Chapter 35: Qian Family Village (5)

“It is indeed possible—the rust stopped spreading at the entrance to Qian Family Village. If it started expanding in another direction, that’s certainly within reason.” Wu Zui continued to fix his gaze on the village entrance, conceding that Xiao Ke’ai’s theory held considerable weight.

Qian Family Village wasn’t far from the South Sea, and the strange phenomenon—the ring-shaped rainbow—seen there last time might have affected the corpses left from the live sacrifices. Still, what exactly was the monster inside that coffin?

Wu Zui still hadn’t figured out what to make of the creature in the coffin. To call it a ghostly spirit didn’t fit, for it clearly had a physical form—the sound of its hands extinguishing the red flames had been unmistakably real. Yet if it was a more monstrous entity, its confinement space was uncommonly strong; among ghosts of the same level, spectral beings always had the upper hand in such domains.

If it truly was a four- or five-star class anomaly, Wu Zui doubted the two of them could have escaped unscathed.

Just then, a helicopter flew in and landed nearby. A burly man in a black trench coat, carrying a military duffel, stepped out. He strode directly to Wu Zui, exuding a powerful military presence—clearly a soldier.

“Wu Zui?” the man inquired.

“Yes,” Wu Zui replied.

“Please explain the situation here,” the man said bluntly, dispensing with pleasantries or even a self-introduction.

Wu Zui proceeded to recount the events he and Xiao Ke’ai had experienced in Qian Family Village, glossing over the matter of his own blood. The man did not press for details, focusing instead on the coffin and the woman they’d rescued.

“How should I address you?” Wu Zui asked when he had finished.

“Wang Yichuan,” came the calm reply. Wang Yichuan then moved to the trunk of their car.

As he opened it, his eyes glimmered faintly blue. Besides checking to see if the ragged woman was possessed, he also examined her injuries.

“Her brain’s electromagnetic waves have been disrupted by strong magnetic energy,” Wang Yichuan muttered to himself.

“What did you say?” Xiao Ke’ai asked, puzzled. She had been watching the village and hadn’t caught his words.

Wang Yichuan offered no explanation, which left Xiao Ke’ai pouting in annoyance.

“If her brainwaves have been disturbed by magnetic energy, is there a way to save her?” Wu Zui asked.

“She got out just in time—she can be saved.” Wang Yichuan glanced at the two, then drew a helmet-like device from his backpack. He placed it on the woman’s head and switched it on.

Wu Zui and Xiao Ke’ai sensed a gentle magnetic force emanating from the device. It seemed to be normalizing the disrupted magnetic field affecting the woman.

Soon, the woman’s furrowed brow and tensed muscles began to relax, her expression softening. After a while, she opened her eyes, still clouded with fear, as though waking from a prolonged nightmare.

“What exactly happened in your village?” Wang Yichuan asked her.

“That woman! She became a monster—she wants to kill us all for revenge!” The woman’s face was a mask of terror, her body tensing again as she clung tightly to Wang Yichuan’s arm.

“Calm down! Who is she? Why does she want revenge?” Wang Yichuan soothed her, discreetly increasing the device’s power, realizing her brainwaves were even more disturbed than he’d expected.

“She was my younger brother’s wife. In our village, there’s an old legend: a woman who bears three daughters and no sons is considered inauspicious. My father then…” The woman began to relate her tale obediently.

Wu Zui and Xiao Ke’ai quickly understood that the female corpse they’d seen was her sister-in-law, and she herself was the eldest daughter of the Qian family, named Qian Lan.

Her sister-in-law, after giving birth to three daughters in succession, was offered as a sacrifice to the ‘deity’ by her father and brother.

Fearing her vengeful spirit might return, yet unwilling to involve the spirit investigators, they’d called upon a local priest for comfort. Wu Zui and the others gleaned a few secrets of the live sacrifices from her account.

In ancient times, the failure to produce a male heir was considered a grave sin, and atop Haishan Hill behind Qian Family Village was enshrined such a ‘deity’. Offer the proper sacrifices, it was said, and a son would be born to carry on the family name.

The sacrifices required were living people—preferably maidens, then married women, with men as a last resort. An annual offering would ensure a thriving family; a monthly one would bring wealth; a daily one could even extend the life of the dying.

In ancient Qian Family Village, these were known as the annual, monthly, and daily sacrifices.

