Volume 1, Chapter 44: Among You, There is an Evil Spirit!

Walking outward from the village tail near the Mountain God Temple, even the sunlight failed to pierce through the thick and gloomy dense forest.

Yet here, there was light.

In the face of darkness and gloom, was light the symbol of hope?

Did that mean if one wanted to leave the village from the village tail, the only way was to keep taking detours, whereas conversely, the path leading into the village was the true hope of escaping it?

"Our family hasn't drawn a black lot in far too long. I wonder how far the others who drew the lot over the past two years have managed to explore the path?" Luo Feng walked as if talking to himself.

Luo Bin knew that he was passing information to him once again.

"Hard to say," Gu Ya replied unnaturally.

Her attitude had been very clear beforehand: like most villagers, she prioritized safety.

Nine times out of ten, the villagers who drew the lot simply came here, wandered around for a bit without doing anything, and then went back. Otherwise, the village chief wouldn't have deliberately come to make demands.

After that, they continued their journey in silence.

They walked from the bright morning sun to the blazing noon. The spruces grew exceptionally tall, and the mountain slopes rose in steep tiers. Even a young man like Luo Bin kept wiping away sweat, while Gu Ya found it even more exhausting, panting heavily.

Along the way, there were signposts, deeply carved arrows on massive rocks or spruce trunks indicating the route. Luo Feng would use an iron chisel to deepen the marks.

Finally, a house appeared before their eyes.

"The first resting point has been reached," Luo Feng let out a heavy breath of stale air.

A trace of joy flickered in Gu Ya's eyes.

Luo Bin carefully examined the house. Unlike the brick and tile houses in the village, this one was built using materials at hand. Many of the tree trunks still had their bark attached, and the roof was tightly packed with small branches and thatch, covered over with animal hides to keep out the wind and rain.

Luo Feng pushed the door open and went in, while Gu Ya called out, "Xiaoshan, come and rest."

"Yeah, right away," Luo Bin replied, turning his head to look around again.

It was far too quiet here; almost no sound of insects could be heard. The sunlight beat directly down on his face, leaving bright spots dancing in his vision.

Luo Bin admitted that he had taken things for granted.

When drawing lots on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month to explore the path, he had assumed that exploring would take about a day at most.

Yet by the time they reached this resting point, it was already noon.

If they were to return from here, it would be evening by the time they got back. And that was just the travel time—what about the actual exploration?

This was only the first resting point; there must be subsequent ones, right?

There was no use in overthinking; since they had come, they must take things as they were.

Only then did Luo Bin turn and step into the house.

There was only a single wooden room, about ten square meters in size, very compact. A wide bed took up a large portion of the space.

Gu Ya sat on the edge of the bed, continuously massaging her legs.

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

"It's pretty clean in here. There aren't even any spiderwebs," Luo Bin said with a smile.

"It is quite clean. At least recently, those who drew the lot only made it this far before returning the next day," Luo Feng replied.

For a moment, Luo Bin fell silent.

"Rest your feet for a bit, eat something, and we'll keep going. We need to reach the final resting point before dark," Luo Feng added.

Gu Ya looked up, her mouth slightly parted, stopping before she spoke.

Luo Bin knew that, left to her own devices, she would most likely have wanted to stop right here. It was only because he had discovered other hidden troubles in the village, coupled with Luo Feng's persuasion, that Gu Ya's perspective had shifted slightly—the family had to find a way out.

People were bound to waver. When faced with immediate danger and hardship, their first instinct was to muddle through and get by. However, Gu Ya ultimately said nothing.

Lunch was simple: plain flour flatbreads paired with salted vegetables and dried meat.

After finishing their meal and drink, and taking a short nap, Luo Feng called for them to set off again.

Stopping and going along the way, they reached the third resting point just as the setting sun appeared.

The house here was smaller than the first one, standing lonely on a hillside surrounded by intertwined ancient trees that exuded a strong sense of eeriness. To make matters worse, more than a dozen graves were erected right beside it.

"Let's go further tomorrow..." Gu Ya whispered.

"No, the nights here are far too dangerous. We have time," Luo Feng said, turning his head vigilantly to scan their surroundings.

Luo Bin's heart skipped a beat.

The danger at night—wasn't it just evil spirits?

As long as they kept the doors and windows closed and exercised self-restraint, what could evil spirits possibly do?

Judging by Luo Feng's posture, were there other things out there?

Could these graves belong to villagers who had explored this far in the past and failed to return?

"We need to move a bit faster," Luo Feng said in a low voice, pulling Gu Ya along.

"Don't blame Dad for nagging. Out here, apart from our family, there won't be anyone else. Anyone you see before dark—whether they are calling out to you for help or waving at you—must never be approached."

"Even if you recognize an acquaintance, they are not your acquaintance. Do you understand?"

Luo Feng instructed Luo Bin as they walked.

Luo Bin silently committed the information to memory, though a layer of fine goosebumps broke out all over his skin. Even though nothing had happened yet, that creeping sense of dread had already arrived.

"Did we really have to drag the whole family out to explore the path? Surely women like Mom could have stayed safely at home," Luo Bin walked almost shoulder to shoulder with Luo Feng, a hint of questioning toward the village chief's rules slipping into his tone.

"We could have, but then no one would be properly exploring the path; everyone would be worrying about the safety of their wives and children back home. Having everyone together is much better. Especially since, if we find a way out, the whole family can leave. People with drive will be even more driven. Besides, if the man of the house dies, leaving the woman and children behind in the village only makes them a burden."

Luo Feng's reply laid bare at least three targeted intentions behind this rule.

Gu Ya was too nervous to notice Luo Bin's somewhat "knowing" question.

Luo Bin simply remained silent.

