Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 35 The Night of Soul Reaper
Just as Huang Yongxiao said, after Jiang Jin checked into the guesthouse, no more supernatural phenomena occurred, and his SAN value temporarily stopped dropping.

He also had enough time to plan.

time flies.

Noon the next day.

To the right of the village's old stage, there is an old building that houses the village's Cantonese opera troupe.

At this time, the dressing room in the Cantonese opera troupe was filled with the smell of cheap cosmetics and damp, musty wood.

Li Ning was applying makeup in front of the mottled mirror, her fingertips trembling slightly.

The bronze mirror, its edges rusted, reflected the dozen or so equally pale faces behind her—the troupe members silently changed costumes and applied makeup, their movements mechanical like a group of marionettes. A girl named A-Ping, with her braided hair, huddled on a bench, tears washing away the makeup from her face, leaving a deep crease, and she let out suppressed sobs.

"Why are you crying?" A troupe leader behind her suddenly grabbed A-Ping and pressed a powder puff hard against her face. "The village chief said that as long as we perform on time, we'll get a raise next year."

"You really believe that?" A-Ping sobbed. "I've been learning opera with you guys since I was nine years old, just to live this kind of life?"

"What's the point of saying all this?" The troupe leader immediately helped her with her makeup and wiped away her tears. "The stage lanterns are being tested. Don't look so mournful later. Go up and rehearse properly! Don't you think we're at least luckier than those who are just watching the play? Tomorrow night is the premiere of 'Picking Up the Jade Bracelet,' and we can't afford any mistakes! Have you all finished rehearsing? I'm going to question you one by one later!"

In other plays, the night patrol might not necessarily include "those who shouldn't be there." But in "Picking Up the Jade Bracelet," it's different; "she" will definitely appear. Moreover, she will definitely appear when the patrol is near the ancestral hall.

That woman in blue... is a terrifying nightmare that haunts this village.

Li Ning looked at the weeping A Ping through the bronze mirror, remaining silent from beginning to end.

"Miss."

A childish voice called out from below Li Ning's dressing mirror.

"Did you see the auntie in the blue dress?"

Li Ning didn't look down, nor did she dare to.

She kept her mouth tightly shut, not daring to say anything.

After a long time, there was still no movement.

Looking at the still busy crowd reflected in the bronze mirror, she finally turned her head away little by little.

behind...

No one.

"A raise"...

Yes, she knew that the village committee would regularly burn paper money at the graves behind the Cantonese opera troupe every year.

The bronze mirror will not react to "them" in any way, nor will it crack and seep out that disgusting black liquid.

At the same time, the village committee.

Inside the office, Huang Yongxiao inspected the various security measures brought up by his subordinates for the evening's "Picking Up the Jade Bracelet" performance.

Everything is arranged in an orderly manner.

"Keep a close eye on that guy surnamed Jiang," Huang Yongxiao's eyes turned sinister. "Still can't find out his identity? Didn't he register his ID at the guesthouse?"

His trusted confidant, A-Lian, said, "There aren't enough people in the village right now..."

"He's all eager to get money, but so inefficient when it comes to getting things done!" Huang Yongxiao was still a little anxious: "I still can't put my mind at ease with him. This guy is too cautious. Every time we eat, he goes to Chen's Roast Meat to buy roast meat. I can't put him under house arrest, nor can I bribe Boss Chen."

"Village Chief Huang, you don't trust him?"

In private, Ah Lian always addressed Huang Yongxiao as Village Chief Huang, omitting the "Deputy".

"The reason I've reached this position is because I don't trust anyone." Huang Yongxiao leaned back slightly. "Young people like him, full of youthful passion and yet to experience the harsh realities of society, value right and wrong above all else. We can't be careless. Tonight's performance of 'Picking Up the Jade Bracelet' cannot afford any mistakes! Anyone who slacks off, I'll make them take a bath in a tub!"

"Yes, yes, we will definitely make proper arrangements."

Huang Yongxiao looked out the window.

As time went on, night fell... It wasn't even seven o'clock yet, and every road in the village was guarded every five steps and sentry every three steps.

In front of the bluestone road, almost every village militiaman stationed there was armed with guns.

Huang Yongxiao walked on the bluestone road, inspecting the situation and ensuring the village's defenses were in place.

The walls were covered with the program schedule for tonight's "Picking Up the Jade Bracelet".

“Remember,” Huang Yongxiao whispered to Ah Lian behind him, “If anything unexpected happens, fire immediately without my authorization!”

"Yes... glutinous rice and lanterns have been distributed. Every patrol route has been equipped with twice as many bronze mirrors as usual. In addition, all mirrors that have cracked and revealed black substances have been collected to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

"Pay special attention to children, as they are most prone to problems."

"Yes, I remember."

At this moment, a villager came over and asked, "Vice Village Chief Huang, I heard that some kind of Xuanmen master has come to the village. Is he capable of performing a soul-suppressing ritual?"

“There are no Xuanmen masters,” Huang Yongxiao said quickly. “Ah Lian, how come the rumors are getting more and more exaggerated?”

Ah Lian then said, "Yes, it's my fault for not handling things well. Listen carefully, a feng shui master came to our village to survey the area and complete the soul-suppressing ceremony, but he wasn't very confident. Tell the villagers not to spread rumors."

"That's good, that's good... We can't let the village's livelihood be cut off! Only Huang Jianhua is still so stubborn. With him and his sister dead, we can finally have some peace and quiet!"

Soon, it was around 8:30.

Surrounded by a group of people, Huang Yongxiao had arrived at the location where the night patrol team would appear at nine o'clock.

"He's here." Huang Yongxiao was looking at his watch when he suddenly heard A-Lian's voice behind him.

He looked up and saw Jiang Jin walking over not far away, followed by two people carrying red lanterns. They were arranged by Huang Yongxiao to protect him, but in reality, they were there to monitor him.

“Master Jiang, you’ve arrived.” Huang Yongxiao stepped forward and said, “Welcome, welcome! Oh, Master, there might be a bit of a situation tonight. It would be best if you stayed at the guesthouse and rested properly.”

"I can't stay idle. Like I said, I have to come and see for myself, otherwise the villagers might not believe me."

At this moment, many people noticed Jiang Jin and began to whisper among themselves.

Huang Yongxiao's heart began to pound: What is this guy up to?

If it weren't for the "invisible ghost" beside Jiang Jin, Huang Yongxiao would have shot him dead long ago.

The time is drawing ever closer.

“I’ve seen the performance schedule,” Jiang Jin suddenly said. “This Cantonese opera tells a love story.”

"Yes, unlike the 'Princess Changping' performance the night before last, tonight's 'Picking Up the Jade Bracelet' is a very festive Cantonese opera."

"Hmm. And then, I heard that there might be... extra 'actors' appearing near the ancestral hall."

"Haha, yes... that's how it is."

Nine o'clock, finally arrived.

On the village's stone-paved road, a group of actors dressed in theatrical costumes began to appear.

They moved slowly forward, the sound of the suona horn was shrill and piercing, and the gongs vibrated so loudly that it hurt people's eardrums.

Jiang Jin stood at the edge of the crowd, his gaze fixed on the opera troupe.

"Woof." Deathstroke crouched at his feet, letting out a low growl. Jiang Jin stroked its head and whispered, "Follow my commands later."

The sound of gongs rang out loudly, echoing along the village's stone-paved streets.

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　　Tomorrow marks the end of Volume One! The climax of the story!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)