Volume One, Chapter 20: Do You Think You Can?

“Are there many outsiders in the village?” Luo Bin whispered again.

“Almost everyone was an outsider at first. We understand the uncertainty that comes with outsiders. Initial rejection is inevitable. Many people before you had unnecessary goodwill in their hearts, but in the end, they all turned to ashes.” Luo Feng’s words carried a veiled warning.

Luo Bin fell silent, his gaze once more sweeping over the vehicles. The blazing sun blurred his vision slightly.

“No one has ever left this place?” he asked.

“Everyone wants to leave, but no one can,” Luo Feng replied with a phrase the village chief had said before, then turned and began walking back.

After returning home, Gu Ya and Zhang Yunling indeed went to rest, leaving the courtyard empty.

Luo Feng continued sharpening his knife with focused determination. The machete seemed so sharp it could split hair and cut through iron like mud.

“Dad, I’m going to the Mountain God Temple to retrieve my things,” Luo Bin mentioned.

“Hm,” Luo Feng replied without even looking up.

Back at the Mountain God Temple, Luo Bin noticed the oil lamp hadn’t been refilled; the village chief hadn’t been here yet.

He carefully assessed the amount of lamp oil—barely more than a tenth of a lamp’s full capacity. For him, it was just enough to stay awake.

Searching the small cabin, he found no container for the oil but discovered a plastic bag, which made him delighted.

He slipped the plastic bag over an enamel bowl and carefully poured the lamp oil into it, maintaining the motion for a long time.

His hands grew sore. After extracting a good amount of oil, Luo Bin returned the lamp to its place.

He meticulously tied the bottom of the plastic bag, tore off the excess, leaving a small pouch of oil, which he stored away before finally relaxing.

He realized his lack of experience—otherwise, during the first trip to the Mountain God Temple, when everyone was still clamoring to parade Zhang Jun through the streets, he could have easily stolen oil from many homes.

But hindsight was useless.

Returning home, Zhang Yunling was combing Gu Ya’s hair by the well, an unusually warm and harmonious scene.

Most villagers were indifferent, so the closeness between Zhang Yunling and Gu Ya suggested something had happened between them before, Luo Bin thought.

“Put your things down. Let’s go,” Luo Feng stood up.

Luo Bin hurriedly put his bag of clothes back in his room. Then the three of them, along with Zhang Yunling, headed toward the village’s main road.

Luo Feng deliberately took a detour. When they reached the edge of the main road, it happened to be the village entrance.

A traditional archway stood there, inscribed with “Guishan Village.”

Luo Bin recalled a piece of information: Zhang Li and the others had said they were archaeologists who accidentally entered the village while seeking help for a collapse at the Guishan ancient tomb.

Beneath the arch stood a prison cart.

Many villagers by the roadside were scrutinizing Zhang Jun, whispering among themselves.

Zhang Jun slumped weakly against the wooden bars of the cart, deep bloodstains marking his thick neck.

“Wronged…”

“I didn’t…”

“I… didn’t have time… it wasn’t me…”

He had struggled and shouted for so long his voice was hoarse.

Luo Feng’s eyes were icy, as if looking at a corpse.

Luo Bin noticed some eyes fixed on them, but many more stared at him.

With a clang, Zhang Jun suddenly jerked, struggling fiercely. He shouted hoarsely, “It’s not me! Not me! Not me!”

“It’s Zhang Yunling!”

His voice cracked, almost smelling of blood.

His small eyes bulged, nearly popping out.

“You cursed witch! You’re the vicious one! It’s you! It’s you!”

Zhang Yunling was so frightened her face turned pale; she hid behind Gu Ya.

Gu Ya glared coldly at Zhang Jun, shielding Zhang Yunling behind her.

Zhang Jun’s hands were shackled inside the cart. He shook violently, making the cart clang loudly.

“You’ve been deceived! You’ve been tricked!”

“Don’t judge by appearances! She’s a liar! My mother said pretty women are all liars! She’s poison!”

“You haven’t been ruined by her yet! Next time, no one will escape!”

Zhang Jun kept cursing and shouting.

