51-я картина маслом

Глава 10

"You...don't...hate...me?" The one-eyed man laughed. A muffled laugh.

"Hypocrisy! [The rest of the text appears to be a series of seemingly random characters and symbols, possibly a corrupted or incomplete message. A direct translation is not possible without further context or clarification.]"

He gave a bitter laugh, and after a long while, a single tear actually fell from his deathly gray eye. The tear landed on Tong Rong's nose, then slid down her cheeks and flowed into her eyes, but those eyes remained fixed on him without blinking.

At that moment, One-Eyed suddenly did something.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [31]: —— He took off his clothes.

She took off all her clothes.

They undressed very quickly.

*** *** ***

Of course, one has to stand up when taking off clothes, so Tong Rong could see very clearly: he was wearing three sets of clothes. All three were black.

—The outer garment was quite ordinary. Besides the outer garment, there was a tight-fitting jumpsuit, but it couldn't really be called clothing, as it was covered in holes of all sizes, resembling a fishing net. After removing this black mesh outfit, only black underwear remained.

She wore an opaque black tank top and opaque black shorts.

He took off his clothes, revealing his body covered in scars.

(Almost every part of his body was covered in unbroken skin.) (He must have had some unspeakable tragic experiences, right?) However, the one-eyed man, having taken off his clothes, did not pounce on her. He stared coldly at Tong Rong, who was now also naked.

Tong Rong stared at him without blinking, her expression completely blank.

The one-eyed man bent down and pulled out the four "iron shields".

Tong Rong remained lying there quietly, motionless.

"Put it on." One-Eyed kicked the black mesh shirt onto Tong Rong.

Tong Rong remained motionless.

"Please, can't you see I have no sex drive at all? It's only romantic if you put it on and then take it off!" the one-eyed man sneered.

Tong Rong struggled to sit up. She stood up and put on her clothes. The mesh top seemed to have some kind of elasticity, clinging perfectly to her skin.

Such an outfit would undoubtedly arouse a person's desire even more.

However, the one-eyed creature still had no desire.

He slammed his hand on the earthen wall beside him, causing it to crack open and reveal a large square hole. Inside the hole was a bulging bulge. He reached in, pulled and tugged, and pulled out an opaque black overcoat.

"Put them on!"

Tong Rong put it on.

She stared blankly at the vicious man—he remained devoid of desire.

The one-eyed man stared at her, at her expressionless face. He turned slightly, and surprisingly, he had also put on clothes. Facing Tong Rong again, he kicked the small backpack to her feet, slapped it shut, and the hole closed again. "Get lost!" he sneered, spreading his hand. A paper-thin, green-glowing disc appeared in his palm, which he stuffed into Tong Rong's hand.

"You brat! You little brat! You're so cunning! You're like a snake, always scurrying about ...

Tong Rong listened quietly, glancing at the backpack and the fluorescent light in her hands, then staring intently at that lifeless gray eye. She also did something.

— Kneel down.

kneel.

kowtow.

Then, she approached One-Eyed, stood on tiptoe, and embraced his trembling, strong body, kissing him. She kissed his face, filled with ferocity and ruthlessness. She turned and walked. She reached the narrow, sloping opening that seemed to suddenly widen; she crawled in, then out, and the opening closed up the instant she emerged. Before her lay a sloping, square opening, barely wide enough for a person to bend over. Inside, there were still traces of her struggle. She crawled in, and suddenly the ceiling split open. She placed her backpack on it first, then laboriously climbed out, finally managing to get her upper body up.

Under the fluorescent light, less than five steps away, there was a head on the ground.

There is only one head.

—Adin's head.

*** *** ***

The green light was desolate, and a single eye wept.

Only one tear.

Tears fall into the soil and disappear instantly, leaving no trace; but the torn clothes remain, as do the faint warmth and subtle fragrance, the knocked-out teeth, the ripped-out hair, and the blood; everything is so shocking.

Even the one-eyed man bent his knees, knelt down, and kowtowed.

He wept again.

—A tear, blood-red in color.

Then he drew his sword.

It was a sharp little knife, gleaming with an eerie blue light.

He placed the knife on his cheek—the cheek that had just been kissed.

The knife tip slowly pierced in, but he felt no pain.

—He could only think back to his childhood.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [32]: When I was very, very young, in that famine-stricken era. (My mother, covered in wounds, stumbled and rushed to him and my sister, stretched out a hand that was still tightly clenched but had exposed bone fragments, and opened it. She fell down. In her hand, there was only a small clump of sweet potato leaves.) When I was very young, during that year's flood. (My thin, swollen sister carried him, who had a high fever, onto a broken boat; the broken boat rocked and swayed on the water without stopping. Three hours passed, and my naked sister was kicked out by five boatmen. Then, they threw out a tattered cotton coat and a cornbread. My sister wrapped the tattered cotton coat around his body, who had a high fever, and hugged him tightly in her arms...; he woke up, but my sister's body was already stiff.) When I wasn't too young, in that winter in the deep mountains. (A strange woman gave him food and water, and showed him the way out of the deep mountains; a few days later, he saw her unconscious; he carried her on his back, and half a month later, he returned to the same place. A group of people arrived, took the woman away, and beat him until he was barely alive; when a withered branch pierced one of his eyes, that eye could only see one scene from then on: the numbness and despair of those who loved him.) Humans are all cruel.

