Fate Trading System – Chapter 149

Plan A

Red Moon in the Barrier 13

The Crescent

As soon as Su Xin knocked on the door, everything inside went completely silent.

“Who is it?”

Tong Xiaoxuan asked, after all, they had just been arguing about a delicate matter of face.

“Sister Xiaoxuan, it’s me, Tong Ning. I’ve come to bring you gifts. I just reached the door when I heard you arguing inside. What’s wrong? Let’s talk things through properly.”

Su Xin remained standing outside the door without pushing it open, her tone carrying confusion and concern.

“Didn’t we say you didn’t need to bring anything?”

Tong Liu came over and took the rice from Su Xin’s hands.

“How could that be right? How could I just take things from your family for nothing? Let’s exchange as agreed. At the door, I heard you shouting loudly. What were you shouting about? Don’t argue with Sister Xiaoxuan, she’s your sister after all.”

Su Xin let out a light snort.

“I know, you’re so nagging.”

Tong Liu closed the door rather rudely.

“Oh my, you really… never mind… Sister Xiaoxuan, I’m leaving!”

Su Xin raised her voice, then deliberately made her footsteps louder as she left.

The people inside breathed a sigh of relief when they heard the footsteps fade away. Tong Xiaoxuan scratched her head and asked Tong Liu what was going on.

Tong Liu explained briefly, and the siblings called a truce, stopping their argument.

Su Xin walked back along the small path, and when passing by Tong Ling’s house, she heard sounds from inside.

It was the sound of chopping meat, cleaver against chopping board, rhythmically echoing.

“Lingling, are you there?”

“Hmm?”

The chopping stopped, and after a moment the door opened, and Tong Ling came out.

Su Xin noticed fresh blood traces on her hands, some even staining her clothes. She held a cleaver, her expression somewhat cold.

“You’re cutting vegetables? I thought it was your mother.”

“Yes, my mother hasn’t been feeling well these past two days, my father too. My mother probably caught it from my father, so I’m cooking.”

“So you can cook, little princess?”

“Watch how you talk, Tong Ning. You’re getting more and more annoying.”

“Alright, alright, I shouldn’t have said that. I was just joking.”

Su Xin walked over with a smile and put her arm around Tong Ling’s shoulders. Tong Ling’s body stiffened momentarily before irritably shrugging off the embrace.

Master Fourteen, please check if there’s a red crescent mark on her shoulder.

【There is.】

Oh my, we’ve found one.

“Well, I’ll head home now. I’ll come play with you tomorrow.”

“Fine, fine, I’ll come find you instead. We can play poker.”

“Sounds good.”

Su Xin turned around, revealing a confident smile of certainty.

She had known something was strange about this girl from their very first meeting. Plus, she seemed weaker each time they met, and there were her telling gestures when lying during conversations.

Most likely, Tong Ling’s parents were already dead, and the meat she was chopping came from their corpses.

Where else could the meat have come from? No family had slaughtered pigs this New Year. Even if Tong Ling’s family had meat, it would have been cured meat [preserved meat] or frozen dried meat – it couldn’t possibly be so bloody.

Perhaps Tong Ling’s father had somehow badly influenced her, leading to her intense hatred of men. You could hear it in her bitter tone, like a wronged wife. Without something serious happening, how could a girl her age in her situation speak that way?

Maybe Tong Ling was too young to know how to hide things, maybe she didn’t guard herself against a close friend, or maybe she wasn’t trying to hide anything at all.

Su Xin had taken a gamble, fifty-fifty odds, and surprisingly guessed correctly.

There were several reasons why Su Xin hadn’t taken action yet. While she was indeed a professional assassin, she wasn’t a heartless, inhuman monster – she felt reluctant to suddenly attack such a young girl. The second reason was that Su Xin had no weapons, while Tong Ling held a knife. Though with Su Xin’s skills and this body’s strength, overpowering Tong Ling wouldn’t be difficult. But the most important was the final reason: the person who set up the formation.

The one who set up the formation wouldn’t allow their formation eye to be harmed – that was certain. Mu Qi wasn’t by her side, and Su Xin felt that acting rashly might get herself hurt. If this body died, her mission would fail. She couldn’t rush things.

At minimum, she needed to communicate with Mu Qi first, then come together. Tong Ling wasn’t going anywhere.

Now that the most crucial issue was becoming clear, Su Xin started to feel less urgent.

Su Xin returned home, where Mu Qi had already prepared the meal. She washed her hands and began eating.

Time was of the essence – she decided to act tomorrow.

Although her wish was to take her brother out of this village, she still needed to ensure his safety after leaving. If her brother died right after getting out, the original owner wouldn’t accept that. It wouldn’t align with their Fate Trading System’s principles of perfection.

Master Fourteen, if we get out, can the ghosts from here find us?

