Closing the diary, Fang Ming did not hesitate. He immediately took out the small shovel he carried in his backpack and dug at the spot under his feet.
The gruesome scene of himself being slowly sliced to death flashed before his eyes. He couldn't wait a single minute longer. He had to return to Baimu Village immediately and destroy that devilish place!
At this moment, the search for clues about his parents had been pushed to the back of Fang Ming's mind. His anger had surpassed the urgency of finding his parents. Such a place should not exist in this world, even though Fang Ming didn't know where Baimu Village was.
"It really is here..." After only a few scoops, Fang Ming hit something hard. He shoveled away the sand and soil, revealing a smooth, semicircular stone.
After a few glances, Fang Ming recognized it as the marble stone for the well. The diary’s record was indeed accurate.
According to the diary, the skull should be in the well.
Fang Ming dug around the stone, clearing away the sand and soil. Soon, a broken and dilapidated well mouth appeared before him.
Having found the well mouth, Fang Ming began to dig away the mud that filled it. Less than half an hour later, his shovel struck something hard. Fang Ming's heart leaped with joy. He quickly dug it out and, as expected, it was the skull.
Fang Ming felt a sense of awe towards such a dead object. He carefully dug it out with his shovel, cleaned off some of the mud, and then found a spot by the well mouth to sit down cross-legged, placing the skull in front of him.
However, Fang Ming was now at a loss. The diary only said that doing this would allow him to re-enter Baimu Village, but what should he do next?
"Try sleeping?" Fang Ming rubbed his chin, recalling his previous experiences entering and exiting Baimu Village. Could he simply fall asleep?
Closing his eyes, Fang Ming mentally complained about the diary. He wondered if his own mother had written it, as it was so vague. A definite thumbs down.
The moon in the sky was gradually obscured by dark clouds. A drowsy feeling once again washed over Fang Ming's mind. The skull in front of him emitted a faint, dark glow, which slowly spread to Fang Ming, enveloping him completely.
Fang Ming's figure gradually faded until he disappeared from the world, leaving only the skull on the desolate land.
...
"Huh? There's someone here?" a man's voice sounded in Fang Ming's ear.
Fang Ming pressed his slightly heavy temples and struggled to sit up. A dark figure suddenly appeared in his vision.
"Ah!" Fang Ming yelped, startled by the close-up face. The other person was also startled by Fang Ming's shout and jumped back two steps.
Regaining his senses, Fang Ming's vision gradually cleared. Two young men were standing in front of him. One of them had a pale complexion, clearly the one startled by Fang Ming, and he was holding a small green banner, its purpose unknown.
Fang Ming took in his surroundings: familiar buildings, familiar roads.
He was back in Baimu Village! He just didn't know the specific location.
Looking at his clothes and hands, he confirmed that his real body had entered this time.
"Who are you? Why are you sleeping here?" the young man in black, the one Fang Ming had startled, asked Fang Ming sternly.
"I was originally going to the capital, but I was robbed on the way and fled here. My poor wife and daughter, I don't know where they went. Can you shelter me here for a few days so I can contact my family?" Fang Ming concocted a lie and pretended to be pitiful. Although it was a flimsy story, judging by the expressions of these two youths... they seemed to believe it?
Were the people of Baimu Village this stupid? Fang Ming wondered to himself.
He remembered that when he had been brought into the fool's house before, the people he encountered had all felt cold and ruthless. Now, with his real body here, why did the people he met seem so dim-witted?
"I see. Wait here." The young man in black looked troubled, then pulled the other youth aside and they whispered to each other. Fang Ming strained his ears to eavesdrop, but their voices were too low to understand.
"According to our village rules, outsiders are not allowed during the ancestral worship period. However, your situation is so pitiable... we will inform the village chief and see if he will let you stay." the young man in black said loudly.
Ancestral worship?
Fang Ming seized upon this keyword. He remembered that when he was carried into the fool's house, the burly men had also mentioned this.
What time was it now?
Fang Ming frowned, but he didn't ask the two directly. He had a guess and hoped it was true.
"You two wait here. I'll go ask the village chief." The young man in black handed the small green banner to the other youth and then sprinted towards the village.
Fang Ming and the remaining youth waited. The latter was rather silent. Fang Ming said nothing, and the youth played with the small banner in his hand without a word.
"Um..." Fang Ming broke the silence first.
"What?" The youth looked up at Fang Ming.
"What do you do during ancestral worship here? Can you tell me?" Fang Ming cautiously probed.
The youth frowned, thought for a moment, and replied, "Sacrifice and shared meals."
"Are you married? You're not young, you know. Back where I'm from, people your age are usually married." Fang Ming asked the "sinful" question.