These rites had been abandoned since the end of the last century, so now only a handful of elders over sixty knew the details.

“Live sacrifice…” Wang Yichuan murmured, realizing the situation was even more complex than he’d anticipated.

He had thought the mission regarding the red rust was just an undiscovered ancient battlefield, heavy with residual resentment but ultimately disorganized. But the presence of live sacrifices on Haishan meant the resentment was focused and far more dangerous.

“I need your help,” Wang Yichuan said, turning to Wu Zui and Xiao Ke’ai.

“Name it,” Wu Zui replied.

“Hmph!” Xiao Ke’ai sniffed, turning away in protest. Now you remember me? I don’t feel like helping at all!

“This is a magnetic field designed to seal off ancient battlefields. But the resentment here is focused, so we can’t lock down the area from the outside—it could trigger a breach. Therefore, I hope you’ll both join me at the heart of Haishan to establish a seal. The helicopter will fly back for another magnetic field set to reinforce the perimeter.”

Wang Yichuan produced a black suitcase from his backpack. When he opened it, Wu Zui saw nine black magnetic stones inside, each carved with unknown symbols.

“You’re so powerful—why not go alone?” Xiao Ke’ai snapped, tossing a dog at him in annoyance.

“The resentment inside is too strong and overtly hostile. Alone, I doubt I could reach the summit.” Wang Yichuan was frank and unembarrassed.

“You want us to share the danger? Hmph…”

“Don’t be difficult. If that red rust spreads, the entire city will suffer!” Wu Zui ruffled Xiao Ke’ai’s hair, cutting off her protest.

“We’ll do it,” Wu Zui said to Wang Yichuan.

“Thank you.” Wang Yichuan went to arrange the helicopter’s return for the equipment.

“Master, look at him!” Xiao Ke’ai stomped her foot and whined.

“Oh, come on. If we don’t contain this, who knows how many will die? Pretend you’re a heroine, ridding the world of evil!” Wu Zui cajoled her.

“A heroine?”

A spark lit up in Xiao Ke’ai’s eyes.

“Yes,” Wu Zui replied.

A heroine, huh? She beamed.

“In that case, I won’t stoop to his level. Master, let’s go all out!” She drew the hammer from her back, banging it with gusto.

Wu Zui was speechless.

By then, Wang Yichuan had finished his arrangements. The helicopter pilot would return with the magnetic field device, and Wang Yichuan came over to discuss their plan.

“Don’t leave me behind!” Qian Lan suddenly cried out.

The three paused, having nearly forgotten the ordinary person among them.

“Why hasn’t the city ambulance arrived yet?” Wu Zui checked the time—almost two hours had passed since they’d called. He frowned in confusion.

“It’s pouring in the city—traffic’s at a standstill. The ambulance can’t get through, which is why I had to take a detour by helicopter,” Wang Yichuan explained.

“So why not have the helicopter take her back?” Wu Zui gestured at Qian Lan.

“The chopper is headed to the military base—she can’t go there,” Wang Yichuan replied helplessly.

“Then what?”

Wu Zui spread his hands. Bringing a civilian into Haishan would be a death sentence—she’d barely survived Qian Family Village. Taking her somewhere even more perilous was unthinkable.

“Let her stay in the magnetically shielded car, activate the mini-magnetic field, and she’ll be safe. If the red rust spreads, she can go for help.” Wang Yichuan handed her two portable magnetic devices and gestured toward Xiao Ke’ai’s car.

“That’ll have to do,” Wu Zui agreed after a moment’s thought. They needed every hand for the seal—bringing a civilian would only increase the risk.

Wang Yichuan instructed Qian Lan on how to use and change the devices. If the rust began to spread before they returned, she was to report to the city’s Paranormal Investigation Bureau.

It was the best contingency they could devise.

Once she was safely ensconced in the car, Wu Zui, Xiao Ke’ai, and Wang Yichuan prepared to enter Qian Family Village.

“How do we protect ourselves from this red rust?” Xiao Ke’ai asked Wang Yichuan, pointing to the ground.

“It’s not the rust itself that’s dangerous—it’s the resentment clinging to it that destroys life. As long as we shield ourselves with magnetic energy, we’ll be fine. If you can’t project your own, use the devices in your coats.”

As he spoke, blue magnetic energy enveloped Wang Yichuan, forming a thin, protective film around his body.