Free Web NovelChapter 1786: Chapter 1024: Entering the Game with One’s Own Life, Defying Heaven Itself
Before 4:30 PM, Yang Xiao and Qingshui Cangjie returned to the hotel, followed shortly by Beiyu Ye and Heize Lin driving back.
The group exchanged the clues they had gathered, and this time they discovered the existence of the Village Guardian Tide Woman, a crucial lead.
Through the talisman left at Jiangmu Road Shrine, Beiyu Ye could confirm that they had found the Source Ghost mentioned in their mission, which was the Village Guardian Tide Woman.
The urgent task now was to quickly establish the identity of the Village Guardian Tide Woman and the truth behind her death.
This was beyond their capability, or rather, by the time they found any information, a week would have already passed.
They had no choice but to pin their hopes on the scarred man, making it a costly gambit.
As the evening approached, everyone gathered in the hotel lobby on the first floor. The hotel’s glass doors had not been locked, and the person responsible for locking them seemed to be delayed tonight.
A few minutes later, the screech of brakes echoed outside the hotel, as a black SUV skidded to a stop about ten meters from the hotel entrance.
The car door opened, and several figures quickly stepped out. They looked familiar—it was the same group they had squabbled with earlier—but this time, they were all armed.
One of the men, dressed like a minor leader, lifted a finger to point at Qingshui Cangjie, then gestured, clearly signaling him to come out.
"Mr. Qingshui, you can’t go out!" Heize Lin was worried that the important ally he had finally gained might meet a tragic end.
"What do they want? Why are they armed?" The scene also shocked Nishimura Yuna, as it was clear these people were up to no good.
However, Qingshui Cangjie, not betrayed by his reputation as a leader, acted exceptionally calm, his face showing no fear, as he walked outside composedly, "You all stay here."
But just as Qingshui Cangjie made a few steps outside, another figure followed, not the lackey Heize Lin, but Yang Xiao.
"Mr. Qingshui, we’re companions, I’ll accompany you," said Yang Xiao smoothly, though in truth, he feared this guy might hoard the information.
He judged that this group wasn’t here to kill anyone; otherwise, there was no need to come at this hour with dusk approaching.
Seeing someone taking the lead, Heize Lin and the others made a move to follow, but after just a few steps, they were forced back by the dark muzzles of the guns.
In the end, only Qingshui Cangjie and Yang Xiao approached the SUV, and as they got closer, they could see a man sitting in the back, his face hidden behind sunglasses, but Yang Xiao recognized him instantly—it was the head thug, the scarred man.
The scarred man waved them over, signaling them to get in the car. Once they were seated, he closed the car door and tossed them a leather bag.
Opening it, they found a manila envelope inside, stamped by the Ogura County Archives, containing an investigation report.
This investigation report completely unveiled the mystery of the Village Guardian Tide Woman and uncovered that long-buried tragic history.
The real name of the Village Guardian Tide Woman was Puchuan Xiaoman. The first half of the events were similar to what was inscribed on the stone tablet: Puchuan Xiaoman’s husband disappeared during a fishing trip at sea, and from then on, there was no news. Deeply in love with her husband, Puchuan Xiaoman often went to the mountains alone, gazing into the distance, hoping for her husband’s return until that night.
While on the mountain, Puchuan Xiaoman inadvertently discovered pirates. She immediately rushed down the mountain, lighting her fishing lantern and shouting loudly to warn the villagers. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
Thanks to Puchuan Xiaoman’s warning, most of the villagers narrowly escaped and hid in the mountains with her guidance.
This infuriated the pirates, who quickly devised a vicious plan. They sent an unsheltered villager up the mountain to convey a message, threatening that if they did not send the messenger down tied up, they would set the village on fire, burning down all houses.
The seaside fishing village had few riches, and each thatched hut was their greatest treasure. Puchuan Xiaoman, having no power or influence, was just a helpless widow. The villagers, weighing their options, hardly needed to deliberate before they bound the unsuspecting Puchuan Xiaoman and sent her down.
The pirates made a bonfire on the beach, subjecting Puchuan Xiaoman to inhuman torture. They gouged out her eyes, cut off her ears, nose, lips, and tongue, casting the mutilated Puchuan Xiaoman repeatedly into the sea. The agony from the saltwater in her wounds forced Puchuan Xiaoman to crawl desperately towards the shore each time.
But it was all in vain. Every time she was about to reach the shore, she was kicked back brutally. The pirates sat around the bonfire, laughing boisterously, until finally, the grievously injured Puchuan Xiaoman died in agony by the shore.
Until her last breath, she cursed the pirates and the treacherous villagers, damning them to face dire consequences.
And indeed, as she foretold, after slaughtering Puchuan Xiaoman, the pirates began to massacre the villagers who were escorting her downhill. After the killings, they set the village on fire.
The flames ravaged the entire village that night, lighting up half the sky. The villagers hiding in the mountains watched helplessly, too terrified to descend and extinguish the fire. At dawn, having had their fill, the pirates set sail and departed.
Once confirmed that the pirates had left, the remaining villagers dared to come down. They collected Puchuan Xiaoman’s body by the shore. Knowing what they had done, fearing her resentment would transform her into a Fierce Ghost seeking revenge, they spent a fortune to find a Spirit Suppressing Master. In a shadowy cave on the mountain, they built a temple for Puchuan Xiaoman, which they called a shrine, but in truth, it was for suppression.
