The Hand of Confession – Chapter 67

Volume 3: Days of Working at the Manor

Whack-a-Mole?

Burn the Demon

She can do this!

The name of 《Mother Goose Rhymes》 is “as well-known as thunder in the ears” (meaning extremely famous), especially to Shen Maomao, who loves literature in the genres of supernatural, horror, and mystery—it’s as familiar as it gets to her.

From 《Who Killed Cock Robin》 to 《Ten Little Indians》, and 《London Bridge is Falling Down》, countless great authors have drawn inspiration from them, writing works that leave people in awe.

However, many dark nursery rhymes are included in the collection, and Shen Maomao has only heard a few. The ones sung by this group of shadows are completely new to her.

Lou Jingmo explained, “This song is about the Great Plague of London in the 17th century—the bubonic plague, which is a form of the Black Death. The typical symptoms of bubonic plague include a rosy face and a rotten smell. People who got sick usually used flowers to cover up the smell. So, this nursery rhyme has another translation—’Rings of roses around the face, a bag of deodorizing flowers, ashes, ashes, we all fall down’.”

“What the—?!” Shen Maomao immediately thought of the baron’s mask. “Sister Lou, are you saying that baron…”

She didn’t need to say more; Lou Jingmo already understood her thoughts. They exchanged a glance, everything understood without words.

Time slowly passed, and the shadows of everything grew longer.

Shen Maomao had rested enough and got up from the ground to stretch.

Lou Jingmo also stood up, gazing at the sun that was now just a sliver above the horizon, and said slowly, “Strange things might happen after sunset. That’s when we have to run; we’ve used our props too early.”

Yes, the props didn’t work and even gave Shen Maomao a “powerless” debuff, making her worry if she’d be able to run later.

Horse Golden Retriever also seemed to sense something was off. He came running back with the carriage reins in his mouth, nudging Shen Maomao with his head, signaling her to help attach the cart.

While hooking the rope back in place and tying a knot, Shen Maomao joked, “Brother, at a time like this, you’re still thinking about the mission?”

Horse Golden Retriever lifted his hoof.

Shen Maomao didn’t get it: “What do you mean?”

Lou Jingmo chimed in coolly, “He’s probably saying he can run faster with the cart than you can.”

Shen Maomao: “…” Does it have to be this true?

The two of them worked together to lift Golden Retriever’s body into the cart. Shen Maomao shamelessly asked Golden Retriever, “Brother Golden, can I hitch a ride with you?”

Golden Retriever confidently waved his hoof, signaling for both Lou Jingmo and her to get on the cart.

Shen Maomao didn’t hesitate, quickly climbing up and extending her right hand to Lou Jingmo from her spot on top.

A hint of amusement flashed quickly in Lou Jingmo’s eyes as she reached up her hand.

The cart was filled with hay that Golden Retriever had gathered in the morning. After a whole afternoon of sun, the dew on it had dried up completely. Shen Maomao shifted Golden Retriever’s body to the side and plopped down on the hay, making room for Lou Jingmo. “Sister Lou, come sit.”

Lou Jingmo didn’t hesitate and sat down right next to her.

Shen Maomao asked, “Are we heading back to the manor?”

Lou Jingmo nodded, “Hopefully, it’ll go smoothly.”

The sun finally slipped reluctantly below the horizon, but the households outside the farm didn’t light any candles. At some point, the air took on an indescribable odor, like a ditch full of rotting dead fish—this reminded Shen Maomao of the bridge they passed in the morning, where someone had laid fresh flowers over the water. The rotten stench mixed with the floral scent, making one feel nauseous.

The moon hung high among the branches, casting light borrowed from the sun onto the world below, but the shadows between heaven and earth didn’t disappear.

The singing from the five shadows grew fainter, eventually turning into whispers like the buzzing of mosquitoes.

They let go of each other’s hands, standing in a row, beginning to materialize from their feet. Five gray toes pointed in their direction, ready to charge at any moment.

“Now’s the time!” Lou Jingmo shouted, “Run!”

Horse Golden Retriever took off running, his four hooves moving rapidly, kicking up a cloud of dust as he sped toward the gate.

The five shadows gradually transformed into human forms—no, it was uncertain if they could still be called human. In the moonlight, their decayed features looked especially horrifying. The smallest shadow’s face wasn’t rotten yet, only tinged with a “rosy hue” (indicating the early stages of infection), but he had a huge wound on his neck, still oozing fresh blood.

The rotten smell grew stronger, overpowering the floral scent.

As the last of their skulls solidified, the shadows shot out like sharp swords, chasing after the departing carriage and quickly closing the distance…

…

Horse Golden Retriever made a sharp turn, tilting the cart over eighty degrees. His body almost flew out, but Lou Jingmo and Shen Maomao each grabbed one of his hands, preventing him from getting himself killed.

The farm gate was right ahead, but the five shadows were nearly upon them. In the moonlight, Shen Maomao could see their faces clearly, almost scaring the life out of her.

