vrcanaries Chapter 826 Picture
Chapter 826 Picture
The talisman on the forehead was clearly for suppressing evil spirits. It turned out that over the years, the village chief had been using his own methods to suppress the resentment of the locust tree, and the cousin was just the latest victim of this tragedy that had lasted for twenty years. "I am willing to use my life to exchange for the children's rest in peace!" The aunt suddenly put the talisman on her chest, and the raging fire instantly engulfed her body. The cousin's body fell heavily to the ground, and the clay doll turned into a pool of black water. A shrill cry came from the depths of the old well, gradually dissipating in the night wind. At dawn, Lin Xiaoman stood in front of the burned-out ancestral hall. The village chief led the villagers to kneel under the old locust tree, and everyone held incense and candles in their hands. The bark of the old locust tree cracked, revealing seven small skeletons inside, glowing softly in the morning light. "Let's go, child." The village chief stood up, and the talisman on his forehead had disappeared. "The secret of Huai Town is buried here." Lin Xiaoman took a last look at the old locust tree and turned to leave. The mountain breeze lifted the corners of her clothes, and in a trance, she heard the clear laughter of seven children, mixed with her aunt's instructions, echoing in the mountains for a long time.
Strange Stories in Huai Town (Continued)**
The air in the ancestral hall seemed to freeze. Lin Xiaoman stared at the direction where her aunt disappeared, her heart beating wildly in her chest. The kerosene lamp flickered, illuminating the mottled murals on the wall. The characters in the paintings seemed to come alive, staring at her with strange eyes. She took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and her eyes fell on the secret compartment under the altar. There were some dark red stains in the gaps of the secret compartment, like dried blood. Lin Xiaoman squatted down, stretched out her hand to push open the secret compartment, and a foul smell hit her in the face. There was a tattered account book in it. The paper had long turned yellow and brittle, and there were traces of insects on the edges. Opening the account book, the densely packed small calligraphy recorded the details of Huai Town's annual sacrifices. "In the 20th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, a 13-year-old boy was sacrificed under the locust tree to ensure a good harvest." "In the fifth year of the Republic of China, two 8-year-old girls were sacrificed to appease the anger of the locust tree spirit."... Lin Xiaoman's scalp numbed when she read these words. It turned out that the so-called peace in Huai Town was actually exchanged for many lives. Suddenly, a rustling sound came from above her head. Lin Xiaoman looked up and saw strands of black hair hanging from the beams, like countless strange ropes. She was about to step back when the black hair suddenly entangled her like a living thing. In a panic, Lin Xiaoman grabbed the peach wood sword on the table and shot at the black hair. The blade passed by, and the black hair fell off, but it turned into a pool of black water the moment it landed, emitting a pungent fishy smell. Before the frightened Lin Xiaoman could catch her breath, the door of the ancestral hall slammed shut, and the surroundings fell into darkness. In the darkness, there were tiny footsteps, coming from far away and surrounding her ears. "Sister..." The cousin's voice sounded faintly, with a piercing chill, "Why did you come back?" Lin Xiaoman clenched the peach wood sword, her voice trembling but pretending to be calm: "I want to know the truth!" "The truth?" The cousin's voice suddenly became sharp and piercing, "Then you can take a good look!" As soon as the voice fell, a series of pictures suddenly appeared on the wall of the ancestral hall: the young father and other children were playing under the locust tree, the village chief approached stealthily with a torch in his hand; the fire was burning, and the children's frightened cries echoed in the night sky; the father escaped from the sea of fire, and behind him was the cold smile of the village chief... "No!" Lin Xiaoman covered her ears, unwilling to believe what she saw. But the picture continued. Over the years, the village chief led the villagers to conduct cruel sacrifices. The children who were sacrificed, their desperate eyes, and struggling figures flashed before her eyes like a nightmare. At this moment, the ground began to shake violently, and the roots of the old locust tree drilled out from the ground like a giant python, broke through the ground of the ancestral hall, and entangled Lin Xiaoman tightly. The tree roots were covered with human faces. They were the children who were sacrificed. Their expressions were distorted, and they shouted in unison: "Give me back my life!" Lin Xiaoman felt that it was getting harder and harder to breathe, and her consciousness gradually blurred. In a trance, she remembered her aunt's last smile, and her father's hesitant look before he died. A strong desire to survive surged in her heart. She raised the peach wood sword with all her strength and stabbed at the tree roots wrapped around her body. The moment the peach wood sword pierced the tree roots, a dazzling light burst out. The old locust tree roared in pain, and the roots loosened and shrank back into the ground. The walls of the ancestral hall collapsed, and the morning light poured in. Lin Xiaoman slumped on the ground, looking at the messy ancestral hall in front of her, tears welled up in her eyes. In the distance, the village chief walked slowly with the villagers. There was no fear and numbness on their faces, but full of regret and relief. "Let's go, kid." The village chief walked up to Lin Xiaoman and said, "Let us pay for the sins of Huai Town." Lin Xiaoman stood up, took a last look at the ancestral hall that carried so many secrets and pains, and turned to walk out of the mountain. The sun shone warmly on her, as if to dispel all the haze on her. She knew that the story of Huai Town would not end here, but at least, the buried truth finally saw the light of day.
Bloody Pursuit
The vows at the wedding were still lingering in her ears, and her husband's smile seemed to be still in front of her, but a sudden car accident completely crushed Lin Wei's happiness. When the doctor announced that the rescue was ineffective, Lin Wei felt dizzy and her eyes were dark. After the funeral, Lin Wei sat alone in the empty house, looking at the photo of the two on the wall, and tears could not stop flowing. She couldn't figure out how her husband, who had always been cautious, could suddenly get into a car accident? Moreover, the road conditions on the section where the accident occurred were good, and there were no signs of braking. All this was too strange. Just when Lin Wei was immersed in grief, a strange phone call broke the peace. "Ms. Lin, there is something wrong with your husband's death." A low and hoarse voice came from the other end of the phone, and the other party hung up the phone before Lin Wei asked. This mysterious phone call was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves in Lin Wei's heart. She decided to find out the truth about her husband's death and avenge him. Lin Wei, who had never been exposed to criminal investigation knowledge, began a difficult road of self-study. She spent the whole day in the library, reading all kinds of criminal investigation books and criminal psychology materials, watching a lot of criminal investigation documentaries online, and learning about on-site investigation, evidence collection, case reasoning and other knowledge. She also signed up for an online criminal investigation course, studying until late at night every day, and her notebook was filled with dense notes. Lin Wei began her investigation from her husband's whereabouts before the accident. She found that her husband had frequently entered and exited a company called "Xinda" a few days before the accident. On the surface, this company is engaged in trading business, but after Lin Wei's in-depth investigation, she found that it involved complex interests and was related to some gray industries. In order to get closer to the truth, Lin Wei applied to become an ordinary employee of "Xinda" company. In the company, she carefully observed everyone, looking for clues related to her husband's death.