She Was Sentenced to Life Imprisonment [Unlimited] - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Deserted Village Wedding [1]

We’re In

[Host Jiang Nan has left the “Evil Ghost Bullying” instance. A survival mission has now been activated. Entering the “Deserted Village Wedding” instance.]

[Player Mission: Complete the wedding.]

[Location: Gumu Village.]

[Player Count: 6.]

As the cold, mechanical voice finished, Jiang Nan opened her eyes, her senses on high alert due to the unfamiliar environment. She was sitting in a car, and the smell of rubber made her frown uncomfortably. After a moment to compose herself, she looked around.

It was an ordinary car, and the driver had his back to her, so she couldn’t make out his face. She turned to look out the window. Judging by the trees, they were on a mountain road. The bumpy ride meant the road was not well-maintained. The name of the instance, “Deserted Village Wedding,” made her suspect she was heading to a godforsaken place.

She pulled her gaze away from the window, and as if remembering something, she frantically searched for her knife. She couldn’t find it. Did it disappear after I left the last instance? she wondered.

As if knowing her thoughts, the system’s voice sounded again.

“The Host’s Death’s Edge has been moved to the storage space. The Host can summon it with a thought if needed.”

Jiang Nan was stunned for the first time by the knife’s name. She did as the system instructed, and the knife appeared in her hand. It was the only thing the person had left her, and she treasured it more than anything.

She ran her hand over the uneven patterns on the hilt. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the hilt seemed to have changed. Cracks had appeared in the patterns, and a faint crimson light seeped out, carrying with it a powerful deterrent that made it difficult to get close to.

[Death’s Edge]

[Level: Unknown]

[Damage: Unknown]

[Source: Divine Gift]

[A bl00d-drinking blade. This is a cursed weapon.]

Jiang Nan skimmed the description panel, her eyes lingering on the “Level” and “Damage,” finding them strange. Her eyes then settled on “Source.” Divine gift…

Jiang Nan’s lips curled into a faint, playful smile. She brought the knife to her wrist without hesitation. A cold flash, and the sharp blade sliced her skin. Bl00d gushed out, the vivid crimson a stark contrast to her pale skin, painfully bright. But unlike the player she had killed before, no black mist rose from her wound.

Just as she was pondering why, the driver in the front suddenly spoke, his voice tinged with panic and fear. “Hey, little girl, what are you doing trying to hurt yourself with a knife? You’re so pretty, it would be a shame to get a scar.” The driver, a law-abiding man, didn’t want someone to commit suicide in his car.

His earnest plea stunned Jiang Nan. She put the knife away, smiled softly, and said in a gentle voice, “I cut myself by accident. I’m okay.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the sting in her wrist disappeared, replaced by a slight itch. She looked down in confusion. The cut she had made had already healed, leaving no trace. If not for the bloodstain on her wrist, she would have thought she was seeing things. She looked at the knife again. The bl00d on the blade was gone, but the crimson cracks on the hilt seemed a little larger.

Jiang Nan immediately understood why it was called a bl00d-drinking blade. It absorbed bl00d. The cracks had probably appeared after she had killed a player with it and it had tasted bl00d. But what will it become when it’s full? Unable to find an answer, she gave up. She found a tissue and methodically wiped the remaining bl00d from her hand.

The driver seemed relieved that she was no longer hurting herself. His voice carried a hint of annoyance as he continued to grumble. “I don’t get you young people. But I guess it’s normal to carry a knife for protection in a place like that. Just be careful not to hurt yourself again.”

Jiang Nan caught something in his words and, as if casually, followed up on his statement. “Uncle, is there something wrong with this Gumu Village?”

She was still wearing her school uniform. Her student appearance made her look young, and the driver felt a bit of pity for her. He shook his head and said, a gasp of cold air escaping his lips, “I just heard it’s a very spooky place. People who pass by say they’ve seen a girl in a long white dress without a head.” After saying that, he shivered at the image. To calm his nerves, he changed the subject. “By the way, why is a young girl like you going to such a remote village?”

Jiang Nan smiled. “To attend a friend’s wedding.”

Upon hearing the word “wedding,” the driver’s grip on the steering wheel seemed to tighten, and he stopped talking. Jiang Nan naturally noticed his reaction. Although she was curious, he clearly didn’t want to talk anymore. She put away her smile, and a hint of gloom appeared on her face as she closed her eyes to rest.

The system said there were six players in this instance. She didn’t know where the other five were. Her hand clenched, and her brow furrowed. She needed to completely escape this place to find that person. She had a feeling that the person had the same goal as her.

