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Chapter 2

Nie Jiuluo spent the entire morning clearing out three clay statues. The traces of time and age were evident on the statues: missing heads and limbs, many areas scorched black, and some parts severely eroded, exposing the internal straw framework.

 

Yet, they were still beautiful.

 

With modern technology and information sharing, talented individuals, no matter how remote their location, can find a platform to showcase their work and not be overlooked. However, this was not the case in old China, where geniuses in mountain valleys might never escape their isolation. Even the most astonishing works would remain in obscurity, dismissed by villagers as worthless curiosities.

 

She felt that the person who sculpted these statues must have been a master. When a great hand meets another great hand, there’s an inevitable mutual admiration and respect. She took many photos and carefully studied the techniques and lines until hunger and urgency drove her to leave the ruined temple.

 

Sun Zhou was nowhere to be found. He might have gone to relieve himself, Nie Jiuluo thought, and noticed a SUV parked beside the road as she walked out of the cornfield. It was newer and larger than Sun Zhou’s, with a collision protection bar on the front, a pure white body, and a rugged, minimalist design with no decorations.

 

In such a remote area, visitors were rare. Nie Jiuluo was intrigued and approached the car window to take a look. Inside, there was no one, but she noticed a safety charm hanging from the front, a Five Emperors Coin keychain. As she was about to leave, she spotted a yellow plush duck sitting in the passenger seat, sitting upright with its webbed feet aligned, looking dazed, and even wearing a seatbelt.

 

“Wow, a duck,” Nie Jiuluo chuckled, trying to stifle her laughter due to her urgent need. She laughed intermittently on her way to the public restroom. The contrast between the hard, rugged car decor and the whimsical duck was striking. She guessed the driver must have either a child or an undiminished childish heart.

 

Back at the ruined temple, Sun Zhou was still missing. Perhaps he had gone to the restroom, but Nie Jiuluo found it odd. In such an area with poor security, Sun Zhou usually stayed close by for her safety, even if he had to make a quick trip. He should have been back by now, and even if he fell into a pit, he should have managed to climb out and clean himself.

 

Sun Zhou’s phone was left on the driver’s seat, so calling him was ineffective. Nie Jiuluo cupped her hands around her mouth and called out, “Sun Zhou?”

 

Her voice spread out, but there was no response. She tried calling again as she walked further into the cornfield. The dense stalks obstructed her view and frequently caught on her clothes. Many stalks had been cut down by villagers, leaving only stubs. She was wearing hard-bottomed boots, which made a crunching sound as she walked.

 

After a while, she stopped and crouched to examine the ground. She found several reddish-brown spots in the soil, as if blood had seeped in and dried.

 

Nie Jiuluo reassured herself that it was probably just chicken or goose blood, common in rural areas where villagers often slaughter poultry. She looked around and noticed an unusual sight: the stalks in one direction were flattened as if something heavy had been dragged through.

 

As she stood up to investigate, she heard hurried footsteps behind her. Turning around, she saw someone stumbling towards her, obscured by the dense stalks. The footsteps were heavy and quick, accompanied by the sound of breaking stalks, approaching rapidly.

 

Instinctively, Nie Jiuluo took a few steps back, and at that moment, a disheveled man with a bloody face burst out of the stalks.

 

Even though she was somewhat prepared, Nie Jiuluo couldn’t help but scream. The man suddenly stopped.

 

It was Sun Zhou!

 

His face was bloodied, his neck had torn flesh, and his eyes were hollow. Even though he stood still, his body trembled uncontrollably, making his teeth chatter.

 

Nie Jiuluo felt something was wrong. “Sun Zhou, what happened?”

 

Her question seemed to pull Sun Zhou out of his daze. His eyes focused gradually, and he urgently mouthed, “Run!”

 

Before he finished speaking, he darted away like an arrow.

 

Nie Jiuluo was stunned for less than a second before she sprinted after him. Although she didn’t know what Sun Zhou was fleeing from, her habit was to follow the crowd in times of panic; if everyone ran, she would run too.

