I am the Ruler of the Kingdom of Mysterious-Chapter 222 - 190: Straw Effigy Substitutes a Life
On the third day of the broken fortune state, Sang Que didn’t leave the house all day and stayed in the small courtyard with Xia Chan practicing martial arts.
Originally thought that not leaving the house would prevent any misfortune, but unexpectedly, when she was practicing with Xuan Yu and used too much force, she struck a load-bearing pillar of the kitchen, causing it to collapse.
Fortunately, she doesn’t cook, so if it collapses, it collapses. She plans to completely demolish it later and turn it into a training ground.
Hua Qianmian didn’t say when she’d come to collect that one thousand gold. Sang Que is really worried that her condition will affect the box of gold.
Apart from this little episode, the days of staying at home without having to work are quite enjoyable, playing with the cat, teasing Xia Chan, having a casual meal at the alley entrance, and even taking a nap at noon.
At dusk, a White Servant came looking for Sang Que, saying that He Buning wanted her to bring a set of her usual clothes and go to his residence, where Cui Cheng and Yu Da were also waiting for her.
Tonight is the most crucial night. He Buning is certainly afraid of any unexpected events, so he chose his own house, as it is spacious and secluded, not likely to disturb others.
Xia Chan wanted to go with her, but Sang Que patiently explained the situation to Xia Chan without deceiving her because of her limited understanding. Xia Chan thought for a while, understood what was happening, and agreed to stay behind.
Sang Que first sent Xia Chan to Kou Yushan. Kou Yushan, who opened the door, was wearing brand new cotton clothes, with a sachet embroidered with mountain patterns on his waist, which made Sang Que immediately aware of what was going on.
Kou Yushan noticed Sang Que’s look and, embarrassed, laughed a couple of times, "Yun Niang made it for me. She’s a widow, raising two children on her own, not easy. I helped her a few times, and to thank me, she made me a set of clothes, and it’s nothing much..."
Xia Chan’s eyes were full of innocence, "Is she going to make me a sister-in-law? Will she make delicious food?"
"Ahem~" Kou Yushan coughed, his face turning red all of a sudden, not knowing how to answer.
"That’s nice." Sang Que handed Xia Chan and Xuan Yu over to Kou Yushan and left alone.
He Buning’s Captain Mansion was on the street next to the Evil Suppression Bureau, opposite Cui Cheng’s house. The courtyard was large but looked like it was abandoned, overgrown with weeds, with no maids or servants around.
Walking through the front yard and front hall, Sang Que heard the sound of bells. She walked down the corridor and saw Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu using the columns of the three-sided corridor to intertwine and tie red threads, with golden bells hanging from each thread.
"Sang Er, you’re here so fast? Come and help!" Xiao Liu called out.
Sang Que walked over, "What is this for?"
Xiao Wu was not one for small talk, nodding to Sang Que and continuing to hang the bells on the red threads after the acknowledgment.
Xiao Liu paused and said, "Our boss is afraid that the Curse Ghost you attract tonight might be too powerful or numerous. If he and Captain Cui can’t clearly see the curse ghosts’ positions, it will be troublesome, so he tied these red threads soaked in rooster blood, hung with golden bells. As long as a curse ghost passes by, the red thread will respond, and the bells will ring."
Sang Que nodded and helped.
As dusk gradually darkened, the red threads were tied, and the three of them respectively lit the lanterns under the corridor roof. He Buning and Cui Cheng hadn’t arrived yet, and Yu Da carried a grass mannequin inside.
"The formation is ready, Captain He is indeed reassuring with his work."
Yu Da was panting heavily, setting down the grass mannequin, which was about the same height and size as Sang Que and was intricately bound.
"Sang Er, put the clothes you brought on this grass mannequin, then write your birthdate and true name with blood and fold it up."
Sang Que did as instructed, changing the mannequin into her clothes. Once changed, except for the head, the mannequin looked exactly like Sang Que from the back.
Yu Da used a dagger to poke a hole in the mannequin’s forehead, "Sang Er, after the two captains have repelled all the curse ghosts tonight, you must place the yellow paper with your birthdate and true name in this hole on the mannequin’s forehead before the Curse Line reconnects with you."
"At that time, the Curse Line will transfer to the mannequin. Then we’ll have Captain He burn the mannequin with yin fire, and this curse of yours will be removed. Remember, no matter what happens, don’t delay. If the Curse Line reconnects to you, there won’t be another chance to cut it. Each time the curse ghosts are driven away, next time there will be more and stronger; the Curse Line is the same."
Sang Que nodded solemnly, moving to the side to write her true name and birthdate.
Xiao Liu curiously stretched his head, but Xiao Wu pulled Xiao Liu’s ear, "Do not look at what you shouldn’t see!" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
"Ouch, ouch, Fifth Brother, can’t you be gentle?"
With everything ready, Xiao Wu dragged the eager-to-watch Xiao Liu outside to guard the gate. Yu Da took out a wrapped roast chicken and started eating while asking Sang Que why she didn’t bring Xia Chan, as it’s more fun to compete for food with her.
Sang Que moved the mannequin to the center of the crisscrossing red threads, mentally rehearsing various scenarios and responses.
As Sang Que waited nervously, the time soon approached midnight, and He Buning and Cui Cheng arrived one after the other.
