Phantom of the Village (Volumes 1-8) by supercoldking

page views:1 Publication date:2023-06-11 09:53:02

Chapter One of * The Phantom of the Ghostly Village*:

The Village Vanished on the Map "

Beep!!!"

A train whistle pierced the air, jolting me awake from a brief sleep.

Opening my eyes, I saw it was already dawn. The train's announcement said the next stop was Kunming.

"I didn't sleep well last night." Sitting up in my berth, I recalled the restless night
I'd spent tossing and turning .

In truth, I wasn't a frail young man; my years of part-time work had made me
more resilient than most. The reason I couldn't sleep last night was because of my destination and the special significance
it held for me.

Shadow Village, a virtually unknown village on the border of Yunnan Province, was my
destination . As a recent college graduate, I had volunteered to serve as a village official there, responding to the school's call.
On one hand, this remote, almost unknown village offered a higher salary than most village officials, comparable to those
in big cities . On the other hand, my decision to abandon my plans to pursue a career in a big city was also influenced by personal
factors .

My name is Nie Chen, and I am an ordinary recent graduate with strong independent abilities. My older brother, Nie Dong, was
an officer at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a brother a hundred times more outstanding than me. Three years ago, he came here to investigate precious medicinal materials
for treating cancer, but a year ago, he tragically died in a factory accident.

My brother is nine years older than me. As orphans, we grew up in an orphanage. Perhaps because
we were without parents, my brother had to give more than other children from a young age. He not only had to raise me
but also worked hard as a child laborer to earn money for food. Under such immense pressure, my brother was admitted to
Tsinghua University and then, through his excellent grades, was recommended to the Chinese Academy of Sciences to participate in drug research. On the other hand,
my brother continued to be extremely protective of me, but because of our family's financial situation, he never considered starting a family or building a
career .

When I was little, I could never understand why a handsome and talented young man like my brother
wouldn't have any girls interested in him. Later, I gradually realized that it wasn't
a matter of his sexual orientation; rather, the heavy burden of his studies and raising me left him with no time or money to satisfy
the materialistic desires of today's girls. This also shows how much he poured his heart and soul into raising me.
For someone like me who never experienced parental love, my brother was the closest person in the world,
and the one I most owed a debt of gratitude to.

But just as my brother was finally enjoying good benefits thanks to his job at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and
I was finally graduating from university and able to shoulder more of the family responsibilities, just when I thought I could finally repay
his kindness, he passed away during a three-month field research trip to Yingxiang.

I remember when I received the news of his death, I was completely stunned, and then I fainted.

For months afterward, I couldn't escape the shadow of my brother's death. Partly because my
only remaining family member was gone, and partly because I owed him
so much. I so desperately wanted to use my first month's salary to buy him a pair of Nike
shoes he'd always been reluctant to buy, or a laptop so he wouldn't have to stay at work every night to use the internet. But now, I'll
never have the chance, not even to call him "brother" one last time.

A few months after his passing, I officially graduated from university.

Although I didn't have his talent, nor did I get into top-tier universities like Tsinghua or Peking University, my
difficult childhood had instilled in me a greater resilience and fortitude than most of my peers. If it weren't for the devastation of his
death , I think I could have found a well-paying job in a big city.

I remember seeing a job posting for a village official in Yingxiang in a daze. Completely demoralized by my brother's
passing , I simply chose this remote village. Deep down, my choice of this
remote and impoverished place wasn't so much about the income or the promise of a job assignment back in the city after three years, but rather about searching for my brother
's footprints to fill the huge void in my heart and to repay the debt I owed him for not being able to repay him.

It was precisely because of the inseparable connection between my brother and this Shadow Village that I couldn't
fall asleep for so long last night in my sleeper berth.

What exactly is this Shadow Village? Are there still traces
of

my brother's past there? What are those medicinal herbs that are said to have miraculous effects on cancer? It was with this curiosity and with the longing for my brother that I embarked on this journey, a
journey I never dreamed of at the time—a thrilling and unforgettable one.

"Brother Chen...why are you awake so early?" Perhaps the train announcements were a bit loud, because
a girl named Wang Sisi, who slept in the bunk above me, was awakened and peeked out at me from the bunk below.

"We should be arriving soon." I glanced at the girl, whom I didn't particularly like, and
answered calmly.

"Honestly... this train is driving me crazy. There are mosquitoes at night, and people are always walking outside,
it's so annoying..." Seemingly ignoring my reply, Wang Sisi muttered to herself with some dissatisfaction.

Wang Sisi, a typical big-city girl, has fair skin and a sweet smile. Although we went to the same school,
because I started school a year later than most, I was a bit older than her (22 years old) and
most of classmates, earning me the nickname "Brother Chen."

Like me, the girl sleeping in the bunk above me also hadn't slept well for a long time last night. But
unlike me, Wang Sisi couldn't sleep because, being born in a big city, she had never traveled
far from home, never ridden on a train of this caliber, and like many of her generation, hadn't experienced much hardship.

Logically speaking, although not from a wealthy or powerful family, she was still well-off; Wang Sisi shouldn't
have chosen this remote place as her first job, just like me. But in reality, as a notoriously
poor student in her class, Wang Sisi seemed only adept at dating—having gone through no fewer than ten
boyfriends during her four years of university—her academic performance was truly abysmal. She failed almost every subject each semester, and by graduation
, she couldn't graduate due to the sheer number of failed courses. That's why she chose this remote job, hoping to earn a living through this...
She traded her graduation certificate and degree for a kind of "sacrificial" act.

Although we could be said to have grown up in completely different worlds—I was like a lone wolf, used to
being independent, while she was like a lamb in a warm sheepfold, having not experienced much hardship—it must be
admitted this girl, who knew how to flash a sweet smile in front of men and was adept at charming innocent young boys, was indeed
sweet-looking.

I remember before we set off, when she learned that her companions assigned to Yingxiang were me and another silly boy
, Wang Sisi, who was used to being pampered by boys, openly showed her disgust to the teacher
. But a few days later, when she realized that her complaints were useless and that her companions were still me and another
silly boy, she quickly changed her tune and began to greet me with a smile.

After all, in this unfamiliar place, for a pampered young lady who had never suffered, perhaps only
a boy like me, with strong practical skills, was someone she could truly trust. Of course, I knew very well that once
Wang Sisi found a man in the area who would be captivated by her smile and fawn over him, she would quickly
drop that seemingly sweet smile from me.

"Oh...we're almost there." Just then, the third
person .

To be honest, I had a slightly better impression of Chen Kai than Wang Sisi.

Although he was thin and bony, and his features were far from handsome, at least Chen Kai wasn't as
spoiled as Wang Sisi. Even though he was usually a bit carefree because of his absent-mindedness, his shared impoverished background
made me feel a little closer to him.

"The train will arrive at Kunming Station in ten minutes."

As the train announcement sounded again, Chen Kai, still half asleep,
jumped up , muttering "Oh no" to himself while quickly putting on his coat. On my upper bunk,
Wang Sisi, though silent, began hastily packing her voluminous luggage. As for me,
since I hadn't even opened my backpack or taken off my clothes to sleep last night, I could easily
go to the toilet to wash up before getting off the train.

A dozen minutes later, as we finally stepped off the platform, our journey officially began.

Stepping out of Kunming Station, it was as noisy and chaotic as any other train station in the country. Wang Sisi and
Chen Kai , clearly nervous about the unfamiliar hustle and bustle, walked behind me, seemingly unintentionally. I,
however, remained calm and walked towards the agreed-upon meeting point with the local staff.

"You must be Nie Chen, Wang Sisi, and Chen Kai?" At the meeting point, a portly,
balding , but kind-looking middle-aged man waved to us from afar.

"Are you the one sent by Yingxiang to pick us up?" Seeing this kind-looking uncle,
Wang Sisi, who had been nervous because of the noise of the train station, seemed to finally relax a little. She rushed past me and walked quickly to the middle-aged man
.

"You must be Wang Sisi. My name is Zhang Demin. I came here specifically to pick you up today." As the middle-aged man
spoke, I noticed the Audi A8 behind him. As a
village described as impoverished in promotional materials, the fact that the village government could afford an Audi caught my attention.

However, more surprising than the strangeness of an Audi coming from a remote and poor village was that this middle-aged
man named Zhang Demin was the same person as the village secretary of Yingxiang, whose name was on the job posting we saw at school.

"You're Secretary Zhang? You came to pick us up in person!?" This time, it was Chen Kai's turn to run over, both surprised and delighted.
It seems this kid isn't completely stupid; at least he understands the true meaning of getting close to someone, unlike me who is always suspicious.

"Hehe, you are all distinguished guests whom our village is eager to welcome. Plus, the village is short-handed lately, so I had to
come and pick you up personally." At least, from my first impression, Secretary Zhang made these two greenhorn
kids beside me feel at ease.

The drive from Kunming Station to Yingxiang takes two hours. Along the way, Chen Kai, sitting in the passenger seat,
tried his best to chat with Secretary Zhang about everyday things. Wang Sisi, meanwhile, wore her iPod, listening to
love songs.

As for me, before getting in the car, I had been thoughtful enough to buy a local Yunnan map, preparing for my three-year
stint as a village official and learning the geography in advance.

However, what bothered me somewhat was that no matter how carefully I searched, I couldn't find Yingxiang's location on this
very detailed map that recorded all the towns and villages in Yunnan Province.

"Isn't Yingxiang on the map?" Since I didn't know the way around at all, I had to
ask Secretary Zhang.

"Hehe, our little village is too small to be marked on a map."
Secretary Zhang was quite unfazed by the state of his village, even joking about it.

"Brother Chen, don't you get dizzy looking at a map while riding in the car? Secretary Zhang is so kind, what do we have to worry about
..." Wang Sisi, seemingly having completely forgotten the tension at the station, felt a
sense relief in the presence of the amiable Secretary Zhang, like a drowning person clinging to a tree trunk.

Although Wang Sisi and Chen Kai were beginning to look forward to their life as village officials,
I, sitting in the back seat, noticed, intentionally or unintentionally, that Secretary Zhang seemed to be constantly scrutinizing me through the rearview mirror. Perhaps I was overthinking
it, or perhaps I hoped I was.

Along the way, Chen Kai and Wang Sisi quickly fell asleep because they had gotten up too early. Although I wanted to borrow
Wang Sisi 's iPhone to check if Shadow Village was on the map,
I had to give up because she was already asleep.
"Xiao Chen, the environment here is really beautiful, completely pristine.
Everything , don't worry." Looking at the surrounding verdant mountains and the blue sky with white clouds, I pulled out my
cheap phone and looked at the text message my brother had sent me when he first arrived in Shadow Village, which I hadn't deleted yet.

"Anyway, the scenery here is really nice..." As time passed, more and more
greenery came into view. Looking at my brother's text message, I couldn't help but agree that the scenery was indeed beautiful.

After Chen Kai and Wang Sisi fell asleep, Secretary Zhang ignored me until the car drove off the main road and followed...
The mountain road twisted and turned, finally turning into a dirt road surrounded by countless peaks.

This dilapidated dirt road, nestled among mountains of considerable altitude, was a
place that could easily be called a ravine – our destination – Yingxiang.

Indeed, as Secretary Zhang had said, it was a tiny village, practically the smallest of villages. After driving for
several , we finally saw rows of earthen houses and farmers dressed in worn clothes on either side.

