Chapter 118: I Don’t Worship Nor Pray to Any Gods

As the bus moved, the little girl fell asleep lying in Ye Chen’s embrace after playing games for a little while. Soon, it got a little boring on the bus.

 Just when Ye Chen was going to shut his eyes to rest, a young man sitting in front of him who looked rather handsome took the initiative to ask, “Hi, guys. Let me introduce myself. My name is Luo Qing. Are you guys going to the grassland?”

 Although he seemed to be asking everyone, he had his eyes trained on Xiao Ya next to Ye Chen.

 “Why are you asking something so unnecessary? Who would come to this godforsaken place that has nothing if not for the grassland?” a lady in heavy makeup with a mole on her chin said angrily.

 She then added, “Oh yeah, I’m Wu Yan. A douchebag just cheated on me, so I thought I’d get some fresh air out here.”

 “M-my name is Zhang Daniu. I’m here to fulfill my sister’s dream.” The honest-looking young man with flattop hair sitting next to Ye Chen smiled carefully. He shook the white urn covered in red cloth that he carried with him.

 “Is that an urn? Are you crazy? You’re bringing an urn with you. Aren’t you worried that it might bring you bad luck?” Wu Yan was frightened at that moment while she condemned him out loud.

 Besides Wu Yan, even Luo Qing was scared. Ye Chen could not help but peek at Zhang Daniu although he said nothing.

 Zhang Daniu scratched his head and smiled in an apologetic manner. “Don’t be afraid, you guys. My sister was a nice person. She’ll be a kind ghost even after her death and she won’t hurt anyone.

 “My sister worked at a textile factory and was killed in a fire in the factory. Since young, she always wanted to go to the Hulunbeier Grassland, but our family is poor, so we can’t afford the ticket to Inner Mongolia. That’s why I’m taking my sister to see the Wumeng Grassland.”

 “It sounds like you and your sister were pretty close.” Luo Qing took over the conversation. However, there was a faint disdain in his eyes.

 Zhang Daniu nodded. “Of course. Our family is poor and my father passed away when we were young. In order to send me to school, my sister started working since she was 15. Sadly, I’m useless so I quit school after high school.”

 There were tears in his eyes as he spoke. He seemed to have recalled something sorrowful.

 “Alright, stop crying. It’s already bad luck that you’re holding an urn. Now, you’re crying like you’re at a funeral. You’re killing my vacation mood.” Wu Yan waved immediately to stop him.

 Zhang Daniu wiped his tears away with his sleeve. He dared not cry, but his eyes were red.

 Ye Chen glimpsed at Wu Yan and secretly shook his head. This person had a pointy mouth and thin lips. She seemed mean and probably deserved being cheated on.

 “Brother, why don’t you introduce yourself?” Luo Qing shifted the subject towards Ye Chen and his daughter. He glanced at Xiao Ya next to Ye Chen secretly.

 Ye Chen said coldly, “Do I know you?”

 “You…” Luo Qing did not expect him to say that and was irritated.

 Wu Yan snickered. “Why are you like that? That’s the reason why we’re introducing ourselves.”

 “I’m sorry. I’m not interested in knowing any of you, so I’ll skip the self-introduction!” Ye Chen shook his head.

 ‘This person is so arrogant!’

 Luo Qing and Wu Yan looked at each other. The duo, who initially did not know each other, was instantly on the same side.

 “I wonder what’s the name of this beautiful lady. I wonder if I’ll have the opportunity to get to know you.” Luo Qing smiled kindly as he looked at Xiao Ya in a chivalrous manner.

 To him, with his good looks and chivalry, he would most probably succeed in this flirting game.

 However, Xiao Ya merely glanced at him coldly. “I’ve got my face mask and sunglasses on. May I know how would you know that I’m beautiful?”

 “Uhh…” Luo Qing was completely speechless.

 How could he explain that Xiao Ya was clearly a beautiful lady given his experience of flirting with many women?

 Seeing that he failed to answer that, Xiao Ya said in a neutral manner, “Since you can’t even answer that, it’s enough to prove that you’re a dishonest person.”

 Luo Qing was offended.

 “Brother, I think this lady is right.”

 The overly honest Zhang Daniu scratched his head and said while looking at Luo Qing in all seriousness, “She wears a face mask and sunglasses, so how would you know that she’s beautiful?”

 “Shut your mouth!” Luo Qing glared at him coldly. He labeled him a hillbilly secretly. What would this hillbilly know about flirting?

 Zhang Daniu shut his mouth immediately after being yelled at. He dared not speak again, but he was still thinking about his question earlier.

