Zhen Zhen looked at the bowl of food she once enjoyed, but suddenly, she couldn’t swallow it.
“Why?!” She couldn’t help but feel angry. “Lady Zhen died for him, so why does he get to live happily and even marry a new wife?”
Yes, why?
For thousands of years, countless women must have asked this question. Yet, none of them received an answer. The shackles of chastity have never disappeared, not from ancient times to now.
These shackles not only confined their freedom but also corroded the minds of women, like sulfuric acid, in those eras. They fabricated countless rules and doctrines to tame them, demanding they adhere to saint-like standards, until eventually, the women willingly accepted, and even supported it.
Just like Lady Zhen in the story. She willingly died out of love for her husband, only to witness him remarry before her bones had even cooled.
Her resentment grew, her ghost remained restless, but instead of directing her fury at the husband who betrayed her, she targeted other women whose husbands had also died. This was because she had long become a supporter of these shackles, bound by them both in life and death. She was a pitiful victim, but also a hateful perpetrator.
“After that, every time a woman’s husband died in our village, she would hang herself on the seventh day after his death,” Zhen Zhen’s grandmother trembled as she recalled the many chastity suicides she had witnessed over the decades.
“At first, the villagers were terrified. Everyone knew it was her causing it. But then they realized that with each virtuous woman who died, the village would be awarded a memorial arch, and they started to turn a blind eye.”
In the past, a memorial arch for chastity was not only a great honor, but it also brought tangible benefits. A single virtuous woman could bring tax exemptions and relief from forced labor—what a bargain.
So, even though they knew Lady Zhen’s resentment lingered, they worshipped her. As long as Lady Zhen remained, the Lie Nu Village would always produce more virtuous woman. These women brought tremendous benefits to the village, allowing its people to live prosperous lives over time.
This wealth, accumulated over generations, ensured that even during times of famine, their wheat fields were full, and they never lacked food or money to spare for entertainment.
The village’s peace and prosperity were built upon the bones of countless women forced to become chaste martyrs.
Even now, despite dynasties changing and chastity no longer yielding any rewards, they couldn’t stop. The evil god they worshipped in the Temple of Virtuous Woman wouldn’t allow them to stop. Those virtuous women sent into the temple likely became nourishment for the evil god.
And now, in recent years, as fewer and fewer virtuous women committed suicide, even the newly widowed Fang Lin, an outsider, became the target.
After hearing the entire story, Zhen Zhen felt conflicted. “Grandma, why didn’t we leave this place sooner? We should have left a long time ago.”
The old lady sighed, holding her hand. “Where can a woman go in this world? Is there any place outside that doesn’t devour people? Your parents tried to take you and your sister away from the village, but they were killed by bandits while scouting the way. Staying here at least guarantees a comfortable life, though it means gambling with your life.”
Moreover, most men were unwilling to leave because they were the beneficiaries of this system. A single woman had even less chance of surviving in the outside world. So, women had no choice but to gamble their lives on their husbands—hoping he wouldn’t die young and that they wouldn’t become widows.
Some women won the bet and lived out their days in comfort in this prosperous village. Others lost and became memorial plaques in the Temple of Virtuous Women.
As Zhen Zhen once said, it was fate. They had accepted their fate.
The old lady sighed and glanced at Li Zhi, who was deep in thought. “Now that you know everything, do you still plan to save Zhen Zhen?”
Li Zhi wiggled his pinky. “I made a pinky promise with Zhen Zhen’s sister.”
“Grandma, I trust Li Zhi!” Zhen Zhen’s eyes sparkled. “Li Zhi will definitely have a way!”
Li Zhi smiled. “Yes, I do have a plan, but it’s a bit risky. Are you willing to try?”
Zhen Zhen didn’t hesitate. “The worst that could happen is death. I’m willing to try anything!”
Li Zhi looked at the girl, full of life like wild grass, who had grown up in this cage but hadn’t been fully tamed as they had hoped. She was new life, the dawn, and the indomitable spirit of freedom.
Li Zhi leaned closer and whispered her plan to Zhen Zhen.
Zhen Zhen pursed her lips, clenched her fists, and nodded resolutely. “I understand!”
As they stepped out of the house, Zhen Zhen’s mother-in-law, who had been anxiously peeking out several times, hurried over. After confirming that Zhen Zhen was still inside, she quickly locked the door and turned with a smile to the old lady. “Zhen Zhen’s grandmother, I won’t see you off. I still need to dry the wheat.”
The old lady gave her a cold glance and left with Li Zhi.
“Grandma, everything will go as usual. You just need to watch,” Li Zhi softly reassured the elder once they left the courtyard. “I will save Zhen Zhen.”
At this point, the old lady could only place her hope in Li Zhi. She sighed deeply.
After sending Zhen Zhen’s grandmother off, Li Zhi returned to the courtyard, where the waiting players immediately surrounded her. “How did it go?”
