HTCYH Ch 10

Chapter 10: Tying the Doll

Due to Tu Si’s unexpected action, all three people present were lost in their own thoughts.

Tu Si had finally tasted the delicacy he had long dreamed of and was now quite satisfied. As he had suspected, Wuming’s blood was brimming with spiritual energy and tasted exceptionally sweet.

After bandaging the wound, Wuming spoke again, inviting Tu Si to team up and explore, and to attend Dong Hong’s “Marrying the God” ritual that evening.

Tu Si naturally had no objections. His thoughts were entirely consumed by the wound on Wuming’s index finger, and he was already imagining taking a few more sneaky bites the next time Wuming got injured.

The three of them strolled aimlessly around the courtyard. During the walk, Tu Si brought up a topic, testing the waters: “In this game world, if other players kill solo players like me, would you step in? And if I killed them, would you arrest me?”

Wuming, leading the way, didn’t answer. Fang Xia turned to glance at Tu Si, smiling with the sunny demeanor of a cheerful girl, but her words were, “We’re just investigators, not enforcers. Sure, our captain Wuming isn’t fond of killing, but don’t mistake him for a saint who saves people selflessly. As for investigators from the other teams—you’ve seen them. Best to keep your distance. No one playing this game is normal, so look out for yourself.”

Tu Si took the opportunity to ask Fang Xia about the game’s regulatory department and tried to subtly gauge Wuming’s combat capabilities. But Fang Xia’s responses were skillfully vague—offering harmless gossip and brushing off anything important. In the end, Tu Si didn’t manage to gather any useful intel. Internally, he cursed: “All foxes. One more cunning than the last!”

As they chatted, Tu Si looked up and once again saw the charred peach tree that had been burned. He had a nagging feeling that something wasn’t right, but couldn’t pinpoint the problem. He stopped walking and stared blankly at the dark red hue on the tree’s crown.

Wuming, noticing that Tu Si had fallen behind, paused and turned back, following Tu Si’s gaze. He didn’t notice anything unusual but made no move to hurry Tu Si—just waited quietly for him to finish spacing out.

Suddenly, the environment around Tu Si became strangely quiet. The sound of wind rustling through the leaves followed a rhythm, as if someone had pressed pause on the world, only to play white noise through a speaker again. Tu Si felt trapped in a meticulously arranged space, which made him uneasy and irritable.

Strange fragments of memory flashed through his mind, but vanished quickly. Tu Si tried to focus on them but could only see fleeting mist. As he struggled to peel back the fog, he was stunned by the scene before him—a vast, endless grove of peach trees in full bloom, swaying and beckoning under the moonlight, luring one to explore deeper.

“Moonlight?” Tu Si stared at it, knowing deep down something was off. It wasn’t supposed to be night; there shouldn’t be a moon.

But that thought slipped away just as quickly. In a blink, the scene felt entirely normal again—time seemed correct, and the rustling leaves created a peaceful serenity. At the entrance to the grove, a pile of pristine white bones sat quietly beneath a tree, staring at Tu Si.

Unconsciously, Tu Si reached out to touch the luminous skeleton, which slowly raised an arm and grasped his right hand, leading him deeper into the peach grove.

Suddenly, he felt himself being yanked out by an external force. A flash of white light cleared his mind instantly.

His vision snapped back. A sharp peach tree branch was positioned exactly at throat level—had he taken one more step, his neck would’ve been impaled.

Tu Si blinked and followed the direction of his right hand—it was Wuming who had pulled him back. In his left hand, he now held an intricately crafted doll.

The doll’s face was delicately carved, lips slightly curled in a mysterious smile, and its deep-set eyes seemed to see right into a person’s soul. It was wrapped in a miniature silk quilt embroidered in golden thread with scriptures from the “Three Lives Rebirth Sutra” used for pacifying infant spirits.

“Are you okay?” Fang Xia spoke up. She had wanted to approach when Tu Si began spacing out, but Wuming had stopped her. She had watched as Tu Si dazedly reached into the burned tree trunk and pulled out an item, only to nearly walk into the sharp branch. Since her captain made no move, she hadn’t dared act on her own. It wasn’t until Wuming pulled Tu Si back that she dared step forward.

Tu Si shook his head and lowered his gaze to the doll in his hands, his expression dark. He took out the bronze mirror and saw:

[Mission Three: Free Exploration, Find Map Clues (3/3)]

Centennial Peach Tree

The hundred-year-old peach tree bloomed as promised. Peach tree, peach blossoms, peach, tao, tao—escape.

Tu Si swiped the mirror interface to the inventory screen:

[Tied Doll: Many children, much blessing; mother and child safe. What woman wouldn’t want a child of her own?]

Fang Xia happened to glance at the item description and stumbled backward several steps in shock. “I’m a girl and I don’t want this! That doll’s curse is terrifying—keep it away from me!”

Tu Si glanced at her, then looked back at the doll and said, “A tied doll is a folk custom, right? Like a fertility charm. But why would the quilt on this doll be embroidered with scriptures for pacifying spirits?”

Fang Xia shrugged and shook her head repeatedly. “Who knows? Creepy stuff like this freaks me out. Just keep it away, okay?”

