The World Below Surface

On the unfurled scroll, five celestial beings glided gracefully among billowing clouds, their feet delicately grazing the shrouded peaks of misty mountains.

This particular painting had graced the village chief's residence and had been seen by many villagers before. However, as Yan Guang Yao now intentionally unveiled it, uncertainty rippled through the onlookers, their eyes darting between each other, searching for the concealed message within the artwork.

An Xing Yu leaned in, his voice hushed, "What's our move here? He seems to have caught on."

Lu Yan countered with a subtle shake of his head, whispering back, "Let's just watch for now. Even if he has, these villagers might turn out to be our unwitting guides."

Xie Zi Qing found their conversation utterly baffling, but the gravity etched onto their faces compelled him to shift his gaze towards the painting.

No matter how he scrutinized it, the artwork remained a seemingly ordinary depiction of a celestial quintet set against a picturesque landscape below. What more could it possibly conceal?

An Xing Yu dropped a hint, suggesting, "Try looking at it from a different perspective."

A different perspective?

Xie Zi Qing wasn't entirely sure what "seeing from a different perspective" meant, but he didn't want to appear clueless in front of An Xing Yu. So, he gave a solemn nod and pivoted, widening his stance to observe the painting from an unorthodox angle.

An Xing Yu cleared his throat. "Try this instead: flip the painting left to right."

Xie Zi Qing rose, his expression a puzzle of confusion.

Left to right?

He struggled to picture it, and the other villagers shared his bewilderment, failing to decode Yan Guang Yao's message.

Only Lu Yan and An Xing Yu grasped the idea.

In their eyes, when the painting reversed, shifting from left to right, the flowing robes of the five celestial beings, the ethereal clouds at their feet, and the mountains melded into a discernible map. This map was nothing less than the topographical layout of the entire Village of the Heavenly Immortals.

At its heart, the forbidden zone, the red-clothed fox celestial known as Fox Fairy, extended downwards, creating a crimson river that encircled the village. On the left and right flanks, the two Green-robed Snake celestials and the Hedgehog celestial, forming shapes akin to twin fish, floated intertwined.

To the far left, the yellow celestial named Yellow Weasel appeared as an elderly man with white hair but youthful features, clutching a walking stick. However, he held the cane upside down, and the curved handle pointed to a specific location in the landscape below.

On the far right, the grey celestial, Old Mouse, materialized as a young man garbed in grey robes, of slight stature. If one mirrored his image from left to right, his gaze would lock onto the tail of the central fox celestial.

The White Immortal Hedgehog lowered its eyes, then shifted its gaze downward, zeroing in on the hem of Fox Fairy's skirt beside it.

Their attention shifted toward something more substantial, every gaze fixated on the Fox Fairy's tail. Following the Fox Fairy's line of sight, it intersected with the tail's orientation, precisely indicating a specific point within the forbidden area.

Suddenly, a word flashed into An Xing Yu's mind.

Yan Guang Yao emphatically articulated the same word.

"You've probably all seen this before, but failed to notice the hidden secret within," Yan Guang Yao remarked, flipping the scroll to catch the sunlight. The moderately thin paper revealed the image as it turned over.

Now, the villagers all recognized it.

"Isn't this the forbidden area?"

"Why does it look like some kind of map?"

...

Yan Guang Yao raised the scroll high and declared, "Indeed, it's a map. The former village chief had it hanging in his room, gazed upon it daily, and never kept it a secret, hoping that someone would uncover the hidden secret. But no one ever dared to bring it up. I stumbled upon it by chance. It turns out, the portrait gracing the village chief's room is, in fact, a treasure map!"

This revelation immediately ignited a frenzy.

A treasure map? Where's the treasure? What's it all about?

The villagers erupted in excited chatter, their eyes filled with anticipation as they turned to Yan Guang Yao.

At that moment, no one questioned Yan Guang Yao's youthful appearance. They all anxiously awaited his next words.

Xie Zi Qing whispered, "Is it truly a treasure map?"

Lu Yan shook his head. "Who can say for sure?"

Initially, he had toyed with the idea of tricking Luo Ying into giving it a shot. But now, with so many villagers involved, the idea seemed more promising.

