Thriller Tour Group

The atmosphere suddenly became more oppressive.

“Leader Miao, is your esteemed self confident?”

Shi Tao lowered his voice in a dignified tone. He also agreed that the items needed for the washing on the third day custom was only enough to wash one ghost baby, but he could not judge what the correct choice was. If the choice they made wasn’t definitely accurate, he would rather keep the items for himself and use them to complete the washing on the third day custom for his ghost baby.

When it comes to making life decisions, one can never be too cautious. 

But Shi Tao recognized Miao Fangfei’s leadership abilities. If Miao Fangfei really thought that the baby in her stomach was the most important ghost baby, Shi Tao would also give her his items.

The problem was——

Miao Fangfei shook her head, smiled bitterly, and covered her bulging belly with her hand.

After she was pregnant with the ghost baby, she no longer had abdominal pain, and the powerlessness she felt when she had been possessed by the ghost baby had subsided. But Miao Fangfei wasn’t sure whether the ghost baby in her belly was “Pingping’s child”.

Hou Feihu’s trust, as well as the look in Shi Tao’s eyes, put a lot of strain on her. Miao Fangfei understood that a strong leader must make purposive decisions. The more pressure she felt, the more she couldn’t afford to hesitate at such a crucial time, and the more the entire team needed a strong voice to lead them.

But she wasn’t sure of her decision.

The sound of the gong grew more hurried, and the midwives got closer and closer to them. A slight stench of a beast’s filthy breath wafted across. The sharp fangs and crimson tongue hidden beneath the cloak could be seen. There was no time to discuss anymore. They must make a decision right away.

“Take care.” 

Shi Tao said helplessly. If Miao Fangfei also couldn’t be sure, he would not take the risk. In the increasingly rapid banging sound of the gongs, Shi Tao clenched his teeth and turned to leave, but just then——

“Motherfucker! Fuck!”

Lin Xi suddenly burst out with a series of foul words. Lin Xi was short of breath and his body shook nervously. His eyes were extremely red, and he couldn’t hide the madness and fear in them, giving the impression that he had gone insane.

Lin Xi was mentally fragile and unstable. Everyone was a little mentally fragile under the continuous tension and high pressure, but no one expected Lin Xi to have a breakdown at this time! 

“Hold on, Lin Xi!”

Miao Fangfei, who bore the heavy burden of being the leader, spoke worriedly. They were about to finish the washing on the third day custom. They couldn’t afford to make any mistakes at this moment. Shi Tao, who hadn’t left yet, turned around with a scowl, grasped Lin Xi’s shoulder and said, “Lin Xi, what’s the matter with you?”

But no one expected Lin Xi to make a sudden move in the next moment. He lunged at Miao Fangfei and Shi Tao, grabbing the items required for washing on the third day custom from them.

“Lin Xi!” 

Miao Fangfei was knocked a few steps backwards and Shi Tao stumbled. They trusted their companions and didn’t put their guards up too much. Who would have known that Lin Xi would suddenly act against them! Miao Fangfei was about to rush forward to grab the items back with a fierce look in her eyes, but Lin Xi pushed her into the midwife’s arms. Miao Fangfei’s wrist was firmly held by the midwife, and she couldn’t get away.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

“It’s time for washing on the third day custom——”

“Pa’r alwf obg kjrtlcu bc atf atlgv vjs merabw——”

“Olc Wl, ktja jgf sbe vblcu!” 

Vtl Kjb mbeivc’a aegc yjmx. Lf uglaafv tlr affat jcv rajgfv ja Olc Wl jcuglis, yea rjk atja Olc Wl tjv raeoofv jii atf lafwr lcab Te Lftel’r jgwr.

Te Lftel qjclmxfv jcv tegglfvis ugjyyfv atf lafwr, “Olc, Dgbatfg Olc Wl, ktja jgf sbe vblcu??”

“Don’t fucking pretend in front of me!”

Lin Xi spoke harshly, as if he was afraid he might come to regret what he had done. He shoved all his items for the washing on the third day custom into Yu Hehui’s hands as well. Then he stumbled backwards, slammed into the midwife’s arms and was firmly grasped by the midwife. 

“Hurry up and scram! Hurry up and scram! Don’t stand in the way!” Lin Xi blabbered incoherently.

Lin Xi had no idea what he was cursing. He had been terrified of having an emotional breakdown from the beginning of the tour. He was particularly concerned that he would have one during the washing on the third day custom. They barely had enough items to perform the ritual for one ghost baby. Lin Xi’s initial idea was that he needed to grab the items that the others had collected, or at the very least, he couldn’t offer his items to the others.

He was afraid of death, crazily afraid of death. He wanted to live. When he stuffed everything into Yu Hehui’s arms, it completely went against Lin Xi’s survival instincts. It felt as if someone was cutting his flesh from him.

But—— 

Lin Xi wanted to turn to look at III-9, but the midwife clamped her big hands, which appeared like shackles, tightly around him and dragged him away. Lin Xi stumbled and couldn’t turn back. He trembled in fear and his eyes were dull, like a prisoner on death row.