 At that moment, the little girl, who was sleeping soundly in Ye Chen’s embrace, kicked Zhang Daniu accidentally. Ye Chen turned his head to smile in an apologetic manner. “I’m sorry.”

 “Don’t worry, brother. Your daughter is so cute.” Zhang Daniu patted at the mud on his thigh, not minding it at all.

 Ye Chen said kindly, “Let’s be friends. I’m Ye Chen and this is my daughter. You can call her Mengmeng.”

 Among the few of them on the bus, he liked Zhang Daniu the most. He was pure though a little too honest.

 “Nice meeting you, Brother Chen. My name’s Zhang Daniu.” Zhang Daniu smiled, showing his teeth.

 The atmosphere on the bus grew stale again.

 The bus only stopped three hours after traveling across the bumpy mountain road.

 Huang Lin started screaming into the megaphone, “Everybody, we’re here! We’ve arrived at Sige Village. Don’t push each other. Please queue to get off the bus. Let the elderly and the women get off first.

 “Don’t wander around when you guys are out there. We’re still more than 16 kilometers away from Wumeng Grassland. Let’s visit the local temple first!”

 Ye Chen remained still. He only looked at Xiao Ya next to him and said after everyone had got off the bus, “You go ahead.”

 “Thanks!” Xiao Ya thanked him and left. Meanwhile, her bodyguard glanced at Ye Chen expressionlessly before following her.

 Ye Chen woke the little girl up and got off the bus while carrying her. He realized that they were at a square. Meanwhile, there were stone stairs that led upwards at the end of the square.

 There was a temple at the end of the stone steps and many tourists were walking towards it with their partners.

 Huang Lin began introducing the place as he pointed at the temple after climbing the stone steps with all of his strength, “Everybody, we’re filling the bus tank and it will take some time.

 “Since we’re here, let’s visit this Guanghong Temple. The locals say that it makes your dream come true, especially in marriage and fertility. It’s free to enter. Just donate anything you’d like for the incense.”

 The people complained at first, but they soon followed the crowd to the temple with their spirits lifted when they heard that the entrance was free.

 “Brother, are you going?” Zhang Daniu walked over while carrying the urn. He said, feeling inspired, “I’d like to see if I’ll meet my sister in our next life.”

 “I don’t worship nor pray to any gods.”

 As Ye Chen smiled and attempted to reject him, the little girl in his embrace interrupted, “Daddy, Mengmeng wants to see it. Mengmeng has never seen a Bodhisattva before.”

 Ye Chen could only say yes to her.

 At that moment, Xiao Ya walked over and said while smiling, “Ye Chen, go with this brother. There’s something that I need to work out. I’ll meet you later when we’re departing. I’m sorry.”

 Then, she led her bodyguard to the other side of the square.

 “Let’s go, brother.”

 Ye Chen took a good look at the bodyguard before going up the stairs with Zhang Daniu.

 …

 In a farmhouse, the door was shut right after Xiao Ya and the bodyguard entered.

 The bodyguard slapped her cheek and said with a scoff, “How dare you disobey me?”

 Xiao Ya retreated a few steps back and cried while covering her face, “Uncle Li, I’m begging you. Please don’t hurt Ye Chen and his daughter. As long as you don’t do anything to them, I’ll go back to Miao Village with you.”

 “Don’t you forget who you are. Your job is to serve the Black Miao Tribe’s high priest of the generation, including your soul and your body!” Uncle Li said with a grim expression, “Moreover, there’s the gu that the high priest planted in your body. If you dare disobey him, the high priest will have 100 ways to torture you. You’ll wish that you’re dead by then!”

 “But Ye Chen and his daughter are innocent. Uncle Li, can you let them go?” Xiao Ya knelt hard on the ground and grabbed his legs tightly.

 “What do you know?” Uncle Li kicked her away. “I realized that Ye’s daughter has blood and flesh that are purer than most people’s when we were on the bus. She’s the best candidate to be the gu vessel. By then, there’ll be a new gu king in our Black Miao Tribe!”

 Xiao Ya’s pretty face turned pale and fear filled her face.

 The so-called gu vessel was a human vessel whereby the person would have all four limbs bound and a hole would be created in his head. The selected gu species would be poured in after that.

 The gu species were all poisonous toads, spiders, snakes, and the like. As soon as it entered a human body, it would suck the person’s blood essence, leaving nothing. The whole experience would be hell for the victim.

 “Go.”

 Uncle Li took a red bottle out from his pocket and tossed it at Xiao Ya. “Pour this gu into their drink and get the father and daughter to drink it.”