What caught our attention was a glaringly out-of-place
luxurious villa halfway up the mountain. Its completely classical Chinese decor and opulent atmosphere were astonishing
; how could such a grand house exist in this remote and impoverished area?

When the car finally arrived at the village government building, a house far more imposing than the surrounding buildings, though still not quite
city-class, came into view.

At least, although Secretary Zhang's suit and tie were far more luxurious than the tattered clothes of most people in the village
, and although his Audi A8 was quite conspicuous in a village where there weren't even any motor vehicles, considering
the luxurious and grand government buildings in other places, this village government building wasn't so surprising.

"Where is this..." Chen Kai, waking up, blurted out this question.

"..." Wang Sisi, who had also woken up, didn't say anything this time, but
a hint of nervousness reappeared on her face. As a pampered princess raised in a big city, seeing an Audi would probably reassure her, while
seeing this impoverished rural area would surely make her feel panicked.

"This is it." Secretary Zhang stopped the car and then walked into the village government building first.

Inside the village government building, the civil servants weren't dressed in suits and ties like Secretary Zhang, but rather
wore simple, coarse cloth clothes, like people from the 1960s and 70s depicted in some TV dramas. If they hadn't all greeted
Secretary Zhang respectfully, I would have really thought he was a businessman from out of town who had come to develop the area, rather than
the head of this village.

"Nothing much planned for today. You've been assigned to that dormitory. Put your luggage down and relax after
your journey ." After the three of us signed the registration forms, Secretary Zhang pointed to
a simple two-story apartment next to the government building from the window, speaking as kindly as ever.

"Secretary Zhang... we're not familiar with this place. Could you find someone to show us around
?" Chen Kai asked before leaving.

"Don't worry, there are people to assist you," Secretary Zhang replied.

"When do we officially start our jobs?" I asked, a little concerned about our unexplained move-in.

"I'll have someone inform you of your work arrangements tomorrow. Probably... probably the day after tomorrow." Perhaps I was overthinking it, but Secretary Zhang's tone was very kind to Chen Kai and Wang Sisi, only somewhat cold
towards me . 　　'Whatever, I've been treated coldly enough in my life...' I did . After all, for me, currying favor with this mountain bandit wasn't a fun thing to do. My main purpose for this trip was to be able to visit the place where my brother used to work. 　　On the short walk from the government building to the dormitory, I glanced back and saw Secretary Zhang watching us from the window. I couldn't make out his expression in that brief glance, but he quickly left the window after noticing my gaze. 　　"You must be three college students? Welcome, welcome. My name is Xu Qiang, and I'm here to greet you." As we entered the dormitory, a thin man in his early thirties, also dressed in a suit, greeted us with a smile. "Your rooms are on the side of the corridor. The two boys are in room 109, and the girls are in room 107." 　　"Thank you." Perhaps unaccustomed to such a long journey, Wang Sisi didn't wait for Xu Qiang to finish speaking before taking the key from his hand and hurrying to her room. 　　"You must be tired. Here's my phone number. Call me if you need anything." Watching Wang Sisi's departing figure , Xu Qiang, still smiling obsequiously, handed me a slip of paper with his phone number and the key to room 109. "For meals, you can go to the canteen on the second floor of the government building." 　　After seeing Xu Qiang off, Chen Kai and I headed to our room. 　　To be honest, as a dormitory in a remote mountain village, the room was simple, with old green paint on the walls and white roof, but at least it was clean. For me, the accommodation was acceptable. 　　However, for Wang Sisi and Chen Kai, who were used to living in big cities, it didn't seem to be as comfortable as it was for me . 　　"It seems there's no TV. Besides the bed, thermos, washbasin, and a simple table, there's nothing else?" Seeing the room's simple furnishings, Chen Kai began to complain, completely losing the ingratiating manner he had displayed in front of Secretary Zhang. 　　"And there's no hot water, I can't even take a shower!!" Wang Sisi, who came to our room after putting her things away , was practically hysterical this time. 　　"Ugh!! I miss the internet cafe near the school gate so much, my WoW..." Chen Kai continued to complain . 　　"I really regret coming to this awful place to graduate, I should have repeated a year instead of coming here!!" Wang Sisi plopped down on the bed in a huff. 　　"Okay, I'm going to the cafeteria, are you guys coming?" While they were complaining, I had already neatly arranged my things. I didn't even have the heart to comfort these two aunties, so I decided to go to the cafeteria now. 　　"It's already 11:30, I'll go too, I'm actually a little hungry." Hearing that we were going to eat, the skinny, wolf-like Chen Kai perked up. 　　"I'm not going, I'm exhausted, and besides, what good food can we possibly have here!" Wang Sisi said, standing up and walking out of our room. I knew perfectly well that among her luggage, which was twice as much as mine, there were definitely all sorts of snacks her parents had packed for her. 　　"Never mind, let's go." Too lazy to deal with Wang Sisi anymore, Chen Kai and I also left the room. 　　The cafeteria here was indeed as expected, utterly unremarkable. 　　The only staple food was steamed buns and dry rice, and the two dishes provided for lunch were stir-fried cabbage and shredded potatoes.

The food naturally drew complaints from Chen Kai, but as for me, I was more concerned about
something .

"No cell phone signal?" After confirming that neither Chen Kai's nor my Nokia had a signal,
I also began to feel some inconvenience.

Just as I was about to ask the other cafeteria staff about making phone calls,
Chen Kai spoke to me, "Brother Chen, what do you think of Sisi?"

"Wang Sisi? What aspects are you referring to?" I asked.

"I'm talking about her looks. We weren't in the same class before, so I never really noticed, but coming out together this time, I think
Wang Sisi is quite pretty." Chen Kai's expression revealed genuine emotion, making me believe that
he, who probably never had much luck with women, was genuinely praising Wang Sisi's sweetness.

"However, this pampered young lady's personality is a bit problematic." Although I didn't have any particular feelings for Wang Sisi, I did
agree this pampered young lady was indeed quite attractive.

"To be honest, I was just thinking about it. It's good to have Wang Sisi around in this desolate place
."

"What? You're planning to pursue her?"

"Hehe, anyway, Brother Chen, you don't seem to have any feelings for her. I'm not bragging, but in the city,
a girl like her definitely wouldn't look at me. But here, with no relatives or friends, and surrounded by farmers, I
really come in handy."

"Hehe, whatever you want. She's not my type."

"Hehehe, I wanted to hear that, Brother Chen. To be honest, a man as handsome as you
is no match for me, but if you don't pursue her, I'm confident I can win her over, especially since it'll be in these three years.
"

"Well… good luck then." I didn't comment on Chen Kai's statement. At least Wang Sisi wasn't
my type, and I didn't really care whether they were together or not.

Lunch was eaten quickly. Since I wasn't assigned any work today, I planned to spend the afternoon
exploring this mountain valley. However, Chen Kai, using the excuse of travel fatigue (actually wanting to get closer to Wang Sisi at the dormitory),
didn't accompany me.

After saying goodbye to Chen Kai, I began to slowly walk along the only dirt road in the ravine, heading deeper into the valley.

I discovered that transportation in Yingxiang was indeed very inconvenient; all the farmers in the village
built . Farmhouses lined both sides of the road, with mountains and terraced fields on either side.

Along the way, I saw most of the farmers working in the fields. When I asked a few villagers for directions, they all
told me that this was the only road they could walk on. As for making phone calls, I heard that you had to go to the township government to use
a public phone ; otherwise, you could only receive a weak mobile signal at the village entrance—presumably where my brother sent me
his text messages before he passed away.

However, if the economic development here was almost primitive, the scenery was truly
breathtaking.

Unlike the forests of the north, the trees here were mostly slender but tall, and their leaves weren't the dark
green , but a vibrant emerald green. Almost every few dozen meters, clear springs flowed down from the mountain, and
a few families were using waterwheels for work.

After walking about five hundred meters, the small ravine came to an end. A rough estimate suggested that there
were fewer than a hundred households living there, with a village population of no more than three hundred.

However, just as I was about to reach the end, and after a bitter smile, I was about to turn back, a small house at
the end , and a look of great discovery appeared on my face.

This small house at the end of the ravine was covered in charred marks. And the forensic
report on my brother's death clearly stated that he died from an explosion.

"Is this where my brother worked, or even where he died?!" Seeing this
destroyed house, I felt like I had discovered a treasure, and quickly ran towards it. There, in front of the house, were clear lines of cordon tape, indicating that the village government had sealed off

the area after the accident .
However, out of remembrance for my brother, and out of a desire to find even the slightest trace of his life
, I disregarded the cordon and risked entering.

The small hut was less than twenty square meters in size, containing nothing but burnt ashes. But
as I stood there, staring blankly at the ashes, a ghostly yet remarkably
clear voice came from a corner beside me.

"Who are you?"

The voice sounded about eighteen or nineteen years old, clear yet deep. I turned and saw
a girl in a pure white dress staring intently at me.

Like the voice, the girl also looked only eighteen or nineteen. She had bright, clear
eyes like the starry sky, a high nose, and thin, pink lips. Unlike most people, she had extremely thick,
jet hair, the ends of which seemed to reach her waist. The loose dress reached all the way to her feet, so that apart from
her face hidden by her hair, I couldn't see any part of her body.

The girl's skin was extremely fair, not only fairer than that of Westerners, but also seemingly lacking in color.
She was about 1.67 or 1.68 meters tall, and looked exceptionally ethereal. However, compared to this
girl with her heavenly voice, Wang Sisi, who considered herself sweet and charming, was clearly far inferior.

"You... are you a fairy here?" Although I wasn't as casual as Chen Kai,
suddenly seeing such a beautiful and charming girl in this desolate wilderness still made me feel a little happy. While she gazed at me
, I didn't know why I couldn't think too much, and instead blurted out what I wanted to say.

"You're not from here, are you?" Facing me, the girl's expression remained unchanged, and her tone
remained ethereal and calm.

"No, then are you from here?" The girl's question made me realize that, compared to me, the outsider
, she seemed to be the one who didn't fit in with the local customs.

"What are you doing here?" Without answering my question, the girl continued to ask.

"Uh... how should I put it... this is quite related to someone important in my life." Although unlike
his brother who never had a girlfriend, he had dated two girlfriends during college, but faced with this strange...
But the icy girl still left me somewhat incoherent. More importantly, I seemed unwilling to lie, and
without thinking, I blurted out my thoughts.

For a long time, the girl continued to gaze at me without answering, which made me feel somewhat uneasy.

Then, just as I was about to break the silence, the girl in the corner ignored me,
slowly walked to the door, and slipped out.

"Hey! You still haven't told me who you are..." I followed her out, but found the outside empty
. Looking around, besides the dirt road that had reached its end and the surrounding mountains devoid of human habitation, there was no
trace of the girl.

Just as I was looking around, wondering about the girl from before, I saw Xu
Qiang walking slowly towards the village.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" Xu Qiang waved to me from afar.

"Oh... nothing, just taking a walk." Remembering that the burned-down hut was now cordoned off, I
didn't blurt out my purpose for being there.

"That house could collapse at any moment, so please don't risk going in."
Xu Qiang seemed quite worried about my safety, but as he spoke, I noticed his gaze seemed to be checking if I had
touched .

