After saying this, the old man turned around and slowly left.
Jiang An's keen ears picked up some subtle sounds, as if they were coming from a distant place. She vaguely heard the old man say in a low voice, "Alas, this is all retribution!"
Her heart skipped a beat, and the mysterious word immediately popped into her mind—retribution!
She wondered to herself if the villagers had committed some sin that led to the mysterious deaths one after another.
Upon hearing the old man's words, the heavy expressions on everyone's faces instantly lightened, and they began to leave one after another in one direction.
Jiang stood quietly in place, a gentle breeze brushing against her cheeks, bringing a touch of coolness.
She looked up at the sky, her thoughts drifting away. She couldn't help but wonder what secrets this place held.
But soon she realized she couldn't stay lost in thought, so she blended into the crowd and quietly followed the group, neither falling behind nor leading.
In an instant, a spacious building appeared before her; upon closer inspection, she realized it was a canteen.
Each villager who went in took a bundle of grass from a certain place.
Every villager was very conscientious; regardless of age or gender, they all took one. Seeing this, Jiang An also quietly stepped forward and took one.
"Da Ya, what are you standing there for? Come here, come to your auntie!" A rough voice came from behind Jiang An.
Jiang An paused for a moment, then lowered his head and silently walked to the woman's side.
Her steps seemed somewhat heavy, as if she were under unspeakable pressure.
"You little brat!" the woman in coarse linen clothes said, her tone revealing her dissatisfaction and worry towards Jiang An.
Her gaze was fixed on Jiang An, her eyes flashing with complex emotions.
Jiang An lowered his head slightly, not daring to meet the woman's gaze, and simply stood there quietly, like a child who had made a mistake and was waiting for punishment.
"Da Ya, your parents are dead, and you're all alone. You must hold on!" The woman's voice was full of concern and encouragement. She gently patted Jiang An's shoulder, trying to give her some strength and courage.
Jiang An shed a few tears at the right moment. She knew that now was not the time to be strong and that she had to show her vulnerable side.
Actually, she didn't know why this older woman thought she was Daya, since their appearances and clothes were different before.
But since she's been mistaken for Daya, she has to play the role well and not let the villagers discover that she's not the real person. Otherwise, unforeseen accidents might happen, and she doesn't want to take that risk.
Just then, the silence was broken by the laughter of children.
These children didn't know what death meant; they only cared about whether their stomachs were full.
After eating their fill, they began to play and have fun, bringing a bit of life to this otherwise quiet place.
The oppressive atmosphere gradually dissipated, and everyone began to whisper among themselves in the room.
Jiang An huddled in a corner, quietly listening to everyone's conversation, diligently gathering every piece of useful information.
At this moment, the sky was gradually darkening, but no one was willing to leave this place.
They preferred to stay in the room rather than step out, fearing that a monster in the darkness might suddenly appear and take their lives.
Time ticked by, and Jiang An hid in a corner, pretending to be asleep, but in reality, he was wide awake, remaining highly alert to prevent any danger from approaching in the darkness.
"Ahhh~~" Suddenly, a miserable scream pierced the night sky.
Jiang An suddenly opened his eyes, quickly got up, and ran towards the source of the sound without hesitation.
She was stunned. The sight before her shocked her – a middle-aged man was choking himself, howling in pain.
"Ah, it's happening again, it's happening again..." A young man muttered to himself in terror, his body trembling like a withered leaf in the wind, his eyes filled with despair and helplessness.
He stretched out his hand, trembling, pointing to the dark night sky, as if something terrifying was waiting for them there.
"I don't want to stay here, I want to leave, leave this place... I'm going to die anyway!" A man in the crowd roared emotionally, pushing through the crowd and rushing towards the closed door.
He frantically pulled at the doorknob, trying to escape this terrifying place.
"No, don't go out!" someone cried out in terror, but it was too late to stop them.
Jiang An watched helplessly as the man forcefully pushed open the door and rushed into the darkness.
The moment he stepped into the darkness, a pale moonlight shone upon him, and Jiang An, using the dim light, could see the expression on his face—a mixture of fear, despair, and resolve.
However, the next second, something shocking happened: the villager vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye, as if swallowed by darkness.
This scene was particularly terrifying.
"It's over, it's over..." People began to panic, some cried in despair, and some cursed angrily.
"Close the door immediately!" At this moment, the old man appeared out of nowhere, his face gloomy and his tone stern.
With a loud bang, the door slammed shut, shutting out the darkness and the unknown from the outside world.
Jiang Anxin's heart pounded; she could almost feel a chill seeping in from the crack in the door.
"It seems this place holds many secrets. Not only are people dying for no apparent reason, but there are also unknown monsters lurking in the darkness!"
Immediately afterwards, a chilling chewing sound came from the doorway, as if some evil being was enjoying its prey.
"Stay here and you still have a chance to live; go out and you'll die! Zhang Dazhu, Zhang Ergou, how are you guarding the gate? I'll deal with you properly when it's light!" The old man glared angrily at the two villagers on night watch and shouted at them.
"Alright, there shouldn't be any more danger tonight. Everyone, go back and rest. I've already sent someone to the city to invite the Venerable One; reinforcements will arrive soon." The old man comforted everyone, his tone firm and powerful.
The faint sound of sobbing came from all around, sounding particularly clear in the silent darkness.
Jiang An's mood became extremely heavy, and he secretly rejoiced: "Fortunately, the dungeon's mission is only to find teammates and survive, rather than to fight unknown monsters in the darkness!"
Her gaze slowly shifted backward, and she saw the middle-aged man lying on the ground with a look of terror on his face, his eyes wide open, staring straight ahead.
The piercing screams heard earlier had vanished without a trace, clearly indicating that the middle-aged man was dead.
Two more villagers tragically died tonight, both of them being men in their prime.
Just as Jiang An had seen during the day, there were very few women in the village, only about ten including herself.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
