Shun turned to Granny Zhao with a dramatic bow."With your permission, Elder."
Granny Zhao's eyes narrowed, but after a moment, she gave a short, cold nod."Do it."
Shun grinned and approached the priest. The mask pulsed in his hands, but his expression remained calm and confident. He could feel the villagers watching in suspense.
"Now, now, Priest," he said, stepping close enough to make the man squirm. "If you're innocent, you'll have nothing to fear, right?" His smile widened, though his eyes stayed cold. "After all, what's the worst that could happen?"
The priest tried to step back, but the villagers closed in behind him, trapping him. Shun slowly placed the mask over his face, and the world shifted—fading into a swirling, black void.
Shun's voice changed. His playful tone vanished. Something else began to rise from within.
His body shook. His belly swelled like a balloon. Then, ghostly souls started pouring out of his mouth and through the holes of the mask.
The spirits of those the priest had wronged appeared around him, staring with cold, accusing eyes.
A weeping woman. A furious man. A starving child. All screaming of poison, rape, theft, betrayal. And behind them—an entire village worth of souls.
And then, Zhong Zhiqiang himself. His ghostly figure looked at Shun silently.
The villagers were horrified. But not a word was spoken. The heavy air choked everyone. Even they could hear the cries of the dead—and they couldn't hold back their tears.
Shun stood still, the mask raised high, his face grim.
The priest, now on his knees, was no longer focused on the villagers. His gaze was locked on something far more terrifying.
A shadow loomed over him, stretching across the square. It had no clear shape. It was enormous. Grotesque. A nightmare made of limbs.
Hundreds—no, thousands—of arms and legs. Some long and twisted. Some ending in rough, gnarled fingers. But the eyes… the eyes were the worst.
Each hand, each foot, had eyes—staring from the palms and soles. Watching him. Judging him.
And the limbs moved.
The hands reached for the priest. The eyes blinked. Legs crept forward, and with each step, more eyes stared at him.
The thing had no face. But soon, one began to form—many, actually. The hands merged, fusing into a terrible collage of demonic faces. Eyes. Mouths. All twisted in rage.
The priest trembled.
Each hand pointed at him. His sins had come to life. The air thickened with hatred, pressing down on him like a mountain.
And he understood.This wasn't a trick.This wasn't his imagination.
This was real.
His guilt had summoned it.
He fell to his knees, heart pounding, unable to look away from the eyes that bore into his soul.
"I... I confess," he whispered, voice barely audible beneath the crushing silence. "I was young once, in Qingyuan. Mei… she was my childhood friend. I loved her. But I was foolish. I left to gain power, thinking if I returned important, she would be mine. She even promised to live togrther."
He shut his eyes. The stares of the entity's eyes dug deeper.
"But when I came back, she was married. To Zhong—the woodcutter. They lived in Jing Shui. I couldn't bear it. I had dreamed of her, waited for her… but she was gone."
His voice faltered, but he kept going.
"A year later, the priest of Jing Shui, Gao Wu, died. He was the village chief's husband. I saw a chance. I took his place. I knew about Mei. I used it to win the villagers' trust. Even Zhong's trust. He thought I was his brother."
He looked up, his face pale with shame."But I wasn't a brother. I was a parasite."
"I told Zhong to leave. I told him I'd take care of Mei. He trusted me."
His voice cracked."But the truth is… I poisoned her. Slowly. Day by day. Her child… it died inside her. I thought if Zhong was gone, and if she lost everything, she would turn to me."
He couldn't stop now. His guilt poured out like floodwater.
"When she mourned, I comforted her. I blamed Zhong. I twisted her grief. I made her hate him. I made her believe it was his fault."
Tears rolled down his cheeks."I ruined everything. Just because I wanted her."
The entity began to move. The ground shook. The priest could hear whispers from the many masks.
He had broken love. Broken trust. All for his own selfishness.
"I did it because I loved her," he said. "But now I see… it wasn't love. It was obsession. It was hatred."
To him, the creature's arms now looked like they were closing in. The eyes and hands pulled him into shadow. The masks watched him, judging.
Then Mei's voice broke the silence.
Her face froze. Her eyes widened. Her body stiffened as if the world had fallen away.
"No… no, that's not true," she whispered. "It can't be. You said—You said Zhong didn't care!"
In her mind she questioned herself "He said Zhong was to blame.He said I was unloved. Neglected. He held me when I cried. I trusted him."
She turned to the priest, shaking."You said it was his fault! You said he didn't love me enough!"
Her hands moved to her stomach—the ghost of the pain still alive.
"You poisoned my baby? You killed my child?"
The priest couldn't meet her eyes."I did it because I loved you… I wanted to protect you…"
"Protect me?" she screamed. "You destroyed me! You murdered my child! You turned me against the only man who truly loved me!"
Tears streamed down her face. Her fists clenched, trembling.
"I trusted you." Her voice cracked. "You're a monster."
She collapsed, sobbing into her hands."I tried to kill him. I thought I hated him. But it was all your lies… My baby…"
Shun, deep inside, found it absurd.He wanted to laugh.
Granny Zhao stepped forward and placed a hand on Mei's shoulder. Her voice was calm, but cold."Child, grief blinds even the wisest. But now you see the truth. What will you do with it?"
Mei looked up, her eyes red, her lips trembling."You will pay," she whispered. "For Zhong, for my baby, and for the lies you fed this village."
Shun, barely holding it in, he thought, "Look at her face—I can't! I can't hold it anymore! End this already. Move on already." His face turned red, but from trying not to laugh.
A nearby villager whispered, "Poor thing. Of course his face is red. Must be with anger."
Then silence. No one moved.
The truth had shattered everything.
The priest screamed. His body twisted in pain.
Shun tore off the mask, gasping. His heart raced as the world returned to the village square.
The villagers stared at the priest in stunned silence.