Wuming stared at the doll in silence for a while before speaking. “This is an important clue. Apart from the ghost marriage, it seems the bride may have experienced other curses or seals.”

Tu Si said nothing more, offering the doll to Wuming. Wuming froze, tilting his head to look at Tu Si. Tu Si tilted his head back. The two held that pose for a few seconds before Tu Si asked again, “You don’t want it?”

Wuming asked, “Why would I need that thing?”

Tu Si said, “Didn’t you pull me out of the illusion for this doll?”

Wuming was at a loss for words. After a pause, he ground out, “If I hadn’t pulled you out, you’d have impaled your throat on that branch! What does this doll have to do with it?”

Tu Si blinked and said, “Ah! I thought you guys didn’t save people? You really don’t want the doll? Don’t be shy—just take it as your reward for saving me.”

Wuming took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “You’re such a solo player! Keep the damn doll yourself. Giving me cursed junk like that—what are you, trying to pay back kindness with harm?”

Tu Si pouted and said nothing. Since Wuming didn’t want it, he didn’t insist and obediently tucked the doll into his chest.

Meanwhile, Fang Xia was nearly choking on laughter, her giggles sounding like a mouse sneaking rice.

Somehow, the mission for free exploration had been completed. Tu Si was still confused by the significance of the final location. The three of them aimlessly wandered the estate, discussing their experiences. Along the way, they ran into the young girl Rui Qiuyue and the blond-haired Yang Huahao, who were also exploring as a team. The two groups briefly exchanged clues.

During this time, Tu Si finally learned the identity of the headless ghost woman—Wu Chenghui was indeed one of the players, and she had been a couple with the burly Wei Zhuang in real life. Now both of them were dead. It wasn’t clear whether it was coincidence or conspiracy. What made Tu Si most speechless was that Wei Zhuang had repeatedly abused Wu Chenghui, yet she always begged for forgiveness. Yes, begged—not for her to forgive him, but for him to forgive her! What kind of demonic love story was that? Tu Si wore the face of a gossip-hungry spectator and nearly bit Wuming’s hand again as he recalled how the man had once untangled his hair.

Finally, the sun set, casting red light across the sky. The little boys emerged again from who knows where and appeared before the group, leading them back to the main hall.

The central hall had been decorated festively. Bright red lanterns hung high, firecrackers and gongs sounded loudly, and the atmosphere was celebratory. But within this ghostly manor, the cheerful wedding decorations only made the scene more eerie and unsettling than the ghost marriage earlier.

Just as Tu Si sat down, the joyful tune “Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix” began to play outside. The cheerful mood surged as four paper effigies carried a lavish red bridal sedan chair into the courtyard. A voice, as if from a loudspeaker, echoed from all directions:

“By the will of Heaven, and the harmony of Earth, in accordance with the ancestors’ wishes and the consent of the two hearts, today these two families unite in matrimony and vow before the heavens and their forebears. Present the groom. Present the bride.”

Dong Hong, unseen all day, entered from the side door wearing a bright red scholar’s robe and took his place in the center of the hall. A paper matchmaker lifted the sedan curtain, took one end of a red silk ribbon, and led the bride out.

The bride was brought to Dong Hong’s side. A beautiful woman in a phoenix crown and ceremonial robes beside a slick, greasy-faced, plump groom—it was revolting to Tu Si, who dropped his gaze and began staring blankly at Wuming’s index finger instead.

“First bow to Heaven and Earth: may the family be harmonious and all things prosper, with everlasting happiness.

Second bow to the parents: show the deep gratitude of sons and daughters of China.

Husband and wife bow to each other: a bow for today’s groom and bride, with a heart full of reverence.”

Tu Si thought the wedding host was quite professional, with practiced phrasing and ritualistic cadence. After the third bow, the voice continued:

“Lift the bridal veil. First lift—clear brows and bright eyes. Second lift—rosy lips and pearly teeth. Third lift—behold a beauty unmatched. With the pen raised high, write the heavens’ blessing for this union. From this moment on, the families are bound in eternal matrimony. As the nuptial wine reaches the heart, Heaven and Earth and man are one.

Ceremony complete! Escort them to the bridal chamber!”

When the veil was lifted, Tu Si finally saw the bride’s face—and was shocked. The bride was actually alive! No longer a finely crafted paper figure, but a delicate and gentle young woman who resembled the Guanyin statue at the Matchmaker Temple by ninety percent. Only, her features were more graceful and demure—not as flamboyantly beautiful.

Tu Si was momentarily stunned by the bride’s appearance. Meanwhile, Dong Hong’s grin grew even more lascivious, his eyes roving over the bride’s body while he rubbed his hands together like a greasy fly.

After the veil was lifted, the bride actually showed a hint of shyness, lowering her head and nervously twisting her handkerchief while peeking timidly at Dong Hong. At this point, Dong Hong’s smile nearly split his face. He scooped up the bride and jogged out of the main hall, the red-clad boy bowing and leading him into the master bedroom.

Once Dong Hong entered, the boy bowed deeply again and closed the door. The moment the door shut, all the celebratory music stopped abruptly, and the main hall fell silent enough to hear a pin drop.

The five people inside exchanged glances, all wanting to speak but hesitating. In the end, they watched the eight little boys enter in a neat line, and said no more, quietly returning to their rooms with the children.