Lin Xi’s mind was full of confusion. He didn’t know whether what he had just done was right or wrong. Was the ghost baby in Yu Hehui’s stomach the special ghost baby? He had hardly ever made such an important decision. In the tour group, he would always be a transparent person in decision-making.

There wasn’t enough time to tell Miao Fangfei and Xu Chen what he had seen and let them come into agreement. Lin Xi could only believe in himself, or rather, believe in III-9.

Guide III chose Yu Hehui. The firefly circling around Guide III chose Yu Hehui. 

It must be the special ghost baby, it definitely had to be the special ghost baby.

Miao Fangfei and Shi Tao both saw the scene where Lin Xi stuffed the items for the washing on the third custom day to Yu Hehui. Shi Tao was stunned, and there was a wrathful expression on his face. His gaze darted to Yu Hehui’s stomach.

Yu Hehui didn’t know when his stomach had grown bigger.

Strangely enough, Lin Xi had suddenly gone insane. Could it be that he was under “Yu Hehui’s” control? 

Miao Fangfei’s heart was in utter turmoil. She also noticed Yu Hehui’s bulging stomach and frowned suddenly.

“Leader Miao, Brother Shi, what’s going on?”

Yu Hehui was holding onto a huge bundle of items and felt like crying, but he had no tears to weep, “I’ll give these items back to all of you. But Brother Lin Xi has already left——”

“No.” 

Miao Fangfei blurted out. In such a critical situation, she didn’t have time to consider too much. Countless clues were jumbled together in her head. The ghost fetuses in each of their stomachs were ordinary. Five people were participating in the washing on the third day custom. To be safe, each of them had carried some goods, but Yu Hehui did not.

Yu Hehui didn’t find the items himself, and his stomach was flat. Miao Fangfei didn’t treat Yu Hehui as a person. If it wasn’t because Lin Xi had kicked up a fuss, Yu Hehui would have had no items while attending the washing on the third day custom!

Miao Fangfei felt her heart clench. The midwife had begun to drag her out. She couldn’t think about it anymore. She looked at Yu Hehui and saw the anxiety and confusion in his eyes. Miao Fangfei took a deep breath and stabilized her voice:

“Hehui, properly conduct the washing on the third day custom for your ghost baby.” 

Miao Fangfei said, “Your elder brother is still waiting for you. Remember, everyone has agreed to meet again during the beating three dynasties banquet.”

“Beating three dynasties banquet……Leader Miao, I remember.”

Yu Hehui nodded seriously and hugged the items in his arms, “You guys, take care.”

Following that, the three split and went their own ways with their midwives. Wei Xun furrowed his eyebrows as he took in everything that had transpired. He turned to face Yu Hehui. Miao Fangfei and Shi Tao had walked further away. If they turned back now, they would have seen that Yu Hehui’s figure was growing smaller and thinner. The clothes he had donned on his body were like a cloth pouch that had broken apart. His walking posture was very strange, and he swayed and moved unsteadily. 

He was like a fox learning to walk.

Interesting.

Wei Xun followed behind him with great interest. The midwife and Yu Hehui ignored him. Sure enough, as Wei Xun had expected, the two people walked farther and farther. They finally walked out of the Cordoned-off Village and came to a cave in the mountainous forest behind Cordoned-off Village.

The cave was overgrown with vines and thorns, and it appeared that ordinary people would be unable to discover it. The midwife ripped off the vines that were obstructing the cave entrance. Wei Xun peered inside and saw that there were indications of humans living in the cave, and the cave was exceedingly messy. Shattered and decaying bits of bedding and broken pieces of porcelain littered the cave floor. 

“So it seems that Pingping is living here.” Wei Xun talked to himself and saw the midwife and Yu Hehui entering the cave. He didn’t treat himself as an outsider, so he followed the midwife in——to the entrance of the cave in the mountains.

Wei Xun didn’t want to enter the cave in the mountains since it seemed to be filthy and unkempt.

Seeing that he had stopped at the entrance of the mountain and didn’t go in, the midwife and Yu Hehui gloomily turned their heads and stared at Wei Xun for a few moments. Finally, they stopped paying attention to Wei Xun and continued to walk into the cave.

As they walked into the cave, it was like a film had been rewound. The broken porcelain on the cave floor reverted back into a porcelain basin again and the ragged bedding was restored and piled in a corner of the cave. The faint cry of a baby came from the bedding, and a faint yellow fire lit up. 

The water from the stream was heating in a porcelain basin. The triangular maple, four-wheeled grass, bitter bamboo leaves, and aromatic leaves picked by Miao Fangfei and the others were placed in the water. They were extracted from the water after it had been heated. The midwife placed a bamboo lattice sieve in the porcelain bowl. The weighing scale, green onions, and cattle horns were then placed in the lattice sieve, along with a cleansed abacus. The midwife then scooped up the water from the basin and poured it down from above, allowing all the objects to be washed with the water.