 

She reached the car and, amid the chaos, glanced back. There were no zombies, monsters, or psychopaths as she had feared. In fact, the cornfield was almost serene, but she wondered if she had imagined something. At one moment, when the wind moved the stalks, she thought she saw a shadow.

 

The engine roared to life, and Nie Jiuluo yanked the car door open. As she barely got one foot in, the car sped off, leaving her stumbling and nearly falling. The sudden movement made her feel as if the world was turned upside down, and the hot exhaust fumes from the departing vehicle burned her face.

 

Damn Sun Zhou!

 

She cursed him under her breath but knew it was more important to focus on the immediate danger. There could still be threats in the cornfield, and she didn’t want to end up as a replacement for Sun Zhou.

 

She grabbed a stone for protection and scanned the field as she slowly stood up. The surroundings were eerily quiet, stretching every second into what felt like eternity. The cornfield remained peaceful, only occasionally rustling with the wind.

 

It seemed whatever danger had been there had left, but Nie Jiuluo didn’t dare stay any longer. She moved cautiously eastward toward the inhabited area, hoping to find safety among people.

 

As she walked faster, she suddenly stopped. The white SUV she had seen earlier had its rear hatch open, and a man was forcefully throwing a large canvas bag inside before slamming the hatch shut.

 

Nie Jiuluo felt no excitement about finally encountering someone; in a place like this, people could either be random passersby or connected to the situation. This man might be the one who hurt Sun Zhou and terrified him.

 

If so, her behavior was crucial: she couldn’t appear panicked or fearful, nor could she show suspicion. She had to remain composed. She kept a safe distance, walking at a measured pace, and cast a casual, indifferent glance—just a routine, nonchalant look.

 

The man glanced back at her, his look just as casual and indifferent.

 

He was a young, tall man with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, possessing a handsome face and a firm jawline. His expression was serious, suggesting he rarely smiled.

 

Nie Jiuluo looked away and noted his license plate number. The man with the plush duck in the passenger seat might not be just childish or a father; he could be a dangerous psychopath.

 

Thus, recording his license plate was essential.

 

Returning to the dilapidated temple, Nie Jiuluo still did not see Sun Zhou. Perhaps he had gone to relieve himself. Nie Jiuluo opened the car door to get something to eat. At noon, the surroundings were quiet, with occasional chirps of birds. A sun halo was visible in the sky, and Nie Jiuluo squinted her eyes, stretching out her hand to the center of the halo.

A sun halo often signals rain in three nights, so it might rain tonight. After finishing a simple meal, Sun Zhou still had not returned. Nie Jiuluo found it strange; the security in this area was not very good, and Sun Zhou always stayed nearby for her safety. Even if he had an urgent need, he would usually be quick about it. Furthermore, even if he had fallen into a cesspool, he should have climbed out by now and cleaned himself up.

Sun Zhou’s phone was left on the driver’s seat, so calling him was clearly not an option. Nie Jiuluo cupped her hands around her mouth and tentatively called out, “Sun Zhou?” Her voice dispersed into the open air, but there was no response. She tried walking further to search for him: “Sun Zhou?”

She walked into the straw field. The straw was quite troublesome, clumping together and obstructing her view, and often snagging on her clothes. Many stalks had been cut short by villagers, exposing only stubs. She was wearing hard-bottomed ankle boots, and every step made a crunching sound as she walked.

After walking for a while, she stopped and crouched to examine the ground. There were several brown-red spots in the soil, like blood had seeped into it. She tested it with her hand; it was already dry. Nie Jiuluo laughed at herself for being paranoid: if it were Sun Zhou’s blood, it wouldn’t have dried so quickly. Moreover, this was a rural area where villagers were accustomed to killing chickens and geese in the fields, so it was probably just chicken or goose blood.

She looked around and noticed another anomaly: not far away, the straw was pushed in one direction, as if some heavy object had been dragged along. Nie Jiuluo stood up and was about to investigate when she heard hurried footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw someone stumbling towards her, obscured by the dense straw, their footsteps heavy and mixed with the sound of straw snapping. The person was quickly approaching her.

