Ethan didn't know where he was going; he just walked aimlessly along the path. Just then, a clamor of voices reached his ears.
"Hey! Isn't that the Evans boy! Finally awake, eh? You feeling alright?" a burly man with a fierce face bellowed.
Another thinner man beside him quickly added, "Yeah, kid. Like they say, 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' Our Damian's a good-hearted lad. You two just settle down and live a good life together."
Others in the crowd chimed in, "That's right, that's right! Live a good life, and stop running off into Blackstone Ridge all the time!"
"Exactly! Blackstone Ridge is dangerous! Wolves, tigers, even bears! Don't go getting yourself killed!" The speaker gestured wildly, mimicking fierce beasts, drawing laughter from the onlookers.
However, the laughter didn't reach Ethan. He stared blankly at the growing crowd of unfamiliar villagers gathering around him from the fields, instinctively taking a few steps back in fear.
Just as Ethan was about to turn and run, a slightly aged but resonant voice called out, "Alright, alright! Young Ethan just woke up, he's still weak. Give him a break. Everyone scatter, let the boy rest."
Ethan looked gratefully at the old man. He knew the villagers didn't mean him harm, and their words confirmed an important piece of information: everyone knew him! Since he was certain he'd never been here before, the only explanation was that he had transmigrated into the body of someone with the same name!
After the old man's intervention, the crowd gradually dispersed. Ethan glanced back towards Damian's house, then towards the village entrance. Finally, with determination, he started walking towards the entrance... He didn't know this place or where he was going, but at this moment, the highest mountain in the distance seemed to be drawing him forward.
"Quick, quick! Go tell Dad! Papa's heading towards Blackstone Ridge again!!!" The twin brothers, who had followed him to the village entrance, watched Ethan's retreating figure, then quickly turned and ran down another path – the one leading to White Village...
White Village...
The Evans House...
"Really? Is that true? Ethan woke up last night?" Mr. Evans jumped up excitedly after hearing Damian's news.
"Thank heavens! This is truly a blessing from above~" Mrs. Evans clasped her hands together, raised them reverently above her head, and bowed repeatedly in all directions.
"That's wonderful!" Nearby, the newlywed Caleb and Chloe hugged each other, tears of relief shining in their eyes. If something had truly happened to Ethan, they would never have forgiven themselves. Although they knew Ethan's marriage had hidden reasons beyond the simple exchange, the fact that the accident happened on his wedding day felt like a sharp thorn lodged deep in their hearts, something they couldn't easily let go of.
"Quick, quick! Honey! Hurry and borrow two fresh eggs from next door. We'll take them with us when we go see Ethan," Mrs. Evans urged anxiously.
"Okay, okay~ I'll go right now!" Mr. Evans nodded repeatedly and turned to leave.
"Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, wait!" Damian stopped Mr. Evans. "Please wait," he explained patiently. "Ethan just woke up, his head injury hasn't fully healed, and he shouldn't get too emotional. How about this: wait a few days, let me soothe Ethan first, and then I'll bring him back for a visit?" Damian recalled Ethan's behavior the previous night – his confused words, his wary gaze, as if he had amnesia. It really wasn't a suitable time for his parents-in-law to visit.
"Well..."
"Well..."
Mr. and Mrs. Evans looked at each other, finally sighing helplessly and sitting back down.
"Fine~" Ethan probably didn't want to see them right now anyway, they thought. They couldn't help but remember their own actions on the wedding day, feeling both remorseful and heartbroken.
Not long after, Damian took his leave. He had come for two reasons: first, to share the good news of Ethan's recovery, and second, to check on his sister Chloe's life after marriage, having raised her himself.
After Damian left, Mr. and Mrs. Evans locked themselves in their room. Mr. Evans held his weeping wife, comforting her softly, "Alright, don't cry. We did this for Ethan's own good. We couldn't just stand by and watch him be offered as a sacrifice to the Mountain God, could we?"
Mrs. Evans looked up, her face tear-streaked, and sobbed, "But... we didn't necessarily have to marry him off! We could have found him a wife, just like we did for Caleb!"
Mr. Evans sighed softly, a bitter smile on his face. "Do you think I didn't consider that? But you know our family's situation. Who would be willing to marry their daughter into this?"
Mrs. Evans's eyes widened in disbelief. "Really, not a single one? Not even one family...?"
Mr. Evans shook his head, his voice heavy. "Not one. As soon as word got out that this time's sacrifice would be chosen from our village, I went to nearly every family with daughters in all three villages, asking house by house. But the moment they heard why I was there, every single one of them changed their tune immediately and threw me out."
"Why is my fate so bitter! First my brother, now Ethan... Is that Mountain God specifically targeting our family!" Mrs. Evans cried sorrowfully, tears streaming down her beautiful face.
Mr. Evans looked at his wife with heartache, sighing heavily. "Ai... The village sacrifice has always been chosen from the most beautiful person in the village. Back then, we were too young, we couldn't save Vincent. But this time, no matter what, we absolutely cannot let Ethan suffer the same fate!" He held his wife's hand tightly, trying to give her strength.
Mrs. Evans looked up, her eyes blurred with tears, and asked tremblingly, "Will this really work?"
Mr. Evans gritted his teeth and replied firmly, "It should! Damian is from the next village. Once Ethan marries him, he no longer belongs to our village. Besides, the Mountain God's sacrifice must be pure. Once Ethan is married, he naturally won't meet that condition anymore."
Mrs. Evans nodded slightly, but her heart remained uneasy. Suddenly, she remembered something. "We really owe Elder Zhu this time. If he hadn't risked telling us the news secretly, by the time the Village Elder officially announced the sacrifice, it would have been too late!" She couldn't help sobbing again.
Mr. Evans gently patted his wife's shoulder. "Don't worry, dear. We will protect Ethan. We absolutely won't let him become a sacrifice."
Mrs. Evans looked up at her husband through her tears, asking in a choked voice, "But... the Blackstone Ridge sacrifice is only supposed to happen every fifty years. It's clearly not time yet, why would it suddenly be moved up..."
Mr. Evans sighed deeply, shaking his head helplessly. "Ai~ You can't really blame the Village Elder and the others for being anxious. In recent years, the number of baby girls born in these three villages has become fewer and fewer. If this continues, without taking some drastic measures, the entire Blackstone Ridge bloodline might truly die out..."