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Human Sacrifice
Liu Quandao said, "That Leader Guo has been working on two reports for two months without any results. Now he’s gone to Yama's Hall to meet his grandmother. If these people stay in the Production Team and indulge themselves, the village's budget won't hold up. I can't just confront them directly; you might be able to talk to them. If not, you can come with me."
"Hey, Uncle Liu, look at them; they don’t seem like they’re short on money. With your warm hospitality, they probably haven’t even considered that angle. You called me out here, and I bet a discerning person would see what’s going on right away. When we sit down for dinner, there’s no need to say anything. Just treat them well and don’t offer to arrange accommodations. After dinner, which will still be around noon, they’ll definitely need a guide to understand the situation in the mountains. If you’re unwilling, I can act as the guide. Once we step outside, just lock the Production Team's door. That Chen Jixian is a clever Ming Ren; he’ll figure out what’s happening right away. This way, both sides save face," I replied.
"Is that really okay?" Liu Quan asked.
"Absolutely safe," I assured him.
After returning to the table, Huzi was busy toasting and livening up the atmosphere. Once everyone had eaten their fill, Liu Quan raised his glass and said, "Leader Chen and all leaders present, I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. The village chief is unavailable this afternoon due to some matters in the Village. Yang Hao and Huzi will be much better guides than I am; I can barely read a few characters and wouldn’t know where to lead you."
Chen Jixian raised his glass and said, "Captain Liu is too polite. The village's affairs are important, and having Yang Hao and Brother Huzi as guides is more than enough. I came here but forgot to bring something for the Village."
"Not at all! Your visit brings us blessings; this is what we should do. Yang Hao is a university student from our Village and speaks standard Mandarin, so I won’t add to your troubles," Liu Quan replied with a smile. "However, I must remind everyone that after Leader Guo went missing, our entire village searched everywhere; it’s highly likely he ventured into the forbidden area. The back mountain isn’t off-limits per se, but it has heavy Yin Qi inside. Staying there too long can lead to Evil Energy entering one’s body. After coming out, getting some sunlight usually helps, but entering the forbidden area of the back mountain is absolutely forbidden."
"If we can’t go in there, why are we here?" asked a bespectacled gentleman sitting next to Chen Jixian.
Captain Liu was momentarily speechless from this gentleman's remark, creating an awkward atmosphere. It was clear that this scientific Investigation Team had come specifically to enter the forbidden area of the back mountain; even if they knew that Guo Huaiyi most likely perished inside, they still wanted to investigate.
Although the banquet did not end on a sour note, Liu Quan was evidently displeased. Before leaving, Li Fugui had entrusted him with matters concerning Bright Moon Village. First Leader Guo went missing without a trace, and now an Investigation Team had arrived; if everyone ended up losing their lives in the forbidden area, it would escalate into a major incident.
As Chen Jixian and others were preparing to leave by car, Liu Quan called me aside and said, "Yang Hao, you know about the strange happenings in our Village. That night when you and Huzi hid behind the truck, the village chief already knew but didn’t expose it. Futu Ridge isn’t as simple as it appears—Old Scholar, Fugitive Woman, Guo the Blind, Huang the Lame, and even your father Yang Sanqian are not ordinary people. There must be a reason they gathered in this mountain. This Investigation Team consists of provincial officials; if anything happens here involving Leader Guo, it will surely lead to an investigation from above that could bring great disaster to Futu Ridge."
"Are you asking me to persuade them not to go in?" I asked.
Liu Quandao replied, "I know these people are determined to enter. Over the past few decades, villagers have advised many outsiders against going in; yet they still went ahead anyway—people just don’t believe in fate. However, these individuals seem somewhat capable; we may lack education and see everything as superstition, but you are a university student born in New China under the red flag—your words might carry weight with them."
"Alright then; I'll do my best," I nodded in agreement before suddenly recalling something important: "By the way, Uncle Liu, where is that official document from when Leader Guo visited town?"
Liu Quandao replied, "It's in the broadcasting room; do you need it?"
I said, "Yes, please get it for me. I need to ask Chen Jixian about Leader Guo's background while we're in the car."
Liu Quan was unaware of Guo Huaiyi's true identity. Although he had his doubts, he did not ask further and went to the broadcasting room to bring me the official document regarding Guo Huaiyi's rural inspection.
Once we got into the car, Huzi and I guided them along the mountain paths around Futu Ridge, introducing the local customs and various strange occurrences that had happened in the area. The RV belonging to the Investigation Team was something the locals had only seen on television, so some mischievous children followed behind, shouting at the vehicle. The driver yelled from start to finish, nearly losing his voice.
Huzi was not very talkative, responding only when asked, while occasionally glancing at a woman sitting across from him. This woman was Liu Wei, the only female member of the Investigation Team, which made her particularly endearing to everyone. They all called her Wei.
