Chapter Fifty-One: The Unexpected Behind-the-Scenes

  The village chief's words were like something squeezed out from between his teeth, biting and cutting, making the back of my neck cold, leaving me speechless.

  The girl giggled, fearless and reckless. "You wouldn't dare, would you? If you harm me or Lan Tian, I'll make the secret of the ancient well's evil legend a real secret, making it disappear forever from this world. Look, what's this?"

  My heart skipped a beat, and I fixed my eyes on the direction where the servant girl was standing. I saw her take out something like a piece of cowhide paper from her bosom and hold it high above her head, laughing triumphantly at us.

  "The village chief's body trembled slightly, 'It, how did it end up in your hands?'"

  "Hmph... didn't expect this, did you? No matter how cunning you are, you never thought that this map would end up in my hands, right?" The girl sneered with a triumphant smile. "You should still remember that night, shouldn't you? You instructed Yang to create chaos in the village by banging drums and making noise, taking advantage of the distraction to lure away Xiao Ge, and then killed Eighth Grandfather who was defenseless against you, hiding his body in the cellar. That night, I coincidentally happened to be hiding in Eighth Grandfather's house. I witnessed with my own eyes how you killed Eighth Grandfather and brought a man resembling him into his residence. Your every move as you rummaged through the boxes searching for the map that Xiao Ge had left at Eighth Grandfather's was seen by me. But do you know who stole that map? It was Yan Long! The one you trusted most, Yan Long! He stole the map and I followed him out, he handed it over to me, but unexpectedly ran into Xiao Ge and you on the mountain behind. You ultimately killed him ruthlessly in order to silence him."

  "Are you saying that Yan Long is your man?"

  "Not bad, Yan Long is my man! However, I'm just a small fry and can't really control that greedy turtle head Yan Long. To be exact, Yan Long is just like Yang Zheng beside you, the hidden treasure in the ancient well's legend! I only promised them that after finding the treasure, we'll split it evenly, and they'll become my men! Hehe... didn't expect that, did you?"

  "So it was you who manipulated Yang Zheng behind the scenes?" The village chief's throat made a gurgling sound, like that of a wounded beast.

  "Not bad! What do you want to do? However, borrowing a phrase Yang Zheng said before he died, now you're the loser, and you don't have the right to speak!"

  "Is that so? You crazy girl, what are you thinking in your heart?" Under the moonlight, the village chief's thin figure trembled violently.

  I deeply understand the village chief's feelings at this moment, he has been calling the shots in Huanglong Village for a lifetime, and unexpectedly fell into the hands of a silly girl! However, the girl's intelligence beyond her age and her city-like mannerisms shocked me so much that I couldn't express my true feelings, and I felt a little scared.

  "Don't you know what I'm thinking? When I told you to come to Duanhun Cliff tonight under the gallows, it was just a temporary measure to save Lantian for now. As for telling you the secret of the ancient well's evil rumors, I didn't even consider it. Are you satisfied with this answer?" The cruel smile on Yaotou's face made my heart feel cold.

  It turned out that she just wanted to save me, it was that simple! Does she really care about me that much? The scene from Dead Village suddenly flashed before my eyes.

  She looked at me weakly and said, "Okay, I'll ask you. If one day I'm also surrounded by something or being chased by someone like her, will you also plead for me like today?"

  At that time, I promised her that I would definitely do it, and to my surprise, two lines of clear tears flowed down her face. Could it be that in her heart, she had already considered me as the one she liked the most? Although she was still young, this age was exactly the age when emotions were beginning to sprout.

  That's right! It must be like this!

  My face was burning, and in my mind, the lovely figure of Autumn Goose suddenly flashed. No, it's impossible, I don't like that girl at all, just pity her...

  Just as I was lost in thought, the village chief suddenly burst out laughing hoarsely, "Amazing! I didn't expect that a young whippersnapper like you could play me like a fiddle and I wouldn't even notice. You are the most deeply hidden expert in Huanglong Village. I have to say, you're even more formidable than Xiaoge! Unfortunately, if you don't tell me the secret tonight, I'll let him die!"

  The village chief suddenly wrapped his arms around me, placing that strange short weapon against my neck! His action was swift and decisive, I didn't even have time to resist before becoming the village chief's hostage.

  I saw him behead the corpse with this short blade, and I could even smell the stench of rot on the knife.

  At this moment I didn't dare move a single bit, afraid that if I struggled, the ruthless and cruel village chief would use this knife to cut my throat.

  Just as Village Chief Liang took out this short weapon and subdued me, Ya Tou suddenly let out a terrified cry, "You, who are you?"

  I was startled by the maid's frightened expression, and this maid must have been scared silly when she saw me suddenly being subdued by the village chief. Who else could it be? Of course, it's the vicious village chief!

