He stayed in the Taoist temple with the female ghost on his back after learning her true identity.
Ning Wei, curious at the time, often snuck a peek.
This man, known as the Lock King, could open any lock. The female ghost on his back was the love of his life.
Because he helped someone open a lock that should not have been opened, his wife was maliciously murdered.
His wife, knowing that everything originated from the Lock King, turned into a vengeful spirit and pressed down on him every day.
Upon realizing this, the Lock King took the female ghost and lived behind the Taoist temple. He stopped opening locks for others and instead farmed and raised chickens.
Unfortunately, the female ghost continuously absorbed his essence. When he was on the verge of death, he finally begged Ning Wei to help him appease his vengeful spirit wife.
Ning Wei complied, as the Lock King was one of her masters, albeit one who taught her the art of lock picking.
The moment the female ghost vanished, the Lock King also departed from this world with satisfaction.
Ning Wei, still young and unable to comprehend, ran to her master and asked, "Why did he wait until his death to ask us to appease the vengeful spirit?"
Her master stroked her head, "It was naturally because of love. He wanted to spend more time with her, no matter the cost."
"Then why did he ask me to appease the vengeful spirit before he died?" Ning Wei asked again.
Her master continued, "It was because he feared that after his death, the female ghost would harm others and face an even more tragic fate. Everything was for her sake."
Ning Wei couldn't understand such emotions, having grown up in a loveless family.
It was only after coming to the Taoist temple that Ning Wei felt a sense of humanity.
She thought the skills she learned from the Lock King would have no use, but unexpectedly, they came in handy so soon.
To Ning Wei's surprise, the moment the lock was opened, the woman relocked it herself.
Ning Wei looked at her in astonishment.
The woman whispered into her ear, "Trapped in hell, there is no escape!"
Ning Wei retorted, "With me here, this is not hell! Even a hundred vengeful spirits would be no match for me!"
The woman fell silent, and instead wrote a single character, "escape," in Ning Wei's palm.
As the two were locked in a stalemate, Li Bai suddenly came out to use the restroom.
He stumbled out groggily, not noticing the pigpen area at all.
But the woman still used her frail body to shield Ning Wei.
Li Bai urinated by the edge of the courtyard and returned to his room.
Ning Wei wanted to continue picking locks, but was stopped by the woman, who told her that in three days, the village would hold a mass wedding.
At that time, they would all be tied up and sold to the highest bidder, taken to the bridal chamber that same day. So, before the time came, she asked Ning Wei to help her and her classmates escape.
"Even like this, you still think of others?" Ning Wei found it somewhat amusing.
The woman gnashed her teeth, "Leave. The only reason I'm lingering here to survive is so I can tear their throats out myself in the future!"
Ning Wei became excited upon hearing this. So, this woman was planning revenge!
No wonder she could fight with pigs for food and feign madness.
Ning Wei had originally planned to help these abducted women escape in the next couple of days, but she didn't expect their hatred to run deeper than she imagined.
Revenge was her favorite. Ning Wei immediately whispered a few words into the woman's ear and then left.
Through the woman's introduction, Ning Wei learned about other women who, harboring the same hatred, were waiting for an opportunity here. That night was incredibly busy for her, involving probing and discussing plans.
After she had visited every household in the village, the moon grew increasingly lonely.
She leaped from the outside onto the windowsill, and then landed on the bed, the entire process seamless.
Fortunately, nothing happened tonight; otherwise, she truly feared Mei Nan and the others wouldn't have been able to handle it.
By morning, Ning Wei was up very early. She helped the village chief's wife cook at the kitchen entrance and then explained her plan to her.
The village chief's wife's hands occasionally paused, further proving that she was feigning deafness.
As usual, the passengers gathered at the village chief's house for a meeting after all the villagers had gone to the fields.
Ning Wei simply told everyone, "In two days, I guarantee we can all leave together. For now, we need to maintain normalcy."
Soon, it was time for the village chief's promised sacrifice. Ning Wei had also made thorough preparations the night before.
The village chief sat waiting in the courtyard early, accompanied by his eldest son. A pregnant woman also appeared in the kitchen.
Ning Wei looked at the pregnant woman in surprise. She was extremely thin, yet her belly was protruding greatly, as if all her nourishment had gone to the child.
More terrifyingly, the skin exposed on her body was bruised and purplish, especially around one eye socket, which was as swollen as a panda's, clearly the result of a heavy blow.
The village chief's wife secretly gave her a boiled egg. The woman devoured it ravenously, even choking and pounding her chest.
It was Ning Wei who scooped a ladle of water for her to swallow, otherwise, she might have passed out immediately.
After the pregnant woman could finally breathe freely, she immediately looked at the person who had given her water.
She saw a radiant young girl, and her eyes flickered. She instinctively shielded her belly.
Ning Wei said nothing and turned to leave the kitchen.
Everyone had assembled in the courtyard. The village chief sat aside drinking tea, his eyes darting around as he counted the numbers.
He had to ensure that everything went smoothly today; any mistake would bring a devastating calamity upon this village!
Fortunately, everyone from the history department was present.
"Let's go, the sacrifice is about to begin," the village chief called out, beckoning everyone to move outside. His two sons walked at the very rear, as if fearing someone might try to escape.
The sacrifice took place in the village's drying ground. Corn and chili peppers hung around, making the entire sacrificial site look exceedingly meager.
It seemed they weren't going to maintain any pretense any longer. Ning Wei felt a surge of excitement. Was the mystery finally about to be unveiled? She was truly looking forward to it.
As they approached, they noticed that all the villagers had gathered.
When they saw the group of students approaching, they deliberately made way, offering them the best seats.
After the passengers had taken their positions, the villagers behind them slowly began to move, subtly encircling all the passengers.
The village chief delivered a brief opening speech on the platform and then invited the group of students, led by Ning Wei, to come up.
Although Ning Wei had repeatedly told them beforehand to cooperate with the villagers and that she could guarantee their safety,
when things reached this point, the women still fell into disarray.
Two women tried to retreat, only to be blocked by two very stout men behind them.