Yay guys! A new novel which I’ve decided to translate. I’ll only be posting chapter 1 of this novel for now, but if the thoughts of this novel is good, I’ll continue to translate this together with my other project. Also I would really need an editor for this novel, and also more translators for the other projects that we’re working on!!!
Anyway, here’s chapter 1! Hope you guys like it!
My name is Ronghua. I am 20 years old this year and is still in my teenage years.
However, this teenage period was not a great one for me. It was filled with an endless cycle of nightmares that continued to hara.s.s me.
My hometown is a village in a remote mountainous area that is near a water body. But in that village lies a dark rumor; a rumor that was completely opposite of the beautiful landscape the area had to offer.
It was said that the village was built on the boundary between two worlds; h.e.l.l and the Mortal World.
And what’s more, the “Gates of h.e.l.l” was situated at the very position the village was at.
The old witch in the village constantly brainwashed the villagers that in every five years, an eighteen-year-old girl must be offered to Hades, the King of h.e.l.l, as his bride; otherwise, the gates of h.e.l.l would open and the spirits from the other side of the gate would come through.
The villagers were entirely convinced, and among them were the older generations of my family, especially my grandparents.
Thinking back to the girl before whom was sent into the small hut; when she was lifted out and the coffin lid was raised, the girl’s whole body was covered in bruises, especially the lower parts of her body. It was simply an uncomfortable sight.
At that time, I was still young and did not understand what I had witnessed. However, that scene was deeply engraved in my mind. Of course, it had also not crossed my mind that the next in line was me.
Making bridal offerings to Hades was a custom in the small village which had remained for hundreds of years. And to protect this secret, there were never many outsiders visiting the village.
As for me, I am honored that among the other offerings in this hundred-year history, I was the only one who married Hades and still lived to tell the tale, even till now. As for the other brides that were offered to Hades, most of them died on the wedding night; only a small number had managed to survive. But even still, they were not able to last for even a week.
After an uncomfortable event, my parents brought me away from the village and into the city. They were extremely protective of me and cared for me, and all they ever wished for was for me to forget about that night.
Two years went by. I thought I could forget and live an ordinary life, but never would I have imagined that the event that had happened that night would repeatedly surface in my dreams!
Even now when I take a nap on a plane, I was still not spared. Everything was so real, and the event was like a broken drama repeating over and over again; that tender and cold sensation; the waves of throbbing pain in my secret place…
As well as the noise from outside the little black hut.
Those superst.i.tious villagers were singing a strange song and I was listening; their voices were filled with terror and the tune was eerie, as if there was a woodwind instrument accompaniment. There was also the voice of the old witch’s incarnation and I could also hear the roars of my parents.
At last, the plane landed and I desperately walked down from the plane, and out of the airport, before welcoming the warm hug from my mother.
“Xiaohua, you’re finally back! How was your trip overseas? Was it fun?”
Aware that something was amiss, and seeing my pale face, she immediately held my hand in both of hers. She knew I was still affected by the shadow of that night’s event and embraced me tightly.
“My lil’ Hua, you must keep in mind that there is no such things as spirits and demons. The event that night… sorry; we were at wrong… for not being able to protect you.”
Although I had no idea who it was that set the village rules, all girls who were born in the village must return to conduct a ceremony.
And who knew that that would become the beginning of all my nightmares? My parents knew of the bridal offering, but because there was another eighteen-year-old girl in the village, my grandparents a.s.sured that it would never be my turn.
But in the end, fate went on to make me the unfortunate one. My parents were seized by a group of villagers, whereas I was dressed by a group of old hags with my eyes covered with a white veil. My body was then tied to a coffin and sent into the small black hut that only G.o.d knows how many eighteen-year-old girls had died in.
The time pa.s.sed slowly. Until the old witch stopped her chanting did the villagers released my parents. By then, they rushed madly into the hut and rescued me from the coffin.
Seeing the messy white clothes; the bruises I suffered on my arms and white thighs; my messy hair; and the white veil wet with tears, their heart ached.
My mother cried her heart out when she saw that I was still alive. My dad on the other hand was filled with resentment towards his relatives and the group of villagers. He made up his mind to bring me and my mother away from the small village, and would never return.
Whereas for me, I was scared silly, and my eyes were dilated as they stared into s.p.a.ce.
On my wrist wore a crimson jade bracelet; and carved on the bracelet was a flower that grows at the side of the River of Three Crossings; the flower that guides the dead —— Red Spider Lily.