The Nightmare Experience of a Useless Person

The sunlight spread across my eyelids, creating a warm, blood-red hue.

Jiang Zhiyang opened his eyes, and dust fell from his eyelashes. He sat up, closed his eyes, shook his head, and shook off the dust and dirt.

The house was burned to ashes, and a layer of withered branches and leaves covered the ruins. Yu Qingjun was gone, and her father and mother had also disappeared. Only the hydrangeas were in full bloom.

Jiang Zhiyang was somewhat at a loss. When he woke up, everything had turned upside down.

The world was so quiet. People were coming and going, but at this moment, Jiang Zhiyang felt so quiet. The quietness numbed his senses and made his reactions sluggish.

He wandered aimlessly through the village, occasionally attracting some inexplicable stares, but Jiang Zhiyang no longer had the energy to pay attention to them.

The village was much larger than before, with many new houses and new faces. The streets were lined with all sorts of shops: restaurants, clinics, rice shops, clothing stores—you name it. There were also some small stalls along the way, selling hairpins, masks, sugar figurines, and other trinkets, all of which were doing brisk business.

The withered old elm tree was nowhere to be seen. In its place, a large banyan tree stood proudly, with flocks of birds among its lush branches and leaves. Sunlight filtered through the dense green leaves, scattering silver fragments on the ground. But the old gentleman was no longer there.

Children laughed and played, running wildly through the bustling street. Their silvery laughter was so pure and innocent. In a daze, Jiang Zhiyang seemed to hear Xiao Qingjun's laughter. He turned around and saw her standing there in the crowd, smiling brightly.

Such fragile happiness lasts only a moment.

He dragged his weary body forward, through the bustling market, through the quiet alley, and back to the stream.

The stream reflected his face, showing the appearance of Jiang Zhiyang in his teens—he had grown up, but his heart remained that of a child, just like the reflection on the water, easily shattered by the swimming fish.

What to do? What should he do? Jiang Zhiyang's body felt light and airy, like a puppet whose strings had been pulled out. Without Yu Qingjun, it was as if he had lost all support and all sense of security.

Emptiness consumed him completely, so he returned to the banyan tree and sat there, as if the warmth of the crowded people could slightly drive away his cold.

However, it didn't have much effect.

The sky was far away, and his heart was empty. The chattering cries of vendors rose and fell, reaching Jiang Zhiyang's ears like an old television set that had fallen into the water—telling some uninteresting story.

Suddenly, the surging crowd quieted down. Jiang Zhiyang raised his empty gaze, puzzled, only to see people... all prostrate on the ground, their bent backs and bowed heads expressing their respect.

"What's wrong?"

In the distance, a sedan chair draped in gauze curtains slowly approached. Surrounding it was a group of maids, all of them with powdered faces and beautiful features. The silk fabric outlined their graceful figures, making them look like celestial beings descended to earth, completely out of place with everything on earth.

The magnificent white gauze curtains were also quite impressive, reflecting a dazzling array of colors in the sunlight. From within the gently swaying curtains, a slender, fair hand reached out, holding a thin willow twig, and sprinkled holy water onto the crowd.

"Please pray to the gods to atone for your sins, so that the seasons may be peaceful and the year may be bountiful!" The crowd followed along as if in a trance, repeating the chant over and over, which hurt Jiang Zhiyang's fragile eardrums.

What kind of cult are they running? In broad daylight, a strange and eerie feeling crept up Jiang Zhiyang's spine, sending a chill down his spine.

The short man beside him tugged at Jiang Zhiyang's trouser leg. Seeing the fear in his eyes, Jiang Zhiyang knelt down with the others in a daze. But when the sedan chair passed in front of him, he looked up at the gauze curtain.

The owner of those jade-like hands was an extremely young girl. Her elaborate hair was adorned with precious gold hairpins and jewels, and a red gemstone adorned her forehead, sparkling as brightly as the earrings. A pure white scarf hung from the crown on her head, draped over her matching white dress, making her look like a living Guanyin.