Even if there was a treasure... Well, when life dangled by a thread, what good was treasure?

Xie Zi Qing shared this sentiment. You couldn't carry anything from this world to the next; even if you found it, it was utterly useless.

Yan Guang Yao continued, "Of course, discussing treasure isn't quite fitting at the moment. The village faces an enormous crisis, and the treasure map points right into the forbidden territory. That's why I suggest we dive into the forbidden zone ahead of schedule!"

The villagers exchanged looks, and one of them voiced their concern, "But Old Qian cautioned us about entering there."

Old Qian, the former village chief, had issued the warning.

"That was because he hadn't uncovered the secret of the treasure map. Without the map, the forbidden area, naturally, presents a perilous zone for us. However, now that we possess the map, what do we have to fear?" Yan Guang Yao proclaimed forcefully.

"But..."

"No 'buts.' Do you honestly think the village is safe right now?" Yan Guang Yao pressed on. "Li Li has abandoned all pretenses of protecting us. Even if we were to summon Mrs. Li's granddaughter back immediately, it would take days. Can you promise nothing bad will happen in the meantime?"

"But what about the village's curse..."

"Curses have origins, you know? Are you willing to bear that curse for the rest of your lives? We won't know a moment of peace until we confront the true source of this curse!"

His words carried weight. Most of the younger generation had never faced the terror of the forbidden area. When compared to that, the recent turmoil within the Village of the Heavenly Immortals over the past few days seemed much more ominous. During this period, it was primarily the elderly who had passed away. Those above fifty were few, and their voices were limited to cold, disapproving glares directed at Yan Guang Yao.

"You're all acting recklessly! Venturing there is nothing short of suicide!" The village's eldest survivor, despite his hearing impairment, relied on his spouse to convey his message word by word. Once he had heard it all, he couldn't contain his anger and unleashed a vehement curse while steadying himself on his cane.

"Don't you understand... the sacrifices we've made... so you could leave..." The old man's fury shook him to his core, rendering him breathless, and he crumpled to the ground.

"Uncle Zhang!" Exclaimed a middle-aged person from nearby, rushing to offer support.

His spouse wept, saying, "I might not have control over you youngsters anymore, but you mustn't lead the entire village to its demise... I still have a few years left..."

The group of young individuals, previously stirred by Yan Guang Yao, involuntarily took a step back.

Yan Guang Yao's eyes darkened, his words edged with tension. "Auntie Zhang, you've got more insight into the ancestral ritual's secrets than any of us, don't you? Do you know what's really behind this year's ancestral ritual?"

Auntie Zhang's face shifted dramatically, her lips trembling. "Wha... what did you just say?"

Yan Guang Yao pressed on, his voice unyielding. "Are you ready to reveal the truth about the ancestral ritual?"

A young villager, looking puzzled, chimed in, "Isn't it just about offering incense and paying respects? Why's Yan Guang Yao treating it so seriously?"

Yan Guang Yao shook his head. "Ordinary ancestral rituals do follow that pattern, yes. But it's been over sixty years, and each sixty-year interval marks a cycle/reincarnation. That's why the disturbances this year are so much worse than before. And as for this year's ancestral ritual..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Old Mrs. Zhang had already caught the meaning in his eyes. Her legs gave way, and she nearly crumpled to the ground.

"How do you know?" She asked the question but didn't wait for an answer; she fainted.

Sixty years mark a cycle/reincarnation... Lu Yan took a deep breath.

Every sixty years marked a cycle on the Chinese calendar.

So, what did this year's ancestral ritual hold? What had occurred six decades ago?

This constant sense of being in the dark gnawed at him. But what truly ignited his curiosity was how Yan Guang Yao had unraveled the hidden secret within the painting.

Yan Guang Yao took center stage on an elevated platform, clutching the painting with a countenance that betrayed an almost reckless zeal. "This village is no longer a sanctuary! Who will join me this afternoon on our expedition into the forbidden territory?"

A young man raised his hand, followed by another, and then more, one after the other. Nearly all the young folks who had grown up hearing the elders' tales eagerly assented.

