[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-ring-of-fate":3,"chapter-the-ring-of-fate-the-ring-of-fate-chapter-31":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Ring of Fate",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2298000,4496,"Chapter 31: Celebration","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-31",31,"\u003Cp>Lu Mi merely felt a pang of sympathy out of habit, but didn’t stop his sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Awa, Lei Mengde, and the others turned and walked toward nearby buildings, he deliberately fell to the rear and whispered to Aurora:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the Novel Weekly replies, come get me right away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry, I won’t be careless about something like this,” Aurora gave Lu Mi a look that said, “You can trust me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Filled with festivity and joy, the blessing procession, laden with song, kept knocking on the doors of villagers in Kerdou Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, they arrived at the Administrator’s residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been converted from a castle of the Soren royal era, situated on a hill at the edge of Kerdou Village, its color deep black, with two towering spires.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The outer wall surrounding the building had long been torn down; Lu Mi and the others passed through the garden specially opened by the Beost couple and reached the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The double doors, standing four to five meters tall, were a brown-green hue like wood and looked extremely heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they were divided into upper and lower halves—there was no need to open them fully for ordinary guests; only the lower two-meter section was raised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Spirit of Spring,” embodiment of spring and herald of harvest, naturally deserved the highest honor; now, the heavy double doors stood fully open, and Madame Pualis stood there in a light green corseted gown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her maid, Cassie, stood to the side, holding a basket woven from branches, half a step behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awa walked forward and began singing the blessing song.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madame Pualis smiled faintly, listening quietly, appearing noble and reserved, making the young followers of the “Spirit of Spring” want to look but dare not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi, who had “eavesdropped” on her and the parish priest engaging in filthy acts, let out a silent “hah” in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the song ended, Awa exchanged tree seeds for a basket of eggs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, the blessing procession concluded; Lu Mi, Lei Mengde, and the other young people surrounded “Spirit of Spring” Awa and headed toward a mountain river just outside the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next came the second phase of Lent:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Water Ritual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arriving at the usual place for grazing geese, Awa approached the clear river and danced a simple dance, repeating the earlier song, while Lu Mi and the other young people remained motionless, standing seven or eight meters away from the “Spirit of Spring.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After completing this, Awa took from the basket beside her a turnip cut into chunks by a villager and threw it into the river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she threw it, she sang:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Harvest! Harvest!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Awa finished, Lu Mi stepped forward, took a few strides, bent down, and scooped up chunks of turnip from the basket, hurling them into the river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Harvest! Harvest!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shouted loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining youths reacted a full beat—or more—slower, jostling and crowding each other as they rushed toward Awa, grabbing turnip and radish chunks—nothing too precious—and tossing them into different parts of the river while shouting “Harvest!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Mengde missed his chance and couldn’t outmaneuver the others; he was the last to complete the ritual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, he saw Lu Mi, Xiao Jiyao, and the others grinning with ill intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young people surged forward and lifted Lei Mengde into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They shouted “Harvest!” as they hurled him into the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash—Lei Mengde plunged into the river, his clothes and hair instantly soaked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those on shore picked up dirt and branches and hurled them around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the fixed procedure of the Water Ritual: the last person to complete the prayer was thrown into the river, forbidden from climbing out; he had to swim farther downstream, sneak back to the village, and hide at home until nightfall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Mengde wiped the water from his face, flailed for a few seconds, and drifted downstream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blessing procession now gathered around Awa and headed toward the “Eternal Sun” church at the edge of Kerdou Village square.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was nearly noon; most villagers had gathered here, including Lu Mi’s sister Aurora.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to their urban “colleagues,” this church was not grand—its height barely reached eleven or twelve meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its dome was arched, resembling an onion from the outside; inside, looking upward, one saw a dazzling golden mural of the sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire church was dominated by gold, appearing exceptionally bright—this was the shared style of all “Eternal Sun” churches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The altar stood to the east, surrounded by sunflowers encircling a massive holy symbol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the surface of the symbol, a golden sphere and lines representing rays formed a mystical sigil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the emblem of the “Eternal Sun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the altar, high on the wall, were two pure glass windows inset with faint gold leaf; each morning, sunlight streamed through them onto the holy symbol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the corresponding position on the west side of the church were two similar windows, designed to catch the sunset’s glow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since this was not an official church ceremony but a folk tradition, the parish priest, Jiyao Ben, did not appear; instead, Administrator Beost presided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awa, still dressed as the “Spirit of Spring,” stood beside him; flutes, lyres, and other instruments began to play, and the villagers sang songs praising spring and praying for harvest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had not rehearsed; their singing was uneven, and some even sang while dancing, making the scene lively and boisterous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi moved his lips but made no sound, appearing as if he were merely going through the motions; beside him, Aurora sang with full devotion—but it didn’t seem she was praying for harvest; rather, she was using the chance to play, hitting high notes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he was just pretending, Lu Mi had time to glance around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He noticed nothing unusual in the villagers’ behavior, and unconsciously looked up at the golden sun mural on the dome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Lu Mi understood why he had always felt something was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many in the village hadn’t praised the sun in a long time!