Chapter 340
Xiao Ying Bing spoke softly, glancing at her parents who were chatting nearby, her bright eyes suddenly clouded with complexity.
“Time to eat dumplings!”
The New Year’s Eve dinner at the Ying family courtyard was about to begin. After the feast, they would pay respects to their ancestors, recounting the significant events of the past year and seeking blessings for a smooth year ahead.
This was quite similar to the traditions of other families in Qinghe County.
Soon, in front of the brightly lit ancestral hall, a large pot of dumplings was bubbling away outdoors, while the occasional sound of firecrackers echoed in the air, the gray night sky tinged with the scent of smoke and fireworks.
The Ying family was a prominent clan, with a rich ancestral history.
The New Year’s banquet was open to neighbors and townsfolk, a sign of the family’s prosperity.
Li Mo sat there with a frown, watching the little ice dumpling beside him.
The little ice dumpling was still just that, which meant there were no signs of awakening from the dream.
Xiao Ying Bing picked up a dumpling, her gaze somewhat lost as she looked around the festive Ying family courtyard.
“Wife, where’s the vinegar? You can’t eat dumplings without vinegar.”
Old Father Ying Xu Liang watched the two little ones, asking his wife for vinegar, ready to give the dumplings a good soak.
“You really are... Bing’er finally has a friend. That’s a good thing.”
“I know, but I just want something sour.”
“Then go ahead and eat. I’ll find a red envelope for Xiao Mo; we can’t forget the etiquette.”
Ying Xu Liang munched on his dumplings. “Why hasn’t he gone home for his New Year’s dinner yet?”
“Don’t you remember? The Li family eats dinner late,” Ying Mu reminded him.
“True, Li Ge is probably out patrolling the area. If he passes by later…”
“Daddy, dumplings!”
A pair of chopsticks held a dumpling out in front of him, gripped by a small hand.
Ying Xu Liang’s eyes widened suddenly, staring in shock for a long moment.
Is that Bing’er?
At that moment, the old father felt a sudden urge to cry. Bing’er had never liked to communicate with others, not even with her parents. There were even whispers in the county that his daughter was a fool.
But today, Bing’er seemed different.
“Delicious, these dumplings are really fragrant.”
“Hey, Xiao Mo, you should eat too.”
Ying Xu Liang was momentarily stunned, then his face broke into a broad smile.
Ying Mu returned, holding two red envelopes.
“Xiao Mo, Happy New Year! Here’s a red envelope for you. Take Bing’er out to play more often.”
“Thank you, Auntie.”
Li Mo tucked the red envelope away, glancing seriously at the little ice dumpling. She stuffed the envelope into her bosom, her lips curling up slightly, satisfied and joyful.
“...”
Well then.
After all, this is just a dream. Even if I encounter a disaster beast in the dream, it doesn’t matter. Even if I die in the dream, it would only leave my spirit a bit weak for a while.
Why must I wake up?
At least in the dream, I can face childhood fears alongside the little ice dumpling, and that’s enough.
After a while.
The banquet was nearly over, and at the call of the clan elders, the Ying family’s younger generation entered the ancestral hall.
The night seemed to grow denser.
In the center of the hall stood a large incense burner, with thick incense sticks inserted, creating a hazy atmosphere around the ancestral tablets.
Not only the tablets, but the Ying family’s ancestors also had a gilded statue, resembling a woman, crafted so exquisitely that “masterpiece” would be an understatement.
“This statue is impressive.”
“Of course, it’s the statue of our ancestor, crafted by a renowned master.”
Ying Xu Liang looked up, thinking that little Li Mo had a good eye.
“Master craftsman…”
Li Mo withdrew his gaze, realizing why he sensed a hint of the power of all living beings emanating from it, mixed with divine intent.
“Let’s go offer incense.”
Ying Mu brought over two sticks of incense.
“Do I have to go too?”
“Of course, you’re here already.”
Little Bing had never paid respects to her ancestors before, and Ying Father and Ying Mother mainly wanted to see if she would follow along with the Li boy.
Li Mo nodded and took the incense, looking at the little ice dumpling.
“Shall we go?”
“...”
But little Ying Bing seemed not to hear, her gaze fixed on the deep, dark night outside the hall.
Indeed.
Li Mo suddenly realized how quiet it had become outside; there wasn’t a sound to be heard.
Following the little ice dumpling’s gaze, Li Mo’s pupils constricted.
