Volume One, Chapter 56: You Jiang!

For a long time, Luo Bin stood before the window before finally drawing the curtains and returning to lie down on the bed. He did not fall asleep immediately; his mind was occupied with thoughts about tomorrow’s village search. He needed to devise another way to avoid trouble.

After much contemplation, Luo Bin finally came up with a suitable plan and closed his eyes. Because he was uneasy about the matter, he dared not sleep deeply. Every half hour to an hour, he would wake briefly, glance at the clock, then drift back to light sleep.

By four-thirty in the morning, he was fully awake. He found a slightly oversized robe with a hood from the wardrobe and went down to the cellar. There, he roused Gu Yiren, who was curled up on the bed like a little kitten, and urged her to put on the robe.

“There’s been a misunderstanding. People think someone rescued you. The village chief and the shaman are furious and have ordered a search of the village. If they find you in someone’s house, that person will be exiled. You need a safe place to hide.”

“Zhu Qianqian is dead, Zhang Li is missing without a body, so your house should be empty and likely won’t be searched.” Luo Bin paused, then spoke gravely, “When you return, if the house has a back door, stay alert for any sounds ahead. If anyone comes—no matter who—immediately slip into the nearby bamboo grove, understand? I will come to find you before nightfall.”

Gu Yiren bit her lip tightly. Her spirits were somewhat better than the previous night, but the tear-streaked marks on her face still evoked deep pity.

“You know everything. You wouldn’t just leave me, would you?” she asked timidly.

Luo Bin was momentarily stunned. He had worried she might betray his secret, but in truth, her thoughts seemed unusually simple. She hadn’t even considered that this knowledge might be used against her.

“I will come for you.”

“Also, you must remember one thing: do not tell any villager what you know. And the lamp oil we took from the hunter’s house on the mountain, as well as you feeding me blood—no one can know about these, or neither of us will survive. Understand?” Luo Bin fixed his gaze on Gu Yiren.

Fear deepened in her eyes. She nodded quickly.

“Come,” Luo Bin motioned for Gu Yiren to leave the cellar.

At exactly five o’clock, waiting by the door, Luo Bin told Gu Yiren to leave. She hurried out of the courtyard. Only then did Luo Bin approach the gate, no longer seeing her figure.

He exhaled deeply, glanced back at Luo Feng’s door, then returned to his own room. After catching a brief nap, it was Gu Ya who knocked to wake him.

The family of three finished breakfast. Luo Feng was preparing to leave.

“Do you really want to take part in the village search? We just got back from the mountains. If you don’t go, the village chief probably won’t say anything, right?” Gu Ya asked.

“I’m the leader of the young men’s squad. If I don’t go after returning, the villagers will complain. They already have their doubts about our family,” Luo Feng replied.

Gu Ya said nothing.

Luo Feng left.

Gu Ya busied herself with household chores.

Luo Bin took a small stool and sat at the gate. The phrase ‘village search’ implied a significant operation with serious consequences, but the commotion was relatively mild.

Around nine o’clock, an old familiar face arrived: Old Kong, with a freckled, round face.

“Heh, Little Shan,” Old Kong greeted Luo Bin.

“Uncle Kong,” Luo Bin stepped aside to let him in.

“Sister Ya, just routine, a quick search around,” Old Kong said to Gu Ya.

“No problem, look around as you like,” Gu Ya replied, picking up a broom to sweep.

Old Kong began checking the rooms one by one.

...

In a narrow alley, a man of about thirty-five or thirty-six knocked on a door.

The door opened to reveal Chen Xianxian, petite with bright eyes and white teeth. Her hair was braided, and a faint mole adorned the corner of her mouth.

Jiang Shan swallowed nervously.

Chen Xianxian and Chen Qianqian were twin sisters in the village.

The younger sister was simple-minded and lively, well-known in the village.

The elder sister was gentle and enchanting, even more famous—the village’s female Bodhisattva.

The mole at her mouth was Chen Qianqian’s mark, the most distinguishing feature between the twins.

Many men desired her but dared not act; many women watched her closely, fearing she might approach their men.

No one knew how many men in the village had been ‘saved’ by Chen Qianqian.

Jiang Shan was assigned to search Chen Qianqian’s house, his heart pounding wildly.

“The village chief and the shaman ordered a search of the entire village,” Jiang Shan said, trying to keep his eyes steady.

“Mm-hmm,” Chen Xianxian nodded and stepped aside.

Jiang Shan entered. Chen Xianxian moved gracefully to a table, poured tea, and served it to Jiang Shan.

Her sparkling eyes were even more captivating in his view.

He gulped down the tea in one go.

“I’ll just search quickly and leave,” Jiang Shan said, returning the cup, his eyes flicking to Chen Xianxian’s slender waist.

Her loose clothing was cinched tightly at the waist by a thin belt, delicate enough to grasp in a single hand.

“Mm,” she agreed.

