"": 200,
"": "",
"": "His head buzzed, goosebumps erupted all over Luo Bin, and waves of dread prickled through him.
What the hell was this?
Why would Xu Kaiguo leave a message like that?
Luo Bin stood frozen beside the window, at a loss.
Within just a few minutes, seven or eight Evil Spirits had gathered outside the window, reaching out to tap lightly on the glass.
With a swish, Luo Bin closed the curtains again. He took a deep breath, struggled to remain calm, and returned to the desk to continue dividing up the Lamp Oil.
But his three "encounters" with Xu Kaiguo kept replaying before his eyes.
The first day he woke up after Soul Summoning.
Last night.
Tonight.
Without exception, Xu Kaiguo had started by saying that the couple in this house were Evil Spirits, that the entire village was abnormal, and that Luo Bin should open the window.
Looking at the details, Xu Kaiguo had told him to save Gu Yiren.
That had helped him immensely. Above all, it had established a baseline: Xu Kaiguo could not be fundamentally bad.
Yet he had kept insisting on his original claim, saying there was something wrong with Luo Feng and Gu Ya...
That was where the problem lay.
Earlier, when he left, he had also left a rapidly vanishing message on the window, telling Luo Bin not to trust him...
Saying he was an Evil Spirit!?
Was he an Evil Spirit?
He probably was, right?
Otherwise, how could he roam the roads at night? How could he appear and disappear without a trace? Why wouldn't the other Evil Spirits hurt him?
Could it be that he had no control over those opening remarks-that he didn't mean to say them?
And only occasionally, when he regained a little clarity, could he pass along some information?
On the first night, he had passed along information about Gu Yiren.
Tonight, he had passed along the warning not to trust him.
Then had he passed along some information last night, too?!
Sweat kept beading on Luo Bin's forehead.
Right. It was like Xu Kaiguo was a patient, just as Zhang Li had described Gu Yiren.
A patient with Hysteria, with something wrong in his head. Most of the time, what he said might harm people, but when he was lucid, he could give them proper information?
Of course, Xu Kaiguo himself definitely wasn't ill.
He simply couldn't stay fully lucid?
He was an Evil Spirit?
An existence similar to Luo Bin himself?
His body was an Evil Spirit, but his soul was an ordinary person's?
At that thought, Luo Bin felt every hair on his body stand on end!
His original idea surfaced again. He wasn't the only person who had come to Cabinet Mountain Village. Someone he knew was here, too.
Xu Kaiguo had arrived before him and explored Cabinet Mountain Village to some extent. But in the end, he had failed and been assimilated by the Evil Spirits, retaining only a sliver of clarity to guide whoever came next?
That meant him!?
His heart pounded so hard it nearly leaped out of his throat.
Luo Bin went over everything again and again, increasingly convinced that this might be the right answer.
But why didn't Xu Kaiguo drink the Lamp Oil himself? Lamp Oil could keep him calm and lucid!
Suddenly, a creak sounded as someone tried to open the door.
But Luo Bin had locked it from the inside, so it did not open.
Luo Bin quickly put away the bottles and jars on the desk, along with the little plastic packets of oil.
"Mom?" he answered, pretending to sound sleepy.
"Xiao Shan, I thought I'd come in and have a few words with you. Are you asleep?" Gu Ya's voice reached him.
"Uh... yes," Luo Bin answered first.
"All right. Sleep well, then." With that, Gu Ya's footsteps receded.
Luo Bin carefully checked that he had left no traces on the desk, then immediately went over and opened the door.
"Mom, what's wrong? Come in and tell me." Luo Bin called out, even adding a yawn.
Gu Ya stopped. She hesitated for two seconds before turning back. When she entered Luo Bin's room, she closed the door behind her.
"Xiao Shan, go sit down. I'll just say a few things, then leave." Gu Ya gently rubbed her temples, looking somewhat worn.
"You sit down, too." Luo Bin moved the chair at the desk, and only then did Gu Ya sit.
The room was small. Luo Bin took two steps back and sat on the edge of the bed.
A wistful note entered Gu Ya's voice as she sighed. "Your dad was being stubborn a few days ago. Now he's come to his senses, treats you well, and accepts you again. That's certainly a good thing. I'm happy. Only like this can we really be a happy, harmonious family."
"But of the things your dad teaches you, some you can listen to, and some you can't."
"Over the years, people have come and gone in the village, one batch after another. Some died very quickly, while others have stayed alive and well. Do you know why?"
Gu Ya and Luo Bin looked at each other.
"Well..."
Luo Bin hesitated.
He understood what Gu Ya meant.
"Everyone wants to leave this place, but none of them have any way to do it."
"Xiao Shan, you're young. It's easy for you to get fired up, to want to do things to prove yourself. And your dad acts far too clever much of the time, as if he really has everything under control and a complete plan in mind. That's why he's so keen to scout out a route."
"Lots of families drew people like him, and they never came back."
"Instead, it's the villagers who keep their heads down and behave themselves who have survived."
"Look, you like Xiao Ling, and now she has some affection for you, too. We can live perfectly good lives. Why insist on taking risks? There will always be people who want to leave. Can't we just wait quietly? Once someone finds a way out, we'll leave. If they can't find one, how could your dad possibly find it?"
"Our family can't lose a single one of us!"
Gu Ya's last words were even more earnest and heartfelt.
"I understand, Mom." Luo Bin let out a soft breath.
"Oh, it's good that you understand. You need to talk your dad out of it. He might listen to you now," Gu Ya urged solemnly.
"Mm-hmm." Luo Bin nodded.
He couldn't exactly contradict Gu Ya at a time like this, could he?
Gu Ya really was worried about their safety.
He could only say later that he hadn't been able to persuade his dad, and had been urged to go along to scout the route.
There were many ways to put someone off. The best was one that didn't hurt their feelings.
Gu Ya was in a much better mood when she left the room.
Luo Bin shut the door and went back to lie down on the bed.
Tomorrow, he had to see Gu Yiren.
The day after that, he would have to enter the mountains to scout the route. He needed to make sure Gu Yiren wouldn't come to any harm.
Besides, might Gu Yiren know more information that could help him in other ways?
Drowsiness gradually crept over him, and Luo Bin fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, he woke very early, opening his eyes almost as soon as he heard the rooster crow and the gong sound.
He got up and left the house.
Luo Bin hurried toward the backyard. He wanted to go to the spot outside his room's window.
During his series of analyses last night,
Xu Kaiguo had left different pieces of information at the beginning and at the end.
Then he should have left some information during that appearance in the middle, too!
Only then could Luo Bin confirm that his deductions were entirely correct.
But as soon as he reached the spot, what he saw made his legs tremble.
A spurt of his precious liquid escaped, and he nearly wet his pants!
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