I Raise My Wife in a Supernatural Story (Infinite) - Chapter 20

Sacrifice?

Hiding in the corner, barely daring to breathe, Qi Yan’s expression stiffened. For a moment, she even forgot her fear, her mind wholly consumed by the information Cuilan had inadvertently revealed.

The conversation between Cuilan and her daughter Rong Bao continued, and Qi Yan pricked up her ears, listening intently as her thoughts raced.

“But Mom, as long as this Final Mountain Sacrifice doesn’t end, I can never see the light of day again.” Rong Bao’s voice was thick with suppressed agony. “I really, I can’t take it anymore! Nine years! Every day locked in this pitch-black dungeon! Mom! I’m a person! A human being!”

Every word seemed to be ground out between clenched teeth, each syllable laden with unbearable pain. Even without seeing her face, Qi Yan could feel the depth of her suffering.

Imagine being trapped in a cage in this basement, day after day for nine years without sunlight anyone would go mad.

In fact, Qi Yan thought Rong Bao had held on remarkably well. If it were her, she’d have lost her mind long ago.

Rong Bao’s voice was hoarse and Cuilan, infected by her daughter’s anguish, spoke through her own sobs.

“I know, Mom knows. But child, we have no other choice. No one can know you’re alive. No one can see you. Unless, unless.”

Her voice trailed off into a whisper, as if she were wrestling with some inner turmoil.

Qi Yan narrowed her eyes, holding her breath as she waited for Cuilan to continue. Tonight’s risk had been more than worth it, she never expected to overhear such a crucial conversation, packed with revelations.

“Mom, Mom! What are you saying? Unless what? Do you have an idea?”

Snapped out of her thoughts, Cuilan hesitated before replying, “Nothing, nothing. Just you have to stay here. Survival comes first nothing else matters more than staying alive!”

On this point, mother and daughter disagreed, but Rong Bao knew she had no solution. She couldn’t leave. If she were discovered, it would mean death and doom for her mother too.

“Mom, I know.” Rong Bao said weakly, her voice full of despair. “Being born in Baishui Town is just our bad luck. We were destined for this wretched fate. I know how those people treat sacrifices, especially disobedient ones like me who escaped. If they find me, I’ll die horribly.”

“I understand.”

“My child.” Cuilan embraced her daughter, stifling her cries. “My poor, unfortunate girl!”

The two held each other and wept for a while, their grief so palpable that even Qi Yan felt a pang of sorrow. But she remained frozen in her hiding spot, not daring to move. Cuilan and Rong Bao were clearly key NPCs in this scenario, and they had just revealed critical information perhaps even the core of this tale’s mission.

The thought made Qi Yan even more cautious. She absolutely couldn’t let them discover her, or they would surely try to kill her! Cuilan might seem normal most of the time, but if triggered by some condition, she could turn into a murderous ghost. How else could she explain the fact that she and her daughter were eating human flesh?

The mother and daughter spoke a while longer, their conversation touching again on the Final Mountain Sacrifice.

After making sure Rongbao was asleep, Cuilan finally left the basement. Qi Yan had been hiding in the corner for quite some time. Bai Qing transformed into a wisp of smoke to check the situation outside, confirming that Rongbao was indeed asleep before swiftly leading Qi Yan away.

The main issue was that Qi Yan’s legs had gone numb from crouching in the corner for so long. Walking on her own would have been difficult and time-consuming, so it was better to let Bai Qing carry her back.

Though Bai Qing was a lazy fox, since they had to return anyway, she was willing to help. Qi Yan had long figured this out after all, the two of them were bound together for good.

Back in their room, the night had been full of close calls but also yielded major discoveries.

Qi Yan was brimming with excitement. Lying in bed, she pulled Bai Qing close to analyze the information they’d gathered.

“From what Cuilan said about using us as sacrifices, it seems the Zhongshan Sacrifice is likely a live human offering.”

Bai Qing lay beside her, finding Qi Yan’s serious, analytical expression rather endearing. She casually chimed in, “That mass grave beneath the Drum Music Altar maybe that’s where they dump the sacrificial victims after killing them?”

She was just tossing out ideas, but Qi Yan took it seriously, shaking her head with a frown. “No, that doesn’t add up. Cuilan said tomorrow, when Hong Jie takes us into Zhongshan, we’ll die there as sacrifices. If we’re already dead, why bother dragging us all the way to the Drum Music Altar? Besides, the mass grave and altar we saw underground looked ancient, with clear signs of age. If not for the earthquake collapse, no one would’ve even gone down there.”

