Infinity: Our Zhongzhou team is really amazing!

Chapter 450 The Republic of China! Sending Sanlang to the Immortal Pavilion (33)

As dusk fell, the sun slowly disappeared below the horizon.

A slanting ray of light, like a faint thread, gently scatters across the murmuring river.

The river water shimmered with sparkling light, reminiscent of the poetic phrase "half the river is green, half is red."

But at this moment, a strange and eerie atmosphere permeated Peach Blossom Village.

As if summoned by some mysterious force, all the villagers of Taoyuan Village came out of their homes and stood quietly in front of their doors, looking expectantly in a certain direction of the village.

At this time.

A long, ancient bell rang out from the depths of the village.

The sound of the bell seemed to travel through endless years, carrying an indescribable eeriness.

But on the villagers' faces, excited smiles appeared on their faces.

It was as if a grand and mysterious celebration was about to begin.

"Sun Sanlang is back! It's finally time to start!" A seven or eight-year-old boy, his eyes sparkling with innocent light, grinned and said.

"We'll have new clothes and new toys soon!"

"Shut up, stop thinking about these nonsense." The boy's mother gently patted his head, her eyes filled with a hint of reproach, but even more so with the joy of an impending harvest.

"But why did Sun Sanlang run away three years ago?" On the other side, a little child looked puzzled, his clear eyes filled with confusion.

"To be by the Empress's side is such a blessing. Everyone has food, toys, and useful things. When I grow up, I also want to be with the Empress."

“Who says otherwise?” The girl’s father was also puzzled.

"When your grandfather was sixty, he fell seriously ill and lost a leg. Just then, the Empress took a new wife, and your grandfather recovered immediately."

"This is all thanks to Your Majesty's grace."

“I heard that the family that was taken in for marriage last time had three big, healthy boys in a row, and their harvest was more than half as good as other families for ten consecutive years.”

"That's still considered low," a middle-aged man said.

"I want to accompany the Empress in the future!" the boy exclaimed excitedly.

The father said with a doting expression, "After this is completed, all the children under ten years old in the village will have the opportunity."

"If our family could produce a son-in-law who would be a perfect match for the Empress, then my old face would be honored."

"I want to be the groom! I want to be the groom!" the child exclaimed, even more excited.

They were jumping and shouting loudly.

Upon seeing this, his mother quickly covered his mouth.

"Shh!"

"Sun Sanlang is here!"

"Don't say a word to me, or I'll lash out!"

"They're here!" Everyone immediately fell silent, their dark eyes widening as they stared intently at the end of the road.

A group of musicians, heavily made up and playing instruments, led the way, bringing joy and laughter.

A group of strong young men carried an open-air sedan chair, walking slowly with heavy steps.

A handsome young man sat in the sedan chair; it was none other than Sun Sanlang, except that his eyes were tightly covered with a red cloth.

Beside the sedan chair followed a number of so-called "relatives and friends".

Their faces looked particularly sinister in the dim light, and each of them wore an expression of excitement and tension.

Zhuang Boshi turned his head slightly and asked in a low voice, "Mother, why are you blindfolding me?"

"Our mortal eyes are unclean; only by covering our eyes can we see the goddess."

"But why are you carrying me in a sedan chair?" Zhuang Boshi asked again.

"I was afraid you'd disturb the Empress by moving around, so I put you down as soon as we got there. Are you like Sun Wukong, unable to sit still?" Sun's mother said impatiently.

"Father, why is there music like the suona and flute during the ceremony?" Zhuang Boshi continued to ask.

"This is also part of the ceremony, to please the Empress. Don't ask so many questions!" Father Sun's voice was icy cold, devoid of any emotion.

“Okay.” Zhuang Boshi seemed very nervous as he addressed both sides.

"Father, Mother, I...I'm a little scared."

"Don't be afraid." Mr. and Mrs. Sun revealed a chilling smile: "It will be soon."

"I want to get married too!" a little boy suddenly shouted excitedly from the roadside.

"Shut up!" came a furious roar.

Then came a struggle and a muffled thud.

"What wedding procession?" Zhuang Boshi asked, somewhat puzzled.

Mr. Sun quickly explained, "That's just a naughty child playing around with his father. Don't worry about it."

Zhuang Boshi turned his head slightly and, through the thick red cloth, saw that the child's neck had been snapped, and he was being ruthlessly thrown into the pond behind the house like a broken doll.

“What a little rascal,” Zhuang Boshi said meaningfully, without a trace of pity in his tone.

Although his eyes were blindfolded, Zhuang Boshi, with his keen senses, could clearly see the densely packed villagers along the way who were staring at him with strange yet excited eyes.

If it were a normal person, they would be terrified.

Even Zhang Dong was a little nervous.

