Chapter 42: Little Brother Became a Murderer

  The crowd who did not know the truth was immediately stirred up by the village chief's words.

  "Yes, before the young man returned, the village was indeed peaceful and calm, but as soon as he came back, something happened..."

  "The village head is right, ordinary people in our village usually don't dare to go to the Soul-Breaking Cliff on Soul-Breaking Mountain."

  "Hmm, just because Eighth Grandfather doted on Little Brother so much, why would he want to kill him? It doesn't make sense!"

  "It's hard to say, people's hearts are separated by a layer of skin, you can know someone's face but not their heart..."

  "Yes, yes, you can't judge a person's heart by their appearance. Take Yilong for example, who would have thought that he would go to Eighth Master's house to steal the grass map..."

  There were people in the crowd who said all sorts of things, and it seemed that they completely believed what the village chief had just said. I was both anxious and angry, and at first I wanted to stand up and tell the villagers that things weren't like that, but after thinking about it, I endured it instead.

  Because I knew clearly that I was an outsider, even if I said something, it would be useless, and the villagers might misunderstand me even more.

  To my surprise, the young man did not argue back, but stood quietly like a javelin, staring coldly at the village chief in front of him, like a sculpture.

  The village chief took two steps back and said, "I'm saying, little brother, if you really did kill Old Man Ba, I think that as long as you're willing to admit it, the villagers might spare your life out of respect for how much Old Man Ba favored you in the past!"

  As soon as the village head's voice fell, a sharp and shrill voice suddenly came from the crowd: "You bunch of turtles, what are you doing here wasting time? If you want to know if he is the murderer who killed that old ghost, just search his body for the Three-Step Soul-Stabbing Stance, and you'll know!"

  The voice was very abrupt, although it was full of profanity, but as soon as you heard it, you knew it was a woman who said it with her throat pinched.

  Who is it? I nervously looked around, but couldn't see which corner of the crowd it came from.

  The village chief suddenly burst out laughing, patted his head loudly and said, "How could I be so muddled? Alas, I'm old, my thoughts can't keep up with young people!" He pointed at the young man and said to Yang Zheng, "Yang Zheng, why don't you hurry up and ask him if he really has the Three Steps Soul-Stabbing Stance, let's take a look?"

  Yang looked at the little brother with a difficult expression and muttered, "This... this..."

  "What's going on here? I told you to search him!" The young man shouted loudly, slowly raising his hands.

  Yang Zheng slowly walked up to Xiao Ge's side and hesitated before reaching his hand into Xiao Ge's pocket.

  My heart is racing like it's about to jump out, little brother wouldn't really have the Three-Step Soul-Stabbing Stance that killed Eighth Grandfather in his pocket, would he?

  Time seemed to have stood still, and I suddenly realized that something was wrong. Yang Zheng's expression on his face had changed from fear to excitement!

  No good, this little brother's pocket must have something in it!

  As expected, my thoughts had just fallen when I saw Yang Zheng's both hands digging out a dark object from the little brother's pocket, retreating several steps and holding it high above his head, shouting loudly, "Three Steps Soul Piercing Stab!"

  A faintly ferocious expression flashed across the village chief's face, but his tone was quite calm. "Young man, the evidence is conclusive. Do you still have anything to say?"

  The little brother's face revealed an expression I had never seen before, staring blankly into the distance. Pain, astonishment, terror, panic, despair, all sorts of negative emotions floated onto his face at once, just like a demon who had lost himself.

  He gave a bitter smile, "Not bad, I just found out now too, that I'm actually the murderer in the village!"

  The village head suddenly jumped up in anger, pointing at Xiaoge and scolding, "Xiaoge, you beast! I've long suspected it was you who did it. You've committed such a heinous crime yet still say you only now know you're the murderer? If we hadn't found the Three Steps to Soul-Stirring Stab on your person, I reckon you still wouldn't have admitted to being the murderer!"

  The villagers were outraged and loudly scolded him, on the verge of rushing forward, but Xiao Ge still stood there, saying nothing, not refuting!

  I was shocked and terrified, but I couldn't care about being afraid anymore. I squeezed out of the crowded crowd, ran to the little brother's side, used my body to shield him, blocked everyone, and shouted loudly, "Everyone calm down! Calm down! Things aren't what you think they are!"

  "That's enough!" The young man suddenly shouted loudly, "I've already admitted it, all the evil things were done by me, what else is not as they thought?"

  What's wrong with you, young man? Are you trying to get yourself killed? I waved my hand weakly and let it drop, instantly being squeezed to the corner of the stage by the villagers who had rushed over.

  The villagers in front of me were like a volcano on the verge of eruption, and perhaps in another moment, the furious villagers would tear Xiao Ge to pieces. A chill ran down my spine, something I had never experienced before!

  I closed my eyes in agony.

  Just as I was at a loss, the village chief spoke up again, "Everyone be quiet! Our Huanglong Village has rules. If someone commits a capital offense, we can grant him one last wish. Although this young man's crime is punishable by death, we cannot break our village's rules. What do you all think?"

