces were covered in blood blisters of all sizes.
Some of the blisters had burst, and blood trickled down their cheeks,
leaving dark red stains on the bedsheets.
The whites of their eyes were showing as they stared blankly at the sky,
their gazes filled with despair and indignation,
as if they had seen something utterly terrifying in their final moments.
Their bodies lay on the wedding bed in twisted, unnatural positions.
Their limbs were bent at strange angles,
as if they had been carelessly arranged by a pair of invisible hands. It was a sight too gruesome to behold.
A circle of white candles was placed around the wedding bed.
They burned quietly, emitting a faint, eerie light.
The flames of these candles were a pale white,
the color of spectral fire from Hell. They gave off no warmth, only an endless chill.
In the darkness, the flames swayed gracefully,
adding to the sinister, horrifying atmosphere of the scene.
Occasionally, a flame would suddenly leap,
its momentary brightness like an eye suddenly opening in the dark, watching everything and inspiring heart-pounding terror.
Even more terrifying, a massive flock of crows had gathered around the wedding bed.
They stood densely packed on branches, eaves, and in every corner of the courtyard.
The scene was like a black ocean, tightly encircling the entire courtyard,
making one feel as if they had fallen into a dark abyss.
The crows’ feathers glistened faintly in the dark,
a sheen like a cold light in the shadows, exuding a mysterious and evil aura.
Their eyes, glinting with greed and curiosity, were all fixed on the wedding bed.
Their gazes were like those of onlookers at a feast,
or participants in a mysterious and terrifying sacrificial rite.
Now and then, they would let out low, hoarse caws that echoed in the night sky like the whispers of the Death God.
Each note was like a cold knife slicing across one’s eardrums, filling them with a deep chill.
Their wings would occasionally flap gently, stirring up clouds of dust.
The dust danced in the dim light, making the entire scene even more hazy and bizarre, as if one had stepped into a surreal and terrifying world.
"Who would put a circle of white candles around a wedding bed? That’s too scary,"
a young woman whispered, her voice trembling. Her face was as pale as paper, her eyes full of fear.
"The Mountain God is angry. Everyone, prepare for the sacrificial ceremony."
Just then, an ancient yet commanding voice suddenly came from behind the crowd,
making everyone present shudder.
