Kapitel 31: Chapter 31: Mirage Unfolds
Chapter 31: Mirage Unfolds
As Huang Wei and Jiang Lei reached Wu Xiu's room, they spotted her standing at the door, her face filled with anticipation.
When Wu Xiu saw Jiang Lei, her eyes instantly brightened, and she hurriedly approached him.
"Lord Wei, you're here just in time!" Wu Xiu exclaimed with visible relief.
"I have been waiting for you for so long." She then turned to Huang Wei, "Huang Wei, thank you for bringing Lord Wei here. You can leave now. I'd like to have a private chat with him."
Huang Wei nodded understandingly and gave Jiang Lei a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Take your time, Lord Wei."
"Lord Wei, let's talk inside; it's not very comfortable to talk here," she gestured for him to enter the room.
Jiang Lei nodded and followed Wu Xiu. The room was dimly lit, with just a candle providing a faint glow that created an eerie atmosphere.
Jiang Lei went towards the table to sit down but was stopped by Wu Xiu.
"Lord Wei, not here. We will talk somewhere else."
Jiang Lei was surprised. "Not here? There is no other place to talk except this room. Where are we supposed to talk?"
"You will know in some time. For now, just follow me," she said and continued walking.
Jiang Lei followed her, and soon he saw that Wu Xiu reached the wall of the room. Jiang Lei couldn't understand what she was trying to do.
Wu Xiu lifted her hand, a faint red aura glowing from her palm. She placed her hand on the wall, and suddenly a hidden door appeared.
"This..." Jiang Lei's mouth opened in surprise. He never imagined that a door could appear out of thin air. This was a technique he had only read about in the ancient books of the village. He never thought that Wu Xiu would also possess such abilities.
He had read in the book that only a cultivator who could absorb the aura of Heaven and Earth could perform such feats. "Does it mean that Wu Xiu is also a cultivator?"
But his train of thought was interrupted by Wu Xiu. "Lord Wei, what are you thinking there? Come." Wu Xiu urged.
Jiang Lei snapped back to reality and hesitantly took a step towards the open door.
As he took his first step through the door, he felt a suction force pulling him in. Wu Xiu looked at Jiang Lei being pulled inside and smiled, "Li Wei, you are falling into my trap with each passing moment."
She also took a step and entered the door. As soon as she disappeared, the door closed behind her, and the wall returned to its normal state.
*Boom*
Jiang Lei was thrown to the ground.
"Ouch!" Jiang Lei got up, rubbing his body while complaining, "She didn't tell me that I would be thrown. It really hurts."
Soon, Wu Xiu also came into his view. She hurriedly approached him with concern in her eyes. "I am sorry, Lord Wei. It didn't hurt too much, did it?"
"No, everything is okay. Just a minor injury," he replied with a wry smile.
"Okay, come," she led the way. Jiang Lei followed her, looking around curiously. The room was still dimly lit, and he could barely see anything around him.
Suddenly, a soft light illuminated the room. Jiang Lei raised his eyebrows in surprise. He was astonished to find that Wu Xiu's body was radiating a golden light.
She didn't stop but kept walking. Jiang Lei looked around and noticed that the walls were adorned with intricate drawings of strange creatures. They appeared almost lifelike and seemed ready to pounce at any moment.
He was overcome with fear, so he stopped looking at the drawings and hurriedly followed Wu Xiu.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, they reached a grand hall supported by massive pillars. In the center of the hall stood a breathtaking idol.
"What a beautiful idol," Jiang Lei exclaimed. The idol appeared to be otherworldly, as if it had been handcrafted by the gods themselves.
Wu Xiu knelt before the idol and kowtowed nine times. She then got up and looked at Jiang Lei, who was curiously examining the idol.
She smiled and said, "Lord Wei, she is the goddess of our village."
"Hmm, the idol is truly remarkable," he praised.
It was said that the actual goddess was even more beautiful, and no idol could capture even one percent of her beauty.
"Oh, that's good," Jiang Lei nodded, indicating that he understood.
