Fate Trading System – Chapter 145

Plan A

Red Moon in the Barrier 9

Heavy Snow

“Hm?”

Su Xin was slightly startled, not expecting the village chief to know some inside information.

“My relationship with my elder sister has always been quite good, and she would often confide in me about things. But something she told me over ten years ago has been weighing on my heart – I can’t forget it even if I want to. It feels like a thorn.”

The village chief’s sigh echoed in the dimly lit small house, carrying the flavor of past memories.

Ten years ago, when the village chief was still in his prime, Grandmother Tong came running to his house in a panic one day, and with a frightened expression told him something.

“Little brother, let me tell you, my son… my son… came back to life after dying.”

At that time, Grandmother Tong was still a clear-minded, normal person, without dementia, and her eyes were still sharp.

“Elder sister, what nonsense are you talking about? How is that possible? Even though that boy is sickly, he hasn’t reached the point of death.”

The village chief smoked his cigarette with a bewildered expression.

That boy Tong Xi had been weak since childhood, but he was very intelligent, the scholarly type, and was Grandmother Tong’s precious root [child].

“Little brother, how could I not know about my own son? I watched him stop breathing with my own eyes. I absolutely didn’t make a mistake. But before I could even leave the room, he came back to life. But the one who came back wasn’t my son – I don’t know what kind of messy thing [supernatural entity] it was. I dare not speak of it. My old man [husband] is already gone, and it’s useless to tell my eldest son and daughter-in-law.”

Grandmother Tong trembled, looking helpless.

“Don’t panic first. Let’s wait a few days to see what’s really happening. If it really is an unclean thing, don’t provoke it. Go pray at the Cloud Lady Temple and see if that helps.”

The village chief gave her this suggestion, seeing his elder sister’s anxiety – this was definitely not a joking matter.

“I didn’t know if the method I told her would work, but a few days later, she came to find me again.”

The village chief coughed twice and continued telling the story from years ago.

A few days later, Grandmother Tong hurriedly came to find him again.

“Little brother, look.”

It was the jade pendant that Grandmother Tong had worn around her neck for years – a Buddha figure with compassionate eyebrows and gentle eyes. Grandmother Tong had believed in Buddha since childhood. Her parents had obtained it from the temple for her, and she had worn it since she was young, even after marriage and having children. But now this jade pendant was broken – not missing pieces, but with cracks appearing on the Buddha’s surface, carrying an ominous meaning.

Cracked jade cannot be worn – legend says jade has spiritual properties and can ward off disasters for humans. But after blocking one disaster, the jade will break or develop cracks. Afterward, it cannot be worn anymore because it might attract evil spirits.

“What happened?”

“Little brother, I’m afraid something bad is going to happen to our family. I think my daughter-in-law has been possessed. She used to dislike my younger son and even wanted to drive him out, but today she actually steamed an egg custard for him and spoke to him very kindly. I’m not here to ask for your help – I just want you to stay away from my son. That thing is probably really an unclean spirit, and my son might already be dead.”

“Elder sister, tell me – did you do something? Otherwise, how would your jade break?”

The village chief listened to Grandmother Tong’s words, the wrinkles between his brows deepening.

“Did Grandmother Tong really do something?”

Su Xin asked.

“Ah, she had an impulsive personality since she was young, and didn’t change even when she got old. Without consulting anyone, she just went and did that thing.”

The village chief spoke while catching his breath, looking very tired.

That day, Grandmother Tong said she wanted to cut her younger son’s hair. She took a pair of scissors and went to her younger son’s room. She didn’t end up cutting his hair – instead, she put the scissors against Tong Xi’s neck, demanding him to return her son.

After that, the jade broke.

“Not long after my elder sister went back home, I went to check on her a couple days later. She had become confused and absent-minded [senile], couldn’t even speak properly anymore.”

The village chief felt sorry for his elder sister’s fate. Hearing about the current situation of Tong He’s family made him even sadder. This was several generations’ worth of blood misfortune [bad luck], and to encounter such things for no reason, suffering such a great calamity – it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say their family was completely ruined.

Su Xin hadn’t known about this old story. This might explain what was happening with Tong He’s family, but something still wasn’t right.

