The Village That Never Dies
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The village of Qinlu looked like a faded watercolor painting crafted by a mad artist. The leaning wooden houses, seemingly collapsing under the weight of memories, were adorned with red paper lanterns sagging beneath layers of dust. The shallow rivers encircling the village flowed with gray water, like the tears of an ancient god, and children played in the fields with bodies almost transparent—like ghosts. Here, in this place that resembled a forgotten dream, Lang Xian sat on a decaying tree stump, watching the young woman Lian Hua as she rocked her baby with golden eyes. The wind carried a familiar scent to him: a blend of mother's milk and the ashes of burnt bones.
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First Dialogue: The Stranger Who Knows All the Secrets
An old blind man approached him, his cane tapping the ground with a rhythm that resembled a sick heartbeat. His face was covered in blue tattoos that looked like star maps.
Blind Old Man: (In a voice like rustling autumn leaves)
"The wolf that lost its fangs… Do you think the village doesn't know who you are?"
Lang Xian: (Touching the hidden dagger beneath his tattered cloak)
"If you know me, why are you hosting me?"
Old Man: (Chuckles, a muffled laugh turning into a bloody cough)
"Because you're the reason the children here are born with golden eyes… and the reason they'll die as offerings."
Before he could respond, the old man vanished into a green fog that rose suddenly from the trees, leaving behind a black feather with words written in blood: "The Twelfth Night."
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New Memory: The Golden-Eyed Child's Riddle
Inside the small hut where Lian Hua lived, Lang Xian began noticing strange details:
The hut's walls were covered with hidden drawings of wolves turning into humans.
In the crib's corner, there was a wooden toy shaped like the statue of Helaion.
The child never cried… instead, he laughed when strong winds blew.
Lian Hua: (Casually, as she prepared tea)
"I named him Jin… like gold. Do you know why?"
Lang Xian: (Avoiding the child's gaze)
"Perhaps because his eyes shine like treasure."
Lian Hua: (Stepping closer, her hair smelling of musk and lead)
"No… because he was born the night the Immortal Wolf returned from the underworld."
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The Secret Ritual: Festival of Human Offerings
At nightfall, Lang Xian heard drums echoing from beneath the ground. He followed the sound to an abandoned well in the center of the village, where a spiral staircase led to a circular chamber. There, he witnessed a chilling scene:
The entire village had gathered around a black altar, dressed in white cloths marked with Helaion symbols. The child Jin was tied atop the altar with silver chains, and the blind old man stood beside him, holding a knife made of human bone.
Blind Old Man: (In a booming voice)
"Hungry Helaion… accept our final offering: the blood of the Immortal Wolf and his kin!"
Suddenly, the ground beneath Lang Xian collapsed, and bony hands dragged him downward.
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The New Underworld: The Realm of Talking Bones
Below, he found himself in a kingdom made entirely of fused human bones, shaped into complex geometry. The walls breathed, rib cages formed arches, and skulls whispered in a dead language. At the central throne sat Helaion in her true form: a woman with six arms, each ending in a mouth screaming in a different tongue.
Helaion: (In a voice combining baby cries and wolf howls)
"Finally… you've come to finish the game."
Before her, Jin was locked in a cage made of black light, while Lian Hua hung upside down, her blood dripping into a golden cup.
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The Eternal Battle: Ancestors vs. Descendants
The confrontation erupted like fire in a hayfield. Lang Xian discovered that the bones of the realm responded to his golden blood:
A skull transformed into a shield that blocked the attacks of moving skeletal beasts.
A spine turned into a sword dripping black poison.
But Helaion was stronger. One of her arms devoured his left arm, while another crushed Yun, the golden she-wolf who had appeared through a temporal gate.
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The Final Revelation: The Child Is the Key
In a moment of despair, Lang Xian looked at Jin. His golden eyes now glowed with pure white light… light that resembled what he once saw at the Temple of Light. The child laughed and spoke his first word:
"Dad…!"
The white light exploded from his tiny body, shattering the black-light cage. Helaion screamed as her arms began melting like wax.
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The Final Sacrifice: A Choice Between Blood and Gold
The blind old man, watching from the shadows, leaped at the child with his blade. For the first time in his life, Lang Xian chose not to kill. Instead, he embraced the old man and allowed the knife to pierce his heart.
His golden blood flowed, mixing with the old man's black blood. The ground cracked open, and the kingdom began to collapse.
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The Awakening in the Endless Loop: The Beginning That Never Ends
When he awoke, he was once again at the entrance of Qinlu village. Lian Hua was rocking her baby as if nothing had happened. But this time, he noticed changes:
The red paper lanterns were now black.
The children played with golden eyes but no pupils.
A version of himself watched from behind the trees… with one golden eye and one black.
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Before he could move, he heard the blind old man's voice whisper in his ear:
"The game will never end… because you are the one who made the rules."
Jin looked at him and laughed, and behind his laughter, the howls of golden wolves echoed from a world that no longer existed.