Love among women is the only exception.

But no one loved the world—until today, until today he saw it with his own eyes. Love became a murderer! (If this was the last person to love the world, and he almost raped and killed her, what should he do?) (What should he do? What should he do?...)—He turned the knife and carefully cut off a piece of lip-shaped flesh.

(He put the meat into the mixture of blood, teeth, dirt, and clothing) — then he put on the iron finger cots, opened his clothes, and exposed his bare chest.

"This is a great job."

"This is a sacred task."

He muttered to himself as a sharp iron finger sheath suddenly pierced his abdomen. He stirred it around, as if digging the easiest hole in the ground, cutting open his belly and pulling out sections of intestine.

Then continue.

"This is the liver. This is the kidney. This is the spleen. This is the stomach."

"That's right, this is the heart."

His heart pounded in his palm, and under the green light, he was horrified to discover the unalterable truth: his heart was not red!

Blood is not it either!

But why is it like this?! !!! ...

Laughter.

— (Yes. She definitely will…)

*** *** ***

At this moment, Wang Jia was saying, "Two little white dots are missing."

"So that means—two people have already died?" Wang Mu asked.

He wasn't sure, so he just looked at Wang Jia—although that face was indeed terrifying and ugly, he had to get used to it, and could only get used to it.

Wang Jia wasn't sure either. "If I were in real life and had a sense of time, I could deduce it. But now..." He shook his head, "I can't say anything."

Wang Mu, however, showed no intention of getting a reply from Wang Jia. He frowned and muttered to himself, "Eighteen plus six plus two equals twenty-six. Now that two are missing, there are only twenty-four left. Twenty-four... twenty-four..." "Twenty-four?" Wang Jia suddenly paused.

Then, he fell silent, a mixture of joy, realization, and fear.

"What's wrong with Twenty-Four?" Wang Mu asked, puzzled.

III. Before the Bridge of Helplessness

Wang Jia did not answer directly.

He suddenly grabbed his younger brother's hand and asked, "Amu, what if we really can't get out? —The 'Seclusion Technique' isn't a permanent way to go without food or water; its duration is at most six years, and that's the 'Buddhist Yoga Seclusion Technique.' The 'Spiritual Dharma Seclusion Technique' we practice can only last a year and a half at most! [The text then abruptly shifts to a seemingly unrelated anecdote about a man named Amu and his brother's seclusion techniques.]"

Wang Mu felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this. "Wang Jia, how could you say such a thing? It's terrifying!"

Wang Jia fell silent. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "Amu, you've never believed in ghosts, gods, or mysterious things; actually, I didn't believe in them either. But now, I... I'm just afraid..." "Afraid? Afraid of what? You can't be afraid of anything. If you're afraid, you'll lose your ability to resist. Just like you said a long time ago—willpower is like a river embankment; once it's weakened, the flood will surge uncontrollably. So, if you're not afraid, nothing will happen! Wasn't I very afraid before? But after practicing 'Spiritual Eye Technique,' I wasn't afraid of anything anymore, was I? Haven't you told me more than once that I must have a firm belief? Don't forget, we have a map, and the map clearly shows a way out; and you are so powerful, you know so much! From now on, I'll listen to you, okay? I'll practice whatever you tell me to practice. There must be some kind of technique as powerful as the legends say, right? We can get out, don't worry!"

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [33]: Wang Mu patted Wang Jia like an older brother, “Don’t exaggerate. This is underground, after all. Even if the water source isn’t marked on the map, it doesn’t mean you can’t find water in real life. There’s plenty of groundwater in this area, and there are underground rivers too. There will be plenty of small fish and shrimp. What’s worse than eating people? Do you think your flesh is delicious? Do you think your blood is thirst-quenching?”

—Besides, there's water in the picture!

“You’ve misunderstood me,” Wang Jia said. “Amu, have you thought about this? —The strange events and numerous dangers along the way home? Have you thought about it? —How did this so-called treasure map turn into a map? And how can you and I see our location?”

Wang Mu became smug, "This is what they call good deeds being rewarded, and heaven having eyes—it's just a coincidence!"

Wang Jia smiled wryly. "Amu, there's a question I've been keeping from you. But just now—when I heard the words 'twenty-four,' I couldn't hold back any longer."

What mystery?

