Qi Yu followed the old woman to a remote thatched hut not far away.
The old woman exclaimed excitedly, "Eldest, Second, come out quickly! I've brought a guest. You two go kill a chicken in the yard and let our guest have a taste."
Two girls, referred to as Eldest and Second, emerged from inside. Upon hearing the old woman's summons, they responded with an "Okay," and then one went to fetch a cleaver, while the other grabbed a basin.
Their movements were so natural, as if they were not at all curious about who this new girl the old woman had brought back was, or what her name was.
Qi Yu clearly noticed the strangeness of these two girls and couldn't help but feel curious about their situation. So, she walked up to them and introduced herself, "Hello, my name is Qi Yu. I'm looking for someone named Ding Cuilan. She's also from this village, but it seems she's not here, so I'll be staying here temporarily. I'll leave as soon as I find her. I apologize for the trouble these past few days."
The two women, Eldest and Second, showed no reaction upon hearing this, merely nodding.
Qi Yu walked closer to observe them carefully and then realized that although the clothes the two women wore appeared clean, their sleeves and skirt hems were actually stained with crimson blood.
In addition, both women had fine wrinkles around their eyes and dark circles underneath, indicating they hadn't had a good rest in a very long time.
The old woman came out of the house and saw the two women still standing there blankly. She grumbled,
"What's the use of raising you two? You're afraid to even kill a chicken?"
Scolded by the old woman, the two women seemed to snap back to reality. One went to grab the clucking rooster in the yard, while the other quickly went to sharpen a knife.
Seeing the two women start to act, the old woman paid them no further mind. She turned to Qi Yu and urged, "Come, come, come inside. You've been standing outside for half the day. You've also walked such a long mountain road, you must be exhausted. I have a well in my yard. I'll have them fetch some water for you later. Here, wash yourself up. Few people come to our little village. The young people have all gone out to work, leaving only us old ladies. Is there anything you'd like to eat? Just tell me."
As she spoke, the old woman went into the kitchen to prepare to wash the pot.
Qi Yu sat quietly in the room, politely saying, "Anything is fine for me. Thank you so much for your trouble. If it weren't for your help in taking me in, I might have had to sleep on the streets tonight."
The old woman smiled and continued her work in the kitchen without speaking further.
After an unknown amount of time, a creaking sound suddenly came from outside.
Qi Yu turned her head, expecting the old woman to return. Instead, it was one of the girls, referred to as Second, who entered.
This girl appeared slightly younger than Eldest, but her eyes still bore deep wrinkles, and her skin was weathered, giving her a mature look that didn't match her age.
The girl walked in, sat down, and while pouring water for Qi Yu, she lowered her voice and asked, "Are you really here alone? Where do you live? The person you're looking for lives at the very front. As far as I know, that Ding Cuilan is at home and hasn't gone anywhere else."
After speaking, the Second girl quickly closed her mouth and remained silent, her eyes darting around.
It was clear she was worried about the old woman suddenly returning and hearing what she had said.
Qi Yu deliberately feigned shock, then stood up abruptly, only to sit back down as if with some hesitation, asking sheepishly, "But why did your mother tell me she wasn't here? And she said something about going out for the night, so I should stay here temporarily for a few days."
Qi Yu put on an act of finally realizing she had encountered a bad person.
Second grabbed her arm, pretending to take her to the outhouse, and turned to walk away. She looked back as they walked, and after a short distance, she lowered her voice to warn her, "That woman is not my mother at all. She's a bad person! Sister, listen to me, you should leave quickly. Go as far as you can while you still can. If you wait any longer, it will be too late for you."
As she spoke, Second turned to look back, seemingly intending to return quickly.
However, Qi Yu grabbed her arm, "What do you mean by that? I don't quite understand. Please explain it clearly."
The moment she said this, Qi Yu had already used her spiritual power to control the other woman.
Upon hearing this, Second's eyes gradually lost their luster, and she stood there somewhat blankly, repeating the entire story from beginning to end.
After listening to Second's words, Qi Yu finally understood why the village where Ding Cuilan resided had become this way.
It turned out that not only was this village not overseen by any other deities, but it was also frequently plagued by fox and bear spirits. These two spirits fed on the flesh and blood of children, requiring a pair of young boys and girls each month.
And that old woman was the human who had the best relationship with the bear and fox spirits.
The old woman appeared harmless and possessed no martial power, yet she had a way to communicate with the bear and fox spirits. Whenever young people came to the village, she would find a way to keep them there.
Then, she would hand them over to the men in the village.
These two girls, Eldest and Second, were brought back by the old woman three years ago when they were lost near the village while searching for their relatives. They had already had two children.
As Second spoke, even in her unconscious state, she was sobbing uncontrollably.
Qi Yu listened intently, her mind deep in thought.
If she were just an ordinary girl, it seemed she would be trapped in this village.
After all, the village was in a desolate mountainous area, and although it appeared quiet, a closer inspection would reveal that the hoes carried by the old men were much larger than ordinary hoes. It was clear these men frequently tilled the land, and their strength was far greater than that of ordinary young women.
However, Qi Yu still couldn't understand why the old woman would help these two spirits commit such heinous acts of murder in the village.
Was it for eternal life?
There were many reasons why humans would interact with demons and go to great lengths to appease them, but one of the most likely reasons was that most people desired to live for centuries, just like demons.
Qi Yu rubbed her temples, pondering. If everything Second had said was true, then perhaps most people in this village had some kind of dealings with those two spirits.
Even Ding Cuilan might be one of them.