After speaking, the middle-aged man rubbed his hands together, appearing somewhat reserved, and then spoke again:

“Our village is remote, and I haven’t seen any outsiders for years. How did you all get here?”

"Haha, I just wandered around and got lost. You know how it is, mountain paths are hard to navigate and it's difficult to tell which way is which."

Luo Tianhe gave a vague and evasive explanation.

Brother Wang and Sister-in-law Wang nodded with some skepticism.

However, this explanation was barely acceptable, so they didn't ask any further questions.

"By the way, Brother Wang, we just met an old man in the village. He told us to stay in an empty house next to the locust tree at the east end of the village. Do you know where that is?"

After chatting for a few minutes, I couldn't help but ask.

The more I think about that old man, the more something seems off.

The main problem is that locust trees are really too sensitive, and it's also an empty room.

Damn it, the empty house next to the locust tree, is that really a place for people to live?

"What? You ran into that old man?!"

Upon hearing what I said, Wang Fugui immediately showed a shocked expression, with a hint of fear in his eyes, and his face turned ugly.

"What's wrong? Is there something wrong with that old man?"

Li Huai pressed on, even though he knew the old man was definitely up to something, he still wanted the villager to tell him exactly what the problem was.

I was also taken aback; this villager probably knew something.

"That old cripple, who knows what he is? He might not even be human!"

Wang Fugui lowered his voice, speaking cautiously as if afraid something might have overheard him.

"Not human?"

Hearing him say that, the three of us felt a sudden jolt of fear.

Then I realized something was wrong.

I clearly saw the old man's shadow during the day, and because I thought the old man was a bit strange, I even used my third eye to take a look.

He is absolutely a living, breathing person!

"maybe!"

Wang Fugui's voice trembled.

“As far back as I can remember, that old cripple has looked exactly the same! But he’s still alive now. I’m in my forties, and my hair is almost completely gray, and he still looks the same. Do you think he’s even human?”

Upon hearing his words, Luo Tianhe, Li Huai, and I exchanged bewildered glances.

If he wasn't lying to us, then this old man is definitely not human!

How could someone look over seventy years old decades ago and still be alive and energetic forty years later!

He wanders around the village every day and looks to be in his seventies.

"Did he still tell you to stay in the empty house next to the old locust tree at the east end of the village?"

After a pause, Wang Fugui asked.

The three of us nodded in silence.

"It's a good thing you didn't go. That locust tree is very eerie; no one has dared to live there for decades!"

Wang Fugui's voice trembled as he spoke excitedly.

“I didn’t believe in superstitions before, but no one who moved in ever had a good ending. They either went mad or died mysteriously! Their bodies were never found intact. That old cripple also lived in the dilapidated house next to the locust tree. He rarely came out during the day, and no one dared to go near him at night. He definitely didn’t have good intentions in sending you there!”

At this moment, Wang Fugui's wife nodded repeatedly. Her previously rosy cheeks had turned pale, and she looked extremely frightened.

“That’s right, you absolutely must not go. That old man’s eyes are cold and indifferent, like he’s not a living person. Everyone in our village is afraid of him.”

After hearing their words, we felt a chill run down our spines.

The old man's strangeness was indeed not an illusion.

"Thank you for reminding us, Brother Wang and Sister-in-law Wang. We definitely won't go."

We repeatedly assured them, feeling a wave of lingering fear.

"That's right, we just don't really trust that old man, so we're continuing to wander around the village, trying to find another place to stay."

Hearing my sister say that, Mr. and Mrs. Wang seemed relieved. They stood up and said:

"Alright, you guys rest first. You've been busy all day. We'll get you something to eat. Old woman, go and tidy up their lodgings."

Sister-in-law Wang responded and got up to go to the side room.

Wang Fugui went to the kitchen in the back, while the three of us stayed in the main room, talking in hushed tones.

"It seems that there really is something wrong with that old locust tree." Luo Tianhe's expression was quite solemn.

"The Wang family are really good people. We're so lucky to have met them."

Li Huai patted his chest and said with some relief.

I nodded. If we hadn't met them, we probably would have had to make do with the house next to the locust tree for the night.

According to him, those who have been imprisoned over the past few decades have either died or been maimed, so we probably won't fare any better.

"But there's something I just couldn't understand. The couple said the old man was lame, but I saw him walking very fast, even faster than our legs."

After thinking about it, I couldn't help but say it.

"Hehe, that old thing might be a ghost, using a floating technique. Being a little lame won't affect anything."

Li Huai sneered and said nonchalantly.

“I’m not kidding, I’m serious. That old man is definitely not a ghost. I’ve looked at him repeatedly with my third eye.”

I looked very serious, and Li Huai was speechless.

"This is indeed hard to explain. The old man was very agile. I didn't even notice when he touched us from behind. Moreover, he walked very fast and there was no sign of him limping."

Li Huai remained silent, and Luo Tianhe spoke up, but did not offer any substantial suggestions.

I looked distressed and couldn't figure it out, but neither Luo Tianhe nor Li Huai seemed to care about the issue.

In their view, there were already many strange things about that old man, so one more wouldn't make a difference.

After a while, Sister-in-law Wang returned and said that the west wing had been cleaned up.

Not long after, Wang Fugui also came in carrying a steaming bowl of what looked like a porridge made from some kind of wild vegetables mixed with coarse grains, along with a small dish of dark, pickled vegetables.

Looking at this dinner that resembled pig swill, I couldn't help but twitch my face.

Luo Tianhe and Li Huai were also quite embarrassed. They had actually brought food, including instant noodles and other similar items.

But Sister-in-law Wang and Brother Wang were so enthusiastic that we really felt bad refusing them.

And this is just too embarrassing. You think their food is bad, so you eat what you brought yourself?

Anyone with a modicum of sense wouldn't do something like this!

"There's not much good food in the countryside, so don't look down on it."

Wang Fugui placed the food on the table.

Soon, a gentle breeze blew, and we were able to smell the fragrance emanating from inside.

This thing doesn't seem to be just wild vegetables; it probably also contains some kind of stewed meat. The rich aroma of meat made our mouths water.