"Don't worry, I didn't go in." Curious about his attention to the small house, I still didn't tell the truth,
and I was confident that I hadn't touched the barrier when I stepped over it.

"Actually, I called you because Secretary Zhang just told me that a welcome dinner has been prepared for you tonight." Seeing
me start to walk back, Xu Qiang followed behind me.

"A dinner? Isn't that a bit too much?" For the time being, I assumed Xu Qiang was genuinely concerned for my safety, and I didn't
think too much about it.

"Yes, Secretary Zhang said our nutrition here isn't good, and we can't let the city's college students always eat like this, so
he specially prepared a dinner. Your two friends are overjoyed to hear they're having a proper meal tonight." Xu Qiang
was still very attentive.

"That's right, they should be very happy." Thinking of Chen Kai and Wang Sisi's pampered nature, I believed
Xu Qiang's words; they would be overjoyed to hear they were going out to eat.

"By the way...you didn't see anything strange just now, did you?" Suddenly,
Xu Qiang, who had been all smiles, frowned, his face showing a strange and tense expression.

"No, what's wrong?" I instinctively became alert to the change in Xu Qiang's expression, and even more instinctively
connected his tension with the girl I had seen earlier.

"Nothing...to tell you the truth, there's a saying in the village that a female ghost haunts the end of the ravine..."

"A female ghost!?" Thinking of the girl's white dress, her long, black but disheveled hair, and her pale
face, I couldn't help but shudder. But even so, I still didn't want to tell Xu Qiang
the truth.

In fact, as a newcomer, I had no right to speak. But my intuition told me that
Xu Qiang, who cared so much about the boundary line and always had a smile on his face, at least for now, couldn't put my mind at ease.

"Looks like I scared you... It's okay, just pretend I didn't say anything..." Xu Qiang tried to end the conversation
, but judging from his tense expression, his fear of the female ghost seemed genuine.

Back at our dormitory, it was only 3 PM, but Xu Qiang
stood refusing to leave.

"Brother Xu, don't wait here. It's just the third floor of the village government building, we'll be there in a bit.
" I tried to persuade him to leave.

"It's okay, it's okay. Secretary Zhang said a big shot is coming tonight, so we have to be there by 5 PM."

"That's still two hours." Confused by Xu Qiang's behavior, I continued to persuade him.

"It's okay, brother, you should go back and rest. I'm just killing time, I'll sit here for a while." Ignoring
my advice, Xu Qiang simply plopped down on a chair at the dormitory door, seemingly determined to wait until 5 PM
.

Seeing that Xu Qiang wouldn't leave, I gave up trying to persuade him further and simply went back to my own dormitory.

Chen Kai wasn't in room 109; instead, I heard him talking and laughing with Wang Sisi coming from room 110.
It seemed that kid really was going to act on his words and was starting to find ways to get close to Wang Sisi.

After an overnight train ride, a two-hour bus ride, and several hours of hiking through the mountains, I was indeed
starting to feel tired. So, ignoring Chen Kai and the others, or Xu Qiang at the door, I lay down on my bed
, reflecting on the various things I'd seen and heard that day.

Judging from his suit and leather shoes and his Audi A8, Secretary Zhang was clearly a powerful
figure in the village. But why was he so unfriendly to me? Perhaps because when the three of us applied for jobs, my
personal information stated I was an orphan? Or perhaps it was because I was always a little wary? Strange,
why did he immediately
retreat ?

Most of the villagers wore coarse cloth clothes, and Xu Qiang, wearing a suit like Secretary Zhang,
must be one of Secretary Zhang's trusted confidants.

Wait a minute. He said he came to inform me of a dinner party tonight. But how did he know I was in
that burnt-out hut deep in the ravine? Judging from the time we arrived there, we must have arrived around the same time. That means he
didn't look for me elsewhere, but immediately guessed I went to the mountainside?

Considering the importance he placed on that burnt-out hut and his fear of the female ghost, he definitely didn't
want me to keep going there. Could it be… that he was waiting for us at the dormitory entrance not just out of politeness, but more importantly
, to keep an eye on us and prevent me from wandering off again?

Although there's no concrete evidence, that burnt-out hut is very likely where my brother died.
Their concern suggests something sinister is at play.

As for that girl… could she really be a female ghost? Judging from her clothes, demeanor, and complexion, she certainly resembles one
. But she didn't attack me, and her voice, though calm, was very bright. Or perhaps… she
attacks me at night? Like in many horror movies, she doesn't bother anyone during the day, but comes out at night?

Also… there's no cell phone signal here; I can only call the village government, and it's not on the map.
The village markers… everything seemed suspiciously suspicious.

Of course, as someone who grew up in modern society, not a virtual world, suspicious as
it may be , I wouldn't associate these things with murder for money or ghosts and mediums. At most, I just
couldn't completely let my guard down like Chen Kai and Wang Sisi. Perhaps this was
a consequence of having to face a complex society from a young age and having to be careful to support myself.

Thinking about this, I finally fell asleep, exhausted. However, my instinctive alertness made me a light
sleeper , and I could still faintly hear Chen Kai
and Wang Sisi laughing and joking from next door because of the poor soundproofing.

Precisely because I was a light sleeper, when a hard object was thrown into the room through the window next to the bed, hitting the wooden table by the window
with a loud thud, I quickly opened my eyes and reflexively jumped out of bed.

"Who's there!?" Looking out the window, there wasn't a soul in sight. But looking down at the wooden table, I noticed a rough, seemingly natural jade stone
on surface.

Picking it up and examining it, I saw that its surface was extremely rough due to the lack of any artificial cutting or finishing
, and it was about a third the size of my palm.

'Not only are the people and things in the village a bit strange, but I can also suddenly receive a gift like this from the sky?'
Since I didn't know who had thrown the jade stone into the house, I was completely baffled.

"Brother Chen, let's go over!" Before I could figure out the origin of the jade stone, a knock came from the door, and
Wang Sisi's voice came from outside.

I glanced at my watch; it was around 4:50. On one hand, I realized I had
indeed slept for quite a while; on the other hand, I was impressed that at least in this village, watches still worked.

It was almost time to go to the banquet, and with Wang Sisi and Chen Kai right outside, I didn't have time to ponder
the jade's origins. I secretly slipped it into my pocket and headed for the door.

Opening it, I saw Wang Sisi in a new outfit, and
Chen Kai standing behind her, secretly flashing me a V-sign. Clearly, the pampered city girl was only concerned with changing out of her travel-worn
clothes , forgetting she shouldn't be dressed so brightly here. The city boy, on the other hand, seemed quite pleased with his
afternoon chat with Wang Sisi; his grand plan to woo her seemed to be progressing well.

The three of us walked out of the dormitory and found Xu Qiang still sitting on the chair by the door. Seeing us come out together,
he flashed his ingratiating smile again, but considering he'd been sitting there for two hours, I felt something was hidden behind
that smile.

On the third floor of the village government building, there was a slightly renovated room with a large round table typical of restaurant private rooms
—clearly, this was where Yingxiang entertained distinguished guests.

When we went inside, Secretary Zhang wasn't there. Xu Qiang
arranged on the right-hand side as a sign of respect for our guests. When Wang Sisi asked about Secretary Zhang, Xu Qiang said that
Secretary Zhang had gone to greet a distinguished guest and would arrive shortly.

"I never imagined this remote little village could have such distinguished guests?" Wang Sisi, sitting next to me, asked after Xu Qiang went downstairs to greet
the guests .

"I don't know… I'm just curious, do the three of us, so-called college students from big cities, really
deserve such VIP treatment?" Unlike Wang Sisi, I was quite concerned about
whether the so-called VIP at this dinner was us, or the person Secretary Zhang had personally greeted.

"Who cares about their status? The important thing is to eat something good tonight." It seemed Chen Kai, who was always
easygoing was quite open-minded.

"What? You're so thin, but you taste so good…" Judging from Wang Sisi's coquettish manner towards Chen Kai
, his afternoon's advances had clearly narrowed the distance between them.

"It's not for me, I just don't want you to go hungry." Although he
was utterly useless in life and studies, Chen Kai seemed to have a knack for getting close to girls. Hearing this, Wang
Sisi still feigned annoyance, but her brows already showed obvious satisfaction.

Just as the three of us were chatting idly, the restaurant door finally opened, and Xu Qiang, beaming, walked in
first , gesturing for the distinguished guest while bowing and
scraping.

If it weren't for Wang Sisi and Chen Kai beside me, I would have thought I'd traveled to another time when the distinguished guest slowly entered the room
.

It was a typical rural Chinese village, beautiful in scenery but the people were poor. The village government was also an ordinary village
government , though more impressive than other houses in the valley, its decor still clearly retained a strong rural
feel.

However, when this distinguished guest finally entered the room, a vibrant red, different from the muted colors,
immediately caught our eye. What's even more striking is that this distinguished guest, though appearing to be in her thirties, is
an absolutely stunning woman, devoid of any rustic air; on the contrary, she exudes an air of extreme elegance and nobility.

This woman, about 1.65 meters tall, wears a bright red cheongsam reminiscent of old Shanghai.
The fabric of the cheongsam itself looks extremely expensive, and the golden phoenix embroidered on it radiates brilliance.

While her appearance is undeniably elegant, and while her fair skin, unlike any rustic look, and
her delicate, well-proportioned nose and mouth are undeniably beautiful, what's even more captivating is the aura emanating from her long, narrow, almond-shaped eyes—
an aura so powerful it's almost impossible to look directly at them.

The woman's long hair was styled into a bun on her head with a jade hairpin. Her gait was slow and graceful, her entire being exuding a delicate and captivating
charm. However, her eyes, seemingly radiating
a overshadowed Secretary Zhang, who was following behind her. Yet, from another perspective, the woman's sudden
appearance also instantly elevated this ordinary restaurant.

"You... are you the three college students from the city?" Ignoring Xu Qiang, who was fawning over her,
the woman didn't go to the reserved seat to her left of the head of the table. Instead, she pulled over
the chair next to me, directly opposite the head of the table, and elegantly sat down at the head of the table.

As the woman asked her question, I noticed that both Chen Kai, who was usually lecherous, and the woman who was clearly shaken...
Wang Sisi, stunned by the woman's beauty, was speechless for a moment.

"My name is Ying Fenghuang, and what are yours?" Seemingly used to the bewildered reactions of men and women upon seeing
her , the beautiful woman wasn't angry at our failure. Instead, she gave a faint smile,
her captivating eyes scanning the three of us.

"I...I'm Chen Kai, this is Wang Sisi, and sitting next to you is Nie Chen..." Chen Kai
was the first to react, eager to impress the woman.

"Oh? Nie Chen? What's your relationship with Nie Dong?" Suddenly, the woman's eyes fixed on
me, and her words instantly excited me.

"Do you know my brother?!" Honestly, more than the woman's beauty and elegant speech, finally
hearing information about my brother made me lose my composure.

“Yes… He came here a year ago, and we met a few times. It’s a pity that fate is cruel to the talented… Alas
…” The woman sighed softly, and from her tone, she seemed to speak highly of her deceased brother.

“Alas…” If the woman hadn’t mentioned her deceased brother, I probably wouldn’t have been as
flustered as Chen Kai and Wang Sisi in front of her beautiful face. But now, the woman’s words had struck at my weak spot, rekindling
my longing for my brother, making me sigh as well, and then I lowered my head in silence.

