Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 473 Lure the snake out of its hole
April 5th is the Qingming Festival.

Although it is a festival, compared to the New Year and Dragon Boat Festival, Qingming Festival does not have much of a lively atmosphere. Most people rush to worship their ancestors and burn paper money, and the few who have free time take the opportunity to rest and recuperate—at most, they go on a trip to relax.

That's all.

However, today was slightly different.

The weather is not cooperating; it's very overcast now. It rained lightly a few hours ago, leaving a lot of water on the ground, and the temperature has dropped considerably, even making it feel a bit chilly.

However, the streets were still packed with people.

Without him.

Just because there's a 'big show' to watch today.

The reason was that a well-known tycoon, for some unknown reason, decided to make a large investment in the city—you know, although their place is called a city, it actually has a very low profile in the surrounding area—and the city leaders were overjoyed when they learned about it. So, after working overtime, they gave it the green light all the way and approved the document at an unprecedented speed.

Its mission is to revive traditional culture and promote local tourism advantages.

The publicity and opening ceremony were scheduled for the day after Qingming Festival.

It happened to be a holiday, and Chinese people are known for their love of crowds. With government promotion and business hype, it was only natural that so many people gathered there.

On the roadside, local TV reporters, as if they were on steroids, talked fluently into the camera.

"Dear viewers, what you are seeing now is the scene of the first Folk Art Exhibition in X City. I am now standing at the birthplace of the ancient Chu-Wu culture, and we..."

However, for others, cultural promotion is not very important, especially for children.

A little girl, wearing a raincoat, held her mother's hand and looked around listlessly.

For her, the so-called folk parade was far less appealing than watching a few episodes of Boonie Bears at home.

The little girl gently tugged at his arm and said with slight dissatisfaction.

"Mom, I feel a little cold."

However, her mother, who always doted on her, did not reply. Instead, she tilted her head back, seemingly intently watching the procession in the distance.

Receiving no response, the little girl increased the force of her blows.

"Mom, it's so boring here."

Still no response.

At this point, the little girl finally started to throw a tantrum.

"I want to go home! I want to go home! I want to go home!!!"

After a lot of crying and fussing, her mother finally noticed her. However, just as she was about to reach out and pat her head with an apologetic smile and say a few words of comfort, she didn't notice that she had stepped into a puddle.

Then, my foot slipped.

Although the movement was small, and she quickly regained her balance, the little girl wasn't so lucky. Her small body lurched backward, and she looked like she was about to fall to the ground—

At this moment, for reasons unknown, the surrounding crowd began to stir.

With such a dense crowd, coupled with the little girl's small stature, the consequences of her falling would be unimaginable.

However, at this crucial moment, a pair of hands suddenly supported her shoulders.

Small, yet incredibly warm hands.

The little girl, still unaware of what was happening, raised her small head in a daze.

Then, she suddenly burst into tears.

It wasn't because I fell, but because I was scared.

Right before her eyes was not a human face, but a colorful mask painted with a red face and fangs, eyes bulging like copper bells, flame patterns on the eyebrows, and a single horn on the forehead—at first glance, it looked just like the legendary evil spirit.

However, the little girl's mother finally realized what was happening and hurriedly took her daughter from the masked man, then thanked him repeatedly.

"Thank you, thank you so much! If it weren't for your help, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to..."

However, the masked man shook his head and then laughed.

"It's alright. There were indeed a lot of people today, and because things were rushed, a lot of security couldn't keep up. In fact, I should apologize to you."

Unlike the strange and terrifying oil paint, the masked man spoke very gently. After casually patting the little girl's body, he squeezed out of the crowd again.

Outside, there was a long procession.

The torches stained the surroundings with a reddish-gold color, winding like a long, twisting dragon. At the very front of the procession, dozens of burly men with bare torsos were beating large drums, while behind them were many barefoot men in blue clothes, their horns at their waists swaying with each step, producing a dull thud.

Moreover, everyone, just like the one from before, was wearing a ferocious mask.