Seeing the setup He Buning prepared tonight, even Cui Cheng felt a bit nervous.
"Let’s get ready."
He Buning, Cui Cheng, and Yu Da also went to the center of the red threads, and He Buning handed Sang Que a nose snuff bottle, "You can’t sleep tonight. If there are many curse ghosts, you may have to take action yourself. If you feel sleepy, just take a sniff."
Sang Que opened it for a light sniff, a scent like menthol, refreshing and invigorating.
He Buning handed the Ten Victory Stone Dagger to Yu Da again.
Yu Da didn’t need to do anything, just needed to seize the moment when the Curse Ghosts were completely repelled and the Curse Lines vibrated to cut off the Curse Line on Sang Que.
The four of them, each facing a direction, quietly waited.
Yu Da seemed a bit flustered, occasionally looking at He Buning to his left and Cui Cheng to his right. This kind of setup was rare, only someone like Sang Que was worth both Captains assisting simultaneously.
The night was silent, windless, yet dry and cold, especially when standing still. Before long, hands and feet turned cold. Yu Da occasionally breathed into his hands, alert to his surroundings.
When the moon reached its zenith, a gust of sinister wind blew, and the bell in front of Yu Da suddenly began shaking violently.
Cui Cheng’s eyes widened, looking over, yet he couldn’t see any trace of the Curse Ghost.
Ring! Ring!
The bells on the other three sides all began to sway, four Curse Ghosts, and their power was above He Buning and Cui Cheng.
Sang Que started feeling dizzy. She took a deep breath of the refreshing air from the nose snuff bottle for clarity, one hand gripping the Hundred Victory Saber with an attached Ghost Soldier Talisman, the other clutching a Yellow Paper, ready at any moment.
The bell on Cui Cheng’s side began vibrating from the outer layer to the inner layer, and the sound wave brought an icy chill. He waited with his left hand holding the saber, ready to strike. When the gust of sinister wind was about to reach him, he swung the saber down.
The sharp cry of a baby suddenly attacked. The piercing sound made Yu Da and Sang Que’s ears ache, and under the Curse’s influence, those baby faces once again pushed out from beneath her skin.
The chaotic cries echoed directly in her mind, making her restless and dizzy.
The remaining Curse Ghosts were incredibly fast, constantly changing direction, causing all the bells to resonate, making it difficult to determine where the Curse Ghosts were.
Yu Da swallowed nervously, instinctively leaning towards Cui Cheng. Cui Cheng’s gaze was like a torch, He Buning’s expression unchanged, and Sang Que also held on, secretly activating the Yansheng coin, Qian Trigram Eye Opening.
In an instant, the bells closest in all four directions rang simultaneously, sinister wind sweeping overhead, dry grass in the gaps between bricks underfoot rapidly rotting, making it impossible to determine where the Curse Ghosts were.
Yu Da’s heart pounded like a drum. Just then, the three people beside him moved simultaneously.
Cui Cheng flicked his wrist, thrusting his saber into the ground, He Buning sweeping horizontally with his right hand holding the saber, his left hand drawing a flintlock gun from his waist aimed in the direction Yu Da faced.
Bam!
A gunshot rang out, sparks flying, shocking Cui Cheng into a shudder.
Further was Sang Que, with the Hundred Victory Saber combined with the Ghost Soldier Talisman, sidestepping and slicing down, the Ghost Soldier Talisman mark on the saber turned to ash.
Both Cui Cheng and He Buning were amazed, not expecting Sang Que to so precisely evade the Curse Ghost and counterattack.
All the ringing bells abruptly stopped, and the first wave of the Curse Ghost’s assault was completely fended off; however, the Curse Ghost, frustrated by three successive failures, wouldn’t leave just like that and would continue to return stronger and more numerous.
"Yu Da, cut the Curse Line!" He Buning shouted in a low voice.
Yu Da snapped back, hurriedly raising the Ten Victory Stone Dagger, slashing down from Sang Que’s brow.
Yu Da couldn’t see the Curse Line, relying entirely on experience to slash.
The effects of Sang Que’s Qian Trigram Eye Opening were still active. She saw clearly that the Curse Line in front of her became erratic after the Curse Ghost was repelled, and when Yu Da’s Ten Victory Stone Dagger brushed it, the Curse Line snapped in mid-air.
Sang Que’s eyes stung, and without needing anyone’s urging, she walked towards the scarecrow, unhesitatingly stuffing the Yellow Paper held in her hand into the hole at the scarecrow’s brow.
Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit, Sang Que’s vision blurred, and a strange sensation emerged on her body. Attempting to take out the nose snuff bottle to refresh herself again, she found she couldn’t lift her arm.
Sang Que’s eyes widened in horror, seeing herself.
She had become the scarecrow!
"Move aside!"
He Buning shouted sharply, a yin fire igniting in his hand, slamming onto the scapegoat turned Sang Que’s shoulder without hesitation.
Flames seared, a bone-corroding, heart-burning agony surged, preventing Sang Que from making a sound. Her body couldn’t move; she could only watch herself be consumed by the flames and her former self, mouth slowly curving into a sinister smile.
Why was she swapped into the body of a scarecrow?
The flames completely devoured her, and the despair and fear of death tormented the helpless Sang Que.
Where exactly did it go wrong?