  The angry crowd suddenly fell silent, and Xiao Ge's voice rose up, bitter and powerless. "I only ask that you spare my brother Lan Tian, let him leave the village alive!"

  The little brother's last wish before his death was actually to ask this group of ignorant and foolish villagers to let me leave Huanglong Village alive? My tears, cold sweat all flowed down, in the back of the crowd angrily shouting, "Little brother is not a murderer, he is not a murderer..."

  My throat is hoarse from shouting, but no one pays attention to me. In front of me, a sea of people are still densely surrounding the village chief and Xiao Ge, tightly encircling them in the middle.

  I leaned weakly against the edge of the stage, gasping for air like a person on the verge of suffocation.

  "Alright! As the village head, I guarantee that your friend can leave Huanglong Village safely! But as for what you should do yourself, you know, right?" The village head's words were calm and collected.

  "Little brother shouted in a hoarse voice, 'I understand what you mean, but if I'm to be treated like that, I'd rather die cleanly.'"

  "The village chief said, 'If you die like this, I will have a hard time guaranteeing your brother's safety. Because he was brought back by you, who can guarantee that he didn't participate in these murderous events? You decide, should I agree to let your friend leave safely or follow the village rules and chop him into pieces?'"

  Is this the punishment of Ling Chi? I was so frightened that I almost jumped up. Then I heard the young man respond loudly, "Alright, as long as you promise to let my brother leave safely, I'll listen to you!"

  The crowd of onlookers suddenly parted like a pot exploding, and a path was cleared. I saw the young man beckoning to me, "Lan Tian, come over here!"

  I walked over in a daze and said bitterly, "Young man, why are you so stubborn? The matter clearly wasn't done by you, so why do you have to admit it?"

  Little brother's eyes were distant, gazing at me faintly, saying, "Lan Tian, why say so many useless words now? You promise me, hurry up and leave the village, go to that place you want to go!"

  "Where do you want to go?" I didn't understand what the little brother meant at once.

  The young man smiled wistfully, "Brother, have you forgotten? Bin Cheng Road, Half Street No. 9? There may be things you want to know there. Unfortunately, I won't be able to take you there..."

  My heart skipped a beat, that was originally the destination of our trip with my little brother! But life is unpredictable, who would have known we'd encounter so many things in Huanglong Village?

  Tears streamed down my face, "No! Little brother, as long as you're alive, I don't want to go anywhere else..."

  The little brother gently wiped away the tears on my face, suddenly flicked the long hair in front of his forehead, and smiled, "A big man, even if it's a farewell, shouldn't easily shed tears, understand? Moreover..." The little brother said, and actually winked at me slightly, stopping without saying anything.

  I didn't understand the implication of little brother winking at me, and I asked aloud, "What's more?"

  The young man looked up at the sky and laughed loudly, "Moreover, there are no ghosts in this world. Some people have lost their conscience and been possessed by evil spirits, so they become ghosts!"

  The village chief clapped his hands and laughed, "Well said! Well said! Those who have lost their conscience and are possessed by evil spirits in their hearts are the real ghosts! You're indeed a knowledgeable and experienced young man, and you're the only one in the entire Huanglong Village who can say such high-level words!"

  The village chief suddenly said to the crowd, "What are you still dazed about? Hurry up and send the young man to the stone house in the village! Yang Zheng, remember to prepare a delicious meal and drink to be sent to the stone house, let the young man eat his fill and set off early tomorrow!"

  "Yes!" Yang Zheng replied in a low voice.

  Several burly men immediately walked out of the crowd, using a rope thicker than an arm to tie up the young man tightly, like a large rice dumpling.

  The little brother didn't struggle, and as he walked away with a big stride, he turned back to me and smiled, "Lan Tian, remember my words, leave the village at dawn tomorrow!"

  I was powerless to respond, watching helplessly as the young man was taken away by those burly men from the village entrance, soon disappearing from my line of sight.

  The villagers who were watching had some shaking their heads and sighing, others were cursing viciously, and soon they all dispersed!

  A few candles were still burning with a "sputtering" sound, illuminating the empty lawn and the vacant stage, as well as my lonely figure leaning against the edge of the stage.

  The surroundings were extremely quiet, and everything that had just happened seemed like a dream.

  My mind is a mess and I can't think straight. The only thought left in my head is: Xiao Ge, he's going to die tomorrow morning...

  If Xiao Ge is dead, what's the point of my next move? After going through so much, I've almost forgotten that strange and unpredictable experience from before... Now, for me, what's the practical significance of going to Bin Cheng Half Edge Street No. 9 again?

  As long as one is alive, that's enough!

  The moon hid behind the clouds, under the swaying giant candle of butter, I suddenly found that a person's shadow appeared not far in front of me. The figure was slender and slowly walked towards me.

  Won't be a vengeful spirit, will it? I couldn't help but shiver with a chill... Forbidden to ghosts

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