Then trembling, he cursed, “Luo Shan! You lusted after her! You betrayed your brother! You saw the outsider’s woman and framed me.”

“You saw Zhang Yunling and framed me again!”

“You’re no human! Let me out! I’ll kill your whole family! I’ll ruin your mother!”

Luo Bin took a deep breath but made no move.

Zhang Jun’s curses gave way to tears as he quietly pleaded his innocence, insisting it wasn’t him, he simply never had the chance.

The sky darkened gradually. People on the village road began drifting off toward nearby courtyards in small groups.

“Do you want to see the beginning, middle, or end?” Luo Feng’s gaze swept over Gu Ya and Zhang Yunling.

As the name implied, the beginning was when Zhang Jun first encountered the evil spirit, the middle was the process, and the end was the conclusion.

They were at the village entrance; the end was at the Mountain God Temple at the village’s tail.

“Here at the entrance, please. The middle and end are too bloody—I’m afraid it’ll scare Xiao Shan and Xiao Ling,” Gu Ya spoke up.

“Alright, then here it is,” Luo Feng nodded.

The houses by the roadside were a mix; some were crowded inside, especially near the windows where the most people squeezed in.

Luo Feng chose a spot beside a simple house next to the village archway.

Though the view wasn’t great, only showing Zhang Jun’s profile, it suited Gu Ya’s wish to avoid excessive gore.

Inside the house were about a dozen people. Luo Bin spotted a somewhat familiar face—one of the men who had caught the outsiders before.

“Old Kong,” Luo Feng greeted.

Old Kong was in his early forties, sturdy and capable, with a round face speckled with freckles.

“Hey, Old Luo,” he nodded, surprised. “You’re staying here? That short-lived bastard treated you so badly—why not go to the village center or the tail?”

Luo Feng smiled, “Women and children should avoid bloodshed.”

“Uncle Kong,” Luo Bin greeted proactively.

Old Kong paused, then nodded. “You’re improving, that’s good. Never again mix with people like Zhang Jun. You see, those people always seek revenge. It’s not just the village chief, but Old Luo and your mother—they’ve all been tormented and harmed by the evil spirit.”

“Mm-hmm,” Luo Bin nodded in agreement.

The other villagers inside still looked at them oddly, subtly rejecting them.

Old Kong, clearly the homeowner, picked a spot for Luo Feng. Luo Bin followed, and the villagers had no reason to object.

The spot was right by the door, next to a window — the best vantage point given the generally poor visibility.

Old Kong then hung a latch on the door, evidently to keep more villagers from entering since the room was full.

The others moved to different windows, all quietly waiting for nightfall.

At that moment, a Santana car stopped beneath the village archway.

Everyone inside the house’s attention snapped to the window.

“More outsiders!?” a villager shouted.

“They’re not new outsiders. Today’s chaos allowed the outsiders at the Mountain God Temple to escape. The village chief hasn’t notified everyone yet. Don’t worry about it,” Old Kong explained gravely beside Luo Feng.

Luo Bin’s heart pounded wildly. He wanted to open the door latch.

“What are you doing, Luo Shan?” Old Kong reacted swiftly, grabbing Luo Bin’s wrist.

Under all the burning gazes and Luo Feng’s slightly furrowed stare, sweat beaded on Luo Bin’s forehead.

He knew his words would upset people, but Gu Yiren’s role was too crucial…

So he forced himself to say, “Uncle Kong… it’s like this. The village chief asked me to watch over the outsiders, but I failed. That’s why they escaped… I’ve been guarding them these days, and they’ve mostly behaved. If someone’s going to die, one is about right… There’s no need to lose more because of ignorance about the village…”

“You think you can save them?” Old Kong exchanged a glance with Luo Feng.

“Mm,” Luo Feng nodded.

With a clang, Old Kong actually opened the door!

For a moment, Luo Bin was overwhelmed with confusion.

He had thought it would take many words to persuade them to let him out and bring in Zhang Li and the others.

Normally, Luo Bin wouldn’t have dared. He had only just secured his footing before Gu Ya and Luo Feng, and before the village chief.

But Gu Yiren… was that important.

Yet he never expected the door would just open just like that…