Uncanny Valley - Chapter 9
The young man was clearly not expecting so many people to be in the temple. He was taken aback at first, then asked warily, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
“These are our guests who are staying at my place. They just arrived today,” Old Wang quickly replied, seemingly a little afraid of the young man. “I’m here to offer the sacrifices, and they want to come along and take a look.”
"What's so interesting?" The young man's words were quite impolite. He swept his hostile gaze over Luo Fei and the other two, then looked at Old Wang. "The sacrificial ceremony is starting first thing tomorrow morning. Didn't Chief Bai say that no one is allowed to disturb the Rain God before dawn?"
"I know, I know," Old Wang explained timidly. "It's not even the day yet, is it? We'll leave right away."
"Hmm." The young man gave a haughty snort, took a few steps inside, and stepped aside from the doorway. Although he didn't speak, his intention to dismiss him was very clear.
Old Wang gave a sheepish smile, then walked out of the temple. Luo Fei and the other two naturally didn't linger and followed him out in single file. Yue Dongbei seemed quite dissatisfied with the young man's attitude, giving him a defiant glare as he passed. The young man simply kept a straight face and ignored him.
"Who is this? So arrogant, with no sense of hospitality whatsoever!" Yue Dongbei couldn't help but complain loudly as soon as he stepped out of the temple, completely disregarding whether the people inside the temple could hear him.
Old Wang looked embarrassed and waved his hand repeatedly at Yue Dongbei. After taking several more steps, he lowered his voice and said, "His name is Xue Mingfei. He's one of Chief Bai's men. We can't afford to offend him."
Looking at Old Wang's timid appearance, Luo Fei found it somewhat amusing. But then he thought about it again and felt relieved: in this remote place, the village chief's status was almost that of a local emperor, and it was normal for him to have supreme authority in the village.
Night had fallen, and a gentle breeze occasionally swept by, bringing a touch of coolness despite it being the height of summer. In the small square, the shadows of the trees swayed and danced, creating an eerie atmosphere. Luo Fei suddenly had a strange feeling and couldn't help but stop, looking around.
"What's wrong?" Zhou Liwei noticed Luo Fei's unusual behavior and asked anxiously.
Further east from the square lay a dense rainforest. Could something terrible be lurking there? Luo Fei shook his head, unable to say for sure. Then he turned back to look at the temple behind him.
Xue Mingfei stood alone before the statue of the Rain God. The candlelight was dim, and in the eerie light, the Rain God's face flickered in and out of focus, revealing an ominous and menacing expression!
Chapter Eleven: Rebirth from the Ashes
In order not to miss the legendary spectacle of "the rain god shedding tears," Luo Fei and his two companions got up early the next day and followed Lao Wang to the square in front of the temple.
A considerable number of villagers had already gathered in the square, and the number was gradually increasing. Two strong and capable young men stood at the entrance of the Dragon King Temple, their eyes scanning the crowd with serious expressions.
The villagers who had arrived found suitable spots and stood properly. Although there were many people in the square, there wasn't a sound. Luo Fei was secretly amazed and whispered to Old Wang beside him, "Are those two standing at the front your leader, Chief Bai?"
Old Wang shook his head: "Chief Bai hasn't arrived yet."
Luo Fei smiled and said, "So they're also people working for Chief Bai?"
Old Wang nodded silently, which was his answer.
Luo Fei had already developed a strong interest in this yet-to-be-disappeared white-robed leader. In any case, someone who could establish such authority in the village was definitely not a simple character.
By this time, one or two thousand people were already standing in the open space, seemingly representing the entire village. The offerings to the rain god were piled up on the altar, and some were simply placed outside the temple.
After a short while, a small commotion suddenly arose among the crowd. Everyone turned to look in the direction where the west end of the square led to the village. Luo Fei's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself: This must be Chief Bai arriving.
Sure enough, following the crowd's gaze, a man was seen weaving through the throng towards the Dragon King Temple. He appeared to be in his thirties, rather thin but very tall, exuding an innate, rugged air. He strode quickly and arrived at the temple's entrance. The two young men respectfully greeted him and spoke to him.
Luo Fei was right; the man was indeed Bai Jian'e, the leader of Mi Hong Village. The two young men were his closest subordinates, Wu Qun and Zhao Liwen. At this moment, Wu Qun lowered his voice and told him somewhat uneasily, "Leader, Xue Mingfei hasn't arrived yet."
Bai Jian'e immediately frowned. Xue Mingfei was arguably his most capable assistant, and he had never delayed in fulfilling his orders. Could something have gone wrong with him today? As he pondered this, he put his hands behind his back and quickly swept his sword-like gaze across the crowd.
Three strangers with distinctive airs immediately came into Bai Jian'e's view. He instantly judged that these three were no ordinary visitors. Especially the young man in the middle, whose expression was calm, but whose eyes were extremely sharp, as if he could see through any secret.
