Volume 1, Chapter 23: The Villagers' Rules

Refusing to help?

Luo Bin felt both angry and amused. A moment ago, Zhang Li had stated with absolute certainty that he would not enter the house, calling the villagers insane. Now, was he truly going to leave them to their fate? Had his hypocrisy been exposed so suddenly?

Luo Bin’s attention, however, remained fixed on the window and the concrete road outside. The malevolent spirits were not fast; they had not yet caught up. His mood felt like a roller coaster—one moment plunging into a sharp turn, the next soaring with anxiety.

Lao Kong and Luo Feng stood guard at the door. Luo Feng gave a slight shake of his head. Lao Kong scanned the others, his freckles clearly visible on his tense face, before his gaze settled on Luo Bin. Every villager in the room was staring at him.

Luo Bin’s eyelids twitched. The door… it could not be opened again. Setting aside Luo Feng, he could not risk defying the collective in front of Lao Kong, the homeowner, and so many other villagers. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't.

"Xiao Shan, come to Mom… You already did your best by saving them before dark," Gu Ya said, appearing behind him and gripping his arm.

"Open the door!" Zhu Qianqian’s scream grew louder, and Zhang Li shoved against the door with renewed force. Beside them, Gu Yiren stood swaying slightly, humming a tune as if oblivious to the noise.

When he had opened the door before dark, it wasn't just him doing his best; it was the entire village. No one would agree to let him open it now. Even if he tried, it would only invite resentment and hostility without yielding any benefit.

"Mom, why would I open the door?" Luo Bin smiled, turning to meet Gu Ya’s eyes. She let out a long, shaky sigh of relief. Luo Bin stepped back from the door. Since things had reached this point, he had to ensure his own standing remained secure.

"Lunatics! You’re all lunatics!" Zhang Li cursed.

"Ah!" Zhu Qianqian shrieked, clearly having reached her breaking point.

On the concrete road in the distance, the malevolent spirits were "chasing" them. To call it a chase was a stretch; they were simply walking at a slow, steady pace. Zhang Li grabbed Gu Yiren and bolted toward their car, with a weeping Zhu Qianqian trailing behind. Once inside, Zhang Li started the engine and sped out of the village.

The house fell silent once more.

***

In truth, all the villagers had been on edge, only now beginning to relax. The dozen or so spirits that had chased them lingered at the village entrance for a while before wandering up to the doors and windows, their faces twisted into strange, cunning smiles.

With a rattle, Lao Kong pulled the heavy, thick curtains shut, blocking the spirits from view.

***

Daylight broke. As Lao Kong opened the door, the other houses in the village followed suit. The air was thick with the stench of blood, feces, and urine. Zhang Jun had lost control of his bowels during the night.

A crowd surged toward the edge of the village. Gu Ya looked pale, claiming she needed to go home and rest. Zhang Yunling looked equally distressed, unable to bear the sight of the blood on the ground.

"I’ll go take a look with Xiao Shan," Luo Feng said.

The group split up, and Luo Bin followed Luo Feng into the flow of the crowd. When they reached the edge of the village, in front of the Mountain God Temple, they saw a dilapidated prisoner cart. Zhang Jun was gaunt, reduced to skin and bones, with less than a third of the flesh remaining on his head.

The villagers were silent. The anger that had fueled their earlier shouts to parade him through the village was gone, replaced by wariness, horror, and fear. The desire for vengeance had vanished, leaving only a lingering sense of nausea.

"A life for a life, a debt for a debt." Guishan Village demonstrated the concept of retribution with chilling clarity.

Zhong Zhicheng walked to the front of the cart. He remained as resolute as ever, his face unyielding, his voice booming yet stern. "Those who kill shall be killed; those who harm shall be harmed! I hope you all take heed!"

Luo Feng leaned in, his voice low, intended only for Luo Bin. "Only with consequences can there be restraint. When the village had no rules, it was always in chaos. In those years, people like Zhang Jun caused immense suffering."

