Chapter 196

Hu Jin took them to the river in the village, where few people came. Most of the men in the village joined village chief’s searching team, while their spouses were only working at homes without going out.

Xu Ran asked Hu Jin, “Why do you have to be careful even when you are talking? What is weird about your village?”

“Do you think our village is poor?” Hu Jin asked Xu Ran.

Thinking about the porridge plus salted vegetables they ate at noon, Xu Ran nodded. “Village chief had mentioned it.”

Hu Jin waved his hand, “Actually, that’s not true. The villagers were actually very rich, and they only posed the false impression of being poor to the outsiders.”

Xu Ran was stunned, “Are you afraid of being robbed? As far as I know, the family of village chief doesn’t seem to be rich at all!”

Hu Jin said, “His family has always been like this. Let me tell you, village chief’s family has ten acres of farmland and ten acres of field. Even if he has rented all the farmland to the others, his family condition wouldn’t have to be like this. They are just putting on this false appearance for outsiders. Besides, didn’t you say that people in the village were not sad at all when they knew Mr. Hu’s death?

Xu Ran nodded. “Yes, villagers’ reaction was barely acceptable, but village chief was too indifferent.”

Hu Jin said, “They are used to it because a lot of people died in the village, and shortly afterwards, the other people will move in. Thus the total number of people never goes down.”

The more Xu Ran listened, the more weird he felt. He turned to look at Liu Tong, and Liu Tong’s reaction was similar to his.

“Why? How could so many people die in the village?” Xu Ran was very confused about it. They were all alive and kicking people, how could they die all of a sudden?

Hu Jin said, “I don’t know. Actually, I just moved here not too long ago. Neither am I familiar with the people in the village, nor do I pay visit to the others. When I first came to the village, I have sensed something wrong. However my daddy insisted on moving in, as I disagreed, they even beat me up.”

The more he said, the less secure Xu Ran felt. Was it possible that they had moved to a gangster village? However, wasn’t everything normal when they came last year?

Xu Ran asked Hu Jin, “When did you move here? When did you feel that something was wrong? How did people die in the village?”

Hu Jin answered these series of questions one by one, “I moved here the year before. Before that I was in another village. My daddy made us move here out of no reason regardless of my pleading. After moving into the village, my daddy seemed to have lived here for many years, being so familiar with the surroundings. People in the village were very easygoing. They would greet each other when they met, and everyone was willing to offer help when it was needed. However, he never went to visit the others.”

“I didn’t feel anything wrong at the beginning. But when I planned to go to someone else’s house, my father dragged me home and beat me up without any explanation, which puzzled me till now.”

“What’s more, all the members of the family I went to, died the next day, all died. The people in the village didn’t look into the cause of their death at all and buried them in the first place… ”

“At that time, I was scared. I thought I was the reason of their death, but my daddy said that it had nothing to do with me. Later, after I could barely accept this statement, I saw someone in the village go to another villager’s home. Then the next day, the whole family died. At that time, I started to suspect that something was wrong with the village. It was as if someone had casted a curse.”

“Gradually, as I stayed in the village for a long time. I witnessed more and more deaths, and then I saw more and more outsiders moving in. Some of them are still alive, while others are already dead.”

After Hu Jin finished his words, Xu Ran suddenly sensed something unusual and asked him, “I’m just an outsider to this village. Why are you willing to tell all these things?”

Hu Jin said, “It’s because you’re not from this village. You’re normal, that’s why I told you,” A trace of ruthless light flashed across Hu Jin’s eyes, so quick that nobody caught it.

Xu Ran felt that something was wrong. He poked his head and tried hard to figure out what was wrong. Whereas Liu Tong’s attention was always on Xu Ran, he didn’t pay any attention to Hu Jin at all.

However, Xu Ran suddenly felt someone pushing him from behind, and then he fell into the water.

Then he heard Liu Tong’s exclamation, “Ran! Ran!”

When Xu Ran came back to his senses, he realized that he was in the water and Liu Tong was rushing in to pull him.

The water in the third month was chill, and the water was flowing and a little deep. There was still mud under his feet, so he would lose his life if he was careless.

After being pulled up by Liu Tong, Xu Ran saw Hu Jin standing by the shore, smiling happily.