"Okay, Jiang Lei, come and sit here," she sat on the floor and invited Jiang Lei to sit as well.
Jiang Lei joined her, but with a wry smile, he began, "Elder Wu, is it really the right time to discuss my matters, especially in a place like this?"
His unease had intensified since he entered the hall. It felt as if something wasn't right.
"Lord Wei, there's something important I want to discuss with you," Wu Xiu said with a serious expression.
"What is it, Elder Wu? You can talk to me about anything. Just go on," he said, now more serious himself.
"No, Lord Wei, this matter is not simple. You need to promise that you won't get angry with me. Ultimately, the choice will be yours," Wu Xiu said with a pleading tone.
"Okay, Elder Wu, you can say whatever you want. I won't get angry. If your words truly hurt me, I will do my best to control my anger. You can speak now," Jiang Lei assured her in a caring tone.
"Thank you for your promise, Lord Wei. I don't know how to say this, and I can't find the words to describe it," she said with a sad tone.
Jiang Lei also grew serious as he sensed the weight of her words. "It's okay, Elder Wu. If you can't find information about my past, I'll find another way. Even if I don't recover my memories, I'm receiving so much love from all of you that I can live here happily."
"This is not about that, Lord Wei," she shook her head with disappointment.
"Then what is it about?" Jiang Lei asked, his curiosity piqued. "Tell me. I have the strength to face the truth."
"Well, Lord Wei, I really didn't want to tell you this, but I don't have any other option. I'm sorry to say, Lord Wei..." She paused, a glint of determination in her eyes.
"You will have to sacrifice yourself."
"What did you say?" Jiang Lei thought he must have misheard. He hoped it was nonsense.
Wu Xiu bowed her head, her voice carrying deep sadness. "Lord Wei, you should also be aware of the problems we villagers are facing now, right?"
"Yes, I know about the problems. How does it connect to 'my sacrifice'?" Jiang Lei's unease had grown after hearing her words. He was beginning to feel that he didn't want to stay here any longer.
"Lord Wei, there's one thing I didn't tell the villagers today," Wu Xiu said, avoiding eye contact.
"What's that?" Jiang Lei asked with growing concern.
"Three days ago, when I was trying to communicate with the Goddess, she told me that she is angry with us," Wu Xiu continued, her voice heavy with guilt. "I was terrified, so I knelt before her and begged for her forgiveness."
Wu Xiu lifted her head and looked at Jiang Lei with a mix of sorrow and fear in her eyes. "She told me about a way to appease her anger. Do you know what that way is, Jiang Lei?"
Jiang Lei's heart raced as he anticipated her answer. "Tell me. I need to know."
"She told me that the only way to calm her anger is through a sacrifice," Wu Xiu said with a heavy heart.
"And why am I the one who has to sacrifice?" Jiang Lei's voice was calm, but his thoughts were in turmoil. He didn't want to stay here any longer, and the feeling of unease was growing.
"I don't know," Wu Xiu admitted, her voice quivering. "When I asked what we needed to sacrifice, she only said that you would have to sacrifice yourself. She didn't explain the reason."
She looked at Jiang Lei with eyes filled with sadness. "I begged her to spare you, but she didn't listen to me. Trust me, I never intended to tell you about this, but it was the Goddess's order that forced me. She ordered me to reveal this to you and let you decide."
Jiang Lei didn't say anything. The room fell into a heavy silence. He turned to look at the beautiful idol, then back at Wu Xiu. "Elder Wu, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not the kind of person who can sacrifice himself for others, especially for those whom I don't even know."
"No, Lord Wei, please don't misunderstand me. I never intended to let you sacrifice. I won't allow it, and I know that none of the villagers would let you do it either. We truly love you as our family."
"It's better if you think that way. I don't want to stay here anymore. Please take me out of this place," Jiang Lei requested.
"Sure, Lord Wei. Please follow me," Wu Xiu said, leading him back through the same pathway to the exit.
They arrived at the spot where Jiang Lei had been initially teleported. Wu Xiu waved her hand, and the hidden gate reappeared.
