Chapter 14: A Perilous Predicament

I immediately stepped back, preparing to charge forward again.

Suddenly, a chilly wind brushed across my back, and I swiftly turned aside to dodge.

This sensation was all too familiar—I had encountered it often in my dreams, having practiced for ten years.

A dark figure darted past me, nearly as tall as I was.

The shadow failed to seize me at first but quickly turned back to grab me again.

Terrified, I ducked behind the tombstone inscription for cover.

Then, the shadow lunged once more; I evaded it again.

Since it missed me this time, it effectively cleared the path.

I dashed forward, stepped on the edge of a pit, and with a strong push of my leg, flipped onto the pit.

In the rush, I accidentally flung my flashlight away.

My heart pounded wildly; I had no time to worry about the flashlight and immediately ran downhill.

I knew this path well and didn’t need the flashlight—the moonlight illuminated the ground clearly enough to see the way.

A cold breeze swept past me, and not far ahead, a dark figure appeared—the ragged, black-faced man from years ago. I now realized he was even taller than me.

"Heh heh heh, kid, we meet again," he said, blocking my path.

"Big brother, stay and play with me," my heart skipped a beat as I glanced sideways. The little girl was there, clutching a rag doll, the doll’s string floating toward me.

"You brat, you wounded me back then; today, we settle the score," the woman in red floated out from behind a mound. I realized she hadn’t been living inside the mound as I had thought.

Her face looked like it had been sewn together with needle and thread, patched with tattered scraps of skin.

The wind blew through her hair, fully revealing her face under the moonlight, resembling the rag doll the little girl held. The stitched areas looked like writhing centipedes—truly chilling.

Her words jolted me awake to the danger. I immediately pulled down the cloth pouch tied with a red string around my neck, revealing a sparkling stone.

All three of them froze: the woman in red stepped back, the black-faced man’s expression trembled, but the little girl kept smiling without change.

"Big brother, stay with me, and I’ll give you Xiao An," the little girl said, trying to hand me the rag doll.

A pang of pity flickered in my heart, but I knew she intended harm.

"I don’t want to hurt you—all of you, stay away!" I raised the stone and slowly approached the black-faced man blocking the mountain path.

His face twitched again as he stared at the stone in my hand and began retreating.

I walked forward cautiously, testing whether they feared the stone.

Seeing the black-faced man afraid, I suddenly sprinted.

Startled, he dodged to the roadside.

I rushed downhill, but after two steps, I tripped, and the stone fell from my hand.

My heart sank. I cursed, “Damn it, I fell for it again.”

Then I remembered—the little girl’s rag doll had strings that could entangle a person's feet. I had run hurriedly and was tripped by the invisible trap.

“Old Hei, grab him! I’m putting the soul-binding rope on him!” the woman in red shouted.

My pulse raced. If they caught me, I wouldn’t leave alive.

Ignoring the rope around my legs, I crawled toward the stone with all my strength.

That stone was my lifeline.

After a few attempts, my foot suddenly tightened—the hemp rope pulling me taut.

I was alarmed; this rope was stronger than before.

Despite my efforts, I couldn’t inch forward; the stone was three meters away.

Panic surged, sweat breaking out on my white hair, but no matter how hard I tried, the string held firm.

The black-faced man charged, a triumphant grin spreading as he neared.

I could smell his foul stench. His hands resembled animal claws—black with hooked nails.

“Old Hei, hold him tight. Tonight, we swallow him whole,” the woman in red’s voice shrieked hysterically, piercing my ears.

My heart felt like it would burst from my throat. For the first time, death seemed so close, a cold dread electrifying my veins.

A wave of helplessness rose from my core. I had faced this many times in dreams, always saved by that stone.

Now that the stone was lost, I felt powerless.

The black-faced man spread his arms, lunging at me. My heart stilled, and I seemed to hear the wind in my ears.

Squinting and frowning, I saw him truly coming at me.

He was midair; his arms clearly scaled, not skin—he was no human.

I twisted my body. Though my feet were tied, I could still move. Each flip, I checked the black-faced man’s position.

“Thud!” The sound was real. The man lunged and missed, the ground shaking from his fall.

I rolled several meters away, gradually increasing my distance from the stone.

“Old Hei, grab him for me!” The woman in red rushed over, holding a rope braided from hair, ready to loop it over my neck.

Suddenly, I found strength I didn’t know I had and sprang to my feet.

I saw one foot wrapped in string, but the other was free.

In dreams, I was a skilled fighter, only resorting to the stone when overwhelmed by beasts. Today, I had no stone and had to rely on myself.

The black-faced man charged again; I kicked him hard, staggering him to the ground.

While the woman in red hesitated, I raised my foot and struck her stomach.

I realized this scene was as real as my dreams. When I struck them, they felt pain.

That realization halved my fear instantly.

As I prepared to kick the fallen woman again, the rope around my foot tugged fiercely, pulling me down.

I fell backward, one foot trapped, my butt hitting the ground first. The pain in my tailbone was excruciating and unforgettable.

I shot up again, the torment searing deep into my memory.

I understood now—the little girl’s trick was the key to this escape.

I glanced back at her. Her body had floated forward a bit; the string slackened slightly.

The black-faced man had risen and charged again.

I ducked, dodging his grasp, then lunged toward the stone.

Grasping it, joy flooded my heart. My restless spirit calmed, replaced by a sense of safety.

I struck the string with the stone. Upon impact, a burst of white and black light exploded, freeing my foot from the rope’s control.

Looking up to gauge my surroundings, I saw Da Hu running toward us from afar.