Chapter 597: Hulucun (Requesting Monthly Votes)

Minyue Province, Jiahewu City.

Li Li Banfeng originally planned to investigate the taxi driver, but the driver had gone missing.

He had no family left; he'd tossed his phone at home, and no one could find him.

With the most crucial lead cut off, Li Li Banfeng could only lead his team to Jiahewu City to investigate Wu Nianping, a surviving food delivery worker who had entered Hulucun at the end of last year and returned alive in early last year.

"Let me tell you, this whole thing is insane—I vanished and nobody cared, I got back on my own, and now you're here grilling me again—"

"I told you before, it's just a village, nothing there, I wandered around for a few days—"

"Then I slipped out quietly—"

"I'm telling you the truth, you don't believe me, think I'm pulling your leg—why would I lie to you? This is totally ridiculous!"

Tang Yuan remained patient: "Mr. Wu, could you clarify what you mean by 'nothing there'?"

"Nothing means nothing—what's there to explain?"

"You stayed in Hulucun for nearly a month—you must've had something to eat, somewhere to sleep."

"I don't remember any of that—didn't they give me a doctor? Didn't they say I had psychological trauma?"

As they spoke, Wu Nianping's son suddenly burst into tears.

His son had autism, and his wife's mental condition was also poor.

"Ah Ping," his wife gripped Wu Nianping's arm, "who are these people? I'm scared!"

Wu Nianping comforted his wife briefly, then looked at the group: "What else do you want to ask? You've scared my wife and son to death!"

Li Li Banfeng surveyed Wu Nianping's home—it was tiny, one bedroom, one living room, cramped beyond measure.

Housing in Jiahewu City was expensive, peaking at prices rivaling those in Yuezhou; Wu Nianping had once delivered food, now drove for ride-hailing, supporting his wife and child—it was truly hard.

In the hallway, the child's screams were clearly audible, mixed with the woman's sobs, growing louder by the second.

Both had severe mental issues; Li Li Banfeng had studied such disorders—given current medical standards, their conditions were unlikely to improve, likely worsening.

Deng Pao shook his head: "I can't believe how he's held up—if it were me, I'd have broken down long ago!"

Tang Yuan reviewed the files: "During Wu Nianping's disappearance, the two of them never left their room—they ate everything they could find, nearly starved to death at home, lucky he escaped from Hulucun."

Li Li Banfeng led the team to the second survivor's home—this one was a woman named Deng Deng Yunmei.

Everyone was curious: why would a woman accidentally enter Hulucun?

Deng Deng Yunmei thought nothing of it: "So what if I'm a woman? Just because I'm pretty, I can't look twice?"

She wasn't local—she worked in Jiahewu City, entered Hulucun at the end of last year—

Returned only on New Year's Eve.

Deng Pao asked bluntly: "Ms. Deng, is your orientation a bit… unusual?"

Deng Deng Yunmei got angry: "What do you mean unusual? I just looked—what's wrong with that? She was beautiful—"

"Wore stylish clothes, so I went up to ask where she bought them—"

"She said she'd show me, never thought she'd just drag me into the village! I asked what the hell this was, she ignored me, so I stayed a few days, then came back—didn't I tell you all this last year? What more do you want? What are you trying to do?"

"How did you manage food and shelter in the village?"

"I think I did odd jobs—most of it's gone from my memory, but I worked, got something to eat, ate till full, found a spot to sleep—what's so hard to understand?"

A cough came from the bedroom; Deng Deng Yunmei stood up: "Alright, my sister needs new sheets—"

"Stop asking me—I know no more!"

Tang Yuan gathered Deng Deng Yunmei's records: ten years ago, her sister had been severely beaten by her boyfriend over a romantic dispute, and had been bedridden ever since—Deng Deng Yunmei had cared for her all these years.

Back at the hotel, Tang Yuan sighed: "Seventh Master, I told you these survivors gave no useful info—you wouldn't listen."