If Tong Xi was possessing a corpse to return to life, why did Yang Cui suddenly change her attitude? And what was this karma that Tong He kept muttering about?

“Aunt Cui didn’t like Brother Tong Xi before?”

“How could she possibly like him? Think about it – she’d been married here for so long but had never met Tong Xi, didn’t know him at all. After being married for half a year, her brother-in-law suddenly came back, and she had to take care of another person.”

Yang Cui wanted to split from the family and didn’t want to take care of Tong Xi – she would have preferred if he just fended for himself. But she also couldn’t bear to have their family property divided to give to others. She wanted to keep the best for her future children – how could she possibly like Tong Xi, that medicine pot?

“That’s all I know about this matter. Just be careful around Tong Xi. I think that Tong He boy probably won’t live much longer either. What an evil creature.”

After talking for so long, the village chief showed signs of exhaustion.

“Grandfather, are you tired?”

“Yes, I’m old and useless now. It’s not just from wiping myself with cold water that I’ve become like this. It’s just that all the illnesses have piled up in my body and are bursting out one after another. I probably don’t have many good years left.”

The village chief had a clear understanding about matters of life and death.

“Grandfather, don’t curse yourself like that. You’ll get better.”

“Ning child, you’re still young, but grandfather is already old. I think it doesn’t matter if us old folks die, but not you young ones. You’re still in the flower of youth [prime of life], haven’t seen much of the world yet.”

The village chief sighed, staring at the light bulb with his eyes open, not knowing what to do. Even if he understood everything in his heart, even if he knew someone was behind all this causing trouble, they still couldn’t leave this place.

The village chief and his wife didn’t mind – if they couldn’t leave, then so be it. They were old anyway, so even if they died of old age here it wouldn’t matter. At least they wouldn’t die in some unknown place.

“Grandfather…”

“Ning child, go on.”

The village chief tilted his head slightly and closed his eyes.

“If you can leave, then leave… the farther away the better.”

The village chief’s words unexpectedly overlapped with what Grandmother Tong had said that day, but Su Xin still didn’t quite understand.

Su Xin left with a heavy heart, seeming absent-minded the whole way.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen? What did the village chief tell you? Why are you like this?”

Mu Qi watched Su Xin’s distracted manner and asked worriedly.

“Nothing… let’s go, let’s visit some other homes.”

The last family they visited was Tong Yuzhu’s home.

Tong Yuzhu’s house was kept very clean, with plates of candy and cookies placed on the table, waiting for juniors to visit.

“Aunt Yuzhu, I’ve come to give New Year’s greetings. Happy New Year!”

“Good, good, good children! Come, come, eat some candy. There are cookies and tangerines – take whatever you want to eat. Don’t be polite with your aunt.”

Since Yang Cui passed away, Tong Yuzhu had been quite listless and unhappy. Finally today being New Year’s, after seeing a few people, her spirits seemed somewhat better.

“Um, Aunt Yuzhu, I actually want to ask you something.”

“What is it? Ask away. No need to be formal with your aunt – we’re family. Say whatever you want to say.”

“It’s about Aunt Cui. Aunt Yuzhu, were you and Aunt Cui particularly close?”

Su Xin asked probingly, though the probing wasn’t too obvious, carrying a child-like curiosity.

“Of course we were! Our relationship wasn’t just ordinary – we became friends right after she married into the family. We’ve known each other for so many years, how could we not be close?”

Tong Yuzhu hated it most when others questioned her friendship with Yang Cui. If she heard anyone gossiping about her and Yang Cui, she would immediately start scolding them.

“Then you must know a lot about Aunt Cui’s affairs?”

“Of course I do, certainly. What’s wrong, Ning child? Why are you suddenly asking about this?”

Tong Yuzhu was somewhat surprised – why was this little girl suddenly interested in these matters? She had never asked about them before.

“Today I went to the village chief’s house, and he told me some interesting stories about him and Grandmother Tong. When I just saw you, aunt, I wanted to ask.”

Su Xin touched her braid somewhat embarrassedly.