He is not afraid of ghosts.

But these are all living, breathing people.

They are not controlled by vengeful ghosts.

Rather, it was out of their own will.

The entire village follows the same will.

Every ten years, a young boy is sacrificed to become the goddess's husband.

Regardless of whose child it is, everyone feels proud of them.

This is the result of a mind that has been bizarrely distorted.

My values ​​have been completely reshaped.

Some rebels, such as Sun Sanlang, Sister Zhao, and Er Yatou, were forced to become outcasts.

They either escape, die, or live in constant fear.

Zhuang Boshi's senses were sharp, and even the rustling whispers reached his ears clearly.

Many villagers are discussing what they will gain after this wedding procession.

Treatment of injuries.

Extending lifespan in old age.

Children's toys.

Women's jewelry.

Or some strange and unusual toys from the outside world.

It seems that by arranging marriages, a transaction involving everyone has been completed.

No wonder I saw some items here that would be very expensive even outside, but the villagers didn't seem to care about them at all.

Because it wasn't something I bought myself, but rather a gift from the goddess, I didn't value it at all.

Zhuang Boshi finally understood.

The goddess is equivalent to the river god.

Every ten years, a son-in-law would be sent to her, and after the transaction was completed, the villagers would enjoy good weather and long life.

Even rare items can fall from the sky.

Honestly, it's such a great deal.

Even Bosch was tempted.

Compared to the ridiculous trading mechanism of Ghost Chest, where two costs are required to exchange for one request.

The Empress is truly giving away her conscience.

Forget about sending one son-in-law every ten years, sending ten a year would be a huge profit!

But is that really the case?

Zhuang Boshi thought of the villagers who had become ghosts or vengeful spirits after their deaths.

They were trapped under the peach tree, never to be freed.

Every gift has a price marked in the hands of fate.

The villagers born in Taoyuan Village have long since traded their entire lives, and even the lives of their descendants.

Those objects are useless to the vengeful ghost.

Only the villagers themselves are the price the vengeful ghost needs.

The villagers' procession quickly climbed the hillside, winding its way up the slope.

Zhuang Boshi felt the temperature around him getting lower and lower.

The chill felt like countless tiny needles scraping against his skin, making even him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

If it were an ordinary person, they would probably be frozen solid by now.

Because that familiar red demon had reappeared.

A strange, eerie smile mingled among the villagers.

Jumping around.

Playing wind and string instruments and singing.

The red spirits continued to scatter lucky money and cakes in all directions, and red mist spread. Long red ribbons hung down from the sky, creating a truly joyous scene.

However, the villagers around them continued walking briskly, seemingly oblivious to the red demon and completely unaffected.

The crimson mist, like blood-soaked silk, swirled and coiled among the peach trees.

The peach blossoms that touched the petals became even more vibrant, oozing pink sap that dripped onto the ground.

The sedan chair carriers' straw sandals sank into the mud, pulling up strands of black, rough soil with every step.

They, however, felt much more relaxed.

Zhuang Boshi could see it clearly because eight fierce demons were sticking to their backs, helping them carry the sedan chair. They were really considerate.

A rustling sound came from afar and approached.

Zhuang Boshi heard the peach trees moving.

No, it's not a peach tree.

Instead, they were the fierce and monstrous creatures buried under the peach tree.

They crawled out from under the peach tree, their rotting eye sockets staring at the villagers' procession.

The wedding cakes were scattered on them, and the evil spirits seemed to be attracted, squatting on the ground and wolfing them down.

Soon, they entered a deeper, more eerie realm.

Emerging from the peach grove, a massive temple came into view.

The temple, adorned with exquisitely carved eaves, was covered with scarlet lanterns that resembled countless eyes, turning back and forth in the night breeze, staring intently at the villagers' procession.

The temple gates were wide open, and the overflowing light, glowing red, cast ethereal shadows.

The temple was exceptionally magnificent, and even in the darkness of night, it was illuminated by an eerie light.

Along the road leading to the temple, hundreds of paper figures dressed in bright red and green brocades stood in various styles.

The paper figure had its hands folded in front of its abdomen, but its fingertips were strangely pointing backward.

The toes of the cloth shoes point in opposite directions, as if the body has flipped over.

As the villagers approached, all the paper figures slowly lowered their heads, using their necks as the axis.

They all bowed their heads in respect.

The mottled marks painted on their faces were particularly clear under the cold light, and upon closer inspection, they turned out to be hideous expressions, with the painted eyes following the movement of the group.

The entire temple was very crowded, yet completely silent.

One hundred tables were set up in the courtyard.

At each table, seven fierce ghosts sat upright.

Seven hundred pale-faced vengeful ghosts sat upright at the table, their collars neatly folded up, though their appearances differed.

