Deep Mountain Ancient Village

Li Bo's mouth twitched involuntarily. Remembering how this guy had cut off his wrist without a moment's hesitation, he looked nothing like a doctor and much more like a butcher.

But he didn't dare question him, either. Xu Tong had been the one to stop the bleeding from his severed arm so quickly. Without him, Li Bo probably wouldn't have made it very far before kicking the bucket.

He'd already been cowed—not just physically, but by a fear of the unpredictable madman in front of him that came from deep within his soul.

On the way down the mountain, Li Bo could only keep his mouth shut and behave himself. Even when he stumbled, he didn't dare complain to Xu Tong.

Every now and then, Xu Tong checked his wound, which at least let Li Bo feel that the guy had a little human warmth in him.

Of course, that was just wishful thinking on his part.

But the sky was growing darker by the minute, and the cold mountain wind cut across their faces like a knife. Li Bo was exhausted and hungry after the long walk.

Come to think of it, the last time he'd eaten had been around eight the previous evening. He'd planned to finish his game, grab a late-night snack, take a bath, then drift off to sleep after a relaxing massage from Technician No. 66. What a perfect day that would've been.

But now...

Looking at his severed hand, Li Bo felt like crying. He patted his rumbling belly and thought how nice it would be to have some grilled skewers.

As he thought about it, the aroma of roasted meat suddenly filled his nostrils.

"Damn, that smell! It's definitely charcoal-grilled pork belly. So good! Add some grilled green peppers and wash it down with a couple of beers..." Li Bo's mouth watered as he imagined it, and he couldn't help taking a few more deep sniffs.

Li Bo was lost in thought when, without warning, he lurched sideways and was shoved to the ground.

"Ow..."

The sudden fall made Li Bo grimace in pain. He looked up in annoyance, but when he saw Xu Tong glaring down at him with a cold expression, his face softened. He hurriedly smiled ingratiatingly. "Brother Xu, why'd you push me?"

Xu Tong said nothing. He pointed ahead, telling Li Bo to look for himself.

Confused, Li Bo raised his head. At first, he couldn't make it out. He rubbed his eyes and looked again—and his face instantly turned the color of pig liver.

"I... Ugh... Ugh..."

Realizing that he'd just been thinking about roasted pork belly, the fat man felt his stomach turn over. He lurched into the woods and started throwing up.

On the open patch of land before them, a few scattered flames still flickered on the ground. But there was no charcoal-grilled pork belly like Li Bo had imagined. Instead, there were plenty of charred corpses.

Most of the bodies had been carbonized. Their limbs were bent at the joints, curled up in a defensive pose like boxers protecting themselves during a match.

Judging by the wisps of smoke still rising from them, it seemed they hadn't been killed long ago.

After waiting a while and making sure no one was around, Xu Tong emerged from the grass and approached a corpse. He pried open its eyelids and mouth, examined it closely, and was able to confirm that these people had been burned alive right there.

"Brother Xu... Ugh..."

Li Bo had nearly finished throwing up. He came out of the grass and saw Xu Tong crouched in front of the corpses, looking thoughtful. He couldn't help thinking the guy was a freak, though by now he really did believe that he was a doctor.

Suppressing another wave of nausea, he pinched his nose and held his breath as he came up behind Xu Tong. "Brother Xu, how'd so many people get burned to death out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"Perhaps... the answer's right here!"

Xu Tong pointed at the ground beneath his feet.

Li Bo stepped closer and took a careful look. There were scattered hoofprints and two deep tracks.

Clearly, the people had been brought here and burned together.

Li Bo followed the tracks with his eyes and swallowed. He was about to suggest that they leave the matter alone and find somewhere to rest as soon as possible when the cold voice in his ear forced him to keep quiet.

[Main Quest: Find the Real Culprit]

[Objective: Find the murderer]

[Quest Hint: Follow the wheel tracks, and you'll find the culprit's hideout. But be careful: the journey is bound to be dangerous.]

The voice in his ear left a bitter taste in Li Bo's mouth. He looked toward Xu Tong, only to find the man staring at the end of the tracks, his gaze flashing coldly from time to time. Li Bo couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Let's go!"

Xu Tong started along the wheel tracks. Even though Li Bo was a hundred times unwilling, he could only lower his head and follow.

As it turned out, the road ahead was easier to walk than they'd expected. After all, even a rough road that could accommodate a vehicle was better than the uneven, bumpy undergrowth in the mountains.

About half an hour later, a faint glimmer of firelight appeared before them.

"A village?"

Li Bo might've been fat, but his eyesight was decent. Looking closely, he realized there was a small village ahead and immediately began to wonder, Wasn't this supposed to be the culprit's hideout? How'd it turn into a village?

He couldn't help muttering, "Could it be a bandit lair?"

"No."

Li Bo turned to Xu Tong in surprise, unsure why he'd answered so decisively. But he didn't dare say anything or ask.

"This way!"

