"Heh heh," Fang Ming chuckled slyly. While the two were busy putting out the fire, he snuck around from another direction towards the ancestral hall's main entrance, intending to slip in.
However, he felt as though someone was watching him. Fang Ming glanced back. The wide main road was empty, with only the two imposing statues at the entrance staring at him indifferently.
"...So ugly."
Fang Ming muttered. These two statues looked awkward from any angle, completely out of place in the daytime Bai Mu Village. They had more of a nighttime vibe.
"Creak." Fang Ming carefully pushed the door open a crack, seizing the opportunity to slip inside, and then closed the door behind him.
Based on his memory, Zhao Xue should be held in the backyard. Fang Ming tried his best to recall his previous experiences, relating them to the scene before him.
Upon entering the ancestral hall's main gate, the entire interior of the hall was essentially visible.
It was a U-shaped complex of buildings. The main structure was a tall building with ornate carvings and paintings, appearing to have five stories based on the window distribution. To the left and right were four smaller structures with a Western architectural style, connected in pairs. In the center was a spacious open area, and behind this main section lay the ancestral hall's backyard.
The backyard's construction was simpler, with a circle of small rooms surrounding the ancient locust tree. Zhao Xue was imprisoned in one of these rooms.
"Why does it feel so chilly?" The moment Fang Ming stepped into the ancestral hall, a coldness washed over him, giving him goosebumps that took a while to subside.
The feeling of being watched returned. Fang Ming cautiously scanned his surroundings but found nothing, his heart growing increasingly tense.
Could someone have discovered him already?
He patted the cleaver tucked into his lower back, feeling a little more at ease. It was daytime; what could happen if someone found him? At worst, he'd fight them!
Bai Mu Village was just a normal village during the day. Fang Ming bolstered his courage and began to creep along the wall towards the backyard.
The front yard of the ancestral hall was all normal. Following his memory, Fang Ming passed through an iron gate and carefully made his way to the backyard, encountering no one on the way.
It made sense. The ancestral hall was the most important place in Bai Mu Village. Without the village chief's permission, no one was allowed to enter. And it wasn't a special occasion, so why would anyone be here?
"Creak—"
Fang Ming carefully closed the iron gate connecting the front and back yards. Instantly, the surrounding environment grew dim.
"Huh?" Fang Ming looked up at the sky in surprise. Dense foliage completely obscured the sky above the backyard. The hanging branches resembled a large bowl covering the entire area, not allowing a single ray of sunlight to penetrate.
Several lanterns hung above the doors of the rooms, emitting a faint glow, making the backyard not entirely dark, but adding a touch of eeriness.
"What's going on?!"
Fang Ming's heart pounded uncontrollably. He quickly reached for his diary with trembling hands. This was an instinctual response to facing a "natural predator," beyond his control.
The unknown entity had yet to appear, but Fang Ming's body was already experiencing primal fear.
"I have arrived at the ancestral hall's backyard. It is completely covered by the branches and leaves of the locust tree, becoming an area perpetually in darkness. My body trembles uncontrollably. In the darkness, things begin to appear..."
What happened? Why did it stop?
This was the first time Fang Ming had seen the diary's content cut off like this. Could the ellipsis mean what happens in the next hour?
No, no. What happened in the next hour would start a new entry, never be represented by ellipses.
Cold sweat trickled down Fang Ming's forehead. He thought of a possibility.
Under what circumstances would a person's future suddenly cease to exist?
"Am I going to die?" Fang Ming gave a bitter smile. It seemed he was destined to perish in this backyard.
"But even if I die, I'll take a bite out of you!" Fang Ming's gaze hardened. He had encountered all sorts of supernatural beings for days; even if a fierce demon appeared, he would take a bite!
One bite and it's even, two bites and it's profit!
He slowly drew the cleaver from his back. Black scales gradually appeared on his arm, his body beginning to transform into a monster in this environment.
In the darkness, pairs of blood-red eyes opened. They hid among the branches, having smelled an unfamiliar presence.
Fang Ming looked at their countless numbers and took a deep breath. No wonder Uncle An didn't want him to come here. With these things hiding in the trees, he was doomed today!
"Whoosh!"
A whistling sound cut through the air. A thin, long vine pierced through. Fang Ming's ears twitched as he heard the direction of the attack. Without time to think, he instinctively rolled to dodge.
"Pfft!" The sound of something sharp piercing flesh rang out, followed by a rapid scream in the darkness, which quickly subsided.
The other monsters began to flee in terror. In the darkness, Fang Ming could only see shadowy figures darting about like headless flies, unable to discern their forms.
"The vines aren't allied with them?" Fang Ming wondered. Were their own kind attacking each other? Were these vines so straightforward, attacking anyone in sight?
This was good for Fang Ming, however. He couldn't help but sneer. He wished these creatures would turn on each other.
But his smile soon faded. The panicked figures in the darkness suddenly seemed to receive an order. Their chaos ceased instantly, and their bloodthirsty eyes all fixed on Fang Ming.
Fang Ming was stunned. He had long suspected that Bai Mu Village had a mastermind behind the scenes. These monsters' actions must have been commanded by that presence.
"Bring it on!"
