JM Chapter15

I was stunned. “Yes, you must have known. They are also looking for your village. Although I don’t know the reason, they were armed with guns and kidnapped Saibang and me before. They must have bad intentions. Tribe Leader must be more cautious during this period. Have you called the police? If you have a phone, I would like to borrow it to contact my parents and let them know that I am safe.”

 

The tribe leader narrowed his eyes and smiled even more deeply. His face was obviously very kind, but his eyes somehow reminded me of some animal, like a mountain fox or a snake.

 

“We don’t have a telephone here, but since Xiao Ah Lang wants to let them know that you’re safe, we can ask the transportation official in the village to take the letter out for you. Do you think that’s fine?”

 

“Ah, sure.” I nodded. It seemed that they had chosen a new transportation official. It would not be a problem for them to send me out of the village. Thinking of the driver who was the previous transportation official and became a ‘corpse slave’, I felt a chill in my heart. “By the way, Tribe Leader, in the forest a few days ago, I met—”

 

“Bang!” There was a loud noise behind me. I was startled. I looked back and found that Tai Wu had fainted again. I hurriedly helped him up. But I felt his hand pinching my thigh tightly. I saw his eyes half open, looked at me, and then closed them immediately. My heart skipped a beat, and I had a vague guess.

 

I’m afraid that the existence of “corpse slaves” cannot be easily told to outsiders.

 

“Master Taiwu?” I pretended to pinch his philtrum. “Why are you fainting again?”

 

“Just now, what did you say you encountered?”

 

The tribe leader’s voice came from behind. I let out an ‘Oh’, “I met, met Lord Shaman. He is a very kind man. He personally sent me back. I also want to thank him.”

 

There was a moment of silence, and then my shoulders felt heavy and were covered by a hand: “You will have a chance to thank him. Xiao Ah Lang, speaking of this, we need your help for our ritual ceremony.”

 

I was a little surprised: “Ritual ceremony? I can help?”

 

“Yes, if Xiao Ah Lang can help, it will also benefit the God Lord… Lord Shaman, and he would surely be very pleased.”

 

It could make Tunshe Nalin happy?

 

On the way down the mountain with the tribe leader, I learned from Sangbuluo’s explanation that this ritual ceremony is the grand annual event of the Nashe tribe. It is held to express their devotion to their God Lord. Every year when winter arrives, a ‘Goddess Consort’ is sent into the forest to hold the divine marriage ceremony. Before the ceremony, the tribe’s shaman will summon the gods in advance, allowing the deity to possess them and marry the Goddess Consort on behalf of the God Lord.

 

Because it is merely a ceremonial event, the person playing the ‘Goddess Consort’ must dress elaborately, wearing the heavy and intricate attire of a consort. Before being sent off, they must also drink strong liquor and spend a night in the forest, which can be extremely exhausting. Since women might not have the physical strength to endure this, the role of the ‘Goddess Consort’ has always been played by young unmarried men from the tribe.

 

It is said that this year’s ‘Goddess Consort’ was supposed to be played by Saibang, but because he fell ill with a fever and was bedridden and all the other young men of the appropriate age in the tribe were already married, having them play the role of the Goddess Consort might be seen as desecrating the divine power, so after much deliberation, they had no choice but to find me, an outsider, to take on this important task.

 

Looking at the lively scene of every household in the village decorated with lanterns, I scratched the back of my neck. Dressing up as a woman? Although it feels a bit strange… but it’s no big deal, I’ll just treat it as a cosplay for fun. I can repay the favor and also help Tunshe Nalin, so why not?

 

I asked the tribe leader, “As an outsider, wouldn’t it be violating your God Lord’s taboos?”

 

“It’s fine.” Seeing the tribe leader smile and shake his head, I became curious and asked, “Then how did you know I’m unmarried? What if I’m already married?”

 

The clan leader’s smile remained, and his murky eyes glanced at me, his gaze slithering across my face like a snake. “The moment I saw you, I knew. Xiao Ah Lang, these eyes of yours are like a fox’s—fated for romance, but cold-hearted. No one can tie you down. You don’t look like someone who’s already married.”

 

No one can tie me down… his words made it sound as though I had a rich love history, but in reality, I had only been in two relationships, both with muses. The first one hadn’t truly started; it ended without any resolution because I refused to settle for the university he had been accepted into. The second was Ming Luo.

