At the village entrance, the Dump Truck slowly pulled up and stopped at the end of the line.
Several vehicles had already gathered ahead at the entrance.
Quite a few people stood outside them. Some were crying, others offering encouragement.
The lead vehicle was still Big Niu's black SUV, with the young man who had a birthmark on his face sitting behind the wheel.
He was one of Lin Lu's men, responsible for driving Big Niu around.
Not far away were Brother Dao's two SUVs.
Brother Dao wasn't in either vehicle. He stood off to the side, spittle flying as he spoke to his yellow-haired lackey.
"Fuck, things in the village probably won't be peaceful this time. You stay out. If anything happens to me, use your fucking head and take good care of my wife!"
"If I don't come out, this car's yours. Don't abandon my wife, you hear me!"
The yellow-haired lackey kept nodding. A woman wearing heavy makeup stood beside him.
She sobbed as she hugged Brother Dao tightly.
This goddamn apocalypse had turned people into horrors.
Yet it had also given quite a few monsters a little humanity.
On the other side was the black Mercedes E300, with the girl wearing her hair in a high ponytail.
She was saying something to the woman beside her, her face full of tension and panic.
The other woman hadn't gotten into the car. She simply stood by the window, comforting her.
Chen Mo was a little surprised.
This frail-looking woman actually dared to go in. Apparently, she wasn't just a pretty face.
There was also another sedan, a white Volkswagen. Its windows were shut tight, hiding whoever was inside.
Three or four motorcycles were parked nearby.
Several teenagers straddled them, chatting and laughing.
They're all daredevils.
Well, so am I.
"We're done waiting! Head into the village! Three hours-we have to be out before dark!"
Big Niu leaned halfway out of the window, clutching that unremarkable burlap sack.
His birthmarked assistant floored the gas, and the SUV charged into the village.
"Fuck, follow them!"
"Let's do this, boys!"
The teenagers on the motorcycles followed close behind, charging into the village with wild whoops.
Brother Dao pushed the woman away and climbed into his vehicle, cursing as he took his two lackeys into the village.
As though its driver had finally worked up her resolve, the E300 followed right behind.
Chen Mo shifted into gear and slowly followed them in.
Very few people had come in this time, so he wasn't too worried about finding nothing to scavenge.
Getting the supplies out alive was what mattered.
The instant he entered Wugui Village, an indescribably eerie feeling spread around him.
Clean. Far too clean.
The village's dirt road looked as though someone swept it every day. There wasn't a scrap of rubbish on the ground.
The houses on both sides had their gates shut tight. Their windows were spotless, clean enough to reflect a person's image.
Black-and-white advertisements covered a roadside noticeboard, seemingly telling the story of Wugui Village.
"A store! There's a store over there!"
An excited shout came from up ahead.
Chen Mo looked up toward the end of the village's main road.
A little shop stood there, with a sign reading "Convenience Supermarket."
Big Niu jumped straight out of the vehicle and rushed inside, clutching his sack.
The other vehicles stopped one after another, and their occupants rushed into the shop.
Chen Mo didn't stop.
A little village shop wouldn't have much stock, especially with so many people going in.
At most, they'd be fighting over a few extra packets of spicy strips.
Compete with a Transcendent for supplies?
Even ten of me probably couldn't beat Big Niu.
The last time they'd come out of Sunward Village...
The things Big Niu had tipped out of that unremarkable burlap sack...
Had nearly been too much for a pickup truck to hold.
Clearly, that ratty sack was an item imbued with transcendent power.
He turned the steering wheel and rounded a corner.
After driving a few dozen meters, he came upon a farmhouse courtyard. Its gate wasn't shut, merely standing ajar.
Chen Mo stopped the truck and killed the engine.
I'll check this place first...
He climbed out, tightened his grip on the Mountain-Cleaving Blade, and slowly entered the courtyard.
The courtyard was clean, with hardly anything in it.
Only a bundle of firewood lay quietly in one corner.
It was so quiet that Chen Mo could clearly hear his own heartbeat.
The house's front door was also ajar.
Chen Mo slowly extended his blade and nudged the wooden door open.
Creak-
Everything inside the house was neat and tidy.
There was none of the swirling dust or thick cobwebs he'd imagined.
It was clean, the furniture spotless and neatly arranged.
The floor was laid with white tiles, without a trace of grime.
An old woman wearing a floral padded jacket made of coarse cloth stood inside.
Her back was to the doorway, her stooped figure busy with something he couldn't see.
Hearing the door open, the old woman slowly turned around.
"You're home?"
Her face was covered in wrinkles and looked utterly kindly.
The old woman looked at him with a gentle smile, full of affection.
"You must be hungry, my sweet grandson."
"Grandma will make you something to eat."
Chen Mo was just about to speak.
The courtyard gate was kicked open, followed by a jumble of footsteps.