“Ms. Ying, would you like to sit here?” Seeing that Ying Fenghuang didn’t sit next to him, Secretary Zhang’s
face showed some displeasure, but his tone was neither kind nor cold; on the contrary, it carried a hint of fear.

“No need. I’d rather sit next to a young person, lest this old lady become too
detached .” Her tone was still gentle, but Ying Fenghuang’s words revealed her complete
disregard for Secretary Zhang.

Seeing that Ying Fenghuang was unwilling to sit next to him, Secretary Zhang, who seemed still lusting after her beauty, had no choice but
to sit down himself, feeling awkward. Then, to prevent Secretary Zhang from feeling awkward, Xu Qiang sat down to his left.

This meal felt to be of the highest standard in the area. The various dishes were quite exquisite,
including some natural ingredients that couldn't be found in big cities. Chen Kai and Wang Sisi ate with great pleasure, while
I, because I was thinking of my deceased brother, had little appetite. I was more curious about how this remote and impoverished place could have
a chef capable of preparing such dishes.

As the saying goes, no feast is complete without wine. After only a couple of bites, Xu Qiang ordered two bottles of wine to be placed on the table, telling
us this wine was a local specialty, a medicinal wine made from a variety of natural herbs.

Secretary Zhang remained kind and amiable, and Xu Qiang remained attentive and enthusiastic, which made Wang Sisi and Chen Kai, two college students with
no social experience, feel both flattered and compelled them to drink more and more. As for me, I initially tried to decline,
but under Xu Qiang's persistent urging, I ended up having a few drinks. Although I didn't drink as much as Wang Sisi and Chen Kai, I gradually
felt the effects of the alcohol.

Unlike the noisy and lively atmosphere at the dinner table, Ying Fenghuang remained calm and gentle. She only took a few sips of wine when
Secretary Zhang urged her to, and ate only a few bites of the light dishes on the table.

Perhaps because of our proximity, Ying Fenghuang occasionally spoke to me, and through our conversation, I
learned about the centuries-old connection between Yingxiang and her family.

Ying Fenghuang told me that the "Ying" in Yingxiang and the "Ying" in her family's surname were of the same lineage.
Hundreds of years ago, the ancestors of the Ying family built this village and settled here for generations,
slowly multiplying and thriving. Today, Ying Fenghuang is the head of the Ying family. Because her husband died early, the Ying family now
consists only of Ying Fenghuang and her two daughters, besides some servants.

The luxurious villa at the village entrance, which I saw that morning in Secretary Zhang's car, was
where Ying Fenghuang and her daughters lived. That location was said to be the best feng shui spot in Ying Township, ensuring the Ying family's prosperity for generations
and protecting this barren land.

During the dinner, I could roughly discern the relationship between Secretary Zhang, Ying Fenghuang, and Xu Qiang.

Although Secretary Zhang, as the nominal head of the village, had loyal followers like Xu Qiang,
he seemed quite afraid of Ying Fenghuang. Whether it was treating her like a distinguished guest, personally greeting her, or intentionally or unintentionally flattering her at
the dinner , Secretary Zhang's position as village secretary seemed slightly awkward.

Conversely, while Ying Fenghuang always treated
Secretary . This made me wonder if Secretary Zhang had been lusting after this middle-aged widowed beauty,
hence his polite demeanor.

"You and your brother look alike," Ying Fenghuang said, mentioning her deceased brother again as they chatted.

"No...you don't know, my brother is a hundred times more outstanding than me." Perhaps it was because she kept mentioning my
brother that my defenses began to crumble, and I unconsciously developed a sense of closeness to Ying Fenghuang.

"However, you two brothers have very similar eyes, which do give the impression of someone young and promising."
Unexpectedly , Ying Fenghuang said this while raising her glass to me for the first time.

"Thank you...although I still consider myself inferior to my brother, thank you for your praise..." I
clinked glasses with Ying Fenghuang, and out of affection for her and remembrance of my brother, I drank my glass in one gulp.

Before I knew it, the meal had gone on until nine o'clock in the evening. Most of the farmhouses outside the window had turned off their lights; after
nightfall , most of the farmers must have already gone to sleep.

At the table, Secretary Zhang clearly had a large capacity for alcohol; apart from a slightly flushed face, he remained calm and composed. Xu Qiang seemed
to have drunk a bit too much; his smile became even more obsequious, and he talked more and more, yet he still seemed sober,
his words consisting entirely of flattery, giving the impression of being impeccable.

Compared to the seasoned composure of Secretary Zhang and Xu Qiang, Chen Kai and Wang Sisi were clearly less sober.

Under Xu Qiang's attentiveness,
Chen Kai, whose academic performance and appearance were too ordinary, and who had never been praised so much in his life, naturally clinked glasses with him frequently, feeling as if they had met too late.

As for Wang Sisi, she had heard praise for her sweet appearance at least ten times during the meal, and
had even heard Secretary Zhang say that she could make this remote mountain village shine. This caused the naive
girl to completely lower her guard, frequently asking mindless questions while drinking more and more.

Unlike Chen Kai and Wang Sisi's outburst, I, who grew up in poverty and never had the means to drink,
managed to control myself despite drinking so much for the first time in my life. The dizziness only made me
more silent. Fortunately, apart from Ying Fenghuang occasionally talking to me, Secretary Zhang and Xu Qiang didn't seem to care about me, so I was happy
to have some peace and quiet and spoke as little as possible.

"It's getting late, I think I should go back." Ying Fenghuang was the first to suggest leaving. The woman gracefully
stood up and, without waiting for Secretary Zhang's approval, elegantly walked towards the door. In the instant she left, I
seemed to see the beautiful woman secretly turn her head and give me a leisurely smile...

"Xu Qiang, take good care of the three college students." Seeing Ying Fenghuang suddenly leave, Secretary Zhang quickly stood up and
chased after her out of the restaurant.

"Brother Xu, it's getting late, I think we should go back too." Since Secretary Zhang, the host, and
Ying Fenghuang, the real VIP of this meal, had already left, I tactfully stood up as well.

Afterwards, I helped Chen Kai, and Xu Qiang helped Wang Sisi, and the four of us walked back to the dormitory from the village government building.
Although the journey wasn't long, Chen Kai immediately collapsed onto the grass outside the village government building and vomited uncontrollably.
Wang Sisi also felt nauseous, but for the sake of the girl's pride, she endured it.

Back in room 109, I first placed the already delirious Chen Kai on his bed. Then I
went out of the room and took Wang Sisi from Xu Qiang.

"Brother Xu, you should go back and rest early too." For some reason, although I had no liking for Wang Sisi,
I was still a little worried about Xu Qiang taking the delirious Wang Sisi back to her room.

"Okay, okay, you two get some sleep..." Without any objection, Xu Qiang handed Wang Sisi to me for support. But before
he left, a strange smile, different from his usual attentiveness, flickered across his lips.

Watching Xu Qiang leave, I helped Wang Sisi into room 110.

If my guess was right, various snacks were laid out on the wooden table in room 110. But
I couldn't worry about that right now. After putting Wang Sisi on the bed, I prepared to cover her with a blanket.

"Chen... Brother Chen... I feel like throwing up..." Just as I was about to leave, Wang Sisi's weak voice
came from behind me. Presumably, after she lay down, her stomach started acting up.

"Oh, I'll help you." Since there were no private toilets in the dormitory, I could only return to Wang Sisi
's bedside and try to help her to the public toilet in the corridor.

However, just as my right hand touched Wang Sisi's head, and I was about to help her up,
Wang Sisi's originally limp arms suddenly wrapped around my back and
pulled me down onto her without warning. Then, a pair of lips mixed with the fragrance of a young girl and the smell of alcohol suddenly kissed my
lips, and a sweet, slippery tongue suddenly rushed into my mouth.

"Hey!!" A second later, I snapped out of my daze and struggled to break free from Wang Sisi's embrace. But when I
saw Wang Sisi's state under the light, I was
even more .

Wang Sisi's face was flushed, and perhaps due to the alcohol, her breathing was rapid,
her chest heaving, her eyes half-open, and her legs were frantically pressing together, rubbing back and forth.

"Brother Chen... I need you..." Seeing my stunned expression, Wang Sisi remained persistent, reaching out
a hand to grab mine, preventing me from leaving.

"You've just had too much to drink tonight..." Considering Wang Sisi's reputation at school, I wasn't surprised by
her actions under the influence of alcohol. But on one hand, I thought of Chen Kai's expectations, and on the other hand, I considered
the potential trouble I might face for the next three years if something happened between us, so I still tried to shake off her hand.

“No… I know what I’m doing. I’m going to be here for three years, and I know how important you are to me…”
Unexpectedly, after I shook her off, Wang Sisi forcefully sat up, opened her arms, and hugged my crotch,
her youthful face even pressed against my groin.

“Calm down!!!” For some reason, I wasn’t moved by Wang Sisi’s passion; instead, I felt
more fear. So I shook her off again and quickly ran to the door.

“Brother Chen… you bastard!!!” This time, Wang Sisi finally stopped her frenzy and roared
while covering her face with the blanket.

“Looks like you haven’t drunk to the point of throwing up…” After Wang Sisi’s antics, I started to
feel the dizziness from the alcohol. I didn’t have the energy to say anything more and simply stormed out.

Back in room 109, Chen Kai was still sleeping like a log. After locking the door, I also collapsed onto
my bed. Because my head was throbbing more and more, I simply stopped thinking about anything and quickly fell asleep.

In my dream, my brother seemed to be standing right in front of me, smiling at me.

I wanted to run and grab him, but he suddenly transformed into Secretary Zhang, staring at me with that cold, chilling
face .

I was startled and took two steps back. Secretary Zhang then transformed into Shadow Phoenix.

She extended her slender fingers, making a beckoning gesture, seemingly trying to lure me to her side.

I slowly walked over, and Shadow Phoenix suddenly opened her arms and hugged me tightly. But when I looked down,
it was Wang Sisi leaning against my chest.

I took two steps back again, and this time, the bewildered girl appeared before me.

"Who are you?" I asked nervously, the characters before me constantly changing.

"..." The girl lowered her head, her long hair covering her face, and didn't answer me.

"You... who are you?" Thinking of the so-called ghost legend, I nervously took
two steps , trying to pat the motionless girl.

Suddenly, the girl raised her head, her snow-white face facing me. Then, blood slowly flowed from her eyes,
nostrils , and the corners of her mouth…

“Aaaaaaah!!!” A scream pierced the air,
jolting me awake. My body was covered in the sweat I'd accumulated during my sleep. I glanced at my watch; it was four in the morning.

I looked at the bed beside me, but Chen Kai was nowhere to be seen. Because I was still in the waking state,
the memory the nightmare, coupled with Chen Kai's disappearance, made me genuinely nervous.

'If only this were a dream…' Now, I was fully awake.

Suddenly, a series of cries, clearly audible even through the walls,
came from the direction of room 110. At first glance, it sounded like Wang Sisi screaming, but upon closer listening,
it sounded more like moaning during sex.

After listening intently for a while, and confirming that Wang Sisi was having sex with someone, I
felt somewhat relieved.

Since Chen Kai wasn't here, and considering his plans to pursue Wang Sisi that he'd mentioned during the day, he
was probably currently in Wang Sisi's room, sweating profusely under the influence of alcohol.

