Volume One, Chapter 13: A Chance to Come Clean!

“Are you two not going to sleep?” Zhong Zhicheng’s gaze swept over Luo Feng and Gu Ya.

“Xiao Ya, you should go to bed. I’ll stay here and keep the village chief company,” Luo Feng said in a low voice.

“No... I want to stay here too. I just can’t sleep. I keep thinking about Xiao Shan. This rain is driving me restless,” Gu Ya replied softly.

“Alright,” Luo Feng acquiesced without pressing her.

“You two have been living in the village for many years, haven’t you?” Zhong Zhicheng changed the subject.

“Almost ten years,” Luo Feng sighed lightly.

“Ten years… that’s already old,” Zhong Zhicheng nodded.

Luo Feng let out a short hum.

“I’m going to give you both a chance to be honest,” Zhong Zhicheng said calmly, but there was no mistaking the firmness in his tone.

“A chance? I don’t understand what you mean,” Luo Feng looked at him with confusion.

Gu Ya also appeared puzzled; her emotions were more fragile than Luo Feng’s, her hands nervously clutching the edge of her clothes, which didn’t seem out of place.

“I came to the village later than you two, but I’ve been through things you haven’t. When I discovered that lamp oil could ward off evil, many malevolent spirits surrounded me day and night, yet they never made the oil burn faster,” Zhong Zhicheng explained.

Luo Feng’s eyelid twitched slightly. “Are you saying I’m lying? Then why didn’t you expose me on the first night and sent Xiao Shan to keep watch instead?”

“Because I wanted to see if the problem was with you or with Luo Shan. After all, he lost the nail on his left pinky, and your whole family just happened to be in the mortuary,” Zhong Zhicheng said without changing expression. “The truth is, Luo Shan is fine—actually more perceptive than the average villager. Though he’s not very talkative in the village, his personality resembles yours.”

“He’s fine, but the lamp oil is still decreasing. The problem must be you, Luo Feng!”

“Why are you hiding lamp oil? You know how important it is—this resource must be used carefully,” Zhong Zhicheng’s eyes deepened and sharpened like a blade, intent on piercing Luo Feng’s heart.

“I’m not hiding any lamp oil,” Luo Feng shook his head firmly. “It is true the oil is burning faster, but village chief, you should consider the lamp itself, not suspect us.”

“There’s only one situation in which lamp oil burns faster—and that’s impossible for the Luo family,” Zhong Zhicheng answered decisively.

A creak sounded, like a wooden plank being stepped on or a mouse scurrying.

“There must be mice… maybe in the rice jar. I’ll go check,” Gu Ya said, trying to steady her nerves as she moved toward the kitchen.

Zhong Zhicheng’s gaze remained fixed on Luo Feng’s face; the two were locked in a standoff.

The oil lamp flickered and crackled, casting wildly swaying shadows of both men.

“Hmm?” Zhong Zhicheng abruptly looked up at the lamp above.

The lamp flickered fiercely, thick smoke curling from the flame, and the edges of the lamp glass glowing almost red.

Luo Feng noticed the anomaly too and growled low, “Xiao Ya, come back!”

Gu Ya was halfway across the courtyard.

Luo Feng strode over, grasped her shoulder, and hurried her back into the main room.

By the time Gu Ya realized, she was already pulled inside.

---

Zhong Zhicheng strode forward and slammed the main room door shut.

Gu Ya’s face drained of color; she stood dazed, forgetting what to do next.

The crackling and popping sounds gradually subsided.

The fiercely burning lamp calmed, its flame returning to normal.

“You have evil spirits in your house!” Zhong Zhicheng suddenly spun toward Luo Feng, staring him down. “You promised to keep doors and windows closed tight, but you were careless—you didn’t follow through!”

“That’s impossible!” Luo Feng replied firmly. “I nailed every window shut so no fingers could slip through. Every window has a latch or lock, and I check them every three days.”

“Every three days? Why not every day?” Zhong Zhicheng demanded.

“Village chief, could you be mistaken... How could there be evil spirits in our home? I haven’t felt anything at all...” Gu Ya said uneasily. “Suddenly Luo Feng pulled me inside, and suddenly you shut the door. Was it the gust of wind that blew the lamp just now? Or the mice scratching the boards?”

