"Brother Dong, you’re too impulsive. Aren’t you afraid of getting caught?"
Inside Nanyang City, Gan Huren and a few others were escorting Dong Hongtian and whispering complaints.
"I just can’t help myself."
Dong Hongtian knew he had been rash and chuckled bitterly, "I’ve worried you brothers. Next time, I’ll definitely restrain myself."
Su Jie, riding on horseback, spoke up, "Stop apologizing for now. It’s already getting dark, let’s find a place to stay."
As night fell, the streets of Nanyang City grew more desolate, with almost no pedestrians in sight.
"There’s an inn over there."
Chen Yun walked up to an inn not far away, knocked on the door, but no one responded. The inn also displayed a sign indicating it was closed for business.
"There’s no one inside."
After Su Jie used the Reconnaissance Dragonfly, he saw that the inn was completely empty.
Dong Hongtian was somewhat astonished, and the group continued to rush to other lodgings and post houses, only to find them all closed for business.
By this time, the sun was almost setting below the horizon, and the temperature kept dropping in the cold wind; even bundled up, they still felt a chill.
"Forget it, let’s find a private residence to stay in temporarily."
Su Jie approached a house with a courtyard and gently knocked on the door, "Is anyone home? We are travelers passing through and would like to stay for the night."
Voices inside the house could be faintly heard, and the door was slowly opened a crack.
Through the gap was a man over fifty years old, which in this era was considered quite old.
Seeing the strangers outside, the old man appeared wary and spoke through the gap, "Our house is inconvenient, you should find another."
"Please, kind sir! It’s almost pitch-dark, and in these winter months, we won’t be able to find another place to stay for a while."
While speaking, Su Jie passed a silver piece.
Dong Hongtian also spoke up, "Old man, we truly only need to stay one night, and we absolutely won’t cause any disturbances."
The old man glanced at the silver, a struggle showing on his face. He looked at Su Jie and the others again and quickly said, "Come in quickly, and tie your horses in the yard."
Su Jie motioned to the others to follow, secured the horses to a poplar tree in the yard, shook the snow off his clothes, and entered the house.
Inside the house, besides the old man, there were his son and daughter-in-law, whom they learned about through conversation.
The old man was named Rong Shibao, and his son and daughter-in-law had just married last year. They made a living as small vendors, and Su Jie noticed many materials for making candied haws in the house.
"Have something to eat, just some simple tea and food."
Now far less cold-hearted, Rong Shibao saw the exhausted travelers and poured hot tea for them, while his daughter-in-law prepared some food.
His son, meanwhile, was cleaning up the guest rooms, with a few simple beds with straw mats laid on them.
Su Jie wasn’t fussy; these conditions were better than sleeping outdoors.
"Thank you, Mr. Rong. I finally feel a bit warmer."
Sipping hot tea, Su Jie’s gaze examined the surroundings, landing on the bright red stone hanging in the center of the living room.
"Mr. Rong, why is Nanyang City so desolate? I’ve been here before, and it wasn’t at that time."
Dong Hongtian sat across Rong Shibao, expressing his confusion.
"You better not pry into this matter. Stay for the night, and leave tomorrow."
Rong Shibao’s expression darkened, his face showing unexpected concern, as if this topic was extremely sensitive to him.
"Hey, old man, even just talking is no good?"
Cui Bingyuan’s eyes bulged, wondering if talking could somehow break the law.
Dong Hongtian turned back with a warning look and said, "This young brother of mine doesn’t quite know how to speak. Please, don’t take offense, Mr. Rong."
"Let’s eat something first."
Su Jie picked up the chopsticks and began eating the food on the table.
"I’ll fetch some dry food inside."
Gan Huren glanced at the dishes on the table, which, as one would expect in a small household, were not very abundant. He planned to go to the horses in the courtyard and get some dried meat to eat with the meal.
"Dad, it’s already dark."
Rong Shibao’s son ran over alertly, leaned against the window crack, peeked outside at the sky, and whispered.
Hearing this, Rong Shibao abruptly stood up, blocking Gan Huren’s way.
Gan Huren was startled and said, "Why not? I’ll be right back in."
"If I said you can’t go out, then you can’t,"
Without further ado, Rong Shibao pushed and shoved, keeping Gan Huren away from the bolted door.
"Hey, why are you being so unreasonable, old man?"
Gan Huren was getting displeased. What on earth was going on?
"I don’t care what you want to do, none of you can leave this house tonight."
The wrinkles on Rong Shibao’s face deepened as he said this very firmly.
"Wait, what’s that sound?"
Su Jie’s ears suddenly perked up. Seeing Gan Huren about to speak, he gestured with his hand for him to be quiet.
Immediately after, Su Jie got up quickly, peeking through the crack of the window.
Some strange sounds entered the ears, sounding like the notes of a suona, yet also like a woman’s high-pitched singing of refined music, stretching out the tremulous tones.
Snowflakes slowly drifted down onto the flagstone-paved streets, where the lampposts still stood, their lanterns long extinguished.
A cold wind blew by, accompanied by a wailing and sighing, and a woman appeared on the street.
She wore a floor-length white dress, drenched all over, with mud packed in the gaps between her toenails. With each step, she left a puddle of water on the ground.
Su Jie’s pupils contracted abruptly. The woman had appeared too suddenly, and even he was unaware of where she had come from.
Even more hair-raising was the fact that Su Jie’s Reconnaissance Dragonflies, which he had positioned outside, were nowhere to be seen.
Instead, as soon as this woman in the white dress appeared, one by one, Su Jie’s Reconnaissance Dragonflies lost control, most probably dead.
"Don’t make noise... no one makes a noise,"
Gazing at the red stone hanging overhead, which now emitted an eerie red glow, Rong Shibao trembled uncontrollably and his voice quivered as he spoke.
His son and daughter-in-law were so frightened that their legs gave out, and they hid in the inner room.
Curiosity is a strong force. Despite Rong Shibao’s warning, Dong Hongtian and others crowded at the window crack to look outside.
They saw the woman in the street singing a difficult song, her steps jerky and her motions wooden.
As if sensing the gaze upon her, the woman on the street stiffly turned her neck to reveal a pale face as swollen as dough, with two highly decayed eyes, staring straight over here.
"A ghost, it’s a ghost!"
Xiao Chang was suddenly startled and shouted reflexively.
But his cry brought disaster. No sooner had his voice dropped than Xiao Chang’s stomach suddenly swelled.
In pain, he fell to his knees, vomiting uncontrollably – everything he had eaten and even more horrifying things: a woman’s long hair, fingernails, seaweed, rotten fish and shrimp.
His mouth was like a faucet that couldn’t be shut off, as the reek spread throughout the room.
Witnessing such a bizarre scene, Chen Yun and Su Jie both stepped back.
Cui Bingyuan’s pupils were full of disbelief, Gan Huren’s mouth moved slightly, then he seemed to think of something, quickly covering his own mouth.