Seeing that she couldn't wake Yi An, Xu Xinghe quickly took out spiritual spring water from her space, pried open his chin, and poured most of the bottle into it.
The cool spring water slid down his throat, and Yi An's Adam's apple bobbed. After a moment, he suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze still somewhat dazed, and his head still felt extremely dizzy.
When he saw that it was Xu Xinghe standing by the bed, he was startled and quickly sat up, asking in a low voice, "Why are you here? What happened in the middle of the night?"
“We’ve been drugged. I noticed something was wrong when I was in the room, and soon after, someone sneaked in to peek. Luckily, I pretended to be asleep. I came to wake you, but I couldn’t wake you up no matter how many times I tried to push you.”
Yi An's face darkened.
He's always been a light sleeper, waking up at the slightest noise, let alone in this unfamiliar place where he'd be even more alert. How could he possibly not wake up?
It seems that someone did indeed tamper with things.
He raised his hand to rub his throbbing temples, still somewhat dazed from the lingering effects of the drug. "No wonder I was sleeping so soundly just now, I was drugged!"
“That man and his wife went out, I don’t know where they went.” Xu Xinghe pointed out the window. “Let’s follow them and see what they’re up to. Remember, be very careful, don’t get caught.”
Yi An nodded immediately, quickly put on her shoes, and slung her hunting rifle over her shoulder.
The two tiptoed out of the room, across the courtyard, and to the gate.
The courtyard gate, which was locked during the day, was now ajar and not locked.
Pushing open the door, the sight outside startled the two of them.
Just now, before they went to sleep, every household had turned off their lights, and the whole village was pitch black.
But now, every household has a kerosene lamp lit up inside.
The dim light shone through the windows onto the path, illuminating the village in a hazy, indistinct way, yet there was not a sound of human voices, making it extremely eerie.
Xu Xinghe was about to step out of the yard to check on the nearest house when she suddenly heard a soft creak.
The door of the house next door opened.
She immediately pulled Yi'an back behind the door, held her breath, and looked out through the crack in the door.
Then, something even stranger happened.
The doors of every household in the village opened one after another, and figures emerged from their homes.
There were men and women, the same villagers I had seen during the day.
They walked in unison, with solemn expressions and no emotion on their faces, heading deeper into the village.
Xu Xinghe stared at the figures of those people, then suddenly lowered her voice and said, "There are no children or elderly people here, did you notice?"
Yi An frowned, carefully recalling what had happened in the village during the day. "Yes! There really wasn't!"
They walked around all day, but they didn't see any children running around or even an elderly person sitting in the sun at the door!
In a normal village, the elderly and children are the most common sights, but here... here there are only young adults!
This is very unusual.
A normal village cannot consist only of young and middle-aged people.
But in Shiwa Village, there are only those seemingly ordinary young and middle-aged men and women from beginning to end.
Once the group ahead had gone some distance, Xu Xinghe and Yi An exchanged a glance and, using the shadows of the houses as cover, cautiously followed.
The two walked in the shadows, keeping their steps very light and maintaining a safe distance from the group. With the help of the dim light and the scattered houses, they were not discovered along the way.
After walking for about half an hour, the line in front suddenly stopped.
Xu Xinghe immediately pulled Yi An behind an old tree, held her breath, and peered out.
The villagers were seen lining up and walking one by one into an inconspicuous hillside in the center of the village.
There was a hidden entrance to an underground cave!
The entrance to the cave was half-hidden by vines and weeds, and without someone to guide you, you would not be able to see anything at all. Judging from the width of the entrance and the faint echoes coming from it, the space inside the cave was probably quite large.
Xu Xinghe lowered her voice and said to Yi An, "I'll go in, you wait outside."
"No way!" Yi An immediately retorted, "It's too dangerous inside. How can you go in alone? I'll go with you so we can look out for each other!"
“I’m only truly safe when you’re outside.” Xu Xinghe shook her head and patiently explained, “If anything goes wrong inside, I need someone outside to provide backup and keep an eye on things to prevent them from colluding with us. Your presence outside is the greatest help you can give me.”
If she encounters danger, Xu Xinghe can hide in her spatial dimension to avoid it at any time, but Yi An cannot.
Bringing him along would only restrict his actions and might even put him in danger.
Moreover, the space is Xu Xinghe's biggest secret, and it must not be known to a second person. This is the only reason that can convince him.
Yi An pursed her lips, her brows furrowed, still disagreeing, "No, we have to go together. I can't let you risk your life alone!"
By this time, there were very few villagers left at the entrance of the cave, and if they delayed any longer, they might miss their chance.
Xu Xinghe said no more, but pulled a pistol from behind his back and said in a deep voice, "I've had proper training, and my marksmanship and fighting skills are better than yours. You won't be of any help going in; you'll only be a burden. I need you to provide backup outside and guard the exit. Do you understand now?"
Looking at the pistol that only appeared in the military, and thinking of Xu Xinghe's identity, Yi An finally stopped insisting.
Since Xu Xinghe can produce this item, he must have the ability to protect himself. If I force myself to go in, I might really be a hindrance.
“Okay, then I’ll wait for you outside.” Yi An took a deep breath. “You must be careful. If anything happens, run outside. I will guard the cave entrance.”
"Don't worry." Xu Xinghe nodded and instructed, "Find a secluded place to hide well, and don't let the people who are coming back find you. No matter what noise you hear, don't make any rash moves before I appear."
Yi An immediately responded, turned around and disappeared into the bushes beside her, quickly vanishing into the darkness.
After confirming that he was well hidden, Xu Xinghe took advantage of the gap when the last few villagers entered the cave, crouched down and rushed over quickly. She slipped lightly into the cave entrance and followed silently down the dark passage.
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