Li Li Banfeng shook his head: "Useful. Every bit of information we got was useful."

Tang Yuan and Deng Pao exchanged glances; Zhong Er nodded vigorously beside them.

Ming Xing was curious: "Did you understand what Director Li meant?"

Zhong Er smiled at Ming Xing: "I did—but I won't tell you."

Li Li Banfeng called Shen Shen Jingye: "Xiao Shen, found the taxi driver yet?"

Shen Shen Jingye said he'd searched hard—still no trace.

Li Li Banfeng wanted to keep interviewing survivors, but Shen Shen Jingye was impatient: "Director Li, you should come back—Liyun District has new signs—Hulucun's probably opening there again."

Li Li Banfeng wanted to keep searching for survivors to gather more information, but Shen Shen Jingye couldn't wait: "Director Li, it's time to come back—there are new signs in Liyun District; the Gourd Village is likely to open there."

"Yes, obvious ones—come back and see for yourself!"

Li Li Banfeng returned to Yuezhou; Shen Shen Jingye sent a car to pick him up at Liyun District.

At the entrance of a beauty salon, Shen Shen Jingye and Li Li Banfeng stood side by side, peering inside.

Li Li Banfeng rubbed his chin, lowered his voice: "Just standing here watching—doesn't that look ridiculous?"

"Not ridiculous—this is an investigation, no shame in it—" Shen Shen Jingye felt uneasy himself, "Just keep watching the door—something will change soon."

After fifteen minutes, the salon's entrance suddenly flashed—like a camera's strobe.

In the light, Li Li Banfeng saw two women, stunningly beautiful and exquisite-looking, standing silently at the door, gazing at him.

"See?" Shen Shen Jingye said to Li Li Banfeng. "Street cameras only capture the flash—but the hallucinatory image after it? Only those who experience it can see it.

Current theory: this is electromagnetic interference preceding a dark energy burst—meaning this is likely the next entry point for Hulucun.

When the entrance fully manifests, these two women will linger longer—seconds to minutes—trying to lure victims into Hulucun.

I've already ordered the salon closed and assigned Zhui Zi to guard it—should anything happen, we'll seal the road—no passerby will enter Hulucun."

Back at Leaving Suishenju, Li Li Banfeng asked the old man: "Did you see that beauty salon? That's Hulucun's entrance."

"I saw it. I've never heard of Hulucun, but this entrance is well-crafted—

If you want to go in and take a look, I'll go with you, study it—once I've figured it out, I should be able to bring you out."

"Fine. Wait until the entrance fully appears, then I'll find a chance to go in."

Three days later, the "flash phenomenon" at the beauty salon vanished.

No pedestrian entered Hulucun.

But Zhui Zi had gone missing.

Shen Shen Jingye sat in Li Qi's office, smoking, sipping tea, struggling to calm himself.

His voice was hoarse, strained: "Director Li, how much did I trust Zhui Zi? I just promoted him to squad leader—and now he pulls this! One of our own enters Hulucun—how do I explain this?"

Li Li Banfeng asked: "Has Zhui Zi been through anything lately?"

"He's got no wife, no kids, parents dead—single as a stick. Last physical—he was as strong as an ox. What could've happened?"

Shen Shen Jingye couldn't control his emotions—thinking of Zhui Zi made him furious. Halfway through his rant, his phone rang—Dan Yuzhu District had another unexplained flash.

Shen Shen Jingye was frantic: "Who should we send to watch this one?"

Li Li Banfeng said: "I'll go."

"You're joking," Shen Shen Jingye waved him off. "This grunt work isn't for you."

"No one else is suitable—who else has your steadiness? Arrange it first, then—

"No one else would do; who else has my composure? First, make the arrangements—it's nearly ready."

Li Qi's willingness to help delighted Shen Shen Jingye.

This flash appeared at a movie theater entrance; Li Li Banfeng, Tang Yuan, Mi Mi Jian, Zhong Er, Deng Pao, and Ming Xing took shifts outside.