She rambled on, getting more and more absorbed in her deductions.

Bai Qing watched her quietly before finally saying, “We still can’t piece together the full story.”

Qi Yan pondered. “Nine years ago, Rongbao was probably chosen as a sacrifice by Baishui Town, but Cuilan, desperate to save her daughter, must have used some method to swap her out and hide her in the basement all these years.”

“The Zhongshan Sacrifice happens every three years. There’s definitely something off about our tour group. Before we head into the mountains tomorrow, I need to find a way to dig for more information.”

“From who? Cuilan and Hong Jie won’t tell you the truth.”

“Other people in town. If we’re going into the mountains tomorrow, the fog should lift.”

“You think it’ll be that precise?”

“Who knows? This is a storybook world, not reality. A lot of things that seem illogical here might just happen.”

She had a point. Bai Qing noticed Qi Yan’s eyelids drooping heavily and simply said, “Get some rest. We still have to wake up early for breakfast tomorrow.”

“Right, sleep.” Before she could finish, Qi Yan had already closed her eyes and was out like a light.

Strangely enough, despite being in a terrifying, life-threatening situation, Qi Yan slept soundly. Perhaps it was because Bai Qing was by her side her faint, cool fragrance had a strangely soothing effect.

The next morning, the fog had indeed lifted. The sun hung high in the sky, its light glaring. Despite only getting three or four hours of sleep, Qi Yan was full of energy, likely fueled by the excitement of getting closer to the truth.

“Oh, Miss Qi, you seem in high spirits today.”

As they headed downstairs, they ran into Hong Jie, who rose early every day, diligently playing her role as tour guide.

“Morning, Sister Hong,” Qi Yan greeted her with a smile.

As they passed each other, Sister Hong gave her a knowing look and said in a low voice, “Miss Qi seemed quite entertained last night, enjoying quite the spectacle all by yourself.”

Qi Yan froze, her mind racing did Sister Hong know everything?!

Suppressing her panic, she forced a stiff smile. “What are you talking about, Sister Hong? Where would I go to watch a show in the middle of the night?”

Playing dumb, Qi Yan waited, but Sister Hong didn’t press further. Instead, she studied her with an unreadable gaze curious, and oddly appreciative.

“Fair enough,” Sister Hong said lightly. “Just a passing remark, don’t take it to heart.”

Baffled, Qi Yan mumbled a response before hurrying away.

From the ring, Bai Qing chuckled teasingly, “You’re really scared of her, huh?”

Qi Yan didn’t stop running until she was out of the courtyard, snagging a bag of peanuts on her way. “Honestly, in this dungeon, even Cuilan, who might be a mini-boss doesn’t unsettle me as much as Sister Hong. From the start, she’s always been this enigmatic figure, impossible to figure out.”

She headed straight for the neighboring yard, where she spotted an auntie airing out quilts in the courtyard.

Qi Yan’s eyes gleamed as she clutched the stolen peanuts and knocked on the gate. “Auntie Lu, Aunt Cuilan asked me to bring you some peanuts.”

Auntie Lu, unfamiliar with her face but recognizing Cuilan’s name, beamed and waved her in.

Qi Yan stepped inside, careful not to miss the way Auntie Lu eyed her like a pig being sized up for the roasting spit.

Suppressing a shiver, she kept her smile sweet. “Aunt Cuilan said you love peanuts.”

Delighted, Auntie Lu took the bag. “Thank Cuilan for me.”

“Of course!” Seizing the moment as Auntie Lu started shelling peanuts, Qi Yan asked, “Auntie, why are you airing the quilts yourself so early? Don’t your kids help?”

Without pausing, Auntie Lu replied, “Oh, they’ve all gone off to work.”

Qi Yan mused, “Is that so? I’ve been around town these past couple of days, and besides tourists, I hardly see any young people. Even the folk street is mostly empty of them.”

Auntie Lu hummed in agreement. “Young folks these days they chase opportunities elsewhere. Who’d stay in this backwater?”

Backwater? Qi Yan thought of the extravagant Lu family ancestral hall and the bronze deer platform, stifling a scoff. Some “backwater.”

Auntie Lu’s lack of denial confirmed it, the town really had few young people left. Not just her family, but likely others too.

Piecing together last night’s revelations, Qi Yan’s imagination ran wild, filling in more gaps in the story.

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