  Before I could even process what was happening, Ya Tou spoke up and said something that shocked me even more.

  She sneered coldly, "Who are you? Why are you disguising yourself as the village head? Speak!"

  The "village head" who was stuck in my neck suddenly replied in a hoarse voice, "What a clever and clever girl, you actually saw that I'm not the village head in such a short time. Awesome! I originally thought I was the last winner of Huanglong Village, but it turns out that nothing can be hidden from your eyes! Haha...... I was wrong......" The "village head" suddenly changed his tone and said viciously, "However, until the end, no one can say they have won! You just saw through my actions, which doesn't count for much. Who will die in whose hands is still unpredictable!"

  "Who are you after all? Are you Ga Ba... Uncle?" The young girl stood on the edge of the cliff and took two steps forward, her face deathly pale.

  "Ge Ba... Uncle" four words came out of the little girl's mouth, seemingly extremely difficult, but to my ears it was like a thunderclap on a clear day!

  "This 'village head', how could it be Ga Ba uncle? It's right, I should have suspected him earlier. His thin figure, the faint scent of medicine on his body, being able to treat himself after being scratched by a mountain demon..."

  But how could it be him? Didn't he once tell me that he was the only one in Huanglong Village who shared a close bond with Xiaoge, through thick and thin? Was everything he said false, and was he actually an enemy who stabbed Xiaoge in the back at his most difficult moment?

  A sense of unease rose in my heart. Oh no, the little brother who was slashed twice by Lian'er on the gallows was taken back to the medicine hut by him, saying he was going to treat his wounds, heaven knows what he would do to the little brother?

  "The village head" originally hoarse throat suddenly became not hoarse, indeed it was Ga Ba, "Good eyesight! Girl, you are worthy of being personally trained by me, Ga Ba. The young surpass the old... Now that you know it's me, shouldn't you tell me the secret you know?"

  Gaba suddenly loosened his grip on my neck, put away the strange short weapon, and wiped his face with his hand. A dark yellow, thin face appeared before my eyes. He looked at Ya Tou with a benevolent smile, just like a kind father coaxing a crying child.

  I regained my freedom and rushed to the side of the cliff where the girl was standing, stabilizing myself at a distance from Gaba's standing position, panting heavily.

  The girl gazed at me with a sorrowful expression, pulled me behind her, raised the hand holding the map and walked forward several steps. Her back was slightly shaking, she must be crying!

  "Why? Why is it you? I've always thought of you as my only family... If you want this sketch, just tell me and I'll give it to you without hesitation, then I'll tell you that secret..." The young girl choked back a sob, almost unable to speak.

  Gaba stood at the foot of Duanhun Cliff, and even in the darkness, I could see the glint in his eyes. "Girl, since that's how it is, then you hand over the map to me, and tell me the secret. I'll take you with me to find the legendary treasure, take you away from Huanglong Village, and go to the big city to live a rich and fulfilling life, where everything you want is there..." Gaba said, stretching out both hands towards us!

  The girl hesitated and took a few more steps forward, stopping only when she was close to the edge of the precipice. My heart almost jumped out of my throat - could it be that she wanted to hand over the map in her hand to Gaba, and then tell him the secret of the ancient well's evil rumors?

  I was wrong, the girl shook her head in tears, "No...no...it's too late now. If it wasn't you who appeared on this Soul-Breaking Cliff tonight, but the village chief...if I could return to the village alive, perhaps, I would tell you everything."

  The village chief smiled and said, "Girl, it's not late, you can tell me now. There are only you, me, and Lan Tian here, hurry up and say it!"

  Watching Kabar's fake performance, I suddenly remembered that Xiaoge was taken away by him and his life or death is unknown. A nameless anger suddenly rose in my heart, and I shouted loudly, "Girl, you absolutely cannot give the blueprint to him, nor can you tell him the secret!"

  "Big brother, I didn't plan to tell him either, so don't worry!" she said, and then slowly turned around and walked back to the middle of the Soul-Breaking Cliff, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with me. Her slender body was trembling uncontrollably, clearly heartbroken.

  Gaba's smile froze on his face, and the expression on his face suddenly became ferocious. "Girl, are you willing to believe an outsider but not me? Have you forgotten how I treated you when you were a child?"

  The girl suddenly wiped away her tears and said firmly, "What's the use of saying these things at this time? Thinking about your hypocritical attitude towards me before, I feel like vomiting! Now in Huanglong Village, except for myself, I won't believe anyone else! Of course, big brother is an exception!" The girl looked over at me with boundless tenderness.

  My forehead felt hot and I responded loudly, "Girl, rest assured, I absolutely won't deceive you!"

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