The job was grueling; Li Li Banfeng assigned duties to maximize efficiency:

Mornings: Ming Xing monitored, Tang Yuan and Zhong Er assisted.

Afternoons: Ming Xing monitored, Mi Mi Jian and Deng Pao assisted.

Nights: Ming Xing monitored, Li Li Banfeng assisted personally.

At night, Ming Xing forced himself awake, still watching the theater entrance—

He knew Director Li had it out for him; his performance in past missions had been poor.

But he'd always been different from the others—he didn't need Li Li Banfeng's approval; higher-ups in Dark Star Bureau watched over him.

But now things had changed—those higher-ups were fugitives, and he himself had secrets that might surface at any moment.

His situation was dire—his only option was patience.

At 7:30 a. m., after a full night without sleep, Ming Xing could barely keep his eyes open—he was about to fall asleep.

Suddenly, a flash of light appeared—a dirt-and-stone path stretched from the theater entrance—

A flash of light suddenly appeared before his eyes—a narrow path of soil and pebbles, stretching from the cinema's entrance,

On either side, fields seemed to stretch; in the distance, houses appeared—curves soft and full,

On both sides of the path seemed to be farmland; in the distance, houses appeared as well—these houses had figures, neither too fat nor too thin,

Wait—those weren't houses.

Those were women's figures.

Two women walked along the path, smiling, gazing at Ming Xing.

Ming Xing was waking from half-sleep—wasn't the theater closed? Wasn't the road sealed? Where did these women come from?

These women's figures—weren't they from Hulucun!

Ming Xing snapped fully awake: "Director Li! Director Li—!"

He'd barely shouted twice—a cold wind swept across his face—the path, the fields, the beautiful women—all gone.

Hallucination?

Dream?

Probably just exhaustion from the past two days.

Ming Xing rubbed his eyes, sat back down, and kept watching the theater.

Should the situation just now be reported to Li Ju?

The actual scene felt nothing like a dream.

The star opened the intercom: "Li Ju, I just seemed to detect something unusual—Li Ju, did you hear me?"

"I'm surnamed Li, called Li Ju; the man just now is my friend." On the village path, Li Li Banfeng and two women were explaining their origins.

The two women were named A Yun and A Yi.

Both maintained the common trait of Hu Lu Village beauties: wide hips, even wider below the waist, yet with an exceptionally slender waist.

A Yun's cheeks were plump and fair; she gripped her waist and asked: "Who are you? Why are you barging into our village?"

Li Li Banfeng said: "You're standing at the gate—aren't you inviting people in?"

A Yi's cheeks were slightly thinner; she too gripped her waist: "We're looking for those who truly need to enter the village—not you."

Li Li Banfeng said sincerely: "I truly need to enter the village!"

A Yun snorted: "Nonsense. The village chief never said he wanted you!"

Li Li Banfeng shook his head: "The chief didn't say it outright—he hinted for you to find me. I'm the one who most needs to enter the village."

A Yi didn't believe him: "Do you have proof?"

Li Li Banfeng nodded: "I have proof. You didn't even need to invite me—I came in myself. Doesn't that prove I need to enter the village?"

A Yun and A Yi shot Li Li Banfeng hostile glances, then huddled together and discussed seriously for several minutes.

Li Li Banfeng listened carefully with his thread-earring; the two girls discussed the village's overall situation, the chief's vision, and future development, finally reaching a conclusion:

"We have to bring back someone anyway—let's take him."

The three walked together into the village. It was winter, yet the rice fields were lush green, the crops thriving—clearly, some cultivation technique was at work here.

A young man emerged from the cornfield: his skin was dark, his body tall and lean, muscles sculpted like carved stone—balanced, solid, with sharp, defined contours.

He tossed two ears of corn at the girls: "Try some! They're ripe half a month early—sweet as hell, hahaha!"

The two girls tore off the husks with their teeth and bit straight into the raw corn cobs.

After chewing, they laughed at the young man: "Sweet! Really sweet! Hahaha!"

They finished both cobs, then asked the young man for two more.

Li Li Banfeng watched the three, frowned, and asked: "Why are you all acting so crazy?"

A Yun looked at Li Li Banfeng: "You think we're crazy? Didn't you come here yourself?"

"I came here—not because I'm crazy!"

"No one said you were crazy. We just want you to eat some corn." A Yi peeled a cob and placed it before Li Li Banfeng.

Raw corn?

If he were truly hungry, he could eat it.

"But I'm not hungry right now!"

A Yun laughed: "Who asked if you were hungry? We're asking if it's sweet!"

Li Li Banfeng shook his head: "I don't like eating corn."

A Yi asked: "What about wheat?"

"I don't eat wheat either."

"Then what do you normally eat?"

Li Li Banfeng's expression turned grim: "I'm not vegetarian."

A Yi called out to a man by the roadside: "A Mu, did you catch any fish? Give us one! I've got a new guy here—he's not vegetarian."

A lively fresh fish was placed before him. Li Li Banfeng blinked: "I don't eat fish either."

"So picky," A Yun called out. "A Long, how many snails did you catch?"

"About a basketful."

Li Li Banfeng shook his head: "You can't eat snails raw—they carry parasites—"

"A Gen, how many earthworms did you catch today?"

"About a basinful."

Li Li Banfeng picked up a corn cob and took a bite: "It really is sweet."

After walking a hundred meters, A Yun asked A Yi: "Did you bring the contract?"

A Yi shook her head: "I didn't. We agreed today you'd bring it."

A Yun pursed her lips: "I forgot too."

A Yi complained: "How can we proceed without the contract? The chief's house doesn't have one either."

A Yun thought a moment: "My house is closer—I'll go get it."

The three walked into the village, entering a farmhouse courtyard, where stood a mushroom-shaped house.

Calling it mushroom-shaped didn't mean the roof was large—it meant the first floor was a mushroom stem: open the door, and there was only a staircase, nothing else.

The second floor was the mushroom cap, containing a living room, a kitchen, and two bedrooms.

Leaving aside whether the structure was stable, Li Li Banfeng couldn't understand the very idea of the second floor:

"Why design a second floor at all?"

A Yun said: "Where else would I sleep?"

"Why not just build a single-story house?"

"The first floor is so small—how could I sleep there?"

"You know it's small—then why keep the first floor at all?"

A Yun said: "If I don't keep the first floor, where's the staircase? Without a staircase, how do I get to the second floor?"

Li Li Banfeng pondered long, nearly accepting A Yun's logic.

But in the end, he understood: "You don't need a multi-story house. Just build a single-story one."

A Yun shook her head: "No, living higher lets you see farther. Living right on the ground? That's the mark of someone with no vision."

Li Li Banfeng frowned: "What does that have to do with vision? What if you live in a basement?"

A Yun said seriously: "Our chief's wife lives underground—she dug twenty-six levels down."

"She says living underground is most secure. We all laugh at her—she's a frog at the bottom of a well, unaware of the vastness of heaven and earth."

Li Li Banfeng laughed: "If you can live on the twenty-sixth floor, that's real vision."

A Yun pointed far off: "Our chief lives on the twenty-sixth floor—he's the one with the greatest vision in our village!"

Li Li Banfeng calculated the distance: "How often do they meet?"

A Yun knew the situation: "Usually twice a month. On the first of each month, the chief goes down; each time, he says his cultivation foundation grows firmer."

A Yi interrupted: "On the fifteenth, the chief's wife comes up. Each time, she's ecstatic, saying she's finally seen the light!"

Li Li Banfeng crossed his arms, squatted on the ground: "I want to go home. I'm leaving now."

A Yi was astonished: "Didn't you say you wanted to come? Why change your mind so fast?"

Li Li Banfeng sighed: "Who hasn't acted impulsively when young?"

A Yun shook her head: "You can't leave now—you haven't met the chief yet!"

Li Li Banfeng looked up: "If I meet the chief, can I leave?"

A Yi shook her head: "No."

"Then why meet him?"

"Meet the chief, stay in the village for a month, then you can leave."

Honestly, if Li Li Banfeng truly wanted to leave, A Yi and A Yun couldn't stop him. Whether anyone in this village could stop him was doubtful.

He knew these two women exaggerated—there couldn't be such a bizarre chief, nor such a bizarre chief's wife.

But he still wanted to see what kind of being this chief really was.

A Yun and A Yi retrieved the contract and led Li Li Banfeng toward the village center. Halfway, Li Li Banfeng saw a man pulling a cart full of soil toward the river.

The cart was huge, the soil weighing several tons; the man pulled it steadily, revealing extraordinary cultivation.

Li Li Banfeng asked: "Why haul so much soil?"

A Yi said: "The chief's wife is digging tunnels underground—when there's too much soil, it must be removed."

So he was the chief's wife's laborer.

To have someone with such high cultivation perform such labor—the chief must be extraordinary. Could he really live in a twenty-six-story building?

In the village center stood a strange structure, like an umbrella, rising in the middle of the compound.

Li Li Banfeng looked up, estimating its height—it truly seemed to be twenty-six stories.

A Yun wiped sweat: "It's too tall—I won't go up."

A Yi led Li Li Banfeng upstairs. The building's first twenty-five floors were nothing but staircases, continuous from top to bottom, built like a chimney.

On the twenty-sixth floor, they finally saw a door. A Yi said to Li Li Banfeng: "I won't go in."

"Take the contract. Go in alone."

Li Li Banfeng took the contract and glanced at it:

Foreigner 【Name Omitted】, voluntarily arrived at Hu Lu Village, to reside for half a month, then decide his own course.

Just two lines—why prepare this in advance?

Li Li Banfeng sneered, pushed open the door, and entered the chief's house.

Behind the door was a living room, furnished with a sofa, a coffee table, and a man seated on the sofa, reading a newspaper.

Was this the chief?

He didn't look old.

Li Li Banfeng held the contract and asked, "You brought me here just to sign this?"

"Yes." The man nodded.

"Can we negotiate? Half a month is too long—can't you shorten it?" Li Li Banfeng placed the contract before the man.

The man shook his head. "No way. This time cannot be changed."

Li Li Banfeng smiled. "Then I won't sign."

The man looked up at Li Li Banfeng. "If you don't sign, you won't leave this place."

Li Li Banfeng asked seriously, "You're threatening me? Do you really think you can stop me?"

The man nodded. "I can. I refused to sign, so they've kept me here."

Li Li Banfeng froze. "Aren't you the village chief?"

The man shook his head. "I'm not the village chief."

"Then who are you?"

"I'm Zhang Zhang Peiwen. You probably don't know me—I just arrived a few days ago." His eyes held a flicker of fear.

Zhang Zhang Peiwen? Why does that name sound so familiar?

The missing Zhang Zhang Peiwen?

The Zhang Zhang Peiwen they've been searching for these past days?

Li Li Banfeng studied the man closely, comparing him to photos and surveillance footage—he noticed Zhang Zhang Peiwen had gained weight.

Li Li Banfeng asked, "How did you end up here?"

Zhang Zhang Peiwen rubbed his eyes, tears welling. "Didn't I just say? If you don't sign the contract, they won't let you leave. I've been stuck here for days."

"If you're staying here, where's the village chief?"

Zhang Zhang Peiwen thought a moment. "When you entered the village, didn't you see the village chief?"

"No! He should've—" —No, he wasn't there." Li Li Banfeng pushed open the window and looked down.

A Yi tilted her head upward, staring at Li Li Banfeng.

Ayi tilted her neck and looked up at Li Li Banfeng.

Li Li Banfeng ventured cautiously, "Are you the village chief?"

A Yi burst into loud laughter. "I'm the village chief! Didn't expect that, did you? Hahaha!"

