Bai Yu's eyes grew even deeper. "Next, let's use what we've learned to change this world!"
Xu Yuehuai readily agreed, "Then let's hurry back to the village and rescue the villagers!"
The three figures moved swiftly, leaping down the mountain and embarking on an extraordinary path.
However, when they left the mountains and returned to the world, they were surprised to find that the village was surrounded by strangers.
“Those people don’t look like villagers. Someone else has come over here.” Bai Yu lowered his voice, his brows furrowed. His intuition told him that this was no coincidence.
"They're most likely here to see us," Bei Ye analyzed calmly, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes. They quickly exchanged a glance and decided to find out what was going on first.
"Let's disguise ourselves and go investigate," Xu Yuehuai suggested. The three of them quickly disguised themselves in the bushes, changing their appearance and clothing, as if they had become three completely different strangers.
As they approached the village entrance, a burly man in gray blocked their way, his tone impatient: "Why are you back so late? Don't you know you can't just go out at night?"
Xu Yuehuai feigned panic and explained, "I'm so sorry, we just encountered a ferocious beast and almost didn't make it back. Thank you for your concern, brother." Her tone was sincere, but her eyes held a hint of shrewdness.
The man next to the burly man in gray urged impatiently, "Hurry up and go in, stop dawdling."
The three took the opportunity to sneak into the village. Along the way, they found that the village was even quieter than before, with almost no villagers in sight. Only the occasional sounds of animals and the faint lights in the distance hinted at something unusual.
“The village has become even more desolate since we left,” Bei Ye sighed.
“Those people must have already taken control of all the villagers.” Xu Yuehuai walked towards the center of the village. “Let’s go to the village chief’s house first; maybe he can tell us something.”
On that familiar street, stretched long by the setting sun, the three hurried along, not daring to linger for even a moment.
The once bustling scenes along the streets are gone, leaving only mottled shadows on the walls, adding to the desolation.
Their faces remained calm, but their hearts were in turmoil.
When we arrived at the village chief's house, the mottled door was tightly closed, as if it were a barrier that cut off all life.
Inside the courtyard, fallen leaves danced in the wind, making a series of piercing rustling sounds, as if nature itself was lamenting this ominous sign.
Bei Ye gently pushed open the door and whispered, "Something's not right, sister, don't come in yet."
The house was deathly still, a stark contrast to the warmth of the village chief's house in the past. The furnishings remained the same, but every detail exuded a sense of desolation and oppression.
Just then, a dark figure suddenly fell from the roof beam with a dull thud, startling the three of them.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the village chief, whose face was purple and who was motionless, clearly having fallen into a coma.
"He's been poisoned, and it's a very potent poison." Bai Yu crouched down and carefully examined the village chief's condition, his voice heavy with worry.
Xu Yuehuai's eyes instantly reddened. She clenched her fists and asked angrily and helplessly, "How could those people be so heartless? The village chief is the soul of the village!"
Bei Ye sighed and shook his head: "This poison is indeed troublesome, I'm afraid..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the three of them already had a guess in their hearts.
Xu Yuehuai suddenly remembered something and took out a crystal-clear antidote pill from her bosom. It was a treasure given to her by the Ghost Doctor and could cure all poisons.
"The village chief is a good man, I can't just watch him leave like this." She slowly fed the antidote into the village chief's mouth.
Time passed slowly, and the room was very quiet, without any sound.
Suddenly, the village chief's eyelids twitched a few times, and he slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the three of them with a confused and weak expression, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
“You… hurry up and leave this village,” his voice was hoarse and urgent. “If possible, take the children with you. The outside world may be dangerous, but it’s better than here.”
With tears welling in her eyes, Xu Yuehuai tightly grasped the village chief's hand and asked anxiously, "Village chief, who exactly harmed you? Was it those people guarding outside the village?"
The village chief shook his head with difficulty, as if he had a thousand words to say but could not express them.
"You are no match for them. Hurry up and leave; this is the only way out."
As soon as he finished speaking, the village chief's eyes gradually became unfocused, eventually returning to calm and lifeless.
"Village Chief!" Xu Yuehuai cried out in despair.
Bei Ye gently held her shoulder, offering silent comfort.
"Sister, he's gone. We should let him rest in peace."
Bei Ye suggested burying the village chief in the back mountain, which was the village chief's favorite place during his lifetime.
The three of them worked together to carefully carry the village chief to the back of the mountain, where they chose a scenic spot as his final resting place.
During the burial, Xu Yuehuai remained silent, only shedding tears quietly, gently smoothing every inch of the earth with her hands, as if burying all her sorrow and reluctance there.
However, just as they were about to finish the burial, a childish voice suddenly rang out: "You killed the village chief! I'm going to get the adults to arrest you!"
The three turned around in astonishment and saw a ragged child hiding behind a tree, his eyes filled with fear and anger.
“Child, it’s not like that,” Xu Yuehuai quickly stepped forward, trying to explain, “We didn’t hurt the village chief, the village chief…”
But the child clearly didn't want to believe it; he turned and ran, disappearing into the dense forest.
"This child, sigh!" Bei Ye frowned as he looked in the direction the child had left. "Perhaps, only by finding out the truth can we save these children."
Bai Yu also said, "We cannot let the village chief's sacrifice be in vain. We must make those people pay for their crimes in blood, and seek justice for the village chief and for the entire village."
As the sun set, they stood before the village chief's grave and made their firm promise.
As night fell, the outline of the back mountain appeared particularly lonely under the moonlight.
Xu Yuehuai tiptoed away from the tranquil place, her heart filled with mixed emotions, yet her steps were unusually firm. She walked through the winding paths, her destination the village's ever-burning light—the large kitchen.
Inside the kitchen, the firelight flickered dimly, and there was no one there, only the occasional soft clatter of cooking utensils.
Xu Yuehuai looked around to make sure no one was there, then took out a delicate little bottle from her bosom. It was a carefully prepared anesthetic powder.
A resolute glint flashed in her eyes as she gently twisted the bottle cap, releasing a faint herbal scent. She carefully sprinkled the powder into the breakfast she was about to prepare for the villagers, each movement tinged with resignation.
Having done all this, she sighed softly and quietly left the kitchen.
Back at the village chief's house, Bai Yu had been waiting for a long time, his brows revealing a deep thoughtfulness.
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