Chapter 23: Settling on a Plan

  He thought for a moment and said it was okay, nothing more than being a bit ruthless in his methods, but he couldn't be accused of deceiving us.

  I said I didn't believe him, I just wanted to save Wenjing and leave quickly, so on the way here, I thought it through. Since he asked us to investigate Huang Lao's whereabouts, if we found him, I would directly use betraying Liu Weimin as a condition to exchange for Wenjing. If Huang Lao agreed, that would be best; if not, then Yu Mo would bring Liu Weimin over to deal with him.

  You Yu's eyes twitched, and he looked at me disbelievingly, then shook his head and sighed: "Alright, I'll listen to you. You're indeed the most shameless of the three villains - you've lost all sense of dignity!"

  "Three Cheap Guests" was our nickname in college, I was the cheapest, especially with my mouth. Qin Feng was also cheap, but we didn't know who gave us this name, it just mysteriously appeared on the school forum. The truly cheap ones were those two, and I just got dragged down because I was close to them. But You Mo always thought this nickname was shameful, so now he's using it to call me, obviously not satisfied with me.

  I didn't explain to him because I myself don't know if such a decision is right or wrong. If it were someone else, I definitely wouldn't harm him in order to save Wenjing. But the old doctor's death was like a thorn stuck in my heart, and I always felt that Liu Weimin had some unknown thoughts, not as straightforward and honest as he seemed on the surface. If I don't take the initiative to strike first, I will definitely suffer in the end.

  Before going out, I wanted to borrow the dog whip from Liu Weimin for self-defense, but he was not in the house. When I asked the old woman at the counter, she said she hadn't seen him go out.

  I reckon this old man jumped out of the window and ran away, before coming to the hotel he had instructed us to choose a room at the end of the corridor on the first floor, convenient for sneaking out to have some fun.

  Thinking of this, I also became a bit bolder. Since he was also wandering around the village, when the zombies ate people, they would have an additional choice. He was older than me and had more to chew on.

  It's probably because of the zombie disturbance, so the village is very quiet at night. There's only a thin crescent moon in the sky, barely enough to light the way. I stuck close to the walls of each house and headed south, wanting to take a look at Huang Lao's ancestral home and report back to Liu Wei Min.

  I don't know if it's psychological, but I always feel a chill wind swirling around my back, and my heart is racing. From time to time, I turn around to take a look, but there's no one behind me. I secretly encourage myself that even if the village is haunted by zombies, with so many people in the village, it's unlikely that they would coincidentally follow me. Besides, I'm an outsider, not a familiar face to the locals.

  Ever since I had the feeling of being followed, all the hairs on my body stood up, every pore opened, and even a slight breeze made me turn my head. After walking for seven or eight minutes, several times I seemed to hear a faint rustling sound coming from behind me, like the friction between shoes and the ground. This terrified me, so I started to jog, but that sound also became urgent, yet I really couldn't see any living thing.

  My heart was heavy with pressure to the point where I couldn't take it anymore, so I didn't dare to wander around anymore. I turned a corner and ran wildly back to the dormitory, panting and standing at the door, looking around in circles to make sure no one was following me before turning around and going inside.

  The old woman at the counter wasn't drinking, chatting and laughing with a woman next to her who was knitting a sweater with her head down. I went straight to find Liu Weimin, but he hadn't returned yet. You Wu had taken a bath and was lying on the bed, leisurely playing with his phone. I didn't talk to him much, just greeted him and then returned to the counter, wanting to chat with the old woman.

  As I approached, I coughed twice, and the two women looked up. It was only then that I noticed the woman who was knitting a sweater, although dressed in a rustic manner, was quite pretty, with a mature charm at the age of twenty-six or seven.

  She sat on a small stool, and I followed the collar, able to see two clusters of white flowers in front of her chest. Unconsciously swallowed saliva, tiptoed to take a closer look, that old woman shouted: "Little rabbit, where are you looking? Go home and see your mother!"

  Her voice was unpleasant to the ear, like a duck with its neck pinched, my face turned red, just about to explain a few words, but the charming young woman's cheeks were flushed, her head lowered, and she scolded: "Third sister, don't talk nonsense, the guest has something to ask you, I'll go back first!"

  She put down her knitting and was about to leave, looking embarrassed and lowering her head, not daring to look at me. But I held her back, saying that there were zombies outside and she couldn't go out.

  The old woman sneered and said, "There are zombies outside, and sex ghosts inside the house. I'd rather be sucked dry by zombies than let a sex ghost occupy my body."

  I didn't bother with her, and said to the young woman: "Don't lie to you, you also saw me running back in a hurry just now, right? It's just that I felt like something was following me, so I wanted to ask you about it. But I've never seen such a beautiful woman before, and suddenly I got flustered and couldn't control my eyes. Don't mind."

  The little woman's face turned even redder, her chin barely touching her chest, and she said softly that it didn't matter. The old woman then pulled her back to the counter and asked me with a disbelieving expression, "You've been followed by zombies, how are you still not dead?"

  I spread my hands and said helplessly, "I don't know if it's a zombie or not, but I'm sure something is following me. When I turn around, there's nothing to see. It's either a zombie or a ghost. Forget it, let's ask the two sisters about someone."

  I wanted to ask about the old man's situation, but they kept asking me about my experience just now, so I added some flavor and told a story, saying that I didn't see any zombies, but sometimes heard ghosts calling, or felt something scratching my back and other nonsense.

