༺ 𓆩 Chapter 93 𓆪 ༻
「Translator — Creator」
᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃
At eight in the evening, a faint mist drifted through Pingshan Village. Unlike the western village, the eastern village was cloaked in absolute silence. No sound could be heard save for the faint rustling of insects nearby and the shuffling steps of wax corpses beneath her feet.
After Bai Yu destroyed the Mother Ashes, most of the curse had lifted.
Though there were still wax corpses roaming the village, they were far less dangerous now. Bai Yu had even released control of Zhao Mingyue’s body, allowing her to slowly adjust to the aftermath of her “development.”
There was another reason for that as well — Bai Yu couldn’t be certain that Zhao Mingyue’s body had emerged unscathed. After all, she was only possessing it. She could move it, control its actions, but not truly feel what the body was experiencing.
If Zhao Mingyue were freezing to death at that very moment, Bai Yu wouldn’t even be able to tell.
The instant Mingyue regained control of her body, her knees almost gave out beneath her.
During the time Bai Yu had held her body in possession while Mingyue’s mind remained conscious, it had been like sleep paralysis — her thoughts racing while her limbs lay frozen.
And now, all she could feel was pain. Overwhelming pain.
Every muscle in her body ached with a deep, throbbing fatigue. Her legs felt like they were filled with lead, and even taking a single step felt like hauling stone.
And yet, this pain, for all its intensity, remained somehow within her limits — strangely even. If someone asked her to name the spot that hurt most, she couldn’t. Because every inch of her body hurt. Absolutely every inch.
As Zhao Mingyue's legs gave out beneath her, Bai Yu manifested in front of her and moved to catch her.
The moment she appeared, Mingyue latched onto her like she was the last lifeline in the world.
No one knew where the strength came from, but she threw her arms around Bai Yu, clinging to her with her full weight, refusing to let go.
“Bai Yu, my dear Sister Yu,” she whimpered pitifully, “I don’t think I’ll ever have to worry about losing weight again. If I ever want to lose weight, you just need to possess me a few more times —the results would be guaranteed. Do it a few more times, and I couldn't help but lose weight!"
The mask on her face dissolved into blood-red threads and vanished, revealing Zhao Mingyue’s teary-eyed, exhausted expression.
“But seriously… thank you, Sister Yu. Without you, I probably would’ve gone my whole life not knowing that my body could do such insane, high-level moves.”
"I had no idea I could kick a hundred-jin corpse and send it flying three or four meters away."
{T/N note - Jin is a traditional chinese unit of weight, approximately 0.5 kg, making the corpse about 50 kg}
Bai Yu held the pitiful, clingy Zhao Mingyue in her arms and let out a quiet cough at her words.
“Ahem… The fact that you're only sore instead of completely crippled means your physical limits are still far from being reached.”
“Oh. So if I were any weaker, would I really have been crippled?”
“No. The human body is full of surprises. And I know what I’m doing.”
They stayed like that for a while, Mingyue clinging to Bai Yu as if refusing to let the warmth go.
Eventually, she forced herself to rise to her feet, wincing with every motion; the soreness was still there — sharp and unrelenting — but if she took a moment to adjust, she could walk.
She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but something about her body felt different. Lighter, almost. If the soreness faded, she had a feeling she’d be stronger than most people.
Perhaps this was one of those blessings in disguise?
Had Bai Yu… unlocked her meridians?
She had watched Bai Yu fight from beginning to end — every move, every strike. She had even fantasized, just for a moment, that maybe someday she could become that strong too.
Then she wouldn’t be a burden to others.
Even if she couldn’t reach that level, improving her physical condition would be a start.
And besides — if a fight ever broke out, couldn’t Bai Yu just possess her again?
“Sister Yu, why do you think Lu Liangting was chosen as the groom?” Zhao Mingyue asked, glancing at her companion as they walked toward the family feast. “There had to be plenty of other candidates.”
“His body.”
“His… body?”
“The Mother Ashes wanted to descend through one of her followers. Lu Liangting was selected because she wanted his body.”
“What about the bride?”
“She came from the back village. I don’t know what she is… but whatever it is, it’s definitely not something good.”
Bai Yu merged back into Zhao Mingyue’s shadow.
The leather armor she wore remained intact, though the mask on her face had disappeared.
“What about me, then? Why bring me back?”
“Also for your body,” Bai Yu answered calmly. “But Mother Ashes would’ve skipped all the unnecessary ritualistic pretense for you — kept it simple. Possession, or a direct sacrifice.”
Following the faint trail of childhood memory, Zhao Mingyue walked along a narrow path that wound around the outskirts of the village.
Her uncle’s house was tucked far out to the side, and this path, though overgrown, was the shortest way there.
Still, she was afraid — afraid to walk through the village, and just as afraid to take this path.
The truth was, this village had left too deep a scar on her soul.
She kept silent as she walked, feeling a shiver of cold creep down her spine. Pulling her blood-silk clothing tighter around herself, she hunched her shoulders and scanned the surroundings warily, instinctively searching for… something.
Nothing had changed.
Except that all the color had drained from the world.
Like the pond up ahead.
Under the dim moonlight, the little pond looked black and murky.
There used to be a wooden fence surrounding it.
Now the fence was gone.
Nothing was left but bare ground and withered trees.
Her eyes lingered on the pond as she slowed her steps.
But her thoughts screamed the opposite — every cell in her body begged to run, to escape this place as fast as possible.
The pond and everything around it stirred memories she had buried deep, so deep she hadn’t known they were still there.
