Chapter 1118 The Returnee's Notes 192

Lunch was a simple vegetarian noodle dish with only some green vegetables on top. This was only because new vegetables had been delivered, so we had fresh vegetables to eat.

Otherwise, all we can eat is pickled vegetables mixed with plain porridge.

Xie Ning was eating in the main room, and from there he could see Fifth Grandfather treating Yang Liu's horse's injuries and teaching Yang Liu some medical knowledge.

Mu Jin stood aside and watched, glancing at the people in the main room from time to time.

After treating the horse's wounds, Fifth Grandfather stood up, his body still hunched over. He couldn't help but rub his back; he was getting old, and his back was getting worse and worse.

Seeing Mu Jin standing silently to the side, Fifth Grandfather patted his arm and said, "Why have you become so quiet?"

Mu Jin pursed her lips, looked steadily at her fifth grandfather, and asked in a somewhat heavy tone, "Fifth grandfather, I heard that you also participated in the revision of the town's local history and our school's textbooks."

Where did you get your information from? Is it accurate?

Grandfather Wu replied without hesitation, “These are all records left by our ancestors. Even if there are some discrepancies, they won’t be too far off.”

Mu Jin's gaze dimmed slightly. "Our town isn't very big, and ghosts need time to linger in the human world. Have all three thousand-plus people in that town turned into ghosts and lingered in the human world?"

"nature."

Fifth Grandfather's eyes remained gentle.

"Fifth Grandfather!" Yang Liu, who had gone to get the medicine, ran back, smiling as she placed the medicine and a piece of candy in her hand—a gift from Xie Ning!

What are you talking about?

"It's nothing." Mu Jin turned her head away, not wanting to talk about it anymore.

After having lunch and some dry rations in the thatched hut, Xie Ning and his companions continued their journey.

Mu Jin and Yang Liu only escorted Xie Ning and the others to the fork in the road. The fork, which originally had only two paths, suddenly split into seven when the group arrived.

It is clearly a delusion.

Mu Jin stopped and pointed to the intersection, saying, "Different intersections lead to different places, and I can't guarantee what you'll encounter. Getting in and out depends on your own abilities."

Ultimately, only the wooden plaque could be exchanged for the Soul Umbrella.

Since the group had already discussed it beforehand, they all took the same path. Xie Ning looked at Xie Li's left hand, which was being held by Xie Li, and followed suit.

Yang Liu sighed silently. Although the outsiders were powerful, not everyone could come out.

On the way back, Yang Liu looked at the increasingly thick fog ahead and a doubt arose in her heart. "Senior Brother Mu Jin, why do I always feel that there are so many ghosts in Qing Shi Town? Over the years, so many people have rushed to save them, and there are already more than two thousand ghosts on record."

Did that many people really die back then?

Mu Jin remained silent for a while before saying, "I don't know either, but according to records, in addition to the civilians and the original garrison troops, the troops that retreated from other places to defend Qingshi Town were also massacred. Perhaps the enemy troops at that time also died."

These scattered souls number nearly ten thousand.

Even if there aren't that many souls left in the human world, there are probably around five thousand.

Of course, these are all estimates, and they are also things written in their textbooks.

Yang Liu didn't want to think about these things anymore and changed the subject, asking about Mu Jin's master, "How is Uncle Mu? I heard he was seriously injured last time he went into the mountains..."

When Yang Liu mentioned Master Mu Jin, Mu Jin's expression paused, and a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes. "He has recovered very well, but there are still some aftereffects that require recuperation."

"That's good." Yang Liu ran a few steps, then looked back at Mu Mian. "Senior Brother Mu Jin, can you take my place on the next shift? Yi Yi's birthday happens to be around those days, and I want to spend it with her."

That little girl is very sensible, but Yang Liu knows that her younger sister misses her.

"good."

Yang Liu was overjoyed and quickened her pace towards the thatched hut. Mu Jin also quickened her pace, but her steps were heavier than Yang Liu's. A hint of hesitation flashed across her face as she looked at the thatched hut, but she quickly made up her mind.

"Fifth Grandfather! Fifth Grandfather! I'm coming back..."

The heavy stench of blood froze Yang Liu in place, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at the scene before her.

The tethered horses all collapsed to the ground, their bodies shriveled, their bellies ripped open, their internal organs gone. And Fifth Grandfather... no, perhaps it wasn't Fifth Grandfather, it was just a monster that looked like Fifth Grandfather.

Its entire body was pitch black, making its face impossible to see... but its shape was strikingly similar to that of Fifth Grandfather, as if it had swallowed Fifth Grandfather whole and formed his form.