Uncle Qi's cold snort carried an undeniable air of authority.
Old Chen subconsciously shrank his neck, his face showing a look of struggle and guilt.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately couldn't utter a rebuttal.
I was a little annoyed. Didn't Old Chen understand?!
Who knows what Uncle Qi is thinking? Maybe he's been trapped in this village for years and has some ideas of his own.
Otherwise, with his abilities, how could he not even be able to send one person away?
Old Chen seemed completely oblivious to this, and after being glared at by Seventh Uncle, he continued his stern admonition:
"You actually believe such nonsense?"
"You think you have some cultivation? You don't even understand the principles of ghosts bewitching minds and distorting memories!"
"That thing was tortured to death by Chen Hua using evil magic. Its resentment was soaring, and its mind was already confused. If even half of what it said was true, that would be a good thing!"
Uncle Qi's words were so powerful that they actually shocked us for a moment, and what he said was indeed a well-known truth.
But I still really feel that the vengeful ghost just now didn't seem to be lying.
My grandfather also told me that ghosts exist because of resentment, and their memories and words are often distorted by their own pain and hatred.
So while what Uncle Qi said was somewhat far-fetched, it wasn't entirely impossible.
Seeing that we were all silent, Uncle Qi paused for a moment and continued:
"You believed her when she said Chen Hua fed the locust tree with rotten flesh. Do you think the locust tree is a wild dog? Eating meat and doing all that? You believed her when she said she was the Yin of the Earth, the first sacrifice?! If she had just made baseless accusations, saying I was Chen Hua's accomplice and wanted to kill you, would you have believed her too?"
Upon hearing this, Old Chen took two steps back and waved his hands repeatedly.
"Seventh Uncle, how could I possibly doubt you? If you wanted to kill me, I would have turned into a pile of bones long ago!"
"But why are those villagers somewhat afraid of you? And why do you clearly suppress that female ghost? With just one sentence, you made her disappear."
I want to argue that there are too many doubts, and even if he eloquently claims to be right, he is still not credible.
"No buts!"
My seventh uncle suddenly interrupted me rudely. His eyes were incredibly sharp, as if he could see into my mind.
“I know what you’re suspecting. Blood Soil—that’s the pollution Chen Hua brought! The villagers’ strange changes are also due to their long-term consumption of meat! As for me,”
He paused, a complex expression appearing on his face.
"I used to be the village chief, so it's not hard to understand why I had some prestige among them."
"Moreover, ever since Blackwater Village became like this, I've been guarding the village for so long, barely managing to maintain a sliver of clarity in this evil-infested place thanks to some ancestral tricks. Is it a crime to suppress these insignificant little ghosts and demons? Just because I could get that female ghost to leave, I've become Chen Hua's accomplice. It's utterly absurd!"
After listening to Uncle Qi's sophistry, I not only did not completely believe him, but became even more suspicious.
The main reason was that the female ghost was so terrifying, and she seemed to want to eat Chen Hua's flesh and drink his blood, yet in his mouth she was just a little devil.
Isn't that ridiculous?!
But the old man didn't convince me; instead, he clearly frightened Luo Tianhe, Li Huai, Lao Chen, and the others.
Their expressions shifted constantly, as if their stance had wavered.
Seeing their expressions and my somber face, Xu Chongfeng softened his tone slightly, offering a weary admonition:
"Take my advice: try to leave here after dawn. These villagers fought fiercely all night, and they paid a price. They probably won't be able to move around freely for a long time. This is your chance to escape!"
"As for the mess that involves Chen Hua, I advise you not to get involved anymore, lest you drown in it!"
He coldly uttered those words, then gave us no further chances to ask questions, instead giving me a deep look.
That look in his eyes was complex and hard to decipher; it was difficult to say what it meant.
But I felt as if it was a provocation against me.
I don't know if it's just my imagination.
Then, leaning on his cane, he staggered and disappeared into the shadows of the trees, leaving the four of us standing there.
"Brother Yan, could it be that we really misunderstood Uncle Qi?"
Li Huai scratched his head and asked in a low voice. He was frightened by what his seventh uncle had said and was more inclined to believe the old man who had once helped them.
I stared at Li Huai with a blank expression, which made him feel a little uneasy.
In the end, I couldn't hold back and gave him a slap, scolding him with exasperation:
"It's one thing for them to believe it, but they have no direct interest in Chen Hua. You, on the other hand, have become Chen Hua's best prey, and you still believe this! That old man sold you out, and you're still counting the money for him!"
Upon hearing this, Li Huai immediately showed a look of horror. He didn't want to become a ghost like that female ghost!
"So, Brother Yan, what should we do next?"
Li Huai looked completely lost.
“The old man just hinted that things would be peaceful in the village for a while. We could go back for a visit. He wouldn’t lie to us about something so obvious.”
I stroked my chin, pondered for a while, and finally said these words.
Upon hearing this, Li Huai's face immediately showed a look of horror.
"Brother, the villagers are searching for us all over the mountains. If we go back now, wouldn't that be like walking into a trap?"
"Hehe, that Seventh Uncle has earned our trust so much, he certainly wouldn't lie to us about such a small matter."
"Moreover, those villagers were supposed to maintain a normal state during the day and a strange state at night. They have already gone against the tide and paid a price, which is only natural."
I spoke somewhat mysteriously, but I was actually quite confident, and our equipment was still in the village.
We left in a hurry and forgot to ask Old Chen to patch up our tires before driving off.
We retraced our steps, and perhaps because it was already daylight, we didn't encounter any ghosts or monsters along the way.
This made Li Huai even more convinced of what I had said before; the village might indeed be completely safe now.
We've already discussed it; a tow truck is definitely out of the question. That would be too noisy; it would probably wake up even the dead.
We plan to first find the tire repair materials at Old Chen's place, and then pack the materials and bring them over.
Let Lao Chen fix the tire on the spot; it'll be usable as long as it's passable.
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