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Chapitre 17

Chenguan Village, Chen Erjia.

Chen Er's family had all been sent away to other places, leaving him alone at home. The air was thick with the strong smell of alcohol as Chen Er drank alone in silence. One bottle of baijiu on the table was empty, and the other was almost finished.

Alcohol emboldened him, and fueled by the alcohol, Chen Er cursed, "What kind of bullshit monster is this? All it knows is sucking the blood of livestock! If it's so capable, come and suck my blood!" Chen Er's curses grew louder and louder, reaching the ears of the nearby neighbors. Chen Er's words truly expressed their feelings, but no one dared to echo him. If they angered the monster and it came looking for them, they would face certain death.

As he cursed, Chen Er stopped. He remembered his dairy cows. He pulled a double-barreled shotgun and five or six bullets from the top of a cabinet. Chen Er had originally gotten the shotgun for hunting, but before he could even fire a single shot, the government tightened gun control, making private possession of firearms illegal. Chen Er had hidden the shotgun on top of the cabinet, almost forgetting he even had one. The alcohol had suddenly brought it back to him. After loading the bullets, Chen Er staggered out of the house and headed towards his family's dairy farm.

At the same time, a blurry black figure emerged from the river, stood on the riverbank for a while, and then walked towards Chen Er's dairy farm.

Chen Er walked into the dairy farm. The cows seemed to know their end was near, emitting desperate moans that sounded like the babbling of dying old men. Some cows shed tears, staring at Chen Er with wide, resentful eyes, as if blaming him for his incompetence in not being able to protect them. Chen Er felt uneasy under the cows' gazes. A gust of cold wind sobered him up, and his courage waned, leaving his legs trembling.

A chilling breath brushed against Chen Er's neck, startling him so much he almost wet himself. Someone was behind him!

"Who...who's...there?" Chen Er's teeth chattered, and he could barely speak. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a black figure behind him, surrounded by a thin mist. Chen Er was certain that the figure behind him was the monster the villagers had spoken of, because he sensed an inhuman aura emanating from the black figure, and a strange smell in the air—a smell he had smelled before, but in his nervousness, he couldn't remember what it was.

"You...you...don't come any closer, I...I have...a gun...I have...a magic weapon..." Chen Er saw the dark figure slowly walking towards him, and his soul almost left his body in fright.

He couldn't hear footsteps even though they were so close.

The shadowy figure was getting closer and closer to him. What should he do? What should he do? Cold sweat instantly soaked Chen Er's clothes.

"I'll risk it!" The shadowy figure was already behind him. Chen Er suddenly turned around and pulled the trigger.

With a deafening bang, Chen Er was jolted back three steps by the recoil of the double-barreled shotgun before coming to a stop. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. The lead bullet that had shot out of the muzzle pierced through the dark figure's body and struck the wall of the dairy farm. The mud wall was riddled with bullet holes and teetered on the verge of collapse, while the dark figure in front of him was completely unharmed.

To be hit by a double-barreled shotgun at such close range would bring down even an elephant. Enraged by the shot, the dark figure strode towards Chen Er.

"Ah... Help... You... Don't... Don't come any closer... Folks... Save... Save... Me!" Faced with death, Chen Er's screams sounded like a woman's. "Don't... Kill... Kill me... My ox... Great Immortal... You can suck as much as you want... I have... an eighty-year-old mother... and... a wife and children... I... can't die!"

Chen Er's last words seemed to move the shadowy figure, who stopped in his tracks.

“My child is only two years old, just the right age to play…” Chen Er realized that his words seemed to have an effect, and began to talk on and on.

The shadowy figure seemed impatient. With a flick of its hand, Chen Er felt a cold liquid touch his face, and then everything went black as he passed out. The shadowy figure glanced at Chen Er and walked towards the terrified cow.

A night had passed, and the sun had just peeked over the horizon. The villagers had all heard the gunshots and Chen Er's cries for help from the previous night. But, fearing the monster's terror, no one dared to come out. Someone started by opening their gate, and soon every house in Chenguan Village opened its gates, and all the villagers rushed out. Their destination was the same: Chen Er's dairy farm. Even Old Man Chen was among them.

When Chen Lao Er limped to his dairy farm, many villagers had already arrived. They saw Chen Lao Er lying on the ground in the yard, all the cows dead. The villagers automatically made way for him, their meaning clear: go check if Chen Lao Er is dead.

Old Man Chen mustered his courage and walked towards Chen Er. Behind him were hundreds of eyes in Chenguan Village, and he had no choice but to do so.

