I Went Crazy Killing in the World of Gods and Demons - Chapter 69

Chapter 69

For now, the key to finding those conducting the Sacrifice lies in waiting patientlysooner or later, they will appear.

This place is clearly their designated Sacrifice site. Once the time comes, those performing the ritual will naturally bring the bride here.

However, this approach is too passive.

Xie Qingling preferred to take the initiative, so she decided to search the surrounding area for potential clues.

Due to her professional background, Xie Qingling had studied numerous books on criminal investigation.

According to criminal geography, the perpetrators likely wouldn’t be too far from this river.

For such a large-scale murderous Sacrifice, if the journey were too long and required crossing mountains and rivers, it would inevitably attract attention along the way. How could it have remained undetected until now without being exposed?

Xie Qingling planned to search outward from the riverbank, hoping to uncover relevant clues.

If that failed, she estimated they would need to seek help from experts in criminal investigation.

The three split up and climbed the mountain, hoping to use the elevated vantage point to save time in their search.

Xie Qingling had only climbed halfway up when Dai Xingyu’s voice came through her earpiece: “I found something! There’s a situation here!”

Truly worthy of being called the Herdsman.

He was always the quickest to spot anomalies.

Shen Huaizhou and Xie Qingling immediately turned back to rendezvous with Dai Xingyu.

The three climbed to the halfway point of the mountain where Dai Xingyu was and looked down.

In the distance, a village lay quietly nestled in a valley.

By now, night had fallen, and the valley was brightly lit. Orange-yellow light spilled from the windows, resembling stars scattered across the mountain hollow.

These lights served as beacons in the dark, easily visible from afar.

From the valley, the sound of barking dogs echoed intermittently, a noisy yet strangely tranquil reminder of a world far removed from the city’s clamor.

To get a better view, Xie Qingling climbed a tall tree and stood atop its canopy, where the distant scenery unfolded before her.

Shen Huaizhou stood beside her, causing the canopy to dip under their combined weight.

“What’s your plan?” Shen Huaizhou asked from below.

“We have to investigate that village,” Xie Qingling glanced down at him before turning her gaze back toward the distant settlement, “but not now.”

Shen Huaizhou nodded. “I was thinking the same.”

Such remote, ancient, isolated villages typically exhibited strong exclusivity and were rarely welcoming toward outsiders.

Moreover, while these villages might be slow to receive outside news, information circulated rapidly within. They operated as close-knit societies with small populations, where gossip spread quicklywhat the eastern household cooked for lunch could be discerned by the western household simply by the scent in the air. The appearance of three unfamiliar faces like Xie Qingling and her companions would undoubtedly attract attention and discussion.

If they entered the village at night, it would only make them appear suspicious… likely leading to conflict.

At the very least, it would invite unnecessary trouble and suspicion.

“Let’s wait. It’s already quite late today.” Xie Qingling sat on a tree branch, leaning against the sturdy trunk with her eyes closed. “We’ll enter the village tomorrow to see if it’s as I suspected.”

Shen Huaizhou nodded, then opened his case.

Having undertaken field missions before, he was far better prepared than Xie Qingling.

He pulled out two meat buns from the case and handed them to Xie Qingling, then retrieved a perfume-like bottle and sprayed it over himself and her.

As he sprayed, he explained, “Insect repellent concocted by Ye Anran, specifically for overnight stays in the wild.”

The buns had gone cold and weren’t as tasty as when fresh, but Xie Qingling wasn’t picky. She closed her eyes and ate hungrily.

Meanwhile, Dai Xingyu fished out a palm-sized piece of compressed biscuit and a bottle of water from his own case. After one bite, he found it rock-hard and utterly unpalatable.

These military-grade compressed biscuits were highly effective for satiety and standard department issue for situations like this.

But now, with the savory aroma of meat buns wafting through the air, Dai Xingyu found the biscuit in his mouth nearly impossible to swallow.

He hesitated, craning his neck, and after much internal debate, finally resolved himself.

Dai Xingyu cleared his throat.

Briefly abandoning all human dignity, he pleaded, “Brother Huaizhou, I’m so hungry, I want buns too.”

“Get lost.”

“Disgusting.”

“None left.”

“Stop talking,” Shen Huaizhou emphasized.

Otherwise, he’d lose his appetite for the buns too.

Dai Xingyu: “…”

Infuriating.

So this was Shen Huaizhou? The Shen Huaizhou who only had eyes for the strong? Couldn’t he be a little more compassionate?

Wasn’t the Herdsman working hard too?

Didn’t the Herdsman deserve some care?

Did the Herdsman have no rights?

Was the Herdsman unworthy of buns?

