Chapter 55

In the village, two women were each holding a child and weeping.

Their husbands and relatives stood beside them, either sighing or shedding tears along with them.

The children, who looked to be about one or two years old, though they did not know why the adults were crying, were influenced and started to cry as well.

The other villagers, however, were busy with their own tasks, as if they had not seen the sorrow of these two families, or perhaps they had seen such scenes too often and had become accustomed to them, turning a blind eye.

Qin Shaoyou and his group were about to seek out the village chief to discuss lodging when the villagers spotted them.

Qin Shaoyou smiled and was about to greet them, but he saw the villagers' faces change, and chaos ensued immediately.

The villagers working in the fields fled back to their homes, closing their doors and windows tightly. Those working in the fields outside the village turned and ran straight to the mountains and forests.

"You..."

Qin Shaoyou had intended to say "Hello," but this sudden scene made it impossible for him to utter the word.

He didn't know whether to keep his hand raised in greeting or to put it down.

It was very awkward.

Some in the group were stunned, some were puzzled, and some had guessed the reason.

Su Tingyu was one of those who were puzzled: "What's wrong with these villagers? Why do they act as if they've seen a ghost, either hiding or running away when they see us?"

Zhu Xiuzai, who had often been on missions in towns before being transferred to Luocheng Town's Demon Suppression Office, had seen many such situations and immediately guessed the reason.

"In the eyes of these villagers, we may not be ghosts, but we are as terrifying as ghosts... They think we are bandits."

"Bandits?"

Qin Shaoyou was taken aback and then looked down at himself and the others around him.

The people in the group, though they were all wearing loose robes that covered their weapons and armor, were mostly injured, with ointments on their bodies and even bandages on their heads.

At first glance, they didn't look like good people.

It was like traveling with a group of mummies and zombies... Being mistaken for bandits was actually a good thing.

Qin Shaoyou smiled bitterly and did not put down his raised hand. Standing on his horse, he waved and called out, "Villagers, don't be afraid. We are not bad people, nor are we bandits. We are..."

He had intended to say they were from the government, but he swallowed the words at the last moment.

He suddenly remembered that in this world, in this era, the government officials and their subordinates were not much better than bandits and robbers to the people in these small villages.

Raiders comb the hair, soldiers comb the skin!

So Qin Shaoyou quickly changed his words: "We are traveling merchants. It's getting dark, and we want to stay in your village for the night. We will pay for it."

He took out a money bag from his chest and grabbed a handful of copper coins, holding them high.

The villagers who had fled back to their homes were peering out through the door and window cracks.

Hearing Qin Shaoyou's words and seeing the copper coins, their fear diminished significantly.

A few villagers who had been about to run to the mountains bravely returned.

But they did not dare to come close, stopping far away, leaning on their hoes, and asking, "Are you really not bad people? Will you really pay for lodging?"

Qin Shaoyou laughed and, with a sudden force, threw the copper coins, which landed right in front of these villagers.

"These are the fees for lodging. I can give them to you in advance."

The villagers were first stunned, then bent down to pick up the coins, exclaiming in surprise, "It's money! They really gave us money!"

At this moment, the door of a house in the center of the village opened.

An old man with gray hair walked out.

He first scolded the villagers who were picking up the coins: "That's not proper! Quickly return the money!"

Then he bowed to Qin Shaoyou and his group.

Qin Shaoyou and his group recognized the old man's authority in the village and hurriedly returned the bow, asking, "Are you the village chief?"

"I am the village chief, but I am not old..." The village chief smiled bitterly, "I just passed my fortieth year."

Passed his fortieth year? That means he is only in his forties?

Qin Shaoyou was taken aback. Looking at the village chief's gray hair and wrinkles, he would have believed he was in his sixties or seventies, but he was only forty.

Qin Shaoyou quickly apologized and repeated his request for lodging, not taking back the copper coins, saying, "We really only want to stay for the night. We hope the village chief can help us."

The village chief did not agree, only shaking his head: "In theory, it's getting dark, and you are willing to pay, so I shouldn't refuse your request for lodging. But today, I really can't let you stay. You should leave while it's still light and find lodging elsewhere... But don't choose villages or temples near this mountain."

Qin Shaoyou frowned, sensing that the village chief had more to say.

Su Tingyu, curious, asked directly, "Why?"

The village chief hesitated for a moment before saying, "I won't hide it from you... This area near the mountain is not peaceful."

Hearing this, the monk Ma recited a Buddhist chant and said with a bitter smile, "In this world, where is there a peaceful place? Especially at night... It's precisely because it's not peaceful that we need to stay in your village."

"The unrest here is different from elsewhere," the village chief sighed. "To be honest, we have been plagued by demons and ghosts. Today is the day they come to collect their tribute!"

"Plagued by demons and ghosts?!"

Qin Shaoyou and his group were first stunned, then enlightened.

They finally understood why the people in this village looked so weak and listless.

They also understood why the village chief looked so aged.

It was all due to the demons and ghosts draining their yang energy and vitality!

The village chief sighed, "I'm not lying to you. We are truly plagued by demons and ghosts, so you should leave quickly. If you stay near this mountain at night, I'm afraid you will be implicated..."

Halfway through his words, the village chief suddenly noticed that the people in this "merchant group" did not show fear or panic when they heard about the demons and ghosts; instead, they showed a hint of excitement.

Especially the eyes of the two young girls lit up instantly.

And the handsome young man who was talking to him had an abnormal look in his eyes, as if... as if a hungry wolf had smelled the scent of a lamb.

In the group, a junior officer whispered, "There are actually demons and ghosts here? Ha, what a coincidence. We can take care of them while we're here. This way, we can protect the villagers and earn some merit, killing two birds with one stone."

The junior officer's words echoed the thoughts of many of the night guards in the group.

Although they had just earned a lot of merit in Mianyuan County, who wouldn't want more merit and rewards?

Su Jianqing and Su Tingyu, the sisters, muttered to themselves, "I wonder what kind of demons and ghosts are here? Is it worth capturing them for experiments?"

As for Qin Shaoyou, he was indeed interested in the demons and ghosts and wanted to kill them to create new recipes.

But he did not rashly decide to stay.

First, he was cautious by nature, and second, he was escorting nearly a hundred children who had been turned into dogs, so he had to be extra careful.

So he decided to ask more about the situation and probe the strength of the demons and ghosts.

If the demons and ghosts here were not very powerful, he could stay to help the villagers and create some new recipes and gather new ingredients.

But if the demons and ghosts were very strong, Qin Shaoyou would have to lead the group to find lodging elsewhere before it got completely dark, and then report the situation to Xue Qingshan the next day for him to handle.

But if he did that, the people in the village would definitely be harmed by the demons and ghosts tonight.

This was somewhat unbearable.

However, looking at the villagers, it seemed they had been harmed by the demons and ghosts many times before.

Why hadn't they reported it to the authorities? Why hadn't they fled?

Qin Shaoyou, with these questions in mind, asked, "Village chief, what kind of demons and ghosts are plaguing your village?"