"That's ridiculous… doesn't he know where he is…?" On one hand, I found it somewhat unacceptable that the two of them could do this at four in the morning, in
a dormitory far from home. On the other hand,
thinking about Wang Sisi's previous enthusiasm towards me, if Chen Kai could truly win her heart and make her forget our
unpleasantness, that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Thinking of this, I simply let it go, lay back down on the bed, pulled the covers over my head, and went back to sleep.

Chapter Two: The Ghostly Labyrinth

The next day, I didn't wake up until noon. The side effects of drinking too much last night left my head still
throbbing slightly.

"Brother Chen, I didn't expect you to sleep until this late." As the door opened,
Chen Kai, dressed neatly, walked in. Judging from his clothes and demeanor, he must have gotten up much earlier than me today.

"It's already 11:30..." I glanced at my watch, then sat up in bed and asked
Chen Kai, "Did Secretary Zhang give any instructions today?"

"Oh, I saw Brother Xu this morning. He said our work hasn't been decided yet, so
we and familiarize ourselves with the environment." Chen Kai replied.

"Where's Wang Sisi?" Looking at Chen Kai's calm and collected demeanor, and recalling the
frenzied , I couldn't help but ask about Wang Sisi, who had also drunk a lot last night.

"Sisi, she just woke up too, she's probably taking a shower now." Chen Kai said, sitting down on his
neatly made bed. His change in addressing Wang Sisi confirmed to me
that something substantial had happened between them last night.

"Chen Kai...where did you go last night?" Although engaging in intimate acts in an unfamiliar place was somewhat
indecent , considering Chen Kai and Wang Sisi's free-choice relationship, I asked veiledly.

"Heh heh, Brother Chen, are you still half asleep? Didn't we drink with Secretary Zhang last night?" Caught off
guard, Chen Kai immediately scratched his head, looking embarrassed, and tried to brush me off with a rather clumsy excuse.

"Stop pretending, you know I'm asking about Ling Chen." I pressed on while folding the blankets.

"Hehe...I...I'm fine...Brother Chen, you're overthinking it! Brother Chen, why don't you take a shower first? I'm a little hungry,
I'm going to eat!" After my repeated questioning, Chen Kai finally blushed deeply and
tried to evade the question, eventually running out without waiting for my response.

'Looks like he drank too much last night; at least he wouldn't be so crazy when he's sober...' Watching
Chen Kai leave quickly, I could only smile wryly, then took out the toiletries I had prepared and prepared to take a shower.

I hadn't taken two steps when I suddenly heard a 'clatter.' I looked down and saw the jade stone I had put in my pocket last night had fallen out
.

I picked it up and was surprised to find that the originally light green jade stone was now completely dark green.

'I've never heard of jade changing color overnight; maybe it's a treasure...' Thinking that this
jade stone might be priceless, I dared not carelessly put it in my pocket again, but instead stuffed it into my backpack.

The dormitory bathroom was located at the other end of each floor. As I walked along, I began to notice that
it seemed no one else lived in this dormitory building besides Wang Sisi, Chen Kai, and me.

Just as I opened the bathroom door, Wang Sisi, who had just finished showering, came out.

"Ah..." She gasped softly as we bumped into each other, a hint of nervousness on her face.
Her bright eyes met mine for a moment, then she quickly and flusteredly lowered her head.

I didn't say anything, but stepped aside, and Wang Sisi brushed past me with her head down.

'Does she remember what happened last night? It's certain she'll feel awkward seeing me, but even if
she's not glaring at me angrily, she shouldn't be looking at me with such a resentful expression... as if she'd been bullied
. Could it be that she regretted her relationship with Chen Kai after waking up?' Chen Kai didn't want to talk about this either,
which seems quite plausible. After all, pampered young ladies probably can't stand someone like Chen Kai…”

Lost in thought about Wang Sisi and Chen Kai, I took off my clothes after boiling the water and
noticed a bruise on my wrist.

'Was this from Wang Sisi last night? Does she have that much strength? Was she drunk last night?
I didn't feel any pain…' I looked down at my groin, the same
spot where Wang Sisi had grabbed me last night, and there were two bruises there too, which surprised me.

While showering, I thought about last night's dinner party, and what I couldn't shake off was that elegant
but mysterious woman and the information she shared about my brother.

'Judging from last night, this Ying Fenghuang must have a lot of influence here, to the point that even Secretary Zhang has to
show her respect. Xu Qiang seemed very reluctant to let me approach that burned-down hut. Is there
some ? Well… since Ying Fenghuang praised my brother last night, she might be able to offer me some help.' She said
she had met my brother a few times, so she must know some inside information that I don't.

Thinking that Ying Fenghuang might not be as distant from me as Xu Qiang and Secretary Zhang, coupled with my
intense curiosity about everything related to my brother, I made up my mind. Since I had nothing else to do today, I might as well go to Ying Fenghuang's
house and see what I could find.

In fact, I knew at the time that even if I knew more about my brother's life,
it wouldn't mean anything to my own life. The only reason I did this was
because of guilt I felt for not being able to repay my brother.

Having made up my mind, I quickly showered, got dressed, and without even going to the cafeteria for lunch, hurried out of
the dormitory building.

Based on my memory from yesterday, and knowing that there was only one dirt road through this ravine, I quickly spotted
the luxurious villa perched halfway up the mountain.

My heart pounded with excitement. Since my brother's passing, I've been unable to
escape , constantly overwhelmed by a sense of guilt. But now,
the anticipation of hearing more about him was like a mirage, drawing me in like a moth to a flame, making me forget my
place, forget where I was—I was completely disoriented.

It's no exaggeration to say that this villa was no less impressive than any villa in a major city. Marble
pillars stood at the entrance, and the entire villa was decorated with large pieces of jade. It also had its own courtyard.
Looking up from below, the villa had four floors, covering at least 300 square meters, and with the courtyard, it occupied at least
1,000 square meters.

'This villa might be worth more than the entire village…' Feeling a little nervous, I quickly straightened
my clothes and pressed the doorbell of the courtyard gate.

"Who are you?" No one came out of the villa; the voice came from the access control at the door.

"I... I'm Nie Chen, here to see Ms. Ying Fenghuang." I tried to remain calm.

"Please wait while I announce your arrival." It seemed the voice from inside the access control was that of a maid.

After a short while, the main door finally opened, and at the same time, the villa's main door was pushed open, revealing Ying Fenghuang, whom I had seen last night
.

Today, the beautiful woman's hair was flowing smoothly, and she was wearing a light blue cheongsam, still embroidered with
a phoenix.

If last night, the beautiful woman maintained her elegant and dignified demeanor in front of everyone, then today,
when she saw me, a spring-like smile suddenly appeared on her lips, giving this naive young man a
sudden feel completely at ease.

"Welcome to my humble abode, please come in..." After I approached, Ying Fenghuang completely abandoned all her
formality, becoming a completely like a friendly neighbor, welcoming me inside.

Stepping into the villa, the interior was undeniably luxurious, filled with various Chinese hardwood furniture. As
someone from a big city, I felt almost like a country bumpkin.

Sitting on the sofa in the reception room, a maid quickly brought tea. I noticed that
although
uniforms were far more sophisticated than those of the villagers, and even more so than those of Secretary Zhang and Xu Qiang.

"It just so happens that neither of my daughters are here today, otherwise I would have had them come out to greet our distinguished guest." Ying
Fenghuang sat opposite me, her long, white legs crossed over her cheongsam, flesh-colored stockings
barely concealing the allure of her fair skin.

"You…you're too kind. I'm not some distinguished guest…" Even though I wasn't as
pampered as Wang Sisi and Chen Kai, facing such a stunning beauty, I still awkwardly picked up my teacup, using tea to
mask my barely suppressed nervousness.

"Actually, you came here today because of your brother?" Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Ying
Fenghuang seemed oblivious to my nervousness, her captivating phoenix eyes still fixed on me, before she succinctly revealed
the truth.

"Yes... to be honest, I've felt guilty ever since my brother passed away. Although I know inquiring
about is pointless, I still want to know more..."

"Hmm, blood is thicker than water, it's only natural that you want to know more... but judging from this, you
two brothers must have had a very close relationship, right?"

"That's right, my brother and I are orphans. He raised me with great difficulty from a young age...
I thought I could finally repay him after I started working, but I never expected that I would never have that opportunity again..." The guilt I felt towards
my brother resurfaced, and I felt my nervousness gradually dissipate, at least I wasn't
as at a loss .

"Alright, although I didn't have much interaction with him, I will definitely tell you everything I know."
Ying Fenghuang picked up her teacup, took a sip, deliberately paused, and then spoke again.

“A year ago, the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered a natural medicinal herb here, which is said to be able to be extracted to produce
a special drug that enhances the anti-cancer effect. So, three researchers, including your brother, traveled a long way to come here
.”

“At that time, Secretary Zhang and I welcomed him in the same way we welcomed you last night. That was our first meeting.
My impression of your brother was that he was very low-key, but his eyes revealed wisdom.”

“Later, your brother and his team began to conduct field investigations in the mountains and finally confirmed that the medicinal herb mainly grows
deep in the valleys. So, with Secretary Zhang's assistance, the village set up a simple research lab for the three researchers.
”

Hearing this, I immediately thought of that burned-down hut, which must have been the research lab the village had set up for my brother
.

“Back then, everyone in the village was hoping your brother and his team would succeed in their research, because it would mean
a path to prosperity for this barren land. Plus, all three researchers were humble, so everyone gave
them their full support.”

“A week before your brother passed away, it was said their research was basically a success. So that day,
Secretary Zhang hosted another banquet, and I saw your brother for the second time. He was clearly very excited.”

Hearing this, I remembered the second text message my brother sent me after going to Yingxiang.

‘My research has made significant progress; only a few details remain to be clarified. If all goes well
, I’ll be back in about two weeks.’

“Originally, we thought the three researchers would leave after another week or two, but they said
they seemed to have discovered some other details in their research, so they decided to stay a little longer. Sigh… now that I think about it,
if only your brother hadn’t stayed.”

Ying Fenghuang paused again, her relaxed expression suddenly turning serious, her brows furrowed, her eyes
fixed intently on me.

“Do you believe in ghosts?”

When Ying Fenghuang suddenly mentioned ghosts, I could hardly believe my ears. Yes, just two days
ago, I was a staunch atheist. But yesterday I saw the so-called female ghost with my own eyes, plus Xu Qiang...
Hearing the fact that a female ghost existed, and that someone as trustworthy as Ying Fenghuang said it, made my
heart skip a beat.

"Hehe, you probably won't believe me, I didn't ask that question well... However, this place
has always been cursed by a female ghost, and our Ying family has suppressed this female ghost and protected this land for generations."

Seeing my stunned expression, Ying Fenghuang just smiled faintly and continued.

“One day, your brother, just like you, suddenly came to visit my home. He said he
saw , and this wasn't the first time he'd encountered her before, even before he came to me. I immediately
became alert. I first sent our family's spiritual medium to perform an exorcism, and then warned your brother and the
other two to stay away from that place.”

“Sigh… I think your brother was also skeptical of me at the time. Most importantly, their research was at
a crucial stage, so the three researchers unanimously decided to persevere for a while longer.”

