After Li Ren and the other three left, Hao Ruoxue returned to the courtyard to rest, her mind heavy with worries.
Su Cheng knocked on the doors of both Wei Guhua and Yao Yue.
Although Wei Guhua and Yao Yue had become puppets of the Red Thread, they did not show any aggression. Instead, they warmly welcomed Su Cheng into the house.
Su Cheng mainly inspected the large water tank in their room.
The condition of Hao Ruoxue's room was exactly the same.
The water in the jar was only half full, and the top-quality lotus seed had swelled up to the shape of a human head.
After reading it, Su Cheng returned to her room.
She walked to the water tank. The water level hadn't dropped, and her ordinary lotus seed was still the size of a baseball, lying quietly on the surface of the water.
Ordinary lotus varieties grow much slower than premium lotus varieties.
There was a well in the yard, and just to be on the safe side, Su Cheng found a bucket in the corner and planned to fill the water tank.
This way, she wouldn't have to stay by the water tank at night, worried that the lotus seeds would absorb all the water if she wasn't careful.
As I stepped outside, I saw Hao Ruoxue also carrying a bucket to fetch water.
Only Wei Guhua and Yao Yue the house and never came out again.
After filling the water tank, Su Cheng walked to their door and listened carefully. She heard faint snoring.
They actually fell asleep.
A note from the author:
none
Chapter 112
Li Ren and the other three returned to the courtyard before it got completely dark.
The four of them couldn't wait to change their clothes and knocked on Su Cheng's door first, anxiously asking if the red line above their heads had changed.
"It's still the same as before."
Only after receiving Su Cheng's reply did the four of them feel relieved. After thanking her, they went back to their house to put the lotus seeds away.
Li Ren and Aunt Jin did not look well; they had brought back top-quality lotus seeds.
Wang Zhichao looked much more relaxed; he had brought back ordinary lotus seeds.
This result surprised Su Cheng; she had thought that Li Ren would be the one to bring back ordinary lotus seeds.
From this perspective, Wang Zhichao may not be as inexperienced as he appears; he may have a hidden trick up his sleeve.
Yaya walked behind the group, her face extremely pale. She hadn't managed to dig up any lotus seeds this time!
Even after confirming the situation with Su Cheng regarding the red line, her mood didn't improve in the slightest.
No one expected that there would only be one chance to dig up lotus seeds.
A single misstep could jeopardize the completion of the mission. Previous special dungeons have never had such strict completion requirements.
After returning to her room, Yaya sat dejectedly on the edge of her bed.
She knew very well that special dungeons were different from regular dungeons; if she couldn't complete the basic tasks, she would be forced to stay in that dungeon!
Looking at the empty water tank, her fingertips unconsciously gripped the bed sheet, and her eyes darkened.
She absolutely refused to stay in this eerie village!
After the four people left, Su Cheng closed the door.
I began to mentally reorganize and analyze the information I had received that day.
The information Li Ren shared today about the past of Red Lotus Village is not comprehensive.
For example, why did Red Lotus Village suddenly begin to worship the river god?
People don't suddenly do something they've never done before without a reason; there must be another reason behind it.
Moreover, when people believe in a god, there will naturally be corresponding stories about that god.
Most of the time, people believe in a god because he has done things that have benefited the community.
But Li Ren did not mention any further details about the river god.
Su Cheng believed that Li Ren was not deliberately hiding it, but rather that the person who told him intentionally cut off some fragments of the story.
Tomorrow she plans to go to the ancestral hall that Aunt Jin and Wang Zhichao were unable to enter, to find out what's going on.
*
Looking at the full water tank, Hao Ruoxue felt much more at ease. She thought she could finally have a peaceful night.
Although Village Chief Bai did not specify whether the lotus seeds would wither or experience other problems after the water tank ran out of water.
But Hao Ruoxue didn't dare to take any chances. After filling the water tank, she also placed another bucket of water next to it.
After night fell, there was not a sound outside the window.
It's too quiet.
Hao Ruoxue muttered to herself, a strange sense of nervousness creeping into her heart.
She thought it best not to sleep tonight. Even though there was a "human head" floating in the jar next to her bed, she really couldn't fall asleep.
I'll just stay here with the water tank tonight, just in case anything unexpected happens.
Thinking this, Hao Ruoxue sat on the corner of the bed.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh"
The wind rattled the window, and Hao Ruoxue was on edge, was startled by the sudden sound.
They breathed a sigh of relief after realizing it was just a rumor.
Turning her head, the lotus seed was still floating on the surface of the jar, but Hao Ruoxue felt that the human head seemed even fuller.
A thin layer of pinkish flesh seemed to have grown on the bone surface.
It is growing...
Hao Ruoxue's heart skipped a beat. She got up from the corner of the bed and walked step by step toward the lotus seed.
She was only seven steps away from the water vat, but each step felt incredibly heavy.
The suppressed, chilling energy within her body seemed to break free of its seal, causing her to shiver uncontrollably.
Finally, she came before the lotus seed.
He stiffly lowered his head, then was immediately horrified.
There wasn't a single drop of water in the water tank, and long, thin roots, like veins, coiled around the human head.