Li Zhi recounted the story of Lady Zhen, and the group listened with a mix of horror and fury. “Instead of seeking revenge on her husband, she harmed other women just like her. It’s despicable!”
“She couldn’t face reality,” someone analyzed. “She was a victim of that era, completely brainwashed. Even in death, she’s still deceiving herself, trapped in that cage.”
Li Zhi thought for a moment. “There’s still one more thing I need to confirm. I have to check the village chief’s house.”
When it came to dealing with ghosts, they were at a loss, but when it came to dealing with people, they had plenty of ideas. Everyone began brainstorming and eventually came up with a plan to help Li Zhi sneak into the village chief’s house.
Everyone was busy harvesting crops, and the village chief’s household, with its large fields, was no exception. During the day, the house was usually empty.
The only concern was that the chief’s family might come back carrying sacks of wheat at any time. But if they timed it right—sneaking in while the family was out and delaying their return—Li Zhi would have enough time.
Executing the plan was straightforward, especially since Li Zhi’s wall-climbing and sneaking skills were well-honed. Her task was to climb, and Pink-Haired’s job was to keep watch. Seeing Li Zhi scale the wall in three swift moves, Pink-Haired’s eyes shone with admiration.
The village chief’s house was slightly larger than others, but the layout was similar. Li Zhi knew exactly where to go and slipped into the room lined with bookshelves. When she emerged, the players who had been waiting to stall the village chief didn’t even get the chance to act.
Hearing the pre-arranged retreat whistle, everyone regretfully withdrew.
Before nightfall, the group took another walk through the village. On the surface, they appeared to be wandering aimlessly, but they were memorizing the path. It was crucial to remember the quickest route from the village entrance to the Temple of Virtuous Women, as it would determine whether Li Zhi’s plan could succeed the next night.
As the sky darkened completely, the players returned to the courtyard. Upon entering, they overheard Tao Yu scolding someone inside. “You shouldn’t look into the well in the morning or admire flowers at night. How could you stay with the theater troupe for so long and not know these basic rules?”
The players exchanged glances, recalling that during their first two days in the village, they had been fetching water from the well every morning—violating the taboo of looking into the well. No wonder Fang Lin had come after them.
Fortunately, Fang Lin had now become a friendly NPC, and the night passed peacefully. Everyone slept soundly until morning, waking to find the theater troupe setting up the stage and hanging curtains in preparation for the evening’s traditional festival.
The players kept busy, helping the troupe move their gear while also secretly arranging their own plans for the night.
The audience, who had been watching the players in this instance, couldn’t help but notice how coordinated they were. When they tallied the numbers, they realized that this was the instance in Horror Variety Show with the fewest player casualties so far. If Li Zhi’s plan went off without a hitch that night, the player survival rate for this instance would be as high as 80%.
Many viewers took to the internet to promote The Village of Virtuous Women instance, attracting a wave of new spectators to the live stream. The increase in viewers also boosted the players’ vote count. With Horror Variety Show now a staple in everyday life, the audience had more choices and higher expectations, so standing out in the sea of instances required something special.
A 90% survival rate after five days in the instance was the special feature of The Village of Virtuous Women.
New viewers flooded the chat:
[Why are these players sneaking around like that?]
[They seem way too mentally stable, something’s not right. Why aren’t they going crazy? I like watching players break down!]
[That’s because their leader is super calm, so the rest of them can’t lose their minds.]
[It’s been five days, and only one out of ten players is dead? Is this real? The ghosts in this instance must be weaklings.]
[You don’t get it! It’s not that the ghosts are weak, it’s that Li Zhi is too strong!]
[Never seen a ghost turned by the players? Well, now you have.]
[Li Zhi’s vote count is so high! I’m voting for her too. No particular reason, I just love to follow trends.]
…
As more waves of viewers poured into the live stream, the time inside the instance gradually reached evening.
The open-air theater stage had been set up, and to celebrate the traditional festival properly, the troupe leader had instructed people to hang red lanterns and red silk around the stage, creating a festive atmosphere.
As soon as the sky darkened, the villagers began arriving, carrying their stools. They chatted and laughed, filling the area with lively energy. Uncle Kuang peeked through the curtains, pleased with the bustling crowd, and patted Tao Yu on the shoulder.
“This is your first starring performance, make sure to give it your all! Let’s make sure everyone enjoys the festival!”
Tao Yu, knowing the grim truth behind the festivities, let out a sarcastic chuckle.
The troupe’s lineup for the night consisted of five performances. The first four were plays requested by the villagers, but the final act was ‘The Offering to the River’, which Tao Yu would perform in tribute to Fang Lin.
The drums pounded, the opera music soared, and the audience’s applause echoed in the night, making the evening feel especially festive.
As the final scene concluded, Zhen Zhen was dragged onto the stage.