Xu Tong took Li Bo by the arm. Instead of walking straight into the village, they circled around it and then slipped in from an inconspicuous spot on the side.

As soon as they got close, they heard the village was bustling with activity. Hiding in a corner, they looked out and saw the character for "double happiness" pasted everywhere. More than a dozen square wooden tables were packed with men, women, old and young, drinking, playing finger-guessing games, and chatting merrily. The place was lively beyond words.

At the entrance, a six-man band was playing. Six old men took turns blowing on gourds and suonas and beating drums. The festive atmosphere felt just like the Lunar New Year.

"Gulp!"

Li Bo watched the fine food and wine on the tables, his mouth watering uncontrollably as his stomach rumbled.

How could he not be tempted? He hadn't eaten all night, and he'd just thrown up so much he'd nearly brought up bile. At that moment, Li Bo felt like he could eat a whole cow.

He rubbed his uncooperative belly and smacked his lips. "Brother Xu, this doesn't look like a bandit lair. It really does seem like a village."

Xu Tong didn't respond. He only asked, "Are you hungry?"

"Mm-hmm!" Li Bo nodded furiously.

"Come on. Let's check out the kitchen."

As he spoke, Xu Tong led Li Bo toward the kitchen, quietly making his way over.

It wasn't really a kitchen, just a small courtyard. A straw shed stood inside, with two iron pots set over built-up stoves, bubbling and steaming.

The two of them peered through the fence. Several large bowls had already been set out on a table, filled with prepared dishes.

That only made Li Bo hungrier. He was wondering whether he should sneak in and grab a few bites while no one was looking when a piercing howl came from inside the house.

Oink, oink!

Two bare-chested men came out of the house. They were holding a little white pig, ignoring its squeals as they bound it tightly and laid it on a table.

"Let's go!"

Xu Tong suddenly stood up and led Li Bo straight into the courtyard.

"Ah, you two masters! Thanks for your hard work, thanks for your hard work!"

As soon as he entered the courtyard, Xu Tong greeted them with a broad, honest smile. Before they could ask anything, he said, "My uncle said you two masters have been working hard today, so he sent us over to lend a hand."

"Your uncle?"

The two cooks were taken aback, but then they seemed to understand. Their faces lit up with recognition.

"No need. We just have to kill this last pig and make one pot of pig-slaughtering dish. Then the banquet's done."

The bald man waved at Xu Tong and Li Bo, signaling that they didn't need to help.

Oink, oink!

The little pig on the table started thrashing again, more violently than before. The whole table began to shake.

The bald man punched it and cursed, "What're you squealing for? Even if the King of Heaven showed up today, you'd still end up in the pot!"

The older cook thought for a moment. More hands meant less work, and there were a few odds and ends left to do, so they could use the help.

"How about this? You two don't need to do any work. Sit down and have something to eat and drink. Once we've slaughtered the pig, you can help us stuff the blood sausages."

"Sure, sure!"

Those words struck right at Li Bo's heart. Ever since he'd entered the courtyard, he hadn't taken his eyes off the table nearby. If Xu Tong hadn't still been standing there, he'd have stopped caring about anything else and dug in.

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Bo sat down at the table, grabbed a large steamed bun, and stuffed it into his mouth.

Xu Tong, meanwhile, stood behind the two men at an unhurried pace, looking curiously at the little pig on the table. "Master, how many dishes can you make from such a small pig?"

The bald man picked up the gleaming cleaver beside him and turned it over in his hand. He grinned at Xu Tong. "Don't worry. There's the offal, too. The pig's head, heart, liver, lungs, and intestines are all good stuff."

"Oh, right, right!"

Xu Tong nodded repeatedly as one hand quietly moved behind his back.

"Come on!"

The older cook held out a basin. The bald man picked up a bowl, took a swig of liquor, and sprayed it over the cleaver with a sharp "Pfft!"

By then, the little pig had stopped squealing, though its hind legs kept kicking stubbornly.

"Heh, it won't hurt. Just one chop, and it'll be over before you know it."

The bald man patted the little pig's belly and prepared to strike.

Xu Tong narrowed his eyes at the pig on the table and slowly drew his hand from behind his waist.

Li Bo was eating heartily behind him when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xu Tong slowly raise the hand gripping a short knife from behind his back. He froze. Instinctively, he pulled his arm back and knocked the bowls and plates off the table.

The crash startled Li Bo badly. In a panic, he hurried to pick up the broken dishes. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to... I... Hiss!"

He couldn't finish what he was saying. He stared fixedly at the bald man, his hand holding the dishes trembling uncontrollably.

The bald man's body hadn't moved, but his head had turned a full 180 degrees. His eyes bulged as he glared at the short knife in Xu Tong's hand. "What are you doing?!"

"Heh!" Xu Tong smiled at the turned head, then brought his blade down on it.

"Thud!"

The round head rolled across the table and landed squarely in the older cook's basin. Only then did Xu Tong calmly answer, "What else? Cutting you down."