I don't know if I was dreaming, but in my hazy state, I heard something scratching at the bed.

I could still hear soft whispers in my ear.

It sounded like someone was calling me, but I couldn't hear what they were saying.

Nothing happened that night.

I slept very soundly, and when I woke up it was already past ten in the morning.

After getting up, I quickly washed up, then offered incense to the ancestral master, hung up the copper wind chime, and then went to open the door.

In this line of work, the early bird catches the worm; business isn't very good during the midday hours.

I ordered takeout, and after eating, I was bored, so I just lay on the table watching the store and scrolling through my phone.

While scrolling through the page, I somehow ended up browsing local news.

A news item caught my attention.

The news headline was eye-catching: "Eight villagers encountered an accident while going up the mountain to worship their ancestors."

It was the latest news that was updated around 8 a.m.

What I'm talking about is that in the early hours of last night, eight of my villagers went to the back mountain to pay respects to their ancestors.

On the way back from the ancestral worship ceremony, a small landslide suddenly occurred on one side of the mountain road.

A large amount of soil and rocks rolled down instantly, blocking the only way down the mountain and trapping the villagers inside.

Upon receiving the alarm, local fire, police, medical and other rescue forces rushed to the scene.

However, the complex terrain and subsequent light rain greatly hampered the rescue efforts.

After several hours of intense rescue efforts, it is regrettable that all eight villagers were ultimately confirmed dead.

Currently, relevant departments have established a special task force to conduct an in-depth investigation into this incident and will continue to follow up with reports so as to keep the public informed of the progress and results of the handling of the incident in a timely manner.

When I saw the location of this report, I was taken aback.

Isn't this the road we took up the mountain last night to carry Ji Yunfei's body?

The news report didn't mention the names of the victims, but my heart skipped a beat, and I had a feeling that it was Akai and the others who died.

Apart from me and Xiao Sanzi, I'm afraid no one else escaped this fate.

My fingers unconsciously continued scrolling down, and a pixelated image came into view.

Instantly, I felt a chill run down my spine and jumped up from my seat.

In the picture, a row of corpses lay there, their upper bodies and faces completely covered by a huge white cloth.

They are likely the victims of this incident.

A corner of the white cloth was lifted, revealing the calves and shoes of several people.

My gaze swept across the room and landed on the pair of yellow sneakers on the far left. My head buzzed, as if I'd been hit hard by a sledgehammer.

These shoes look so familiar.

Isn't that the mistress's?

Back then, Xiao Sanzi pretended to sprain his ankle, and A Kai carried him the whole way. I have a deep impression of those shoes.

But didn't Xiao Sanzi escape back with me?

How did he end up among the victims?

I rubbed my eyes hard and then brought my phone closer to the screen.

Yes, those are the shoes.

If Xiao Sanzi has already died on the mountain, then what is that thing that came down with me?