Without hesitation, Bai Jian'e walked towards the three of them, and the crowd automatically parted to make way for him.
Bai Jian'e stopped in front of the three men, looked them up and down, and finally fixed his gaze on the young man in the middle, asking, "Where are you from?"
The young man was none other than Luo Fei. Bai Jian'e had a pair of piercing eagle eyes that would make ordinary people feel uncomfortable under his gaze, but Luo Fei didn't care at all. He smiled faintly and replied, "I will discuss some things with Chief Bai in detail. Let's not delay the important matter of worshipping the Rain God now."
Bai Jian'e nodded, understanding that these people had indeed come for something. However, since they didn't want to talk in depth, there was no point in forcing them. He smiled and his tone became polite: "You should stand to the side. We're going to perform a grand ceremony of bowing in a moment, and it won't be convenient for you to stand in the crowd."
His request was not unreasonable. Luo Fei and the other two did not say anything more, and together they withdrew from the crowd and stood quietly at the crossroads connecting the village to the west.
Bai Jian'e then scanned his villagers and asked loudly, "Has any of you seen Xue Mingfei?"
“I’ve seen him before,” Old Wang replied respectfully from nearby. “I saw him last night when I came to offer sacrifices. After he arrived, I went back.”
"Hmm." Bai Jian'e lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then waved his hand, "No need to wait for him, let's begin."
After saying that, Bai Jian'e walked quickly to the front of the Dragon King Temple, straightened his clothes, and entered the temple first, with Wu Qun and Zhao Liwen following closely behind.
Bai Jian'e arrived before the Rain God statue and solemnly bowed to the ground. Wu Qun, Zhao Liwen, and the villagers in the square followed suit. In an instant, inside and outside the temple, the villagers of Mi Hong Village knelt down in a sea of kneeling, leaving only Luo Fei and his two companions standing upright outside the circle.
Bai Jian'e was kneeling before a prayer mat beneath the statue of a deity. He straightened his posture and loudly proclaimed, "Lord Li Dingguo, the Third Master of the Heavenly Guardian, the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl, and the Holy Son, Mi Hong Village has been without rain for over a month. If it doesn't rain soon, the entire village will suffer a complete crop failure this year! Bai Jian'e, on behalf of all 543 households and 1,832 people of the village, begs for your mercy and tears!"
After saying that, he slammed his head on the prayer mat in front of him with all his might, making the mat thud with a dull thud!
The villagers joined in a mournful cry: "We beg the revered gods to have mercy and shed tears!" and then they all kowtowed.
The chanting and prostration were repeated three times before the villagers raised their heads again, all their eyes fixed on the rain god statue in the Dragon King Temple, as if waiting for something.
Luo Fei and the other two naturally knew that everyone was hoping for the Rain God to shed tears, but their location was remote and they couldn't directly see the Rain God's current state, so they couldn't help but feel restless and eager.
Suddenly, Bai Jian'e inside the temple let out a surprised "Eh!" Immediately, the villagers in the front row reacted, creating an uncontrollable commotion. The commotion spread rapidly, and everyone stared wide-eyed at the direction of the rain god statue inside the temple, their faces showing incredulous astonishment.
Finally, someone couldn't help but shout, "God! The God is bleeding!"
The shout was like another bomb dropped into the commotion of the crowd, causing panic and murmurs among them. Old Wang, having finally seen the situation inside the temple, was so frightened that he prostrated himself on the ground, no longer daring to raise his head, and murmured in a trembling voice, "May the revered gods have mercy, may the revered gods have mercy!"
A young man next to him seemed to be the braver one. He stood up, looked around, and asked in astonishment, "What, what's going on!"
No one could answer his question; an atmosphere of fear and confusion enveloped the entire area. Several young children knelt among the adults; although they couldn't see what was happening inside the temple, the reactions of the adults around them were enough to frighten them into tears. The once solemn and dignified sacrificial site instantly descended into chaos!
Luo Fei and his two companions couldn't stay still any longer. Without even discussing it, they almost simultaneously set off towards the Dragon King Temple, eager to see what was going on.
The three of them bypassed the crowd. Although they were closer to the Dragon King Temple, their field of vision narrowed. When they were less than ten meters from the temple gate, a figure suddenly flashed. Bai Jian'e stood in front of the gate, with Wu Qun and Zhao Liwen following closely behind him on either side.
"Kneel down, all of you! Don't make a fuss!" Bai Jian'e's booming voice rang out in the square, carrying an aura of supreme authority. The crowd immediately quieted down, even the children stopped crying. All the villagers' eyes were fixed on Bai Jian'e's tall figure. Clearly, in this critical moment, their leader had become their only savior in their spiritual world.