【Of course.】

So we need to solve the problem completely?

【Yes.】

Su Xin chewed her food while staring at Tong Qing.

“Big sister, why are you staring at me like that? Eat your vegetables.”

“Mm.”

After dinner, Su Xin went to wash the dishes, and Mu Qi followed her in.

“I have something to tell you later.”

“What is it?”

“I’ll tell you later, after I finish washing the dishes. Let’s talk in the room.”

“Alright.”

There were only three bowls, three pairs of chopsticks, two plates, and one pot. With two people, washing went quickly. The troublesome part was scooping water, since they only had one large pot. They had to ladle clean water in and dirty water out one scoop at a time.

Tong Qing had almost finished studying his previous book, so Mu Qi gave him a new one to read. The little boy [shōng zhèngtài, term for an adorably proper young boy] happily dove back into his ocean of knowledge.

“So? What did you want to tell me earlier?”

Su Xin took a deep breath, looking nervous. She touched her braid again, playing her part perfectly.

“Would you lie to me?”

“Hm? Why suddenly ask this?”

Mu Qi was surprised, unsure why the girl would suddenly ask such a question.

“Would you?”

Su Xin pressed, her tone unexpectedly taking on a hint of coyness.

“Of course not.”

“Then we’re good friends, right?”

“Of course we are.”

Mu Qi nodded – they were certainly very close, otherwise how could they sleep in the same bed?

“You’re not human, are you?”

Su Xin looked straight into Mu Qi’s eyes, asking bluntly.

“No.”

Mu Qi wasn’t surprised she’d discovered this fact. She knew this person wasn’t foolish, but rather quite clever, able to think of things others couldn’t, and had a very calm personality.

“Then what are you?”

“You’ve seen the locust tree at the village entrance? That’s my true form.”

“You’re a spirit?”

“Yes.”

“Can you help us get out of here?”

‘We’ naturally referred to Su Xin and Tong Qing.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t help you leave this place. I can leave myself, but I can’t take either of you with me.”

Mu Qi shook her head – if she could have taken them away, she would have done so long ago.

“Do you know who created this place?”

“I don’t know them, but I’ve encountered them – it’s an extremely powerful ghost.”

Mu Qi unconsciously frowned. That ghost’s resentful energy was too strong, and its ghostly power profound. Yet it hadn’t completely lost its reason – it had only trapped everyone in the village rather than massacring them.

Actually, for all the villagers, dying slowly in prolonged fear and panic was far more terrifying than a quick massacre.

“Could you defeat that ghost in a fight?”

“Hard to say, we’ve never directly confronted each other.”

“If it tries to kill me, will you protect me?”

Su Xin pressed on with rapid questions, giving Mu Qi no time to think.

“Of course, I’ll definitely protect you.”

Mu Qi nodded with a determined expression.

“I know how to get out. I’ve found the key point of this barrier. If we kill that person, we can escape. I’ll do it, but I’m worried the ghost will kill me afterward. My death doesn’t matter, I’m only concerned about my brother.”

Su Xin voiced her worries in one breath. Her own death wasn’t important – what mattered was completing her mission before dying.

“You know how to get out?”

Mu Qi’s expression turned strange as she looked Su Xin up and down.

“Yes, I do. Don’t worry about how I know. If you consider me a friend, please protect my brother’s and my safety. I know it’s asking too much, but please.”

Su Xin felt she had no standing, using friendship to pressure Mu Qi – it seemed despicable.

“It’s fine if you refuse. It’s your choice. I’m just making my request. I must take my brother out – we can’t wait anymore. Who knows what might happen if we delay further.”

“Of course I’m willing. If I can help you both escape, I’d be glad to.”

A smile spread across Mu Qi’s face. Su Xin keenly sensed something unusual – something felt odd, as if Mu Qi’s agreement wasn’t solely for her sake?

Never mind that – her agreement was what mattered.

“I plan to act tomorrow. We’ll call her out then. Don’t let my brother see.”

Su Xin didn’t want to leave any psychological trauma for the little boy.

“Alright, I’ll follow your lead.”

They slept well that night.

The next day, Tong Ling didn’t come to play cards with Su Xin as she’d said she would. Perhaps she was planning to come in the afternoon, but Su Xin couldn’t wait.

Su Xin planned to go with Mu Qi to find Tong Ling in the morning. She carried no weapons, as there weren’t any suitable ones here. The only knives were broad kitchen cleavers, and Su Xin needed to make a precise strike, not hack at someone – she didn’t want it to be bloody.

Su Xin planned to use her hands directly. Breaking the neck would be clean and quick. If that failed, there was still Mu Qi, though Su Xin didn’t want the spirit to act – who knew what consequences might come from a spirit getting blood on its hands.

