"It's really dark in here," someone whispered.
"Everyone hold hands, watch your step, and go slowly," the person in charge led them to a waiting area and briefly introduced the story of the haunted house.
It was about an ancient village with sacrificial rituals. Fifty years ago, the villagers were to choose a beautiful bride to offer to the mountain god. Under the leadership of a shaman, the villagers chose a family, but crucially, the daughter from that family was already engaged.
They forcibly demanded the girl ascend the mountain for the sacrifice. To make the girl give up all hope, they imprisoned her elderly parents and her fiancé.
On the night the bride was sent up the mountain, there was thunder and lightning. Some villagers felt the mountain god was enraged because the offering was late. Others believed that since the bride was already engaged, offering her to the mountain god now was a blasphemy. To appease the mountain god, the boy must be severely punished.
A small minority of villagers, indebted to the boy's family, did not want him killed and chose to let the boy escape that night.
After escaping the village, the boy immediately rushed towards the mountain. He encountered a mudslide and died in the mountains.
The bride eventually descended the mountain and discovered the boy was missing. However, the villagers felt she shouldn't have come down. They believed if she came down, the mountain god might still be angry with them, so they fabricated a story that the boy had abandoned the girl and decided to leave the area.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the girl went completely mad. She bought poison from a traveling merchant and dumped it into the village well where the villagers drank water.
Within a single night, the entire village, all one hundred people, along with their livestock, died with blood flowing from their orifices.
From then on, every night, the village echoed with countless cries of agony and pleas for mercy, as well as the girl's mournful laughter.
"These villagers are truly inhumane," Cui Mantong said indignantly.
"Not all regions are educated," Cui Tong said, putting his arm around Cui Mantong's shoulder.
Discrepancies in knowledge and perspective led everyone to believe only what they saw, or what the village leaders told them. If the leader was good, it was fine, but if not, a village could easily descend into darkness.
"So, your task is to help the bride find her lover's corpse, and then allow their souls to leave this tormented place and be reborn."
When the time was up, the person in charge led them inside.
"Inhabitants forbidden, the village is empty, unless souls accompany you," a middle-aged man in a yellow robe, resembling a Taoist priest, stepped out and surveyed them.
Under the dim green light, the priest's face was cast in a pallid hue.
"Daoist priest?"
The priest paused. "Among you, there is a soul."
Chen Huan frowned slightly. "Does he mean one of us is connected to the bride?"
"Hahaha, indeed. This young lady is very intelligent. Since you are determined to enter, you must be sent by heaven. In that case, you may proceed. With this young lady as the captain, I believe the souls will depart this place. However, remember this: when you see a red figure, you must remain absolutely still."
"What happens if we move?"
"If you move, you will naturally become the bride's puppet," the priest said with a knowing smile. "At that point, you won't be in control of your own actions. Remember, do not trust any one of you too much."
With that, the priest yawned, slumped wearily onto a chair, and fell asleep with his head bowed.
"So, Huanhuan is the captain?"
Chen Huan nodded. "Then, shall we go in?"
"Certainly," Fang Miaomiao nodded, instinctively grabbing Wen Zhiyan's hand.
Stepping into the haunted house, they found themselves on a dark, narrow path.
"Marrying the bride, marrying the bride, the bride ascends the mountain with tears streaming, if you ask why the bride weeps, she cannot bear to leave her parents at home."
Eerie chanting filled their ears, coupled with the oppressive, confined space, sending goosebumps all over Cui Mantong.
"This is a bit… unsettling."
Cui Tong squeezed Cui Mantong's hand. "It's okay, I'm here."
[President Cui is a true man. Even though he's scared himself, he can still endure his fear and earnestly comfort Sister Mantong. Truly a man.]
[Sister Huanhuan is so cool! Others are more or less afraid. Look at Sister Huanhuan; she doesn't even hesitate in her steps. I think she's doing this to consider those behind her. If it weren't for her teammates, she might have just marched straight out.]
Chen Huan stopped.
"What's wrong?"
Chen Huan touched the barrier blocking their path. "There's no way forward."
Fang Miaomiao looked around. It was indeed so dark that one couldn't see their hand in front of their face. "Perhaps there's a clue we've overlooked. Should we turn back and take a look?"
Chen Huan's gaze lingered on Fang Miaomiao for a moment before she said, "Single or double missions should be coming up."
Indeed.
Just as Chen Huan finished speaking, a voice from the loudspeaker instructed the two girls to return to the priest's location and retrieve the key to open the courtyard gate.
"So, who is going now?"
Cui Mantong volunteered, "I'll go. I'll go."
"Then Mantong and Miaomiao will go."
As the two prepared to leave, Chen Huan said, "You two be careful. There might be something unusual around."
"Okay."
The two turned back, guided by the intermittent, dim lights.
Three minutes later, Cui Mantong returned with the key.
"Where's Miaomiao?"
"Miaomiao, Miaomiao is right behind me," Cui Mantong said, instinctively looking behind her.
Wait, where was the person behind her?
Miaomiao had been right behind her just now.
"Did you encounter anything when you were coming back?"
Cui Mantong thought for a moment. "We heard singing, different from before. It was a young girl's voice, like the bride's."
"And then?"
"Then, the bride in the red wedding dress found us. We closed our eyes and stood still. Only after the bride left did we dare to open our eyes and run back."
Moreover, she was certain Miaomiao had been right behind her.
How could she have vanished in the blink of an eye?
"Everyone, good luck with your puzzle-solving. Time is running out. Those caught by the bride will become her food."
"The bride… eats people?" Cui Tong's voice trembled.
"Mantong, give me the key."
Chen Huan took the key from Cui Mantong, opened the barred gate in the darkness, and stepped inside. A faint light appeared in the small courtyard.
Her gaze fixed on the well.
Wen Zhiyan followed her line of sight and frowned slightly.
"Why is there a well here?" Cui Mantong's voice also trailed off.
"So, the story lied," Ye Fei said, looking at the well. "Those villagers probably didn't die from poisoning."
"Let's go in. There might be clues inside."
Chen Huan said this and stepped forward to push open the door of the thatched hut.