There was an evil spirit among you!

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"": "Walking out from the village's rear, where the Mountain God Temple stood, even sunlight could not penetrate the thick, dark forest.

Here, though, there was light.

Against that gloomy darkness, did light mean hope?

Did that mean leaving through the rear of the village would only lead them in circles, while the road into the village was actually their hope of getting out?

"Our family hasn't drawn a black lot in ages. I wonder how far the others who drew one these past two years explored." Luo Feng spoke as he walked, seemingly to himself.

Luo Bin knew he was feeding him information again.

"Hard to say," Gu Ya replied awkwardly.

She had already made her position clear: like most villagers, she wanted to put safety first.

Most likely, the villagers who drew the black lots simply came here, wandered around without doing anything, and went home. Otherwise, the Village Chief would not have gone out of his way to lay down requirements.

After that, they continued in silence.

They walked from the bright morning sunshine until the blazing sun hung high overhead. The cloud firs towered above them, and the slope grew steadily steeper. Even a young man like Luo Bin kept wiping away sweat. Gu Ya struggled even more, panting for breath.

There were markers all along the way, on boulders or cloud fir trunks. Deeply carved arrows pointed out the route, and Luo Feng used an Iron File to deepen them.

At last, a house appeared ahead.

"We've reached the first stopping point." Luo Feng let out a heavy breath.

A little delight appeared in Gu Ya's eyes.

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Luo Bin studied the house carefully. Unlike the brick-and-tile houses in the village, it had been built with materials gathered nearby. Many of the logs still had their bark. Thin logs and thatch had been packed down repeatedly to make the roof, then covered in animal hides. It should at least keep out the wind and rain.

Luo Feng pushed the door open and went inside. Gu Ya called, "Xiao Shan, come rest!"

"Okay, coming." Luo Bin answered, then turned to look around once more.

It was far too quiet here. He could barely hear any insects. Sunlight shone straight onto his face, leaving spots in his vision.

Luo Bin admitted he had taken things for granted.

When he heard about drawing lots to explore on the first and fifteenth, he had assumed a day of exploring would be enough.

Yet just reaching this stopping point had taken until noon.

Even returning from here would take until evening, and that was only travel time. What about the time spent exploring?

This was only the first stopping point. Surely there were more farther on?

There was no point overthinking it. Since he was here, he might as well settle in.

Only then did Luo Bin turn and enter the house.

The Wooden House had just one room, roughly ten square meters. It was cramped, with a wide bed taking up much of the space.

Gu Ya sat on the edge of the bed, continually pounding her legs.

Luo Feng sat on a chair at the head of the bed.

"It's pretty clean in here. Not even any cobwebs." Luo Bin smiled.

"It is. At least lately, the people who drew the lots have only come this far, then gone back the next day," Luo Feng replied.

For a moment, Luo Bin was speechless.

"We'll rest our feet a little and eat something, then keep going. We need to reach the last stopping point before dark," Luo Feng added.

Gu Ya raised her head, her mouth slightly open, but held back what she wanted to say.

Luo Bin knew she had probably intended to stop here. Only his discovery of the other hidden dangers in the village, along with some persuasion from Luo Feng, had changed her mind a little. Their family had to find a way out.

People wavered. Faced with immediate danger and hardship, they wanted to muddle through and get it over with first. In the end, however, Gu Ya said nothing.

Lunch was simple: White Flour Flatbread with Pickled Vegetables and Dried Meat.

After they ate, drank, and rested a little longer, Luo Feng called for them to set off.

They walked and stopped along the way, reaching the third stopping point as the setting sun appeared.

This house was smaller than the first and stood alone on the slope. Gnarled old trees surrounded it, giving the place a deeply sinister air. More than a dozen burial mounds even stood beside it.

"Let's go farther tomorrow..." Gu Ya said quietly.

"No. This place is too dangerous at night. We still have time." Luo Feng turned and scanned their surroundings warily.

Luo Bin's heart lurched.

Wasn't the danger at night the evil spirits?

As long as they kept the doors and windows shut and controlled themselves, what could the evil spirits do?

From Luo Feng's manner, were there other things here too?

Were those graves villagers who had explored this far and never made it back?

"We need to hurry a little." After speaking softly, Luo Feng pulled Gu Ya along.

"Don't think your dad's nagging, but there won't be anyone here except our family. If you see someone before dark, whether they're calling for help or waving you over, don't go near them."

"Even if you see someone you know, it isn't really them. Understand?"

Luo Feng gave Luo Bin these warnings as they walked.

Luo Bin silently committed the information to memory. Nothing had happened yet, but fine goosebumps rose all over him, and that creeping horror had already begun to set in.

"Why insist on bringing the whole family out to explore? Women like Mom could obviously stay home." Luo Bin walked almost shoulder to shoulder with Luo Feng, a hint of doubt about the Village Chief's rules in his voice.

"They could, but then nobody would explore properly. They'd all worry about whether their wives and children were safe at home. Having everyone beside them is much better. Especially if finding an exit means the whole family can leave, even the motivated ones will work harder. And if the men who run the households all die, leaving the women and children in the village would only make them a burden."

That single answer from Luo Feng explained at least three purposes behind the rule.

Gu Ya was too nervous to notice that Luo Bin's question was something of a deliberate prompt.

Luo Bin simply remained silent.

