HLnovel Chapter 243 is a woman
Chapter 243 is a woman
The scream, emanating from a man, pierced the night sky of Spring Breeze Town. Accompanying the scream were the sounds of heavy objects falling to the ground and pleas for help. Listening closely, one could hear hurried footsteps several streets away, along with the faint sounds of horses' hooves and donkey braying.
Just as the Crown Prince got up to check the window, a sound came from downstairs, and the sound was somewhat familiar. She was pounding on the door and shouting at the top of her lungs, as if she had used all her strength.
Lu Zhiyuan got up, opened the door to her guest room, and led Liu Ying downstairs. Downstairs, the innkeeper and his servants were already there. They bowed to Lu Zhiyuan and said with a forced smile, "We're sorry to have disturbed you, esteemed guest! Our town is always quiet; such a thing has never happened before. Perhaps it's the day of the Black Goddess's sacrifice, and the streets are a bit chaotic. Please return to your room, sir; I will handle this."
The banging grew louder, one cry after another: "Master, Madam, save me! There's a monster! The Black Lady killed Master and she's going to kill me too! Please open the door! Please open the door—"
Liu Ying said nervously, "It's Madam Liu!"
The innkeeper opened the door, and Madam Liu, covered in blood, rushed in. She didn't speak after entering, but turned and closed the door behind her. Only after confirming that the thing hadn't followed her did she sit down against the door.
"Madam Liu, what happened to you? Didn't you and Master Liu go back to the shop?" Liu Ying handed over a handkerchief while examining Madam Liu's wounds. Her wounds were from being scratched; they looked frightening, but they weren't fatal.
It took Madam Liu a long time to recover.
After leaving the inn, she and Manager Liu did not return to the shop but went to the house her younger brother and sister-in-law rented in town. Her mother-in-law was injured, her brother was hungover, and they had a child; they couldn't rely on the neighbors. When they got home, they found the door open, but the house was pitch black without even a candle.
Worried about his mother, Manager Liu rushed inside, with Madam Liu following behind. Before they even entered the house, a pale hand reached out from inside, followed by Manager Liu's shout.
Madam Liu was unaware of what had happened and stood there in a daze. In just a moment, that hand grabbed Manager Liu's shoulder and dragged him into the house.
Desperate to save her husband, Madam Liu mustered her courage and walked to the door of the side room, only to see the hand that had just retracted reach out again. It groped around in the air and finally grabbed the threshold below.
After grabbing the threshold, the hand seemed to have found a foothold and began to pull on the threshold with force, slowly pulling its body and head out of the room.
Just then, the moonlight broke through the dark clouds, allowing Madam Liu to see that strange and terrifying scene.
Madam Liu's eyes widened, and she trembled uncontrollably. Liu Ying had someone bring a cotton quilt, wrapped it around Madam Liu, and asked softly, "What did you see, Madam?"
"Second brother, it's second brother! Second brother's body has been bitten off."
Madam Liu's words left everyone stunned.
The body was bitten off... bitten off by what... a person? Or something else?
Forty years have passed since the tragic incidents at the Liu family's old residence and the He family's residence. Spring Breeze Town has enjoyed forty years of peace. Although there are rumors of the Black Goddess, as long as sacrifices are performed regularly, the weather will be favorable and everything will be peaceful. Although the children who were sacrificed never appeared, neither alive nor dead, this is far from the scene described by Madam Liu.
People who can't be found can't be considered dead. Even if someone is dead, there's a difference between being whole and being mutilated. In other words, they've lived in Spring Breeze Town for so long and have never seen or heard of anything so tragic.
"Have Lu Yun and Zuo Yi returned yet?"
Lu Zhiyuan's voice startled the group, who seemed to be under a spell. Liu Ying also woke up and went to ask the guards, only to be told that they had not yet returned. Considering that what Madam Liu said was very likely true, she sent two guards with her to the Liu family to investigate.
The guard had just opened the door when Madam Liu screamed, "Don't open it! She's here! Quick! Close it!"
As they were talking, a dark, dog-like creature rushed towards the inn. The guard drew his sword, wanting to see what it was, but was dragged back into the inn by the crazed Madam Liu, who blocked the door shut.
The thing had reached the inn's door and was ramming it with all its might. Madam Liu trembled with fear but remained unmoved, blocking the door. Lu Zhiyuan gave Liu Ying and the guards a look. The guards stepped forward to block the door, while Liu Ying helped the frightened Madam Liu to the side. Seeing this, the innkeeper ordered a servant to bring hot water for Madam Liu to drink. The Crown Prince came to Lu Zhiyuan's side and said in a low voice, "I saw it clearly from upstairs just now; what rushed over seemed to be a person."
It appears to be a person?
Could it be a strange person who has been poisoned?
Since Southern Chu is already under Xiao Yebai's rule, there shouldn't be any Southern Chu spies causing trouble in Chunfeng Town.
Prince Yong'an?
In his early years, Prince Yong'an had cultivated relationships with some spies from Southern Chu; it's hard to say he might still possess those drugs from back then. Now, he's like a rat lurking in the gutter. Chunfeng Town is relatively close to the capital, so it's not unusual for him to resort to underhanded tactics here. Besides, there are rumors circulating about the Black Lady's mischief. Prince Yong'an is adept at these kinds of things.
Lu Zhiyuan's eyes darted around, and the Crown Prince knew what she was thinking. He said softly, "Not one of those strange people from before. From the second floor, you can see her face. Her face is upturned, her hair hangs down, and she walks on all fours like a cat or dog. I have never seen such a strange person before. Have you seen one, A-Yuan?"
Lu Zhiyuan shook her head and pulled the Crown Prince to the door. They heard a strange, rubbing sound. Lu Zhiyuan gestured for the guards to move aside, and peered through the crack in the door, seeing the strange man the Crown Prince had mentioned.
It was a woman, dressed in thin, revealing clothing. Just as the prince had described, she walked not on her legs, but on all fours. Through the lanterns hanging in front of the inn, it was clear that her limbs were also abnormal. Her hands and forearms were bent backwards, as were her feet and lower legs. Her head was turned 180 degrees; she wasn't dead, and could still move. This wasn't a strange person; this was a monster.
She looks like a human, but her voice isn't human.
Looking closer, her hair was stained with blood, and so was her body, dripping with each slam of the door. Even the seasoned guard was chilled by the sight, whispering, "What on earth is that?"
“Woman!” Lu Zhiyuan said, her gaze falling on her wrist. “An extremely beauty-conscious woman! The bracelet on her wrist is gold-plated. She doesn’t know that and thinks it’s pure gold. She’s afraid of it getting damaged, so she tied it with a red string. There’s something on her body, but not on the part of her wrist where she wears the bracelet. Her skin is delicate. You can tell she’s pampered and used to taking care of herself.”
A gold-plated bracelet, a red string… Madam Liu exclaimed, “Sister-in-law, that’s my sister-in-law!”
The bracelet was part of her dowry from her family, but it was stolen by her younger brother and sister-in-law. She tried to get it back, but to no avail. Her sister-in-law threw a tantrum, demanding that she produce evidence. She was so angry that she had a headache. It was only after her husband bought her another pure gold bracelet that the matter was settled.
Business was slow at the shop back then, and her husband used half of the proceeds to buy her a bracelet, which she remembers very clearly.