As he approached Chen Er, Old Man Chen's heart raced. Having spent his entire life as a charlatan, he'd never seen a ghost, let alone a dead person. He initially intended to simply touch Chen Er with his foot, but upon looking down, he noticed Chen Er's rosy complexion; he didn't seem dead. Old Man Chen reached out and touched Chen Er's neck—it was warm, and he still had a pulse.

"Help! Chen Er is still alive!" Old Man Chen shouted.

Two villagers with some medical knowledge ran out from the crowd and performed CPR, reviving Chen Er.

"Chen Er, did you see what the demon looked like last night?" "Why didn't the demon kill you?" "Has the demon left? Will it come back tonight?" "Is the demon male or female?" "Why does the demon suck blood?" As soon as Chen Er woke up, the villagers surrounded him and bombarded him with questions, leaving Chen Er overwhelmed and unsure of whose questions to answer first.

"Quiet down, everyone!" Old Chen shouted, and the villagers immediately fell silent. Now, Old Chen's words carried more weight than the village chief's. "Chen Er, tell me in detail what happened last night."

Chen Er glanced back at his dead cow, feeling some resentment towards the villagers for not helping him. But it was all in the past. These people were his blood relatives, so he recounted the events of the previous night in detail. After finishing, he left the dairy farm without looking back.

Hearing Chen Er's account, Old Man Chen's eyes lit up. From Chen Er's experience, this demon, though powerful, was a benevolent monster and unwilling to kill. Chen Er hadn't been hurt by a single shot, so burning some paper and waving a stick in front of it should be fine too. Why not do that? The more Old Man Chen thought about it, the happier he became, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Old Chen's laughter startled the villagers. Aunt Wu, who was one of the bolder ones, asked, "Immortal Chen, what are you laughing at?"

Old Chen noticed that he had lost his composure, and then, on a whim, he started crying again.

The villagers were thrown into chaos. What was wrong with Chen Bansian, who was laughing and crying at the same time? Had he been driven mad by a demon? If that were the case, what should they do?

Now that Aunt Wu had started, she was determined to continue asking. "Master Chen, what's wrong with you?"

Old Chen had put on quite a show, and the villagers, seeing through his intentions, changed their expressions and said with a heavy heart, "I laughed just now because I figured out the demon's weakness, and I cried because my magic power is insufficient. Even if I knew the demon's weakness, I still couldn't defeat it." Hearing the first half of his sentence, the villagers were a little anxious. Before they could even feel happy, they heard the second half of Old Chen's sentence, and their hearts sank even further.

"But..." Old Man Chen changed the subject, his expression resolute and righteous, "Chenguan Village is where I was born and raised, and we are all related. After I was injured, my legs became weak, and I am grateful for the care of the villagers. Otherwise, I would have starved to death long ago. I cannot let the demon harm my kind villagers any longer, so I have decided to fight the demon. Tonight, I will perform a ritual and fight the demon to the death to repay the great kindness of the villagers."

The villagers were immediately excited and cheered. Some passionate young people even shouted that they would join Chen Banxian that night to fight the demon to the death.

Seeing that he had achieved his expected effect, Old Chen smiled faintly. He raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet and continued, "As I said before, I can't deal with the demon alone. I've decided to set up the **Great Harmony Formation**. I need everyone to choose six people with authority: three men and three women. Such people are protected by the gods and can deter the demon. Please rest assured, I guarantee that the chosen people will be safe." In his heart, however, Old Chen thought, "I'm gambling with my life. How can I do this without witnesses? With these people here, after tonight I'll definitely be living the high life in the village, with plenty of wine and meat, and they'll treat me like a god."

After listening to Old Chen's words, the villagers quickly selected six people, including Li Youcai and Aunt Wu. Old Chen was very satisfied with the selection and said, "The six of you go and burn incense and bathe. You are not allowed to eat meat for a day. Wait for me here in the evening. I also need to go home to prepare. If there's nothing else, go home."

Old Chen waved his hand, and the villagers scattered in a flurry, talking all day about the big event that was going to happen that night.

The chosen person was uneasy, but still did as Old Chen said. When Old Chen got home, he drew the curtains, and a strong smell of incense wafted out of the window. The villagers guessed that Old Chen must be preparing for a ritual, but no one expected that the old charlatan was fast asleep at home, drooling.

As dusk fell, the six men stood at the agreed-upon spot, waiting for Chen Banxian, their hearts pounding with anxiety. Old Man Chen, having finished his meal and drinks at home, staggered out of his house.

Aunt Wu immediately went to greet Old Man Chen when she saw him. Smelling alcohol, she cautiously asked, "Master Chen, have you been drinking?"