Dai Xingyu turned his hopes to Xie Qingling, looking at her as he prepared to speak…

But upon noticing his gaze, Xie Qingling quickened her pace, wolfing down the remaining bun in her hand. Whether she feared he might snatch it or dreaded hearing him say “Sister, I’m hungry, give me buns,” was unclear.

Dai Xingyu: “…”

This team had absolutely no camaraderie.

Resentfully, Dai Xingyu took a few more bites of his compressed biscuit and turned away.

The three of them rested on the mountain overnight.

The next day, the rising sun cast a warm glow over them.

The dew on their clothes had dried from body heat, leaving them feeling refreshed.

Xie Qingling shook off some moss accidentally caught on her skirt, tossed her hair, and jumped down from the tree.

After packing their belongings, the three headed toward the village.

Deep in these remote mountains, satellite navigation was nearly useless. They had to rely on memorized directions and compass guidance.

Fortunately, with Dai Xingyu present, getting lost was impossible. They soon reached the village entrance.

All three halted, their expressions darkening.

What a strange village.

On the same day, in the same village, both white lanterns and red lanterns hung simultaneously.

On one side were double happiness symbols, on the other were black-and-white funeral wreaths with the character “mourning.”

At the village entrance, the suona horns played joyously with “Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.”

At the village end, the suonas also played, but this time for a mournful funeral procession.

Wasn’t this…

A red (wedding) and white (funeral) clash, which often attracts evil spirits?

The three exchanged glances, instinctively realizing they had come to the right place.

“Be careful. This village seems rather sinister,” Dai Xingyu said with a stern expression on his baby face.

It seemed the Herdsman had sensed something.

Xie Qingling nodded.

They had originally intended to enter properly through the village entrance, but now it appeared the main path was impassable.

They would have to move stealthily, like ghosts.

Xie Qingling said, “Shen Huaizhou and Dai Xingyu, you two go check the funeral at the village end. I’ll investigate the wedding at the village entrance.”

The other two had no objections.

Xie Qingling’s self-defense capabilities were more than sufficient, and Dai Xingyu, as the Herdsman, could effectively support Shen Huaizhou.

The three quickly split up to act.

Xie Qingling carried her case, bypassed the village entrance, and moved along the walls of certain houses to conceal her figure.

However, she soon discovered that although the village was quite large, it seemed empty. As she walked, she encountered almost no one.

Following the sound of “Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix,” she approached a building that resembled a ancestral hall, where she finally heard voices.

Many people.

It seemed most of the villagers had gathered here.

Xie Qingling peered over the wall and saw a crowd bustling in the open space before the hall, packed densely with people.

These people were dressed in red and festive colors, creating a joyous scene.

But…

Xie Qingling frowned.

If she wasn’t mistaken, she faintly heard a girl sobbing uncontrollably.

Following the sound, she saw a room adorned with large “double happiness” characters, appearing to be a bridal chamber.

While a funeral was taking place outside, someone was crying in the bridal chamber.

No one seemed to be paying attention to the bridal chamber. Xie Qingling crept over and saw that the doors and windows were chained and locked.

The person inside was imprisoned.

Xie Qingling took a deep breath, forcefully twisted the chains, broke the lock on the door, and pushed it open.

“You…” The crying abruptly stopped. The girl inside, wearing a Red Wedding Dress embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in water and twin lotus flowers, looked up at Xie Qingling in terror. “Who are you?”

“Are you the sorceress they hired?”

“What do you want with me?”

Xie Qingling studied her for a moment and asked, “Are you the bride?”

Upon hearing the word “bride,” the girl’s tear-reddened face instantly turned pale. She opened her swollen, red-rimmed eyes and said, “Yes, I am the bride. I am… I am the River God’s bride!”

Xie Qingling’s heart sank.

She couldn’t help but tighten her grip on the case.

The girl began crying again, sobbing so hard she could barely catch her breath, clearly in great distress.

Xie Qingling approached, knelt before her, and looked up to ask, “Tell me, what exactly is going on here?”

The bride still didn’t speak, only continued to weep.

She didn’t believe this sudden stranger could help her.

Every chosen girl so far had failed to escape their fate, and she would be no exception.

Xie Qingling watched her despair and suddenly said, “I fished a corpse out of the river. She’d been dead less than a month, yet only bones remained.”

“She was wearing a Red Wedding Dress just like yours. She was also the River God’s bride.”

Those two short sentences struck with devastating force.

The weeping bride seemed to see some terrifying Demon, instantly breaking down into louder sobs. But since she was already crying, the intensified weeping didn’t attract others’ attention.

“Stop talking!” the bride whispered through tears. “I don’t want to die! I’m still so young, I don’t want to die! Please stop…”

“Staying silent means certain death. Speaking up might let me help you. Your choice.”