An Xing Yu asked, "Should we go too?"

"Indeed, we should," declared Lu Yan, raising his hand high. "If they're embarking on this journey, we must accompany them."

Upon seeing this, An Xing Yu and Xie Zi Qing raised their hands in agreement.

Out of the blue, one of the raised hands, ripped away, and a gory spray painted the scene. Even they couldn't react in time. It took a moment before the crowd exploded into screams: "Ah!"

Panic spread as people desperately tried to flee.

Yet, at the far end of the square, a young girl in a crimson dress strolled forward, her pace deliberate.

"Li Li..." someone's eyes widened, but before any words could escape, their head soared into the air.

Crimson blood sprayed those nearby, immobilizing one individual who stood in stunned silence, witnessing the severed head tumble to the ground and roll a few times.

A paper-folded figure swiftly darted over, snatched up the severed head, and started to toy with it. A sinister, small smile crept onto its deathly pale visage.

A heavy silence gripped the entire square for a few breathless seconds.

Despite the repeated claims that Li Li no longer protected the village, the sight that met their eyes still struck them with disbelief.

Was this... Li Li?

How had she transformed like this?

The young girl's eyes were devoid of whites, her face twisted, yet she emitted a playful, eerie laughter that bordered on the macabre. She advanced toward them, her eyes bereft of pupils, sending shivers down their spines.

One step closer, and the villagers instinctively took a step back.

Yan Guang Yao's voice pierced the silence. "Run!"

Only then did the villagers snap out of their stunned daze, scrambling to escape in the opposite direction. They jostled and pushed, their desperate cries occasionally piercing the air.

The moment the little girl appeared, Lu Yan's instincts screamed danger, and he snatched An Xing Yu, sprinting with all his might. It wasn't long before terrified screams erupted from the villagers trailing behind them.

"Why did Li Li suddenly change like that?" An Xing Yu gasped as they raced away.

Lu Yan had no answers. He had an unsettling hunch that the little girl who had just approached them wasn't what she seemed, but he couldn't quite grasp the truth. All they could do was run.

The cries of the pursuing villagers grew louder and closer.

In contrast to Lu Yan and An Xing Yu, who maintained their speed due to years of rigorous exercise, Xie Zi Qing lagged a bit behind. His sole advantage was his exposure to the inexplicable, which made him quicker than the villagers. He trailed the others, never letting up on his pace. Then, out of nowhere, a gruesome, gore-covered head tumbled before him, nearly causing him to stumble.

Xie Zi Qing instinctively turned his head and was instantly seized by terror.

Not far behind the fleeing villagers, severed body parts hung in grotesque display, and the earth appeared to writhe as artificial blood rushed towards them with an eerie haste. An elderly villager inadvertently stepped into the pool of crimson, and within the blink of an eye, he was entirely swallowed by the thick, gelatinous tide of gore.

The once radiant sky gradually dimmed, cloaking itself in layer upon layer of ominous, heavy clouds that almost swallowed the sun. It was like dusk falling prematurely, accompanied by an icy, untamed wind that carried with it unsettling, foul odors.

Without a backward glance, Lu Yan and An Xing Yu raced forward together, retracing their steps to the village through an alternate square exit, heading towards the forbidden territory. The villagers who had followed them dwindled, but they pressed on in their desperate escape.

Faint echoes of the villagers' distress still reached their ears.

Xie Zi Qing turned to steal another glance back.

The petite girl continued her leisurely stroll. Her small frame didn't necessitate swift movements, but she was slowly closing the gap between herself and the terrified villagers who were fleeing for their lives.

"Hee hee hee hee..."

In the hushed night, there were only the mournful cries of the doomed villagers on the brink of their demise and the eerie laughter of the little girl.

Along the way, a multitude of white paper dolls suddenly leaped forth, frolicking in the pool of blood. Limbs, organs, drenched black hair, and skin all became their playthings.

Xie Zi Qing shivered, unable to bear the sight any longer, and promptly buried his head before sprinting away.

Further up the path, Lu Yan had already reached the entrance to the Village of the Heavenly Immortals, taking long, determined strides.

