Chapter 8, Blood Orchid of the Breath of Earth (Part 6): Don't accept this; I think this matter is beyond repair. ...

The burly man was named Feng Tianqing, and the other man whose jaw had been dislocated was his cousin, Feng Ali. Their grandfathers had both been long-time residents of Qigu Village. About fifty years ago, a mysterious disaster and a relocation order forced the entire village to leave their homes and eventually settle in a neighboring county town.

However, leaving the village does not mean severing all ties.

For the old village chief's family in particular, protecting the village seems to be a duty etched into their blood. Even after moving away, this heavy mission remains like an invisible brand, passed down from generation to generation.

They reunited the descendants of the village's old inhabitants, teaching them martial arts and grappling from a young age, and rigorously training them. Over two generations, they gradually formed a tightly structured and remarkably cohesive small organization, with the descendants of the old village chief at its core, respectfully addressing them as "the head of the family."

Recently, for some unknown reason, eerie legends about Qigu Village have been rampant online, attracting all sorts of people with different motives to sneak into the deep mountains and wander among the ruins. Among them are blogger teams under the guise of adventure, mysterious and well-equipped strangers, and some sneaky individuals who are definitely not benevolent.

Feng Tianqing and his group of descendants from the old Qigu Village keenly sensed the impending crisis. Their core responsibility, passed down through generations, was to prevent any outsiders from disturbing the village's most prized possession, which was considered "fundamental."

Although they didn't know what the village's treasure was, they judged that the strange influx of outsiders was most likely after that thing.

Feng Tianqing and his companions were ordered to secretly monitor the uninvited guests and find out their background and true purpose.

Lan Shuyin, a woman who had contact with Chen Zigui and was alone, was undoubtedly the best breakthrough point at the moment.

After roughly understanding the cause and effect, Lan Shuyin had only one thought: This pool of water is too deep, get out of here quickly!

So, after kicking the two out of the room, Lan Shuyin quickly packed her luggage, went downstairs to check out, and then hailed a taxi.

On her way to the high-speed rail station, Lan Shuyin took out her phone, opened the phone number of the so-called "boss" that she had just obtained from Feng Tianqing, pondered for a moment, and then edited a text message:

[Feng, I have no intention of getting involved in the history and entanglements of your Seventh Aunt Village, nor am I aware of the details. Please do not send anyone to disturb us further. If necessary, please go directly to the relevant parties involved.]

After carefully checking it and confirming that the tone was decisive, the boundaries were clear, and there was no unnecessary chatter, she sent it.

As someone who seems very eccentric but is actually deeply i and secretly socially anxious, it's impossible for her to personally go find that gimmicky "head of the household," as it would be troublesome and prone to causing unnecessary complications.

She will never engage in face-to-face social interaction if something can be resolved via text message.

Arriving smoothly at the high-speed rail station, the bustling crowds and announcements eased Lan Shuyin's tense nerves somewhat.

Even though there were still three hours before departure, the waiting hall was packed, and it was hard to find a place to sit and rest. She felt a strange sense of relief—at least, she was far away from that place of trouble.

Lan Shuyin went to KFC and bought a hamburger, then found a corner seat to sit down. She first checked her email; the mysterious benefactor who had promised a reward of 200,000 yuan hadn't replied yet.

Slightly disappointed, she logged out of her email and habitually opened the short video account that hadn't been updated in a long time.

Although I haven't updated for over a year, I've kept up the habit of checking my private messages.

While idly scrolling through videos to kill time, a voice call request suddenly popped up at the top of the screen—

From Wu Yang.

An ominous premonition, "It's finally happening," instantly rose in my mind.

Lan Shuyin paused, her rationality telling her: Don't answer.

Just pretend you didn't see it, or hang up directly.

If they come knocking at this time, it's definitely not for anything good.

We've only met by chance; there's no need to get too involved.

She stared at the flashing invitation until the vibrations stopped automatically and the screen returned to silence.

The other party didn't attack again.

Lan Shuyin secretly breathed a sigh of relief, as if she had avoided a potential problem.

She finished the rest of the hamburger in a few bites, and subconsciously reached into her pocket for a tissue, but her fingertips unexpectedly touched a hard, small square with a slight tin foil-like feel.

When I took it out, I saw it was the chocolate wrapped in silver foil.

Holding the small piece of chocolate between my fingertips, it seemed to still retain a trace of the warmth it had when the other person handed it to me, or rather, the clumsy yet sincere care from that time.

Lan Shuyin remained silent for a moment, her feelings somewhat complicated.

—After all, they are fans who like her.

When fans are in trouble, it's impossible to just stand by and do nothing, right?

She sighed almost inaudibly, then finally opened WeChat, found the missed voice call, and called it back.

The call was answered immediately after only one ring, and Wu Yang's sobbing voice came from the other end, "Sister Yin... Zi Gui left a note and then disappeared! I... I really don't know what to do... Can you help me one more time?"

Even over the phone, Lan Shuyin could almost picture him looking miserable and completely lost.