Covering her nose, she urged Golden Retriever in a muffled voice, “Run faster! They’re catching up!”

Golden Retriever was running with all his might, unable even to shout back, though he truly wished he could just throw her off and let her run on her own.

The farm gate was wide open, and the ghosts seemed not to worry at all that they might escape.

Or maybe—the outside world was even more dangerous.

The child leading the chase pushed off the ground with force, launching straight at the cart with Lou Jingmo as the target. His red little face got closer and closer in Shen Maomao’s view, with the blood from his neck arching gracefully through the air.

Lou Jingmo gripped the scythe blade in the cart with both hands and swung the handle like a baseball bat.

She hit the mark perfectly, knocking the child away, and he landed on the ground, not getting up for quite a while.

Shen Maomao: “…” Wow, you can do that?

Lou Jingmo warned, “Avoid physical contact with them, and it’s best not to keep anything they’ve touched.”

Despite saying this, she didn’t throw away the scythe, as resources were limited, and she had saved another hoe for Shen Maomao.

Shen Maomao picked up the hoe and tried to swing it, but couldn’t manage it.

The children seemed more agile than the adults. While the two were talking, another child with a rotting face tried to leap into the cart. Lou Jingmo didn’t miss, hitting it with a solid swing, sending it flying before it finally hit the ground.

Shen Maomao gave a thumbs up, “Sister Lou, were you in the baseball club in college? That technique is spot-on.”

Lou Jingmo frowned, “Stop talking nonsense. Take that hoe apart, just keep the stick. Try not to let their blood drip on the cart; it carries disease and can be contagious.”

Shen Maomao, not wanting to waste the time Lou Jingmo had bought them, immediately focused on dismantling the hoe.

With technology not being very advanced, the hoe was held together only by a wedge, not nails. She sat in the cart, gripping the hoe handle with both hands, and pressed down hard with her feet on either side of it.

With a loud “bang,” the hoe and the wedge came loose, causing the cart to shake violently. She didn’t dare stand up like Xiaolou, fearing she’d fall out, so she crouched at the edge of the cart to face any incoming threats.

The cart raced through the wide-open gate, as if crossing a finish line, or breaking through an invisible barrier.

The five shadows lunged at them again but were beaten back by the two. The cart wheels rolled over patches of ash mixed with fragments of bone, kicking up clouds of dust.

Once they left the farm, the road widened, allowing the cart to stabilize a bit and gain some speed.

The farm and those five shadows grew more distant until they could no longer be seen. Lou Jingmo sat back down but didn’t relax.

“Don’t drop your weapons now; we might face a bigger challenge soon,” she reminded.

Shen Maomao crouched nearby, gripping her wooden stick tightly, nodding nervously.

The cart drove onto the main road in the dark, avoiding obstacles thanks to Horse Golden Retriever’s sharp eyes. There were many two-story buildings on either side, but not a single light was visible. They blurred into black shadows in the darkness, creating a thick sense of unease.

After a turn, the view suddenly opened up. The large bridge they had passed earlier appeared, with flames soaring high on the other side, causing Horse Golden Retriever to abruptly stop the cart.

“What are they doing?” Shen Maomao asked, eyes wide as she looked ahead.

Just ahead, a group of people whose faces couldn’t be seen gathered in an open area. They surrounded a huge bonfire, with flames crackling as they consumed the wood. Behind the dancing flames, the shadows of a dozen people flickered, and faint cries for help drifted to Shen Maomao and Lou Jingmo’s ears on the wind.

“They’re burning people infected with the plague,” Lou Jingmo said quietly.

At this time, people didn’t know what a plague was. They would treat those with red rashes on their faces and a rotten smell as demons. The most effective way to deal with demons was to execute them by fire on a cross.

The firelight illuminated the surroundings, allowing them to spot Shen Maomao and Lou Jingmo. A man in a red robe with a silver cross on his chest stepped to the front of the crowd. He carefully observed their faces and said, “By the light of the God of Light, you do not bear the mark of the demon.”

He was about to let them pass when a common man next to him in plain clothes said, “Wait a moment, Bishop! Demons are creatures that like to hide. They must prove they’re not possessed by demons, or we can’t let them through!”

His words were echoed by others, who raised their weapons, pointing the sharp ends at Horse Golden Retriever.

Shen Maomao angrily retorted, “Since you say that, shouldn’t you also prove your identity? Maybe the demon is hiding among you, causing you to turn against each other!”

Her words made people glance around nervously, but it didn’t cause the internal conflict Shen Maomao had hoped for.

The man who spoke first said again, “Look at her! Her expression is shifty, and her words are evasive—she must be hiding something! We should execute them immediately and not let them pass, to protect our homes!”

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The author has something to say:

55555 (a crying sound effect in Chinese)

Everyone has explained everything in the comments, and now my writing has lost its mystery qwq. I hope you don’t mind.

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