“Xiao Yue…”
Just as she snapped out of her thoughts and was about to quicken her pace, she heard something.
A voice—soft, almost ethereal.
But unmistakable.
She froze again, her heart lurching.
That voice was far too familiar.
She turned her head slowly toward the little pond.
The voice had vanished as quickly as it came, like an illusion, a trick of her mind.
She hesitated, lifting her foot to leave—then heard it again.
“Xiao Yue… Xiao Yue!”
It was louder now, clearer, urgent.
Zhao Mingyue’s eyes widened, her whole body freezing.
She was certain it came from the pond.
And more than that — she recognized it.
That voice — it belonged to the childhood friend who had drowned in this very pond.
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than the surface of the pond — once calm and dim — began to bubble.
Slowly, something round rose up from the depths.
It was too dark to make out clearly, even for her. It looked, vaguely, like a ball… maybe a rubber ball?
“Xiao Yue, don’t go. Save me… please, save me. Aren’t I your dear friend?” The child's voice trembled with sobs—but then, without warning, those sobs twisted into something bitter and resentful.
“You said… you said you’d always play with me!”
“Why did you abandon me?!”
As those words echoed, the floating “ball” began to turn.
Zhao Mingyue’s pupils contracted. She took two steps back in shock.
It wasn’t a ball at all.
It was a head.
And not just any head — a bloated, rotting face stared back at her, half-submerged in the black water.
“You’re not afraid of me?” the voice murmured again. The pond continued to gurgle with bubbles as the head rotated slowly in place. And if one looked closely, they’d realize—those bubbles weren’t just surfacing at random.
They were being blown by the corpse.
The head was puckering its lips, releasing bubbles with each breath.
“Let’s go. You have a good friend waiting,” Bai Yu said softly, placing a gentle hand on Zhao Mingyue’s shoulder.
Her voice was calm, comforting.
This ghost hadn’t appeared to harm Zhao Mingyue.
It was only trying to scare her—drive her away. Just like the female ghost by the bridge when they first arrived.
If it had truly meant to hurt her, it would’ve struck long ago.
The truth was—within this cursed village, steadily being consumed by darkness, there still remained some faint traces of warmth.
Even if that warmth came wrapped in the guise of horror.
Zhao Mingyue glanced at Bai Yu.
She had finally snapped out of her daze, and now she understood what Bai Yu was trying to say.
She pressed her lips together, then spoke softly.
“Thank you, Xiaoru. I’ll always remember you. You’ll forever be my friend. But… I have to go back today. Don’t worry about me—I’ll be okay. Really.”
The floating head stopped turning.
Clearly, it panicked.
“Don’t go, you mustn’t—”
But the voice cut off abruptly.
Something beneath the water yanked the head down with sudden violence. The pond fell silent once again, its surface eerily calm.
“Xiaoru!”
“Don’t go,” Bai Yu said quietly, placing a firm hand on Zhao Mingyue’s shoulder. “There’s something under the water. More than one, in fact.”
Zhao Mingyue stood there in silence for a long time.
Then she turned and walked away.
What else could she do? Ask Bai Yu to dive in and save a ghost?
If anything… what she wanted more was for Bai Yu to help her end it all.
“That child’s name was Xiaoru. She was the first friend I made after moving to this village. We were very close. Then one July… she was found dead. Drowned in that pond.”
“I remember her parents wept bitterly. They pointed at me, said it was my fault—said I was the one who killed her.”
“I didn’t know what to do. I just kept crying and apologizing.”
They had stopped in front of a three-story house. It stood apart, distant. Zhao Mingyue looked up at the faint yellow light shining from one of its windows.
“That was the place. My uncle’s house. They were the ones who said they should just send me back to the back village. It was my dad who pleaded for me. That’s the only reason they let it go.”
The rest of the village was cloaked in darkness — except for the siheyuan where the village chief lived, and the courtyard in the west where the funeral was taking place. Among the countless homes, this three-story building was the only one Bai Yu had seen with lights on.
{T/N :- a siheyuan is a traditional courtyard residence}
Zhao Mingyue took a deep breath and stepped toward it.
Toward her uncle’s house.
Eight o'clock in the evening was already quite late, but considering it was an elder’s birthday banquet, the place should’ve been lively — at the very least, bustling with celebration.
Zhao Mingyue’s absence shouldn’t have made much difference.
After all, in this household, she had always been the lowest in the pecking order.
That didn’t mean she wasn’t needed, though.
No matter how insignificant she seemed, she was someone chosen by the Evil God. Her uncle could easily sell her out in exchange for some kind of benefit.
And in truth, that was exactly what her uncle's family intended to do.
So why come back, knowing full well they harbored sinister plans?
The answer was simple — Bai Yu wanted to use them to uncover the truth buried within Zhao Mingyue.
She had already gathered most of what she needed about Pingshan Village. The broader picture had become clear.
But Zhao Mingyue herself was still a mystery wrapped in shadows. Even now, Bai Yu couldn’t identify the evil presence dwelling inside her. Was it one of the Four Evil Gods—or something else entirely?
One thing she knew for certain: the entity inside Zhao Mingyue was powerful.
Far stronger than Mother Ashes.
The other evil gods were supposed to be roughly equal in strength. But this one… this one required investigation.
"Do you need me to possess you?" Bai Yu asked.
"Not yet. There are things I want to ask them directly!" Zhao Mingyue had made up her mind. "We'll see how it goes. If the situation turns bad, you can take over anytime."
"As for the people in that room—use your judgment. If you think someone must be killed, then kill them."
“I’m counting on you this time, Sister Yu.”
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