Yet, what sent a chill down his spine was that as he moved ahead with a single step, the world around him whirled into a disorienting spin. When he regained his senses, he found himself in a shadowy and unsettling location, staring at... a recognizable broken bridge.

Lu Yan stood at the edge of the broken bridge, and a foul stench, even worse than the previous unpleasant odor, wafted up from below.

Suddenly, a young girl's voice, crystal clear yet haunting, echoed from all directions, "Catch me some fish... quickly... hehehehe..."

In the next instant, Lu Yan found himself gripping a fishing rod, with a small bucket at his feet.

The only visible things were the bodies under the broken bridge, which surged up like waves, their pale, bloated limbs entangled. Even in the dark water, they were still visible.

No... the river's water wasn't completely black...

Lu Yan struggled to suppress his physical discomfort as he realized that the river was unmistakably a river of blood.

Taking a deep breath, he skillfully baited the "fishhook." Then, with a quick flick of his fishing rod, he sent the line plunging into the crimson river.

The instant the bait made contact with the water, the submerged figures went into a frenzy, as if they retained life, persistently ascending, even in death, they battled and tore at each other, flesh and fragments scattering, colossal waves churned on the surface, and the fetor intensified.

*

*

The rest of the village displayed a similar eerie pattern.

Yan Guang Yao sprinted desperately, clutching the scroll tightly.

"All I need is to reach the forbidden area, just get there... and I'll be safe..."

With every ounce of strength, he dashed forward. As he neared the village entrance, the three figures ahead abruptly vanished. Fear couldn't grip Yan Guang Yao; his determination held strong, propelling him into the forest. In the next breath, darkness engulfed his vision, and he found himself back at the village chief's house.

On the shrine, the statue of Old Lady Third Whisker had toppled.

A fierce gust of wind howled through, slamming the front door shut.

In the final moment before the darkness swallowed him, Yan Guang Yao felt a surge of relief.

The scroll was not with him.

In that fleeting shift, he let go of the scroll. Eventually, someone would stumble upon it.

*

*

Lu Yan knew nothing about the fate of the others, but he couldn't imagine it was any better than his situation. In the next moment, someone else materialized at his side.

It was An Xing Yu. He had been brought to this eerie place as well.

"Let's do some fishing together... hehehehe... quickly..."

An Xing Yu's initial confusion faded as he settled down beside Lu Yan. He swiftly readied himself, casting his fishing line into the murky water.

The waves grew more turbulent, almost splashing onto the bridge, filling them both with a creeping sense of dread.

If someone else arrived at this moment, the churning waves, stirred by the submerged bodies, could easily sweep them away.

To worsen their unease, half a minute later, Xie Zi Qing, still terror-stricken, emerged on the bridge as well.

"What should we do? Escaping doesn't seem feasible..." After scanning their surroundings, Xie Zi Qing turned pale, tightly gripping his fishing rod, and looked to the other two with a pleading expression.

Lu Yan's fishing rod quivered.

He had something on the line, but for some inexplicable reason, he didn't feel relief. An unsettling intuition from deep within stopped him from reeling in the catch. So, he waited, patiently.

After a while, the fish swam away.

At the same time, all three of them heard a wild beast's roar echoing from the depths of the forest.

The sound they heard defied easy description; it had surpassed the realm of ordinary animal noises. Xie Zi Qing stared in bewilderment toward its source. But Lu Yan quickly pulled him aside, his expression serious, and said, "You should go first, and quickly!"

With a grateful glance, Xie Zi Qing didn't dwell on it and promptly crouched beside An Xing Yu to start fishing.

An Xing Yu seemed to piece something together. After a brief moment, the fishing rod in his hand also began to quiver. He cautiously raised it, and when the catch surfaced, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he let go of the rod.

His "catch" had vanished too.

From the heart of the forest, a monstrous entity emerged, towering at least twice the height of a person. Half of its form was encased in bleached bone, while the other half rotted in decayed flesh.

The term "creature" was a loose descriptor, for faint, dog-like remnants clung to it. It advanced slowly out of the woods, empty eye sockets fixated on the trio.