“Want to hear stories? Well, Cui’er had quite a bitter life. Don’t know why heaven was so unfair to her. Cui’er loved her children so much. Unfortunately, she miscarried one that year. Later, when she had her second child, Manwen, she was extremely careful. Usually, she would do any kind of work, but during those few months, she wouldn’t dare to overwork herself no matter what. Heaven didn’t show mercy – such a good person died just like that.”

Tong Yuzhu spoke with some resentment, but Su Xin’s attention was focused on just one sentence in all those words.

“Aunt Yuzhu, are you saying Aunt Cui had another child in earlier years?”

Su Xin felt like she understood something, as the vague clues connected together, forming something terrifying – it was really too hard to believe.

“Yes, lost it at just two months. She didn’t even know she was pregnant at that time and still went to do heavy farm work. She fainted, and couldn’t keep the child. Fortunately, she was young then, had a good constitution, and recovered quickly. Her son had finally reached his teens… then this kind of thing happened… it’s really heaven playing tricks on people.”

Tong Yuzhu sighed, peeled a peanut and put it in her mouth, then took a sip of water.

“Yes, heaven playing tricks on people.”

Su Xin echoed the sentiment outwardly, but was thinking something else inside.

Heaven’s will? Perhaps not. Maybe it was human-made, or ghost-made.

If all these known clues were connected together, the matter with Tong He would be almost clear, but there were still some things that weren’t understood: Why did Yang Cui kill the female ghost of Tong Manwen and bury the corpse? What did all this have to do with Old Man Hu? And why did that female ghost kill Yang Cui in such a cruel way?

Su Xin held Mu Qi’s hand with one hand while watching Tong Qing return home. This time she didn’t overthink things – some answers were about to emerge. What seemed impossible was often the most possible.

Truth, there is only ever one.

Su Xin laughed inwardly, feeling a bit nostalgic for Conan [Detective Conan/Case Closed anime reference]. After completing this mission, she could go back to watch Conan – with over 900 episodes, there’s no rush, could watch for a long time.

Mu Qi hadn’t spoken the whole way, staying quiet, who knows what she was thinking about.

Su Xin gave both Tong Qing and Mu Qi each a red envelope containing New Year’s money. Though it wasn’t much, even pitifully little, the thought was what counted. Besides, Su Xin didn’t have money either – giving 10 yuan to each person was already a lot.

Ah, life.

Su Xin experienced the feeling of being poor enough to jingle [dirt poor], but she knew this wasn’t rock bottom. After all, this was in the countryside – growing crops, eating what you produce yourself. It’s not like outside where if you have no money, you can’t buy anything, have nowhere to sleep and nothing to eat – that would be truly scary.

In the afternoon, someone knocked on Su Xin’s door – it was Tong Ling.

This time Tong Ling came alone, without her parents following behind.

“Lingling, come in and sit. Are you cold? Come drink some hot water.”

Su Xin naturally had to show great enthusiasm and affection toward her good friend, happily poured a cup of water, and pulled Tong Ling to sit down.

“Happy New Year.”

“You too, Happy New Year.”

Mu Qi stood at the side, watched Su Xin and Tong Ling for a while, then leaned against the wall, listening to them talk.

“Lingling, your cold still hasn’t gotten better? It looks like it’s gotten worse?”

“It’s nothing, it’ll get better when spring comes. It’s not a serious illness – it’ll get better if I just let it drag on.”

“You… and your father just lets you be like this?”

“Don’t mention him, he’s so annoying. It’s such a nice day, why talk about others? Can I sleep with you tonight? I just won’t go home.”

Tong Ling said naturally – it’s not like she hadn’t shared a bed and blanket with Tong Ning before.

“This… maybe…”

Su Xin’s expression showed some difficulty.

“What’s wrong? Not welcoming me? Fine then, do you not see me as your good sister anymore?”

Tong Ling put her cup down on the table with an unhappy face.

“How could that be? Of course you’re my good sister. It’s just that Qiqi is staying at my house now, sleeping in my room. It’s not convenient.”

No matter how they arranged it, it wouldn’t be good – having Tong Ling sleep with Tong Qing would be weird, having Mu Qi sleep with Tong Qing would also be weird, having Tong Ling sleep with Mu Qi would be even weirder. Basically, no arrangement would work out right.

