Volume 1, Chapter 64: Someone Is Silently Here

The spirit-medium He Gui’s home was very close to You Jiang’s courtyard. You Jiang was dangerous, and it was best not to linger there for long.

Therefore, the father and son, sharing a tacit understanding, walked at a brisk pace.

Suddenly, Luo Bin paused for a moment.

"What is it, Xiaoshan?" Luo Feng asked.

Luo Bin’s left hand instinctively clutched his chest. His heartbeat felt inexplicably disordered, carrying an indescribable… sense of panic?

Just moments ago, everything had been completely fine.

Was it because he was worried that Zhang Li might mention his past contact with Gu Yiren?

However, even if he did speak of it, there would be no problem.

That was something from quite a long time ago.

Gu Yiren was not currently beneath the cellar of his room, and all of these matters could be clearly explained.

"I’m fine, Dad," Luo Bin forced a smile.

"Alright, as long as you're fine. Let’s go." Luo Feng nodded.

Before long, the two passed an intersection ahead and stepped onto a straight path.

There was a gap along the edge of the road, which Luo Bin stepped over.

It took less than two and a half minutes to return to the courtyard from here.

The courtyard was very quiet, surprisingly devoid of people.

"Mom?" Luo Feng called out.

There was no response.

Luo Bin walked toward the kitchen, while Luo Feng hurried toward the door of their bedroom.

The kitchen was completely empty. Luo Bin turned around just as Luo Feng emerged from the bedroom doorway, walking back into the courtyard with a furrowed brow.

"Could it be that there was a big commotion over at the Chen family's place, and Mom got worried about us, so she went over to see what was happening?" Luo Bin said unnaturally.

"Yes, she must have gone there," Luo Feng nodded.

"I originally wanted to tell your mom to go and fetch Zhang Yunling. In that case, you can just go over by yourself; I don't need to remind you of much. You already know everything," Luo Feng added.

Luo Bin felt a slight awkwardness.

Gu Ya had intentions of matchmaking him and Zhang Yunling.

Although Luo Feng's view of Zhang Yunling had softened slightly under certain circumstances, he still did not truly consider her one of their own. While he wasn't explicitly opposed to her, now was definitely not the time; they had to wait until they escaped the village.

In truth, Luo Bin was well aware of this himself. Therefore, even if he harbored certain thoughts, he had to wait until the entire family reached a safe place before entertaining them.

With his thoughts settled, Luo Bin headed out.

There weren't many people on the village path; were they all gathered outside the alley of the Chen family sisters?

***

At this very moment, inside You Jiang’s courtyard.

By the well, You Jiang was drawing water to scrub a piece of cured meat completely encrusted with stove soot. The slab of meat transitioned from pitch black to the dark red and yellowish hue of normal smoked meat.

Normal cured meat was always layered with alternating fat and lean portions, including the wild boar meat hanging in his kitchen.

This particular piece of meat, however, was exceptionally lean, with the muscle fibers distinctly prominent, resembling a tendon.

Zhang Yunling stood three meters away from him, holding a cloth doll crudely stitched with needle and thread. A trace of puzzlement lingered in her beautiful eyes as her voice carried the same confusion: "It’s been several days. Why haven't you made a move yet?"

"You don't understand the ways of hunting," You Jiang did not raise his head, rinsing the piece of meat once more with a basin of clean water.

"Hunting? No one asked you to go hunting," Zhang Yunling said with even greater perplexity, speaking earnestly: "We only need to leave the village and eliminate the people blocking our path."

"To you, he is a person. Right now, he is prey—a nimble, cunning prey with sharp teeth and claws. There is only one chance; succeed, and it is done; fail, and you will never be able to hunt him again. I am waiting for the opportunity. What are you in such a rush for?"

You Jiang stood up, making his way toward the kitchen, before pausing right in front of Zhang Yunling: "Staying for a meal? Smoked tendon meat, strained rice, and a pot of cured spare rib soup."

Zhang Yunling tightly pressed her lips together, a trace of deep-seated resistance lingering in the depths of her eyes.

Of course, what she resisted was not You Jiang himself, but the food You Jiang was about to eat.

