Fate Trading System – Chapter 150

Plan A

Red Moon in the Barrier 14

Secrets

“Already… already dead?”

“If she was already dead, then who was it that spoke with me yesterday, or even earlier – were they all ghosts?”

“How long ago was it? Was it when we met last year after Tong Manwen died?”

“She was already dead by then, that’s true, but… it was even earlier than that.”

Mu Qi was by Su Xin’s side at that time and immediately noticed something was wrong with this person – neither human nor non-human, neither ghost nor non-ghost, and definitely not a yao [supernatural being/demon]. They seemed to be someone near death who relied on living ghost power to continue existing, becoming a unique entity.

This situation was different from Tong Xi’s. Tong Xi had essentially performed soul replacement, seizing a corpse to come back to life.

It was only because this place had all three perfect conditions [referring to heaven’s timing, earth’s geography, and human harmony] that his revival went so smoothly.

Su Xin exhaled, realizing this meant Tong Ling might have died long ago, possibly by suicide or murder, though suicide seemed more likely. Then she was ‘saved’ by the ghost who set up the mystical barrier, becoming the formation eye. Whether this process was voluntary or not, Su Xin couldn’t tell.

Su Xin pondered how since the last time seeing Tong Ling’s parents with her, they hadn’t been seen in subsequent visits. They might have been killed early on, but Tong Ling had kept it hidden.

A person who was alive just moments ago had now become a skeleton. Su Xin and Mu Qi removed all the bones, but with no ready-made coffin available and no way to obtain one, they could only bury them. Mu Qi’s wood wasn’t suitable for making a coffin, and using locust tree wood would create too much resentful energy.

Mu Qi chose a burial spot for Tong Ling, saying it had the best feng shui, hoping Tong Ling would be happy in her next life.

Su Xin and Mu Qi dug a hole to bury the bones and erected a gravestone. It was made of wood and very simple, but given their limited resources, it was all they could do.

“Qiqi, can you cremate these bones?”

In Su Xin’s hand was a small piece of Tong Ling’s finger bone.

Tong Ling had said she really wanted to see the outside world, and now this wish could be fulfilled in a way.

“Yes.”

Su Xin took the small piece of finger bone home and found a delicate, slim bottle, looking expectantly at Mu Qi.

The bone was burned to ash by ghostly blue flames right in Su Xin’s palm, but she felt no pain or heat, only a touch of coldness.

Su Xin poured the ashes into the small bottle and placed it on the room’s shelf, planning to take it outside when she could leave.

As far as Su Xin was concerned, they weren’t very close, so she wouldn’t wear the bottle as a pendant around her neck – that was something only extremely intimate people would do.

Now, there was one less suspect.

If the formation eye could be transferred, what were the conditions for transfer?

The households of Tong Ling, Widow Wang, Tong Yuzhuo, and Uncle Tong could all be considered completely eliminated and removed from the list of suspects.

Only Tong Xi remained in his household, and his identity was very suspicious.

The Village Chief and his wife, Su Xin thought, were the only normal family left – they weren’t very likely suspects.

Mu Qi could be completely ruled out and counted on Su Xin’s side.

Tong Xiaoxuan and Tong Liu needed further consideration. They should be living people, but their situation wasn’t clear.

The mysterious Grand Aunt was a respected elderly recluse who seemed to know many secrets but was unwilling to share them.

“To become the key to this mystical barrier, must someone be dead?”

Su Xin asked Mu Qi, referring to the living dead.

“I’m not sure about that, it’s probably not necessary,” Mu Qi shook her head with a helpless expression.

She couldn’t help glancing at the small bottle on the shelf, thinking it was fortunate that Su Xin hadn’t chosen to wear it around her neck, or she wouldn’t have been able to control herself.

She wouldn’t have been able to control her jealousy, and then she would have gone mad.

It was an inexplicable emotion, like when she first saw her. If she thought about this person carrying someone else’s ashes on her body, even though they were just ashes, Mu Qi feared she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from destroying them again.

“It’s fine, thank you for coming with me today. I originally thought something would go wrong, but I didn’t expect this outcome. We don’t know who the new key person is, but there aren’t that many people in the village, and we can search one by one – it’s just a matter of time.”

Besides, there was still a female ghost causing trouble in the shadows – Tong Xi, whose motives were unclear.

“You’re too polite. Didn’t you say we’re good friends? Why are you thanking me?”

“Hmm…? Even good friends should thank each other, it’s only right.”

Su Xin smiled and shook her head, poking Mu Qi’s face.

“You’re a locust tree spirit. How long have you been a spirit?”

Wasn’t it said that after the founding of the nation, spirits weren’t allowed to form? [referring to a popular Chinese internet saying about supernatural beings]

“Not long, just a few years.”