The rattan chair outside was empty, the door tightly shut, giving off a desolate appearance.

Su Xin knocked, but there was no response.

This wasn’t normal.

Su Xin pushed the door – it was bolted from inside, proving someone was in there and hadn’t left.

Su Xin kicked the door, but it didn’t budge. The impact numbed her foot – though it was just a wooden door, it wouldn’t be that solid.

After a few more kicks, the door finally broke open.

The courtyard was empty, and the inner room’s door was open.

Su Xin and Mu Qi pushed open the door and saw someone sitting inside.

Tong Ling sat in a chair, facing away from the door, slowly setting a cup on the table.

“Lingling?”

“You… why did you come…?”

Tong Ling seemed to struggle greatly with speaking, her words coming out slowly and with difficulty. She turned around gradually, head still lowered.

What shocked Su Xin was her completely white hair. If she hadn’t been wearing Tong Ling’s clothes, Su Xin might not have recognized her.

“Lingling… how did you end up like this?”

Su Xin took two steps closer, her tone urgent.

Su Xin had a bad feeling – she sensed the opportunity slipping through her fingers.

“The price, I suppose. You must know something, right? After all, I never tried to hide it from you.”

Tong Ling raised her head to meet Su Xin’s gaze. Yesterday she had been a flower-like young girl, but today her face resembled that of a sixty-year-old woman, skin wrinkled like wind-dried tree bark, with a waxy, dark yellow complexion that looked frightening.

Su Xin remained silent, acknowledging wordlessly.

“This is for the best. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

Tong Ling looked at the back of her hand, its withered ugliness inspiring some hatred, but mostly exhaustion.

“You don’t know how much I envied you.”

Tong Ling’s voice choked with emotion, as if carrying an enormous grievance.

Why would a barely adult girl kill her own parents at home? Without some special reason, the normally cheerful Tong Ling wouldn’t do such a thing.

“I hated him, starting from when I was twelve. I hated her even more, for being so cowardly, not daring to protect me.”

Before age twelve, Tong Ling’s life had been relatively happy. Though her father wasn’t good to her and her mother then, he acted well in front of others.

After giving birth to Tong Ling, her mother could still have children. However, during her postpartum confinement [practice of rest after childbirth], she was beaten by Tong Ling’s father, leaving lasting health issues that made her unable to bear more children.

All that “good person” and “honest man” reputation was just an act for outsiders. Behind closed doors, who knows anyone’s true nature?

Humans often show their best face to strangers while revealing their truest, ugliest side to those closest to them, thinking there’s no need to pretend with family.

Tong Ling’s mother had a submissive personality, extremely weak-willed, always yielding to circumstances.

People say women become strong as mothers but weak as wives, but Tong Ling’s mother took this weakness to the extreme. She was terrified of her husband, beaten into submission, not daring to resist at all.

“Who would have known? My own father… for years,” Tong Ling said, her voice breaking. “I don’t know how many times here. Each time I had to take medicine to end it, my hatred grew stronger. I wished I could drink his blood and eat his flesh. Well, I finally did it.”

Tong Ling, wearing an elderly woman’s appearance, showed an expression between crying and laughing, with hints of hysteria.

At twelve, her father got drunk and couldn’t stand the sight of his only daughter – he had always wanted a son but never had the chance.

The drunk man first beat his wife severely. Being intoxicated, he had no control over his strength or aim. While sober, he would at least hit where others couldn’t see, but drunk, he lost all restraint. His wife fell unconscious in the room.

Twelve-year-old Tong Ling heard the commotion and hid in fear, but her drunken father found her, dragging her out by her hair and slapping her face.

The twelve-year-old girl was just entering puberty, wearing pajamas that were torn open. Her father, heedless, and tragedy followed.

Tong Ling didn’t understand what it meant then. She was terrified and in pain, bleeding. Her cries of resistance were met with blows until she lost consciousness. The brutal violence and demon-like father became a nightmare in her heart.

The next day, the man sobered up and realized what he’d done. Still having some conscience then, he apologized to his daughter. Tong Ling lay motionless on the bed, expressionless, the sheets stained with blood, her body in disarray.

When Tong Ling’s mother woke up and saw this, she only held Tong Ling and cried, not daring to say a word. She cleaned her daughter and applied medicine, changed her clothes, but offered no explanation.

Tong Ling stayed in bed at home for many days. During this time, her father was unusually pleasant, didn’t hit them, and even treated them very well, but Tong Ling felt dead inside.

Being naturally cheerful and concerned with appearances, Tong Ling never told anyone about these things. Instead, she smiled even more brightly in front of others, only letting her face fall when she returned home.

Some things, once started, continue. Her father began calling her “baby” in bed, buying her pretty clothes.

As Tong Ling grew older, she gradually understood.