Reacting instinctively, Nie Jiuluo stepped back. Almost simultaneously, a disheveled, blood-streaked man burst out from the straw. Even though she was somewhat prepared, Nie Jiuluo couldn’t help but scream.

The man suddenly stopped. It turned out to be Sun Zhou! His head and face were covered in blood, with flesh hanging off a wound on his neck. His eyes were hollow, and even though he was standing still, his body continued to tremble, causing his teeth to clatter.

Nie Jiuluo sensed something was wrong and asked, “Sun Zhou, what happened?” This question brought Sun Zhou back to reality. His gaze gradually focused, and his lips moved rapidly as he suddenly blurted out, “Run!” Before he finished speaking, he darted away like an arrow.

Nie Jiuluo was stunned for less than a second before she also started running. She had no idea what Sun Zhou was fleeing from, but it was instinctive: when everyone on the street looks up at the sky, she would do the same; when everyone is fleeing in panic, she would never go against the flow.

No matter what, running was always the right choice. As she neared the car, she couldn’t resist glancing back. There were no zombies, monsters, or psychopathic killers as she had imagined. In fact, the straw field was almost tranquil. However, she wasn’t sure if her eyes were deceiving her; for a brief moment when the wind shifted the straw, she thought she saw a shadow.

The engine roared, and Nie Jiuluo yanked open the car door. As she was about to step in, the car sped off. Damn it! Nie Jiuluo was caught off guard, almost toppling over. In an instant, the world seemed to flip. Her whole body rolled away, her palms burned from trying to catch the ground, and as she quickly sat up, the air was scorching—leftover exhaust fumes from the car’s departure.

Damn that Sun Zhou! She gritted her teeth in anger but refrained from cursing him. She knew priorities: the straw field might still harbor dangerous things, and with Sun Zhou gone, she couldn’t afford to be a hapless substitute.

Nie Jiuluo picked up a stone and kept a close watch on the straw field, standing up slowly. The surroundings were eerily quiet, with every second feeling drawn out to eternity. Fortunately, the field of straw remained peaceful, only rustling occasionally with the wind.

It seemed that the threat had… departed? Nonetheless, even if it had left, she didn’t dare stay here for long. With caution, Nie Jiuluo quickly headed east—toward the inhabited area. Once among people, she would feel safer.

She walked faster, frequently checking her surroundings, and suddenly came to a halt. The white SUV had its rear hatch open, and a man threw a large canvas bag into the back with force before slamming the hatch shut.

Nie Jiuluo felt no excitement about finally encountering someone or the possibility of seeking help. In such a situation, those who appeared near the scene were half likely genuine passersby and half likely involved parties. Perhaps this person was the one who hurt Sun Zhou and scared him so badly.

If that were the case, her behavior was crucial: she couldn’t show panic or suspicion, but she also couldn’t completely ignore the person. She maintained an appropriate distance, walked at a moderate pace, and glanced at him with a neutral, casual look—as if she was just another passerby.

The man looked at her as well, coincidentally with the same casual, indifferent glance. He was a young, tall man with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, featuring a pleasant appearance and a firm jawline. He likely didn’t smile often because those who smile often have softer, more gentle expressions.

Nie Jiuluo looked away and “casually” glanced at his license plate number. The man who had a stuffed duck in the passenger seat might not just be playful or a father; he could also be a bloodthirsty psychopath. Therefore, noting his license plate number was very necessary.

After passing by the small shop at the eastern exit of the village and seeing more people around, Nie Jiuluo finally let out a long sigh of relief. She was safe now and could deal with Sun Zhou later. Her concern for Sun Zhou’s injury had long been overshadowed by the anger of nearly being run over by a car.

She walked to a dense old locust tree, keeping a distance from the elderly women playing cards underneath, and called to file a complaint with the travel agency.

