Old Mrs. Wang's kneeling suddenly left me at a loss.
When she was alive, I went to her to inquire about the old house west of the village. Her attitude was extremely overbearing. I figured that if we hadn't brought some gifts at the time, she probably wouldn't have even let us in. In the end, when she learned we were asking about the old house west of the village, she even beat us out with the walking stick in her hand.
"I want to beg you to help me find my killer, so I can die a clear death. Even if you want to know about the old house west of the village, I'll definitely tell you. What do you say?"
The matter of the old house west of the village was too tempting for me, because Sun Chuang's soul was currently being held by someone in the old house west of the village.
However, I was a little hesitant, unsure whether to agree to her directly.
One must know that anyone who dares to kill in broad daylight is either a lunatic or a desperate criminal. Neither type is easy to deal with. I already have enough trouble, and if I get involved with another one, it might be risky to leave Moribund Village alive.
This thought flashed through my mind. The most important task now was to find out whose territory the old house west of the village was, or what had happened there. Rescuing Sun Chuang's soul was the most important thing.
"I can't promise you that, but if you tell me who killed you, I can help you call the police and let them handle it. What do you think?"
If it were a malevolent spirit, I might have a way to deal with it, but if it were a living person, then this matter would be beyond my capabilities.
"I don't know."
"You don't know? Are you kidding me!"
I was almost amused to the point of anger by Old Mrs. Wang's words. She was killed by someone, and she didn't even know who the killer was? Even if he was masked, there would still be some distinguishing features, right?
Perhaps sensing my disbelief, Old Mrs. Wang quickly explained, "After you left, I locked the door and prepared to go back inside for a nap. Before I could even enter the house, a knife was placed on my neck. He asked me what I had said to you."
Old Mrs. Wang's words sent a jolt through my heart. It was indeed related to our inquiry about the old house west of the village.
"Then how did you answer?"
"Of course, I said I hadn't said anything. But that person clearly didn't believe me and said, 'Only the dead can keep silent.' Then I felt a sharp pain in my neck, stumbled back two steps, and leaned against the coffin." Old Mrs. Wang paused here.
I looked at her strangely, "Why did you stop?"
"You might not believe what I say next."
"Just tell me what happened. I'll judge whether to believe it or not."
Old Mrs. Wang pondered for a moment, then continued, "I covered the wound with my hand, trying to turn around and see who killed me. But when I looked back, I found no one behind me, and then I knew nothing more."
After listening, I couldn't help but frown.
Who could have done this?
Old Mrs. Wang, as the last original resident of Moribund Village, rarely interacted with others because all the other original residents had moved away.
There were no interpersonal conflicts. Looking at it this way, it must have been someone who didn't want her to say anything.
I thought for a moment and asked, "Who do you think did it?"
Old Mrs. Wang shook her head, and then her remaining eye lit up.
"Sun Erpao."
"Sun Erpao?"
Seeing my confusion, Old Mrs. Wang explained, "It's Old Man Sun who runs the small shop."
I looked at her with suspicion, "You're saying he killed you?"
After all, when we went to the small shop to find Old Man Sun, he was with us the entire time. Moreover, the distance from the small shop to Old Mrs. Wang's house was not short.
Even if I ran from the small shop to Old Mrs. Wang's house, it would take about five minutes. Walking would take thirteen to fourteen minutes. With Old Man Sun's legs, he would have to fly.
"I'm not saying Old Man Sun killed me, but that he knows who the killer is." Seeing my disbelief, Old Mrs. Wang continued, "You must have inquired about me at Old Man Sun's place too, right?"
I nodded. It was nothing to hide that I had inquired. How else would I have known that Old Mrs. Wang was the last original resident of the village?
Old Mrs. Wang's face showed a cunning expression as she looked at me, "Then it's settled. You must have also asked him about the old house west of the village, and he certainly didn't tell you."
Seeing my expression darken, Old Mrs. Wang didn't continue to gloat but explained further.
"I know everything about the old house west of the village. Old Man Sun only knows part of it. What I know, he doesn't. What he knows, I know everything about. If you want to know what happened there, only I can tell you, otherwise, going there is death."
Old Mrs. Wang emphasized the last word "death," as if afraid we wouldn't believe her.
This made Zhang Dabiao and I exchange glances.
How did she know there was something terrifying in the old house west of the village?
"Old Mrs. Wang, you don't need to scare us. The fact that you've come to us means we have the ability to deal with malevolent spirits," Zhang Dabiao said. "Did you see that old ghost just now? It was obediently begging us for help in front of us! If you want to know who harmed you, tell us quickly what you know, or find someone else."
As soon as Zhang Dabiao finished speaking, he twirled his mountain-splitting saber, releasing and retracting his Xuan Yang energy. Old Mrs. Wang, having just become a ghost, was very sensitive to Xuan Yang energy, which scared her into retreating several steps, showing hesitation on her face.
Hearing Zhang Dabiao's words, my heart almost leaped out of my chest. I thought to myself, "You're truly my brother. If you scare her away, we'll have to charge into the old house west of the village head-on. At that time, we might not only fail to rescue Sun Chuang's soul but also get ourselves killed."
While Old Mrs. Wang wasn't paying attention, Zhang Dabiao gave me a reassuring look.
I could only follow Zhang Dabiao's lead and continue the charade.
"Alright, let's go! Since you don't want to talk, we can't help you. Besides, the police have already filed a case. We'll have your grandson burn some paper money to inform you later."
As I spoke, I pretended to pack my things. Normally, I would have finished packing in an instant, but to put pressure on Old Mrs. Wang, I slowed down by half.
Just as I was about to finish packing, Old Mrs. Wang finally spoke, "I can tell you, but you must keep this to yourselves. You can't tell outsiders, can you?"
I suppressed my excitement, keeping my expression unchanged, "Don't worry, we promise not to tell anyone else. Tell us quickly."
"This matter, it should start from ten years ago..."
"Screech!"
Mid-sentence, the sound of brakes came from outside the courtyard. Judging by the sound, there were quite a few cars.