The rule was a little cold-blooded, a little heartless.

"Those who don't want to take risks won't do it anyway. They'll stop with their families at the first stopping point," Luo Bin said.

"Yes. And that way, their whole family stays alive too," Luo Feng replied.

The sky grew darker and darker.

Suddenly, the wind picked up. It blew hard, its whining like ghosts wailing and wolves howling.

Dark clouds were about to swallow the setting sun.

"Heavens... it's getting dark!" Gu Ya panicked. "We can't go any farther! We have to go back!"

"It's too late to go back. There's bound to be something on the road. Keep moving, we can make it! The sun won't fully set until seven. We still have half an hour!" Luo Feng held a pocket watch in one hand, his steps swift as the wind.

The arrows along the road were not particularly clear. At least, Luo Bin could only spot a few now and then. He did not know how Luo Feng found them, or whether he knew the route here by heart.

The sky really was getting darker.

The setting sun had long vanished. Black clouds filled the sky, and fierce winds raged!

The mountain was like a roaring beast, ready to devour their family of three.

It felt as though nightfall was only a hair's breadth away.

"We're here!" Luo Feng pointed ahead, his voice emphatic.

Sure enough, a lone little house stood on a level patch of the slope.

The three of them rushed inside as though running for their lives.

"Light the lamp! Hurry, light it!" Gu Ya urged in a shrill voice.

Luo Feng slammed the door shut. It was so dark inside that it might as well already have been night.

A match rasped, its flame flared, and then the Oil Lamp was lit.

Orange firelight filled the room. Luo Bin's heart pounded.

He

instinctively shielded his eyes, his throat bobbing.

Then he crouched on the ground, buried his head against his knees, and gasped for breath.

"Xiao Shan, are you all right?" Alarmed, Gu Ya hurriedly crouched and patted Luo Bin's back.

Luo Bin covered his mouth with his hand and bit through the oil packet. As the Lamp Oil slid down his throat, the Oil Lamp stopped hurting his eyes, and the discomfort in his throat faded.

But he did not get up right away. He held that position for a while, pushed the plastic bag out of his mouth, and closed his hand around it before saying hoarsely, "I'm fine, Mom. I suddenly got a stitch from running. It's better now."

He lowered his hand without revealing anything unusual.

He pressed his lips together and licked them as he stood.

Luo Feng had not noticed him. He was by the door, peering outside through a crack.

Only then did Gu Ya let out a long breath of relief. She still rubbed Luo Bin's back, as though trying to make him more comfortable.

Luo Bin surveyed the whole room.

It was five or six square meters, without even a bed. There were only some filthy quilts on the floor, covered in dust, dry grass, and fallen leaves. An Oil Lamp hung beneath a roof beam, but cobwebs filled the space above it. The rest of the roof was also thick with webs, wrapping countless dead insects. A foul, moldy smell filled the air.

"There's a Snake Den near the third stopping point. Snakes have bitten several families to death, so it isn't safe there."

"There isn't one here. As long as we don't open the door, we'll be fine." Luo Feng did not turn around, still watching through the crack.

Gu Ya stopped patting Luo Bin's back. Holding a hand over her heart, she sat on a quilt, her face drained of blood.

Luo Bin moved beside Luo Feng and looked out through a crack on the other side of the door. Shadowy figures were approaching their little house from all across the slope.

Even knowing they would be safe if they kept the door shut, the feeling of evil spirits gathering still left Luo Bin slightly breathless.

"It's all right. Don't be scared. They're only evil spirits. They're all outside and can't do anything." Luo Feng patted Luo Bin's shoulder reassuringly.

"Mm..." Luo Bin had just nodded.

Several evil spirits had already gathered in front of the house.

They snickered among themselves, their expressions deeply sinister, as though watching someone make a fool of himself.

Yes! That was exactly it!

They were laughing at them!

"Who said we were all outside?"

A shrill voice came from one of the evil spirits. She looked like an old woman, her cheeks sagging, her nose pointed and hooked. Her lips were thin and black, her hair somewhat disheveled, and deep horizontal wrinkles creased her forehead.

Her eyes darted around. She looked utterly treacherous, the very image of an Old Witch.

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"One of us is inside." As she spoke, she began to cackle.

Every other evil spirit beside her cackled too, their shoulders shaking. It was terrifying!

"Ah!" Gu Ya shrieked and looked around in panic.

Luo Feng drew a machete with a swish, looking left and right in alarm and uncertainty.

Luo Bin was just as horrified, scanning the room warily.

But it was only four or five square meters. No one could have hidden beneath the bedding either.

"Dad, don't believe them. Mom, don't be scared. How could there be an evil spirit in here?" Luo Bin struggled to stay calm as he spoke in a low voice.

Forcing down his pounding heartbeat, Luo Feng reversed his grip and drove the blade into the door with a clang. Staring through the crack, he barked, "Get lost!"

Gu Ya came to her senses too. Nearly frightened to tears, she screamed, "Go away! All of you, get lost! Don't think you can trick us!"

Luo Bin turned back to watch the crack in the door, but his heart sank.

Every evil spirit outside, without exception, had fixed its gaze on him.

Their mocking malice grew stronger, heavier.

"There's an evil spirit among you. Who could it be?" The hook-nosed old woman pressed herself against the door, her eyes widening.