Chapter 144: Heading to Kuai Village

How old is your village head? Zhao Fusheng asked.

Sixty-six, Zhuang Laoqi replied.

That can be considered a ripe old age.

In times like these, the common people faced not only extortionate taxes and levies, but also the ravages of malevolent ghosts, making life extremely difficult. For a mountain village elder to live to sixty-six was already a sign of longevity.

Indeed—

Zhuang Laoqi nodded. Recovering from an illness without medicine is a good thing, so when the village head first got out of bed, nobody thought much of it and everyone was overjoyed.

When he said he was going to Kuailiang Village, everyone simply assumed he was worried that the incident involving Lady Zhuang Fourth would strain the relations between the two villages, and that he wanted to step forward to handle the matter.

Changgen even said—

Reaching this point, Zhuang Laoqi quickly added:

Changgen is the village head's son. He said his father had just gotten up and there was no need to rush. Besides, with such an incident happening in Kuailiang Village, and Manicai dying inexplicably in Zhuangjia Village, they were afraid the people of Kuailiang Village might suspect us of harming him, leaving us with a hundred mouths to explain ourselves yet unable to clear our names.

Magistrate Pang nodded.

Saying it like that is correct. It is best to find a reputable, neutral intermediary to vouch for you; that would be much safer.

Who is to say otherwise? Zhuang Laoqi went on:

Yet he could not be dissuaded. No one could persuade him.

Without even packing a bundle, the village head set off for Kuailiang Village that very day.

At that time, the people of Zhuangjia Village had not yet begun to feel afraid. It was only half a day later, around dusk, when his son happened to be looking out from the doorway.

Seeing that it was time for the evening meal and the village head still had not returned, Zhuang Changgen grew somewhat anxious. At that moment, he suddenly froze, looked around to the left and right, and then walked back into the house without looking back.

His wife was cooking at the time. When she came out to fetch firewood, she saw Zhuang Changgen holding a bundle, looking as though he were about to go out.

She hurriedly blocked his path and asked where he was going when dinner was about to be served.

Zhuang Changgen said:

Someone is calling me. I need to make a trip to Kuailiang Village.

As soon as this answer left his lips, it frightened Zhuang Changgen's wife immensely.

In truth, Kuailiang Village's Kuai Manicai had died inside the village head's home just the day before, and the bloodstains had yet to be fully cleaned up. Hearing the rumors, the villagers of Zhuangjia Village dared only to stay far away and cast furtive glances in that direction.

After the village head left in the morning, not a single person had come by all day long.

She had been cooking outside the entire time and had not heard anyone calling from the entrance. Yet now, Zhuang Changgen suddenly claimed that someone was calling him. Who had called him?

More importantly, right before Kuai Manicai died yesterday, he had been perfectly fine until he suddenly claimed someone was calling him, took two steps, and dropped dead.

His death had been gruesome. Afterward, when the village head regained consciousness, he too claimed someone was calling him and insisted on going to Kuailiang Village. Now, a full day had passed, and there had not been even half a shadow of him.

And now Zhuang Changgen was also claiming he had to go to Kuailiang Village. Although his wife could not quite put her finger on it, she felt deep down that something was terribly wrong with the whole affair.

She called over the village head's other sons and had them hold Zhuang Changgen down, forbidding him to leave.

Yet in the end, it was impossible to stop him.

Zhuang Changgen was dead set on going to Kuailiang Village. He fell out with his brothers, fighting them tooth and nail until he was bruised all over, before leaving without ever looking back.

Though his departure at such a moment felt somewhat eerie, it was still understandable—after all, he was worried about his father.

However, terrifying events began to occur repeatedly thereafter.

Six days ago, Zhuang Juming in the village also packed a bundle, saying someone had called him to go to Kuailiang Village—

By the time Zhuang Laoqi reached this point in his story, the muscles on his face were twitching uncontrollably, revealing the extreme terror gripping him.

Before noon, my eldest uncle came running to my house in a panic, saying my cousin was packing his things and also claiming someone from behind had called him, and that he had to make a trip to Kuailiang Village.

Clearly, just a couple of days prior, when others had mentioned the village head and his son going to Kuailiang Village, Zhuang Laoqi's cousin had been right there among the crowd. Upon hearing that those men had gone to Kuailiang Village, he had even openly called the whole affair bewitching and bizarre.