“Then one day, a loud bang suddenly came from the village, and the source of the bang was the
research lab where your brother and the others were. When we ran over, the lab was already a ruin. Later, we
dug through the rubble and found the remains of your brother and two other scientists…”

At this point, Ying Fenghuang finally stopped talking, because I, sitting opposite her, already had red eyes, and
tears were welling up in my eyes.

"So, my brother was killed by that female ghost?" Although I couldn't be sure, I was
completely overwhelmed by negative emotions. Deep down, even if the girl wasn't a ghost, my brother's death was clearly
not a natural disaster but a man-made one.

"I'm sorry, it is indeed a sad story... Perhaps I shouldn't have told you this...
Don't think about the female ghost anymore..." Suddenly, Ying Fenghuang left her seat and sat down beside me. A unique fragrance of a
mature woman quickly filled my nostrils, and her body temperature
was transferred through our physical contact.

"Ms. Ying?"

"You and your brother are both children without parents. I have no ill intentions, it's just... I
feel . Perhaps you can consider me your mother?"

There was no malice, no vulgarity. Ying Fenghuang's voice was irresistibly
magnetic and filled with maternal radiance. When she reached out and put her arm around my shoulder, I could no longer control
my emotions. I buried my face in her shoulder, and tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.

Having grown up without parents, I never experienced the joyful childhood that other children enjoy. My only relative was my
older brother, with whom I depended for survival . Just when I was finally able to become independent, he too left me. My entire life has lacked
love from others, and this feeling has been especially pronounced in the year since my brother's passing. Although I appear strong and
resolute , I know deep down that I truly crave love.

Whether it was genuine or not, whether Ying Fenghuang truly sympathized with me or was merely being polite, I didn't want to
discern at that moment. I only wanted to feel the beautiful woman's soft shoulder and this warm embrace.

After a long while, I finally stopped sobbing and stood up from Ying Fenghuang's gentle embrace.

"Thank you, thank you so much... I think I have things I must do now. I will repay your kindness
in this lifetime." I revealed my true feelings to Ying Fenghuang's motherly smile.

"Don't push yourself too hard. If you need anything, you can come to me anytime." Seeing that I was about to leave,
Ying Fenghuang didn't stop me at all, but continued to give me the gentlest smile.

After bidding farewell to Ying Fenghuang, I left the luxurious villa. My destination was singular: to return to
the burned ruins and investigate the so-called female ghost.

Just as I was about to step out of the courtyard gate, a girl of about fifteen or sixteen, wearing a pink floral dress
and shiny black leather shoes, bumped into me.

Even a fleeting glance was enough to draw my attention to her striking beauty.

Her eyes were incredibly bright, like the pure moon in the night sky. Perhaps due to her age
, her nose was delicate, and her lips were small and adorable. Her round face had skin as smooth as cream.
A cute little ponytail was tied behind her head, and she appeared to be about the same height as Ying Fenghuang.

Judging from her attire and the ease with which she could enter and leave the courtyard, the girl was clearly an important figure here.
However I was too preoccupied with my anger to pay her any attention.

"Hey! Why didn't you say hello when you saw me?!" Unexpectedly, the girl called out to me.

"Excuse me, I'm in a hurry..." I quickly turned back to apologize as I brushed past the girl
.

"What... how can your new brother-in-law be so rude..." The girl even
pouted .

Although I really didn't care about the girl anymore, I could at least guess that she must
be one of Shadow Phoenix's two daughters.

I hadn't walked two steps when dark clouds suddenly gathered in the narrow strip of sky between the ravines, and a sudden downpour began
.

I remembered from my geography textbook that mountainous areas often get rainy, so I wasn't surprised by this heavy rain. I
was just eager to explore the burned-down house again, so I didn't even bother to borrow an umbrella from the dormitory or the village government.
Even though I was soaked to the bone, I kept walking deeper into the ravine.

Finally, I reached the ruins and crossed the obstructing cordon again, but I didn't see the girl who was
called .

Filled with extreme resentment, I began searching through the ruins of the small house, hoping to find
some clues about my brother or the female ghost. But the twenty-square-meter room, though quickly turned upside down
, yielded nothing but ashes and rainwater seeping in through a hole in the ceiling.

"My brother's death was definitely suspicious!! Was it that female ghost who killed him?! If so
, even if I'm reduced to dust, I'll tear her to pieces!! But… but there's nothing here…
God!! Are you kidding me?!!" The more I searched, the more anxious I became, the more I searched, my
mind growing increasingly agitated and even frantic. After a fruitless search, I rushed out of the small house, roaring at the pouring rain,

"Female ghost!! Come out if you dare!!! Aaaaaaaahh ...

But no matter how loudly I shouted, I remained the only one in the area.
The constant flashes of lightning and thunder drowned out my cries.

Suddenly, I glanced casually behind the hut and saw
a barely noticeable path leading inwards from the end of the ravine, which should have been blocked by mountains on three sides.

'No wonder that female ghost suddenly disappeared yesterday! I thought she was truly a ghost!! Turns out there
was another way out!!'

Discovering this path finally eased my anxiety slightly. On one hand, this
path was like a ray of sunshine, providing an outlet for my pent-up anger. On the other hand, being
an atheist, I still didn't quite believe in ghosts, and instead assumed my brother's death was '
man-made ' rather than 'haunted.'

But once I started walking on the path, I embarked on a path I would later regret.

The torrential rain gradually subsided, but the fierce mountain winds grew stronger. Dressed only lightly, I
shivered from the cold, then heard the
eerie .

Following the path around one mountain, I found it ended on the back of another.
After rounding the second mountain, it ended on the back of a third. It felt like I was walking down a path to hell,
endless and deserted, filled only with howling winds and biting cold.

Slowly, darkness began to fall, but I hadn't reached the end.

Suddenly, I realized that my impulsive actions might have sown the seeds of danger.
After all, walking in the unlit mountains, especially on a muddy path after rain, was frankly very
dangerous .

"Should I turn back… Damn it, this path is so long, and although it's not obvious, it's made up of
steps ; it's clearly been used." But if I go any further now, I'm afraid I'll really encounter risks today
... Damn it... What should I do...?"

Just as I was hesitating, suddenly, I, who had never had heart problems before, felt a sharp, excruciating
pain in my chest, which made me scream in agony, completely unprepared.

At the same time, I felt a ball of fire burning in my lower abdomen. Although my body felt warm for a moment,
it was quickly replaced by a huge burning sensation, making me even more miserable, and
I couldn't even stand up.

To make matters worse, when I looked up at the sky, the sky that had just dimmed seemed to be glowing pink,
truly like a celestial phenomenon.

'What is this feeling... Is there really a female ghost casting a spell on me?!??'
Feeling , coupled with the fact that there was no one around, I began to feel fear.
Just then, my foot suddenly slipped, and with a cry of alarm, I tumbled down the muddy
hillside…

I don't know how much time passed, but as the pain from my bruised limbs, the excruciating heartache, and an even
more unbearable burning sensation throughout my body struck me, I awoke with a start, only to find myself in complete darkness
.

Suddenly, a will-o'-the-wisp of light appeared beside me, and the female ghost I had seen yesterday stood silently
beside me.

Her face was still bloodless, appearing even more pale and terrifying in the will-o'-the-wisp's glow. Her face
remained expressionless, looking down at me as if I were a dying lamb.

I tried to struggle, but the burning sensation made even the slightest movement excruciating. I tried to scream, but no matter
how hard I tried, no sound came out.

I grew increasingly agitated, driven more by a fear of death, my eyes filled with resentment and terror.

The female ghost slowly approached me, the will-o'-the-wisp drifting to above my lower abdomen.

I craned my neck, trying to see her, but suddenly realized I was completely naked. To my surprise
, between my legs, my penis was erect, completely defying the pain in my body, and even
beyond my control.

"Do you want to live or die?" the female ghost suddenly asked. If it weren't for her ghostly aura, her
voice would have been soft and gentle, like a young girl's. "Live..." Although I couldn't utter a sound, I desperately mouthed the word

"live ." 　　The female ghost seemed to hesitate for a moment, then suddenly grasped my hard penis with her small hand and began to slowly stroke it. 　　It was at the instant her hand touched my penis that I felt the warmth of her palm. 　　Strangely enough, as her hand continued to stroke my penis, and as a faint pleasure gradually , the burning sensation in my body and the throbbing pain in my chest eased slightly. 　　"Nie... Dong..." 　　As my genitals were being caressed, I seemed to hear the female ghost calling my brother's name? Of course, in that chaotic situation, my hearing wouldn't be very accurate. 　　Although the constant caressing of my penis reduced the discomfort somewhat, the burning sensation and angina pectoris were not eradicated. Even as the female ghost's hands moved faster and faster, my penis showed no sign of ejaculation, and the pain seemed to be suppressed, not eradicated. 　　The female ghost seemed to realize that this approach couldn't eliminate my pain, and suddenly she straddled , her legs spread above my genitals. As her body slowly descended, her long skirt revealed nothing underneath , but her equally warm flesh touched my penis, and then, my penis was inserted into a moist crevice ... I probably never dreamed that I would actually be making love with this female ghost who might have killed my brother 　　in this hallucinatory space . I never expected the female ghost's body to be so warm. As , I could even feel her burning vulva secreting more and more lustful fluid. I could even see the look of pleasure on her face, the kind any woman would show during sex. 　　Even now, I can no longer tell if my pain is due to the female ghost's magic, nor can I understand why sex can alleviate my pain. But I'm at least starting to be somewhat certain that this woman...

The ghost, at least for now, doesn't want to kill me, and she's not the murderer of my brother. Or perhaps the female ghost the Shadow Phoenix
spoke of is actually someone else, and the girl I saw yesterday is just an ordinary woman I've mistaken for.

As the 'female ghost's' waist rose and fell faster and faster, the pain in my body dissipated to almost
nothing , and when I spoke again, I could finally make a sound.

"Who are you... Ah!!" Since the pain was gone, I simply sat up,
questioning her while pressing my hands against her shoulders. But the moment I pressed her down, as my penis stopped
being rubbed by her undulating vagina, that excruciating pain instantly assaulted my heart again.

The 'female ghost' still didn't answer me, but seeing me screaming in pain, she continued to silently sway her
hips, letting her vagina rub against my penis to ease my pain. For some reason,
seeing this 'female ghost' desperately trying to save me, I felt a strange sense of emotion.

Perhaps it was a side effect of the physical pain, but although my penis remained erect, there was no
sign of ejaculation. As the 'ghost' swayed back and forth, I could even see her panting heavily, clearly not just from
pleasure (if there really was pleasure), but more from exhaustion.

"I'm sorry... whether you're good or bad, thank you anyway..." Seeing the 'ghost'
panting but still gritting her teeth and persevering, I could no longer stand idly by.

I braced my upper body with my hands behind me and began to move
my hips—the kind that wouldn't hurt so much when my penis was being rubbed—and started thrusting my penis upwards into the 'ghost's' vagina.

As I became more proactive, the 'ghost' finally seemed less tired, letting my penis
move back and forth inside her. Instead, her face showed more enjoyment than her previous
gritted teeth .

However, despite becoming more proactive, my penis remained incongruously hard, so I
found myself panting heavily again, gritting my teeth and enduring my physical exhaustion, desperately trying to alleviate the pain
.

Suddenly, the 'ghost's' body convulsed, and a suppressed but still
audible moan escaped her throat. Her vagina began to contract violently, and a gush of vaginal fluid spurted out. More importantly,
at the same time as her vaginal orgasm, my penis, squeezed by the vaginal walls, finally felt a slight urge to
ejaculate .

