Deep Mountain Ancient Village

Li Bo's mouth twitched uncontrollably. Recalling how the guy had severed his wrist without a moment's hesitation, he didn't look like a Doctor at all—he looked more like a butcher.

Yet, he dared not question it. His severed arm had stopped bleeding only because of Xu Tong's quick intervention; if not for him, he likely would have kicked the bucket long before they'd gone very far.

He was thoroughly cowed, not just physically, but gripped by a fear that reached deep into his soul for the moody madman before him.

As the two made their way down the mountain, Li Bo kept his mouth shut, not daring to utter a single complaint even when he tripped and fell.

During the trek, Xu Tong would occasionally check his wound, which finally gave Li Bo a glimmer of hope that the guy possessed a shred of human warmth.

Of course, that was just his own wishful thinking.

As the sky grew darker, the cold mountain wind bit into his face like a knife. Li Bo was both exhausted and famished.

Come to think of it, he hadn't eaten since eight o'clock that evening. He had planned to finish his game, grab a late-night snack, take a hot bath, and then drift off into a comfortable sleep under the massage of Technician No. 66. What a perfect day that would have been.

But now...

Looking at his severed hand, Li Bo felt like crying but had no tears. He rubbed his growling stomach, wishing he had some grilled skewers.

As he thought about it, the aroma of roasted meat wafted into his nostrils.

"Hiss... this smell, it's definitely charcoal-grilled pork belly, so fragrant! Add some grilled green peppers and a couple of beers..." Li Bo's mouth began to water uncontrollably, and he couldn't help but take a few deep, greedy sniffs.

Just as Li Bo was lost in his thoughts, he was suddenly shoved hard and sent sprawling to the ground.

"Ouch..."

The unexpected fall made Li Bo wince in pain. He looked up, feeling both ashamed and annoyed, but when he saw Xu Tong glaring at him with a cold face, his expression softened and he hurriedly forced a smile. "Brother Xu, why'd you push me?"

Xu Tong didn't speak; he simply pointed ahead, signaling for Li Bo to look for himself.

Confused, Li Bo looked up. At first, he didn't see it clearly, but after rubbing his eyes and focusing, his face turned the color of liver.

"I... ugh... blegh..."

The mere thought that he had been craving grilled pork belly made his stomach churn. He slumped over into the woods and began to retch.

In the open clearing before them, a few scattered flames were still licking the ground. There was no charcoal-grilled pork belly as Li Bo had imagined; instead, there were quite a few charred corpses.

Most of the bodies were carbonized, their limbs curled into a defensive, pugilistic stance.

Judging by the smoke still rising from them, they hadn't been dead for very long.

After waiting a moment to ensure no one was around, Xu Tong emerged from the bushes and approached a corpse. He pried open its eyelids and mouth, examining them carefully before concluding that these people had been burned alive.

"Brother Xu... ugh..."

Li Bo had finished retching and emerged from the brush. Seeing Xu Tong squatting before the corpses with a thoughtful expression, he silently branded the guy a pervert, though he was starting to believe that he really was a Doctor.

Suppressing the urge to vomit, he pinched his nose, held his breath, and walked behind Xu Tong. "Brother Xu, we're in the middle of nowhere—how did so many people end up burned to death here?"

"Perhaps... the answer is right here."

Xu Tong pointed to the ground beneath his feet.

Li Bo leaned in for a closer look and saw messy hoof prints and two deep, parallel tracks.

It was clear these people had been transported here to be incinerated in a mass grave.

Looking at the direction the tracks led, Li Bo swallowed hard. Just as he was about to suggest they mind their own business and find a place to rest, a cold notification in his ears forced him to shut his mouth.

[Main Quest: Find the True Culprit]

[Quest Objective: Locate the murderer]

[Quest Hint: Follow the wheel tracks, and you will find the culprit's lair, but be careful—this path is fraught with danger.]

The notification left a bitter taste in Li Bo's mouth. He looked at Xu Tong, only to find the man staring at the end of the tracks, his eyes flickering with a cold light as if deep in thought.

"Let's go."

He started walking along the tracks. As for Li Bo, even though he was ten thousand times against it, he could only lower his head and follow in silence.

In truth, the path ahead was easier than they had expected; after all, a road capable of supporting a vehicle, no matter how poor, was better than the uneven, bramble-filled mountain terrain.

About half an hour later, a faint, flickering glow appeared before them.

"A village?"

Li Bo might have been fat, but his eyesight was decent. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a small village. He began to ponder, "Isn't this the culprit's lair? How did it turn into a village?"

At this thought, he couldn't help but mutter, "It isn't a bandit den, is it?"

"No."

Li Bo froze and looked at Xu Tong, not understanding how he could be so certain, but he dared not speak or ask further.

"This way!"

He grabbed Li Bo's arm. Instead of walking straight into the village, they circled around it and snuck in from an inconspicuous side entrance.