 

Am I cold-hearted toward him? To be fair, I invested enough emotion and time into him, I simply didn’t want to sleep with my muse, nor did I want either of us to develop too much attachment to this relationship.

 

But Ming Luo, like an ordinary person, couldn’t understand it. The feelings I had for the muse I cherished were, in many ways, closer to the love I have for a piece of art than ordinary romantic love. Because I valued it, I didn’t want to cross that line and risk corrupting the relationship. The argument before we eventually parted ways was exactly because of this. He said I couldn’t give him a sense of security. Because he was seven years older than me, he was worried that one day when his looks faded, I would fall for someone else and find a new muse. Even though, for the past three years since I gained fame at twenty-one, I had neither painted anyone else nor even considered doing so.

 

If he were still alive, I would never have initiated the breakup. But I also couldn’t give him the outcome he wanted. To be honest, it was his impulsive proposal while drunk that truly scared me.

 

I never expected that, while he never forced me into bed, he would try to bind me with marriage.

 

Love is like inspiration, it is like fireworks in a flash, like clouds and smoke in a blink of an eye. It is enough to just seek brilliance for a moment and devote yourself to it. I don’t understand why people pursue marriage, why they want to enter a confining cage, binding themselves together for life. It’s nothing more than weaving oneself into a trap.

 

Just like my adoptive parents, who grew to resent each other but, out of a sense of obligation to maintain the dignity of both families, refused to divorce. They remained bound together for life, from beginning to end, it is a true tragedy.

 

Someone like Tunshe Nalin, who holds a high position in the tribe and is accustomed to being revered and feared, probably, like me, would never be the type to want to bind someone else.

 

He must be the muse that suits my heart the most.

 

I thought so in my heart and couldn’t help asking, “Tribe Leader, if I play the role of the Goddess Consort, can I meet Tun… your Lord Shaman?”

 

“Of course. Didn’t I just tell you that Lord Shaman is going to act as the bridegroom on behalf of the God Lord?”

 

“Then wait, I’ll go get the paint first.” As I was about to turn back, Sambuluo grabbed my hand tightly. “Tai Wu will bring it to you. Xiao Ah Lang, come with us to change into the ceremonial attire. If we’re late, the God Lord will be angry.”

 

“Gongya, Zanba, come over and help. Bring the Goddess Consort’s ceremonial attire and dress him in it.” He called out, and a few young men and women who were busy decorating the house doors smiled as they gathered around, surrounding me all the way to the tribe leader’s residence.

 

The tribe leader’s residence, though also a traditional Jiangsu type of house made of wood and stone, but it was much more spacious than those of the ordinary villagers. It had three stories, with a roof resembling a giant tent, coated in gold paint that shimmered in the sunlight. The door was double-leafed and intricately carved, yet the door was low, only half the height of a person, and it was adorned with copper wind chimes.

 

Having seen those “corpse slaves,” and now looking at this short door, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease—who would have believed that the legends of low doors in the Jiangsu region, linked to the rising corpses, were actually true?

 

Bending down to enter, I was once again startled by the scene inside. Red threads stretched down from the tent-like roof, crisscrossing above my head, and were adorned with countless wind chimes.

 

“There’s a type of monkey in these mountains that likes to steal things in the middle of the night. These wind chimes are to keep them away.” The tribe leader chuckled, as if noticing my puzzled expression, and explained.

 

I smiled faintly, pretending to be curious as I looked around, not daring to ask any more questions—if the corpse slave was a taboo in their tribe, and I let something slip, it might end up causing trouble for Tai Wu.

 

Passing through the front yard and entering the inner courtyard, the light dimmed. The first thing that caught my eye was a shrine.

 

I lifted my gaze, and the deity statue on the shrine sat cross-legged on a base resembling a jasmine flower. Its skin was pale, with its hands forming a downward gesture, and its brow and eyes were covered by golden tassels. The statue seemed almost identical to the one in the cave temple, except this one was a smaller version. Finally, I was able to glimpse half of its true face beneath the golden veil—

 

Its lips were split all the way to the ears, exposing a mouth filled with sharp, menacing fangs. A forked tongue flickered like a serpent’s, while vein-like markings covered its arms, twisting and curling like foreign runes. The sight was eerily unsettling and deeply terrifying.