As expected, the youth glanced at Fang Ming subconsciously upon hearing this question, but he still honestly replied, "No. Our Baimu Village rules state that marriage is only permitted at the age of twenty-two. I'm only nineteen now, a few years away."
"I actually really want to get married. If I get married, I can have sons, and my family line can continue." The question seemed to have opened a floodgate for the youth, and his tone held a hint of worry. "There aren't many women in the village. I don't know if I'll be able to find a wife when I'm of age."
Strange village rules.
Fang Ming thought to himself, then rode the wave, pretending to be helpful. "Have there been any marriages in your village recently? I know quite a few young girls, I could introduce them to you when the time comes."
"My father said the fool from the south is of marriageable age. His father found him a very beautiful wife, and they're getting married in a couple of days." The youth thought for a moment and shared a piece of news.
Fang Ming's heart jolted upon hearing this. Was it her? If the timeframe of his entry into Baimu Village had been reset, then the woman he had impersonated earlier must still be alive!
He had to save her!
Having obtained the information he wanted, Fang Ming fell silent. The youth grumbled to himself for a while, and seeing that Fang Ming wasn't responding, he also fell silent out of boredom.
However, the silence didn't last long. The young man in black ran back, panting, from a distance.
Seeing this, Fang Ming quickly pressed, "How is it? Can I stay here for a few days?"
"The... the village chief said you can temporarily... temporarily stay, but you must abide by the village rules, or you will be immediately expelled." the young man in black said, gasping for breath.
Fang Ming was overjoyed and asked, "Where will I be staying these few days?"
"Wait a moment." The young man in black rested for a while, then said, "Before you stay, I need to tell you the village rules. If you feel you cannot abide by them, please leave now."
"Alright, tell me," Fang Ming nodded.
The young man in black repeated the village rules that Fang Ming had heard when he first arrived.
"No problem, I promise to abide by your village rules." Fang Ming agreed verbally, but secretly added, "Not likely."
"Follow me." The young man in black led the way, with Fang Ming and the other youth following closely behind. After a short while, the three arrived in front of a courtyard. The young man in black went forward and knocked on the door.
"Is Uncle An here?"
"Coming, coming." An old man's voice echoed from behind the door. Soon, the door opened, and an old man's figure appeared before Fang Ming.
Fang Ming's pupils contracted involuntarily at the sight of this old man. His memory instantly retrieved all information about this old man.
When "he" was being slowly sliced to death, this guy was standing next to the village chief!
"Who is he..." Uncle An's gaze swept past the young man in black and fixed on Fang Ming.
"He was robbed on his way to the capital and, in his panic, came to our village. He plans to stay for a few days to contact his family," the young man in black explained briefly.
"Robbed?" Uncle An looked at Fang Ming with a half-smile. "Did the village chief arrange for him to stay with me?" Apart from the village chief, no one else would dare to make such an arrangement for a stranger.
Fang Ming looked into the old man's eyes and cursed him inwardly as an "old fox." He knew his fabricated story wouldn't fool him, but he forced himself to remain calm, wanting to see what this old man would do.
"Yes, the village chief said to temporarily arrange for him to stay here."
"Alright, I understand. You two continue your patrol. I'll handle the rest." Uncle An waved the two youths away and gestured for Fang Ming to enter the courtyard.
The two youths left. Fang Ming followed Uncle An into the courtyard, wondering what his intentions were.
"Looking at your clothes, you don't seem like you're from around here," Uncle An suddenly said.
Fang Ming paused and explained, "My family is from the coast. My clothes are all the latest foreign fashion."
"I see," Uncle An nodded, as if understanding but not quite.
Fang Ming didn't know what the old man meant, but he realized that his clothes were a major flaw. Judging by the architectural style and daily life of the village, Baimu Village at this stage was likely in the 1970s or 80s. His modern attire was indeed out of place.
"There's a family across from the ancestral hall preparing for a wedding. Don't wander in that direction if you have nothing to do. They're busy with wedding preparations, and it's not good to bump into them," Uncle An said again.
Fang Ming was taken aback. What did Uncle An mean? Was he hinting at something?
"Thank you, Uncle An. I understand," Fang Ming nodded.
Uncle An stopped, looked at his house, and pointed to one of the rooms. "You'll stay in this room. This room is cleaned regularly, and outsiders usually stay here."
"Okay, thank you for the trouble, Uncle An," Fang Ming thanked him.
"Go and settle in. I'll go prepare dinner," Uncle An said and strode towards the kitchen.
Fang Ming stood there, watching his receding figure, deep in thought. He lingered for a moment before walking towards the room Uncle An had assigned him.