“But my sister is ill, sleeping deeply. It’s inconvenient to wake her.”

As she spoke, Chen Xianxian gently took Jiang Shan’s hand and led him toward a room with a cellar.

She lightly pushed the door open a crack. The girl inside lay with eyes tightly shut.

Chen Xianxian raised a finger to her lips, shushing, then glanced back.

Jiang Shan scanned the room and, as if compelled, nodded.

Chen Xianxian closed the door and led Jiang Shan to open every other room, letting him inspect them all.

Throughout, she held his hand firmly.

Jiang Shan’s heart raced so fast he felt dizzy.

Finally, they reached the front door.

“There’s nothing wrong with my house, right, Brother Jiang Shan?” Her soft voice was enchanting and gentle.

“Eh... no... of course not... how could there be any issues with you two sisters...” Jiang Shan replied, voice low, afraid to wake the girl inside.

“Yes, yes, I remember that day you questioned Zhang Li. You thought Gu Yiren was suspicious. How could she be connected to her?” Chen Xianxian added awkwardly.

“Mm, that’s good. But you didn’t check the cellar,” she said uneasily. “What if the village chief asks?”

“My little sister is sick. How could I make her get up? Don’t worry, I’ll tell the chief I checked everything,” Jiang Shan said, patting his chest.

Their hands remained tightly clasped.

“Sister-in-law is usually fierce, right? Brother Jiang Shan, you even have nail marks on your hand,” her tender voice carried a hint of concern. “You’ve been busy these past days. Come quietly sometime without anyone noticing. I have a jug of wine and some ointment for wounds.”

“Alright! Alright!” Jiang Shan was overjoyed.

Such a good thing finally came his way!

The village Bodhisattva!

Chen Xianxian pulled her hand free and lightly pushed his chest.

Jiang Shan left.

After closing the door, her face flushed red, her earlier charm replaced by intense loathing.

She went to the kitchen, fetched water, and scrubbed her hands vigorously.

Then she washed away the mole at her mouth’s corner.

Returning to the bedroom, she lightly wiped Chen Qianqian’s mouth. The powder came off, revealing the faint mole beneath.

“Sister, why are there so many restless men in this village?”

“When he comes, you must properly ‘deliver’ him!”

Chen Xianxian’s expression twisted into something fierce.

...

Almost at the same time, at another courtyard gate, Luo Feng knocked.

“Routine search,” he said in a low voice to the man inside.

You Jiang nodded and let Luo Feng in.

Luo Feng headed straight to the woodshed.

He opened the door to find it packed with firewood and pine needles. The air was thick with a smoky scent.

“You like burning pine needles? Doesn’t the smell get too strong?” Luo Feng asked without turning.

He was the young men’s squad leader, assigned by Zhong Zhicheng and He Gui to organize the search and divide the areas.

The homes of Zhao Shu, Feng Ji, You Jiang, Yan Li, and the shaman He Gui were all within a suspicious zone, so Luo Feng was tasked with searching there.

Zhao Shu and Feng Ji’s houses had been checked—no sign of Gu Yiren or any issues.

You Jiang’s was the third.

You Jiang coughed twice and stepped forward.

“I like smoked meat. I set traps at the mountain foot to catch wild rabbits and pheasants, which I smoke. Sometimes I catch wild boar. Leftover meat isn’t cured or stored long,” he explained.

“I see,” Luo Feng nodded.

He left the woodshed and continued searching the other rooms, inspecting all normal rooms thoroughly.

“My house is one of the few without a cellar,” You Jiang stood in the courtyard, sunlight on his face. His lips twitched involuntarily, as if his face was spasming.

“Yes, I know,” Luo Feng replied without hesitation. “Your house has no problems. I’ll search elsewhere.”

Then Luo Feng strode out of You Jiang’s courtyard toward the next.

He felt a gaze upon him but did not look back.

The stare persisted until he turned a corner and disappeared.

Though the sun was bright, Luo Feng’s complexion turned pale.

Despite his mental strength and preparation, he felt weak and his temples throbbed uncontrollably.

None of the rooms showed any issues.

Even the kitchen had smoked chickens, fish, rabbits, and some meat chunks.

At a glance, everything seemed normal.

But the ground near the well was unusually smooth, the stones polished as if glazed.

Normally, moss would grow around well edges in every villager’s home—except You Jiang’s.

His whetstone was very thin, indicating frequent use.

Yet, there were only three rather dull knives in the kitchen, not seeming regularly sharpened.

Most importantly, beneath the heavy smoky scent lingered a faint salty metallic tang.

Years ago, when the village saw many deaths, Luo Feng had encountered many corpses. That salty smell came from blood.

The person masquerading as a malevolent spirit killing others—Luo Feng had found him.

You Jiang was likely not only a murderer but had darker, more terrifying hobbies.

Perhaps You Jiang even had a hidden cellar of his own making, concealing unspeakable secrets.