Three people dressed in gaudy clothes, their hair dyed in all sorts of colors, walked in.
"Children, you're home!"
The old woman greeted them with the same familiarity. Before she'd even finished speaking...
The tall girl with the high ponytail followed them inside.
"Captain Niu wants you to..."
As soon as the first few stepped through the front door, the old woman greeted them warmly.
A kindly smile spread across her face.
"Yaya, you're back too. Come inside. What are you standing there for?"
Chen Mo looked at the people who had been complete strangers just moments ago.
A thought rose naturally in his mind, forcibly overwriting his past.
These are my fourth brother, third brother, second brother, and little sister.
We're a family.
The thought felt completely natural, without the slightest sense of anything being wrong.
"Big brother, what are you spacing out for? Come sit down."
A yellow-haired boy threw an arm around Chen Mo's shoulders and pulled him down into a seat.
"Exactly, big brother. Look how thin you are. You must not have been eating properly while working away from home."
Hu Yaya.
No, my little sister.
She gave Chen Mo a reproachful look.
Then she pulled out a chair and sat down.
Chen Mo chatted with the others about family matters.
He didn't notice anything wrong at all.
Before long, the table was piled with food: braised pork, steamed fish, and several stir-fried dishes.
With a kindly expression, Grandma shakily held a serving spoon and dished out rice for them.
"Eat. All of you, eat more. Look how thin you've gotten."
"Grandma's cooking is the best. I love eating what Grandma makes."
Grandma's smile was full of kindness and love for her grandchildren.
Warmth filled Chen Mo's heart.
He was an orphan who had grown up in an orphanage, surviving on handouts from others.
Never. No one had ever treated him like this.
Caring about him, asking whether he'd lost weight.
Was this what having a family felt like?
It was wonderful.
Chen Mo picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of braised pork, and was about to put it in his mouth.
An orphan?
The moment that thought surfaced...
It tore through every barrier and veil of confusion in his mind.
Wasn't I an orphan?
Where had this grandma come from?
Where had these brothers and sister come from?
The chopsticks headed for his mouth stopped in midair, frozen there.
Chen Mo didn't dare move. His instincts told him something.
If he let even the slightest flaw show, he would absolutely die.
"Why aren't you eating, Little Mo?"
Grandma's kindly voice reached him.
"I'm fine. I feel a little nauseous. I probably ran too fast earlier, and now I feel like throwing up. I'll go get some air in the courtyard."
It was a flimsy excuse, but Chen Mo didn't dare take the gamble.
He had no idea what would happen if he exposed Grandma's disguise.
Grandma didn't seem suspicious. She chided Chen Mo with concern.
"Go on, then. Honestly, child, you're always rushing around."
"That's right, big brother. Go get some air."
"Come back soon, or don't blame your third brother for not saving you any."
His "brothers and sister" also began expressing concern for Chen Mo.
Clutching his stomach, Chen Mo walked into the courtyard and glanced into the distance.
The courtyard gate was locked...
At some point, the courtyard walls had grown tall-far too tall for a person to climb over.
Now Chen Mo was certain.
This grandma was a horror.
Even this courtyard was part of the horror.
Fine beads of cold sweat seeped from his pores.
They soaked the jacket he was wearing.
"Big brother, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
Chen Mo whipped around.
It was Hu Yaya.
Her hair was tied in a high ponytail.
She wore a black outdoor jacket and light blue jeans.
She stood in the doorway, looking at Chen Mo with concern.
Chen Mo looked at her.
Her delicate oval face was full of concern, without the slightest hint of pretense.
Was she part of the horror too?
Or was she trapped here, just like him?
From the way they had acted when they first arrived, they seemed to have stumbled into this place by mistake too.
But Chen Mo did not dare take that chance.
He was afraid the people before him were putting on an act too.
For now, all he could do was keep playing the obedient "grandson."
"I'm fine. Just a little nauseous. Some fresh air will help."
"Then get some rest. Come inside for dinner in a bit."
With that, Hu Yaya went into the house.
Chen Mo leaned against the wall, completely still.
His mind raced, running through every possibility.
Peals of happy laughter drifted from inside the house, painting a picture of a harmonious family surrounded by children and grandchildren.
Outside, sweat poured off Chen Mo.
About an hour passed.
The door opened.
Hu Yaya and several biker punks came out, laughing and joking.
"Children, have you all had enough to eat? If you have, it's time for bed."
"Mo, come on in. It's time to rest."
Grandma looked around at her "grandchildren," the smile on her face as kindly as ever.
"When you get old, you like having the children sleep beside you."
Grandma smiled gently, squeezing her face into a kindly smile.
A pair of large, snow-white front teeth showed.
Then she suddenly said something that sent a chill through Chen Mo's entire body.
"The plump ones, the plump ones sleep beside Grandma."
"The skinny ones, the skinny ones sleep beside the wall!"
Before you continue