RPAGF Chapter 125 Departure
Chapter 125 Departure
After the dance ended, it was time for Xu Cangsheng's blessing ceremony, a task that felt strangely harmonious with her identity as a Taoist priest.
The blessing ceremony was mainly carried out by Xu Cangsheng alone, with the other two female players assisting her.
This time, Xu Cangsheng changed out of his previous Taoist robe.
She wore a simple white robe, and her hair was gently tied up.
The two female players beside her brought her an old wooden table, on which were placed several clean incense sticks and some simple offerings.
Xu Cangsheng held three sticks of incense in his hand and slowly lit them.
With hands clasped together, the posture of holding incense is respectful and composed.
As the cigarette smoke rose and swirled in the air, her eyes closed, her face serene.
Xu Cangsheng murmured ancient prayers softly, his voice low yet clear and firm, filled with hope and blessings for the future of Peach Blossom Village.
The villagers gradually rose from their tables and came forward one by one, each holding incense sticks, their faces filled with piety and anticipation.
They stood around Xu Cangsheng and the other two, forming a circle, quietly watching them and praying together for the village.
The air was filled with the scent of sandalwood, which mingled with the morning rain and the fresh earth, creating a sacred and solemn atmosphere.
Their eyes were filled with respect and hope, and also concealed a hint of an indescribable emotion.
The entire scene was shrouded in peace and solemnity, with only Xu Cangsheng's voice and the faint sound of burning incense echoing in the air.
When the prayer ended, Xu Cangsheng slowly opened his eyes, his gaze clear and profound.
It was early morning, but the sky wasn't very bright.
Inky blackness enveloped the village, and layers of ominous mist swirled above the Miao village.
A group of villagers stood quietly, each holding a white candle tightly in their hands.
The flickering candlelight cast distorted shadows, making the villagers' expressions appear cold and sinister.
The candle's color should have been a warm and bright white, but under this gray sky, it emanated a chilling red.
This red is not a simple red; it is deep and cold, as if it were formed from congealed blood, shimmering with unease and eeriness.
The candlelight illuminated the villagers' faces.
The villagers' faces were unusually pale, almost devoid of any color in the skin.
The flickering candlelight reflected deep within their pupils, giving off an eerie and ominous feeling.
With a cold and twisted expression, Xu Cangsheng saw the same greed in the villagers' eyes through the candlelight.
Suddenly, all the villagers turned their gazes toward the players.
Those pale faces and distorted candlelight seemed to focus simultaneously at that moment.
Each flame trembled slightly, as if yearning for something.
A sense of oppression permeated the air, sending chills down one's spine.
Xu Cangsheng, surrounded by villagers, received even more intense scrutiny.
At that moment, she felt an unprecedented sense of isolation and helplessness.
Her heart raced instantly, her palms began to sweat, and the damp, cold wind seemed to carry a chilling edge.
Should we take out our props and fight them to the death?
The villagers made no sound, only the faint crackling of the burning candles and their barely audible breathing.
Some players tried to back away, but found that their feet seemed to be stuck to the ground and they couldn't move.
The villagers slowly approached the players, each step seeming exceptionally heavy.
Time seemed to stretch out in that instant.
The candlelight danced on their faces, casting long shadows.
The air was filled with the distinctive smell of burning candles, but at this moment the smell was unusually pungent, almost like the metallic taste of blood.
The fact that no player moved was as if some kind of special unspoken agreement had been triggered.
However, some players with weak hearts cannot endure this kind of torment.
Under the gaze of these pale-faced, vacant-eyed villagers, the female player felt as if her existence was being stripped away bit by bit.
Fear, despair, and loneliness intertwined, pushing her to the brink of collapse.
But she forced herself to calm down and took a deep breath.
She still has the talisman Xu Cangsheng gave her; once she escapes, she'll be safe.
Before Xu Cangsheng could warn her not to move, the female player turned and began to run away, trying to escape the terrifying villagers.
Her heart was pounding in her ears, and the footsteps behind her mingled with her own.
The villagers chasing behind them had an excited glint in their eyes; prey had taken the bait.
Jiang Qi, Lu Zhi, Lin Wanchu, and Chi Miaomiao sat upright on the long bench like wooden figures.
Without blinking, the four of them stared at each other, too afraid to move.
Although they don't know why the villagers have become so strange, thankfully they don't attack the players unprovoked.
It's like playing a game of "Red Light, Green Light".
A scream came from afar.
As the female player gazed once more at the blood-red candles before she died, she realized that once certain boundaries were crossed, there was no going back to the original safe zone.
Jiang Qi frowned, sighing inwardly.
Another player has died. How can we break this stalemate?
The returning villagers no longer had their previous cold and distorted expressions; instead, they all wore gentle smiles.
The remaining villagers seemed to become agitated, their pale faces drawing closer.