Who could have expected that after just a single night, he would act as though he had completely forgotten what he said before, stubbornly insisting on going to Kuailiang Village as well.

Zhuang Laoqi's uncle and aunt wailed to the heavens. The elderly couple tried over and over to block his path, but the result was the same as with Zhuang Changgen—he simply could not be stopped.

Gou Laosi had originally only intended to joke around with Zhuang Laoqi, never expecting such a shocking and bizarre case to be dragged out into the open. By this point, his face had turned completely pale.

Not only that, but by dusk, my eldest uncle also packed his things, claiming someone had called him and that he had to go to Kuailiang Village—

In the span of just two or three days, a dozen people in Zhuangjia Village, including Zhuang Laoqi's eldest uncle and cousin, suddenly claimed that someone had poked them in the back with an object, after which they heard a voice calling them to Kuailiang Village.

Once these people left, they never returned.

By this stage of development, even the most foolish person would have realized something was amiss.

Kuai Manicai, the village head, the village head's son Zhuang Changgen, Zhuang Juming, your cousin, your eldest uncle—

Zhao Fusheng summarized:

Aside from Kuai Manicai, these people are all from Zhuangjia Village, correct?

Zhuang Laoqi nodded uneasily.

Then did all of these people witness Kuai Manicai's death with their own eyes on that day? Zhao Fusheng asked again.

Zhuang Laoqi's body gave a violent shudder. He raised his head to look at Zhao Fusheng, his expression filled with terror.

How does Your Honor know?

Do you even need to ask? Zhang Chuanshi sneered.

Your Honor's foresight is like that of a god.

Zhuang Laoqi said in a panic:

These people all witnessed Kuai Manicai's death with their own eyes on that day.

At this point, tears instantly streamed down his face as he began frantically kowtowing against the ground.

Your Honor, save me! When my parents saw that my eldest uncle and cousin had gone to Kuailiang Village and never returned, they realized something terrible had happened. Fearing that I too would meet the same fate, they urged me to leave the village quickly.

They suspected my eldest female cousin died with grievances unredressed and is now dragging others down to their deaths as scapechols. Since I also witnessed Kuai Manicai's death that day, I was terrified that my cousin would eventually come looking for me.

That was why Zhuang Laoqi's parents had urged him to flee the village that very day.

Yet the terrifying phenomenon repeated itself.

Starting three or four days ago, the outskirts of Zhuangjia Village had somehow become shrouded in a thick fog.

After Kuai Manicai died in the village head's house, the villagers had noticed that the days grew dark much earlier and daylight arrived agonizingly slow. Unfortunately, the villagers were entirely insensitive to the existence of malevolent ghosts, and the recent string of events had already thrown everyone into a state of panic.

Amidst such an atmosphere, the ignorant villagers simply locked their heavy doors and chose to stay hoarded in their homes, completely failing to realize that the village had already been surrounded by the fog.

By the time Zhuang Laoqi wanted to leave, it was already impossible.

The paths leading out of the village had vanished—

He murmured softly.

As he spoke, his voice was barely a whisper, yet the sheer terror in his eyes was vividly conveyed through his trembling inflection and the audible sound of him unconsciously swallowing his saliva.

What?

Gou Laosi let out a cry of surprise.

My parents saw me off, but no matter which path we took, it always led to that single road by the river, crossing over to Kuailiang Village on the opposite bank.

The familiar village of the past had turned bizarre and terrifying.

At some unknown point, the fog had turned a crimson red, and an elusive, strange odor drifted through the air, suffocating anyone who breathed it.

Zhuang Laoqi's parents had been scared out of their wits by then. The family ran haphazardly through the paths between the fields like headless flies, desperately searching for a way out.

Yet no matter which familiar path leading to the outside world they took, the fog twisted them all in the end. After wandering in circles several times, the three of them always ended up right back by the riverbank.

A boat meant for crossing the river was moored right there, and on the opposite bank lay Kuailiang Village.

Zhuang Laoqi's family was petrified.

By that point, who would dare board the boat? They retreated back to their home.