The woman's figure was remarkably similar to Yu Qingjun's, but when Jiang Zhiyang tried to get a closer look at her, her face was obscured by the gauze curtain, making it difficult to see clearly. Even after the sedan chair had completely passed by, Jiang Zhiyang still couldn't be even 50% certain of her identity.

The group remained prostrate on the ground until the goddess's procession ended, at which point they rose and continued their previous actions.

The short man beside him also started to lash out, pointing his finger at Jiang Zhiyang and lecturing him, "How dare you disrespect the Goddess!"

Goddess... is she really running a cult?

Jiang Zhiyang stammered for a moment, then finally blurted out, "I'm from out of town."

"Is this your first day here?" His tone softened slightly.

"Yes."

"That's understandable." His furrowed brows relaxed, and then a smile spread across his face.

"Want me to tell you?" The short guy jumped up, wrapped his arms around Jiang Zhiyang's neck, looked at his silly look, raised his eyebrows, and bumped into him.

Jiang Zhiyang understood instantly, so he reached into his pocket and pulled out the last bit of silver. Even so, even in a dream, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

After receiving the money, the short man immediately became amiable, gently taking Jiang Zhiyang's forearm and gesturing for him to walk and talk.

"Back then, our village was struck by an unprecedented plague. The people who contracted it were a truly horrific sight. Red, bloody sores spread from their eyes to their faces, like tears. People called it 'Guanyin's Tears.' 'Guanyin weeps, and she dies within five days.' In an instant, more than half the villagers were gone. Paper money filled the roads, and the air reeked of death. Tell me, wasn't it terrifying?"

Jiang Zhiyang ignored his interaction and waited for him to continue.

"Thanks to the old village chief's wisdom and resourcefulness, he traveled a long way to invite a goddess and a fairy. The goddess bestowed medicine and prayed for the villagers every day, which is why our village is so prosperous today."

The short man nudged Jiang Zhiyang's arm again, but received no response. So he kindly reminded him to concentrate so that the money wouldn't be wasted.

"That was many years ago, isn't it? Do we still need such a big show these days?"

"You don't understand. The seed of Guanyin's tears is hidden in people's bodies and passed down from generation to generation. Every seven days, the goddess travels and bestows medicine, so that we can live in peace and safety! It is because of this goddess that we have had good weather and abundant harvests for so many years, and that our village has prospered so much!"

They walked and talked, passing through the crowded streets, until they reached a corner of a house.

The short man deliberately lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "I heard there's a secret behind this."

Seeing the man rubbing his fingers together, Jiang Zhiyang looked speechless and pulled out his empty pocket.

"Oh, you can buy on credit, okay? This is a family secret, not most people know this."

Not receiving a definite answer from Jiang Zhiyang, he continued talking to himself, as if he had received tacit approval.

"I heard that this plague is caused by vengeful spirits. Many little girls were abandoned in the past, and their ghosts have returned to take revenge. They possess people and cry incessantly, crying blood."

The voice was so soft that Jiang Zhiyang had to strain his ears to hear what he was saying.

"That goddess, oh my, she's not a goddess at all, just a scapegoat pushed out by the people. That girl used to be from this village, but she was kidnapped and taken to the mountains to be used as a vessel for the wronged souls so that those female ghosts wouldn't cause trouble."

After saying that, the short man grabbed Jiang Zhiyang by the collar and warned, "You can't spread this around, and you definitely can't say I said it, understand? Also, you have to make up for the money tomorrow."

Despite his small stature, he has a lot of confidence in his aggressive sales tactics.

Hearing these strange and supernatural tales, Jiang Zhiyang was half-believing and half-doubting. If this information could be obtained for such a small amount of silver, it seemed that everyone in the market knew about it.

What's clear now is that he must go and meet that so-called goddess. Jiang Zhiyang silently wished that Yu Qingjun had simply been abducted to the mountain and worshipped as a goddess, if only that were true.