SES Chapter 147 Part 1

Chapter 147

Yan Hongsha’s brief spark of joy over saving Yi Wan-san quickly faded after hearing what he had gone through.

Being buried alive—someone clearly meant to kill him. If they could do that to him, what chance did Mu Dai and the others have of getting out safely?

The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. “Yi Wan-san, shouldn’t we call the police?”

“We’ll deal with that later,” he said. “First, we need to find out what happened to Mu Dai and Luo Ren. If they’re alive, we find them. If they’re not… we find their bodies.”

The words chilled her. Yan Hongsha’s throat tightened, and after a moment she asked, “You’re saying Aoyama might be behind all this just because you saw him digging, and you couldn’t beat him?”

Yi Wan-san shook his head. “No. There are a lot of reasons.”

“First—Cao Yanhua said Aoyama was like a brother to him. He was an honest villager, simple, quiet. For someone like that to suddenly change and turn on his own brother—there’s something deeper behind it.”

“Second—when Mu Dai and I came to Caojia Village, we were just there to talk insurance. We never revealed our true purpose, not even a hint. So how did someone know to target us?”

He frowned. “That means from the moment we got that letter, we were being led into a trap—someone planned it deliberately.”

Then he shifted topics. “Do you remember what happened back in Nantian County?”

Yan Hongsha nodded, though she didn’t see how it connected.

Yi Wan-san continued, “I’ve been thinking about what that fake priest said—about whether the cursed bamboo slips could communicate with each other.”

“In Nantian, one of the slips had a strange ability. Luo Ren called it ‘memory implantation.’ For example, Mu Dai’s image was implanted into Wu Yuping’s mind. But once the curse’s influence faded, Wu Yuping forgot Mu Dai completely.”

“At that time, the fourth bamboo slip targeted us one by one because it knew we carried the power of the Phoenix Pendant. The evil wind couldn’t affect Mu Dai, so she exposed herself first. My blood triggered Ma Chao’s breakdown—he was the second. And Cao Pangpang was hit during the Tengma ritual platform—the third. So that fourth slip had already collected images of the three of us.”

Yi Wan-san lowered his voice. “Before it could find out that you and Luo Ren also carried Phoenix energy, it was destroyed.”

Yan Hongsha frowned. “So what does that mean?”

“My guess is—the fifth cursed slip only knows about Cao Yanhua, Mu Dai, and me. If the slips can really share information, then the fourth one only managed to pass along our images. You and Luo Ren are still invisible to it—for now.”

“But that doesn’t make sense,” she said. “Luo Ren’s missing too.”

“If he stayed calm and didn’t reveal his true purpose to anyone, the curse wouldn’t target him. But if he slipped up and exposed himself, Aoyama would’ve come after him as well.”

Yan Hongsha’s eyes widened. “So right now… that leaves only me?”

Yi Wan-san nodded. “If Luo Ren’s really in trouble, you’re the only one left who can move around unnoticed and gather information right under the curse’s nose.”

He paused, glancing warily around them.

It was pitch dark and silent—only the faint drizzle stitched the earth to the sky.

“Hongsha,” he said quietly, “tomorrow’s the wedding day. When you go back to the village, don’t mention us. No one will suspect you. Keep an eye on Aoyama in secret—you might find something.”

Yi Wan-san rarely spoke in such a serious tone. It made Yan Hongsha’s heart tighten. “But I’ll need a cover story, right? A stranger suddenly showing up will just make people suspicious.”

He frowned. “That… is a problem.”

Meanwhile, deep underground, Luo Ren checked his broken phone. No signal, but the clock still worked—it was almost eleven.

“Sleep,” he said simply.

Mu Dai frowned. “Yi Wan-san and the others—what if they’re already dead?”

Meaning: how could she rest when her friends’ lives were uncertain?

Luo Ren tugged at the rope he was tying. “If it takes seven days before you can get out and learn what happened to them, are you planning not to eat, drink, or sleep until then? You think that’ll move the heavens?”

Mu Dai wanted to argue but couldn’t find the words.

“Sometimes,” he said, “you have to learn to adapt. When you can’t do anything, the best you can do is rest and save your strength. If things go bad in a few days, at least you’ll be able to fight.”

He tightened the last knot and stood, shining his flashlight around. “Where’ve you been sleeping?”

“On the ground.”

“On the ground?” He frowned.

Mu Dai raised an eyebrow. “What, you expect me to sleep in the air?”

Ignoring her sarcasm, Luo Ren examined the rough cave wall. Near the bottom, uneven stone ridges jutted out. He looped the rope around two close points, weaving a makeshift hammock.

It wasn’t much—a wide, rough mesh—but at least it was off the ground.

Mu Dai watched skeptically. “The gaps are huge—bigger than my head. I’ll fall right through.”

Luo Ren ignored her, tested the hammock’s weight, and then lay down. It swayed but held steady.

“What about me?” she asked.

He glanced up. “I don’t have another rope.”

He gestured beside him. “Here.”

“Sleep together?”

“Unless you want the floor.”

Mu Dai stood over him, hands on her hips. “Aunt Hong always told me—never spend the night outside, and never share a bed with a man. It’s improper.”

Luo Ren almost laughed. In this dark, damp cave with no way out, now she cared about propriety?

But then she added, “Still… I guess it’s fine.”

She tried to climb in, awkwardly balancing on the ropes. Luo Ren steadied her by the arm and guided her down beside him.

The hammock swayed gently. Mu Dai couldn’t relax. She shifted again and again, trying to get comfortable—until her head accidentally rested against his arm.

“Stay still,” he murmured.