During their retreat back to the house, they ran into several people who were leaving with cheerful smiles and laughter.

These villagers acted as though they were completely oblivious to the strange occurrences in the village, even casually greeting Zhuang Laoqi's family when they crossed paths.

When Zhuang Laoqi's parents asked where they were going, every single one of them replied:

To Kuailiang Village.

These people acted as though it had been prearranged, all claiming someone had called out to them and invited them along.

In fact, these people even smiled warmly and invited Zhuang Laoqi's family to travel with them, saying there is safety in numbers and it would be livelier.

Under such circumstances, even the most foolish person knew something major had happened in Kuailiang Village. Who would dare to go?

When Zhuang Laoqi reached this point, Gou Laosi felt both frightened and bewildered, saying:

B-But when I came to look for you, there wasn't anything unusual at all—

Before Gou Laosi's voice had even faded, tears were nearly welling in Zhuang Laoqi's eyes.

I thought I was surely dead for certain. Who would have guessed that you, my cousin, would come looking for me at a time like that?

Zhuang Laoqi's family had fallen into utter despair. It just so happened that Gou Laosi had heard the prefectural government was hiring laborers to build a road for some important figure, so he had come to find Zhuang Laoqi, hoping to invite him along for the journey.

Yet the strange fog that had trapped the people of Zhuangjia Village seemed to have zero effect on Gou Laosi.

He had simply barged right into Zhuangjia Village. Treating him like a straw to clutch at in their drowning state, Zhuang Laoqi's family had immediately decided to travel with him.

The family hadn't even had time to pack their bundles or valuables before fleeing alongside him.

Yet as we walked and walked, the family somehow got separated—

Zhuang Laoqi said with sorrow:

I don't know when it happened, but my parents simply vanished. When I turned back to look, I saw that Zhuangjia Village was entirely encircled by a thick fog, making it impossible to see anything clearly.

Having experienced such an event, he didn't dare to turn back. Although he worried for his parents and relatives, he had no return path open to him, so he simply followed Gou Laosi into Wan'an County, intending to lie low for a couple of days until things calmed down, after which he would ask around to find out what had truly happened in Zhuangjia Village.

Though no strange occurrences befell him during the few days he spent hiding, his heart remained in his throat the entire time.

The events that transpired in Kuailiang Village were like a massive boulder pressing down on his chest.

The scandal of Lady Zhuang Fourth committing adultery and being drowned in the river by her husband's family was an utter disgrace to Zhuangjia Village. He had dared not speak of it to a single soul, deeply fearing it would stain the village's reputation.

Under such conditions, he had endured several days of sheer terror and panic.

Yet Gou Laosi had been entirely oblivious to his cousin's psychological state. Today, picking up a thin, long bamboo stick to play a prank on him, he had poked Zhuang Laoqi in the back—an action that instantly detonated the fear and anxiety Zhuang Laoqi had harbored for days.

That was why he had lost control of his emotions, grabbing a mud-shoveling board and striking Gou Laosi fiercely across the back, which sparked the commotion that ultimately dragged him into the Demon Suppression Office, forcing him to spill the secret he had bottled up inside.

Although the affair of Lady Zhuang Fourth was hardly respectable, after having one's emotions suppressed for so long, speaking of it left Zhuang Laoqi with an indescribable sense of relief.

I'm worried about my family...

What?

Hearing this, Gou Laosi scratched his head.

Cousin, did you remember wrong? When I came to your house to fetch you that day, I didn't see your aunt or uncle at all—

Ah?!

Zhuang Laoqi let out a gasp of shock. How can that be? When you arrived, I was right there with my parents—

The two cousins stared at each other in blank dismay, both breaking out into a cold sweat.

If you didn't see my parents, cousin, then where did my mother and father go? Zhuang Laoqi muttered to himself.

Zhao Fusheng, Fan Bisi, and the others exchanged glances, instantly realizing that Zhuang Laoqi must have been affected by the malevolent ghost's ghost domain at the time, leading to severe distortions in his memory and perception.

How could this be? Could it really be that people turn into ghosts after death?

Zhuang Laoqi said with a weeping expression:

But grievances have their heads and debts have their owners! When my eldest female cousin was alive, she was such a gentle and virtuous person. Besides, it wasn't even people from our Zhuangjia Village who killed her—why would she harm the people of our Zhuangjia Village?