The mountain road was very bumpy with many forks, making it easy to get lost. The farther the car drove, the fewer people they saw. It truly was a desolate place. After the driver dropped Jiang Nan off at the village entrance, she pulled money from who knows where, paid him, and walked into the village.

The village was decorated with lanterns and festive red “囍” characters. The villagers were busy, creating a joyful, celebratory atmosphere that was a far cry from the “deserted village” the system had described.

At the village entrance, a large banyan tree with lush leaves provided ample shade. The trunk was so wide it would take three people to wrap their arms around it. The sun was too bright, and Jiang Nan, with her frail constitution, was already tired after a few steps. She stood under the tree for a moment to rest.

But the moment she stopped, she felt a strange, chilling pressure, which disappeared as quickly as it came. She frowned, looking up. The sun’s light pierced through the leaves, stinging her eyes. She rubbed them with her hand. As she was contemplating where to go next, an ordinary-looking woman walked toward her, wearing a small, fashionable two-piece suit that seemed out of place in the village. She spoke to Jiang Nan as if they were old friends.

“There you are. Why are you here? Come on, I’ll take you to the place.” The woman, Nie Yun, said, a smile on her face. Her character background was the bride’s colleague, who had traveled a long way to be a bridesmaid. Nie Yun’s words confirmed that she was a player.

Nie Yun reached out to take her arm, but Jiang Nan was not a fan of people getting too close and avoided her. Nie Yun’s hand was left awkwardly in the air. She finally pulled it back with a slightly embarrassed expression and said, “You’re a professional now, so why are you still wearing a school uniform today?” Her eyes flashed with a hint of jealousy before her smile returned, making it seem like a trick of the light.

But her every move was visible to Jiang Nan. She saw it but didn’t offer any explanation. She was still getting used to the strong sun, which made her appear unusually aloof and gloomy to others. It was normal for Nie Yun to be confused since Jiang Nan was still wearing the clothes from her original world. Seeing that she wasn’t answering, Nie Yun grumbled to herself before forcing a smile and saying, “Let’s go.”

Jiang Nan had finally adjusted to the sunlight and confirmed that she could, indeed, stand in it. She nodded and followed Nie Yun, her eyes subtly scanning her surroundings. It looked like a normal village, but that was not enough for Jiang Nan to lower her guard. She knew too little about this instance.

Suddenly, a figure in a white dress appeared behind Nie Yun. It was hunched over Nie Yun’s back, and the white dress was stained with bl00d. Its exposed skin was gray and rotten, revealing the white bones beneath. Thick bl00d dripped from its feet, leaving a trail on the ground. It was a sight that would make anyone’s scalp crawl, and you could almost smell the foul stench of decay and iron. The figure had no head, but Jiang Nan heard its eerie, unsettling cackle.

Nie Yun seemed to not notice the figure on her back as she continued to walk forward, and the surrounding villagers didn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary, either. Jiang Nan’s eyes showed no fear. Instead, she began to examine the headless ghost. It was indeed wearing a white dress, but the style looked more like a bridesmaid dress.

As she was pondering, the headless ghost’s body turned. Even without a head, Jiang Nan felt it was looking at her. She smiled back, and the coldness in her eyes made the ghost shudder. The headless ghost cackled at her, pointing a bloody, decaying hand at her. A hoarse, ugly voice began to sound.

“My head, my head…”

The voice grew louder, as if it was trying to pierce her eardrums—desperate and terrifying. Jiang Nan’s expression didn’t change, and she showed no fear. She simply spoke calmly to Nie Yun.

“There’s a ghost behind you.”

Nie Yun’s steps came to an abrupt stop. A flicker of disgust passed over her face, which was turned away from Jiang Nan. She then turned to Jiang Nan and said, “What kind of joke are you talking about?” It was broad daylight, after all.

Jiang Nan didn’t care if she believed her or not. The ghost disappeared as if it was never there, and the bl00d trail on the ground also vanished. Nie Yun led her to a small farmhouse and pushed the gate open. “The other bridesmaids and groomsmen are all here. You should get to know them. I’ve got to go and get busy.”

Jiang Nan nodded again and walked into the yard. The moment she appeared, the others in the yard looked at her with a mix of confusion, disdain, admiration, and impatience.

“Hmph, you’re late.”

Jiang Nan looked at the source of the voice. Two women and three men. Jiang Nan guessed these were the other players. She subtly observed them, and they, in turn, were also sizing up the new person.

One girl wore a mask. Her eyes were timid and red, indicating she had been crying. She greeted Jiang Nan with a choked-up voice.

“Hello. Did you also just mysteriously appear here?”

…