Chapter 13: Breaking the Pattern

“Do you remember what the villagers of Hejia Village said when we first arrived? — The auspicious and inauspicious days on the almanac were revealed by the Snake God.”

Ning Zhe stepped back two paces, leaning against a pillar beside a candlestand, gazing up at the soaring serpent deity carving on the lotus platform: “The Snake God is merciful. The first violation of taboo only brings bad luck—just a stretch of misfortune.”

"But celestial secrets must not be revealed. To learn today’s fortune from the almanac is already the limit of what the Snake God tolerates. To attempt to peer into tomorrow’s fortune beyond that—your fate will be death."

And death without any chance of redemption—right there, on the spot.

Fragmented pieces of information assembled themselves in the silent ancestral hall, revealing a bizarre yet logically coherent killing process before everyone’s eyes:

The ghost wandering through Hejia Village possesses the ability to impersonate others. When it assumed the identity of “Gu Yunqing” to preview the almanac in advance, Gu Yunqing himself was deemed by the Snake God to have violated the fatal taboo—and died instantly.

Just as Ning Zhe had previously deduced, the ghost itself has no capacity to kill. From start to finish, it has done only one thing: impersonate another’s identity.

In other words—it kills by proxy.

“That’s enough to know.” Zhang Yangxu set down the tablecloth, re-covering Lin Zhiyuan’s corpse. “I’m going to the central area of Hejia Village now—to inspect the ‘He Mansion’ and search for clues to escape this village. Will you come with me?”

He spoke these words to Ye Miaozhu and Feng Yushu, offering no invitation to Ning Zhe. This was understandable: whether Lin Zhiyuan had opened the almanac out of curiosity or because Ning Zhe had urged him, Ning Zhe’s reputation among the others had already collapsed. He was untrustworthy—and extremely dangerous.

In some ways, he was even more dangerous than the inhuman entity itself.

If conditions allowed, Zhang Yangxu had even considered finding an opportunity to kill Ning Zhe with the others and eliminate the threat. But conditions did not allow it: Lin Zhiyuan and Gu Yunqing were both dead. Of all the living people left in Hejia Village, only Zhang Yangxu and Ning Zhe remained—both male. And Zhang Yangxu’s physical condition was poor.

Ning Zhe not killing him was already the Snake God’s mercy.

Zhang Yangxu’s proposal stirred Ye Miaozhu slightly. Seeing her hesitation, Ning Zhe suddenly let out a light laugh.

“What are you laughing at?” Ye Miaozhu asked.

“I laugh at your cowardice, your self-loathing, your dark, twisted nature like a maggot in the sewer,” Ning Zhe said dismissively. “When Gu Yunqing died, you didn’t try to uncover his true cause of death. You didn’t think rationally for even a second. You just collapsed emotionally, blamed me without reason, claimed I killed him.”

“But now you know? Gu Yunqing’s death had nothing to do with me. Even if you hadn’t gone to the river to inspect the body, he would have died at 2 a.m.—killed by the ghost’s hand flipping the almanac.”

“And even after the truth is clear, you still dare not face your own mistake. You lack the courage to apologize to me. You’re only driven by ridiculous pride and fear, trying to flee as far from me as possible—because only then can you avoid confronting the fact that you’re a useless waste who can do nothing without Gu Yunqing, capable only of impotent rage.”

This kid’s tongue is sharp… Zhang Yangxu hissed a sharp breath, a strange sensation rising in his chest.

He turned to look: Ye Miaozhu’s eyes were bloodshot, her clenched fists trembling slightly, teeth gritted—like a wild beast ready to pounce. Yet even after being humiliated so thoroughly, she dared not strike Ning Zhe. He was no weakling who would endure insults from women without retaliation—he would respond with violence if threatened, regardless of gender.

“You think you’re so noble? You’re a madman, a murderer, a heartless monster! What right do you have to judge anyone’s emotions!” Ye Miaozhu’s voice shook as she screamed, then turned and ran out of the ancestral hall, leaving Ning Zhe still leaning against the candlestand, his expression calm, untouched by her outburst. Zhang Yangxu’s doubts deepened.

Since meeting in Hejia Village, this boy named Ning Zhe had never made a single meaningless move. Every word he spoke, every step he took, every decision he made carried a clear or hidden purpose—he never wasted his time or energy.

But what was Ning Zhe doing now? Mocking and humiliating the only doctor among them until she broke down—what purpose did that serve him? Zhang Yangxu couldn’t understand. The chill at his back grew stronger. He feared this gentle, seemingly approachable boy more and more.

“I should go now, Lady Bai. Will you come with me?” Zhang Yangxu asked, forcing his voice steady.

Feng Yushu hesitated, took a step forward, then stepped back. Finally, she bit her lip and gave a slight shake of her head: “Thank you, Master Zhang. I won’t accompany you. The He Mansion… feels too dangerous.”

That man Ning Zhe is even more dangerous… Zhang Yangxu shook his head and said no more: “Then I’m leaving. Take care of yourself.”

Zhang Yangxu left the ancestral hall and followed the direction Ye Miaozhu had fled.

A round, plump white moon rose halfway into the sky, like a silkworm wriggling toward the heavens. Ning Zhe sighed softly, turning to Feng Yushu, who still remained in the hall. Her face was pale, her coiled hair slightly disheveled, her luxurious purple robe stained with dried mud and water, looking disheveled.

“Why don’t you leave? Afraid I, the murderer, might suddenly turn beastly and kill you too?” Ning Zhe asked half-jokingly.

“...I am,” Feng Yushu answered honestly. “But I’m more afraid of being trapped here forever—alive but worse than dead.”

“Staying with me doesn’t guarantee escape,” Ning Zhe said, shaking his head. “Don’t you know where Zhang Yangxu is going? The He Mansion. None of us have explored it. If there truly is a door that leads out of Hejia Village, it’s most likely there. If you truly want to leave, you should go with him.”

Feng Yushu still shook her head: “No. Whether it’s Zhang Yangxu, me, or Ye Miaozhu—we all know far less than you do. You’re brilliant. You’re calm. While everyone else is lost, blindly searching for a way out, you’ve already begun deconstructing the Snake God’s rules, watching others die one by one with a blank expression.”

If there was one living person in Hejia Village who could solve the mystery and escape alive, it was unquestionably Ning Zhe.

Ning Zhe couldn’t help but smile slightly: “Auntie, you really are an interesting person. You have no real ability yourself, and you’re terrified of everything—but your judgment of people? Spot-on.”

He straightened his posture, no longer leaning against the candlestand, and pointed a finger at his temple: “Indeed, I’ve formed some preliminary understanding and theories about this village. Unless something unexpected happens, I’ll soon find a way to break the rules and leave. I believe this method is well worth trying…”

“But why should I help you?” Ning Zhe’s tone shifted. The warm smile vanished from his face. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch. You want my help—but what can you offer me in return?”

“Anything,” Feng Yushu said. “Anything.”

(End of Chapter)