“After the washing on the third day custom, the baby will be as strong as a mountain.” The midwife recited, dragging its voice. It added some cool water from the stream to the porcelain basin and tested the water temperature. Its hand stretched out from underneath its black robe. A layer of hair grew on its hand. Its fingers appeared slender and it had sharp fingernails, appearing like a monster from the legends.

It retrieved the sieve, put the rice weighing scale upside down in the porcelain basin and put a clean soft cloth on it before carefully taking the ghost baby from Yu Hehui’s hand.

Wei Xun had seen the ghost baby before, and its appearance hadn’t changed much until now. It had thin, gray skin and was smaller than a cat, with a big head and a small body. The umbilical cord hadn’t been cut, and the long cord was lying on its slightly bulging belly. It didn’t look cute and was far from being well-behaved. 

The midwife, on the other hand, took great care in handling it. Yu Hehui had a compassionate look in his eyes as he glanced at the ghost baby. It seemed as if the ghost baby was a good child who had been placed in his palm, and was the apple of his eye.

.

Miao Fangfei sat in the room, face to face with the midwife and the atmosphere was gloomy. Miao Fangfei’s stomach had deflated. A greenish gray ghost baby was held in the midwife’s hand. A porcelain bowl filled with stream water sat in the middle of the two parties.

Yu Hehui had been given all the items they could use to complete the washing on the third day custom. Each of them still had the water from the stream, triangular maple, four wheeled grass and other herbs in their hands. 

Under the suffocating atmosphere, Miao Fangfei’s forehead was full of cold sweat. The ghost baby was separated from her, so she had started to feel the abdominal pain again. Miao Fangfei’s heart was in a mess for a while. What bothered Miao Fangfei the most was Yu Hehui.

Is the real ghost baby in Yu Hehui’s hand? If so, Lin Xi is right. If not……

Miao Fangfei cast a sidelong glance at the midwife. She was still sitting in front of the porcelain basin with a ghost baby in her arms, motionless as a sculpture. No news was good news, but the wait was agonizing. It was like a prisoner who didn’t know when they would face the death penalty, hoping that the penalty would come soon and they could just be done with it.

Hurry up, hurry up. 

Miao Fangfei took a deep breath, calmed down and lowered her head. She waited quietly.

Lin Xi couldn’t calm down. His legs had gone soft and he was almost dragged into the house by the midwife. His stomach deflated, and Lin Xi felt his body go cold. He stared at the ghost baby in the midwife’s arms.

Lin Xi’s mind had gone numb. His thoughts were a jumbled mess and no one knew what he was thinking about. For a brief minute, he considered how he would die, whether he would be ripped apart or devoured alive. For a moment, he thought that he was not alive. He was too exhausted. It was better to die. He then thought about III-9 again and felt a surge of vigor return to him when he thought about III-9. He was not going to die. He would not die as long as III-9 was around.

He brainwashed himself by lying to himself. Through this, Lin Xi gradually calmed down. After calming down, he vaguely heard a song in the distance. 

“After the washing on the third day custom, the baby will be as strong as a mountain~”

“After the baby washes up, they will grow to be more obedient~.”

The sound of the song was getting closer and closer. Lin Xi’s eyes widened as the water in the porcelain bowl in front of him abruptly boiled. The color of the water had turned pale green, as if it had been used to boil herbs. There were more bamboo lattice sieves on the porcelain basin, along with cattle horns and other items ——all of which had been collected with great effort by everyone. These were the washing on the third day custom items Lin Xi had eventually given to Yu Hehui!

What, what was going on?! 

Lin Xi’s pupil shrank suddenly. He subconsciously went to touch the items in front of him, but the back of his hand was roughly pulled back by the “midwife”, immediately becoming red and swollen. Lin Xi was at a loss and withdrew his hand. He was stunned because he couldn’t touch the items just now!

Everything in front of him was just an illusion. These items did not exist here. But when the midwife carefully tested the water temperature, the water in the porcelain basin rippled, as if it was something corporeal.

What the hell is going on!

“So that’s the case.” 

Shi Tao looked at the scene in front of him and thought, “No wonder we could only prepare one set of items. It turned out to be so.”

“We made the right choice.”

Shi Tao finally breathed a sigh of relief and muttered with a bitter smile, “Lin Xi this fellow, he’s truly……”

Only one set of items was found to be intact and ready to be used for the washing on the third day custom because it was specially preserved by Pingping for her child. And only the things that Pingping would use could remain intact for a hundred years. Only this ghost baby was the most important baby. Therefore, they could only use the items for the special ghost baby. 

Pingping’s ghost baby was closely related to other ghost babies. It was even possible that other ghost babies were playmates Pingping had found for her ghost baby. When Pingping’s ghost baby had successfully completed the washing on the third day custom, the other ghost babies would also get relative benefits.

If Lin Xi had explained it to them earlier, he wouldn’t have caused everyone to panic.

Shi Tao grumbled in his heart. Lin Xi’s behavior had frightened him just now. However, after more consideration, it seemed possible that Lin Xi had discovered this information at the last moment. He didn’t have time to inform them, and therefore had no choice but to act that way.