Chapter 17 Ghost Village

　　The instant he saw the comb, Jiang Cheng's pupils constricted violently.

　　The comb was thick and heavy, and very old. It looked like an old object that had been used for a long time, with many of its teeth broken off.

　　But that wasn't the most important thing. What was important was that he had seen this comb before, just recently, in the hands of Xiu Ling in the dilapidated courtyard in his dream!

　　It's Xiu Ling!

　　It must be her!

　　Jiang Cheng turned around and stared at the strange footprints on the incense ash. A bold guess surged into his mind.

　　Could it be... could it be that their initial direction was wrong?

　　There was no evil cultivator in this village at all. The real danger was these villagers. They were the ghostly things in the mist!

　　Recalling what he had seen in the dream, the entire Wugong Village was almost in ruins. Everywhere he looked were broken walls and ruins, collapsed houses, the black marks left by fire, and the marks of knives. He didn't think anyone in the village could have survived this level of destruction. It was a complete massacre of the entire village.

　　So... so the current villagers might all be ghosts!

　　They had entered a ghost village!

　　But without solid evidence, all of this was just speculation. Time was short, and Li Bai's life was in danger, so Jiang Cheng's actions became much more aggressive.

　　He left some people to guard the courtyard, while he, Shao Tong, and Fatty prepared to take a look around the village.

　　However, Tang Qisheng insisted on joining, so Jiang Cheng left Fatty behind. With Fatty guarding Li Bai's side, Jiang Cheng felt relieved.

　　"Go with peace of mind, and be careful on the road," Yao Shunyu said.

　　Opening the courtyard door, it was cold and desolate outside. White paper money was scattered on the ground. The three of them cautiously walked towards the center of the village, observing the nearby buildings along the way.

　　Whether it was day or night, everything here was dim, and the sky was very low, bringing a strong sense of oppression. Tang Qisheng couldn't help but wrap his coat tighter. This doomsday-like scene made people feel powerless to resist from the bottom of their hearts.

　　The person who felt the biggest contrast was Jiang Cheng. Everything here was different from what he had seen last night. Although the nearby houses were dilapidated, their miserable condition was far less than the broken walls and ruins of last night.

　　The only thing Jiang Cheng and the others couldn't understand was that many of the buildings here were covered with patches of cloth. The color of the cloth was relatively close to the color of the walls, so it was difficult to see from a distance.

　　Moreover, the area of the patches varied in size, and their shapes were also strange.

　　Taking advantage of the fact that there was no one around, Shao Tong walked over and tore off a piece of cloth. Behind the cloth was a very thick crack. The crack was so exaggerated that it almost split the entire wall in two.

　　He tore off another piece, and behind it, a dark hole appeared. Through the hole, one could directly see the courtyard.

　　The three of them couldn't help but feel horrified. Such a house was hardly fit for living, let alone living ghosts.

　　Jiang Cheng suddenly had a feeling that these patches of cloth were like large bandages, sewing these broken walls and ruins together in an incredible way, barely maintaining the apparent life of Wugong Village.

　　And this ability was obviously not possessed by ordinary villagers. It should be that guy, the terrifying shadow tens of meters high in the mist!

　　As more and more cloth was torn off, the three of them had a deeper understanding of the tragic massacre that had once occurred in the village. Jiang Cheng stared at the knife marks remaining on the wooden door and couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

　　Tang Qisheng looked at the knife marks, stroking the traces left by the blade. They had discovered many similar traces. He slowly frowned and pointed to the knife marks with his fingers, "Strange, look, the way these knives were wielded is very professional, and the cuts into the wood are almost half a finger deep. These people have received very professional training."

　　"Also, all the sharp weapon marks left here are narrow knife cuts, which means that the other party all wore knives. Ordinary bandits wouldn't be so generous."

　　They had seen bandits in this era before. It would be good enough if they had a handy axe.

　　Shao Tong walked over from another direction and threw a small object to Jiang Cheng, "The people who participated in the destruction of the village are not simple bandits, but organized government troops."

　　Jiang Cheng opened his hand, and a gleaming arrowhead lay quietly in his palm.

　　The arrowhead was still new after a long time, and there was a faint glimmer of light flowing on it. The craftsmanship was not bad.

　　Shao Tong turned his head and raised his chin in the direction he came from, "Dug out from the pillars outside the courtyard over there. There are many more."

　　If the matter of wearing knives could still be barely explained, then the large number of arrowheads was a definite fact. In ancient times, privately hoarding arrows was a serious crime, and bows and arrows, especially usable arrowheads, were scarce items. Such a remote fishing village should not have them at all.

　　Connecting all of this, a vague guess arose in Jiang Cheng's mind. A team of elite government troops attacked this fishing village at night, killed everyone in the village, and then set a fire, attempting to fake a bandit attack and destroy the evidence.

　　Such a remote fishing village was definitely not rich, so it shouldn't be for money. The possibility of a vendetta was greater, or perhaps this team of government troops had other missions, such as some unknown secret in this village.

　　And the person who could mobilize government troops to massacre a village was obviously no ordinary person. In the vicinity of this large Luo An City, the first person Jiang Cheng thought of who could do this was the Zhennan Marquis.

　　Suddenly, Jiang Cheng heard a faint noise, as if this silent village had come alive again. The sound of footsteps came from afar.

　　"Someone's coming, let's go!"

　　The three of them put the patches of cloth back as quickly as possible. They ran all the way back to the courtyard before the footsteps caught up with them. Jiang Cheng turned around and closed the door.

　　After briefly explaining a few words to Fatty and the others, the courtyard door was knocked on. The villagers were here again.

　　It was still those faces. The old woman, supported by others, walked straight to Li Bai, holding her hand and asking her how she was.

　　"Another night has passed, you must be hungry. Don't worry, the food will be delivered in a while. You must eat, you must eat." The old woman's face was full of wrinkles, but she was full of sincerity when she said this.

　　"That's right, you must eat. The food is so delicious."

　　Some villagers echoed with strange smiles, licking their lips as they spoke, their mouths constantly wriggling, making "chi --, chi --" sounds.

　　Hearing this sound, Jiang Cheng couldn't help but shudder. He thought of it!

　　Fake Grandpa!

　　Fake Grandpa had also wriggled his mouth last night, making the same sound!

　　So he was referring to eating, the white rice.

　　The problem was with the rice. Anyone who ate the rice would be cursed and end up like Fake Grandpa.

　　Just as he thought of this, the villagers had already started setting up the table. Everyone raised their heads, their faces filled with heartfelt smiles.

　　"The food is here!"

　　"Dinner is served!"

　　The villagers smiled at each other, as if sharing a joyful thing. Everyone stepped aside, looking reverently at the courtyard door, leaving a straight path leading to the courtyard door.