They had left the village

"": 200,

"": "",

"": ""Ah, Auntie Gu didn't think this through. Under these circumstances, how could I let a girl like you stay home alone?" Gu Ya held Zhang Yunling's hand tightly.

Luo Bin's heart sped up a little.

He had thought something was off about Zhang Yunling because she kept leaning into him while he was taking her home. Maybe she had feelings for the original owner of this body?

But Gu Ya had also told him not to upset Zhang Yunling.

That meant the original owner must have done something out of line.

In that case, he could rule out the idea that she liked him.

Had Zhang Yunling simply been unsteady on her feet? Was he being too sensitive? Overthinking things?

Luckily, he hadn't tried to take advantage of her or even thought about it. That counted as being polite, didn't it?

His heart was racing now simply because Zhang Yunling was pretty.

Everyone appreciated beauty, and Luo Bin was no exception.

In his previous life, Zhang Yunling would definitely have been the prettiest girl in her class, or even the whole school.

Luo Feng went to open the door, looking rather aloof.

"Don't take it personally, and don't blame your uncle. He's always been stubborn. He won't change overnight." Still holding Zhang Yunling's hand, Gu Ya led her into the house.

"I know. Uncle didn't do anything wrong. With something so serious happening, of course he had to tell the Village Chief every detail." Zhang Yunling was very understanding.

From that exchange, Luo Bin understood that Zhang Yunling had been arrested because of Luo Feng.

Of course. Luo Feng was so perceptive that anyone who had visited their home would have been his first suspect.

Luo Bin was the last to enter the courtyard, and he closed the gate.

Gu Ya and Zhang Yunling went into the kitchen to prepare the meal.

Luo Bin followed and took a look. He could see that the window had been completely sealed with a wooden board.

There were numerous bloodstains on the walls, a horrifying sight.

"Did someone get hurt last night after all?" Luo Bin's heart lurched.

"It's rat blood. Those evil spirits caught a few rats and tortured them to lure your mother into the kitchen. The blood soaked the board over the rice jar. This morning, the rat carcasses were stuck to the walls. The evil spirits failed, and they were furious." Luo Feng sat on a small folding stool beside the well and began sharpening his machete.

Luo Bin still felt shaken.

"It's all right now, Xiao Shan. Go rest. Your Sister Ling and I will cook. You've really grown up. She's been whispering to me about how grateful she is to you." Gu Ya smiled warmly.

Gu Ya's tone had changed too. Before, she had been gentle with him, the classic doting mother. Now, though, she seemed to be showing him off a little. Was she deliberately praising him?

Yes, that was exactly how it felt.

"It was only right... We couldn't let an innocent person be wronged..." With that, Luo Bin ran toward his room.

Once inside, he shut the door and smiled bitterly.

In his previous life, his love life had been a hopeless case. Whenever he spent much time around girls, he never knew what to say.

It seemed he hadn't improved much in this life either.

Shaking his head to clear away the stray thoughts, Luo Bin walked to the window and stared blankly at the gap.

He took out the slip of paper and looked at Gu Yiren's portrait.

For a moment, Luo Bin felt even more at a loss.

Things were complicated enough already. Zhang Li was missing, and now Zhang Yunling was staying here. Could he explain everything clearly to Luo Feng?

No... It seems I can't talk to Luo Feng.

The first thing Gu Yiren mouthed was that she could help me!

How could I possibly involve Luo Feng in this?

Sweat trickled down his temples.

He lost track of time in thought.

A knock came at the door, accompanied by Gu Ya's voice. "Time to eat, Xiao Shan."

Only then did Luo Bin snap out of it and leave his room to eat.

With four people in the main room, it felt quite full. Warm and happy, perhaps?

"Dad, I'd like to take a walk later. I also want to have a look at the outsiders' car," Luo Bin said midway through the meal.

Gu Ya was about to speak.

"All right," Luo Feng answered without hesitation.

"Eat. You and Ling can rest and take a nap afterward. You didn't sleep well last night." Luo Feng placed some food in Gu Ya's bowl.

Only then did Gu Ya refrain from saying more.

After the meal, Luo Feng went out with Luo Bin. Without asking any further questions or saying anything else, he took Luo Bin somewhere.

This place was also at the foot of the mountain, but it was completely different from the spot where everyone had gathered earlier.

Weeds grew thickly over an open lot packed with vehicles. Many were mottled with rust, their tires burst and their windows shattered.

Luo Bin didn't see Zhang Li's car.

Luo Feng kept walking until he stopped at a particular spot. There were tire tracks on the ground, a discarded replacement tire, and numerous overlapping footprints.

"Looks like you don't need to worry about the outsiders. They've left the village."

"One man with two frail women. They actually knew they couldn't get out of the village, yet they still dared to try leaving. Tonight, they'll die outside." Luo Feng shook his head slightly.

Luo Bin actually felt relieved. At least Zhang Li and the others hadn't entered anyone else's home. They wouldn't be hacked to death with machetes and axes.

"They'll get lost and come back, right? Those outsiders are rather pitiful, really. When they return, could we lock them up in the mountain god's temple again?" he asked tentatively.

"I'm afraid they won't come back. They'll reach the village entrance, then turn around again, clinging to hope and refusing to believe it as they search for a way out. By the time it gets dark, even if they enter the village, it'll be too late." Luo Feng shook his head. "No one will open the door for them. And tonight is different. If they enter the village after dark, they'll die even faster!"

"Why, Dad?" Luo Bin wiped the sweat from his temples, a trace of unwillingness rising in his heart.

Gu Yiren could help me!

Am I really going to let this chance slip past?

To be honest, Luo Bin still hadn't figured out what to do tonight... He couldn't just go watch the procession, because he would undergo a very obvious change-unless he had lamp oil ready.

"What did you call me? There are only the two of us here." Luo Feng frowned.

"Dad," Luo Bin answered naturally.

Only by thinking of himself as Luo Shan could he feel that sense of Gu Ya being his mother. By the same logic, Luo Feng was naturally his father.

For a moment, Luo Feng fell silent, then sank into an even deeper silence.

After a while, Luo Feng's brow eased a little. He looked toward the sunlight, let out a long breath, and finally said, "The villagers aren't the ones carrying out the procession."

"The evil spirits come out of the mountains. They delight in deceiving and tormenting the villagers, making them die little by little. They put people in prison carts, then pull those carts all around the village while slicing Zhang Po's body bit by bit. It's the equivalent of death by a thousand cuts."

"Before dark, the villagers choose a stretch of the route and stay in a house along it. They can then watch different stages of the procession. This is one of the village's harshest punishments. Anyone who uses evil spirits to harm others will ultimately have to face those spirits themselves."

"If those three outsiders come back, they'll run into an unprecedented number of evil spirits. Even if they've brought lamp oil, even if their car has doors and windows, they'll still discover how naive their thinking was." Luo Feng's explanation was clear and well reasoned.

Just listening and imagining it was enough to make Luo Shan's blood run cold.

The procession... This was what the procession was?

The driver's horrific fate on the first night replayed in his mind, and goosebumps sprang up all over him.

Indeed, according to Luo Feng, Zhang Li had to return before dawn... Otherwise, he would be better off not returning at all.

But if they couldn't find a way out, would they obediently spend the night in their car and remain outside the village?