Volume One, Chapter 37: The Beginning, the Middle, the End—Information!

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His head buzzing, Luo Bin broke out in gooseflesh, and a numb dread rippled through him.

What the hell was this?

How could Xu Kaiguo have left behind such a string of words?

Luo Bin stood rigid beside the window, utterly at a loss.

Within just a few minutes, seven or eight evil spirits had gathered outside. They reached out and gently tapped on the window.

With a clatter, Luo Bin pulled the curtains shut again. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm, then returned to the table and continued dividing the lamp oil into portions.

Yet before his eyes, his three “encounters” with Xu Kaiguo kept replaying.

The first day, when he awoke after summoning the soul.

Last night.

Tonight.

Without exception, Xu Kaiguo’s opening words had always been that the husband and wife in this house were evil spirits, that the entire village was abnormal, and that he must open the window.

If one examined the details closely, Xu Kaiguo had told him to save Gu Yiren.

That had helped him enormously. Above all, it established one fundamental fact: Xu Kaiguo could not be entirely malicious.

And yet he had continued to insist on what he had said at the beginning—that Luo Feng and Gu Ya were dangerous...

That was where the problem lay.

Earlier, just before leaving, he had written a line on the window that vanished almost at once, telling him not to trust him...

Saying that he was an evil spirit!?

Was he an evil spirit?

He probably was, wasn’t he?

Otherwise, how could he wander the roads at night? How could he appear and disappear like a ghost? And why else would the other evil spirits leave him unharmed?

Could it be that the words he had spoken at the beginning were beyond his control, not truly his own will?

Perhaps, every so often, he could briefly regain a measure of clarity and use it to convey messages to him?

On the first night, he had conveyed information about Gu Yiren.

Tonight, he had conveyed the message not to trust him.

Then what message had he conveyed last night?

Sweat continued to bead on Luo Bin’s forehead.

Yes. It was as though Xu Kaiguo were a patient, much like the way Zhang Li had described Gu Yiren.

A patient suffering from hysteria, whose mind was diseased. Most of the time, the things he said might harm others, but whenever he was lucid, he could convey normal information.

Of course, Xu Kaiguo was not ill in the ordinary sense.

He simply had no way to remain fully lucid.

Was he an evil spirit?

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Was he an existence like Luo Bin himself?

A body that was an evil spirit, but a soul that still belonged to an ordinary human?

The moment that thought occurred to him, every hair on Luo Bin’s body stood on end.

His first suspicion surged back into his mind: he was not the only one who had come to Cabinet Mountain Village. Someone familiar had come here before him.

Xu Kaiguo had been the one who arrived ahead of him. He had explored Cabinet Mountain Village to some extent, but had ultimately failed. He had been assimilated by the evil spirits, leaving behind only a sliver of consciousness to guide whoever came next.

To guide Luo Bin himself!?

His heart pounded so violently it seemed ready to leap from his throat.

Luo Bin went over everything again and again. The more he thought about it, the more certain he became that this was probably the correct answer.

But why didn’t Xu Kaiguo drink the lamp oil himself? The lamp oil could help one remain calm and clear-headed.

Suddenly, a creak sounded. Someone was opening the door.

But Luo Bin had locked it from the inside, so it did not open.

He swiftly gathered the bottles and jars on the table, along with the small plastic packets of oil.

“Mom?” he answered, feigning drowsiness.

“Shan, I was thinking of coming in to talk to you for a bit. Are you asleep?” Gu Ya’s voice came through the door.

“Uh... yes, I’m asleep,” Luo Bin replied first.

“All right, then get some proper rest.” After Gu Ya finished speaking, her footsteps began to recede.

Luo Bin carefully checked the tabletop to make sure he had left no traces behind, then immediately went forward and opened the door.

“Mom, if you have something to say, come in,” he called, adding a yawn.

Gu Ya stopped. After hesitating for two seconds, she turned back and entered Luo Bin’s room, closing the door behind her.

“Shan, go sit down. I’ll only say a few words and then leave.” Gu Ya gently rubbed her temples, her expression somewhat haggard.

“You sit too.” Luo Bin shifted the chair in front of the desk, and only then did Gu Ya sit down.

The room was small. After taking two steps backward, Luo Bin sat down on the edge of the bed.

There was a note of melancholy in Gu Ya’s voice as she sighed. “Your father was being stubborn a few days ago, but he’s come to his senses now. He’s treating you well again and has accepted you. That’s a good thing, of course. Your mother is happy. Only then can our family truly live together in peace and harmony.”

“But there are some things your father has taught you that you can listen to, and some things you must not.”

“Over the years, people have come and gone from the village, one group replacing another. Some died very quickly, while others have continued living safely. Do you know why?”

Gu Ya met Luo Bin’s eyes.

“Well...”

Luo Bin hesitated.

He understood what she meant.

“Everyone wants to leave this place, but no one has any way to leave.”

“Shan, you’re young. It’s easy for you to be filled with youthful fervor, easy for you to want to do something to prove yourself. And your father, more often than not, acts far too clever, as though he has everything under control. That’s why he was so determined to scout the way ahead.”

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“Many of the families chosen by lot, and people like him, never came back.”

“Instead, it was the villagers who kept their heads down and followed the rules who survived.”

“Look at you. You like Xiaoling, and Xiaoling seems to have some fondness for you. If we can live here peacefully, why take risks? There will always be people who want to leave. Can’t we simply wait quietly? Once someone finds a way out, we’ll leave too. And if no one can find one, how could your father possibly succeed?”

“Our family can’t afford to lose a single person!”

That final sentence from Gu Ya was especially heartfelt.

“I understand, Mom.” Luo Bin let out a soft breath.

“Good, as long as you understand. You need to persuade your father. He may listen to you now.” Gu Ya gave him the warning earnestly.

“Mm-hmm.” Luo Bin nodded.

He couldn’t very well openly oppose Gu Ya at a time like this, could he?

She was genuinely worried about their safety.

He could only say that if he failed to persuade his father later and was pressured into going along to scout the route, there were plenty of ways to stall. The best approach was one that did not leave anyone feeling hurt.

Gu Ya’s spirits had improved considerably by the time she left the room.

Luo Bin closed the door and returned to bed.

Tomorrow, he absolutely had to see Gu Yiren.

The day after tomorrow, they would be going into the mountains to scout the way. He had to make sure nothing happened to Gu Yiren.

Besides, might Gu Yiren know more than she had revealed? Could that information help him in some other way?

Sleep gradually overcame him, and Luo Bin sank into a deep slumber.

The next day, he awoke very early. He opened his eyes almost as soon as he heard the crowing of the rooster and the sound of gongs.

He rose and left the house.

Luo Bin hurried toward the back of the courtyard, heading for the spot outside the window opposite his room.

As he reviewed everything that had happened the previous night, he realized that Xu Kaiguo had left different messages at the beginning and at the end.

Then the time he had appeared in between should have contained a message as well.

Only then could he confirm that his deduction was entirely correct.

But the moment he reached the place, what he saw made Luo Bin’s legs tremble.

A gush of heavenly nectar welled up, and he nearly wet himself.