Wang Jia trembled. "I know you. As long as you can see, you're full of optimism and afraid of nothing. So, I told you this so you can be prepared."

Wang Mu got impatient. "Stop beating around the bush, okay? -- Aren't you annoying?"

"I suspect that the 'Feng Shui Fortune-Changing Method' of the 'Overbearing Meridian-Snatching Technique' has begun to activate!" Wang Jia finally began to tell the "truth." "--Feng Shui Fortune-Changing Method?"

“That’s right. Because, long before you let me try, joked with me, and mocked me, I had already figured out how to change my luck! Based on the contradictory premise between belief and disbelief, I made a lot of luck-changing tools and drew a lot of talismans with a ‘let’s give it a try’ attitude, and chose a night with a heavy thunderstorm—”—that night!” Wang Mu suddenly remembered, “It was that night you ran out and came back?!”

"Yes. That was the day. But, at the last moment, when I was about to cast the spell, I abandoned the final step because I was startled. However, if a thunderstorm were to fall on the Wangzhuang cemetery, and it were to come out on a sunny day later with rain on one side, it would be equivalent to completing the 'Overbearing Meridian-Crushing Technique'. And during those days of continuous rain, I can't guarantee whether a thunderstorm would fall on the Wangzhuang cemetery."

"If it exists, then it will be activated?"

"Yes. Since we got underground, I've been troubled by this problem. If it has really been activated, then as the caster of the spell, it's hard to guarantee that we won't become sacrifices! If the change of fate has indeed begun, it will be very difficult for us to get out."

"

Wang Mu was finally stunned. In the past, he would have vehemently refuted and ridiculed Wang Jia. But now, he was gradually beginning to believe in Wang Jia's superstitious tales. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "The one who tied the knot must untie it; better to live a wretched life than to die a good death. With the progress of productivity, people's lives can only improve day by day. Why risk our fortunes for temporary wealth? Whether we change our fate or not is irrelevant; at most, we'll still be poor. The people of Wangzhuang will still be a little poorer. But if, as you say, changing our fate will cause thousands upon thousands to perish, wouldn't that sin be impossible to wash away even in ten lifetimes? We'd both become part of that burial. Is more money than life? Besides, 'risking' is, after all..." Such acts are those of a robber, taking everything from others and imposing it upon oneself; they violate human morality. Since you primarily practice Feng Shui and divination, you should know that this field belongs to the "Spiritual Gate" among the three gates of "Essence, Qi, and Spirit," and the Spiritual Gate places the greatest emphasis on moral cultivation. In terms of virtue, calamity violates morality. Is this truly our consistent practice? Therefore, it is said, "Destiny has calamities, and fortune has setbacks." When the calamity arises from you, the setback should also be brought about by you. Quickly think of a solution! Think of a solution! [New Grain Master]

Wang Jia pondered for a moment and said, "Originally, I dared not, could not, and was unwilling to believe that it was this that triggered it. However, I don't know if you've noticed, but it's getting colder and colder now. This means that the 'calamity' of the 'Overbearing Calamity Technique' has begun. There is a way, of course, but the prerequisite is that the internal and external calamities cannot be combined!"

"Two tribulations, one internal and one external?" Wang Mu asked, "What are those?"

"All calamities are caused by two factors, 'internal' and 'external'; even if you are walking peacefully on the road and suddenly get hit by a speeding car, it is caused by the combination of 'people and vehicles'. Here, 'internal' and 'external' mean the two kinds of calamities, underground and above ground. In the external calamity above ground, people have already died in Liu Village, but under no circumstances should anyone commit suicide; in the internal calamity, if there are other people in the tomb, under no circumstances should there be any suicide or homicide—otherwise, we will hardly survive!"

Wang Musong sighed, "Oh! It can't be that coincidental. Murder is possible, but who would deliberately commit suicide?" He paused, then asked, "But what does that have to do with the twenty-four?"

Wang Jia said, "Of course there's a connection. How many solar terms are there in a year? Twenty-four! And in classical mystical culture, there are also twenty-four solar terms! 臁⒘⑼酢浴⑸瘛⒕⒛А⒘Γ恕⑿啊⒄⒓盼笃灰酢⒀簟⑸⑺馈⒒谩⒘椤⒁臁⒄妗⑸⑹俊⒁狻⒀" ∑4送猓杏腥鑫⑵参秩肓鬃又冢舛钠⒅校云帕杏诘谒模侵忠追⒛咽罩ё羁欤厝话樗孀叛�扔肷筭荆裨颍臼裁从胩臁⒘⑼跞呦嗥サ校俊?

At this point in Wang Jia's story, Wang Mu's mouth dropped open, speechless with astonishment. After a long while, Wang Mu cautiously asked, "Wang Jia, does that mean that if the feng shui fortune-changing technique is truly activated, we will inevitably become sacrificial offerings?"