Chapter 17: Returning to the Village

I don’t know how much time passed. In a haze, I felt a cool liquid flowing into my mouth. At first, I resisted, but as I sensed the long-awaited nourishment, I began to swallow it bit by bit. Soon, I was drinking in great gulps, and then, it seemed, I fell asleep again.

When I opened my eyes, my head throbbed painfully, but that sleep had been deep and restful. I felt almost all my exhaustion melt away. Glancing around, I saw an oil lamp gently burning; the room was very simple, somewhat familiar. At that moment, I was desperately thirsty. I spotted a glass of water on the table, grabbed it, and drained it in one go.

After shaking my head, clarity gradually returned. I must have been saved. The furnishings reminded me—this was the place where I had first stayed upon arriving in the village. It seemed the villagers had rescued me, and that assurance calmed me. Sitting on the couch, I replayed all that had happened.

The tomb of the Ancient Li King had not been found. I didn’t know whether I had missed it or if, perhaps, the King was never here. The mother parasite was destroyed; did that mean the curse was broken? Yet, the red birthmark on my palm remained unchanged. There was something crucial—how exactly does the curse control us? The mother parasite, the worms... Suddenly, I had a suspicion: our lineage has been cursed for generations. But how was it done? My study of parasites is shallow, and I can’t fathom what kind of parasite could exert control for thousands of years, binding generations, and restricting us to a certain territory.

All these mysteries remain unsolved. My journey had been perilous, yet it seems I haven’t uncovered the truth, or perhaps I haven’t even touched the real secret. I have a premonition—I will have to return to that tomb someday. Though it’s called a tomb, I feel that what our people guard is actually an altar.

I shook my head again. Now, I only wanted to rest, unwilling to ponder further. Just as I was about to lie down again, the door suddenly opened and a graceful figure slipped inside.

It was a girl, probably not yet twenty, strikingly beautiful, with two ponytails and a round, makeup-free face that radiated purity and charm. Her large, sparkling eyes were lively beyond words. For a moment, I was utterly captivated.

“You’re awake?” Her voice was clear and soothing.

“What’s wrong?” She spoke again, snapping me out of my daze. I blushed, realizing my lack of experience with girls. Quickly, I lowered my head to hide my embarrassment and replied, “Yes, I’m awake.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I remembered my situation and hurriedly asked, “Who are you? How did I end up back here?”

The girl walked to the lampstand, added some oil, and said with a smile, “I heard sounds in the room and knew you were awake. I live next door, and my hearing is exceptionally sharp—not just ordinary sharp, you know!”

As she spoke, she quickly covered her mouth, then continued, “Sorry, I got sidetracked. I was the one who saved you. On my way back to the mountain, I found you lying on the ground. Luckily, I happened to be there...” She blushed, then went on, “Let’s not talk about that. Anyway, you were really lucky to run into me. Otherwise, you would’ve been in real danger.”

After chatting for a while, I learned that this lively girl was called Lin Ziqing. Apparently, after I collapsed, she was returning from the town below. She saw me fainted and used a special signal from our tribe to call for help—I didn’t know what kind of signal, but it seemed to be a whistle. Among those who came was Zhang Zifeng, the young man I met when I first entered the mountain. He recognized me and hurriedly brought me back to the village.

Lin Ziqing was a girl enamored with the outside world, but she couldn’t stray far due to the curse, so she ran a small flower shop in the nearby county and frequently returned to visit her family. It was fortunate she happened to come home that day; otherwise, my fate would have been dire. We got along well, talking for nearly an hour. Occasionally, I asked her about the village and learned a few things. She seemed without any guile, utterly pure and cheerful, and our conversation was lighthearted and optimistic.

Eventually, she left my room, and I slept again for a while. Soon, dawn broke, and as soon as the sky brightened, my door was knocked on. It was Zhang Zifeng, who told me the elders wanted to see me—likely Lin Ziqing had told them I’d awakened. I had many questions for them, so I quickly got up, opened the door, and followed Zhang Zifeng toward the village center.