"Thank you, I prefer vegetarian food," she replied softly.

"Oh," You Jiang nodded, then said: "Don't come into my courtyard again. This is very suspicious. I am a normal person and shouldn't draw this much attention. You are different; you shouldn't know me, and you shouldn't come here. You might attract other people."

"Something happened at the entrance of the village. The able-bodied young men's team all went over, and the villagers gathered around as well. That's why I came," Zhang Yunling explained: "I was very cautious; there was almost no one on the road."

"Alright, that's good. In short, this is the last time. Once I hunt Zhong Zhicheng, I will come looking for you," You Jiang said.

"Fine," Zhang Yunling lowered her head and turned to leave.

Suddenly, You Jiang moved with lightning speed, flashing past her side.

That agile figure, the explosive speed he unleashed—he was just like a leopard!

The door flew open instantly, and You Jiang rushed out.

Zhang Yunling barely had time to react and raise her head.

What entered her field of vision was someone running frantically on the road outside!

It was a woman!

A very familiar woman!

Gu Ya?!

Gu Ya had only run seven or eight meters when You Jiang grabbed her by the hair and delivered a fierce palm-strike to the back of her neck.

Immediately afterward, You Jiang quickly dragged her back into the courtyard. As he shut the courtyard gate, he vigilantly glanced left and right outside.

Dragging Gu Ya to the center of the courtyard, he threw her heavily onto the ground. You Jiang then hurriedly stepped out of the courtyard gate, used his feet to sweep away the dragging marks left on the ground, and dashed back inside with extreme speed.

This entire sequence of events unfolded in at most a minute or two.

Zhang Yunling’s face turned slightly pale.

You Jiang’s expression was as dark as water. The skin on his face twitched in a bizarre spasm as he said gloomily: "Is this what you call being cautious?"

"I..."

For a moment, Zhang Yunling was overcome with panic.

"You and the people of the Luo family are already far too close, and Luo Feng is very difficult to deal with," You Jiang squatted on the ground, pinching Gu Ya’s face with narrowed eyes. Applying force, he squeezed Gu Ya’s face until it became distorted and red. With even greater force, he jerked Gu Ya’s head upward.

"Don't hurt Aunt Gu," Zhang Yunling took two steps forward, making a blocking gesture with her hand.

You Jiang released his grip, and Gu Ya’s head banged heavily against the ground.

"Do you even hear what you're saying? She heard our conversation. She is the one who followed you here."

"You are truly bizarre. Didn't you open the window to their house a few days ago? Any of them could have died. Why is it that now, you suddenly don't want her to be hurt?"

You Jiang’s facial muscles twitched even more frequently, spasming three times with every single sentence.

He slowly stood up, stared fixedly at Zhang Yunling, and said: "You won't go blurting anything out because of this, will you? I only contacted you because I want to leave the village."

"And don't forget, you are the one who is supposed to be paraded through the village, not that fat man Zhang Jun."

"We are grasshoppers tied to the same rope."

You Jiang was smiling, a grotesquely exaggerated smile that pulled the corners of his mouth back to his earlobes.

Zhang Yunling trembled slightly, staring fixedly at the unconscious Gu Ya on the ground as her cheeks flushed from a pale white.

"You can leave now."

You Jiang’s smile instantly vanished, his tone carrying a trace of icy chill.

***

"Sister Xiaoling?"

Luo Bin knocked on the door for a full minute, but the courtyard remained dead quiet, lacking even the sound of a single footstep.

Was Zhang Yunling not home?

Luo Bin called out again, still receiving no response. He couldn't help thinking that she must have also gone to the alley outside the Chen family sisters' home to watch the commotion.

Exhaling a slight breath, Luo Bin turned away with a tinge of helplessness and walked back toward his home.

In truth, the wound on his right arm wasn't bleeding anymore; it was just that the stitches had torn open. Once the scar healed, it simply wouldn't look as aesthetic—it was nothing major.

Having walked about halfway, just as he reached the concrete road, someone approached from the opposite direction, head lowered and walking at a brisk pace.

"Sister Xiaoling?" Luo Bin called out again, his eyes carrying a hint of pleasant surprise.