“Don’t think about coming up. Nobody ever comes up alive as long as they fall into the river. Xu Ran, don’t you want to know why the village has so many deaths? I’m telling you, it’s because they have fallen into this river. Haha, just wait to die slowly! No one will know where you have gone to and no one will know that you have been to this village, “Hu Jin said with laughters and left.

Xu Ran felt something was pulling his feet. Then he looked above his head. This place was covered by trees and the sunlight couldn’t go through.

He was shocked. “Tongtong, hurry up! There’s something below.”

“Ran, I…”

Just as Liu Tong was about to refute, he felt that the pulling power was getting bigger and bigger. He pushed Liu Tong to the shore, “Tongtong, how can you pull me up if you don’t go up? I’m not as strong as you.”

Xu Ran said half-jokingly, then felt his body starting to sink.

Xu Ran was flustered and shouted at Liu Tong, “Tongtong, go up, now!”

Liu Tong’s reaction was very fast, especially when it was concerned with Xu Ran’s life.

After he got on the shore, he immediately reached out to pull Xu Ran. Xu Ran also struggled to get close to the shore, but the things below were very powerful, and he even started to suspect that there was a water ghost beneath.

Liu Tong had a lot of strength, even more than the force which pulled Xu Ran down. For Xu Ran, Liu Tong clenched his teeth and tried hard to fight with the thing in the water. Xu Ran being in the middle, felt his hands and feet being strained from both sides.

Xu Ran knew that he had to come up with a way. Otherwise, he would really die here today. After all, he didn’t know what was underneath.

He signaled to Liu Tong to let go.

As Liu Tong failed to get his idea, he repeated it silently again. Liu Tong understood this time but his hand didn’t let go of Xu Ran. Instead, he relaxed his strength and allowed himself being drawn closer to the water.

Xu Ran took this opportunity to sink his body abruptly. He felt that as he stamped down, the thing loosened the grip on his ankle. Liu Tong took this opportunity to pull Xu Ran up.

The two spread themselves by the river, exhausted.

Until now, Xu Ran felt his hands and feet hurt a lot.

No matter what the thing in the water was, they couldn’t stay here for long. What’s more, they didn’t know what Hu Jin was scheming.

Xu Ran offered his hand to Liu Tong. “Tongtong, help me up and find a place where the sun is bright enough. Fortunately, the sun hasn’t set yet. If it really goes down, who knows what will happen?”

Liu Tong was also scared, so he helped Xu Ran up and walked to the place where there was sunshine.

He asked Xu Ran, “Ran, what was in the water just now? Why do I feel you are sinking?”

Xu Ran said, “I was sinking. I don’t know what it is precisely, but let’s not look back now. This village is very evil. Who knows what it is? Hu Jin pushed me into the water and left, which shows that he is very confident of what the thing in the water is capable of. Let’s find out later by checking the remaining traces on my ankle.I don’t believe in the existence of ghosts and gods. It must be their devise rather than some water ghosts.”

Liu Tong felt that Xu Ran’s words made sense and walked faster supporting Xu Ran.

When they reached an open field under the sun, Xu Ran sat down. Then he flicked his trouser legs and found a handprint.

Could there be a real water ghost?

Xu Ran still didn’t believe it.

Liu Tong also saw it and asked Xu Ran worriedly, “Ran, is it really a water ghost?”

Xu Ran shook his head. “According to the print on my feet, there are only two situations below. One is that someone is there, the other is that there is really a water ghost. But I would rather believe the previous one.”

“Someone?” Liu Tong asked.

Xu Ran said, “I felt that the thing pulling me was active. It couldn’t be an animal anyway and there is mud below. It’s really hard to judge. As long as I know Hu Jin’s motive of killing me, I’ll know what’s below.”

“A motive? Why is he trying to kill you? This is the first time you have met today!”

Xu Ran nodded. “This is indeed the first time I’ve seen him. I’m not sure how he knew my identity, but he can’t manage to do this alone. Even if both of us have died, he will have to obliterate the body to wipe out the traces. Although the river is a little deep, it can’t completely submerge a human body.”

“What should we do now?” Liu Tong asked.

Looking at the stenching mud all over his body, Xu Ran sighed, “Let’s go back to village chief’s house first to get changed. I have to change my clothes twice today.”

Liu Tong nodded and helped him walk back.

Perhaps they should have been alert since Hu Jin and the rest came to this place.

Xu Ran felt that he was too credulous of strangers.