Old Chen scolded, "What do you know, you woman? Wine can boost courage and replenish yang energy, and bring out a person's potential. This monster is too strong. How can I not drink it? Help me over there quickly."

"Oh." Aunt Wu meekly helped Old Man Chen up. Old Man Chen was overjoyed. Aunt Wu usually bossed people around in the village, and no one dared to challenge her. Today, she was scolded by me and dared not talk back. If it weren't for the strange occurrence in the village, this would have been unthinkable.

"You six stand still. I'll cast some protective talismans on you to ensure your safety tonight." Old Chen set up the altar, burned incense, and then took out several talismans from his robe. He waved them in the air a couple of times, and the talismans emitted a wisp of white smoke before bursting into flames. The six men stared wide-eyed at the unbelievable scene. Little did they know that Old Chen had smeared white phosphorus on the talismans before sealing them tightly. White phosphorus has a very low ignition point, and in the summer heat, it spontaneously combusted upon contact with air, igniting the talismans.

After casting the talisman, Old Man Chen led the six people to the largest breeding farm in the village. If the demon were to appear tonight, it would definitely come here to suck blood.

As darkness fell, Old Chen drew six circles around him, instructing the chosen six to stand within them. If the demon were to truly harm someone, he wouldn't be the first to be hurt. He deliberately positioned Aunt Wu facing the door, watching her turn deathly pale and tremble uncontrollably, a sense of revenge rising within him. Once the formation was complete, the seven stood there silently, so quiet they could hear each other's heartbeats. Time slowly passed.

The crescent moon hung like a hook, its cold light shining on the ground, casting a pale white glow around the seven people.

Old Chen glanced at Li Youcai beside him. The moonlight made his face appear deathly pale, like that of a corpse. Li Youcai was expressionless, lost in thought, making him look even more like a zombie. Old Chen suddenly had second thoughts. The demon hadn't drunk Chen Er's blood, probably because Chen Er was alone, and the demon thought his blood was too little. Now he had six people with him; human blood contained far more essence than animal blood. Would the demon let this delicious feast slip by?

Old Chen was just trying to find an excuse to put away the shamanic altar when a dark figure appeared at the entrance of the breeding farm. A faint black mist surrounded him, and in the moonlight, his face was indistinct, only a dark blur. Everyone's heart leaped into their throats, their eyes fixed on the figure. Li Youcai was slightly better off, having once witnessed a demon.

The shadowy figure paused for about a minute, then slowly walked towards the seven people. There were no footsteps, but each step felt like a blow to their hearts.

"How dare you... you... you... you... you... you... I'll teach you a lesson!" Old Chen was so frightened that he couldn't speak clearly, and he wildly brandished his peach wood sword to bolster his courage. Fortunately, the other six people were on edge, their minds blank, seeing only shadows, and had no idea what Old Chen was doing.

The shadowy figure brushed past Aunt Wu, who fell to the ground in fright. A warm flow gushed between her legs, filling the air with a foul, fishy odor. The shadowy figure ignored the seven people and headed towards the livestock shed.

Old Chen laughed; demons don't suck human blood. Seeing the demon reach the livestock shed, Old Chen cut his finger with a knife, scribbled a talisman on a piece of yellow paper, and shouted, "Demon, behold my blood talisman!" He picked up the talisman with his injured finger and pointed it at the dark figure.

Just then, the shadowy figure raised its hand, and streams of liquid flew out from the livestock shed and entered its body. The shadowy figure turned around when it heard Old Chen's voice. Old Chen felt a chill run through his body, and blood gushed from the wounds on his fingers. He couldn't even make a sound.

Old Chen is dead!

004 The Mysterious Village

6:45 a.m., police station office.

"My God, how can you be so handsome? It's unbearable!" a man exclaimed, looking at himself in the mirror. He was brushing his teeth, wearing only boxer shorts, his mouth covered in toothpaste foam. His name was Ye Cheng, a fairly good-looking young policeman. He lived in the police station office because he didn't have to pay for water and electricity, or rent, and he could publicly claim to be dedicated to his job, never leaving his post. It wasn't that he didn't have a home; his father was also a policeman, but for a reason he didn't want to talk about, he didn't want to go home.

"You're so handsome, you're so handsome, you're so handsome..." Ye Cheng looked at himself more and more handsome, so he simply used his toothbrush as a microphone and started singing his self-composed song "You're So Handsome". His butt was twisting like it was equipped with an electric motor, making people worry that he might accidentally twist his hip bone into a pretzel.

Ring... The office phone rang. Calls at this time are usually urgent.