But surprisingly, their outfits were all very similar.

This is truly bizarre, not some kind of ghost or demon.

There is no inherent hierarchy among vengeful spirits.

But here, it is clear that these vengeful spirits can only submit to the goddess.

Each vengeful ghost had its hands folded on the table, motionless, like a corpse nailed to the table.

In addition, there were ten large, coarse porcelain bowls on each table.

The bowls were all empty.

In the shadows under the table, many calves with ankles wrapped in white hemp could be vaguely seen.

This is a ghost banquet, a grand ghost banquet prepared for the Empress.

These ghosts are perhaps ancient ghosts that crawled out from under that thousand-year-old peach tree.

It is a supernatural phenomenon stemming from the goddess.

When the group of more than thirty villagers entered the courtyard, all the ghosts turned their heads toward the source of the sound at the same time.

Their empty eye sockets moved with the movement of the column.

If the villagers could see the ghosts, they probably wouldn't have been too scared to walk.

A red omen was sent off.

Li Gui raised his horn.

Paper figures welcome guests.

A lavish and bizarre banquet was held.

It has to be said, the scene and the scale of this event were truly impressive.

This is taken very seriously!

What else can be said!

Zhuang Boshi joked with Zhang Dong: "Dongzi, does a woman love you or not?"

"It all depends on how much effort she's willing to put into it for you."

"If it's just talk, then I'll just be wasting my votes."

"Look, for you, the Empress not only received blessings from all the people, was fawned upon by all the evil spirits, sent off by the Red Demon, and had paper figures pay their respects, but also meticulously prepared a hundred-table banquet and invited thousands of her relatives and friends to attend."

"Why?!"

"It's to show how much she values ​​you, to tell everyone."

"Ah, no, all ghosts."

“The long-distance road is a gamble, and the elevated road is also a gamble.”

"She doesn't want you to lose!"

"If you miss it, you miss it. Life is just about a few moments!"

"You might never have this chance again, to have so many good brothers helping you accomplish something like this."

"Dongzi, why don't you just give in?"

"Uncle, I'm so touched I almost cried."

"A female ghost like this, once missed, is truly gone forever."

Zhang Dong's face turned green.

"Uncle, please stop talking!"

At this moment, Zhuang Boshi's curiosity about the Empress grew even stronger.

It appears that this goddess is a conscious being, not a mindless demon that only kills indiscriminately.

They managed this paradise very well, with everyone working together as one, and they asked for very little but gave a lot.

The sedan chair was carried into the main hall.

With a "thud," it landed heavily on the ground.

"Father, Mother," Zhuang Boshi called out twice.

The sound echoed in the silence, but received no response.

Hong Sha left as soon as he saw them off at the door. The villagers' families were already prostrate on the ground, their bodies trembling slightly, showing extreme respect.

He turned his head slightly and saw two dolls in the corner that had not yet been made up. One was a small fake he had made on a whim, and the other was the seven or eight-year-old girl.

On the altar, there is a tall female clay statue dressed in red.

The statue's body is not the traditionally large shape.

She was very tall and slender, and looked as lifelike as a real person.

The woman is beautiful, and it's a kind of understated, sensual beauty.

Although his face was not clearly visible, he felt as if he were floating on air.

There's even a sense that a gust of wind would make the woman dance.

In front of the gods.

There was a desk, a book, a red pen, and a jar of paint.

There was also a brazier.

Zhuang Boshi joked, "Dongzi, you're in luck. Regardless of your looks, you at least have a great figure."

Zhang Dong was completely bewildered: "..."

This Uncle Zhuang is becoming increasingly unserious.

Zhang Dong was no longer surprised by what he might say.

After kneeling for a quarter of an hour, the village chief slowly stood up.

With trembling hands, he lit three incense sticks and carefully placed them in the incense burner.

Then, he picked up a scarlet pen, dipped it in the pungent-smelling ink, and wrote the name "Sun Yi" on a piece of paper.

It seems that Sun Yi is Sun Sanlang's real name.

Dr. Zhuang glanced at it and guessed that it might be some kind of document or something.

This ritual was extremely bizarre. There were clearly more than thirty villagers inside the room, and nearly a thousand vengeful ghosts were watching outside the door.

The ceremony was bizarre and unusual. Inside the room, more than thirty villagers stood in solemn silence, while outside the door, nearly a thousand cold, menacing figures gathered.

But there was not a sound.

The living person pursed their lips tightly, and the fierce and strange did not violate the rules. All people and the strange were shrouded in some kind of invisible pressure.

After writing down the name, the village chief sighed and knelt down again, his forehead hitting the bluestone slab with a thud.

"We humbly beseech Your Majesty the Holy Mother!"

(End of this chapter)