"It seems this works... I... I'll hold on a little longer..." Realizing that my penis still had
the potential to ejaculate, I was overjoyed. I gritted my teeth again and thrust upwards with all my might.

One hundred times... two hundred times... For most of the rest of the process, I was sprinting desperately. Occasionally,
when I was about to reach my limit, the 'ghost' would considerately let me rest, while she would resume moving her hips to prevent
my penis from ceasing its piston-like friction and causing pain.

Amidst my countless thrusts, the 'ghost' climaxed five or six times. With each climax, my
penis felt an even stronger urge to ejaculate. Just before the final climax,
drenched in sweat and pushed to my limit, I simply reached my hands inside her long skirt, which she hadn't taken off, and gripped her
hips, beginning my final thrust.

But, the instant my hands went in, the long skirt billowed, and I seemed to vaguely
see between the 'ghost's' legs, in what should have been a flat area, a
hard object that only a man possessed—a red protrusion, a white shaft, and two tender white scrotums—growing on this 'ghost's'
body!

'She's a man!? No… men don't have vaginas… Could she really be a ghost!!??'
Regardless , seeing a male genitalia growing between a woman's legs, I simply couldn't remain calm.

"Don't look... Ahhhhhh..." But before I could think any further, the 'ghost'
spoke to me for the first
time

in so long, and as she finally couldn't help but let out a loud moan, her vagina contracted more
powerfully than before, and a large 　　gush of vaginal fluid erupted at the same time as my own penis reached its limit
.

"Ah ... 　　"You're awake." With the sound of shoes tapping on the wooden planks, a woman in a long purple dress and a fur shawl draped over her shoulders entered the room. 　　She appeared to be around thirty years old, at least 1.7 meters tall, with a full and voluptuous figure. Even in loose-fitting clothes typical of a housewife, her extremely full breasts were undeniable. 　　Her long hair was neatly styled in a bun down her back, exuding a gentle aura. Her face was a classic oval shape, but her fullness gave it soft curves. 　　Her features weren't particularly striking—her eyes weren't large, her nose wasn't high, and her mouth wasn't small —but they were well-proportioned, making her quite pleasing to the eye. Combined with her rosy cheeks, she looked like a domestic beauty, quite different from Ying Fenghuang's down-to-earth nature, yet no less mature and beautiful. 　　"Did you save me?" Looking down at myself, I realized that all my clothes except for my shorts had been removed, and my wounds were bandaged. 　　"You need to rest more now, don't think about anything else for now." The woman's tone was gentle, capable of penetrating anyone's heart. Her eyes seemed to ripple with water, her understated gaze revealing a warmth that made men feel at ease. 　　If Ying Fenghuang's gaze penetrated a man's heart through the graceful elegance of a noblewoman , then this woman's face radiated endless tenderness. 　　"Thank you, it must have been you who saved me… Where are my clothes?" Seeing that it was already bright outside, she remembered Ying…

I was worried that my disappearance might cause unnecessary trouble for Secretary Zhang or Wang Sisi in the township, so I quickly
sat up in bed.

"Eat something first," the woman said, her words few but her actions considerate. As she spoke, she brought out milk and sausages from
the side , the delicious aroma immediately wafting to my nose and whetting my
appetite.

"Th...thank you..." Honestly, there was no rush. Since the woman had saved me,
there was no need to be wary. I simply picked up the milk and drank it all in one gulp, then devoured the sausages.

"Your clothes are so torn they're unwearable. I don't have any men's clothes here,
so please excuse this." While I ate, the woman took out a dark-colored
men's uniform from a nearby cabinet.

"Thank you anyway..." Not knowing how to express my gratitude to my savior, I could only monotonously say thank you
as accepted the clothes.

Perhaps it was her naturally strong aura, but in our brief time together, the woman immediately gave me
the feeling . As I put on my pants, she turned her back.

I pulled back the covers and suddenly saw my shorts, and suddenly remembered the
'female ghost' that seemed to be in my dream, and that illusion that I wasn't even sure was real.

"When you found me, didn't you see anyone else?" Suddenly remembering that overly realistic
illusion , I couldn't help but ask in a trembling voice.

"Others? This is a deserted place. Within a five-kilometer radius, there probably
wouldn't be anyone else besides the wolves and snakes of the mountains." Just as I guessed, the woman definitely didn't know about the
illusion . Or, if the woman had seen that strangely-looking 'female ghost,' a normal person would
n't be completely oblivious.

"That's not right... I remember seeing a girl in a white dress when I was unconscious."
For some reason, although I hadn't gotten any specific information about the 'female ghost' and the illusion from the hunter, I
couldn't forget the 'female ghost' who had risked her life to save me in the illusion.

"I'm sorry, the girl you mentioned, I really didn't see her." The woman's
expression .

"Maybe...it really was a dream...but this dream was too real, so real that even the physical sensations and
the ghost's appearance were so real...besides, the burning sensation and angina I felt all over my body weren't from a dream
; the pain I experienced on the mountain path was real..."

"How did you find me? What did I look like then?" Still unwilling to give up, I continued to ask.

"When I found you, you were unconscious, with many bruises and scrapes all over your body.
The place where you were unconscious was several hundred meters away from here; it was obvious you had rolled down the mountain." Seeing that I was already dressed in
the men's uniform, the woman walked to the door of the cabin and beckoned to me.

Following the woman's call, I stepped out of the cabin and saw a
dirt road extending from my left. The woman pointed to my left, indicating that's where she found me.

"Could it be that I had a strange dream? But why would I dream of that ghost? And even her
strange lower body?" Knowing the woman had no reason to lie to me, I decided to put aside my doubts for now.

"How far is it from Shadow Village?" I glanced at my watch and saw the hands pointed to eight in the morning.
While secretly relieved that my watch hadn't broken, I also wanted to ask the woman for directions back.

"Just follow this road for twenty minutes, and it will merge with the dirt road where you fell.
Walk for about an hour, and you'll be back where you came from." Perhaps because I had seemed so eager to get home,
the woman didn't try to stop me, but instead showed me the way back.

"Thank you, I have to go now, but I don't know your name yet. You saved me, and I will definitely
repay you in the future." Honestly, if it weren't for the urgency, I shouldn't have said goodbye to my savior so soon.
So, when I spoke, there was a hint of guilt in my voice about leaving in such a hurry.

“Heh heh, my name is not worth mentioning…” When I asked for her name, the woman’s face
softened with a gentle smile, though a hint of bitterness lingered within it. “If we ever meet
again, I will tell you, but who knows when we’ll meet again.”

“Yes, judging from your clothes, I know you’re not from the countryside… I’m sorry…” Strangely
, despite only spending a few minutes together, I felt a complex mix of pure
gratitude and affection for the woman. Perhaps it was her warm smile that gave me a sense of security, or perhaps it was
the feeling she gave me of an older sister.

“If you really want to know… then, my name is Dai Youzhu.” Perhaps sensing the
sincerity , the woman’s gentle smile faded. After a moment’s hesitation, she finally revealed her name.

Looking at her, I suddenly realized that even when she wasn’t smiling, her face always exuded a
captivating and pitiful quality. Even though she looked to be around thirty, her charm hadn't diminished
with age; on the contrary, it had captivated me, a man at least five or six years younger than her.

Walking back to Shadow Village, my thoughts were still racing. It felt like only two days had passed, yet my doubts had only
grown stronger. Although I'd felt a lot of positive energy from my conversation with Dai Youzhu,
I knew I had to face reality.

What was the origin of that 'female ghost'? Was the girl in my dream truly the female ghost Shadow Phoenix spoke of?
If the girl wasn't a ghost, then was there another ghost? Or did female ghosts really exist in this world
?

Although Dai Youzhu said she saved me, I was already unconscious when she found me. What if
it wasn't a dream, but that 'female ghost' had sacrificed herself to save me first, and then Dai Youzhu found me?

Whether it was a dream or reality, the burning sensation and angina I felt were genuine. Why
was I experiencing this? Could it be a curse from a female ghost? But that 'female ghost' might have even saved me.
And... that girl's genitals... If it's true that what you think about during the day manifests in your dreams at night, why would I dream of such strange
things?

Thinking about it carefully, Dai Youzhu's identity was quite suspicious. A thirty -year-old woman 　　dressed as a housewife , with such a beautiful face—would she really live alone in that small wooden house? Although her clothes were simple,
they were still quite well-coordinated, clearly indicating she wasn't a farmer from Yingxiang. But she saved me, so she couldn't be
a bad person right?

Right, and that girl I saw in Yingfeng's courtyard—why did she call me her new brother-in-law?
She seemed to be the younger of Yingfeng's two daughters, but she wouldn't just call any man she saw "brother-in-law," would she
?

Because of these conflicting thoughts, the journey didn't seem so far anymore, and I quickly returned to the burned-out hut.
With everything still a mystery, I secretly decided to visit Dai Youzhu again in the next couple of days.
If, as she said, she occasionally came here to hunt, then perhaps she knew something about the explosion that killed my brother, or the local
ghost legends.

Just as I returned to the dormitory entrance, I saw Chen Kai hurrying towards me from the other side of the road.

We exchanged glances, and I saw Chen Kai steal a look at my new clothes, but he didn't ask
anything . Unexpectedly, Chen Kai's opening line surprised me greatly.

"Brother Chen, you were working late into the night at Secretary Zhang's place last night, you must be exhausted today, right?"

"Secretary Zhang? What do you mean?"

"Weren't you discussing the future plans of Yingxiang with Secretary Zhang at the village government last night?"

"You all know I was with Secretary Zhang last night?"

"Yes, you didn't come home for a long time last night, and Sisi and I were a little worried. Later, Brother Xu came over specifically to tell
us. Hehe, Brother Chen, you're being valued so much by Secretary Zhang right from the start. Don't worry, I'm not jealous
of you, so don't try to hide it."

"Oh...right, sorry, I should have been more honest."

"Alright, anyway, we don't officially start until tomorrow, I'm going back to my room to get some sleep..."

With a big yawn, Chen Kai walked towards room 109 ahead of me, while I stood there,
slowly processing Chen Kai's words.

"Xu Qiang said I was discussing important matters with Secretary Zhang? In other words, Secretary Zhang might have told him to
say that? Why would he say that? Is it because he doesn't want Chen Kai and Wang Sisi to worry about me? But he
couldn't possibly have known I'd return safely today. If I really disappeared last night,
it wouldn't do him, the village secretary, any good… Could it be that he really hates me? Hates me so much that he
wouldn't care if I died outside? If he truly despises me, then Xu Qiang would obviously be on his side… And our
official start date has been postponed to tomorrow, what's the hidden reason behind that?" The more

she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. Recalling Secretary Zhang peeking at us from the window, his
coldness towards me at the dinner table, and
the strange plus Wang Sisi's sudden, forceful kiss afterward—all of this sent
chills down her spine.

Perhaps this was just an unsubstantiated misconception, or rather, I'd rather it were.

During my conversation with Chen Kai during the day, he told me that the torrential rain the previous night had caused
a landslide on a section of road outside the village. Although there were no casualties, since it was the only dirt road leading out of the village, Secretary Zhang
and Xu Qiang had led a dozen villagers to repair it early that morning.