Ye Cheng wiped the toothpaste foam off his mouth with a towel, ran over to answer the phone, "Yes...yes...Chenguan Village...yes...understood...I'll be leaving right away." Ye Cheng put down the phone, ran to the door and shouted, "Get up, we have work to do! The 110 emergency hotline just received an anonymous call saying there was a murder in Chenguan Village and they need us to go check it out. We're leaving in five minutes." The quiet police station building suddenly became noisy.

The door to the office opposite Ye Cheng suddenly opened, and a policewoman ran out, immediately spotting Ye Cheng wearing only his underwear. They stared at each other for a few seconds, then Ye Cheng screamed, slammed the office door shut, and the policewoman ran off with a grin.

Five minutes later, Ye Cheng, neatly dressed and with a serious expression, sat in the police car heading to Chenguan Village. His breath still smelled of toothpaste, and a policewoman beside him watched him with a smile. The policewoman's name was Li Xiao; she was a graduate of the police academy majoring in criminal investigation and had only recently joined the police station as an intern. Ye Cheng had been at the station longer, so the chief assigned her to him, instructing him to mentor her and help her become familiar with the work as quickly as possible.

At dawn, the piercing sound of police sirens shattered the usual tranquility as three police cars sped through the streets.

Ye Cheng glanced out the window every now and then, realizing he knew this road very well; it led to the city's prestigious elite school, Yishi Academy. He had recently solved a bizarre series of murders there, though few knew about it. His best friend, Xia Chen, had transferred to Yishi Academy not long ago and was probably still fast asleep. Xia Chen's deskmate was Luo Shimin, a pretty and adorable girl. Thinking of her made Ye Cheng's mouth water, but then he remembered her father was the infamous leader of the Batian Gang, and her brother was the fearsome Luo Xie. The thought sent a shiver down Ye Cheng's spine. He hoped Xia Chen wouldn't anger the Luo family, or the consequences would be dire. Another girl, looking fierce and menacing, appeared in Ye Cheng's mind. This girl was Hu Rongrong, Luo Shimin's best friend, whose hobby was arguing with Ye Cheng. "Why am I thinking about her?" Ye Cheng shook his head, trying to banish Hu Rongrong from his mind.

Li Xiao, who had been smiling the whole time, asked, "What were you thinking about just now? You looked all rosy-cheeked, were you thinking about your girlfriend?"

"Pah, pah, pah." Ye Cheng spat three times. "Don't talk nonsense, okay?" If Hu Rongrong became his girlfriend, Ye Cheng would be so angry he'd want to smash his head against a telephone pole and die.

Seeing that Li Xiao was about to ask another question, Ye Cheng quickly asked the driver, "Where is Chenguan Village? This is the road to Yishi Academy."

Without turning his head, the driver said, "The village next to Yishi Academy is Chenguan Village. There is a river connecting Yishi Academy and Chenguan Village. Most people in Chenguan Village are engaged in animal husbandry, so they are much richer than other villages."

Ye Chengqi said, "I come to Yishi Academy often and I didn't even know that. How do you know so much?"

The driver chuckled, “My son-in-law’s aunt’s third nephew’s nephew’s girlfriend’s brother’s uncle lives in this village. They’ve given us some local specialties before, so I know them. I’ve even been to their village. The river there is very clear, with fish, shrimp, and crabs that taste delicious.”

Ye Cheng tried to figure out the driver's family relationships by counting on his fingers, but he got confused when he got to the third nephew and had to give up in the end because it was just too complicated.

As the police car drove past Yishi Academy, Ye Cheng glanced out the window.

Sure enough, a small river flowed through Yishi Academy. A light mist drifted across the river, and the water flowed quietly. Looking ahead along the river, he saw Chenguan Village, a village that was almost as big as a town.

Screech... The tires screeched against the ground. Three police cars stopped at the village entrance, their sirens still blaring. Police officers filed out of the cars, but Chenguan Village remained completely silent.

Ye Cheng climbed out of the car and took a deep breath, expecting to inhale plenty of fresh air. Instead, he was met with an exceptionally foul odor. Luckily, he hadn't eaten breakfast, or he would have vomited. The air was filled with the smells of decay and burning, a truly awful combination. The stench alerted Ye Cheng; only meat could produce such a strong odor. And a sheep or a cow wouldn't emit such a strong smell.

The entire village was eerily quiet. Not only were there no insects chirping or birds singing, but even the sounds of livestock were absent. Was this really a village famous for its livestock? Had all the animals died? Furthermore, rural areas traditionally maintain the custom of working at sunrise and resting at sunset. Ye Cheng glanced at his watch; it was already past eight o'clock. Every house was tightly shut, and not a single person was out in the room—it was like a deserted village. This was too strange. All the police officers shared the same thought: something was wrong with this village!