If someone knowledgeable were here, they would definitely be able to tell at a glance.

This is Nuo opera.

Nuo opera, a form of exorcism to ward off evil spirits.

The group did not move forward at this time, but waited until the masked man returned before starting again.

A long, drawn-out melody began, followed by a sudden, rapid drumbeat, and the horn was taken down and blown—

Then, the masked man spoke in a hoarse voice, his tone like tearing silk.

"I humbly submit—"

"One word can drive away a hundred ghosts, two words can pacify all directions!"

The followers behind seemed to have received a command, and they all chanted in unison.
"Eastern Green Plague Wood Spirit Demon, rots tendons and bones, turns to dust!"

"The Southern Plague and Fire Poison, severed by the copper blade, leaves no root!"

Of course, ordinary people wouldn't understand these things, but the performance was really captivating, so the crowd didn't hold back their cheers.

"Beautifully sung!"

"it is good!"

"another one!"

It's obvious these guys are treating this Nuo opera parade like a grand opera performance at a market.

However, the masked man at the head didn't pay any attention. Instead, he drew a gleaming longsword from his waist and began to sing, swaying his head.

“I, with the title of General Who Opens the Mountain, command the Five Tongs and the Five Changs.”

As soon as these words were spoken, dozens of masked figures suddenly emerged from the crowd—no one even noticed when these guys had sneaked in—which naturally drew gasps from the crowd.

"—Thousands of gods and saints returned to the treasure hall, leaving behind the five grains to nourish mortals."

Then, as the lyrics were sung, he was seen using his sword to pick up the yellow paper and put it into the stove next to him.

Flames erupted, and amidst the dazzling blaze, the man remained completely unharmed.

However, since everyone was a modern person, they weren't too surprised by the outrageous scene. They just thought the performance was good and felt that they had really gotten their money's worth today.

just.

Just as things were getting lively, a girl suddenly pointed ahead.

"What's that there?"

People from the surrounding area turned their gazes over and were astonished to find that—suddenly, all the puddles inexplicably began to boil.

Then, right before everyone's eyes, several clumps of gelatinous substance slowly emerged from the previously empty ground, transforming into one strange and terrifying shape after another—

The monstrous creatures writhed and crawled, gradually approaching the procession.

Then, it grinned, revealing its ferocious teeth. A commotion broke out among the ranks, and gasps of alarm erupted from the crowd—just as everyone watched as the monster opened its blood-red maw, about to swallow the leaders whole—the masked man gently shook his head, then suddenly flicked his longsword.

As if dancing, it moved forward with rhythmic steps.

then.

In everyone's sight, a figure as swift as the wind suddenly flashed by—

When I looked again, those terrifying things had been split in two, turning into a viscous liquid that was washed away by water and flowed into the sewer.

Then, the masked man sheathed his sword and continued singing.

"May the plague and evil spirits be banished with the whip, and may favorable weather protect the village gates. Offerings of meat and wine are a token of gratitude, and the vows made on the blade are clear. If there is any oversight, do not punish us; may we offer incense again next year!"

Then, as if nothing had happened, the group resumed its march.

It wasn't until quite a while later that someone remarked.

"That performance today was really amazing! When that guy drew his sword just now, I felt a chill down my neck, like I was about to have my head chopped off, it felt so real."

Those around them couldn't help but agree.

"Who says it isn't? And what was that thing that just crawled out? It looked pretty scary, I thought..."

A person who appeared to be his companion responded with a sneer.

"I thought it was something serious? Just some 3D projection or something. Technology changes every day these days, and often it's so realistic you can't tell the difference. Could it be...?"

The man sneered.

"—Do you think he can make this parade real?"

The sky grew increasingly overcast, and with a muffled rumble of thunder, a light drizzle suddenly began to fall again.

However, it was a rare sight of such excitement in recent years. Even amidst the light rain, the procession did not stop but continued along the main roads of the city center towards the suburbs.

But no one noticed that the masked man who was leading the group had somehow retreated the moment the rain started, and he was replaced by an elderly man who was also wearing a mask, but whose speech was much clearer and more articulate.

half an hour.