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a village whose faith centered on the “Eternal Sun,” phrases like “Praise the Sun” or “My God, My Father” should be common in daily life; yet, recalling this period, Lu Mi realized he had rarely heard them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a casual believer, he himself rarely spoke such words anyway; moreover, after offending the parish priest, he hadn’t entered the church or participated in any activities for a long time, so he hadn’t noticed anything wrong—until now, standing in the solemn, golden-hued atmosphere of the church, the anomaly struck him sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, the contents of the letter for help he had reconstructed surfaced in his mind:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We need help as soon as possible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The people around us are becoming stranger and stranger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people around us are becoming stranger and stranger… At this moment, Lu Mi understood and agreed with that sentence more deeply than ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He scanned the surroundings again, searching for Lyra and the other outsiders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ryan and the others seemed not to have come to observe the Lent celebration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it, they never show up when they’re needed…” Lu Mi muttered inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pretending he had noticed nothing, he joined the chorus, making sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the singing ended and the celebration concluded, he leaned close to Aurora’s ear and whispered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go home first—I have something to tell you later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As one who escorted the “Spirit of Spring,” he still had to participate in the final rite and couldn’t leave early like the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also had no intention of forcing his way out of the church—that might trigger the anomaly prematurely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora nodded thoughtfully:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She asked no further questions and left the church with Madame Pualis and most of the villagers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, only the young people who had taken part in the blessing procession and the embodiment of the “Spirit of Spring,” Awa, remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the offerings received, except those thrown into the river, were placed beside Awa; also present were symbolic items: hay, axe, iron spade, whip, goose herding stick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Lu Mi and the others only needed to wait for someone to enter from outside the church and announce the departure of the “Spirit of Spring,” after which they would surround Awa and remove her crown, necklace, branches, and leaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this process, they had to leave one gap open for the “Spirit of Spring” to depart from Awa’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just twenty or thirty seconds passed when footsteps sounded at the church door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi instinctively turned—and saw two people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was Pierre Bery, the shepherd who had returned specifically for Lent; thin, with slightly sunken eyes, he wore a long, dark brown hooded coat, a rope tied at his waist, and brand-new black leather shoes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike before, his greasy black hair had been washed, appearing clean and smooth; his thick, tangled beard had also been trimmed—not only shorter, but neater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His blue eyes still carried their usual faint smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other was the parish priest, Jiyao Ben; he still wore the white robe with gold-thread trim, signifying his clerical status, his black hair neatly cut, his nose slightly hooked, his demeanor imposing—even though he was short, barely reaching 1.7 meters, he still dwarfed Pierre Bery beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The parish priest… how did he get in? Lu Mi was both startled and confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a clergyman of the “Eternal Sun,” he should not appear at a folk celebration lacking any “Praise the Sun” ritual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remembering the parish priest’s secret schemes and how deeply he had offended him, Lu Mi snapped back to himself and slowly, discreetly, yet firmly retreated toward the stained-glass window on the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the moment to surround “Spirit of Spring” Awa had not yet come, the young people stood scattered, so his movement went unnoticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awa was also surprised to see the parish priest, but since he was the most respected person in the village, she thought it fitting for him to announce the end of the Lent celebration, and she smiled again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the parish priest Jiyao Ben and the shepherd Pierre Bery reached Awa’s side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The former spoke in a low voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Send the ‘Spirit of Spring’ away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone except Lu Mi began moving to surround Awa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Send the ‘Spirit of Spring’ away!” Pierre Bery echoed, smiling broadly as he bent his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bad! Seeing this, Lu Mi’s heart jolted; he instinctively stepped forward with his right foot and leaned his body forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before anyone could react, Pierre Bery seized the axe from the pile of offerings, gripped it with both hands, straightened up, and swung hard!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plop—a torrent of blood spurted from Awa’s neck, as if a thick crimson mist were rapidly forming there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awa’s head rolled alone onto the ground, spinning several times in the blood, finally coming to rest face-up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes still held clear traces of joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi, who had taken two steps toward her, felt his heart sink; he immediately turned and sprinted toward the stained-glass window on the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1834,"2026-06-20T06:22:34.374Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","97d4190a5787d1a7e65506d7bd04ea6c141b213cebf8b1378f100bde43f871ef","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-32","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-30",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ring-of-fate-cover.jpg"]