After the meal, the waiter came to settle the bill. Yi Zhici didn't want to wander around the market, nor did she want to go back. So she asked the waiter, "Waiter, are there any interesting places here? Strange happenings would do too."
The waiter had worked in the restaurant for many years, being well - informed. Strange tales were nothing new to him. "Miss, there aren't many fun places here, but there are plenty of strange happenings..."
There was a nearby village named Tianbo Village, named after its first village head, Tian Bo.
The village had been peaceful for centuries until seven years ago.
Seven years ago was the year when Gu Weifeng was about to seize the throne. Wars broke out everywhere. Rumors spread that Guyue was on the verge of chaos. Some even moved their whole families to other countries.
There were many young men in Tianbo Village. When the princes were conscripting soldiers on a large scale, Tianbo Village was not spared.
The waiter said animatedly, "There was a girl in the village called Xiaoyuer. Her fiancé, with whom she had an arranged marriage, was conscripted by a prince at that time. That battle was extremely brutal. Just think, going to war against the current emperor, could they win?"
Yi Zhici hesitated and asked, "Xiaoyuer's fiancé didn't come back?"
"Not only didn't he come back, but his body couldn't even be found. Xiaoyuer went crazy and went to the army for an explanation. But the army of the second prince raped her and then drove her out!"
Yi Zhici frowned, feeling a bit nauseous. "And then?"
People in this area believed in a superstitious custom. An unmarried girl whose body was considered "unclean" had to be offered to the mountain god for purification. Tianbo Village was economically underdeveloped, so they were even more superstitious.
Xiaoyuer had lost her parents since childhood. Now, with her fiancé gone, she was completely alone. The whole village tied her up, simply made a sedan chair, and sent her up the mountain.
Unexpectedly, the next day, Xiaoyuer came down the mountain safely on her own.
The villagers were terrified. They said Xiaoyuer was possessed by evil spirits and insisted on sending her up the mountain again. Xiaoyuer said the mountain god had shown his spirit and would bring calamity to Tianbo Village.
The villagers were skeptical but didn't mention sending Xiaoyuer to the mountain god again.
But that's when strange things started to happen.
The villagers began to die one by one in strange ways, without any warning. Some fell to their deaths, some crashed into things. In short, the deaths were all kinds of strange and gruesome.
The waiter was very engrossed. "Now, Tianbo Village is deserted. Only Xiaoyuer is left. It's almost like a ghost village. At night, when you look in that direction, there's only one light on. It's extremely eerie."
Wei Xing couldn't help getting goosebumps. "Only Xiaoyuer is left? Why doesn't she move away? Did Xiaoyuer kill them?"
The waiter shook his head. "Who knows? But there's another strange thing. There are only two roads in the town, and one of them passes by Tianbo Village. But every time a passer - by goes through, people get possessed by evil spirits from time to time. And there's no pattern to it. Sometimes there's no problem for half a month, sometimes someone gets possessed every day. It's really strange."
"People who get possessed have invited shamans and those who can call back the soul, but nothing works. Basically, anyone who passes by will get possessed."
Yi Zhici also shivered.
"Let's go and take a look." It was Hou Chen's voice.
Wei Xing widened his eyes. "Are you crazy? What if we get possessed?"
Lin Yuan also said, "Longming Mountain is in the north. We entered the town from the southwest, so we must have passed by Tianfeng Village."
Yan Sijin also supported the idea. "Yes, our group is too big. We can't take a detour. Compared with the illusory thing of getting possessed, the current assassins are more dangerous. But Aci and the others should go back first. Don't come and take risks."
Yi Zhici made a prompt decision. "No, I have to go. How could you not take me to such an interesting thing!"
Lin Yuan frowned. Yi Zhici immediately declared, "I'll hide behind you. I won't run around. I'll be very safe." Only then did Lin Yuan relax his frown.
Ye Cong'an was confused. "Princess, although I haven't known you for long... I've never seen you so... so... so well - behaved before?"
Wei Xing stroked his non - existent beard. "The Buddha said, it's inexpressible, inexpressible."
Ye Cong'an was even more confused.
Finally, they reached a decision. Only Lin Yuan, Yi Zhici, Hou Chen, Yan Sijin, and Wei Xing would go to Tianbo Village.
Wu Ya, who really wanted to go, had to give up the adventure because he was assigned the task of escorting Ye Cong'an back to the inn and informing Gu Jing.
Tianbo Village was located in the north of the town. There were rolling mountains in the north, layer upon layer. Only Tianbo Village at the foot of the mountain was flat.
Therefore, to pass through the town to Longming Mountain, they had to go through Tianbo Village.
When they arrived at Tianbo Village, it was almost dark.
Among the five of them, Hou Chen was famously cold - hearted, Yan Sijin didn't talk much, and Lin Yuan rarely spoke. Only Yi Zhici and Wei Xing chattered non - stop, as if this could make them less afraid.
But as Yi Zhici was talking, she always looked back at Lin Yuan, then slowed down to keep up with his pace, getting closer and closer.
For Yi Zhici, chatting with Wei Xing was not as reassuring as staying by Lin Yuan's side.
Thinking like this seemed a bit shameless...
But seeing that Lin Yuan seemed to be in a good mood...
Yi Zhici became even more brazen.