"Lord Wei, please," she gestured for him to enter. There was a look of sadness on her face. "Lord Wei, please forget about today, as if it never happened. I was forced to tell you everything. I am truly sorry if it hurt you."
"I'll try, Elder Wu," Jiang Lei said and stepped into the gate, disappearing from her sight.
Wu Xiu stared at the gate with a sinister smile. "You can't escape my clutches, 'Lord Wei.' HaHahahah."
Jiang Lei returned to his home. He had become quite familiar with the routes by now, so it wasn't a big deal for him. Zhang Hao was standing in front of his room.
"Greetings, Lord Wei," Zhang Hao quickly saluted.
"Hmm," Jiang Lei nodded absently, his mind still dwelling on today's incident.
"Lord Wei, are you okay? Are you worried about your nightmares again?" Zhang Hao noticed Jiang Lei's strange demeanor and asked with concern.
"No, it's something else," Jiang Lei replied.
"You can tell me if you have any problem, Lord Wei. I may be able to help you."
Jiang Lei looked at Zhang Hao's face. It didn't seem like he was pretending to care; his concern appeared genuine.
"Zhang Hao, come to my room. I need to discuss something important with you," Jiang Lei said and walked towards his room.
Zhang Hao was puzzled by what Lord Wei wanted to talk about, but he followed Jiang Lei into the room.
Jiang Lei sat on his bed, and Zhang Hao took a seat nearby.
"Zhang Hao, come closer and sit," Jiang Lei urged him.
"No, Lord Wei, I'm fine like this," Zhang Hao said with a smile.
"Just sit. I consider you my friend, and you don't need to be so formal with me," Jiang Lei insisted.
Zhang Hao smiled and moved closer. "If you say so, Lord Wei."
Jiang Lei looked at Zhang Hao with a serious expression, as if trying to peer into his soul. "I'm going to ask you some questions, and I expect honest answers. Can you do that?"
"I'll try, Lord Wei," Zhang Hao replied, feeling his hair stand on end under Jiang Lei's penetrating gaze.
"I don't want you to try. I want the truth. Understand?"
"Yes, sure, Lord Wei. Tell me what you want to know."
"How much do you know about Wu Xiu? I want to know everything you know about her. Can you do that?"
Zhang Hao was caught off guard by the question. His expression turned strange, and he showed a trace of fear. He hadn't expected Jiang Lei to ask about Wu Xiu.
"What's wrong? Can you answer or not?" Jiang Lei's tone grew colder.
"I can," Zhang Hao began cautiously, stealing glances at Jiang Lei. "Lord Wei, I don't know much about her. I'm just a regular villager here. I know she's believed to be the divine messenger of the Goddess, and her wisdom is beyond our understanding. She helped us during the water shortage we faced a decade ago."
"Stop," Jiang Lei interrupted. "I already know all of that. I want to know more about her character and evidence of her divinity."
"Lord Wei, I've never had the chance to meet her personally. I can't answer about her character. As for the evidence of her divinity, she has helped us find different water resources from time to time. Our previous protector, Li Jun, was seriously injured during a bandit attack two years ago. He was on the brink of death, but she saved him with just a wave of her hand."
"Okay, do you know anything about her life before she became your 'divine messenger'? How was she before that?"
"No, Lord Wei. We don't know anything about her. She's not from our village. When we faced the water shortage, she offered to help us."
"What? She's not from your village?" Jiang Lei was shocked by this revelation. He had a nagging feeling that something was off about Wu Xiu. Whenever he was around her, he felt as if a wild, predatory animal was observing him.
"So, you all know nothing about her, and she hasn't told you anything about herself?" Jiang Lei asked, growing more curious about Wu Xiu.
"No, at least I don't know. Maybe Lord Liang knows more about her. They are very close."
"Hmm, I see," Jiang Lei said, lost in thought. His past was already shrouded in mystery, and now today's incident had added to his unease. He didn't know whom he could trust and whom he couldn't.
"Who are you, Wu Xiu? Are you really who you appear to be?" Jiang Lei muttered to himself.
Geschenke
-- Geschenk
erhalten Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein