Chapter 385: Come In, Please

Shiyang Village lies on the east bank of the river, stretching north-south along that small stream.

The old village head led Xu Yuan to the northern end of the village, before a humble courtyard.

The courtyard wall was only half a man’s height; inside stood three earthen houses, with a small kitchen to the west of the main hall, and the eastern room clearly added later—much newer.

The old village head introduced to Master Xu: “Chen Bao is the same age as me; he raised one son and two daughters.”

The daughters married into other villages and rarely return. His son married a wife and lives in the eastern room.

His daughter-in-law was diligent—she bore two grandsons. Who would have thought such a thing would happen?”

The old village head pointed toward a small hill in the northwest, covered in banyan trees, and whispered: “My lord, my grandfather told me that the boy and his family were hanged from that very spot.”

Xu Yuan estimated the distance—it was only two hundred zhang from Chen Bao’s house.

And that place, Xu Yuan found familiar—he had gone upstream along the river last night, trying to escape the village by water, and reached the foot of that small hill.

The old village head brought it up deliberately, clearly suspecting that the village’s current horrors were linked to the massacre a century ago.

Guimen Village has always been this way.

Though terrifying and eerie, they never arise without cause.

Xu Yuan said nothing, gesturing for the old village head to open the door.

The courtyard gate was not locked, but when the old village head pushed, it wouldn’t budge.

The old village head circled to the low wall beside it and saw the gate was barred from inside with a wooden pole as thick as an arm.

A glimmer of hope flashed in the old village head’s eyes: “Could it be… the two children haven’t become malevolent spirits!?”

Xu Yuan suspected the same.

Because last night, Xu Yuan had not seen two lone children among the golden figures.

The golden figures came in family units; after becoming malevolent spirits, they would not accept two children.

Xu Yuan deduced the two children were still hiding somewhere in the village.

Naturally, the most likely place was their own home.

The old village head climbed over the wall and called out: “A’niu, A’Sheng?”

Inside, there was suddenly some movement, then silence—seemingly the two children had hastily hidden.

The old village head said: “Don’t be afraid, Uncle hasn’t become a malevolent spirit.”

But the house remained silent.

Xu Yuan climbed over the wall, followed by Lang XiaoBa and Ji Shuangqiu.

Xu Yuan waved to Ji Shuangqiu: “You go, take the two children to the ancestral hall, calm them down, then notify me—I have questions for them.”

Then Xu Yuan tapped the old village head, signaling they should leave first.

The two children were surely terrified last night.

At this moment, Ji Shuangqiu, being female, was clearly easier for children to approach than three men.

Even though Ji Shuangqiu was broad-shouldered and muscular.

The old village head was out of the question—last night, all the malevolent spirits were villagers; the children feared him most.

After leaving, Xu Yuan went to examine the small hill again.

The old village head had confidently claimed his grandfather had pointed out the exact tree where the family was hanged.

He swore he could recognize it.

But now, at the spot… he scratched his head, looking at one tree that seemed right, then another that also looked similar.

Xu Yuan had no faith in the old man’s memory.

Every Guimen Village has one or a single core of malevolence.

It must be found and destroyed.

Otherwise, even if Xu Yuan killed every visible malevolence in the village, he would still struggle to leave.

Of course, there was another way: Xu Yuan could ascend to the Fourth Tier.

Judging by the village’s level, Fourth Tier strength alone should forcibly break all restrictions.

Xu Yuan began meticulously searching the small hill, leaving no suspicious spot unexamined.

He activated “Wang Ming” and secretly used the Yin-Yang Guillotine’s vision to scan everything.

Yet he found nothing.

Unwilling to give up, Xu Yuan told Lang XiaoBa to summon Zhou Leizi: “Look at these banyan trees, wild grasses, wild flowers—any anomalies?”

Zhou Leizi perked up—this was a golden chance to earn merit.

Zhou Leizi believed he was no worse than Lang XiaoBa.

