"I'm counting on you, Appraiser Yu." A Biao's arm was broken and hung limply at his side, so he couldn't clasp his hands in a salute.
The village was eerily quiet after nightfall. It was as if the villagers who had appeared during the day had all vanished.
Tonight was the most crucial night of all. No one dared let their guard down.
Yu Chengmu and A Biao's stomachs were growling with hunger. Since returning the night before, they hadn't opened their door again. They'd had a little water, but hadn't eaten a single grain of rice.
A little hunger was nothing; losing their lives was another matter. Yu Chengmu knew which to prioritize.
All he had to do was make it through tonight, and he, Yu Chengmu, would be the biggest winner!
Yu Chengmu looked calm and unbothered, but inside, he was more eager than anyone for the night to end.
Then... he heard a strange sound.
It came from the direction of the Dushui River. He heard it very clearly!
It was... a bizarre melody, cheerful yet tinged with sorrow, sorrowful yet laced with resentment. Yu Chengmu felt he had heard it before, but couldn't place it.
A Biao gritted his teeth. The tune sounded a little like the score from some classic zombie movie, but only a little. Maybe it was the situation they were in; either way, it sounded even more eerie than the original score.
"It's here!" A Biao sprang to his feet.
A high-pitched, wavering song came from outside. At first, it sounded like a woman's voice, but the longer he listened, the more it sounded like a man forcing the notes out of his throat in a falsetto.
"Don't panic!" Yu Chengmu hurried over to the door, his brows drawing together. "It could