Volume 1, Chapter 43: Scouting the Path!

Upon returning home, the atmosphere in the courtyard was somewhat rigid and heavy.

Luo Feng sat behind the table, his complexion somewhat ashen.

Several bundles rested on a nearby chair, and Gu Ya was currently inspecting one of them, acting as if nothing was amiss.

Hearing the commotion, Gu Ya looked up at Luo Bin, a smile finally appearing on her face.

"Little Shan is back, we can have dinner now."

With that, Gu Ya went into the kitchen.

Luo Bin walked into the main room. Luo Feng did not look at him, keeping his gaze fixed straight ahead.

This made Luo Bin feel even more awkward.

Gu Ya must have told Zhang Yunling about the matter during the day, which was why Luo Feng was so displeased.

"Dad... This is my fault, don't be angry with Mom."

Luo Bin took a deep breath, proactively taking the blame upon himself.

Only then did Luo Feng's gaze fall upon him.

"The entanglements of romantic love—do you know what that means?" he asked in a deep voice.

"Heroic spirit falling short?" Luo Bin swallowed hard.

"You know that too?" Luo Feng slammed his hand heavily onto the table, making the teapot rattle violently!

"Luo Feng, stop picking on Little Shan again. It was my idea, not Little Shan's." Gu Ya hurried out of the kitchen, stopping at the doorway of the main room, her maternal protective instinct fiercely apparent.

"Dad, don't be angry... This really has nothing to do with Mom..." Luo Bin quickly stepped in front of Gu Ya.

Luo Feng pressed his hand to the bridge of his nose, his eyes tightly shut.

"One is young and vigorous, a newborn calf unafraid of tigers; the other is a loving mother, and a loving mother inevitably spoils her child."

"I know what really happened today. Little Shan, you shouldn't speak. His mother, you must understand, I am doing this for Little Shan's own good, for the good of our family. That person Xiao Ling is not bad, but she is not our family member. We cannot risk our lives for her." Luo Feng opened his eyes again, his eyeballs bloodshot.

"Things have come to this, and what has been said cannot be taken back. I just hope she doesn't stir up any trouble."

In the end, Luo Feng shook his head, a look of bitter distress on his face.

"What kind of trouble could Xiao Ling possibly stir up? All these years, hasn't she been gathering herbs for you for nothing?"

"Little Shan, come help me in the kitchen."

Gu Ya pulled Luo Bin, preparing to drag him into the kitchen.

"Mom... Don't be angry either, Dad isn't wrong." Luo Bin didn't move.

At this juncture, the couple couldn't afford to throw tantrums.

"I have a few words to say to Dad, you go ahead." Luo Bin softened his tone and offered a word of persuasion.

Only then did Gu Ya release her grip, glared at Luo Feng, and said, "Little Shan is more sensible than you and knows how to treat people much better. I won't bicker with you; you're just a rough man who doesn't know how to care for others."

As Gu Ya retreated back into the kitchen, Luo Bin wiped the sweat from his forehead with a bitter smile, then lowered his voice and said, "I will be very cautious. I feel that Sister Xiao Ling is also quite cautious; she hardly interacts with the villagers?"

"Mom hardly interacts with the villagers either, yet they get along so well. Whether Sister Xiao Ling treats her as a friend or an elder, it at least helps her alleviate some boredom and monotony, doesn't it?"

Luo Feng gazed deeply at Luo Bin and remained silent for a long time. Suddenly, he said, "Sometimes, I really think you've finally woken up. After all, you used to make your mother shed quite a few tears. Now that you're protecting her like this, it's her blessing."

Luo Feng's voice was not loud, audible only within the main room and solely to him.

This was a rare occasion where he openly and explicitly stated his stance.

"Sometimes," and "really think"—these words proved that Luo Feng was fully lucid.

"You are more qualified than Little Shan, but there is a reason and a tradition as to why women and children in Guishan Village are more easily bewitched by evil spirits. Do not indulge your mother, or something will go wrong. She can endure this bit of grievance because it is the rule of our family." Luo Feng's words grew deeper and more insinuating.

Luo Bin pondered for a long time before nodding and saying he understood.

"Mm." Only then did Luo Feng's brows relax slightly, though he continued to look toward the courtyard gate, his eyes filled with contemplation.

Dinner went passably well. The atmosphere was a bit stiff at first, but as Gu Ya petulantly piled food into Luo Feng's bowl, things quickly returned to normal.

After returning to his room, Luo Bin drank some lamp oil to ensure safety through the night.

The night passed peacefully, and Xu Kaiguo did not come.

Of course, evil spirits did arrive, but Luo Bin was completely immune to their temptations.

Having slept comfortably through the entire night, he was awakened in the morning by Luo Feng knocking on his door. Luo Bin concealed all the lamp oil on his person; leaving the house meant he had to be prepared, and the lamp oil could not be left behind.

Finally, wrapping the leather waistband tightly around himself, he stepped out of his room.

In the courtyard, both Luo Feng and Gu Ya had bundles strapped to their backs, looking ready for departure.

Zhong Zhicheng was also in the courtyard. His stubble had been trimmed, making his facial features appear even more chiseled.

"Alright, your family is all here. Let me state my requirement once more: Luo Feng, I hope you walk at least a mile forward. Of course, I know you will definitely walk, and you will certainly be different from the others. However, covering a certain distance adds a bit more hope for us. As long as you don't return to the village, it should be the right path." Zhong Zhicheng locked eyes with Luo Feng.

"Mm." Luo Feng nodded.

Zhong Zhicheng handed Luo Feng a small bundle, which Luo Feng strapped securely across his chest.

Following that, Zhong Zhicheng walked toward the outside of the courtyard.

Whenever he passed a courtyard, Zhong Zhicheng would raise his gong mallet and strike the gong heavily, signaling to the villagers that dawn had broken.

Many villagers along the road stood by, watching and gazing.

Some had a faint, fragile glimmer of hope in their eyes.

Some looked apathetic, as if this scene had played out countless times, leaving no emotional ripples in them.

And others—constituting the largest proportion—wore gloating expressions of schadenfreude.

Most of these people's reactions were tied to the original owner's poor reputation.

Before long, they reached the archway at the head of the village.

This slightly subverted Luo Bin's preconceptions; he had assumed they would exit from the tail of the village.

He hadn't expected that the exploratory exit had always been at the village entrance.

Zhong Zhicheng went no further, stopping beneath the archway.

The role of guide now fell to Luo Feng.

The family of three walked for about half an hour before the road ahead made a sharp turn, marking the approximate entrance to the mountains.

The distant peaks were tall, erect, lush, and verdant, yet they gave off a bizarre sensation. They resembled a colossal, majestic human draped in a green robe, with a broad summit resembling shoulders—except that the shoulders were completely empty, devoid of a head.

Instead of following the paved road, Luo Feng pointed ahead and said, "Past this turn, we will return to the village."

"Is this where the ghost-wall trap begins?" Luo Bin muttered to himself.

"A ghost-wall trap?" Gu Ya slightly pursed her lips.

"It's been a long time since anyone used that phrase. If ghosts really existed in this world, that would be wonderful." Luo Feng shook his head.

"This way." He jumped down from the edge of the road.

On this narrow path, Luo Feng drew a machete and began vigorously hacking away the newly sprouted thorns on both sides of the trail.

Luo Bin followed suit. Father and son took the lead and the rear, shielding Gu Ya in the center.

The sunlight was blindingly bright.

Luo Bin noticed several subtle differences about this place once again.