Volume 1, Chapter 32: He Is Cut From the Same Cloth!

Luo Bin wiped his bowl clean, even drinking every last drop of the noodle broth. He felt full and satisfied.

"Listen to me: this time when we head into the mountains, we should just stay put for one night. It’s been so hard for our family to finally have a bit of peace. Let others handle the risks; if the sky falls, the tall ones can hold it up." Gu Ya set down her chopsticks. She had eaten less than a third of her noodles, and they had already turned into a soggy lump.

Luo Feng remained silent, meticulously finishing his broth. Luo Bin didn't speak either; the atmosphere in the room felt subtle.

Eventually, Luo Feng set his bowl down. "When the time comes, I’ll go out to explore. Let Xiao Shan protect you. I’ll be back before dark."

"No!" Gu Ya’s tone was resolute. "What if something happens to you? What will become of me and our son?"

"Nothing will happen to me. Xiao Shan is a man now, too," Luo Feng said with certainty.

"No!" Gu Ya shook her head again.

"Xiao Shan, go back to your room. Your mother and I have things to discuss," Luo Feng said, glancing at Luo Bin.

Luo Bin stood up and hurried into the room. Closing the door, he sat on the edge of the bed. Information about the drawing of lots and the exploration remained incomplete, but one thing was undeniably clear: the danger.

They say curiosity killed the cat, but people are often just like that. The more taboo a subject, the more one fears it, yet—like Luo Bin right now—that urge to know is impossible to suppress. Furthermore, Luo Bin thought of Gu Yiren. She had helped him find the lamp oil, so perhaps she knew something about this exploration? His heart was pounding in his throat.

Taking deep breaths to calm his nerves, Luo Bin was just about to lie down when his sixth sense gave him a jolt. He sat bolt upright, staring fixedly at the window. Outside, behind the wooden slats, a figure stood perfectly still. Only a small portion of his face was exposed.

Luo Bin jumped off the bed and stomped over to the window. A white lab coat, a round face, a flat bridge of the nose, heavy dark circles—it was Xu Kaiguo!

"Dr. Xu!" Luo Bin’s voice was strained; his heart felt like it was about to jump out of his chest. It had only been six days since he first met Xu Kaiguo, yet it felt as long as a month. Initially, he had harbored deep suspicions about the man. But since Gu Yiren had truly helped him, he knew Xu Kaiguo was certainly not simple. Could it be that he knew more about this place than even Gu Yiren?

"Shh! Keep your voice down. Don't let them hear you." Xu Kaiguo held a finger to his lips, peering around with extreme caution. "The people in this house aren't normal. That couple? They’re actually two evil spirits. Extremely dangerous. This village is even less normal. You’ve just arrived; there’s so much you don’t know... Open the window quickly, and I’ll save you."

Xu Kaiguo’s voice was low and hyper-vigilant. Luo Bin, however, felt his mind go numb. What on earth? What Xu Kaiguo was saying was exactly the same as what he had said on the night of his arrival six days ago.

"Open the window quickly, and I’ll save you," Xu Kaiguo tapped the window gently.

Goosebumps erupted across Luo Bin’s skin. Cold sweat poured down his back, and the hair on his arms stood on end. For a moment, he didn't dare move. Open the window? This wasn't the first day; how could he dare?

Staring at Xu Kaiguo’s face, his peripheral vision caught glimpses further away. While everything seemed cryptic and quiet, Luo Bin spotted silhouettes standing in corners and along the road. It was similar to the first day in some ways, but completely different in others. Luo Bin was certain that if he opened the window, an evil spirit would immediately rush in.

"The people in this house... not normal... that couple... actually two evil spirits... extremely... dangerous..."
"This village... even more... not normal... you... just arrived... many things... you don't know yet..."
"Quickly open the window... I... will save you..."

Xu Kaiguo continued to mutter, his tapping sound grating on Luo Bin’s nerves. What made it even more hair-raising was the smile creeping onto Xu Kaiguo’s lips—how was he any different from the spirits themselves?

"Xiao Shan?"

The voice broke through—it was Gu Ya calling for him. Luo Bin startled and replied, "Mom..."

"Are you talking to someone? Do not converse with anyone; they are all evil spirits..." Gu Ya’s voice carried a note of warning and a trace of solemnity. "Your father and I are going to sleep. Close the curtains and go to sleep."

Outside the window, Xu Kaiguo gradually walked away.

"I know, Mom. I’m not talking to anyone. It’s just an evil spirit knocking," Luo Bin replied, pulling the curtains shut.

Footsteps receded—Gu Ya was moving away. His heart a mess, Luo Bin pulled the curtains back again. There were people outside, but it wasn't Xu Kaiguo; it was several entirely unfamiliar spirits, all grinning at him. With a clatter, he drew the curtains shut once more.

He returned to bed, wrapping himself in the quilt, yet he felt a deep, piercing chill. He couldn't stop replaying the scene in his mind, comparing it to the first meeting with Xu Kaiguo six days ago. The words were identical; not a single syllable had changed. The only difference was that he hadn't opened the window.