 

I knew this was their “Corpse God Lord.” A tingling sensation ran across my scalp, and I quickly averted my gaze. Unease crept through me—would playing the role of the Goddess Consort, married to the Corpse God Lord, bring misfortune? But the thought of pleasing Tunshe Nalin and earning the chance to stay by his side, painting him freely, slowly strengthened my resolve.

 

“I’ll leave this Xiao Ah Lang to you guys, don’t waste time.”

 

After saying this, the tribe leader leaned on his crutches and went upstairs from the stairs above the shrine.

 

The following period of time was a bit awkward for me.

 

It was the first time for me to be helped by several men and women in such a private matter as bathing. It was just like being a concubine in ancient times entering the palace to serve the emperor. Even my hair and fingernails were not spared. After washing and soaking in a bathtub filled with camellia petals, they burned incense, applied oil, trimmed my nails, and shaved all my body hair clean. To be honest, even the most high-end spa I have ever experienced was not so meticulous.

 

Just as I was drowsy, I felt a slight sting in my chest, like fine needles pricking at my skin. I barely opened my eyes and saw that it was Tai Wu, holding a fine brush, painting on my chest. The design was a cluster of blooming red camellia.

 

“Master Taiwu… what are you doing?”

 

Why does it seem like he’s tattooing me? I propped myself up but was pushed down again, and then I noticed that the village’s priest, Sangbuluo, was standing on the other side. His expression was indifferent, and his grip was strong. “Don’t be afraid, this is the bridal mark for the Goddess Consort. After a while, it will fade.”

 

“Oh…” I looked down at my chest, recalling how Indian women often use henna leaves to create ‘mehndi’ tattoos when they get married. It seemed this ‘bridal mark’ was a similar custom.

 

“Xiao Ah Lang really is well-built, with skin so fair and soft, even more beautiful than the young women.”

 

Hearing Gongya’s laughter, my cheeks became hot, and I pulled up the white cloth covering my crotch. I saw the branches and leaves growing under Tai Wu’s brush. The red camellia were centered on my chest, blooming to the clavicle, shoulders, and back to the chest. However, the bottom was painted with human skeletons. The head of a vulture poked out from the flowers, and its sharp beak happened to fall on my heart, as if it wanted to devour it.

 

The entire ‘bridal mark’ was both beautiful and eerie. Tai Wu’s brushstrokes flowed like water, with intricate lines that complemented the natural texture and structure of the human body, far more dynamic than on paper or canvas. I couldn’t help but admire Tai Wu’s skill in painting. “Master Taiwu… you’re amazing.”

 

Tai Wu was painting the vulture’s eye when he heard my praise, and his hand trembled slightly.

 

He lowered his head, and the light grew dimmer, casting his face in shadow. I couldn’t make out his expression, but for some reason, I could sense a heavy pressure around him, as if his mood was extremely downcast.

 

“Alright, once you’re done, you can leave. You’ve worked hard, Tai Wu.” Seeing Tai Wu set down his brush, Sangbuluo instructed, “Gongya, Zanba, the rest will be left to you.”

 

After Tai Wu left with Sangbuluo, I was helped up and pulled to the mirror table in the room.

 

When I looked in the mirror, my scalp went numb.

 

I had just bathed, and my skin was glowing with moisture. The bright red camellia flowers bloomed on my chest and collarbone, making me appear almost like a demon, radiating an indescribable… enchanting allure. It was hard for me to look at myself with the eyes of someone admiring a work of art; the person in the mirror seemed so unfamiliar. Yet, Gunya continued to apply a light layer of powder on me, darkened my lips a little, added vermilion to the mole at the corner of my eye, and even attached a camellia petal there.

 

Fortunately, this was deep in the mountains, and no one saw me like this. I really couldn’t appreciate myself like this, so I simply closed my eyes and let them mess with me like a doll.

 

When will this end?

 

Forget it, I will endure it in order to paint Tunshe Nalin.

 

The author has something to say:

Our Ranran is going to be tricked into getting married like this~The marriage mark cannot be washed away either!

The next chapter will be the formal wedding ceremony hehehehehehe!