"Everyone be careful, let's go into the village and check." The person who reported the case probably didn't provide any information about the deceased to protect themselves, so they had to find the clues themselves. Ye Cheng led the way into the village.

Li Xiao followed closely behind Ye Cheng, tugged at Ye Cheng's police uniform, and asked, "I'm getting chills down my spine, is this village haunted?"

"Haunted?" Ye Cheng laughed. Only women are so easily convinced of such unfounded things. How could there be ghosts in the world? If there were ghosts, what would be the point of having police? The dead would become vengeful ghosts and come back to kill those who harmed them, and the police would be out of a job. Seeing the female ghost's face turn pale with fright, Ye Cheng reassured her, "Don't worry, even if there were ghosts, no ghost would dare to show itself in broad daylight. And we police have aura of malevolence; ghosts wouldn't dare to touch us."

Li Xiao felt much better after hearing Ye Cheng's words and let go of Ye Cheng's police uniform.

A team of police officers followed the stench to a livestock farm. As soon as they pushed open the door, a cloud of black smoke rose from the ground with a buzzing sound. Nearby officers hurriedly waved to avoid it. Ye Cheng looked closely and saw it was a swarm of flies. After the flies flew away, the police stood up and peered inside. The yard was filled with dead sheep, white maggots writhing among the carcasses. Several officers couldn't help but vomit, still dry heaving even after emptying their stomachs. Ye Cheng shook his head and sighed, "Young people still need more training. A few dead sheep and they're already like this; what if they saw a dead person? They'd probably vomit their stomachs out!"

Another team of police officers found a large pile of ashes at the village entrance. One of the officers poked at the ashes with a stick and picked out several charred bones. Li Xiao used the stick to make a chopstick, picked one up, examined it, and said with certainty, "These are chicken thigh bones."

Ye Cheng asked curiously, "How can you be so sure it's a chicken? Maybe it's a duck. Don't be so absolute."

Li Xiao glared at Ye Cheng and said, "Our city is located in the north, and the people like to eat chicken. The cooked food stalls that sell duck meat have their own independent supply channels, so they won't buy local ducks to ensure the taste. Plus, based on my years of experience eating KFC, this must be a chicken thigh bone. Because it's relatively thick, it's not easy to burn."

Ye Cheng was speechless after being refuted, and turned to ask the criminal police officer next to him, "Where is the village chief? Why hasn't the village chief come yet?"

The male detective suppressed a laugh. "Xiao Chen went to call them, they'll be here soon."

Another detective said, "Is there an outbreak of bird flu in this village? If so, we're in big trouble; we might get infected."

Ye Cheng turned away from Li Xiao, pondering the case. There was definitely something wrong with Chenguan Village. Even if it were an outbreak of a virus like avian flu, the impact would only be on poultry; livestock like cattle and sheep wouldn't be affected. He also noticed something else: every house had a mirror on its door for protection. Could there really be something unclean causing trouble in the village?

Li Xiao shouted, "They're here, they're here, the village chief is here!"

Ye Cheng turned around and saw a policeman followed by a portly middle-aged man, struggling to run towards them. Ye Cheng and the others went to meet them.

The police officer leading the way introduced them, "This is Officer Ye Cheng from our criminal investigation unit, and this is Chen Bao, the village chief of Chenguan Village."

Chen Bao took Ye Cheng's hand and said flatteringly, "The moment I saw Officer Ye, I knew he was young and promising, and must have solved many major cases. May I ask what brings Officer Ye to my little Chenguan Village?"

Ye Cheng sized Chen Bao up and down. To be the village chief of a wealthy village like Chenguan Village, he was definitely not an ordinary person. Seeing the dark circles under his eyes, it was clear he hadn't been resting well these past few days. And the fact that he was flattering him right away made him seem guilty. Could it be that a murder had really happened in the village, and it was related to this village chief? With this thought in mind, Ye Cheng smiled slightly and said to Chen Bao, "We're not in a hurry. You're covered in sweat. Why don't you rest for a while before we talk?"

Li Xiao took out a tissue and handed it to Chen Bao, "Wipe your sweat first."

Chen Bao took the tissue and wiped his sweat, saying, "I'm getting old, I get all sweaty after just a few steps."

Seeing that Chen Bao had relaxed his guard, Ye Cheng suddenly asked, "The police station received a call saying that there was a murder in your village. Is that true?"

Chen Bao was stunned for a moment, and after hesitating for a second or two, he said, "How... how is that possible? Chenguan Village is known for its simple and honest people, good public security, and honesty. It is a well-known civilized village. How could there be a murder case?"