“Was it when we found you unconscious?”

“Yes.”

“But why did you faint? Aren’t you a yao?”

Mu Qi shook her head without speaking.

“Is it something you can’t talk about? If it’s inconvenient to say, then never mind.”

Su Xin smiled, saying everyone has secrets they can’t tell others – it’s just human nature.

“I can’t tell you right now, I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. That’s your choice, and I respect it. I was just curious, but I don’t need to know. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Su Xin explained clearly. Mu Qi nodded to show she understood, but her expression still wasn’t good.

“I’m going to check on my younger brother.”

Su Xin lifted the curtain and walked out. Mu Qi stared at her retreating figure and then at the curtain, lost in thought.

She didn’t want to hide things from her…

“What are you trying to do? You’re not thinking of revealing our secret, are you?”

“I haven’t said anything.”

“Don’t forget what you promised me.”

“I want to take it back.”

“How can you do this?”

“If I do that, she will be hurt.”

“Huai Yao [locust tree demon], you actually fell in love with a human, and a woman at that?”

“What’s it to you?”

“I just want him, that’s all.”

“What’s the point of doing this? He doesn’t recognize you anymore, he won’t even remember someone like you exists.”

“That’s my business.”

“Don’t forget who’s in control among us.”

“Huai Yao…”

“Let me think about it some more…”

Mu Qi glanced out the window. While all things were awakening from their slumber, she remained trapped in deep darkness.

Sunlight might drive away all darkness, leaving dark creatures nowhere to hide, but correspondingly, where there is light, there are shadows – they coexist and cannot be separated.

What surprised Su Xin was that the first to die wasn’t Tong Xiaoxuan, nor Tong Liu, nor even Tong Xi, but Qian Fengying.

Qian Fengying might not have been the most beautiful woman in the village, but she was possibly the most charming.

Qian Fengying was about the same age as Tong Xiaoxuan, but their difference was that one was married and one wasn’t.

Qian Fengying was what people called a married young woman. Her husband worked away from home, returning only a few times each year. When this incident occurred, her husband was away. The household consisted only of women: Qian Fengying, her younger sister, and her mother-in-law.

Although her husband didn’t earn much working away, by village standards it was considerable. He was never stingy about buying his wife pretty clothes, shoes, and accessories like nail polish. Qian Fengying always dressed beautifully, though sadly, no matter how radiantly she dressed, there was no one to see.

Qian Fengying and Tong Xiaoxuan were bitter rivals, often quarreling with neither giving an inch. They were like natural enemies – when they argued, they could raise the roof with their fighting, behaving like quarrelsome fishwives [a woman who sells fish]. Yet despite their poor relationship, they always managed to find each other, then argue again, never tiring of it.

Qian Fengying died in her own home, her eyes wide open in death, her once-pretty face becoming unbearable to look at.

Her body was covered in wounds, the room was full of bloodstains, and a blood-stained pair of scissors lay discarded on the floor.

When Qian Fengying died, ironically, it was Tong Xiaoxuan who cried the most bitterly.

When Su Xin arrived, Qian Fengying’s mother-in-law and her younger sister Qian Fengqian were preparing the funeral arrangements. Both the elder and younger women were expressionless, appearing quite unsettling.

Tong Xiaoxuan was sobbing uncontrollably, with Tong Liu supporting her to prevent her from collapsing.

On the surface, it appeared that Qian Fengying had died from self-inflicted wounds, but everyone knew this was impossible. Su Xin could tell at a glance this was the work of a ghost, likely that female ghost again.

What did the female ghost want to accomplish? She had struck again. Qian Fengying’s condition showed signs of considerable torture. She must have entered the female ghost’s illusion and been tortured to death, though to outsiders it appeared she had repeatedly mutilated herself with scissors.

“Sister, don’t be too sad. The dead cannot return to life.”

Tong Liu was helpless, not understanding why her sister was crying so intensely.

“It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t made her angry that day, she wouldn’t have come back alone, she wouldn’t have wanted to do that thing…”

Tong Xiaoxuan muttered in a very low voice, appearing dazed. Su Xin, standing close by with good hearing, caught every word clearly.

Could Qian Fengying’s death be related to Tong Xiaoxuan? What was this thing that Tong Xiaoxuan said Qian Fengying wanted to do?

“Stop crying. You’ll disturb my sister.”

Qian Fengqian coldly addressed Tong Xiaoxuan, her expression completely indifferent.

The scene had an oddly absurd quality – the deceased’s closest family members remained expressionless without shedding a tear, while an unrelated person was crying to the point of fainting, as if their roles had been reversed.

“Heh, I’m not heartless like you. She’s gone, and you haven’t shed a single tear. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking, you heartless dog.”

Tong Xiaoxuan spat out the words with disgust.

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