"You three, don't move!" Bai Jian'e shouted at Luo Fei and the others, pointing at them. "This is a matter for our village, don't come any closer!"
The other party's attitude was extremely firm and stern, leaving Luo Fei and his companions with no choice but to stop. After all, they were merely guests here, and openly defying the host's wishes was not only inappropriate but also largely unnecessary.
Seeing that the situation was basically under his control, Bai Jian'e's expression softened slightly. After pondering for a moment, he looked at his villagers again and asked loudly, "Where is Xue Mingfei? Hasn't Xue Mingfei arrived yet?"
The villagers looked at each other, but none of them responded. For a moment, the large square fell silent. Even Luo Fei couldn't help but wonder: Where on earth has Xue Mingfei gone?
Is there any connection between Xue Mingfei's disappearance and the strange events that occurred in the temple?
Everyone present was puzzled by the same question. It was in this situation that Xue Mingfei appeared on his own.
Because everyone's attention had been focused on the direction of the Dragon King Temple, it wasn't until Xue Mingfei entered the square that someone noticed him. The person who noticed him immediately shouted Xue Mingfei's name, and everyone's eyes turned to him.
Xue Mingfei came from the direction of the woods on the east side of the square. He was hunched over, moved slowly, and walked with unsteady steps, appearing extremely weak, as if he might fall to the ground at any moment.
Everyone stared at him, their eyes filled with surprise and confusion. They stood there dumbfounded, not a single person thinking of going over to help him up.
Even if someone had thought of it, they probably wouldn't dare to step forward at this point.
Xue Mingfei's current state was extremely bizarre: he was completely naked, without even shoes or socks. He walked in naked, revealing a patch of deathly pale skin.
Bathed in the morning light, Xue Mingfei's skin was eerily pale, seemingly devoid of any color. Coupled with his slow movements, he didn't look like a living person at all, but rather like a corpse that had just crawled out of a grave.
He moved forward slowly, or perhaps "shuffled" would be a more accurate description than "walked." He seemed oblivious to the villagers' chatter and the astonished gazes fixed on him. He simply strained his body, inching his way towards the Dragon King Temple.
Luo Fei and his two companions were standing at the south corner of the Dragon King Temple, watching Xue Mingfei move past them. In the instant the man passed by, Luo Fei clearly felt a sinister sensation, a sensation that came from the man's eyes.
A chilling light lingered in his eyes, revealing extreme fear and despair. However, his mind hadn't completely collapsed; at least a sliver of human vitality still flowed within that cold light. He stared intently in the direction of the Dragon King Temple, and with each step closer, a hint of expectation appeared on his stiff face.
This seems to be a person who has already stepped into hell, and the Dragon King Temple is his final place of redemption.
Bai Jian'e clearly hadn't anticipated this situation. He stared in astonishment as his most capable assistant slowly approached him in such a bizarre manner. Only when the other man was within two meters did he suddenly snap out of his daze and demand, "Xue Mingfei! What are you doing? What's wrong with you?"
Xue Mingfei ignored the leader's questions, like a puppet without a soul; he was still single-mindedly focused on getting into the Dragon King Temple.
"Go and support him!" Bai Jian'e turned to Wu Qun and Zhao Liwen beside him and instructed them.
Seeing Xue Mingfei's appearance, Wu Qun and Zhao Liwen felt a chill run down their spines, but since their leader had given the order, they had no choice but to step forward and try to support the pale, naked body from either side.
As they stepped aside to clear the temple door, Xue Mingfei's gaze, now unobstructed, fixed directly on the rain god statue inside. He seemed to witness the most terrifying scene in the world, his body trembling violently. Then he raised a hand, pointing towards the altar, and burst into a hysterical, grotesque laugh: "Hahaha...hahaha...my blood! That's my blood! He, he drained all my blood! Hahaha..."
It was a desperate laugh that erupted from extreme fear, hoarse and dry, eventually becoming almost a wail, sending chills down the spine of the listener.
Everyone was stunned by the laughter and the terrifying words within it. Even Bai Jian'e couldn't help but turn around and glance in the direction Xue Mingfei was pointing.
Suddenly, Xue Mingfei's laughter stopped abruptly. Then, his body swayed twice and collapsed limply like a cooked noodle.
The villagers erupted in a commotion, jolting Bai Jian'e out of his daze. He gritted his teeth, his face regaining its resolute expression, and shouted, "Don't panic! I'm here!"
Inspired by their leader's spirit, the villagers temporarily regained their composure. But seeing a matter of life and death unfolding before their eyes, Luo Fei could no longer stand idly by. He rushed forward and arrived at the Dragon King Temple. Yue Dongbei, who had long been unable to contain himself, immediately followed closely. Zhou Liwei, seemingly mindful of his status, hesitated for a moment before catching up.
"What are you doing here!" Bai Jian'e seemed extremely wary of these strangers. "Go back immediately!"
