Translator: Cinder Translations
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"Drowning pond?" Pei Qian thought for a moment.
Though everyone was from the modern world, thanks to TV dramas and movies, they had heard of such cruel punishments from feudal society, so they didn't appear overly shocked.
"As the main perpetrator, even if she's dead, I think the police would have searched for her body," Zhou Rong looked up at the village chief and said, "Otherwise, who can prove that she really died?"
At the same time, Zhou Rong's gaze seemed to casually glance at Jiang Cheng's face, as if expecting a response from him.
But clearly, he was overthinking it.
Jiang Cheng squinted his eyes while roasting the fire, looking comfortable, like a lazy cat.
Zhou Rong helplessly withdrew his gaze. He had originally thought that the village chief's description of Zhao Xiang Mei would make the latter recall someone. That person—he slightly changed his expression, and the face of the terrifying woman hiding in the dark room of the Anping Inn appeared in his mind.
A hypothesis formed in Zhou Rong's mind: Could it be that Zhao Xiang Mei hadn't actually died, but survived through some unknown means and eventually ended up in Anping Town, hiding in the Anping Inn?
Though it sounded far-fetched, Zhou Rong, with his five previous missions under his belt, knew that in the nightmare world, anything bizarre could happen. The key was whether there was evidence to support the theory.
Or rather, clues.
"Zhao Xiangmei is really dead," the village chief sighed, "I can guarantee this because I was there when her body was thrown away. It was ice-cold when I touched it, and I kept having nightmares for several days after. That definitely wasn't the temperature of a living person!"
Zhou Rong, however, seemed a little aggressive. "Then... the body?"
"In the pond behind the mountain."
"Didn't the police organize a search to retrieve it?" This time, it was Ben Fu who spoke, hugging his knees and looking like a child listening to a scary story.
The village chief slowly shook his head, his eyes becoming cold. "You don't understand the pond behind the mountain. It's strange, with water temperatures always extremely low. Anything that falls in—whether it's a person or anything else—disappears without a trace."
He licked his lips, suddenly lowering his voice. "The old people in the village say that it leads to the underworld."
Chen Xiaomeng sneered when she heard this. Whether or not it connected to the underworld, she knew something was definitely wrong.
"We'll go check the pond behind the mountain tomorrow," Zhou Rong said. Then, as if remembering something, he added, "Is the stone tablet with the curse still there?"
"It's still there," the village chief nodded.
At this point, the previously silent dark-skinned man suddenly leaned forward, awkwardly saying to the village chief, "Village chief," then subtly gesturing towards the window.
Everyone followed his gaze and noticed it was already completely dark outside.
Seeing this, the village chief immediately became nervous. He thought he had concealed his emotions well, but it was clear he couldn't fool these perceptive people.
"Perhaps the village isn't very safe at night," Zhou Rong said, first glancing out the window before turning back to smile at the village chief, observing his reaction.
"Everyone, rest early. We won't disturb you anymore," the village chief quickly stood up, signaling to the dark-skinned man. The man immediately began packing up their things.
Once everything was packed, the two of them left through the door.
Before leaving, the village chief promised to take them to the deep pond behind the mountain early the next morning. He also reminded them not to wander at night and to stay inside.
They all knew the reason without it being said.
After the village chief left, the group had a brief meeting. Zhou Rong was particularly focused on the pond behind the mountain, believing it might hold clues.
Pei Qian remained more conservative. He suggested they gather more information in the village first and wait for the right time before going to the pond.
Soon after, he proposed a frightening yet somewhat plausible hypothesis.
"Maybe the curse is triggered by seeing the stone tablet or by being near the pond before actually arriving there," he scanned everyone with his steady gaze, his voice deep and reassuring, making his suggestion seem very plausible.
"Could it be like that?"
Ben Fu's face turned pale with fear. He had been wavering, but now he immediately leaned toward Pei Qian's side.
Just as the group was debating whether to go to the pond tomorrow and at what time, Jiang Cheng suddenly raised his right hand.
It only took about 10 seconds for everyone to notice him, stop arguing, and look at him.
Zhou Rong's face flickered with a strange expression but he still asked, "Mr. Yin, do you have something to say?"
"Actually, it's nothing," Jiang Cheng put his hand down and looked around before speaking. "I just think this courtyard is quite strange. It seems like it's been lived in, but also looks like it's been abandoned for a long time."
Many clever people in the room immediately understood the meaning behind his words.
From the outside, this grand courtyard looked dilapidated, with the gate in poor condition. Some areas that had once been planted with flowers and plants were now overgrown with wild grass due to neglect.
However, the inside of the house didn't look the same.
There were coal ashes left in the stove, and a few large bamboo baskets were stacked in the corner of the room.
When the lid was lifted, it was filled with charcoal.
The dark-skinned man had come in empty-handed, but in just a short time, he had brought in a bundle of firewood, indicating that there was a place nearby where firewood was stored.
All of this suggested that someone must live here regularly. Jiang Cheng stood up, pushed open a side door, and entered a dimly lit room. It still showed that a few plain-colored quilts were neatly stacked on the dirt bed.
Though old, the bedding was relatively clean and smelled fresh.
Chen Xiaomeng lowered her head, her face alternately lit and shadowed by the firelight. "So, what you're saying is..." she slowly spoke, "The person who lives here didn't bother to clean up the courtyard. They just stay here and aren't preparing to live here long-term."
Upon hearing this, Pei Qian, Zhou Rong, and Chen Xiaomeng's eyes all lit up.
Wasn't this exactly like them?
They were here to investigate the case, so they wouldn't stay long or bother with cleaning up the courtyard and tending to the plants. They only needed a place to rest.
Zhou Rong looked at everyone, lowered his voice, and said, "Do you remember what the innkeeper said?"
"Those... those missing exorcists?" Jiang Zhongyi's eyes widened. He was a believer, more accustomed to describing those unfathomable, terrifying entities as demons.
At this point, everyone's eyes grew fearful.
According to their reasoning, the people with special abilities, who had been paid a large sum of money to come to the village, must have once stayed here, only to mysteriously disappear and never return.
(End of the Chapter)
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