Upon entering, I saw even more people than during my first visit, but everyone’s eyes radiated genuine concern, filling me with warmth.

The chief seat was still occupied by Zhang Zhengming. When he saw me, he quickly rose, clasped my hand, and invited me to sit beside him. “How are you feeling? Any better?” he asked.

I expected him to inquire about my journey, but he first showed concern for my health, which moved me deeply. Then, I began recounting everything I knew. During my narration, the younger generation left the room, suggesting the elders didn’t want them to hear too much—though I didn’t know why.

I started from the beginning: the mysterious black snake, the merfolk, the main hall, the ape-like creature I killed, and finally, the parasites and the mother worm. I recounted everything in detail, including the story of the man whose back I’d seen, and finally handed Zhang Zhengming the blood-written letter from the predecessor.

My account took quite some time, and everyone listened with furrowed brows. When Zhang Zhengming received the blood letter, his eyes blurred with tears. I saw tears glistening in his eyes, and Grandma Lin beside him sighed, patting his back gently.

“He was my elder brother. Like you, he entered that place years ago and never returned.”

Surprised, I didn’t say anything, not wanting to mention the tragic state in which I’d found that predecessor. I regretted not bringing his remains back for a proper burial.

“I’ll talk to you about the parasites in a moment. First, tell me more about those people.”

I described them again and suddenly remembered the notebook. Zhang Zhengming quickly sent someone to fetch my backpack. He examined the notebook with a frown, clearly unable to decipher the codes within. At last, he handed it back to me, shaking his head. “It seems those people still haven’t given up.”

I didn’t know who he meant, but the other elders all seemed furious. Yet, none pursued the topic further.

Gradually, everyone dispersed. Zhang Zhengming led me into an inner room and explained some of the mysteries I’d been wondering about, though not much was clarified. Perhaps he didn’t know much himself, or perhaps the tribe’s knowledge was limited.

The old man guarding the gate was named Lü Qingping—the oldest and most senior member of the tribe, even above Zhang Zhengming. However, he never involved himself in tribal affairs, only guarding the entrance to the tomb.

That night, as soon as I entered, he sent a message to the village, letting everyone know I’d gone into the tomb. Over the years, many who didn’t believe in fate or who were on the verge of death had tried their luck and entered, but none returned. Everyone mourned them, but the tribal rules dictated that they neither stopped nor rescued anyone. I found this hard to comprehend, but it seemed these ancient rules had been etched into their hearts over thousands of years.

Then, Zhang Zhengming revealed much of what he knew. When I asked why he told me all this, he replied, “You are a stubborn child—I can see that. If I don’t tell you, I know you’ll try to figure it out yourself. Rather than let you stumble blindly, I’d rather tell you what I know.”

It turned out the elders all knew about the parasites. The curse was a poison planted a thousand years ago, passed through the bloodline, affecting each generation. The so-called curse was actually the parasite toxin, and the mother worm was its center. Its location marked the range of the curse’s influence. How the parasite controlled the range or how it was triggered, the tribe had studied for centuries, but found nothing.

I wasn’t the only one who had entered, nor the only one who came out. Yet, the matter remained unresolved; the curse—the parasite poison—persisted.

“But I killed the mother worm!” I exclaimed.

Zhang Zhengming shook his head. He didn’t know why, but he said some tribespeople who had escaped claimed to have killed the mother worm, yet the curse was not broken and the poison not removed. His words made me even more confused. Had I killed the mother worm? But I saw only one in the stone coffin—how could there have been more?

He was puzzled as well, saying he’d never entered and didn’t know the secrets within. Many elders had pondered the matter, but no one had found the answer. Clearly, things were not as simple as I’d thought, or perhaps they were never simple. This curse, lingering for thousands of years, could not be ended so easily.