“The rice jar can’t be disturbed; otherwise, the rice would spoil. The village lacks medical supplies, so we can’t waste resources. I have to check,” Gu Ya felt Zhong Zhicheng was overreacting.

She knew their home was very safe.

Ten years had passed without incident, except for Xiao Shan’s mysterious accident four days ago outside the door.

How could evil spirits possibly be inside?

Just then, a chorus of squeaks began.

They were rapid, brazen, and accompanied by the sound of scurrying and sharp squeals, as if mice were fighting over something.

“I really have to check,” Gu Ya said, suddenly anxious.

Zhong Zhicheng stood firm at the door, unwilling to move. He kept staring at the lamp, now covered in green rust but burning steadily.

Then he slightly cracked the door open.

With a whoosh, the flame leapt a foot high.

A dull thud followed as the door was slammed shut again.

The squeaking grew louder and more piercing.

Gu Ya’s expression turned horrified; she covered her mouth.

There was no wind at that moment—the lamp was simply burning fiercely!

“This is the only explanation for the lamp oil burning so fast: your house has been infiltrated by evil spirits!”

“Luckily, this room has a door. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable!” Zhong Zhicheng hooked his foot under the wooden table, and Luo Feng, sweating nervously, pushed it against the door. Together they barricaded the main room door.

“The kitchen?” Luo Feng’s forehead was slick with sweat.

At this moment, inside the kitchen—

A mass of people were squeezed together, as if waiting for someone to open the door.

A few held mice by their tails, surrounding a rice jar. The mice scurried wildly on the lid, and occasionally someone prodded a mouse with a fingernail, drawing blood. The mice’s screams grew louder as blood spilled.

Everyone’s eyes were filled with eager anticipation, as if a grand feast was about to begin.

Yet as time passed—

No one opened the kitchen door.

Finally, one person pushed it open, and the crowd spilled out, heading toward the main room door.

Inside, though the door was blocked by the table, Zhong Zhicheng and Luo Feng remained clustered at the entrance.

They witnessed the evil spirits pouring out from the kitchen.

“The problem started two days ago—the lamp oil burned faster; today is the third day,” Zhong Zhicheng’s eyelids twitched violently. He stopped questioning and went to the lamp, pulling out a bottle to refill it.

Luo Feng said nothing, a chill crawling from his feet upward.

Actually, two nights ago, after Luo Shan pried open the window slats, Luo Feng had carefully inspected all the windows. There was absolutely no chance anything was wrong.

He didn’t know why the lamp oil was low that night and indeed suspected Luo Shan.

The village chief’s test was a convenient validation.

The previous night, Luo Feng deliberately reduced the amount of lamp oil.

For two reasons: first, the matter concerning Luo Shan was ultimately a family issue. He didn’t know if Luo Shan was involved, so by reducing the lamp oil, any problem would fall back on his own household, forcing the village chief to handle it collectively.

If Luo Shan was truly involved, his own son, he would have to deal with it himself.

Second, if Luo Shan was innocent, this would be the best chance to preserve lamp oil, though he needed to find a way to keep the village chief from causing trouble. The saved oil might save lives in a crisis.

For these reasons, the village chief’s claim that the windows were left open for two nights was unfounded.

If evil spirits came from the kitchen, then someone must have opened the kitchen window.

“Zhang Yunling?!” Luo Feng’s mind raced, staring directly at Gu Ya.

During the day, only one person had entered their home.

“No... it can’t be. I’ve been cooking the whole time, and Ling has been talking to me. She never even looked at the kitchen window...” Gu Ya answered anxiously. “Ling wouldn’t harm us.”

“I just remembered—Ling said someone sneaked past our door... maybe Zhang Jun?” Gu Ya spoke quickly. “Zhang Jun is Xiao Shan’s friend. Their relationship is very...”

A cold glint flashed in Luo Feng’s eyes as he cut her off.

“Fair-weather friends aren’t true friends. Zhang Jun is definitely no good.”

Zhong Zhicheng remained silent, squinting, lost in thought.