He also told me that I had been assigned to the village production team to help supervise and assist the villagers with their farming. He had been assigned
to Secretary Zhang's office as a secretary, while Wang Sisi had been assigned to work under Xu Qiang, responsible for
typing up documents using the village's only computer.

Through Chen Kai's words, I finally understood Xu Qiang's position in the village, and I secretly wondered
if Chen Kai's more prestigious position was due to his willingness to curry favor with Secretary Zhang.

Strangely, I didn't see Wang Sisi all day. Chen Kai told me that Xu Qiang was out helping
Secretary Zhang repair roads, and there was also a document that needed to be printed urgently, so Wang Sisi
had been transferred to Xu Qiang's side to help out.

As we chatted, Chen Kai seemed quite tired and soon fell asleep. Since I had nothing better to do,
I decided to visit Ying Fenghuang's villa again after lunch in the cafeteria to address my many questions.

"You must be Mr. Nie. Mrs. Ying isn't home right now. Why don't you come in and wait for her?" This time, perhaps
because she already recognized me, the maid easily let me into the mansion.

Sure enough, as the maid said, Ying Fenghuang wasn't home. But just as I sat down on the same sofa I had sat on yesterday when I
faced , the girl I had met briefly before appeared before me again.

"Looks like you're not my brother-in-law... How boring." With a series of light footsteps,
a girl dressed in a white nightgown quickly descended the stairs from the second floor.

"You must be Ms. Ying's second daughter. Hello, my name is Nie Chen." Although I wasn't familiar with the girl,
I still knew I should maintain basic politeness, so I stood up and nodded to her.

"So you don't even know my name? Looks like you're not the new brother-in-law after all. But that's fine,
being my brother-in-law doesn't bring any advantages; it might even drive you half to death." The girl ignored my politeness and plopped down
on the sofa opposite me, her two fair legs and chubby little feet unabashedly resting on
the coffee table in front of me.

"Why would being your brother-in-law drive you half to death?" Although Ying Fenghuang hadn't returned, I didn't want the conversation to become too
awkward, so I continued along with the girl's lines.

"Hmph, it's all because of my perverted older sister... Never mind, Mom says family scandals shouldn't be aired in public, and saying too much
might scare you away..." As the girl spoke, a maid brought in a delicate breakfast and respectfully
placed it front of her.

"Alright..." Since the girl didn't want to talk about it, I naturally didn't bother to ask. After all, there was no need to
be too serious about a pampered thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl. However, compared to her, I was more concerned about her mother, who seemed to know many secrets
, so I asked, "When is your mother coming back?"

"You still won't ask my name!! You're really making me angry!!! What business is it of yours whether my mother comes back or not!!
I hate you!!!" Being a rich girl, she flew into a rage at my carelessness, grabbing the breakfast...
She threw it on the ground and quickly ran out of the reception room.

"You remember this, my name is Ying Linlang!! You'll be begging for mercy in front of me someday!!!"
After yelling, the girl ran upstairs, leaving me sitting there dumbfounded.

Time passed from two to three, then from three to four. Perhaps because Ying Linlang had lost her temper with me
, or perhaps because the maids here were so well-trained, I sat there bored for two hours
without a single maid coming to talk to me, not even the maid who was cleaning the floor in front of
me .

Occasionally, when I was bored, I would try to talk to the maids, but they would mostly give brief answers, and when it came to
questions about the Ying family's affairs, they would all say they didn't know.

Seeing that the afternoon was almost over and Ying Fenghuang still hadn't returned, even with all my doubts, I
felt too embarrassed to stay at their house any longer.

Left with no other choice, I had to take my leave. What I didn't notice was that as I left the villa, that
precocious little girl, Ying Linlang, was peeking at me from the third-floor window.

Before returning to my dormitory, I tentatively went to the village government office. After other staff informed me that Secretary Zhang
and Xu Qiang hadn't returned, I reluctantly returned to my dormitory, only to find Chen Kai nowhere to be seen
.

'So mysterious…it seems like everyone in the village, including Chen Kai, has a lot of
secrets …'

Since I was temporarily undisturbed, and considering that although Dai Yuzhu had saved me, I hadn't cleaned
myself , I grabbed my bath supplies and prepared to give myself a proper wash.

After taking off my clothes and removing the bandages, I saw that both my elbows were scraped, and there were large
areas of bruising on my thighs. Although I couldn't see my back, it was still slightly painful to the touch. As for my wrists, which Wang Sisi had bruised
, they seemed to have healed by now.

Suddenly, just as I was washing myself, a rapid knocking sounded on the door of the private room.

"Who is it?!" I shouted, startled.

"Help...help me..." To my utter surprise, Wang Sisi's weak and slightly hoarse
voice came from outside the door.

"What's wrong?!" Although my nerves immediately tensed up, I
hesitated to open the door since I was naked.

"My body...is so hot...my chest...hurts..." Wang Sisi's voice grew weaker and weaker,
the word "hurt" barely audible. Hearing about her hot body and chest pain,
my heart skipped a beat.

Having experienced this pain myself, I didn't hesitate any longer and immediately opened the door. But what I saw
was not the sweet-smiling, coquettish young lady I knew.

Instead, Wang Sisi's hair was disheveled, her breathing was heavy, and her eyes were bloodshot. Her top was
torn to shreds, and her lower body was completely naked. Her youthful legs glowed with an unusual fleshy red light, and
between them, sparse pubic hair and the semen on it were clearly visible.

In that instant, when I noticed her hands were also sticky, I suddenly realized what had happened
to .

Just as I had needed sex to save me from the pain last night, Wang Sisi was clearly
facing the same problem. Judging from her genitals, she had obviously been desperately masturbating to alleviate the pain
. But just like me last night, masturbation alone wouldn't cure the pain, so Wang Sisi would
grow weaker and weaker, her voice growing softer and softer, until finally, like me last night, she would be unable to move due to the excruciating pain
, and her throat would eventually be unable to utter a sound.

I didn't know why Wang Sisi had suffered the same fate as me, but I knew Chen Kai
wasn't in the dormitory. Wang Sisi couldn't find the local farmers to help her, nor did she have the strength to run out of the dormitory.
So I was her only savior, although, perhaps neither of us would have done this when we were sober…

“I’ll help you!!” For a moment, I couldn’t think of any other way to save her except through sex. I
grabbed her ribs and forcefully helped the limp Wang Sisi up.

But the instant I tried to lift her, Wang Sisi pressed herself against me, her entire
weight pressing down on me. I stumbled, my back hitting the wall of the cubicle, while Wang Sisi continued to press down on
me.

Perhaps it was because drunk people are particularly heavy, but with Wang Sisi pressing down on me, I
couldn’t break free for a long time. Fortunately, although the dormitory was simple, there were only separate shower rooms for men and women on each floor,
so wasn’t worried about being seen by other villagers.

Suddenly, two lines of tears slid down Wang Sisi’s face; she was clearly in great
pain . The next second, I struggled to reach out an arm, grabbed the doorknob of the cubicle,
slammed the door shut, and locked it.

Actually, I was very reluctant to have a relationship with Wang Sisi in this ambiguous way. Of course, I'm not
a moralist , but I
felt a pang of sympathy for this spoiled young lady's temper and the things hidden behind her strange illness. But now, a life was at stake, and I couldn't take Wang Sisi to the village to ask for help, nor
could I ignore this girl who was at least a fellow traveler.

"I'm sorry… I hope you won't resent me after you sober up."

I wrapped my arms around her thighs, lifted her up with all my might, then rotated my
body, pressing Wang Sisi's back against the wall. I turned the shower on full blast, using the loud water
to mask any screams that might come from her mouth later.

My forearms continued to support Wang Sisi's legs, and my erect penis, which had involuntarily become hard,
pressed against her vulva. With the already overflowing vaginal fluid, my penis easily slid in to the hilt.

This wasn't the first time I'd ever been with a woman, but it was the most pleasurable one. Perhaps because of this strange
ailment , Wang Sisi's vulva was unusually slippery. Despite her weakness in her limbs, her vaginal muscles were very active,
constantly squeezing my penis with each thrust.

Perhaps it's a difference between men and women, but I vaguely remember that my own symptoms when I first fell ill included an erection.
It was incredibly intense and long-lasting, but in Wang Sisi's case, this manifested as vaginal muscle activation, excessive
vaginal lubrication, and frequent orgasms.

To prevent Wang Sisi's cries from being heard outside, and with the effects of the orgasms subsiding her physical pain
, I pressed my lips to hers, letting her hot tongue
swirl wet top, revealing
two small but firm breasts with bright red nipples. Her arms were already tightly
wrapped around my back, pressing me against her.

Although I've always considered myself a rational person, I'm still young and full of vigor. At
this point , I ignored all the external distractions, focusing solely on Wang Sisi, thrusting
forcefully into her vagina and passionately kissing her.

"Brother Chen...is this a dream...? If it's a wet dream, this is good too...ahhh..."
During , as the pain subsided and her speech returned, Wang Sisi
murmured sweet nothings and sleep-talking while passionately enjoying the intense lovemaking.

"It's just a dream, don't think too much...enjoy this dream..." I comforted Wang Sisi while panting
, feeling my lower body engorged with blood, my previously closed ejaculation gate about to open
.

"Brother Chen, you're about to cum...Sisi is almost there too...don't pull out, stay with Sisi..." Sensing
my penis about to ejaculate, Wang Sisi desperately hugged my back, preventing me from breaking free.

"Ahhh..." Finally, I desperately suppressed my cries, and my semen gushed out. " Ah

... 　　Just like my performance last night, Wang Sisi fainted immediately after her ultimate orgasm. After the pleasure nervously looked around. Seeing nothing amiss, I quickly carried Wang Sisi to dormitory 110. 　　Fortunately, the door to room 110 was ajar. Fortunately, while everything else was lacking, water was plentiful, or at least bathwater. So many coincidences seemed to be working in my favor. I didn't dare think too much about it, placed Wang Sisi on her bed, covered her with a blanket, and locked the door to room 110. 　　Just as I was changing into my prepared clothes in the bathroom, I suddenly heard hurried footsteps in the hallway. Instinctively sensing danger, I quickly went out of the bathroom. 　　Standing in the doorway of room 110 was a familiar figure, covered in sweat, his face etched with tension and urgency. He pressed his ear against the door, desperately listening for any sound. 　　This person wasn't Chen Kai, but Xu Qiang, who should have been repairing the road at the village entrance. 　　"Are you alright?" In an instant, I seemed to understand something. My face remained expressionless as I stood seriously before Xu Qiang. 　　"N-no... I'm fine. Is everything alright here?" Xu Qiang's face, already flushed from . 　　"I saw Sisi come back before I went to take a shower," I probed. 　　"Oh... Wang Sisi... Is Wang Sisi alright?" After much hesitation, Xu Qiang finally asked the question he shouldn't have asked in front of me. 　　"She talked to me when she came back, and seemed perfectly normal." I lied to Xu Qiang, but my eyes remained fixed on his actions, trying to find more clues. 　　"That's good... that's good... I... I'm going to the village entrance." Hearing me say that, Xu Qiang seemed relieved , seemingly unconcerned about his lapse in composure in front of me. He muttered to himself as he walked past me and disappeared at the end of the corridor. 　　And that was the last time I spoke to Xu Qiang.

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Phantom of the Village (Volumes 1-8) by supercoldking

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