The heavy rain poured down. On the winding mountain road, a group of people struggled to move forward.
"Master Tian, do we really have to go there?"
A frail local youth seemed hesitant, asking in the local dialect, "Haven't there been a lot of strange occurrences there recently?"
The majority of passengers on this rural bus were locals, who knew a thing or two about the recent bizarre rumors surrounding Dusheng Village, and their faces showed signs of uncertainty.
Tales of ghosts and spirits, though intangible and elusive, still carried a sense of dread.
"You tell me, if we don't go there, where can we go?"
Tian Yourong, who had once served in the military and was known for his temper, turned around and said, "Turning back to the nearest township in this downpour would take several hours at least. You'd freeze to death before you got there.
"There's no signal here, and who knows when the city will find out we've gone missing.
"And you expect someone to come rescue you now? Is your dad the county chief? Does the county chief's son even travel by bus?"
The frail youth was silenced by the rebuke; he opened his mouth but then lowered his head.
The out-of-towners among the passengers began to inquire about Dusheng Village from the locals. After hearing bits and pieces, everyone's expressions grew somber.
"Alright, alright, let's not overthink this," Driver Tian Yourong clapped his hands. "Let's first find a place to rest in the village, change our clothes, and then figure out what to do once the rain stops." He then led the drenched passengers along the metal guardrail at the edge of the winding road, towards Dusheng Village.
Dusheng Village was indeed a rather remote little mountain village. The connection between the village entrance and the bus stop was a concrete road that took about ten minutes to walk. This road had been built with money donated by Lu Maodian, the owner of a small construction company. Before that, there was only a rough stone path that became treacherously slippery in the rain, where an unwary pedestrian could easily fall and end up battered and bleeding.
The dispirited group trudged forward through the relentless downpour.
After rounding a bend in the mountain road, they caught sight of an ordinary village nestled among the mountains: farmland, ponds, woods, mud-brick houses, small villas, loudspeakers hanging from poles at the village entrance, and various types of cars parked along the roadside.
At a glance, it looked no different from any other village.
Li Ang, trailing alone at the back of the group, gave a wry twist of his lips as he wiped sweat from his wig and cast a seemingly disdainful glance at Dusheng Village.
Just a moment ago, I suddenly found that my Cat's Eye had lost its clairvoyant ability. No matter how much I tried to activate it, I couldn't see through this heavy curtain of rain. As for the Cat's Eye's ability to create illusions, that's still functioning properly.
There's something strange about this place.
Li Ang withdrew his gaze, noticing that up ahead, driver Tian Yourong was talking with a few middle-aged villagers wearing raincoats and carrying hoes.
To prevent the farmland from being inundated by the storm, these villagers had just finished repairing the irrigation ditches and were returning. Leading them was Lu Maocai, the younger son of Lu Gui, who was also the brother of their client, Lu Maodian.
Li Ang, at the rear of the group, imperceptibly scrutinized Lu Maocai—a tall, burly man with a hearty and talkative disposition.
According to the information sent by Mule, Lu Maodian was short, chubby, and dark-skinned, a stark contrast to his brother Lu Maocai. Indeed, the two brothers gave one the distinct impression of being a real-life Wu Song and Wu Dalang.
Completely unaware that he was being observed, Lu Maocai warmly invited the stranded passengers to his father's house—Lu Gui, the village chief—to rest and have some hot water and food.
The passengers were quite grateful, with many reaching into their wallets for damp banknotes to pay, only to be politely declined by Lu Maocai.
The group, led by the villagers, hurried to Village Chief Lu Gui's three-story villa.
This villa, built by Lu Gui's son Lu Maodian, was a mishmash of Chinese and Western styles, and as awkward as could be. Although the house was spacious and bright, there wasn't much furniture, and combined with the pale walls, it felt excessively empty.
There was no helping it—such was the typical aesthetic of the rural nouveau riche.
Although Lu Gui was nearly seventy, he was radiant and spirited, and when he smiled, his eyes were kind and his expression benevolent.
With the storm causing signal outages, he instructed his son Lu Maocai to go around to the homes of fellow villagers to gather clothes and meals. After the passengers had changed, they all gathered around a large round table to eat.
Having had a little to drink, Lu Gui's face was slightly flushed. "Hospitality is a traditional virtue of our Dusheng Village," he said cheerily to the passengers. "You all just stay in our village for now. I'll speak with the villagers, and each household will spare a room for you tonight.
"Once the rain stops, I'll mobilize the community to help clear the road for you." This chapter was originally posted on *.
"Thank you very much," Driver Tian Yourong said sincerely.
The storm doesn't look like it'll stop anytime soon, Tian Yourong thought. Even if the city realizes a bus is missing, it'll be difficult to organize a rescue in this weather. It's better to follow the village chief's arrangements.
"Dad, Dad! Has the person I invited arrived?"
A loud, boorish voice came from outside the door, and a short, stout man in a suit walked in, accompanied by a heavily made-up woman who appeared much younger than him.
This short, stout man was undoubtedly Lu Maodian, the client for this mission, and the woman with him was likely his second wife, Pan Xia.
"Who are you talking about? I haven't seen anyone," Village Chief Lu Gui answered. He then told his daughter-in-law, Jia Hong, to take his son's wet suit and called Lu Maodian over for dinner.
"The person I invited…" Lu Maodian began, but then he glanced at the passengers seated together and clamped his mouth shut, not mentioning the matter again. Driver Tian Yourong, however, took careful note of this.
Li Ang knew Lu Maodian was referring to the person he had asked Mule to find—someone capable of handling special incidents. But with the mountain roads cut off, who knew if that "helper" had managed to arrive on time? Or perhaps, the helper was already hiding among these passengers...
As a moderately successful entrepreneur, reading people was second nature to Lu Maodian. He urged everyone to eat and drink, all the while quietly observing.
After several rounds of drinks and numerous dishes had been served, and it seemed everyone had eaten their fill, Village Chief Lu Gui coughed, scanned the people present, and then slowly said,
"You must have heard some rumors about our Dusheng Village, but those are all groundless.
"However, I ask that you all pay no mind to whatever noises you hear tonight, and just sleep through it.
"Whether it's knocking, scratching at the door, or cries for help, please do not, under any circumstances, open your doors."
The chief's words caused a stir among the passengers. Tian Yourong pursed his lips. "...What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing much." A peculiar smile touched Lu Gui's aged face. "Just that... at night, there might be wild boars and wolves sneaking into the village..."
Having said that, he stood up and directed the villagers to lead the passengers to their assigned accommodations.
Wild boars and wolves... would they be calling out for help outside your door...?