Fang Ming held the cleaver in one hand, assumed an attacking stance, and looked into the darkness before him.
Suddenly, just as Fang Ming's attention was focused on his surroundings, two vine-like tendrils, as thick as arms, shot out from the ground. They snaked up his legs, wrapping around him in mere seconds.
"Holy crap!" Fang Ming never expected an ambush, especially from below. Who would have thought there were treacherous beings lurking underground?
Seeing Fang Ming's attention diverted by the vines holding him captive, the monsters in the darkness attacked in unison. A tentacle snaked out from the darkness. Fang Ming was now a stationary target, and with his attention divided, he didn't notice this tentacle at all.
"Shhh!" A tentacle pierced through his chest, and a chill spread from his chest.
Fang Ming stared incredulously at the wriggling tentacle in his chest. Was he going to die so easily?
The attacks from the other monsters in the darkness followed closely. Two larger monsters struck Fang Ming first, leaping out of the darkness and smashing onto him. Several sharp claws dug into his body as they began to tear at his flesh.
The intense pain in his body, accompanied by fading consciousness, gradually subsided. Fang Ming felt his brain becoming increasingly sluggish, quickly losing the ability to think.
"I haven't... broken even yet..."
The last sliver of consciousness vanished completely. Simultaneously, the content on the diary cleared entirely, turning it into a blank book. A monster, disgusted, tossed it aside, book and all.
The gaze that had been fixed on Fang Ming slowly receded after confirming his complete death, leaving only a group of monsters tearing and devouring Fang Ming's body.
...
Zhao Xue looked out the window at the ancient locust tree swaying in the gentle breeze, feeling a sense of confusion and melancholy. The man who appeared in the middle of the night had given her some warnings before disappearing.
She didn't understand what this place was, or what those monsters that appeared at night were. That's right, she hadn't fully heeded Fang Ming's warning. As a successor of a new era, how could she believe Fang Ming's words?
That's right, late that night, she had lifted the roof again, doing what Fang Ming had done before, and experienced the same situation.
As expected, the fool had shown fear and resistance the moment he saw her. She had once again walked down the path of historical mistakes.
However, unlike before, after being saved by Grandma Bai, she hadn't seen the principal. She had just kept running and running until she collapsed from exhaustion. On the third day, at dawn, she was found and captured by the village chief and his men, and was now imprisoned here.
She had no idea what she was about to go through.
"I should have listened to that man." Zhao Xue regretted her curiosity that led her to investigate the man's words.
"Isn't he coming to save me? Didn't he say he would come to save me after I pacified the villagers? Even though I didn't pacify them, I did disrupt their plan, so they'll have to let me go, right?"
Zhao Xue crouched in a corner, lost in thought, feeling a bit resentful towards Fang Ming. Since he said he would save her, why was there no news after two days?
"Could this be some kind of 'playing hard to get' tactic by that man?" Such plots were common in TV dramas, where a rich young master hires actors to play roles and stage a heroic rescue to win the heroine's heart.
Although Zhao Xue had personally witnessed monsters like the two-headed beast, she still harbored doubts. These events were too disruptive to her worldview, and even now, she couldn't fully believe them. She preferred to believe that the man had hired a bunch of people to act.
...
At Uncle An's house.
After Fang Ming departed, Uncle An stood at his doorstep, gazing in the direction of the ancestral hall.
"I've wronged you..." Uncle An's voice trembled, as if he had made a grave decision. He turned back into his house and went to the bedside.
Beside the bed was a small table with a drawer. Uncle An pulled open the drawer, revealing a piece of irregularly shaped black wood, about the size of a mahjong tile, lying quietly within.
Uncle An turned to look at his son's portrait: "Min, I hope your guess was correct."
With that, he took the wooden piece out of the drawer, carefully placed it in his pocket, and then, with a look of determination, went to his son's portrait, lit a stick of incense, touched the photo, and left the house.
He held a secret, a tremendous secret, known only to two people in the world: himself and his deceased son.
His son, the only university student from this impoverished village, was destined for a brilliant future. Instead, he had sacrificed himself for this secret in Bai Mu Village, the place that gave birth to him and raised him.
Did he hate? Of course, he hated!
Uncle An wished he could tear the murderer limb from limb! But he was powerless. The murderer's strength was beyond his match.
Gradually, this hatred was buried deep in his heart over time. He thought he would never recall this matter again, but today it resurfaced.
Uncle An walked along the main road as usual. Villagers he encountered bowed and greeted him, and he responded with a smile, showing no sign of his inner turmoil.
Soon, familiar with the path, he arrived at the entrance of the ancestral hall, but the two villagers guarding the entrance stopped him.
"The village chief sent me to check on the woman's condition. She must not be harmed." Uncle An offered a reason. The two villagers didn't suspect him, as Uncle An's status made them unquestioning. He held a position akin to the village's second-in-command, leaving no room for doubt.
Upon entering the ancestral hall, Uncle An also felt that sense of being watched. His expression remained unchanged, but he sneered inwardly. Fang Ming didn't know the source of this feeling, but he did!
He glanced up at the ancient locust tree, his eyes narrowing, and then walked towards the iron gate.