Chapter 385: Come On In

Shi Yang Village is located on the east bank of the river, stretching north to south along that small stream.

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

The courtyard wall was only half a person's height; inside were three earthen rooms, with a small kitchen to the west of the main hall, and the room on the east, clearly added later, looked much newer.

The old village head introduced Chen Baonian to Lord Xu: "Chen Baonian is my age; he raised one son and two daughters.

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

The daughter-in-law was indeed promising, bearing two grandsons; who would have thought such a thing would happen."

The old village head then pointed toward a small earthen mound in the northwest, growing with banyan trees, and whispered: "My lord, my grandfather said that back then, that young man's family was hanged right there."

Xu Yuan estimated the distance; it was only a little over two hundred zhang from Chen Baonian's home.

And that place, Xu Yuan found somewhat familiar—last night, Xu Yuan had followed the river upstream, testing whether he could leave the village via the river, and had arrived at the foot of that small mound.

The old village head specifically brought up this matter, obviously feeling that the current strange events in the village were likely linked to the tragic case from a hundred years ago.

Villages of the Strange Gate are often like this.

Though grim and eerie, they do not appear 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, he found it would not budge.

The old village head walked around to the adjacent low wall and looked; the gate was barred from the inside by a wooden pole as thick as an arm.

A glimmer of hope flashed in the old village head's eyes: "Could it be... those two children did not turn into evil spirits!?"

Xu Yuan held the same speculation.

Because last night, Xu Yuan had not seen two lonely children among those golden figures.

The golden figures operate by family units; especially after turning into evil spirits, they would not accept two children.

Xu Yuan thus deduced that those 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, first calling out: "A-Niu, A-Sheng?"

Suddenly, there was some movement inside the house, then it fell silent again, as if the two children had hurriedly hidden themselves.

The old village head said: "Do not fear; your great-uncle has not turned into an evil spirit."

But there was still no sound from inside the house.

Xu Yuan climbed over the wall, with Lang Xiao Ba and Ji Shuangqiu following behind.

Xu Yuan waved a hand at Ji Shuangqiu: "You go, take the two children to the ancestral hall; once you have comforted them, notify this official, as this official has matters to ask them."

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

The two children must have been frightened last night.

At this moment, Ji Shuangqiu, being female, was obviously more capable of approaching the children than the three men.

Even though Ji Shuangqiu was broad-shouldered and burly.

The old village head was even less likely to succeed—last night, the evil spirits in the village were all transformed villagers, and the children feared him the most.

After coming out, Xu Yuan went to that small mound to take another look.

The old village head had originally been confident, saying his grandfather had pointed out to him back then exactly which tree the family was hanged from.

He was certain he could recognize it.

But when they actually arrived at the spot... he scratched his head, looking at this tree which seemed similar, then at that one which also seemed very similar.

Xu Yuan had placed no hope in the old man's memory to begin with.

Every Village of the Strange Gate possesses one core strangeness or one type of core strangeness.

It must be found and executed.

Otherwise, even if Xu Yuan killed all the strangeness visible in the village, it would be difficult to leave this village.

Of course, there was another method: Xu Yuan advancing to the Fourth Rank.

Judging from this village's level, the Fourth Rank could certainly, purely through force, forcibly break through all restrictions.

Xu Yuan began to search meticulously around this small mound, missing no suspicious spot.

He not only activated "Gaze at Fate," but also secretly used the vision of the Yin-Yang Guillotine, examining everything thoroughly.

However, no discovery was made.

Xu Yuan, unwilling to give up, asked Lang Xiao Ba to summon Zhou Leizi: "Look at the banyan trees here, the wild grass and wild flowers; is there any problem?"

Zhou Leizi perked up; this was a splendid opportunity to earn merit.

Zhou Leizi also believed he was no worse than Lang Xiao Ba.

He even felt that before Lord Xu arrived, he far surpassed Lang Xiao Ba.

But now he was actually having trouble catching up!

If he could earn merit this time and receive the Lord's commendation, he could at least narrow the gap a bit.

Thus, Zhou Leizi exerted every ounce of his skill... yet the result was still nothing found.

