Frightening Joke: Above the Mist
Chapter 56 Arguments

Chapter 56: Chapter 56 Arguments

"There’s nothing much to entertain you with in this remote village, Miss Yu."

Lu Bingyan poured a cup of hot water for Yu Sheng and placed a few mountain chrysanthemums into it.

Yu Sheng reached out her hands to take the teacup and said with a smile, "Not at all, this is already very nice."

The teacup was rustic, the spring water sweet, and the fragrance of the chrysanthemums lingering; Yu Sheng’s words were not entirely mere courtesy.

Lu Bingyan forced a smile, occasionally glancing at the wheelchair Yu Sheng was sitting in.

"Sister Lu, your mother... isn’t a native of Jixue Village, is she?"

Yu Sheng asked suddenly, holding her teacup.

Lu Bingyan was taken aback, then looked at her with a slightly unnatural expression, "How did you know?"

Yu Sheng touched the armrest of the wheelchair and said, "On this wheelchair is the emblem of Bottong Hospital, and Bottong Hospital, as far as I know... is in Beijing." Yu Sheng raised her head to look at the expressionless Lu Bingyan.

She was able to notice the hospital emblem because of Bai Yanliang.

She remembered that the first thing Bai Yanliang said to her was to point out the hospital she was currently staying in, based on the wheelchair she was in.

So... that man must also know that Lu Bingyan’s mother is a stranger to this place.

Moreover, she came from a big city, far, far away in the mountains, Beijing.

Lu Bingyan obviously didn’t expect Yu Sheng to notice this, even less so that she would recognize a hospital emblem that most people couldn’t remember. For a moment, she didn’t know how to respond to her inquiry.

A moment later, under Yu Sheng’s curious gaze, Lu Bingyan sighed softly, "You’re not wrong, my mother... is from Beijing."

Is that so...

But how could a city lady from the capital end up marrying into this remote mountain?

Even if she found true love, a young woman accustomed to city life would likely not choose to spend the rest of her life in a village where the electric light is the only electrical appliance, right?

There must be things I don’t know about this matter.

Seeing that Lu Bingyan wasn’t in the mood to talk, Yu Sheng didn’t press further, only chatted casually about various topics with her.

Due to her mobility issues, Yu Sheng read many books, with a wide range of interests.

In terms of the breadth of knowledge, even Bai Yanliang might not be her match.

Of course, this was because Bai Yanliang deliberately structured his own knowledge base, preferring not to fill his mind with things he deemed useless.

Under Yu Sheng’s intentional friendship, Lu Bingyan gradually talked more.

After all, in all these years, she had never found anyone she could communicate with in this village...

"Xiao Yu, remember, don’t go out at night, don’t even open a crack in the door, and also... tomorrow during the Homecoming Festival, just stay in the house, don’t come out."

Yu Sheng’s eyes shimmered as she asked curiously, "Why?"

Lu Bingyan bit her lip, seeming conflicted, but a strange emotion flashed in her narrow eyes, "Don’t ask, just listen to me..."

Yu Sheng nodded, sipping the fragrant chrysanthemum tea slowly.

...

The village chief’s house.

Li Mu admired the calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall with some surprise in his expression.

"I didn’t expect the village chief to have collected such old and valuable artwork."

The Old Village Chief sat in a rocking chair with a frown, leaning on his cane.

Hearing this, he looked up at Li Mu and said, "Passed down from ancestors, nothing too precious."

The Old Village Chief appeared to be in low spirits, perhaps due to Cheng Zhipeng’s body still lying in the village.

Li Mu chuckled, saying, "The chief speaks so elegantly and chooses words with care, surely from a family of letters. How did you end up in such a barren mountain?"

Li Mu’s words made the Old Village Chief’s aged eyes light up, and he looked up to see Li Mu’s somewhat regretful gaze.

"Ah... young man, you don’t understand. Back then, during Shen Zhou’s turmoil, my ancestors fled the war with their wealth, family, and friends, seeking refuge in this old snowy mountain. Over time, the vegetation blocked the paths, and the fog obscured one’s vision, making the way out untraceable. We descendants have lived here ever since..."

The Old Village Chief’s voice was long and wistful, carrying a hint of resignation, yet perhaps some resistance too.

How much of this tale can be believed, Li Mu knew well in his heart.

The Old Village Chief’s expression of regret remained on his face for too long.

In general, human genuine expressions are fleeting, not lingering long on the face.

So... if a certain expression stays on someone’s face for too long, they might be pretending about something.

Even without observing these subtleties, Li Mu could discern the loopholes in the Old Village Chief’s words.

In this village, aside from the Old Village Chief, the village chief’s granddaughter, and the man named Xiao Bin, hardly anyone else looked normal.

Their skin was dark and rough, all appeared thin, regardless of height or build, and their features were bizarre.

What is this old man hiding?

"I see..." Li Mu nodded, suddenly looking interested as he asked, "By the way, Village Chief, what exactly is the Homecoming Festival? Can we, the outsiders, observe it?"

The Old Village Chief grinned, his wrinkled face blooming like a flower.

"Of course, all of you... are welcome."

Li Mu smiled as well, then turned and bid farewell to the Old Village Chief, saying he was going to take a walk around the village.

The Old Village Chief watched his departing figure without stopping him.

...

As Bai Yanliang walked on, he found this peculiar village’s people always in a hurry.

They all seemed intent on working before the day ended.

Occasionally, Bai Yanliang saw some men lift the black cloth off the front of their houses and put food and water into a cage.

In the cages, the women appeared disheveled and wild, their faces twisted with madness, yet they uttered not a word.

How did these female villagers... become mad?

As he pondered, Bai Yanliang stopped in front of a dilapidated old house.

The sky seemed to grow a bit darker.

This was the second corner in the upside-down triangle formed by the houses of the entire village.

Chuyi saw the different aura around Bai Yanliang immediately.

Before this house, there was no iron cage covered with black cloth.

Or rather... no one lived in this house anymore.

Bai Yanliang took a step forward, slowly reaching out to touch the door of the dilapidated old house.

Boom—

As soon as he touched it, images flashed rapidly through his mind!

Thunder and lightning, the night rain as dark as ink, and the piercing lightning instantly shattered the night.

Everything became pale in the flash of lightning, only to rapidly turn dark again, a figure in the storm crying to the heavens.

The not-yet-sprouting old tree stretched out bony branches like hands reaching to the sky, silently lamenting.

Fortunately... Bai Yanliang, with his unique perspective, immediately noticed the uncanny change in himself when he touched the door and quickly withdrew his hand.

The images in his mind vanished abruptly.

Yet, a series of questions lingered.

What had he just seen?

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