The lotus seed had long since absorbed all the water, yet it remained suspended above the surface of the jar, deceiving her into believing that the water had not been completely used up.
Realizing what was happening, Hao Ruoxue's face turned deathly pale. She tried to bend down to pour the water from the bucket into the vat, but found that she could no longer control her limbs below the chest.
The tingling and itching on the side of her neck became more and more severe. When she reached out to touch it, she felt a sticky, thin tube.
The thin tube had somehow been inserted into her carotid artery, contracting and drawing blood from her neck.
This is the rootstock of a lotus seed!!
My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of my chest.
She hurriedly reached for the Smart Bag to grab the prop, but her fingers froze just before she touched it.
She could no longer control her hands!
With her escape route cut off, she was utterly powerless to retaliate.
Hao Ruoxue's mind went blank, her heart clenched with panic, and even though she could no longer Perception her legs, she felt them trembling.
She opened her mouth, just managing to utter an "ah," when it was covered by dark hands.
A dark figure suddenly appeared before her. Its features were blurry, but Hao Ruoxue recognized it at a glance—it was the face on the lotus seed!
"Shh..."
Its scarlet eyes were filled with mockery and malice as it tightly wrapped its arms around Hao Ruoxue from behind.
The face on the lotus seed quickly became fuller, but it was also subtly changing, becoming more and more like... Hao Ruoxue.
The slender rhizomes are the link to transformation.
Tears welled up in Hao Ruoxue's eyes as she tried to shout. The others lived next door; if she shouted, she could get help.
But her throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton; she screamed at the top of her lungs, but only a faint sound came out.
The tears were licked away by the cold air, and a voice whispered in her ear, "Soon, it will be your turn to take my place."
A strong sense of sleepiness washed over her, and Hao Ruoxue's eyelids drooped heavily. So cold, so sleepy...
As consciousness struggled and sank, just as it was about to disappear, a piercing scream erupted in my ears!
Hao Ruoxue suddenly woke up with a start.
"Aaaaaah--"
With a cry of pain, the black aura surrounding Hao Ruoxue dissipated, and the roots that had emerged from the jar all retracted.
The thin tube was pulled back from Hao Ruoxue's neck, and she lost her balance, collapsing to the ground, her body limp.
She regained consciousness, clutched her neck, and gasped for breath, drenched in sweat, as she braced herself against the ground.
The door was kicked open forcefully.
It's Su Cheng.
Tears welled up in Hao Ruoxue's eyes; this time, they were tears of joy.
After Su Cheng entered the room, she immediately spotted the human-faced lotus seed with fleshy tissue growing out of it.
Within the lotus seed, a blurry, black, misty human face roars in fury!
Strands of White Qi shot towards the black mist Vengeful Ghost within the lotus seed like sharp arrows.
"Bass--"
Golden runes suddenly appeared on the water tank, and upon colliding with the White Qi, they were completely neutralized!
The Vengeful Ghost gave Su Cheng one last venomous look, then, knowing it was no match for her, its aura dissipated.
It hasn't left the lotus seed; it's just hidden deeper inside.
The golden runes on the water tank are its Protection.
Su Cheng truly hadn't expected the existence of golden runes; anyone who could draw such runes must be a master.
Could this rune have been created by Village Chief Bai?
not necessarily.
Village Chief Bai doesn't seem to have that kind of ability.
But it's certain he knew that top-grade lotus seeds would suck people's blood when dehydrated.
They also knew that no matter how closely they watched, the people living inside the house would be unable to guard against the deceptive methods of the top-grade lotus seeds.
"Sister..." Hao Ruoxue's voice was unusually hoarse.
"Are you alright?" Su Cheng withdrew her investigation of the water tank's runes and helped Hao Ruoxue from the floor to the bed.
Hao Ruoxue had already used the medication in the Smart Bag to stop the bleeding, but her body was still cold and extremely weak.
"Thank goodness you came..."
"Luckily, I live right next door to you. When a thick ghostly aura suddenly appeared in your house, I knew something was wrong."
Just five minutes ago, Su Cheng was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed, meditating, and asked Mu Ling to keep an eye on the water in the tub.
Ordinary lotus seeds absorb water more slowly than expected, so nothing happened.
Until Mu Ling suddenly told her that the ghostly aura in the courtyard had become unusually strong...
Su Cheng realized that the Vengeful Ghost hiding in the shadows had finally made its move. After knocking on Hao Ruoxue's door without receiving a response, she hurriedly kicked the door open.
Su Cheng glanced at the lotus seed floating quietly, "This lotus seed's face bears a five-tenths resemblance to yours."
"Yes, the ghost just said it was my turn to take her place." Hao Ruoxue caught her breath and continued:
She seems to be looking for
substitute
I'm not entirely sure either.
Hao Ruoxue had to stop and catch her breath after saying just a few words. The medicine couldn't immediately restore the essence and blood that had been taken from her.
"Go to my room and rest. The top-grade lotus has absorbed so much of your blood and I injured it, so it shouldn't cause any trouble tonight. There's no rush to fill the tank with water now. I'll go check on the others."