He even thought that before Master Xu arrived, he had far surpassed Lang XiaoBa.

But now he was falling behind!

If he could earn merit this time and win the Master’s praise, he might at least narrow the gap.

So Zhou Leizi gave it his all… and still found nothing.

“My lord, there’s truly nothing wrong here.”

Xu Yuan waved him off in disappointment.

Finally, Xu Yuan released several Yin Soldiers via Six-Eyed Ghost Moths to search beneath the ground.

Still, no discovery.

By now, Xu Yuan was eighty percent certain: it wasn’t that he hadn’t found it—it was simply that everything here was perfectly normal.

“Let’s go back—Ji Shuangqiu has already calmed the two children.”

…

In the ancestral hall, two six- or seven-year-old children hid behind a female Captain, each holding a dried apricot, nibbling slowly, unwilling to swallow it whole.

The female Captain was not Ji Shuangqiu, but the most conventionally attractive among Xu Yuan’s female Captains.

But she couldn’t compare to Zhu Zhanmei.

Sometimes Xu Yuan sighed: as female cultivators, Zhu Zhanmei was delicate and beautiful—why were all his subordinates so…

Seeing Xu Yuan return, the female Captain groaned: “My lord, why did you entrust comforting children to Ji Shuangqiu?”

As soon as you left, she smashed the door open, snatched each child under an armpit, and dragged them back.”

You didn’t see it—those poor children turned pale with terror, too frightened to even cry!”

I had to soothe them for a long time, even gave them my own dried fruit, before they calmed down.”

Xu Yuan turned to look at Ji Shuangqiu—the female warrior avoided his gaze, her copper-bell eyes fixed on the birds on the window tree, counting them.

Like… a two-hundred-pound girl who loved arithmetic problems.

“I was wrong—I should never have thought Ji Shuangqiu was a woman.”

Xu Yuan was about to question the two children when a Captain rushed in: “My lord, the River Office has sent more people—they insist on entering the village, and we’re barely holding them back!”

Xu Yuan snapped: “Didn’t you tell them this is a Guimen Village?”

We did, but they don’t believe us. They demand to see Zhao Xian—they won’t believe unless Master Zhao tells them himself.

Xu Yuan said: “Didn’t you tell them that Master Zhao died at the hands of malevolent spirits last night?”

“We did. They believe it even less.”

Xiang Qinghuai silently cursed—told you not to act rashly! You killed Zhao Xian and felt satisfied, but now what?

Xu Yuan suddenly laughed—and laughed for a long time, leaving Xiang Qinghuai utterly baffled.

Xu Yuan waved his hand: “Come, let’s go to the village gate.”

…

Xu Yuan had assigned four men to guard the village gate; one returned to report, and the remaining three were earnestly explaining to the outsiders: “We would never deceive you, my lords.”

“You truly cannot enter—if you do, you won’t be able to leave!”

Guimen Villages always appear normal from the outside to lure people in.

As long as those inside don’t try to leave, they won’t encounter ghostly mazes.

But in most Guimen Villages, those inside cannot directly communicate with those outside.

Shiyang Village must have just become a Guimen Village—some “rules” haven’t fully solidified yet.

The outsiders, the Assistant Regional Commander and the Master of Discipline, refused to believe, shouting: “Make Zhao Xian come out and face us!”

“Xu Yuan dares to defy orders and murder the River Inspector!”

“Truly heinous—death is too good for him!”

Xu Yuan strode out. The three Captains sighed in relief—finally, someone in charge: “My lord, please explain to them—no matter what we say, they won’t believe!”

“Explain what?” Xu Yuan glared: “If they don’t believe, let them come in!”

Everyone inside and outside fell silent.

Xu Yuan cursed inwardly—I’m saving your lives! You’re ungrateful and falsely accuse me.

Fine. Come in, then.

Please, come right in!

Xu Yuan suddenly spotted Zhu Zhanmei standing nearby and added: “If you trust me, Zhu Inspector, stay outside with your people.”

(End of Chapter)