The bride stared blankly for several seconds before gritting her teeth and gathering her courage. “I’m Ma Qiaoqiao, living in the short white house at the village end. After today… I’ll marry the River God and become His bride…”

“Since my childhood, our village has maintained this tradition of Sacrificing to the River God. I don’t know when it started or when it will end. Parents forbid us from speaking of it, asking questions, or leaving.”

Ma Qiaoqiao took a deep breath, sobbing. “Every year, we must offer the River God one bride. This year it’s my turn… truly my turn… I’m so scared. I don’t want to die.”

The situation matched what Xie Qingling had suspected.

Xie Qingling suddenly asked, “Didn’t you just Sacrifice a bride? Was she as frightened as you?”

Ma Qiaoqiao’s crying ceased.

Speaking of the other bride made Ma Qiaoqiao grow much quieter.

“She went willingly,” Ma Qiaoqiao said.

Xie Qingling raised an eyebrow and scoffed lightly. “Willingly? Who said that?”

“The Village Guardian said so.” Ma Qiaoqiao covered her face, weeping. “But the River God wasn’t satisfied. He wants another bride.”

Village Guardian?

Countless thoughts flashed through Xie Qingling’s mind. “Do you know why your village Sacrifices to the River God?”

Even with her limited mythology knowledge, Xie Qingling knew river god worship mainly ensured favorable weather, prevented floods from destroying homes and crops, and begged for peace.

Nowadays, dams were built wherever flooding occurred. For farmland irrigationwhether channeling water or constructing hydraulic projectspeople emphasized overcoming nature through engineering, not begging capricious river gods for mercy to ensure harvests.

Xie Qingling had thought that when gods fell, useless river gods should have been the first to vanish.

She never expected people still worshipped Him today.

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

“I don’t know,” Ma Qiaoqiao said. “The Village Guardian says our ancestors always did this, so we must continue.”

Xie Qingling said, “I understand. Wait here, I’ll figure something out.”

Seeing that she wasn’t planning to help her escape but instead telling her to stay put, Ma Qiaoqiao burst into even more heartbroken sobs.

Just as she thoughtit was all lies!

No one could save her!

Xie Qingling left the bridal chamber and contacted Dai Xingyu via her earpiece.

“Dai Xingyu, I’ve found the River God’s bride on my end.”

“I’ve gathered information too,” Dai Xingyu replied. “I found the family holding the funeral and got the full story. I’m heading to negotiate with the Village Chief now to stop this ridiculous Sacrifice.”

Xie Qingling hummed in acknowledgment. “Try your approach first. If civilized communication fails… I’ll find another way.”

“Understood.”

The Village Chief was at the ancestral hall. Xie Qingling headed there.

Dai Xingyu and Shen Huaizhou had arrived at the ancestral hall just before her. Before she even entered, she could hear Dai Xingyu’s impassioned voice ringing out from inside: “…This is superstition! Feudal nonsense! There are no ghosts or deities in this world! Stop this ludicrous Sacrifice immediately! Stop harming innocent lives!”

Xie Qingling: “…”

The tension inside the ancestral hall was rapidly escalating.

“Stop, stop, stop! If you lay hands on us, I’ll call the police!”

“Sacrificing to the River God is completely useless! Don’t be so ignorant! You’d be better off building more irrigation channels! That would actually be helpful!”

The hall fell silent for a moment before a deep, authoritative voice spoke: “Those who disrupt the Sacrifice must die! Seize them!”

They were resorting to violence.

It seemed civilized negotiation was off the table.

Well, she couldn’t be blamed for what came next!

Xie Qingling sighed. She concealed Blood Oath against her thighs, found a woodpile to stash her case, then entered the ancestral hall.

Inside, the village’s able-bodied men stood encircling Dai Xingyu and Shen Huaizhou, armed with hoes, sickles, carrying poles, and other tools. The standoff was tense, poised to erupt at any moment.

When a young womana stranger dressed in black, clearly with the two menwalked into the hall, the Village Chief’s brows furrowed fiercely. “There are more accomplices! Seize them all!” he roared.

In an instant, the crowd surged forward, surrounding all three.

Shen Huaizhou frowned, wondering why Xie Qingling hadn’t provided covert support instead of boldly walking into the open.

Was she trying to get herself killed?

Just then, Xie Qingling raised her hands in a gesture of surrender.

Her expression relaxed into a smile as she said, “Misunderstanding! This is all a misunderstanding! I’m not with them!”

“Who are you?” the Village Chief demanded coldly, his face dark with anger.

“I’m… the great-granddaughter of the third daughter of the second maternal uncle of Ma Qiaoqiao’s grandmother’s uncle. That makes me her cousin,” Xie Qingling explained. “Qiaoqiao and I are as close as sisters. I’m here today to take her place in the marriage.”

“I want to be the River God’s bride.”