Li Li Banfeng paused, then looked at A Yun. "Are you the village chief's wife?"

A Yun shook her head. "I'm not the village chief's wife. The man who was hauling dirt earlier—he's the village chief's wife."

Li Li Banfeng frowned. "He's a man. Why is he called a wife?"

A Yi snapped, "What do you think? Do you think I can marry a woman?"

Li Li Banfeng thought again. "Then earlier, you said you 'opened your eyes'—what did you mean?"

A Yi snorted. "None of your business. We like it this way! Did you sign the contract yet?"

"No." Li Li Banfeng shut the window and headed straight for the door. "I can't stay here. Everyone here is insane. I've never been to a mental hospital, but even psychiatric wards aren't this crazy!"

Zhang Zhang Peiwen warned, "You can't go down—the stairs are gone."

"How could the stairs disappear—" Li Li Banfeng opened the door. The stairs were truly gone.

From the first floor to the twenty-fifth, only an empty hallway remained—the stairs had vanished.

Li Li Banfeng closed the door and heard A Yi laughing below: "No stairs? Can you fly down? Hahaha!"

Zhang Zhang Peiwen urged from behind, "You can't fly. Give up."

Li Li Banfeng closed the door and heard Ayi laughing downstairs: "No stairs—can you fly down?"

Is flying that hard?

With such limited knowledge, how is she the village chief?

Li Li Banfeng pushed open the window, glanced at A Yi, and decided: Today, I'll teach her a lesson.

Li Li Banfeng stepped onto the windowsill, preparing to fly down.

A Yi had the villagers line up with a row of Gatling guns and ordered, "As soon as he comes down, shoot him full of holes!"

Li Li Banfeng hesitated a moment, then stepped back into the living room.

Zhang Zhang Peiwen hid behind the sofa. "She really will shoot. Several people tried jumping—they were riddled with bullets."

Li Li Banfeng smiled calmly and shook his head. "I'm not afraid of her bullets. I have many ways to dodge them. I just don't want to drag others into this."

Zhang Zhang Peiwen looked around. "Who else is here that you're trying to protect?"

"I don't want to drag you in. I want to take you with me," Li Li Banfeng reopened the door. "I'll fly you down through the hallway."

Zhang Zhang Peiwen shook his head, face pale with fear. "Flying down won't help. They won't let me go."

"I have a way. Don't worry. Just follow me." Li Li Banfeng looked at Zhang Zhang Peiwen with a calm, reassuring smile.

Zhang Zhang Peiwen nodded firmly. "I trust you!"

The two stood at the door. Li Li Banfeng prepared to leap down. Zhang Zhang Peiwen warned, "There might be explosives in the hallway."

The village chief planted explosives in her own house?

Li Li Banfeng hadn't considered that.

"Where are the explosives usually placed?"

Zhang Zhang Peiwen thought. "Between twenty and thirty meters from the ground."

Li Li Banfeng flew downward, carefully inspecting the walls. Since he didn't know how many explosives were hidden, he avoided every possible location.

From thirty meters down to twenty, Li Li Banfeng looked up at Zhang Zhang Peiwen. "I don't see any explosives."

"Look again," Zhang Zhang Peiwen said, lighting a detonator and tossing it into the hallway, then closing the door.

Li Li Banfeng descended a distance, carefully inspecting along the walls, since he didn't know how much explosive had been planted, he tried his best to avoid the suspected locations.

From thirty meters down to twenty meters, Li Li Banfeng looked up at Zhang Zhang Peiwen: "I didn't see any explosives."

Zhang Zhang Peiwen flung open the window, shouting excitedly, "Chief! I blew him up!"

PS: How did this kid turn so bad?

Such a great book—please vote for it with monthly tickets!

Zhang Zhang Peiwen pushed open the window and shouted excitedly: "Village Chief, I blew him up!"

PS: How did this kid turn so bad?

Such a beautiful book, everyone, please cast more monthly votes.