Chapter 33: Which Young Man Treads Spring Home

The sweet aroma of rice wine filled the courtyard of the He family, where the harmonious music of qin and se drifted closer, like a heavy hammer relentlessly striking Ning Zhe’s skull.

The guests invited here believed they were toasting the Snake God, but in truth, they were honoring him—in this instant, the ghost’s rule was triggered hundreds of times, false perceptions forming a medium to steal identities, and the Snake God’s vast memories flooded into Ning Zhe’s mind.

But there was no time now to sort through this information; such a commotion could not have gone unnoticed by the ghost.

“No, perhaps it noticed long ago—when I did nothing about Lin Zhiyuan’s death…”

Because in some way, the ghost was the Snake God.

Ning Zhe found two puzzles in Hejia Village: 【1: Why did the Snake God go mad?】

【2: How did the ghost steal others’ identities?】

The puzzle concerning the ghost had already been solved by Ning Zhe; as he stole more of the Snake God’s identity, he finally confirmed that both puzzles shared the same answer.

“The Snake God went mad because, even before I acted, its identity had already been stolen by the ghost.”

Ning Zhe curled up inside the Snake God’s throat, his small body trembling slightly.

Feeling the overwhelming tide of the Snake God’s memories washing over his consciousness, he momentarily felt as if he were that ancient green jade serpent with antlers on its head, its long body winding like a river through this quiet village, enduring immeasurable eons in stillness—until one day, a nameless wandering ghost drifted in and slowly shattered the peace.

The invisible ghost drifted behind and before the houses of Hejia Village, subtly bending people’s perceptions, inch by inch stealing the Snake God’s identity; as it replaced the original, the Snake God’s long body withered away, until everyone who remembered the Snake God now believed the ghost was the Snake God… and the true Snake God went mad.

The Snake God’s long memories gradually faded, finally waking like a vast dream.

The time Ning Zhe experienced within the Snake God’s memories was so long that his own eighteen years as “Ning Zhe” felt like the dream.

“Too dangerous…” Ning Zhe suddenly opened his eyes, as if waking from a dream.

Using the ghost’s rule to steal identities and life experiences seemed amusing, but was perilous beyond measure; his earlier attempts were mere child’s play, but the Snake God was no ordinary being—its vast memories and endless life surged like a flood, eroding Ning Zhe’s own memories and personality.

Sadness, rage, fear, joy, madness… the Snake God’s emotions churned violently in Ning Zhe’s mind; he was barely holding on to who he was.

Ning Zhe quickly recited the ghost’s rule in his mind to steady himself:

【When someone mistakes the ghost for someone they know, the ghost may steal that person’s identity and all information tied to it, using “false perception” as the medium.】

If the stolen identity is complete enough, it can even deceive the Snake God, transferring the punishment for breaking taboos onto the one whose identity was stolen.

Gu Yunqing and Ye Miaozhu died this way; Ning Zhe himself nearly fell for it, lost in the endless memories, believing he was the Snake God.

“But this stolen identity nearly fooled even me—can it fool the Snake God?” Ning Zhe whispered to himself.

But then he relaxed. “...Who knows? Come on—whether I live or die, it all comes down to this…”

Ning Zhe struggled to crawl slowly out of the Snake God’s mouth, his black-and-white wings streaked with blood, feathers stained and greasy, covered in patches of black mold.

Before the eyes of hundreds of guests in the He family courtyard, the magpie emerging from the Snake God’s mouth shed its black feathers, transforming into a handsome young man, his body riddled with wounds.

In the main hall where the lotus platform stood, two nobles in brocade robes sat on either side—a man and a woman, the master and lady of the mansion.

The strange music continued; the headless servant still swayed his head, blowing his suona, yet all the wine cups hung suspended mid-air.

Below the lotus platform, two maids in brocade sashes led a graceful, elegantly dressed woman forward, her delicate figure wrapped in a loose crimson robe, her pale face adorned with a faint red plum blossom, her crimson lips holding a whisper of lingering sorrow. Above, no other features could be seen.

Jade butterfly, dark green, still jade glowing—this faceless, elaborately dressed girl, supported by the two maids, knelt gracefully before the Snake God, her cherry lips parting as a haunting voice drifted out: 【Ask not of your return, only of your coming…】

“I don’t know why you’d marry a female snake—if the Snake God were male, I might at least understand you,” Ning Zhe muttered, then collapsed breathlessly onto his knees before the lotus platform, reaching out silently toward the shattered remains of the Snake God’s corpse.

Amid the deathly silence of the guests, Ning Zhe’s fingers gripped the corner of the almanac, the mournful song swirling around his fingertips.

“I now hold three important identities… Snake God, ghost, Ning Zhe…” Ning Zhe whispered to himself, closed his eyes, and flipped the yellowed page upward—the almanac turned to tomorrow.

The next moment, Ning Zhe opened his eyes: “Then, which identity shall bear the punishment for breaking the death taboo?”

Ning Zhe’s question received no answer.

The instant he flipped the almanac and lowered his gaze, everything before him shattered.

As if someone had punched a mirror on a bathroom wall, fine cracks spread through the surrounding air.

Two rules, previously independent and unconflicting, now clashed fatally due to Ning Zhe’s action—like two misaligned gears grinding and shrieking, crushing the world built upon rules into fragments.

Before losing sight, Ning Zhe thought he heard someone screaming, someone weeping in sorrow—but he could not tell who was who, nor even determine if the cries came from others or himself.

When Ning Zhe’s consciousness cleared again, soft, woolly sunlight filled his vision; he blinked in surprise.

Looking down, he saw beneath his feet a worn, uneven wooden threshold, in his hand a rusted, copper-painted door knocker; before him stood a heavy, ancient red-painted door, which he had just opened.

Ning Zhe stepped inside, his gaze instinctively turning right, where he saw the old camphor tree he had climbed as a child with the neighbor’s kids; beneath its shade sat a raw wood table, piled high with crimson and yellow fallen leaves, untouched for years.

Ning Zhe breathed in the familiar air and walked forward along the overgrown path.

“I’m home.”

At this moment, he had just pushed open the door of his ancestral home and entered Hejia Village.

Since the real him had not died, clearly, either the ghost or the Snake God was dead—or both.

Or perhaps both?

The strange world of Hejia Village had shattered completely due to rule conflict, but the Snake God and the ghost might not both be dead—each was perilous beyond measure; he must find a way to confirm their status…

Suddenly, a spark of insight flashed through Ning Zhe—he stopped walking, lifting his head thoughtfully.

The next instant, a fluttering magpie soared into the canopy of the camphor tree.

Simultaneously, an inexplicable word surfaced in Ning Zhe’s mind; no one had explained its meaning, yet he instinctively knew it was a name.

The name of the ghost who had stolen the Snake God’s identity: “Its name is… 【Tai Yi】.”

The Snake God’s name was 【Zhao You】; the ghost’s name was 【Tai Yi】.

Did their names hold some special meaning? (End of chapter)