Xie Zi Qing, gripped by terror, urgently asked, "What do we do? Did you catch anything?" His question was aimed at An Xing Yu.

An Xing Yu clenched his teeth and replied, "No."

As they spoke, Xie Zi Qing's fishing rod jolted with activity.

With a burst of excitement, he cried out, "Since you didn't have any luck, hurry and give me a hand! I've got something on the line!" He strained with all his might to reel it in.

An Xing Yu reached out a hand, and Lu Yan joined in. Together, they exerted their strength to haul a bloated, pallid human corpse from the river, depositing it on the bridge.

Xie Zi Qing, engrossed in his task, remained unaware of the eerie turn of events. He wiped sweat from his forehead, panting. Meanwhile, Lu Yan extracted a jade pendant from his pocket and placed it next to the lifeless body.

The dog inched closer.

"Hey, Brother Lu, what's going on?" Xie Zi Qing, oblivious to the situation, was determined to continue his riverside fishing. "Seems like my luck's holding up today. You guys might want to pitch in later. Otherwise, we'll have a real mess with that dog sooner or later."

As he spoke, he suddenly widened his eyes.

Before him, a scene unfolded that Xie Zi Qing couldn't possibly wrap his head around. The body on the bridge... had somehow become two?

Why? How could this happen?

An Xing Yu shared his disbelief, both of them locked in stunned silence. But Lu Yan offered no explanation. Instead, he swiftly conjured a third corpse.

It wasn't until now that Xie Zi Qing finally sensed that something was terribly wrong.

"Wait a minute, these corpses," he hesitated, his voice dry, "haven't you noticed, they look... they look..."

The dog had drawn near, lowering its head.

Lu Yan forcefully shoved the corpse aside, sending one of the duplicates rolling and tumbling into the path of the foul-smelling, scorching breath of the beast.

The creature sniffed it and began to feast.

As the dog sank his teeth into the first mouthful, a chilling scream escaped Xie Zi Qing's lips. An unseen force had viciously torn a chunk from his thigh, causing blood to splatter in all directions.

He finally understood why that body looked so wrong.

Because it was him.

Another scream, and his body was bitten in half.

He fell into a silence that will continue forever.

An Xing Yu shut his eyes, unable to bear the gruesome spectacle any longer. But that ravenous creature clearly hungered for more than one victim. Amidst the gruesome gnawing, An Xing Yu turned to Lu Yan and asked, "What's our plan now?"

Lu Yan's reply was curt, "We'll have to lure it away first, then find an escape route." He glanced at An Xing Yu, an inscrutable look in his eyes, as if he had something important to say but held it back. "We have to act fast."

"Agreed," An Xing Yu nodded.

He wanted desperately to ask Lu Yan about the strange object he held, but this wasn't the time for explanations. Instead, he remained vigilant, scanning their surroundings. He discreetly moved the other copied bodies a bit farther away, hoping to gain some precious time.

Lu Yan moved with swift precision, gauging how long it would take for the dog to finish its gruesome meal. He quickly replicated one body after another.

The Pisces jade pendant's origins remained shrouded in mystery, and the reasons behind its unique powers remained elusive. But Lu Yan had conducted experiments, discovering that duplicating numerous bodies in rapid succession temporarily drained some of its energy. Once depleted, it required time to recharge.

Several unfortunate souls had met their end by the reservoir earlier, so An Xing Yu nonchalantly hauled their lifeless forms over. Just as they had managed to lay out three bodies on the bridge, Lu Yan tugged at An Xing Yu, and they shared a knowing glance before making a hasty retreat.

The village had transformed into a nightmarish scene.

A foul wind swept through, and numerous white paper effigies resembling miniature people hopped and cavorted around, while screams of agony echoed from nearly every household.

Lu Yan paid no heed and sprinted desperately. An Xing Yu couldn't help but notice that, even in the midst of the chaos, Lu Yan was engaged in a phone call. An Xing Yu couldn't discern the person on the other end.

"Who are you talking to?" An Xing Yu kicked aside a paper effigy that had clamped onto his pant leg, his brow slick with sweat.