"Those years? Did these rules only appear recently?" Luo Bin swallowed hard.

"Yes," Luo Feng replied.

Just then, several villagers came running from behind, their shouts echoing through the village path. "Those three outsiders are back! They actually survived and came back!"

Luo Bin’s pupils contracted. All the villagers turned to look at the messengers. Although the events of the night had taken place at the village entrance, news traveled fast in the crowded village.

"Silence! They are no longer outsiders. Having survived three days, they are now villagers. Everyone, go home and rest. Luo Feng, take a team to clear the scene," Zhong Zhicheng commanded, his voice ringing out like a bell before turning his gaze to Luo Feng.

***

"Go home," Luo Feng said, glancing at Luo Bin before heading straight toward the prisoner cart. Several burly men, the same ones who had captured Zhang Li and the others, stepped out of the crowd to join him.

The other villagers began to disperse, though a few stragglers remained near Zhong Zhicheng or headed toward the village entrance. Luo Bin did not go home; instead, he followed Zhong Zhicheng from a distance of about ten meters.

When they reached the village entrance, a Santana was parked there. The car was a wreck—the bumper was mangled, the headlights shattered, and both side mirrors hung at grotesque angles.

Outside the driver’s seat, Zhang Li’s tall frame was hunched. In just one night, he had withered; his cheeks were deeply sunken, and his eyes were rimmed with dark, blood-shot circles. Luo Bin understood—the extreme emotional distress and physical strain had caused the capillaries in his eyes to burst.

Zhu Qianqian crouched nearby, and Gu Yiren stood to the side, now free of her ropes.

Zhang Li had truly been on the verge of madness last night. The reality was nothing like he had expected; the villagers had refused to help, and Luo Bin had refused to help, leaving him no choice but to flee in his car. He had driven all night, too terrified to enter the village because of the spirits. Fortunately, the spirits remained inside the village, and the mountain roads were relatively quiet. But this level of fear was beyond what a normal person could endure. Even when the spirits retreated into the woods as dawn approached, Zhang Li hadn't dared to follow. By the time he returned to the village, he was out of fuel.

He hadn't kept Gu Yiren tied up, knowing that if he drew too much attention from the villagers during the day, it would be impossible to explain. His immediate priority was survival—simply surviving in this village.

"Three days have passed," Zhang Li said, his voice hoarse as he braced himself to speak to Zhong Zhicheng.

Zhong Zhicheng walked up to him and nodded slightly. "There are a few rules for villagers that you need to be aware of."

"First: when night falls, close your doors and windows, light your oil lamps, and stay quietly in your homes."

"Second: resources are limited. Every household must provide one person to work in the village to receive food rations."

"Third: you must not harm any villager in any way. There will be consequences. You saw Zhang Jun last night—that is an example. He was not punished for wanting to take the two women with you; he was punished because Luo Bin helped you and hit him, and in his resentment, Zhang Jun opened the window of Luo Bin’s house, allowing the spirits to enter. That is the most heinous of acts. Parading him through the village is the harshest of punishments."

"Fourth: we all want to leave, but for now, no one can. On the first and fifteenth of every month, the village will draw lots. Those chosen are responsible for exploring the mountains to find a way out."

Luo Bin’s heart skipped a beat. The information wasn't complex—the second rule explained why Luo Feng worked with the village chief. But the fourth rule was new. So, the people of Guishan Village were constantly seeking a way out, rather than just rotting in this self-imposed prison?

A spark of hope ignited in Luo Bin’s chest. The village was suffocating; the past few days had felt like a descent into a cold, silent lethargy. Such oppression would inevitably drive anyone mad over time.

As the morning sun rose, its gentle light felt like the hope now growing in Luo Bin’s heart. Yet, he noticed the surrounding villagers were strangely quiet, their faces tinged with a faint, lingering dread.

What were they afraid of?