“Doesn’t she have her own home? Let her go back for one night.”

Even though Mu Qi was right there, Tong Ling didn’t speak to her directly, just spoke to Su Xin.

“Her house hasn’t had anyone sleeping there for many days, can’t sleep there anymore.”

Su Xin shook her head. The original owner would definitely choose her good friend Tong Ling, but she wasn’t the original – of course she would choose Mu Qi, the one who cooks is the most important.

“You… have you become good friends with her and stopped being friends with me?”

Tong Ling got angry, glaring fiercely at Mu Qi.

“How could that be? We’ve known each other for so long, right? It’s just really not possible to sleep here. I won’t stop being friends with you, don’t think too much.”

“You just don’t want to sleep together with me, you just don’t consider me your best friend anymore. I get it. If I’m bothering you, just go to bed early.”

Tong Ling stood up and turned to leave.

Su Xin was a bit bewildered, clearly not understanding young girls’ way of getting angry. How did it suddenly escalate to not being good friends? She was stating facts, very objectively. Tong Ling asking her to send Mu Qi away was what wasn’t right.

Su Xin never really had what you’d call an adolescence, nor what you’d call female friendships. She only had one good friend and never fought with her, so naturally didn’t understand that kind of feeling between girls.

Girls can become good friends because they like the same book, the same anime, the same movie, or like eating the same dessert, or discussing knitting scarves. Their friendships can sometimes form easily. They will fight, give each other the cold shoulder, ignore each other, but also make up.

Some girls care about the question “am I really your best friend?” Sometimes it’s not about the result, just the attitude. They know the objective reality but want to ignore it.

If Su Xin had given a different answer, agreeing to Tong Ling’s request to let Mu Qi go back to her own home while Tong Ling slept with her, Tong Ling might not have actually insisted on staying together and making Mu Qi leave.

Su Xin didn’t understand these things, so now she was completely confused.

Mu Qi, leaning against the wall, couldn’t control the smile curving her lips – she didn’t know why, but she was just happy.

Hearing Su Xin take her side felt really good.

“Hmph, and you said we’d be good friends forever. Tong Ning, remember this – I’m ending our friendship.”

Just like that, ending the friendship over a disagreement.

Tong Ling ran out angrily, and Su Xin could only follow.

Can’t break character – the original owner would definitely chase after her.

Mu Qi’s previously curved lips returned to their original position, watching the open door expressionlessly.

Wind blew in from outside, making it chilly.

Tong Qing in the room didn’t understand the situation. When he came out, Tong Ling and Su Xin were already nowhere to be seen. He looked at Mu Qi with confusion.

Mu Qi met his gaze, indicating she also didn’t know what was going on.

After Su Xin ran out, she couldn’t see Tong Ling anymore, only footprints in the snow, leaving her quite bewildered.

Master Fourteen, young girls’ thoughts are really hard to guess. I didn’t say anything wrong just now, did I?

【This one believes not.】

Su Xin rubbed her hands and returned home, closing the door properly.

In the deep of night, the moon showed its face in the sky, with only the slight sound of wind blowing through tree branches.

Mu Qi saw the person beside her had fallen into deep sleep, and couldn’t help but place her fingers on Su Xin’s cheek again.

Somehow, from the first glance, there was a different feeling.

Mu Qi’s fingers moved lightly, then withdrew.

Su Xin woke up.

How could one not maintain high alertness in this story with so many ghosts? So Su Xin was already awake when Mu Qi reached out to touch her – if she hadn’t been awake, being stroked by a finger would have woken her anyway.

Master Fourteen, what is she trying to do?

【There are no other movements. Right now, she’s just staring at you, host. If you’re going to pretend to sleep, please don’t show any signs.】

Understood.

Why was Mu Qi staring at her face? And in this situation, with no lights on, it was pitch black and impossible to see anything – what was there to look at?

Fortunately, Mu Qi only stared for a while before looking away and sleeping properly.

Su Xin waited a while, then fell asleep too.

As soon as daylight came.

Don’t know if everyone in this village had some kind of crow’s mouth function [jinxing ability], but while good predictions didn’t come true, bad ones did – whoever was said would die, died.

Something happened to Tong He.