Malevolent ghosts are not like what you imagine them to be, Zhao Fusheng said sternly.

Once a person dies, there is a possibility of a malevolent ghost awakening. Once awakened, they lose all memory and emotion, turning into an existence driven solely by the instinct to slaughter.

Triggered by the rules of a malevolent ghost, it couldn't care less whether you were its living family or friend. Back then, when the Zhao couple's ghosts awakened and retrieved the door panel, their very first instinct was to kill their own daughter—that should be a reflex of the emotions a person has right before death.

The more one refuses to let go, the more likely a rule is to form after death. The probability of close relations triggering the rule is actually higher, making them all the more likely to be the first to die.

How could it be like this? Zhuang Laoqi was utterly baffled. Hearing Zhao Fusheng's explanation left him both terrified and panic-stricken.

How can this be? We never did anything to wrong her; why would she harm us—?

Since when do malevolent ghosts reason with human sentiment? Zhao Fusheng shook her head and instructed:

This ghost case has already grown into a formidable climate; we can delay no longer.

Although Zhao Fusheng currently lacked hard evidence, through her questioning, she could be virtually certain that the ghost case centered around Lady Zhuang Fourth and had already engulfed at least two villages: Kuailiang Village and Zhuangjia Village.

Because the death of Lady Zhuang Fourth was hardly glorious, both villages had deliberately concealed it. Seven or eight days had already passed, allowing a ghost domain to form; by now, the scope of the case had likely expanded significantly.

While she had been foolishly assuming that Wan'an County was peaceful and quiet, a major catastrophe had already erupted in the surrounding villages.

I must pack my things and set off immediately. She stood up abruptly, her gaze sweeping across the surroundings.

Anyone caught in her line of sight revealed an expression of lingering anxiety.

Among the crowd, only Magistrate Pang appeared relatively composed.

Although he knew how terrifying ghost cases were, because he was not a member of the Demon Suppression Office, this ghost case could by no means drag him into it.

Zhang Chuanshi, however, was panic-stricken.

The Demon Suppression Office currently had very few people available for deployment. Fan Bisi had already accompanied Zhao Fusheng through two ghost cases, so there was a high probability Zhao Fusheng would not take him this time.

Among the remaining order-envoys, Wu Shaochun had never handled a single ghost case in his life. His unfortunate timing meant he was extremely likely to be chosen.

As Zhang Chuanshi was turning this thought over in his mind, he saw Zhao Fusheng's gaze land directly on Wu Shaochun.

He chanted silently in his heart:

Pick him, pick him, pick him, pick him—

Whether due to some mystical efficacy of his silent incantation or not, Zhao Fusheng spoke:

Wu Shaochun.

An undisguised smile broke across Zhang Chuanshi's face.

Then, he watched as Zhao Fusheng turned her head, her gaze shifting directly onto him.

An overwhelming wave of terror instantly engulfed Zhang Chuanshi. The strength drained from his limbs in an instant, and he began frantically repeating his internal mantra:

Don't pick me, don't pick me, don't pick me—

However, whether his streak of good luck with incantations had run completely dry or not, this time Zhang Chuanshi did not enjoy his previous fortune.

Zhao Fusheng's voice rang out in Zhang Chuanshi's ears like a demonic spell:

Old Zhang—

I can't hear it, I can't hear it, I can't hear it.

Zhang Chuanshi turned a deaf ear.

Paying him no mind, Zhao Fusheng looked instead toward Fan Wujiu:

Second Brother Fan, this time the three of you will accompany me on the journey. Eldest Brother Fan will remain behind within the Demon Suppression Office.

Zhang Chuanshi's face turned ashen, resembling that of a dead man.

Fan Wujiu felt a wave of anxiety himself, but when he glanced sideways at his brother, he saw that Fan Bisi remained quite composed and nodded in reassurance.

With a sudden release of tension in his chest, Fan Wujiu quickly responded:

Understood.

Understood, Wu Shaochun chimed in loudly as well.

(Author's note: I'll be taking a day off tomorrow to stockpile some drafts and sort out the outline, everyone please don't keep refreshing the page~)