Lan Shuyin rubbed her temples and sighed, "Wait, I'm coming over now."

However, Wu Yang said, "That... Zi Gui's note said... he went back to Qigu Village. Can we... meet directly in Qigu Village?"

Qigu Village?

Lan Shuyin paused, looked up at the huge timetable screen inside the high-speed rail station, and then glanced at the current time.

A strong urge to immediately board a train and escape all of this was pulling at the tangled mess of troubles before him.

Finally, Lan Shuyin sighed softly.

"Alright."

After hanging up the phone, she picked up her backpack, turned around, and walked against the flow of people entering the station towards the exit.

...

As Lan Shuyin climbed the winding mountain path, she saw Wu Yang waiting there dejectedly, kicking at the pebbles on the ground, seemingly lost in thought.

The moment he looked up and saw her, his face instantly brightened, and his eyes lit up. "Sister Yin!"

He was born with a fair and delicate baby face, clean eyebrows and eyes, and a gentle temperament, which is the kind of "pretty boy" look that is popular nowadays.

His personality matches his appearance, exuding a sheltered, dependent air—the quintessential "puppy dog" type described online.

Although it is generally acknowledged that modern college students have poor psychological resilience, she felt that this young man in front of her was probably more likely due to his affluent family background and overprotection since childhood. He had never really experienced any hardship, which is why he panicked at the slightest change and seemed to have no ability to cope independently.

She silently grumbled to herself, but didn't show it on her face. She walked closer and asked, "What's going on?"

“I went downstairs to get takeout, and when I came back, he was gone. He left this note on the bedside table, saying something like ‘I have to go back to Qigu Village, there’s something I can’t let go of.’”

As Wu Yang spoke, she pulled a folded note from her pocket and handed it to her. "The strangest thing is that he hasn't answered my calls. I don't know what he's up to. What era are we living in? Can't he just send a text message? Why is he still using this old-fashioned trick of leaving notes..."

Lan Shuyin didn't hear a single word of Wu Yang's complaints.

Her entire attention was firmly held by the note in her hand.

The handwriting... is sharp and cold, each stroke carrying a kind of obsessive determination that seems to pierce through the paper.

——【Feng Zhi Zhaoyin, I've found you】

The handwriting is exactly the same as the one that appeared in the black envelope before!

The only difference is that this time the paper used is the most ordinary paper, even looking like it was just torn from a cheap lined exercise book.

The person who wrote that sentence... was Chen Zigui?!

Lan Shuyin was filled with doubt and unease.

Perhaps her shock was too obvious, showing on her face, because Wu Yang, who was beside her, stopped complaining and asked with concern, "Sister Yin? What's wrong? Is there something wrong with this note?"

Lan Shuyin snapped back to her senses, clutching the crumpled paper tightly in her hand, her voice deliberately kept steady, "It's hard to explain, let's find the person first."

They did not go to the ancestral hall again. According to Wu Yang's speculation, Chen Zigui was more likely to have gone to the north of the village.

“Zi Gui said he lost consciousness on the north slope. If he insists on coming back, I guess he must have gone there. Besides, he also said before that there seemed to be something there…” Wu Yang hesitated halfway through his sentence.

Lan Shuyin said decisively, "I'm not interested in your secrets. Once I find the person and this matter is settled, I'll leave."

Wu Yang was taken aback by her decisive attitude, and shut his mouth, not daring to say anything more.

The road leading to the north of the village was much more difficult to travel than I had imagined.

This place has been abandoned for many years. The original path has been completely swallowed up by the wildly growing bushes and tenacious vines, forming a natural barrier that keeps outsiders away.

They could only rely on their senses and faint traces to navigate the crisscrossing, narrow paths with difficulty.

It was nearing dusk, and the wind in the valley had become chilly, howling low and hoarse as it cut through the cracks in the rocks and the bare branches. The leaves rustled, and a faint white mist began to rise from the mountains.

The mist didn't seem entirely pure; it contained tiny, eerily fluorescent dust particles that added to the ominous mystery.

Lan Shuyin had already put on a mask and urged Wu Yang to do the same.

After venturing further along the increasingly rugged path, a faint sound of objects colliding suddenly came from afar, mixed with a few low, malicious curses.

Someone's there?!

Lan Shuyin made a gesture, and the two immediately lowered their bodies and, using the weeds and rocks as cover, quickly climbed up a low slope beside them.

My vision suddenly opened up.

Behind the slope, there was a densely packed graveyard!

Or, it would be more accurate to call it a mass grave.

Most of the grave mounds had collapsed and been swallowed up by overgrown weeds and shrubs, leaving only a few raised mounds of earth to hint at what lay beneath. The broken tombstones, like forgotten, rotten teeth, lay crooked and overgrown, mostly covered with thick moss and grime, making the inscriptions difficult to decipher.

The air was filled with a strong, unpleasant odor mixed with humus.

At this moment, seven or eight figures are roughly digging up the grave.

A note from the author:

----------------------