As they approached, they heard a lively commotion. Hiding in a corner, they looked out to see the village plastered with red "Double Happiness" characters. Over a dozen large, square wooden tables were packed with men, women, and children, all drinking, playing finger-guessing games, and laughing heartily.

At the village entrance, a band was playing; six elders were taking turns blowing gourds and suonas while beating drums, creating a festive atmosphere as if it were the Lunar New Year.

"Gulp!"

Li Bo looked at the fine wine and dishes on the table, his mouth watering uncontrollably, while his stomach let out a series of rebellious, rumbling growls.

How could he not be famished? He hadn't eaten a thing all night, and having just felt like he might vomit up his very bile, Li Bo felt he could devour an entire cow right now.

Rubbing his uncooperative stomach, Li Bo smacked his lips: "Brother Xu, I don't think this is a bandit den; it looks more like a village."

Regrettably, Xu Tong did not respond to his words, instead asking in return: "Are you hungry?"

"Mm-hmm!" Li Bo nodded frantically.

"Let's go, let's check the kitchen."

As he spoke, he pulled Li Bo toward the direction of the kitchen, stealthily making their way over.

It wasn't actually a kitchen, but a small courtyard containing a thatched shed, where two iron pots sat atop a built-up stove, bubbling away and venting steam.

Standing outside the fence, the two took a look and saw several large bowls already set out on a table, filled with prepared food.

Li Bo became even hungrier, wondering whether he should sneak in and steal a few bites while no one was looking, when a shrill, miserable howl erupted from inside the room.

Oink, oink~~~

Just then, two shirtless men walked out of the room, clutching a clean, white Piglet. Ignoring the creature's shrieks, they bound it tightly and placed it on a wooden table.

"Go!"

Xu Tong suddenly stood up and pulled Li Bo directly into the courtyard.

"Greetings, masters! You've been working hard, truly hard!"

As soon as he entered the gate, Xu Tong greeted them with a simple, honest smile, not waiting for them to ask before saying: "My uncle said you two have been working hard today, so he sent us over to help out."

"Your uncle?"

The two cooks were stunned for a moment, but then they seemed to understand, their faces dawning with realization.

"No need. Once this pig is slaughtered and the Pig-Slaughtering Dish is in the pot, the banquet is finished."

The bald man waved his hand at the two, signaling that they didn't need to help.

Oink, oink~~~

The Piglet on the table began to struggle again, thrashing even more violently than before, causing the entire table to shake.

Seeing this, the bald man raised his fist and struck it, cursing: "What are you screaming for? Even if Laozi himself came down today, you're still destined for the pot!"

The older cook thought for a moment; an extra pair of hands wouldn't hurt, and there were some odd jobs left that they could help with.

"Fine, you two don't need to busy yourselves. Sit down, have something to eat and drink. Once we've finished slaughtering the pig, you can help stuff the blood sausages."

"Yes, yes, yes!"

These words truly spoke to Li Bo's heart. Ever since entering the courtyard, his eyes hadn't strayed from the table to the side. If not for Xu Tong still standing there, he would have long since ignored everything and started stuffing his face.

After saying this, Li Bo sat at the table and grabbed a large steamed bun, shoving it into his mouth.

Xu Tong stood leisurely behind the two men, looking at the Piglet on the table with a curious expression: "Master, how many dishes can you make from such a small pig?"

The bald man picked up a gleaming kitchen knife and, looking at Xu Tong with a grin, said: "Don't worry, there's still the offal, isn't there? You see, the pig head, heart, liver, lungs, and intestines—all of these are good stuff."

"Oh, yes, yes!"

Xu Tong nodded repeatedly, one hand moving stealthily behind his back.

"Come!"

The older master held up a basin, and the bald man took a swig of wine, spraying it onto the blade with a "Pfft!" sound.

By now, the Piglet had stopped screaming, but its legs were still stubbornly kicking backward.

"Heh heh, it doesn't hurt. It's just one cut, close your eyes and it'll be over."

The bald man patted the Piglet's belly, preparing to strike.

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

Li Bo, sitting behind them and enjoying his meal, suddenly saw Xu Tong's hand holding a short blade rising from his waist. He froze, and in his subconscious flinch, his arm knocked over the bowls and dishes on the table.

With a loud "Bang!", Li Bo was startled and scrambled to pick up the broken shards: "Sorry, sorry, I didn't... I... hiss!!"

Halfway through his sentence, Li Bo stopped, his eyes fixed on the bald man, his hand trembling as it held the broken pottery.

The bald man's body hadn't moved, but his head had rotated 180 degrees. His eyes were wide, glaring at the short blade in Xu Tong's hand: "What are you doing!!"

"Heh heh!" Seeing the head turned around, Xu Tong first chuckled, then swung the blade down toward the bald man's head.

Thump!!

The round head rolled off the table, landing squarely in the older master's basin, before Xu Tong said in a calm, unhurried tone: "What else would I be doing besides chopping you?"