Tong He died strangely too – he choked to death while eating.

It sounds surprising, but Tong Xi, the only surviving member of the Tong family, said so, and who would investigate whether it was true or false?

Even if it was false, so what? If it was true, so what? Everyone more or less understood this matter in their hearts, they just wouldn’t say anything.

Su Xin saw Tong Xi after half a month. Tong Xi looked much better, though his brows still carried a sickly paleness, but his lips had color – he didn’t look like someone about to die.

Tong Xi, who people said wouldn’t survive this winter, became the only living person in this family. Those who should have had much longer to live died one after another, in strange and varied ways.

Su Xin stopped concerning herself with the story of this ordinary yet extraordinary rural family, placing Tong Xi first on the list of possible formation eyes.

Master Fourteen, if I kill the wrong person, it shouldn’t matter, right?

【It probably doesn’t matter.】

How to kill Tong Xi was still a problem. Couldn’t rush in recklessly – Su Xin didn’t have her familiar gun here, and there might be some unknown female ghost guarding Tong Xi. Definitely couldn’t act impulsively.

Tong Xi faced everyone’s condolences with a pale face, looking very grieved, but Su Xin didn’t feel his sadness at all – rather, she felt he was extremely happy.

Su Xin really disliked him. It was a very uncomfortable feeling, like being targeted by something. Su Xin had felt this kind of gaze before, from ‘Poison Fang’.

As mentioned before, Su Xin was a cleaner who liked to prey on other predators. ‘Poison Fang’ was once her target. This person was extremely difficult to deal with and very arrogant. They had confronted each other face-to-face before, and ‘Poison Fang’ had looked at her with this same kind of gaze. But ‘Poison Fang’s’ gaze was very unrestrained, completely unconcealed, while Tong Xi’s was subtle and careful.

That was the expression of looking at prey, carrying absolute certainty of success.

Su Xin wanted to mock him. She just paid respects to the deceased, couldn’t even bother to say a word to Tong Xi before leaving.

“Ning, why are you leaving without saying anything?”

Tong Xi called out to stop Su Xin, asking somewhat sadly.

“Looking at you makes me sick.”

Su Xin threw down these words and left. Since no one else was here, it didn’t matter if she broke character. Her immediate feeling was disgust, extreme aversion.

Tong Xi wasn’t angered; hearing Su Xin’s words, he actually smiled.

After leaving Tong Xi’s place, Su Xin felt even more uncomfortable – she had already felt unwell while there.

Su Xin wasn’t usually someone who couldn’t keep her composure, but now she felt exceptionally agitated, like there was a fire burning in her chest about to erupt, yet with no way to release it, feeling stifled and uncomfortable.

【Host, how about some chrysanthemum tea to cool down and reduce internal heat?】

Yes.

After a cup of chrysanthemum tea, Su Xin indeed felt much better.

But then Su Xin started feeling cold, even feeling like her body was freezing inch by inch, all her blood vessels frozen solid, too stiff to feel herself.

This feeling came too violently and quickly, like a cold yin energy surrounding her. Su Xin walked stiffly – this time she had come out alone, not letting Mu Qi and Tong Qing follow her.

She thought that if there was a chance to strike, wouldn’t bringing two people just get in the way?

But there wasn’t that chance. Tong Xi looked smug having victory in hand and deserving a slap, who knows what he was planning.

But whatever he was planning, Su Xin only knew her current situation wasn’t good.

Had to get home quickly, absolutely couldn’t collapse on the road.

If she collapsed on the road, there would definitely be terrifying consequences.

Su Xin started running. She felt like thousands of hands were pulling at her feet, not letting her step forward, each step extremely difficult.

Damn it, must have encountered a ghost.

It started snowing.

Snowflakes fell softly on Su Xin’s face, ice cold, bringing a burning sensation when they melted.

【Host, this is in an illusion. You’re trapped by a ghost.】

Of course I know, the situation is already very obvious.

The snow had stopped long ago, how could it suddenly snow again, and such heavy snow too, like it could crush someone to death.

【Host, you must break free quickly, otherwise you’ll freeze to death here.】

Mental consciousness trapped here, while the physical body lies unconscious outside in the snow, then death.

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