Zhang Yunling stopped in her tracks, raising her head with a look of faint panic.

"Xiaoshan? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be..." Her voice carried a similar trace of panic.

Luo Bin smiled slightly and said: "Shouldn't I be heading home, right?"

With a helpless glance at his right shoulder, Luo Bin continued: "The situation over at the Chen family sisters' place far exceeded my dad's and my expectations. He was quite heavily injured, and the wound on my arm tore open as well. The spirit-medium said her own treatment wasn't meticulous enough and told me to come find you."

"Mhm... alright..." Zhang Yunling lowered her head and walked toward her house.

Luo Bin followed, though he felt a slight sense of doubt.

Was Zhang Yunling acting a bit strange?

Was it because Chen Xianxian was raising an evil entity?

Right, Zhong Zhicheng's intention to make this matter public was bound to throw the villagers into chaos and panic.

Just like how Gu Ya had been frightened out of her wits upon learning that someone in the village was disguising themselves as an evil entity to kill people.

For someone to keep a person turned into an evil entity right inside their own home, and even capture villagers to feed it—that was a thought that made one's spine chill even more.

It made sense for Zhang Yunling to be this absent-minded.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted several other villagers. They hurried along, wearing similarly jittery expressions. Aside from members of the same family walking together, they kept a wide distance from everyone else, as if terrified of anyone coming too close.

Before long, they returned to Zhang Yunling’s courtyard.

Once inside the main hall, Zhang Yunling produced a set of needles and blades, meticulously tending to Luo Bin’s wound.

Several times, she placed the needles incorrectly, but Luo Bin endured the pain without uttering a sound.

Zhang Yunling truly was out of her mind with distraction.

Finally, the wound was re-bandaged.

"Xiaoshan, can you not go home?" Zhang Yunling raised her head, her eye sockets brimming with moisture, on the verge of tears.

For a moment, Luo Bin was stunned, failing to process the request.

"I'm scared..." Zhang Yunling trembled slightly.

Only then did Luo Bin notice deep tooth marks on Zhang Yunling’s lips—she had bitten them herself, and they faintly bled.

"This..."

For a moment, Luo Bin found himself at a loss.

"Sister Xiaoling... Although Chen Xianxian is a bit vicious, her older sister certainly won't be able to escape. Her sister is the dangerous one, and Chen Xianxian definitely wouldn't dare show her face to anyone right now. As long as you stay home, you'll be fine."

Luo Bin offered a soft word of comfort.

Zhang Yunling was still trembling. Bracing her hands against the table, she looked as though she could barely stand.

Luo Bin hurried forward, supporting Zhang Yunling with his left arm.

Her body suddenly went limp, and trembling violently, she collapsed into his arms.

"I'm really so scared, I feel so awful..."

"Xiaoshan, I thought of my mom and dad. Do you know? They died such a miserable death."

Zhang Yunling’s hands tightly clutched Luo Bin’s waist, her face pressed firmly against his chest. She wept, full of sorrow and grief, her eyes swimming with tears.

The clothes over his chest were being soaked by her tears—initially warm, they rapidly grew ice-cold.

For a moment, Luo Bin didn't know what to say.

Did Zhang Yunling believe that her parents had died at the hands of Chen Xianxian?

Perhaps the original owner of this body knew about that, but he did not.

The only person who had ever dropped a hint was Gu Ya, who had mentioned that Zhang Yunling's parents were traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.

As for the specific details, he remained completely in the dark.

Patting Zhang Yunling’s back gently with his left hand, Luo Bin remained silent, quietly staying by her side.

Sometimes, when a person was overwhelmed by grief, words of persuasion were unnecessary; they simply needed someone to be there with them.

Even if that presence was completely silent.

In his past life, when he learned the news of his mother's death and saw that scene of scattered egg custard, shredded potatoes, fresh blood, and bone fragments, he had been in agony. Yet many of his relatives had urged him to restrain his grief, telling him that this was a form of release for his mother—which only made his suffering even worse.

Even now, whenever he recalled it, he would spend the entire night sleepless.

Therefore, for the grieving, the best companionship was simply having someone there, in silence.