  Don't look at the old woman's fierce cry, she was still scared pale, and said that I could come back alive is really picking up a life, it's probably because the old clan leader had no feud with me, an outsider, so he let me go.

  As soon as I heard this, I was stunned. Aren't zombies supposed to suck people's blood? When did they start seeking revenge? So I asked her what she meant.

  The old lady gave me a glance and said that I was still young and had a strong curiosity, wanting to know everything.

  That young woman scolded and said, "Third sister, don't be like this, he's a guest." Then she turned her head and said to me with embarrassment: "Actually, it's just the rumors spread in our village. On the day when Old Zhang committed suicide, he first went crazy and ran out of the door, telling everyone that someone was guilty and should die. After his family took him back, the village cadres came to visit and later told everyone that Old Zhang had an iron face and said that every person in the village had a deep blood feud with him, and when he died, he would not let us off."

  I furrowed my brow and listened to her finish speaking, then asked her, "Did Old Master Zong commit suicide?"

  The young woman pouted, thought for a moment, and said with a hint of doubt: "Anyway, his family said it was suicide. That day, he drove the village cadre away, locked himself in the house, wailed loudly, and after a while, there was no sound. His family went in to take a look and found that the old patriarch was wearing his old official uniform and boots, lying neatly in the coffin, already dead."

  The old woman added that decades ago, the old man had prepared a coffin and treasured it in his bedroom. When his sons and grandsons died, he wouldn't let them use it. He would put his official robes and boots inside the coffin instead. Although everyone at home thought it was unlucky, no one dared to say anything about it.

  The old patriarch of the clan died mysteriously, and at first, the villagers didn't think much of it, thinking he had just reached his time and spoken some nonsense before dying. It wasn't until the seventh night after his death that two teenage girls were found drained of blood in their home, and only then did people start to suspect the old patriarch, because on the day he went mad, the first people he saw after rushing out of the door were those two girls.

  The village cadres had not yet discussed a solution when someone came running to say that the old man's grave had been dug up, the coffin was open, and the body was gone.

  It was then that the villagers realized that the old patriarch's words before his death were not nonsense, but a true intention to return and take revenge.

  I asked them if there was any feud between Laozu Gong and the villagers?

  The old woman said with a strange tone: "Except for him, the oldest is only eighty-six years old. When he was wearing open-crotch pants, they called him grandpa. What kind of grudge can he have? He's a confused person when he's alive, and even if he becomes a zombie, he'll still be a confused zombie!"

  Even I, an outsider, find it unbelievable. Those two little girls are only a tenth of his age, how could they be sworn enemies? However, this matter is indeed quite strange. I asked them if they had invited the Taoist priests from Dragon and Tiger Mountain to catch the stiff corpse.

  The young woman stole a glance at me, her face red as she hastily said: "The village chief has contacted the mountain, and in these few days, Daozhang will come to take a look. However, Daozhang said it shouldn't be a zombie, as there is only one tooth hole on the necks of the two girls, whereas zombies should have two sharp fangs. Moreover, Daozhang asked us to place Laozu Gong's coffin in the ancestral hall; if he has become a zombie, he will enter the coffin to rest during the day, but these past few days, nothing has been seen."

  Will zombies proactively go back to their coffins and sleep? This is the first time I've ever heard of it!

  After a moment of silence, I was about to ask again about Old Man Huang's situation. Just as I was about to speak, the young woman slowly got up, lowered her head and said: "Third Aunt, it's getting late, I'll go home first and come back tomorrow to knit you a sweater."

  How dare you walk at night at this time?

  And she said she wanted to leave but stood still, the old woman looked at me and then at her, sneering continuously, saying: "Sister, look at him, does he seem like someone who would dare to send you home? Besides, it's really not safe in the village, why don't you just stay here tonight, I reckon he'll have the guts to knock on your door at midnight." As she spoke, the old woman tossed out a key: "You can stay in the room opposite his, convenient."

  This remark left me speechless, the young woman was so ashamed and indignant that she stomped her feet in a hurry, turned around and wanted to run out, but was pulled back by the old woman, who comforted her with kind words and let her go upstairs to her own room.

  The old woman then reluctantly said to me: "My sister's name is Kang Jiuxiang, and I think she has taken a liking to you. To be honest with you, she's a young widow who hasn't seen much of the world. You're a city boy, tender and delicate, no wonder she's smitten. If you're willing, take her home; if not, then forget it..."

  I stood there with my mouth agape, not understanding what was going on. The old woman shouted again: "What's wrong? You're lucky! People like you who are struggling to make ends meet every day, once you go in, which woman would wait for you to come out? Don't look at Jiuxiang as a widow, she has a good heart and can still give birth. Her butt is big enough to have a child! Now take her home and raise her for half a year, when you go in again, I guarantee you'll have a fat son! Think about it yourself, if you're willing, come to the first room on the second floor tonight and knock three times on the door, I'll let you in!"

  I've already been shocked stupid, seeing her still wanting to talk, I hurriedly said a sentence "Let me think again", and dazedly escaped back to my room. Yu Wei then came running over, asking me why I had this expression.

  I looked in the mirror and asked him: "Youmo, am I handsome? Am I the type that women fall in love with at first sight?"

  "He's handsome, even more so than a cicada, born with an emperor's appearance, unfortunately many people can't get their turn." He grabbed my collar and pulled me out, saying: "The old master told me to tell you that for the next few days we'll be working openly while he works secretly, once we have a lead we'll contact each other again."

  I was still indulging in my own stunning looks and couldn't extricate myself, when Yu Mo suddenly shouted towards the window: "Who's there?"