The expression on Wang Jianjun's face was peculiar when asked about this matter.
Wang Jianjun said, "I'm the only villager from Dragon Maiden Village. What would a woman come back for?"
"Are they outside?"
"Of course. If they all came back, what about the children?" Wang Jianjun patted his belly, making smacking sounds with his mouth. The child in his belly seemed to mimic the sounds.
He got married after leaving the village.
Wang Jianjun didn't offer any more useful information.
As Lu Yan left the Wang household, he couldn't resist glancing at the locked Dragon Well.
He peered in, unable to gauge its depth, just a dark hole.
Faintly, he heard the cries of children and women.
"Are the women in the village sacrificed?" Lu Yan asked.
[Part of it is. Because that master from back then said that only by sacrificing living beings could they attain wealth.]
Lu Yan couldn't help muttering, "Where did that unethical master come from?"
[He didn't actually want the village folks to make money; he was just breeding gu.]
[In this patriarchal small village, devoid of much attention for centuries, but with a massive lake nearby.]
[Very convenient for disposing of bodies, right? Guess how many female infants sank in that lake?]
[But, infants lack wisdom, unable to generate such potent curses and resentment. Until 20 years ago, these female infants gained a 'mother'.]
[A kidnapped female student.]
[She was chained in the basement, confined for three years, bore two children. The master thought a woman who bore children would settle down, but she was different. Educated, exposed to the outside world, she understood right from wrong, human dignity, and sometimes, that being alive isn't better than being dead. However, she was from a single-parent family; her mother passed away when she was young, only her father remained. She was her father's pride, his support. She wanted to live to see her father.]
[That girl was close to being rescued; her father searched for her tirelessly. Quitting his job, he combed through villages in Fuling Province. He found Dragon Maiden Village. She was in the dungeon, glimpsed her father through a small skylight. Everyone in the village knew about her, yet no one spoke the truth.]
[The woman went insane eventually. But she was saved. After going mad, the master's surveillance relaxed. She killed the man at night and escaped. But the father-in-law, with his dog, chased her down, capturing her again. He planned an underworld marriage for his son—]
[Then, the Feng Shui master arrived.]
[The college girl was drowned in the pond. Sacrifice made, an underworld marriage arranged. Killing two birds with one stone.]
Lu Yan felt a heavy heart. He almost didn't want to deal with the people from Dragon Maiden Village, turning to leave.
He didn't endorse unrestrained punishment. Being hurt isn't a reason to hurt society. But the women in Dragon Maiden Village seemed judicious; there's justice in grievances, and debts have debtors. At least, many innocent women in the village remained unharmed.
In his eyes, besides the deceased master, the other villagers were accomplices. Standing from the Dragon Maiden's perspective, perhaps this punishment was a bit heavy, but not entirely unacceptable.
Lu Yan didn't come here to solve the pollution disease afflicting the village; he was targeted by the Dragon Maiden himself.
Facing the well's opening, he murmured, "I'm not sure if you can hear me. I sympathize with your plight, and I regret being late for so long. One of my professions is being a doctor. I killed your child because it was harming my friend. I don't believe my friend did anything to harm you."
There was no response from the well.
Zhou Qiming asked, "Dr. Lu, what are you doing?"
Lu Yan withdrew his gaze, "Nothing much. Let's head back."
"Alright, you go first. I'll find a boat and check the pollution levels at Dragon Maiden Lake."
"Want me to come with you?"
Zhou Qiming pondered, "No need. If the boat capsizes, I can escape alone, but you might not. Hurry back; if something happens to you, my gaming company is doomed."
Gaming was a dead-end road. Zhou Qiming seemed like the CEO of a publicly traded gaming company, yet secretly, he fretted daily about funding sources, losing sleep over it.
Lu Yan originally wanted to say that his health was fine and being in the water might even be better for him than being on land. But recalling his delicate and precious "healing-type harbinger" setup, he refrained.
When he returned to the mobile home, Chen Shier and the detective were playing cards.
At the sight of Lu Yan, the detective couldn't help but adjust his glasses, "Where's the boss?"
"He went to the center of Dragon Maiden Lake to measure pollution levels."
"Dr. Lu," the detective asked, "can I ask you a question—how old are you this year?"
With something on his mind, Lu Yan replied casually while preparing dinner from the fridge, "26."
"Do you have any brothers?"
"No."
