Chapter 31: Relocating the Grave (Conclusion)

"Do not be afraid."

Jiang Luo knew full well that her ghoulish, wretched appearance would surely terrify Jiang Shengsheng, yet she could not resist the urge to draw near, to get a good look at her daughter—the child she shared with her husband, Shi Yusheng.

She remembered the heartbreak of smuggling a sleeping Jiang Shengsheng away under the shroud of darkness. She had no choice; she lacked the power to protect her child in Stone Village, a man-eating place that had singled her daughter out as a sacrifice to the Mountain God. Their own lives were destined to be buried in this backward, inhumane village, but their child could not be trapped here.

The educated youth had learned sign language, whispering their plans in secret while under constant surveillance, until they finally succeeded in sending the children out of the mountains and away from Stone Village.

For some reason, Jiang Shengsheng caught a glimpse of tenderness, self-reproach, and a faint sense of relief in the rotted corpse’s expression. The metaphysical mystery of blood ties took hold; her racing heart began to steady, and she even found the courage to look directly into the hollow sockets of the corpse’s eyes.

"Who are you?"

It was strange. Jiang Shengsheng clutched her chest with her hands, a sudden, inexplicable ache stinging her eyes.

Hearing her soft murmur, Jiang Luo’s raspy voice let out a light laugh. "It doesn't matter. Knowing you is enough."

Each generation carries its own burdens and missions. They had hoisted their children up, shielding them from the deep filth beneath their feet and the bottomless abyss behind them. Their children had to live in the sunlight. Otherwise, what was the point of the risks they had taken to send them away?

Jiang Shengsheng felt that there was more to it than just that light sentence, but as she lowered her eyelids, she couldn't quite articulate what else there should be.

Jiang Luo withdrew her gaze. With a heart full of satisfaction, she hardened her resolve, turned away, and walked toward Qi Yiqing. Ignoring Qi Man’s inquisitive stare, she pointed toward the graveyard on the back hill. "Our graves are not there; they are under the locust tree in front of the ancestral hall."

She knew that Shi Yong had used the pretext of relocating graves to lure Jiang Shengsheng there. More accurately, they had died without a proper burial; of the more than twenty educated youth from that time, only the few rotting corpses before them remained. The rest had all perished in that unprecedented flood, drowned beneath suffocating silt and sand.

"If I may ask," Qi Yiqing called out to the departing Jiang Luo, "did you leave your names behind? We would like to give you a proper reburial."

Jiang Luo nodded, both surprised and unsurprised. "Yes. I believe they were carved onto the stone boy statues at the shrine."

In the end, the players found a dense array of names on the stone statues. After years of weathering, most of the edges of the characters were blurred, but by relying on their keen eyesight, the players managed to piece together the missing fragments. With the help of birth certificates and the evidence from the corpses, the players quickly deduced the answer to the riddle.

However, they were in no rush to leave. They intended to actually exhume the remains of the educated youth and give them a proper burial. Being buried in Stone Village was too great an injustice to them.

[Submit answer?]

***

[Yes] [No]

One by one, players submitted the correct answer and departed, leaving only Qi Yiqing and the man in glasses. Qi Yiqing refused to leave; he intended to kill Qi Man, who dared to leer at the little NPC, and then take her away. Xi You stayed behind simply to watch the drama unfold at close range. A game-world battle over a woman? How interesting.

Qi Yiqing ignored whether the man in glasses stayed or not, pulling a massive accumulation of items from his inventory.

"Let her go."

Taking advantage of the moment, Qi Man had already pulled Jiang Shengsheng—who was desperate to avoid him—into his arms, patting her back. "Are you so afraid of your husband?"

Hearing Qi Yiqing’s cold voice, Qi Man sneered, "In your dreams!"

[Ten Thousand Arrows Piercing the Heart · Attack Item] activated successfully.
[Hundred Ghosts Night Parade · Attack Item] activated successfully.
[Insect Curse · Attack Item] activated successfully.
...

Dozens of offensive items were thrown out like trash. Qi Yiqing gripped his blade and lunged forward. As a god, Qi Man’s power was immeasurable; the items landed on him with almost zero effect. The two traded blows, back and forth.

Holding the soft little bride tightly with one hand, Qi Man was constantly distracted. Blood oozed from large and small wounds on his body, soaking his shredded clothes. Jiang Shengsheng didn't understand why they had suddenly started fighting; terrified, she buried her face in the male ghost’s cold, damp neck, closing her eyes tightly, not daring to look. If she weren't afraid of falling, she would have covered her ears.

After an unknown amount of time, the person holding her shuddered. Jiang Shengsheng felt cool liquid soak into her waist, and the scent of blood filled her nose. Qi Man was panting heavily, his face pale as he knelt on one knee.

What kind of monster was this!

His shoulders had been run through twice, and his abdomen was slashed open; the pain made Qi Man grimace. He didn't want to let go. He had finally held her in his hands—how could he be forced to let go so cruelly? She was his wife.

The lowly, disgusting dog was now intentionally mocking him, boasting about his plans for her once he had her. "Where did she touch you? Your hands? Your waist? Your neck? Forget it, I’ll just kill you."

Qi Yiqing’s dark eyes were locked onto the little NPC, who was playing ostrich in Qi Man’s arms. His tone grew increasingly unhinged, his movements becoming ever more ruthless. He never spoke in jest.

Jiang Shengsheng sensed the impending danger and once again retreated into her ostrich-like state of denial. The large hand wrapped around her waist went limp and fell away. Trembling, she opened her eyes to see a sea of red.

Jiang Shengsheng sat dazed in a pool of blood. The man in red, coughing up blood, collapsed weakly onto her lap, nuzzling her waist with lingering attachment. "Wife, don't let that stinking dog trick you."

"Baby."

Qi Yiqing’s smiling voice sounded above her. Jiang Shengsheng looked up, bewildered by how he addressed her. How could this be...

In the next second, Qi Yiqing used a sleep-inducing item on her, and she lost consciousness.

...

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in Qi Yiqing’s arms. In the distance, in the pool of blood, the once-arrogant male ghost lay limp and lifeless. Qi Man was dead; her Jun Yao was dead. Jiang Shengsheng’s eyes welled up with tears, red and puffy like a timid rabbit.

"Is the baby awake?"

The darkness in Qi Yiqing’s eyes deepened, his voice raspy and low. He leaned close to her hair, closed his sharp, icy eyes, and obsessively inhaled the faint fragrance from her tresses. "Don't cry, baby. Watch how your husband kills all the dogs that pester you. Your husband will protect you well."

Qi Yiqing forcefully grabbed Jiang Shengsheng’s stiff hand and pressed it against his cheek and lips, his eyes half-closed in satisfaction.

No, this isn't right!

Jiang Shengsheng shook her head, covered in a cold sweat, watching the manic laughter in Qi Yiqing’s eyes. But she could do nothing, and she could change nothing.

Qi Yiqing intended to take the little NPC out of here, to take her to his own world.

Once the answer was submitted, the instance behind him crumbled into fragments. Qi Yiqing’s upturned lips froze, his pupils dilating as he watched the NPC in his arms turn transparent and vanish.

"...Disappeared?"

A long time later, the red-haired man standing in the game’s settlement space covered his face and laughed, his thumb wiping away the tears that welled in the corners of his eyes.