Because of the rules, it was somewhat cold-blooded, somewhat merciless.

"Those who don't want to take risks never will; they'll just have their whole family stop at the first resting point," Luo Bin said again.

"Yes, and that way, the whole family stays alive," Luo Feng answered.

The sky was growing increasingly dim.

Suddenly, the wind began to blow. It was a fierce wind, its howling sound resembling the weeping of ghosts and wolves.

The setting sun was almost swallowed up by dark clouds.

"Oh god... It's getting dark!" Gu Ya panicked, saying in alarm, "We can't go any further, we have to go back!"

"It's too late to go back. There must be things on the path now. Hurry and walk, we still have time—the sun won't set completely until seven, we have another half hour!" Luo Feng held a pocket watch in one hand, his pace as swift as the wind.

The arrow markers on the path were extremely indistinct. At least, Luo Bin could only occasionally catch a glimpse of a few. He had no idea whether Luo Feng was spotting them through observation or simply knew the road here by heart.

The sky truly was growing darker by the minute.

The setting sun had long since vanished, replaced by a sky full of dark clouds and raging gales!

This mountain felt like a roaring beast, eager to devour their family of three.

Nightfall seemed to be separated by only a thread.

"We've arrived!" Luo Feng said with unusual gravity, pointing ahead!

As expected, a solitary little cabin stood on a patch of flat ground on the hillside.

The family of three practically ran for their lives, rushing into the house.

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

Luo Feng slammed the door shut with a heavy crash. The interior was pitch black, completely indistinguishable from the outside night.

With a click, the light of a match flared, and then the oil lamp was lit.

An orange flame cast its glow across the entire room, and Luo Bin's heart pounded wildly.

Subconsciously, he shielded his eyes and swallowed hard.

Then, he squatted down on the floor, burying his head in his knees, and breathed heavily.

"Xiaoshan, are you alright?" Gu Ya grew anxious, quickly squatting down to pat Luo Bin's back.

Luo Bin's hand covered his mouth, biting open the plastic oil packet. As the lamp oil slid down his throat, the oil lamp stopped stinging his eyes, and the discomfort in his throat subsided.

However, he didn't get up immediately. Maintaining that posture for a moment, he spat out the empty plastic bag into his hand, gripped it tightly, and said in a raspy voice, "I'm fine, Mom. I just got a stitch in my side from running earlier, I've caught my breath now."

His hand dropped down without revealing anything amiss.

He pressed his lips together, traced them with his tongue, and stood up.

Luo Feng paid him no mind, pressing close to the door to peer outside through a crack.

Gu Ya let out a massive sigh of relief, continuing to stroke Luo Bin's back as if to make him more comfortable.

Luo Bin looked around the room.

It was about five or six square meters in size, without even a bed. The floor was covered in bedding so filthy it couldn't be dirtier, blanketed in dust and withered leaves and grass. An oil lamp hung from the ceiling beam, but the space directly above it was choked with spiderwebs, and the rest of the ceiling was similarly crawling with webs that trapped countless insect carcasses. A heavy, unpleasant smell of mold filled the air.

"There's a snake nest near the third resting point that has bitten several families to death, so it's not safe there."

"There are none here. As long as we don't open the door, we'll be fine." Luo Feng didn't turn back, keeping his eyes glued to the crack in the door.

Gu Ya stopped patting Luo Bin's back. Clutching her chest, she sat down on a piece of bedding, her face drained of all color and stark white.

Luo Bin approached Luo Feng and peered outside through the crack on the other side. Vague, shadowy figures were walking toward their cabin from various parts of the hillside.

Even knowing that they would be safe as long as they didn't open the door, the oppressive feeling of gathering evil spirits still made Luo Bin feel slightly suffocated.

"It's alright, don't be afraid. They're just evil spirits; they're all outside and can't do anything," Luo Feng patted Luo Bin's shoulder to comfort him.

"Yeah..." Luo Bin had just nodded when—

Several evil spirits had already swarmed around the front of the house.

They snickered among themselves, their expressions utterly eerie, as if they were watching a joke unfold.

Yes! That exact feeling!

Watching a joke!

"Who says we're all outside?"

A shrill voice rang out from one of the evil spirits. She appeared to be an old woman, the flesh of her cheeks sagging, with a sharp, hooked nose, thin, blackened lips, slightly unkempt hair, and deep wrinkles across her forehead.

Her eyes darted back and forth, looking utterly craftier than a living witch.

"Some of us are already inside the house," she said, bursting into a snicker.

Without exception, all the evil spirits around her broke into snickers, their shoulders trembling—it was bone-chilling!

"Ah!" Gu Ya let out a shrill scream, looking around in panic.

Luo Feng abruptly drew a firewood chopper, scanning left and right with uneasy suspicion.

Luo Bin's skin crawled just as intensely as he vigilantly swept his gaze across the room.

Yet the room was only four or five square meters large, and the filthy bedding on the floor couldn't possibly conceal anyone.

"Dad, don't believe them. Mom, don't be scared, how could there possibly be evil spirits in this room?" Luo Bin said in a deep voice, trying his utmost to maintain his composure.

Luo Feng suppressed his violently pounding heart, thrust his blade backward to wedge it into the door seam, stared fixedly through the crack, and roared, "Get lost!"

Gu Ya finally snapped out of her daze. Nearly frightened to tears, she shrieked, "Get lost! All of you, get lost! Don't even think about trying to trick us!"

Luo Bin turned his gaze back to the crack in the door, but a knot suddenly formed in his stomach.

Without exception, the gazes of every single evil spirit outside were fixed squarely on his spot.

That mocking, snickering intent grew heavier, and more intense.

"One of you in there is an evil spirit. Who could it be?" The hooked-nose old woman pressed her face against the door, her eyes widening even further.