Just as the players were about to succumb to this invisible pressure, an untimely voice broke the deathly silence.
"Come here, come and catch me, I'm so scared."
Watching the departing white figure, some villagers smiled and quickly chased after her.
Now, there are only a few scattered villagers left, which should be easy to handle.
Jiang Qi used his points in the system shop to redeem the lowest-grade substitute doll.
Although it doesn't have much effect, it can at least act as a stand-in to attract attention, and its effect only lasts for a short ten minutes.
As for what the substitute says once it's summoned, that's beyond Jiang Qi's control.
Following Jiang Qi's example, Xu Cangsheng used two substitute talismans to barely attract the remaining villagers.
The clan leader had already disappeared without a trace.
Jiang Qi blinked his dry eyes and relaxed slightly.
Without the villagers watching, he was finally able to move.
The villagers in the Miao Gu Village are all dead; only candles can keep them moving normally.
Players don't know if blowing out the candles in their hands will stop the villagers from doing their thing.
Xu Cangsheng asked, "How did you come up with this idea?"
"The villagers will know when they all return."
Jiang Qi smiled mysteriously, but his expression was not good.
If they knew the truth behind the Miao Jiang Gu Village, they would probably be disgusted enough to vomit.
Jiang Qi couldn't help but feel a sense of unease and disgust.
The sighs are for the women who have been hurt, and the chills are for the entire Miao village.
The satisfied expressions on the villagers' faces were all too familiar to him, a man himself.
It's a subconscious expression that comes from the satisfaction of a desire.
As for what kind of desire it was, Jiang Qi probably couldn't say for sure.
Therefore, he chose a female stand-in to attract the villagers' attention.
As for whether the villagers will discover that the woman in front of them is fake, Jiang Qi will definitely not let that happen.
The stand-in can be deliberately caught by them in a short time, and what happens next is just a dream.
However, the fog in the Miao village showed no signs of dissipating; on the contrary, it grew thicker and thicker.
Even the houses at the foot of the mountain were obscured and could not be seen clearly.
Before long, all the villagers returned, and without exception, they all wore satisfied smiles.
Amidst the thick fog, a splash of red could be faintly seen.
The procession to send off the Flower Cave Maiden set off in a grand and imposing manner.
Four men carried a richly decorated bridal sedan chair on their shoulders.
Their faces were covered in heavy blush, making them look like paper dolls, lifeless, and their movements mechanical and stiff.
Leading the way was Aunt Mo, dressed in traditional matchmaker attire, holding a rooster in her arms and carrying a red lantern in her right hand, her steps equally stiff.
The sky was already covered with dark clouds, and a blood-red moon hung in the sky, illuminating this desolate land.
The sound of suona horns could be heard from time to time, a kind of music that was both mournful and festive, but there was not a trace of human presence in this troupe.
As the procession moved slowly forward, the bridal sedan chair swayed along with it.
Through the thin curtain, the bride's figure could be vaguely seen inside the sedan chair.
She wore a red phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, with heavy headdresses and thick makeup that made her face look stiff and terrifying.
She sat quietly, motionless, as if she had completely accepted her fate.
The figure sitting in the first bridal sedan chair was none other than Ah Jing.
She was wearing the very same human skin wedding dress that no one dared to touch.
The ground was littered with the remnants of firecrackers, and red and gold scraps of paper were piled up on the muddy road.
Firecracker debris lay scattered on the road, some still emitting wisps of smoke and the distinctive burnt smell of burning.
The men carrying the sedan chair and the villagers made a rustling sound as they stepped over the debris, the crunching sound under their shoes fading into the distance.
A cold wind blew quietly by, stirring up a pile of scraps of paper. They spun in the air before slowly falling and settling in some corner.
The air was thick with the smells of dust and gunpowder, which mingled with the sound of suona horns, creating a chilling harmony.
The entire village was astonished, seemingly oblivious to the eeriness of the situation.
Men and women crowded around, vying to accompany and escort her, hoping to share in this divine glory.
The entire scene was like an absurd painting, filled with incomprehensible strangeness.
The first bridal sedan chair passed by, followed immediately by the second.
Lin Wanchu stared intently at the bridal sedan chair, as if she would rush down and snatch it as soon as she saw Lu Xue inside.
Jiang Qi patted Lin Wanchu's shoulder gently and said softly, "Don't be impulsive, Lu Xue is safe."
Lin Wanchu saw Lu Xue, and Lu Xue also looked at Lin Wanchu through the curtain, holding a bell in her hands.
Lu Xue remained calm and smiled serenely at Lin Wanchu.
And they whispered something through the thin curtain.
Lin Wanchu couldn't hear, but she could recognize her from her lip movements:
Ah Chu, don't worry.
Bai Xiaoyu was among the four men carrying the fifth wedding sedan chair.
His expression was numb and pained, as if he were struggling with something, or as if he didn't want to be assimilated into the villagers.