Chen Shier and the detective exchanged glances. Finally, Chen Shier took out a student ID from his pocket, "That's quite odd. We also went around this afternoon and found an empty house. The detective's talent hinted at a clue inside. We sneaked in and discovered this."
Lu Yan took it and, in an instant, his pupils contracted. It was a student ID from Yanjing University. The person in the photo bore a strong resemblance to him, just with a more gloomy expression. The name written on it was Lu Cheng—his father.
"Congratulations, you've discovered one of the most important clues on this trip. Your father came here when he was young."
Lu Yan's father graduated in 2091. Meaning, this was at least thirty years ago.
"This is my father, who's already deceased," Lu Yan paused before continuing.
The image of Lu Cheng in Lu Yan's memory was always eerie, with extreme emotional instability and a sickly, cold smirk often on his face. Kids from unfortunate families tend to remember things early on.
Lu Yan remembered that pitiful woman, petite in stature. She was said to be a former classmate from Lu Cheng Middle School, always harboring a secret crush on him. Not conventionally pretty, with an ordinary education and no job, she seemed nothing more than a diligent homemaker.
But Lu Yan remembered her cakes were delicious, and holding hands with him after kindergarten felt warm.
Even when she was bruised all over from a beating, she'd still hold him close, crying softly, saying her dad wasn't always like this, it was just the recent project failures that had soured his mood.
She always found many excuses for Lu Cheng.
Later, that woman jumped off a building. But what hurt her more than the physical pain was Lu Cheng's day-by-day indifference.
Lu Yan wanted to kill Lu Cheng. Lu Cheng didn't seem to mind, even relished the process. But it was always the younger Lu Yan who failed.
Each failure was met with punishment from his father. Sometimes it was cutting open his belly and sewing it back, sometimes needles in his back, sometimes watching live worms crawl into his nostrils—he'd be tied to the operating table, unable to move.
Lu Yan didn't see this as domestic abuse, just the consequence of failure. After all, he wanted Lu Cheng dead. At least Lu Cheng wouldn't let him die.
The only regret for Lu Yan was that he had planned a flawless scheme to kill Lu Cheng, but then Lu Cheng mutated.
Later, news came of Lu Cheng's death, and Lu Yan was given a set of rooms as financial support.
It was such a simple death, and it left Lu Yan feeling disappointed.
The detective asked, "Why did your father go to that place? Yanjing is quite far from Fuling Province."
Lu Yan paused, "I don't know. Maybe he liked traveling when he was young."
The system corrected him: [You do know.]
Lu Yan hesitated for a moment, "The Feng Shui master?"
[Yes, I've told you. This is a place where creatures are nurtured. Now, the creatures have been nurtured. Perhaps? Also, a correction. Lu Cheng didn't die, at least not completely. He retains his body, intelligence, and memories.]
Lu Yan's hand rested on the photo, his expression turning particularly dark and cold.
His intent to kill was too clear and sudden that Chen Shier stood up, looking at Lu Yan with a mix of surprise and suspicion.
But the next moment, Lu Yan laughed, "Sorry, just remembered something and got distracted."
The detective touched his arm, "Wh-what was it?"
Lu Yan smiled, "The pigs back home haven't been slaughtered yet."
It had been two days since they'd been with Lu Yan, and it was the first time they saw him smile, like a breath of fresh air, oddly captivating.
After saying that, Lu Yan began cooking in the small kitchen. The RV was cramped, and as they played cards in the living room, the sound of Lu Yan chopping vegetables felt almost like the scene of a gruesome crime.
By the time Lu Yan was nearly done cooking, Zhou Qiming finally returned, completely drenched and with long hair clinging to him, looking particularly disheveled.
"Boss? What happened to you?" Chen Shier stared in disbelief.
"Start the car, let's go now." Zhou Qiming's expression was worse than when he accidentally leaked milk onto Lu Yan's hand a few days ago. "I saw the pollutants at the bottom of the lake... pollution level 6300. It's something we can't handle. I barely made it back alive by setting myself as 'its father.' That setting is about to expire. Before it gets ashore, we need to leave!"
Unlock exclusive early access to 100s of Chapters before anyone else by becoming a valued member of my Patreon community.
As a cherished member of our Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For just $5, you'll receive:
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public. (You can find all the novels I'm translating HERE.)
- Your name will be prominently featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
If you decide to pledge $10, you'll get all the perks from the $5 tier, plus:
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
And if you're feeling generous with a $20 pledge, you'll unlock all the perks above:
- You get to recommend an abandoned Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
