Chapter 30: Loss of Control (9)

"Let's go. Watching from the outside shouldn't be an issue, and besides, the sacrificial ceremony is about to begin."

Lu Jinchao suppressed the complex emotions swirling within her, warning herself not to let her feelings cloud her judgment. Regardless of the circumstances, her priority was survival; she could search for the truth later.

As time passed, the village gradually grew lively. The villagers, who had previously kept their doors shut to visitors, emerged from their homes. They were dressed in somber, plain clothing, and most held white soul-guiding banners, which made Wei Ling frown in discomfort.

"This is such an ominous sight."

Lu Jinchao was not surprised. "Since they are using human sacrifices, they naturally need to ensure the deceased can rest in peace."

The appearance of these banners confirmed that the two missing individuals had indeed vanished as offerings.

"The customs in this village are really... well, since ghosts are real, I suppose there's no helping it..." Wei Ling wanted to say more, but recalling the reality of their situation, she could only sigh helplessly.

When the others appeared outside the altar during the ceremony, Lu Jinchao confirmed that only two people had gone missing. Zhang Junjie and his companion had somehow managed to infiltrate the sacrificial procession and were about to enter the altar together.

Upon confirming that only two passengers were missing, Lu Jinchao's expression grew even more grave. This was definitely not a good sign for her, as it meant the situation was drifting closer to her darkest suspicions.

By now, the sky had gradually darkened. Unlike the city, where lights illuminate the night long after the sun has set, the mountain village was plunged into pitch-black darkness if the moonlight was insufficient. Fortunately, it had not reached that point yet. The village had electricity, and though the bulbs were old and yellowed, torches provided additional light.

In the small mud square outside the altar, the village chief, who was in charge of the rites, was giving instructions. Aside from that, no one made a sound. The entire village was unnervingly quiet, with all the villagers gazing toward the altar with solemn expressions.

Up ahead, the chief and two middle-aged men holding sacrificial items performed a ritual before entering the altar. The process was lengthy, but it proceeded without any mishaps.

The sun had completely set, and the mountain village was swallowed by a profound darkness. Lu Jinchao borrowed a torch from a nearby villager; seeing this, Wei Ling did the same without a word.

Soon, the ritual reached its most critical moment. The chief and his two companions were to deliver the offerings into the altar, withdraw, and seal the doors tightly. No one was permitted to open them until the next day when the sun shone in, at which point the ritual would be considered successfully completed. Of course, they all knew that the true sacrifices were already inside.

The doors to the altar were opened, and Zhang Junjie followed the chief inside, clutching the sacrificial items.

"It's started."

The square fell completely silent. The passengers exchanged glances, their expressions turning serious. They all knew that from this moment on, the true danger of this stop was about to reveal itself.

"Pray for safety, and for the ritual to go smoothly," someone whispered in their heart.

But no matter how much they wished for a smooth ceremony, only Zhang Junjie and his companion had entered. Logically, the process should have taken about ten minutes. Everyone waiting outside began counting the passing seconds in their minds.

During the first five minutes, everyone remained relatively calm. By the eighth minute, anxiety began to set in, and people checked their watches repeatedly. By the tenth minute, Lu Jinchao clearly sensed that her companions were becoming restless.

"Why haven't they come out yet?"
"Did something go wrong?"
"Don't panic. It doesn't necessarily mean something happened; it hasn't exceeded the expected time yet, right?"
"The villagers aren't worried. They must know how long the ritual takes."

Indeed, some took heart after hearing this and looked at the villagers, feeling slightly more at ease. The villagers stood in place, holding their soul-guiding banners, waiting in silence. As long as the villagers didn't cause a scene, the timing was likely fine.

Clinging to this thought, the group continued to wait. Yet... minute by minute passed, and there was no movement from within the altar. No one emerged, and there was not a single sound. It was as if the altar had swallowed everything whole, and those who had entered were unable to even scream to alert the outside world.

"...Is something really wrong?" someone asked in the silent square. "But... it's already been nearly twenty minutes!"

It was far beyond the expected time, yet the altar doors remained open, with no one coming out and no sound coming from within. Beyond the door, there was only a void of darkness.

"I'm afraid... something has gone wrong," Lu Jinchao thought to herself.

However, the darkness within the altar made it impossible to see what had happened. Zhang Junjie was not entirely defenseless; according to Wei Ling, he possessed a supernatural item. While not exceptionally powerful, it should have been enough to help him survive an initial ghost attack. Yet, he still hadn't emerged.

He might be dead, or perhaps he was still alive but trapped inside. Either way, it confirmed that the altar was extremely dangerous—so much so that even with a supernatural item, one could not easily walk back out.

The worst-case scenario had arrived.

If there was anyone among the surviving passengers who most wanted Zhang Junjie and the others to return, it was Lu Jinchao. If they came back alive, it would mean her hypothesis was wrong!

But twenty-five minutes had passed, and there was still no movement at the door!

"But... why aren't the villagers worried?" someone asked.

It seemed only the six passengers were anxious about the ritual. Even though the time limit had far exceeded what a normal ceremony should require, not a single villager made a sound of unrest.

The passengers quieted down, for they realized something was wrong. Even if the ritual was of the utmost importance, these people were ordinary villagers, not trained soldiers. How could they still be standing here so orderly, without a word, at this point?

By the light of the burning torches, Lu Jinchao looked at the face of a villager beside her.

Expressionless, rigid, and despite being elderly, the villager had held the banner for a long time without moving a muscle. Under the torchlight, that aged face displayed an unnatural, greenish hue.

It was the color of a dead person.

"...No breathing." The old man's chest had, at some point, stopped rising and falling entirely.

She had been standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a corpse without even realizing it!

A chill ran down Lu Jinchao's spine. In an instant, all the strange phenomena she had encountered since arriving at this station flooded her mind. At this moment, she finally confirmed that the truth was exactly as she had feared!

Her face paled instantly. There was no time for warnings; she could only shout, "Run!"

Without a second thought, she gripped her torch and bolted toward the ancestral hall!