CHAPTER 49: CHAPTER 48: WANGSHENG VILLAGE

"Wu Liang, who is this?"

Early the next morning at the Xingfu District apartment building, Jiang Min was waiting and saw Wu Liang walk out of the rental with a woman dressed casually, as if she were on vacation.

She carefully scrutinized the woman, glancing quickly down at herself as she traced her eyes from the woman’s face downwards.

She lost!

"My tenant, a city person who hasn’t been to the countryside, wants to come along for fun." Wu Liang couldn’t reveal his and Ms. Yang’s official identities, so he had to casually make up an excuse.

After speaking, Ms. Yang smiled broadly and greeted Jiang Min, even taking two candies out of her pocket and handing them to her.

"Alright, let’s go now that everyone’s here, it’s quite far." Wu Liang guided the two to a nearby subway station.

The journey to Wangsheng Village was quite extensive: from taking a subway to the bus station, taking a bus to a stop outside the county, and then walking for a long distance; if they chatted any longer, they feared they wouldn’t arrive by noon.

Seeing this, the other two didn’t say much, silently following behind Wu Liang.

It was a full four hours after they set out.

Only then did the three reach the spot outside the county where they needed to walk.

After getting off, they looked at the towering mountains ahead and the uninhabited dirt road, leaving both Jiang Min and Ms. Yang in a daze.

This... there’s an additional section we have to walk?

They felt as if they were walking away from human society!

"Heh, you call this far? There’s more!" Wu Liang chuckled disdainfully.

He then reached out and pushed aside the bushes, much like in "The Peach Blossom Spring" where behind the dense woods there was a small hidden path exposed, covered by overgrown grass and trees blocking the way.

The previous night’s light rain had turned the already narrow path, barely wide enough for one person, into a muddy mess, making it feel like one might slip at any time.

"Wu Liang... I really wonder how you found this kind of path." Ms. Yang’s playful expression began to show a hint of admiration.

In her eyes, the surrounding scenery looked identical in every direction, overgrown with weeds!

"Practice makes perfect, but this path seems a bit desolate." Wu Liang secretly pondered.

Something is not right!

Logically, there should only be this one road from Wangsheng Village to Jiangling County!

Even if the villagers seldom went out, they would occasionally go to the county to buy some supplies and daily necessities, right?

The only path connecting to the outside world was completely covered by weeds, didn’t anyone bother to clear it?

Didn’t Master Xun’Er say—there was no road on the ground; when more people walk, it becomes a path?

Where have the walking people gone?

With these questions in mind, Wu Liang led the two women silently forward, walking for nearly half an hour before they saw a scythe placed at the corner up ahead.

Seeing the scythe, the two women couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief—there were indeed signs of human activity here.

The path near the scythe looked completely different from their arrival; all the weeds had been cut neatly, suggesting someone recently intended to clear the weeds from the inside out.

"Once you turn that corner, you’ll be there; the scythe serves as a landmark." Wu Liang whispered.

Every time he came, he saw this scythe in different places, left by the villagers specifically for clearing weeds on the path.

Crossing the scythe, the scene opened up—flat land and orderly houses resembling a utopian village appeared before them.

Ms. Yang and Jiang Min were exclaimed in wonder, not expecting that in an era of supernatural resurgence, so many people would still live in such a secluded place—and seemingly live quite well.

"Ah Liang, is that you? You’ve grown so much in a year! Want to come in and sit?"

A middle-aged woman, who was playing with her children at the village entrance, saw three people coming from the path. As they got closer, she beamed and greeted them.

"Aunt Wang, why are there so many weeds outside the village? The road is almost invisible. I suggested before that you build a flat road, but no one listened. It’s not like the village can’t afford it." Wu Liang couldn’t help but complain when he saw someone familiar.

This woman was Wang Jing.

Her house was the closest to the village entrance, so every time Wu Liang came back, she treated him warmly, like her own son.

However, Wang Jing’s expression froze when Wu Liang mentioned the path issue.

It was as if her brain stalled for a few seconds before she awkwardly replied, "Oh, there haven’t been many people going out lately, so no one’s bothered with it. I’ll call your Wang to clear it later."

Her tone was peculiar, as if deliberately avoiding the subject.

She then quickly invited Wu Liang inside to sit.

But Wu Liang declined the kind offer, as he needed to take Jiang Min and Ms. Yang to his old house to clean up a place for rest. He only returned once a year, and who knew how dirty it was inside.

"Alright, then Auntie won’t keep you. If you don’t have food at noon, come to Auntie’s house, okay?"

With that, Wang Jing quickly retreated to her house as if fleeing, taking her child who was playing outside with her.

This strange behavior naturally caught the attention of Wu Liang and his companions.

But he said nothing, merely leading the way to the old house, with Jiang Min and Ms. Yang following, observing the village around them.

"Wu Liang, do you smell something strange?" Shortly after entering the village, Ms. Yang sensed a strong smell of blood.

"Ah! Over there!"

Before Wu Liang could respond, Jiang Min’s exclamation drew their gaze.

A butcher with a bare chest was continuously chopping meat in a yard, the strong scent of blood coming from his direction.

Upon closer inspection, a black dog’s head, tongue hanging loose, was on the chopping board as the butcher dealt with its innards.

Looking at Wu Liang, the butcher glanced up, forcing a smile more awkward than crying, and said, "Wu Liang is back. Do you need some meat at home? I’ll pack some for you."

"Thanks, Li, but I bought some."

Wu Liang raised the large black bag he was holding, filled with groceries he had bought en route.

Seeing this, the butcher said no more, simply nodding twice as he continued processing the dog meat, the pungent odor overwhelming Ms. Yang.

"Wu Liang, why does your village... feel a bit strange?"

Even Ms. Yang, who had never been to the countryside, felt an odd discomfort, but couldn’t pinpoint what exactly was wrong.

A middle-aged woman playing with a child is normal!

A butcher buying meat and slaughtering it is also normal!

Yet, Wu Liang walked silently until they were far enough from the butcher’s yard before he quietly spoke:

"Of course, it’s strange, I’m even more confused than you."

"That black dog has been Butcher Li’s guard dog for eight years, he wouldn’t even let people touch it, claiming it warded off evil, yet today he’s slaughtered it?"

"And Aunt Wang’s husband—Wang—I recall he died of a heart attack two years ago, and at that time had no children."

"Aunt Wang has been a widow for two years, so where did the child come from? And who is she calling Wang to clear weeds..."