"I'm a police officer!" Luo Fei declared, pointing to Xue Mingfei, who was lying on the ground. "I have an obligation to be responsible for this man's safety."
"Forget about the police, I'm the boss here!" Bai Jian'e glared. "Get them out of here!"
Wu Qun and Zhao Liwen stepped in front of Luo Fei and his two companions. Yue Dongbei wasn't interested in Xue Mingfei's safety; he only wanted to know what changes had occurred to the Rain God statue. Now that the other party had stepped forward and blocked his view, he, already arrogant and rude, shoved Wu Qun aside, saying, "Get out of the way! You're being too domineering!"
Little did they know that the people of this mountain stronghold were known for their fierce and valiant nature, and Yue Dongbei's move was seen as extremely provocative by them. Wu Qun and Zhao Liwen's expressions immediately changed, and the two of them simultaneously reached out and pulled out gleaming machetes from somewhere, holding them up in front of the three of them. The atmosphere became tense, as if a fight could break out at any moment.
Yue Dongbei was at a loss, his face flushed red: "What... what are you doing?"
Fearing that Yue Dongbei might be in danger, Luo Fei quickly pulled him behind him and said sincerely, "We're not here to cause trouble. Right now, saving lives is the priority."
"Chief Bai, although the situation is chaotic, you still need to distinguish between enemies and friends. We are all people of status. This is Officer Luo, and this Mr. Yue is also a very learned man." Zhou Liwei, who had been silent until now, stepped forward and pointed to the three people on his side one by one, saying, "And my surname is Zhou, and I am a doctor. You need my help now, Chief Bai, you should understand that."
Zhou Liwei emphasized the word "doctor," which seemed to affect Bai Jian'e. He narrowed his eyes and stared intently at Zhou Liwei. Zhou Liwei met his gaze defiantly. Finally, the tension on Bai Jian'e's face relaxed, and he waved to his two subordinates, "You can step back now. Let him see what's wrong with Xue Mingfei."
Wu Qun and Zhao Liwen sheathed their knives and stepped behind Bai Jian'e. Zhou Liwei bent down, lifted Xue Mingfei's upper body, and gently placed his fingers on his pulse. Luo Fei also squatted down, waiting anxiously.
Soon, Zhou Liwei said with a serious expression, "His body is very weak and his life is in danger at any time. It should be due to excessive blood loss."
"Blood loss?! How did he lose blood?" Bai Jian'e was very concerned about Xue Mingfei's condition, but he was unwilling to lower himself to kneel in front of the villagers. However, upon hearing Zhou Liwei's diagnosis, he couldn't help but exclaim in confusion.
Luo Fei also found it somewhat hard to understand. Xue Mingfei lay naked in front of everyone, and everyone could see clearly that there wasn't a single tiny scar on his body. How could he have lost too much blood?
Xue Mingfei, who was already in a semi-conscious state, suddenly opened his eyes again and murmured in a weak voice, "It was him, he... drained all my blood..." His pupils were noticeably dilated.
Bai Jian'e leaned slightly forward, looking into Xue Mingfei's eyes: "Who? Who harmed you? Tell me, and I will definitely avenge you!"
Xue Mingfei's lips twitched slightly, then his dead fish-like eyes widened, but there was no trace of life in them.
"...Revenge? Yes...He's here for revenge...He's resurrected...with my blood! Demon! He...he won't let us go, he's in hell...waiting for us!" Xue Mingfei finished speaking in a suffocating tone. His mind was already blurred, his eyes were empty, and he was scanning around aimlessly, but his finger was firmly pointing in one direction.
Everyone around him felt a tightness in their chests, and then they all looked in that direction.
A statue of Li Dingguo, the rain god, in the Dragon King Temple!
Luo Fei had visited the Dragon King Temple last night, but the candlelight was dim, and he hadn't paid much attention to the statue. Now, he was finally able to truly see the "Rain God's" appearance. The statue depicted a dignified middle-aged man with thick eyebrows, a long beard, a high nose, and sharp eyes. He wore golden armor, his right hand resting on a long sword, and his entire being seemed to exude an irresistible sense of power.
At this moment, this sense of power was undoubtedly rendered with a terrifying color, because his whole body was mottled and dripping with bright red blood!
What was particularly horrifying was that blood was still gushing out of his wide-open eyes!
Where the statue's bloodshot eyes gazed, Xue Mingfei breathed his last in this world. He seemed to be witnessing the "devil's" bloody rebirth through his death!
A hush fell over the square, an uncontrollable sense of unease spreading through it. Luo Fei frowned deeply. The Dragon King Temple—the Rain God—Li Dingguo—shed tears and brought rain. He had initially thought these were just minor incidents in his investigation of the Longzhou case, but Xue Mingfei's last words had brought forth a mysterious "demon." What did this mean?