Her first pregnancy was at fourteen. She vomited frantically, struck her stomach with stones until she miscarried. She cried and laughed while bleeding, like someone who had lost their mind.

Tong Ling learned to placate her father in bed, until eventually, he seemed to truly fall in love with her, becoming subservient, trying to please her.

In front of others, Tong Ling played the little princess, finding a masochistic pleasure in it. Even with her closest friends, she never spoke a word. She kept it buried inside, letting it rot, but in her final moments, she couldn’t help but release her resentment.

Su Xin had more or less guessed the situation, feeling helpless anger but unable to do anything about it.

Pedophiles and scum like that should just explode and die where they stand – they only pollute the air by living.

“Lingling…”

Su Xin called out but couldn’t say anything more.

The original owner might have given a hug now, but Su Xin was thinking about breaking her neck. Though clearly that wasn’t necessary anymore – Tong Ling was clearly near death.

In the system space, Tong Ning crouched down covering her face, crying miserably. She could do nothing now but watch helplessly.

She thought she knew her best friend well – knew she unconsciously picked at her nails when lying, knew she disliked carrots but loved potatoes, knew she preferred blue over green, knew when she was angry and when she was happy. But she never knew her friend carried such a huge secret, enduring such immense suffering.

“I really was planning to come play cards with you this afternoon, truly. But I didn’t expect to wake up like this. Moving is so difficult now – it takes me such a long time to do what I used to do easily. I was planning to sit here and wait for death, wondering when you’d discover me. I didn’t expect you to come so quickly.”

Tong Ling smiled, her aged face showing a playfulness that didn’t match her appearance.

“It’s good you came. Remember to bury me, okay? As for those two, feed them to the dogs – though there aren’t any dogs in the village. Just leave them be, let them rot and stink here.”

Tong Ling laughed, seeming very satisfied with this idea.

She gazed at Su Xin with clouded eyes and spoke her final words.

“Ning, we can’t get out. She wants us all to die in here… there’s no escape… what will you do… Ning… I really wanted to see the outside world… why was living so painful…”

Tong Ling closed her eyes, and her hand fell limp.

Every day, countless things happen on this earth. Everyone has their own misfortunes. You never know what pain and scars lie in the heart of someone who appears cheerful and lively – the more brightly they smile, the deeper they bury their pain.

Some suffering, when laid bare and spoken of hundreds of times, eventually becomes numbing. After time passes, looking back, one might feel foolish, wondering why they couldn’t have fought back with better dignity, or perhaps forgotten it, leaving only a faint trace.

But some pain cannot be shared with outsiders. It can only be hidden in the heart, too frightening to speak of or mention, because one never knows how others will react – whether with sympathy or mockery, both of which can be fatal.

Living is difficult; living well is even more difficult. You never know what natural or human-made disasters await. People can’t choose their fate, but they can change it.

Tong Ling was dead.

“She’s dead,” Mu Qi said.

Su Xin walked over to Tong Ling’s side and pulled open her clothes.

The skin on her body was like her face, covered in age spots [liver spots associated with aging], loose and frightening to look at.

There was no trace of anything there, let alone a red crescent.

But Su Xin knew that Fourteen couldn’t have been wrong, and wouldn’t have given her incorrect information.

【Host, I am certain I didn’t see wrong.】

As a system, how can we continue if we can’t even see this correctly?

I know.

Master Fourteen, can this formation eye still be transferred?

【Not certain, but given the current situation, it appears so.】

The formation eye remains, so the barrier persists.

But Tong Ling is dead, and the mark on her body has vanished – this can only mean it’s transferred to someone else.

Su Xin went to Tong Ling’s parents’ room and lifted the blue curtain, seeing the scene inside.

Dried blood stains spread everywhere, unknown insects flying and crawling, attaching themselves to rotting flesh. Tong Ling’s father’s corpse lay sprawled on the ground, missing two organs – one below, and the heart.

The chopping sounds Su Xin heard yesterday must have been Tong Ling cutting these things in the kitchen.

It was nauseating, the smell unbearable. Su Xin couldn’t stand the stench and retreated after one glance.

When talking with Tong Ling outside earlier, there had been no such odor, but after she closed her eyes, the stench suddenly erupted, making one want to vomit.

Tong Ling shouldn’t have had enough strength to do that to someone – she must have borrowed the ghost’s power. And as the barrier’s formation eye, her life force had been constantly draining away, paying an even greater price after the killing.

“Let’s bury her.”

Su Xin picked up Tong Ling’s corpse, but as soon as she held it, green smoke rose from the body. Looking again, Su Xin saw only a skeleton remained, flesh gone, the skull falling to the ground.

What’s going on???

“She must have… been dead for a while already,”

Mu Qi walked over, telling Su Xin to put down the bones.

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