Wei appeared to be in her twenties but was actually in her early thirties. Her skin was well-maintained; although she wasn't as beautiful as Zhou Manman, she could still be considered attractive.
During our conversation, we learned that Wei was a forensic expert with a master's degree in medicine. She had previously worked in the provincial criminal police team performing autopsies on corpses. Upon hearing this, Huzi's previously lecherous gaze turned serious, and his face fell long. Setting aside the fact that a master's degree was something beyond the reach of country folk, he felt uneasy at the thought of a beautiful woman wielding a scalpel over corpses.
"What's wrong? Are you scared?" teased the driver as he glanced back at Huzi.
Laughter erupted in the car, and soon everyone began sharing amusing stories. As we approached the back mountain, everyone started preparing various equipment such as plastic gloves, gas masks, flashlights, and electronic instruments.
I took out the official document from my pocket and handed it to Chen Jixian, asking, "Brother Chen, could you check if there's anything wrong with this document? Also, is the person in the photo Guo Huaiyi?"
Chen Jixian took the document with a puzzled expression. He glanced at the photo and then at the stamp from the Provincial Cultural Office on the back. "It seems fine; however, typically formal documents don't include photos."
"Can you confirm that the person in the photo is Guo Huaiyi?" I asked again.
Realizing there was more to my question, Chen Jixian pulled out his phone and opened his photo gallery where he had received images of Guo Huaiyi. "It looks like it's the same person; there's no issue here. Lao Zheng, take a look."
Chen Jixian passed the document to Lao Zheng, who was Guo Huaiyi's family driver and had been with Leader Guo for over a decade. After looking at the photo on the document, he said, "That's Guo Huaiyi. I've been driving for his family for more than ten years; I've practically watched him grow up. Is there a problem?"
I asked, "Has Guo Huaiyi exhibited any unusual behavior over these years? Anything notable about his actions or even his name?"
Upon hearing this, Lao Zheng's face turned grim in the rearview mirror. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Since you're asking so directly, I'll be straightforward. Young Master Guo comes from a wealthy family; his father is an important figure in the provincial department. So naturally, he has been spoiled and often bullies others. However, a few years ago, he suddenly fell gravely ill; doctors couldn't determine the cause of his illness. The Guo family had no choice but to bring him home to wait for death. Then a wandering doctor appeared who managed to cure him; they had no choice but to give it a try. Surprisingly, this wandering doctor really did heal him. The most crucial part is that after being cured, Young Master Guo seemed like a completely different person—humble and polite towards others. His grandmother was from a rural background and had heard many supernatural tales; she feared that this doctor might have done something sinister to bring her grandson back from death. But no matter what they asked Young Master about anything related to his illness or treatment, he could answer clearly until two years ago when he suddenly wanted to change his name from Guo Jiang to Guo Huaiyi. Leader Guo didn’t interfere; he let him do as he pleased. Two months ago he started working at the Provincial Cultural Office and coincidentally signed up for this rural inspection trip to Futu Ridge."
"That wandering doctor must have been half-blind or something," Huzi interjected.
Lao Zheng was startled and stopped the car at Winding Mountain Road's entrance before turning around to ask, "How do you know that?"
I never expected that Guo the Blind had started planning Guo Huaiyi's reincarnation and revival years ago. Although the underlying reasons were complex, this father-son duo had been strategizing about the upcoming events in Futu Ridge for quite some time.
So, I recounted the story of Guo the Blind and Guo Huaiyi, along with some recent happenings. After I finished, I exchanged glances with Huzi and Mianmian, as several members of the Investigation Team were left dumbfounded. Chen Jixian was the first to applaud, saying, "That was an incredible tale."
Huzi remarked, "I knew you wouldn't believe us."
I could tell that aside from Old Guo being somewhat skeptical, even Chen Jixian, the head of the Investigation Team, didn't buy it. The ideas of borrowing a corpse to revive a soul, reattaching a severed head, and sealing things within one's body—given how openly I presented all this, it was already quite respectful that no one called me an idiot.
"Alright, you two, you've led us here. The forbidden area is just ahead; you shouldn't follow us any further to avoid any trouble," said a middle-aged man from the Investigation Team as he donned a specially designed silver-white protective suit that looked rather heavy.
"Why don't you believe us? So much has happened in Futu Ridge, so many people have died—doesn't that convince you there's something wrong?" Huzi asked.
The Gentleman replied, "We do believe there are indeed issues in Futu Ridge, but we need to uncover where the problems lie ourselves. Next time you spin a tale, try not to insert yourself into it; it sounds a bit too far-fetched."
I pointed toward the forbidden area and said, "Believe it or not, it's right ahead. In any case, we’ve done our part. Decades ago, a leader from a county entered and came out insane. Just recently, a young man from a village—around my age and much more skilled than us—went in and came out mad as well."
"I'm quite interested in that; you can take us to see him," Liu Wei said.
I replied, "Kill him for me."
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