Chapter 376: Chapter 323: Mission Begins
"There’s another thing, the north gate of our village is a bit odd," Tong Han recalled. "The stone wall at the north gate is very solid and even has a watchtower on top. Outside the stone wall, there’s a deep moat, and only a small bridge allows passage in and out."
"Right, I saw that too. Those structures are meticulously constructed, definitely not just for show," Sui Chengguo agreed.
"What would a village need to build such things for?" Quan Doufeng asked, puzzled.
Yang Xiao, who didn’t like him, retorted, "Don’t ask stupid questions. If they built it, there must be a reason."
Clearly, the wall wasn’t built to ward off ghosts. Yang Xiao guessed that perhaps there had been bandits or horse thieves nearby, or maybe there was a feud with other villages or forces.
Since earlier, Yang Xiao noticed that Cheng Cha had been sitting in his seat, his brows furrowed and his complexion not very good. "Brother Cheng Cha, what are you thinking about?"
Yang Xiao paid close attention to this man, as their styles of action were similar. When the suddenly appearing Patriarch Du had startled them earlier, this young man’s first reaction was to reach for his waist—a normal person wouldn’t have such a reflex. Yang Xiao suspected this young man might also carry a gun in real life.
Upon Yang Xiao’s questioning, Cheng Cha finally lifted his head and, after a pause, slowly said, "Don’t you find it strange?"
Liu Haiping swallowed nervously, "Strange... where is it strange?"
"People who come in can never leave the village. Yet, that maid earlier said there were no outsiders in the village other than us. Where did all those outsiders who came to the village go?"
At these words, Wuma Haoming, who was inherently frail, shivered uncontrollably, "Could they... could they have been fed by the villagers to that ghost."
Cheng Cha neither nodded nor shook his head; he simply continued on his own, "That’s the most likely possibility. It also explains why the villagers were so enthusiastic about us, as there are new scapegoats now. All those previous traders and disaster-stricken refugees, they were all tricked into the village."
Admittedly, Cheng Cha’s explanation made sense, but Yang Xiao had a sneaking suspicion that things were not so straightforward. He remembered the way the villagers looked at them; their gazes were too naked. It didn’t seem like they were looking for scapegoats, but rather coveting them as individuals.
Rustle rustle...
From not too far away, a disorganized sound of footsteps approached, making everyone’s hearts involuntarily tense up. Tong Han signaled with a hand gesture, and the group continued their conversation, now spouting nonsense about how grateful they were to Du Family Village and the Clan Leader for taking them in.
Soon, an elderly woman with a sinister face approached, walking in three-inch gold lotus shoes, her attire not that of an ordinary servant.
The old woman was wrapped in a thick cotton-padded jacket, many times better than the clothes worn by the maid Xiao Zui, and her physique was more masculine, broad-shouldered and wide-hipped. Considering the bound feet, she seemed to be someone of status in the household, at least not someone who does menial labor, as three-inch gold lotus shoes are inconvenient for such tasks.
"I am the housekeeper here, the madam is asking for you," said the old woman sternly, her tone rather harsh, as her drooping, slightly askew eyes measured the three women, Tong Han, Mishu, and Liu Haiping, in a revolting manner.
Just as everyone prepared to head over together, the old woman suddenly furrowed her brow, extended her hand from her sleeve, and rudely pointed at Tong Han and the other two women, "Only the three of you women come with me; the rest stay here."
Upon hearing this, Liu Haiping immediately panicked, "What do you want us for?"
The old woman shifted her gaze, staring at Liu Haiping, who was actually frightened by those chilly eyes. A few seconds later, the old woman moved aside to clear the way out, "You’ll know when you get there, now follow me, the lady and the miss are waiting."
If they didn’t go, they wouldn’t know what the others were really up to. Tong Han and the others were eventually taken away, but Yang Xiao had a guess—it seemed the Du Family wanted to choose a woman to replace their cherished daughter, especially since the Patriarch Du had said that the ghost would appear tonight.
After passing through several courtyards, Tong Han and her companions were brought to the outside of the Buddhist hall where Yang Xiao and Cheng Cha had ventured today. At that moment, someone was kneeling on a cushion inside the hall, chanting scriptures.
Upon hearing footsteps behind her, this person immediately turned around; it was an old woman with disheveled, graying hair. Seeing Tong Han and the others, a light suddenly appeared in the dull eyes of the old woman, who immediately got up and hurried over, quickly covering the distance in eager strides to face Tong Han and her companions, "We owe a great debt to you three that our Du Family Village could never repay in this lifetime. Whatever you ask, as long as you can save my daughter, we will give!"
Tong Han had tired of this rhetoric, heard in every mission with no one ever fulfilling their promises; if they did, it usually meant murdering to silence people.
"My lady, please tell us what you need," Tong Han went straight to the point, knowing this woman was the clan leader’s wife.
"Good, good," the Clan Leader’s Wife, pulling her own woman aside, sighed, "We need to choose one among you three to replace my daughter in her bridal chamber tonight."
After a pause, the Clan Leader’s Wife carefully asked, "Any volunteers among you three?"
There was silence among them; Liu Haiping even pretended to take a small step back inadvertently.
The Clan Leader’s Wife sighed, having expected this reaction. She looked at the old woman who had fetched them; the old woman, understanding the situation, walked alone toward the dark depths of the Buddhist hall. After a while, she returned, supporting a very young girl.
The girl was young but in poor condition, unstable on her feet and needing support, her face as white as paper and with heavy dark circles under her eyes, looking as if her life was nearing its end.
The girl was wrapped in thick clothes and had an additional leather coat on, making her figure bulky. Meanwhile, the stewardess, the old woman, occasionally pulled out dark brown herbs from her pocket, stuffing them into the girl’s mouth.
Tong Han frowned slightly, failing to understand the point of this, seeing that the girl seemed to be hanging on to her last breath and wasn’t even sure she had the strength to chew.
But the next second, a bizarre scene unfolded—as the girl struggled to lift her eyelids and saw Tong Han and her companions, her eyes instantly brightened. She nearly pushed the stewardess away and stumbled towards them.
She first grabbed Mi Shu, then rudely rummaged through Mi Shu’s clothes, even tearing at them as if she were mad.
She then shifted her focus to Tong Han, doing the same frantic searching and rummaging as if she were searching for something.
Seeing her daughter’s frenzied state, the Clan Leader’s Wife could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face,
She then shifted her focus to Tong Han, doing the same frantic searching and rummaging as if she were searching for something.
Seeing her daughter’s frenzied state, the Clan Leader’s Wife could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face,