"My lord, there truly is no problem here."

Xu Yuan waved his hand in disappointment, dismissing him.

Finally, Xu Yuan released several Yin Soldiers from the Six-Eyed Eyed Minge to search underground.

Still, no discovery was made.

At this point, Xu Yuan was eighty percent certain that it was not that he had failed to find it, but that everything here was truly normal.

"Let us return; Ji Shuangqiu has already coaxed those two children into calmness."

Inside the ancestral hall, two children of six or seven years hid behind a female Captain, each holding a piece of dried apricot, nibbling it cautiously bit by bit, reluctant to finish it in one bite.

The female captain was not Ji Shuangqiu, but the most presentable-looking among Xu Yuan's female captains.

But she couldn't compare to Zhu Zhanmei.

Sometimes Xu Yuan would sigh, thinking that among female cultivators, Zhu Zhanmei was born soft and charming, while why were all the ones under his command so...

Seeing Xu Yuan return, the female captain complained with a mix of helplessness and amusement, "My lord, how could you entrust the task of coaxing children to Ji Shuangqiu?

As soon as you left, she smashed through the door, rushed inside, and grabbed them back, tucking one under each armpit.

You didn't see it; she scared those two poor children so badly their little faces turned deathly pale, and they couldn't even cry out!

I coaxed them for a long time and even shared the preserved fruits I had brought out to eat with them before they finally calmed down."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan looked at Ji Shuangqiu. The female hero, feeling guilty, dared not look at my lord; her two eyes, as big as brass bells, stared straight at the sparrows counting on the tree outside the window.

It was as if... a two-hundred-pound young girl who loved doing arithmetic problems.

"This official was wrong. This official should never have thought Ji Shuangqiu was a woman."

Just as Xu Yuan was about to question the two children, a captain suddenly rushed in, shouting, "My lord, people from the Canal Office have come again. They insist on entering the village, and we are about to be unable to stop them!"

Xu Yuan roared, "Didn't I tell them that this place has already become a Ghost Gate Village?"

"We told them, but they didn't believe it. They insisted on seeing Zhao Xianze, saying they would only believe it if Lord Zhao told them personally."

Xu Yuan said, "Lord Zhao died last night at the hands of an evil spirit. Didn't you explain that clearly to them?"

"We told them that too, but they believed it even less."

Xiang Qinghuai silently cursed to himself: I told you not to be impulsive. You killed Zhao Xianze and felt satisfied for a moment, but what do we do now?

Xu Yuan suddenly laughed, and kept laughing for a long time, leaving Xiang Qinghuai completely baffled.

Xu Yuan waved his hand: "Let's go, check the village entrance."

Xu Yuan stationed four people at the village entrance, sent one back to report, leaving three who were earnestly explaining to the crowd outside: "We would never dare to deceive several lords."

"You really cannot enter. If you come in, you won't be able to get out!"

All Ghost Gate Villages are like this; they must appear completely normal from the outside to lure people in.

As long as the people inside do not try to walk out, they will not encounter the Ghost Wall.

But in ordinary Ghost Gate Villages, people inside cannot communicate directly with people outside like this.

Shi Yang Village must have just become a Ghost Gate Village, and certain "rules" have not yet been fully perfected.

The General and the Law Master outside simply didn't believe it, scolding in a harsh voice: "Hurry and let Zhao Xianze come out to see us!"

"Xu Yuan is so bold! Disobeying orders and daring to murder the River Patrol Envoy!"

"Truly a heinous crime, deserving of death!"

Xu Yuan strode out. The three captains breathed a huge sigh of relief, finally having a backbone: "My lord, please explain to these few quickly. No matter how we speak, they just won't believe us..."

"Explain what?" Xu Yuan glared: "If they don't believe it, let them come in!"

Everyone, inside and out, was left speechless.

Xu Yuan cursed inwardly: This lord is saving your lives! You are ungrateful and still pinning false charges on this lord.

Very well then, you all come in.

Please, come in quickly!

Xu Yuan suddenly saw Zhu Zhanmei standing aside and quickly added another sentence: "If Inspector Zhu trusts me, stay outside the village with your people."

(End of this chapter)