Why was Xu Kaiguo so eerie? And was there something deeply wrong with him? Gu Yiren had helped him—the lamp oil was in the wardrobe, and she had even told him not to close the window. Among all her words, there was nothing inherently wrong. Could it be... that Luo Feng and Gu Ya were the problem? No... that was impossible! Gu Ya’s care, Luo Feng’s protectiveness—everything about this family felt genuine. How could they be evil spirits?

With too many memories and a chaotic mind, Luo Bin felt a splitting headache. Eventually, he drifted into a fitful, murky sleep.

When he woke the next day, sunlight was filtering through the edge of the curtains. He gasped for air and sat up. His head was still throbbing, and his body felt wretched, as if he hadn't slept at all. He got out of bed and pulled back the curtains; the blinding sunlight hit his face, carrying a hint of warmth.

Outside in the courtyard, only Gu Ya was busy at work. "There’s food on the table. Eat it quickly, Xiao Shan, or it’ll get cold," she called out.

Luo Bin couldn't help but stare at her. "What’s wrong, Xiao Shan?" Gu Ya looked slightly puzzled.

"Nothing... nothing. Where’s Dad?" Luo Bin changed the subject. No matter how he looked at it, Gu Ya didn't act like a spirit, and Luo Feng even less so. If they were spirits, they wouldn't have performed the soul-summoning ritual for the original host! And Luo Feng wouldn't have suspected him of being a spirit, leading to that entire series of events.

"Old Kong came by earlier and called your father away to maintain order. Someone else died in the village—it was that outsider woman from a few days ago," Gu Ya replied, shaking her head. "It’s hard for outsiders to survive. The first three days are just the beginning. Go eat; don't take it to heart."

Luo Bin felt a jolt of shock. The outsider woman was dead? "Where did she die?" he pressed.

"At the entrance of the village," Gu Ya said. Before she could finish, Luo Bin was already rushing out the door.

"Xiao Shan, aren't you going to eat?" Gu Ya dropped her broom and shouted.

"I'll eat when I get back!" Luo Bin was already sprinting down the village road.

He soon reached the archway at the entrance. A crowd of villagers had gathered. In the center of the road lay a corpse beside a transport cart, along with Zhong Zhicheng. Luo Feng, Old Kong, and a few other men were blocking someone—Zhang Li. Zhang Li looked completely broken, cursing loudly.

Zhong Zhicheng was clearing the body. Its condition was gruesome; the limbs were scattered, and the face had been gnawed beyond recognition. Luo Bin let out a long breath. It was that short-haired woman, Zhu Qianqian? The back of the head still had the short hair.

But then, a heavy, suffocating feeling settled in his chest. Zhu Qianqian had actually been relatively easy to communicate with. He had been planning to talk to Gu Yiren again, and he would definitely need to meet her. Zhang Li would inevitably try to interfere, and he could have used Zhu Qianqian as a breakthrough point. But Zhu Qianqian... had she just died like that? Because she was easy to talk to, was she also easily deceived by the spirits?

"Qianqian went missing yesterday! I asked you to help me look for her, but you wouldn't! You told me it was time for the drawing of lots, fine! After the drawing, you should have helped me look for her, but you said it was getting dark!" Zhang Li roared. "What kind of village head are you? What kind of rules are you upholding? You’re not a good person! There’s nothing good in this village! Qianqian couldn't have been fooled by a spirit! Someone killed her! Someone definitely killed her!"

Zhang Li’s shouting made Luo Bin look up again. With a sharp sound, Zhong Zhicheng shoveled Zhu Qianqian’s head into the cart and covered the remains with a cloth.

"If a villager kills someone, the culprit is paraded through the village. Zhang Jun is the warning," Zhong Zhicheng said, looking at Zhang Li. "When you asked me, I was busy. After the drawing, it was nearly nightfall. You asked me to go out and find her—who dares to walk around the village after dark? If you have evidence of who harmed your companion, bring it forward and name them. Otherwise, it is hard for me to believe you."

Just then, a villager stepped out from the crowd. "I think he might be a thief crying 'thief'! He keeps saying there are no good people in the village—is he such a saint himself? Yesterday morning, I saw him dragging another outsider woman from the direction of the Mountain God Temple, and she looked like she was trying to escape. And now, that woman is dead?"

"Heaven knows what he did to those two women, making them unable to stay in his house and forcing them to run! Are they even family?" Another villager chimed in, "And the other outsider woman? Why hasn't she come out? Village head, we need to question this kid properly! He might be taking advantage of the situation—he’s just like Zhang Jun!"

"Right!" others shouted. "The day he tried to drive away, Luo Shan called him to come inside, but he refused! I noticed he had an outsider woman tied up. This man is suspicious! He has big problems!"

The crowd erupted into an uproar. Zhang Li’s face went pale. "You’re all talking nonsense!"

"The other woman, the one called Gu Yiren? Why hasn't she come out?" Zhong Zhicheng asked, his face darkening.