A black car pulled up at the entrance of an alley, the back door opened by itself, and a figure slipped inside.

The person in the driver's seat handed over a dry towel and then said in a fawning tone.

"Mr. Zhou, you've worked hard."

The figure who entered took the towel, first dried his hair, and then removed his mask.

What emerges from it is an ordinary, unremarkable face, yet always smiling.

—And so it was Zhou You's face.

Zhou You wiped the water off his face and neck with a towel, then casually tossed it aside before sighing.

"It's not hard work, but I'm not good at this kind of thing. I learned it all from others. I hope I didn't make any mistakes."

Wen Tianyi started the car from the driver's seat, and with a smile, he responded as the tires scraped across the water.

"Master Zhou, your performance was absolutely impeccable. Even from my professional perspective, your Nuo dance was absolutely beautiful."

He sent a perfunctory compliment, paused, and then continued.

"And this open scheme is truly ingenious. Since it's hard to hide, let's just do it openly and honestly. Anyway, no one will think it's real; they'll just think it's special effects."

However, Zhou You gently shook his head.

"The real boss wouldn't try to fool us like this; we're just dealing with the small fry now."

Wen Tian was stunned for a moment.

"Then why did you have to make such a big fuss about this, Mr. Zhou?"

Zhou You leaned back in his chair and answered casually.

"Three points. First, even small fry can cause considerable damage to ordinary people. The sorcerer buried a lot of these things when he killed people before. Now is the perfect time to clean them up in one go."

"Secondly, as long as I'm by that girl's side, that thing will never be able to attack. I don't have the time to waste on it, so I have to create the illusion that I can't leave her side and lure the snake out of its hole."

"Three."

Zhou You exhaled a breath of stale air, then smiled.

“For large events like this, the government must exercise certain controls, and once its focus is diverted, it is easy for problems to arise in certain areas.”

I do not know how long it has been.

The black car disappeared into an alleyway, and when it came out again, it rejoined the parade.

And at the same time.

A sudden tremor occurred in a forest not far from the city.

The tremors were not significant, not even worthy of being called an earthquake, but by sheer coincidence, several key points of the power grid were damaged.

In an instant, the entire national highway was plunged into darkness—and similarly, all surveillance cameras temporarily failed.

Fortunately, due to city regulations and the intervention of a major investor, this area of ​​road was closed off in advance, so it didn't affect anyone.

Only a few poor repairmen were working overtime in the rain, their faces filled with sorrow.

Unfortunately, the damage caused by the tremor was probably too great, and after a long investigation, no solution was found.

The foreman wiped the rain off his face and angrily threw his tools into his bag.

"This job can't be done anymore. Let's wait until everyone is back tomorrow to fix it. Damn it, the city is having an event, fine, but what's the point of transferring everyone away? Now we can't even handle a minor emergency."

The apprentice next to him took out a cigarette case, lit one for his master first, then lit one for himself, and shook his head with a wry smile.

"Master, the leader has spoken, what can we do but obey? It's just a pity that with such a big event happening in the city today, we can't even catch a glimpse of it."

However, the conversation suddenly stopped.

The foreman next to him sensed something was wrong and slapped his apprentice hard on the back.

"What are you doing? Pack your things! The rain is getting heavier. Hurry up and get in the car to take shelter."

The apprentice was stunned for a while before shaking his head and smiling bitterly.

"master."

"What's wrong?"

"I guess I've been working too much overtime, which caused me to have hallucinations—guess what I just saw?"

"What's wrong with you? What could you possibly see in this desolate wilderness?"

The apprentice scratched his chin, saying things that even he himself didn't believe.

"A dark shadow nearly ten meters tall just slipped through the cable."

The foreman paused for a few seconds, then smacked his apprentice hard on the back of the head.

"Damn it, looks like you've really gone crazy from working overtime. A shadowy figure almost ten meters tall?"

He then burst into laughter.

"—You think you're Ultraman?!"

(End of this chapter)