There stood a pitch-black beast, its four legs planted firmly on the ground, with black horns atop its head and eyes like crimson lanterns. It resembled the legendary Qilin, but without an ounce of auspiciousness—ugly and menacing.
Its enormous, lantern-like eyes were fixed on the two little ones.
To be precise, it was staring at little Ying Bing.
“Hehehe... you’ve finally returned.”
Little Bing’s face turned as pale as frost.
---
**Chapter 372: The Awakening of the Great Ice Dumpling**
Because of the ‘Nian Beast’ that emerged from the night, everything outside the ancestral hall seemed to freeze, even the steam from the boiling dumplings suspended in mid-air.
As it ‘squeezed’ through the entrance, it was as if the night itself flowed into the hall.
In an instant, the Ying family ancestral hall dimmed, silence so profound that one could hear a pin drop. Everyone was paralyzed with fear, as if they sensed an ancient terror looming.
“This is... the disaster beast?”
Li Mo felt a sudden clarity, yet it was tinged with absurdity.
Legends say the Qilin is a harbinger of good fortune.
But in the realms of heaven and earth, there once existed true dragons, true phoenixes, and golden crows, yet there was no Qilin clan, for among the divine beings, the true spirits of myriad clans were preserved, but the Qilin clan was absent.
Let alone this ‘Nian Beast’ that resembled a Qilin.
Moreover, that phrase “you’ve returned” was directed at the little ice dumpling?
Suddenly, Li Mo shivered.
It was about little ice dumpling.
He saw little Ying Bing biting her lip, her serene eyes trembling violently, an uncontainable chill radiating from her.
“!”
Li Mo’s expression changed; was her bloodline finally erupting today?
The ‘Nian Beast’ fixed its dark gaze on them, the invisible darkness staining the ground like a deep lake, from which many grotesque and fierce beasts began to emerge.
They were the size of calves, each more bizarre than the last, yet they shared one common trait.
They looked very hungry.
“Grave-guarding beasts?!” An elder from the Ying family exclaimed in terror, but before he could finish, he was knocked to the ground.
The gray-white dreamscape rippled with the first hint of blood.
“Run!”
“The disaster beast is here, hurry and spread the word!”
“Those trained in martial arts, hold these beasts back together!”
Some fled, some resisted, while others sat on the ground, pale and paralyzed.
Screams, roars, and the sounds of flesh being torn apart filled the air, and chaos erupted in an instant.
Meanwhile, the Nian Beast approached slowly, its deep eyes seemingly filled with mockery.
Grave-guarding beasts?
Little Li Mo’s brow furrowed deeper.
It was said that strong warriors, to prevent their tombs from being robbed after death, would place beasts in their graves, and without food, these beasts would turn on each other.
In the end, they would become unrecognizable and extremely ferocious.
This was the ‘domain’ of the Nian Beast!
But he had no time to ponder further.
Little ice dumpling’s body was growing colder.
The Nian Beast drew closer, sending chills down spines and stirring deep-seated fears within souls.
Under normal circumstances, our little tyrant would have pulled out his hammer and struck first, but now he was just an ordinary child, unable to use any of his strength.
“Follow me!”
Ying Xu Liang scooped up his daughter and, along with his wife, ran toward the ancestral statue.
Li Mo followed without a second thought.
He saw it.
In the now dim ancestral hall, it seemed that only the exquisitely crafted statue emitted a faint glow!
Behind them, several grave-guarding beasts had already killed many of the slower Ying family members, closing in like shadows.
“Wuwu…”
But as they rushed into the area illuminated by the statue’s light, the beasts erupted in hissing black smoke, as if doused in boiling oil.
They had no choice but to halt in their tracks, wary.
The Nian Beast stepped out from the pack, its enormous eyes scrutinizing the statue.
Deep-seated hatred could not mask its trepidation.
Indeed, her statue, after years of worship by the Ying family, had developed a hint of sentience, not to mention the statue’s extraordinary material.
“After all, it’s still just a lifeless object.”
“Go!”
Before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief, the Nian Beast commanded, and the grave-guarding beasts charged into the area bathed in light.
Even as they were engulfed in thick black smoke, even as they turned into blood on the spot.
But compared to the ancestral statue, they clearly feared the Nian Beast more.
The light began to waver!
Some of those pressed against the edges screamed in horror, having been bitten to death by the grave-guarding beasts!
“Darling... what should we do?”
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