Lu Yan responded, "Lin Chu."

"What?! Lin Chu?" An Xing Yu exclaimed, his surprise evident.

"She's not dead," Lu Yan explained with just that one sentence.

What unsettled him was that the call refused to connect. Another attempt, but the same issue persisted, leaving him baffled. Turning to Luo Ying seemed like the next logical step.

"An Xing Yu," Lu Yan said, his tone tinged with concern, "That painting is our lifeline. Without it, we might be trapped in this curse forever. We have to find it and head to the forbidden area."

An Xing Yu had a hunch about this, but the pieces of the puzzle eluded his grasp. He mumbled, "Why?"

"Have you noticed?" Lu Yan asked. "In most villages, there's a dominant surname, and everyone's usually related by blood. But this village is different. There are no connections here. Different surnames, and besides their fox-like appearances, they share nothing in common."

Unperturbed, Lu Yan pressed forward, his stride unwavering even as he passed a macabre sight: a piece of human intestine dangled from a tree branch. "No ancestral hall, no family tree," he muttered. "I've asked around, Ancestral Halls, family trees, they're all missing. Everyone I've questioned these past few days, they're all outsiders. They're all... just like us, outsiders. After taking part in the ancestor worship, they become villagers of the Village of the Heavenly Immortals and share a slice of the curse."

Therefore, no villager displayed any hostility towards outsiders. They radiated warmth and hospitality, eager for these newcomers to settle in. But An Xing Yu and his companions had to partake in the ancestor worship, and thereafter, the burden of the curse would unavoidably fall upon them.

As for the details of the curse, it remained a mystery to him.

"Sixty long years, a full cycle, and I still haven't unraveled this enigma. Those who held the truth in this village are probably all dead. It's hard to believe it wasn't intentional," Lu Yan's mind raced with urgency. "What transpired six decades ago, I'm not certain if the village holds any records, but for now... let's make a dash for the forbidden grounds, examine those tombstones. Maybe we'll stumble upon something."

Though the graveyard boasted numerous tombstones, he believed that, with their combined memories—his, An Xing Yu's, and Lin Chu's— they could quickly unearth some clues.

An Xing Yu silently chanted the name of the All-Knowing Deity in his mind, nodding vigorously. "Alright! We need to get out of here pronto."

Whether it was because Li Li was preoccupied with hunting down other villagers or not, they managed to reach the village's entrance without much trouble.

From a distance, Luo Ying hurried towards them.

Luo Ying had already borne witness to the village's turmoil. A brief, fleeting call from Lu Yan, although abruptly severed, had managed to connect for a few seconds. Coupled with the shifting weather outside, it painted a stark picture of something monumental unfolding within the Village of the Heavenly Immortals.

"Quick! Get out!" Luo Ying's scream pierced the air.

Meanwhile, Lu Yan's eyes locked onto the scroll resting just beyond the village's threshold. "The scroll!" he bellowed.

Luo Ying followed his gaze, sensing the scroll's significance. She swiftly pivoted and retrieved it.

In that very moment, a pallid, spectral hand emerged from behind Lu Yan, passing straight through his chest.

Without warning, a searing agony pierced Lu Yan's chest. His gaze dropped, locking onto a hole in his chest.

Blood oozed out, a macabre rhythm of crimson droplets. Lu Yan's eyes widened, his body refusing to obey, gradually tilting forward.

Behind him, the crimson-clad girl remained still as death. In her grasp, she clutched a heart, still pulsating with life, its blood dripping steadily.

Outside the Village of the Heavenly Immortals, An Xing Yu took a step away, his eyes involuntarily locking onto the bewildering sight behind him.

Lu Yan... was gone?

He held the Pisces jade pendant in his trembling hand.

Just moments ago, as Luo Ying turned away, Lu Yan had discreetly tossed the jade pendant to him.

In his final breaths, Lu Yan had conveyed something, words unspoken but deeply understood.

An Xing Yu's typically steady thoughts were now in tumult. He clutched the jade pendant close to his heart, a secret he kept from Luo Ying.

Luo Ying rushed over, her eyes scanning the young man before her, then fixating on his calf.