Chapter 98: Revered Like a Deity

The two walked and talked together, and before long they arrived at the old clan chief’s home.

The old clan chief’s house was somewhat secluded, located in the southeast part of the ancient city.

Surrounded on all sides by earthen towers, one had to pass through a narrow alleyway before venturing further in.

Although encircled by other buildings, the lighting was not compromised.

This was a standalone two-story earthen tower housing four families, with a spacious courtyard enclosed by stone railings outside.

The entrance to the courtyard was marked by colorful, upturned eaves, and at its center stood a porcelain-white pagoda. Strands of vibrant flags hung from its four corners, fluttering gently in the breeze.

Inside the courtyard, faint lights glimmered—these came from several slightly yellowed kerosene lamps.

The lamps hung under the eaves by the stairwell entrance, their bases littered with piles of discarded insect carcasses, giving off a somewhat unpleasant impression.

Li Tianque noticed that the exterior wall of one household on the left side of the tower was painted in vivid colors, adorned with multicolored square patterns.

He immediately switched on his phone’s flashlight to illuminate that wall.

The paint on the wall was a riot of colors, reminiscent of street graffiti.

Yet the overall composition was more rustic and solemn, mostly in muted tones. The square patterns featured primarily blue, green, and black hues in various shapes.

Some resembled caterpillars, others moths, and yet others beetles.

More insects...

Li Tianque was puzzled. Moving closer for a better look, he confirmed that all the patterns were indeed insects.

At the very center of these designs sat an insect-like creature clad in a crimson embroidered robe.

The creature was seated cross-legged on a bright red cushion.

From a distance, this insect monster’s posture resembled a venerable monk meditating atop a lotus flower, exuding a certain solemn dignity.

Beneath its blood-red cushion were black-and-white birds, each with rusty steel collars around their necks. Their wings were tattered, giving off a strange appearance.

“Seems like all the patterns on the wall are insects... Does the old clan chief like bugs?” Li Tianque asked, confused.

“Not at all. The old chief’s wife died from an insect-borne cancer; he harbors a deep hatred for insects. There’s no way he’d paint insect totems on the exterior wall,” Liang Zhichao explained.

“This room belongs to Grandma Zhuoma. She’s a peculiar witch who worships a deity that takes the form of an insect,” he added.

“Grandma Zhuoma...” Li Tianque repeated the name, immediately recalling the hunched old woman he had seen earlier, dressed in a long animal-skin skirt.

“Yes... It’s quite interesting. One hates insects while the other worships them, yet they live in the same building and are both respected elders in the village,” Liang Zhichao murmured.

This revelation surprised Li Tianque, prompting him to ask,

“Are they related?”

“Yes. The Ulkolo village is divided into three main tribes: the Eagle, the Wolf, and the Monkey tribes.

Each tribe is further split into clans, each with their own grazing lands and living areas. Usually, members of the same clan live in the same or adjacent buildings. Grandma Zhuoma and the old clan chief both belong to the Wolf tribe, and even the same clan. However...”

“Because of some disagreements, they haven’t spoken to each other for a long time.”

“Sounds pretty stubborn...” Li Tianque sighed, continuing to examine the painted wall.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Li Tianque’s flashlight caught something strange lurking in the darkness.

He quickly aimed the beam toward that spot and was startled to see a pitch-black, eerie face staring at them.

The expressionless face was intensely dark where the flashlight couldn’t reach, its grooves forming a twisted, savage visage.

But the face vanished in an instant. By the time the light fully focused there, it had already disappeared.

Still, Li Tianque managed to glimpse its rough features in the brief moment it appeared.

The face was unnervingly smooth, like that of an elderly African man coated in oil.

Its eyes reflected the light, and its mouth curled into an incredible grimace, half a maniacal grin, half a snarling beast ready to devour.

“My God, what kind of freak is that?” Liang Zhichao exclaimed, having seen the terrifying face as well.

“I don’t know. Let’s go check it out!” Li Tianque said as he dashed toward the stairwell.

That face was unlike any human’s, deeply unsettling. Both of them feared Grandma Zhuoma might be in danger.

They hurried into the stairwell, with Li Tianque nearly stepping on Liang Zhichao’s heel in the dark.

As they entered, a distinct thud sounded behind them, as if something had fallen from a height.

The fall seemed to have come from a window on the opposite side.

Judging by the noise, whatever fell had landed on the street below.

They had no time to be curious about what fell and did not head toward the old clan chief’s home. Instead, they rushed to the door of Grandma Zhuoma’s room on the second floor, pounding on it frantically.

“Open up! Grandma Zhuoma, open the door!” Liang Zhichao shouted urgently.

The door curtain jingled with rows of copper bells, their clear chimes usually soothing but now sounding eerie in the tense atmosphere.

No response came from inside. Liang Zhichao was about to break the door down.

Li Tianque stopped him immediately.

“No, Grandma Zhuoma is old. If we’re mistaken and we barge in at this late hour, we might frighten her into a heart attack!”

“What then? That thing was definitely inside. You heard the noise too; it might have just jumped down. If it did, that’s one thing, but if the sound was...” Liang Zhichao’s voice trailed off nervously.

Even without him finishing, Li Tianque knew what he feared:

If the noise came from Grandma Zhuoma, it was possible the old witch had been pushed out the window by that monster—and might be dead.

“Alright, you go check the street. I’ll find a way inside here,” Li Tianque said.

After a moment’s hesitation, still uneasy but trusting Li Tianque’s plan, Liang Zhichao agreed and rushed out toward the street where the sound came from.

Once Liang Zhichao left, Li Tianque felt free to act.

He pressed his hand against the hinge of the door and slowly infused black cancerous cells into the gap.

The dark matter crept past the hinge and into the room, swiftly finding the lock.

“Click.”

The door unlocked, and Li Tianque entered the room.

Inside was a faint pink light, with wisps of smoke floating about. The sound of butterflies fluttering their wings echoed continually.

Upon entering, Li Tianque was hit by a strong, exotic fragrance.

The scent was so intense he worried it might be toxic, so he used the black matter spreading from his body to temporarily block his nostrils.

The room was filled with various exquisite insect-related crafts, all vividly colored and finely made, revealing the artisan’s skill.

Passing through the curtain, Li Tianque reached the room where he had seen the strange face moments before.

This was also the source of the pink light, and Li Tianque froze in surprise.

What lay before him was a gigantic beetle.

Its form resembled the wandering tiger beetles he had caught before, but the size was astonishing—at least thirty centimeters in diameter, looking like a large black watermelon.

This enormous black beetle was confined inside a long glass aquarium, filled with sand, grass, and fresh lamb meat.

Two thin tubes were inserted into the gaps of its shell and abdomen, their ends connected to a plastic bag resembling plant nutrient solution.

Li Tianque noticed the beetle’s forelegs twitching slightly—it was still alive. Below it were offerings of incense and fruit, as if Grandma Zhuoma worshipped this creature as a deity.

(End of chapter)