Nie Jiuluo had come to southern Shaanxi for business and planned to stay for about half a month. Since her work was quite leisurely, she didn’t want to waste time in the hotel, so she contacted a travel service to arrange a custom car tour. She wanted to visit nearby counties and towns to see ancient temples and sculptures, the older and more damaged, the better.

Since this was not a standard route and some destinations were quite remote, the travel agency quoted a price twice the market rate. Nie Jiuluo agreed readily, with only two requirements: first, safety; second, to visit all the designated spots.

She was still fuming over the incident as she looked at her scraped palms, preparing for a big argument. If she didn’t make a fuss, others might think she had no temper.

The call was answered, and Nie Jiuluo began speaking in a gentle tone. She never resorted to shouting; shouting might seem dramatic but dissipates anger too quickly and isn’t conducive to a prolonged argument.

After explaining the situation, the person on the other end repeatedly apologized, sounding increasingly anxious.

Nie Jiuluo said, “I don’t think a simple ‘sorry’ is enough. The driver I hired ran away when something happened. Is that reasonable?”

Travel Agency: “Yes, yes, it’s completely unreasonable.”

Nie Jiuluo: “If I hadn’t reacted quickly, would I have ended up under the car? I can understand that Sun Zhou encountered an unexpected situation, but that’s beside the point. I paid for this service, and I expect it to be worth my money. Even if a driver has nearly ten years of experience, can he disregard the safety of his passengers like that?”

The travel agency clearly understood that a calm tone meant a serious issue and was eager to apologize profusely: “Yes, yes, Miss Nie, this is absolutely our fault.”

Just as Nie Jiuluo was preparing a flowery rhetorical counterpoint to escalate the situation, she suddenly heard a comment, “She went off with a lover, oh my, no shame at all…”

What about a “lover”? Distracted, Nie Jiuluo’s elegant rhetoric flew out of her mind.

“Still lying about playing cards, not coming home all night…”

“Her husband went looking for her, oh, it’s going to be a violent confrontation…”

“Miss Nie, how about this? We’ll arrange for a nearby driver to pick you up immediately, and we’ll contact Sun Zhou as soon as possible to understand the situation…”

It seemed that this was the only option for now. Nie Jiuluo, divided in her attention, found herself more interested in the gossip drifting by. Objectively speaking, she wasn’t usually one to gossip, but when it was right in her ear, ignoring it seemed unnecessary.

She responded vaguely and hung up the phone, moving a few steps closer to the group of women playing cards.

The women were passionately discussing the situation, showing no surprise at Nie Jiuluo’s sudden appearance. Instead, they eagerly included her in the discussion and asked her opinion: “What do you think, miss?”

Soon, Nie Jiuluo figured out the background of the village scandal. It turned out that last night in Xingbazi Township, a woman claimed to be going out to play cards and didn’t come home all night. Her husband assumed she was just engrossed in the game and stayed over at a friend’s house, so he didn’t think much of it.

However, by this morning, the woman still hadn’t appeared, and her phone was off. Her husband became uneasy, went to her friend’s house, and found out that she hadn’t gone to play cards at all.

It turned out that the woman had actually gone to meet a lover in a neighboring village. Her husband, furious, rallied two cousins, took a motorcycle, and headed to the neighboring village to catch her in the act.

As of now, the outcome of the confrontation wasn’t known, but the women were certain it would be a bloody scene. In plain terms, “It’s going to be a violent confrontation.”

 

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An Owl Rising From The Green Soil

An Owl Rising From The Green Soil

Love On The Turquoise Land (Drama)
Score 8.0
Status: Ongoing Type: , Author: , Artist: Released: 2020 Native Language: Chinese
Over two thousand years ago on a deep night, Xu Fu* set sail to the eastern seas in a treasure ship to search for immortality, but few people knew that at the same time, a group of black-turban soldiers secretly entered the vast and dense Nanbao forest… A millennium later, the dark legend continues to slowly grow in the shadows. Xú Fú: Qin dynasty court necromancer and was tasked by Qin Shi Huang to look for the elixir of life between 219 BC and 210 BC. He never returned after departing on his second mission in 210 BC.

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