Chapter 53: Could it be that this young girl actually has such a mind?

  The village head gazed coldly at Gabba's corpse and then walked a few steps towards the direction of Duanhun Cliff before stopping.

  He looked at me and Ah Dou standing on the Broken Soul Cliff, his voice was particularly calm, as if nothing had happened. "Ah Dou, you and Lan Tian come over, give me the map, tell me the secret of the Ancient Well's Ominous Legend. Just like my dad said earlier, once I find the treasure, you can take half of it and leave, I absolutely won't make things difficult for you."

  The girl suddenly left my arms and pointed at the village chief, shouting, "You, don't come over! If you come over, I'll throw the map down the cliff!"

  "No! No! Alright... I won't come, just tell me what secrets are in the old well's ominous rumors." The village chief smiled, his expression full of worry.

  "You think I'll tell you the secret of Gujing's evil rumor? Don't even think about it!" The girl giggled, "You didn't even consider that you've killed so many people for this secret, do you think I'd still tell you?"

  The village head was taken aback for a moment, still smiling and said, "Those people are doomed to die, but you are different from them. You are the only person in this world who knows this secret, I won't kill you."

  "Hmph, those people are indeed doomed to die, but I think you're even more deserving of death!" I bellowed in rage.

  "Lan Tian, shut up! This has nothing to do with you. If you want to leave the village alive, hurry and advise that foolish girl to reveal the secret!" The village chief was furious and could no longer pretend.

  "Even if I can't leave your village alive, don't think that I'll persuade Xiaotou to tell you the secret!" I replied loudly.

  "Yongguo, I've always taught you to be patient and courteous. How could you forget that? Don't you remember the kind of relationship Xiao Ge has with Lan Tian? They're willing to go through thick and thin together, even if it means enduring punishment for Lan Tian's sake. That's what true friendship is all about. Alright, you stay here and try to persuade Lan Tian and Yatou, I'll take Xiao Ge back to the mountain cave. I'm sure Lan Tian values relationships as much as I do and won't abandon Xiao Ge for this secret. I've said all I need to say, do you understand?"

  The village head replied in a low voice, "Dad, I understand."

  "Alright then, I'll take little brother back to the cave now, okay?" Dai Qiusheng said as he pushed and pulled Xiao Ge towards the depths of the dense forest.

  My heart was immediately seized by his words, and Jiang was still old and spicy. Dai Qiusheng, this old fox, struck my weakness with just one sentence! Xiao Ge fell into their hands, how could I ignore Xiao Ge's safety?

  The girl looked at me and saw that I was pale, then whispered, "Big brother, are you trying to save little brother?"

  "Hmm. But I also don't want you to tell them the secrets of Gujing's evil rumors, let alone..."

  "Moreover, what's more? Moreover, isn't Xiao Ge's father the murderer who killed my father?" Her face was also pale like a sheet of paper. "In this world, I have no relatives and no friends... Big brother, as long as you say one sentence to exchange this secret for Xiao Ge's life, I will immediately tell them this secret."

  My heart suddenly warmed up, I grasped Ya Tou's hands and blurted out, "Ya Tou, thank you." Just as I was about to ask her to tell the village chief the secret and then have him release Xiao Ge, I suddenly thought of a crucial question.

  What if the village chief and his father don't let him off even if he reveals the secret?

  The girl saw me hesitating and asked in a soft voice, "Big brother, are you worried that the village chief will go back on his word? Even if I reveal the secret, he may not necessarily let little brother off?"

  It turns out that Yatou is clever and thoughtful, whatever I think of, she also thinks of.

  "Uh-huh." I nodded.

  "What's to be done? Let's stall for time first and think of a foolproof plan later." Yatou furrowed her brow and said.

  "Alright! Let's first think of a way to leave this place and then plan for the long term." I agreed with Yaotou's point of view, but how to leave Duanhun Cliff and avoid the village chief standing in front of the cliff became a headache.

  If Yatou doesn't reveal the secret, how would the ruthless village chief let us two leave safely? Moreover, he is already a "dead" man in Huanglong Village at this moment. Even if I and Yatou return to the village and expose his evil deeds, those ignorant villagers will not believe it.

  The village chief looked at me and Ya Tou with a suspicious expression, whispering to each other, without making a sound. At this moment, seeing us quiet down, he suddenly smiled and said, "Ya Tou, have you two thought it through?"

  "Village chief, can you give us a little more time? Let us leave here and think about it before we answer you," said the girl with a smile.

  The village chief laughed and said, "Do you think I'm a three-year-old kid? Once you and Lan Tian leave Duanhun Cliff, where can I find you again? Alright, I'll give you some more time, think carefully." The village chief finished speaking and sat down in front of Duanhun Cliff with his legs crossed.

  I was stunned, the Broken Soul Cliff had cliffs on three sides, and if I wanted to leave, I would have to pass by the village chief's side.

  What's wrong?

  "Big brother, our only way is to drag it out and wait for an opportunity. I don't believe he never sleeps."

  That's what they say, but would the ruthless and cunning village chief ever take a nap? I was worried sick, so I pulled Ya Tou to sit down with me on the Broken Soul Cliff.

  The girl leaned her head gently on my shoulder and said, "Big brother, do you think life is strange? Although I haven't known you for a long time, from the moment you helped me pick up the white chrysanthemum at the Phoenix Inn entrance, I was convinced that you are a good person, someone worthy of my trust."

  She brought up old matters, and my heart skipped a beat. I asked, "Girl, tell me, why did you want to go to the inn's entrance to send white chrysanthemums? What's this about the inn being haunted?"

  "Actually, I just wanted to find the Phoenix Inn's bad luck! I've long known that the inn's owner, Jin Xiangyu and Qiu Yan are the remnants of the Western Xia people, because my father died searching for the treasure left behind by the Western Xia people, so I transferred my anger to them."

  "Is that all?" I asked incredulously.

  "It's that simple!" The girl was still smiling, with an indescribable shyness, "I calculated that they wouldn't dare to do anything to me under broad daylight, so I did it."

  My heart skipped a beat as I said, "Then why are you pretending to be crazy?"

  "It's strange to say, on the night I knew that Jinxian Yu and Qiuyan were descendants of Western Xia, my father told me the secret of this map in a dream, and asked me to guard against everyone in the village. To protect myself, I had no choice but to pretend to be crazy. In Huanglong Village, no one would pay attention to a mad girl, even if her father was once the number one or two hunter in the village, even if her father was once the hero who found the other half of the map..."

  The maid spoke in a soft and gentle tone, but I was shocked and terrified by what she said. How could a young girl of just over ten years old have such cunning?

  "I couldn't help but ask, 'So to speak, you and Qiu Yan don't have any deep-seated hatred that would lead to killing each other. Then why are you so bent on taking her life?'"

  "Big brother, you're referring to what happened in Dead Village, right? Honestly, I'll tell you the truth. Yesterday afternoon, I actually intentionally lured you to Dead Village. Because I saw Autumn Swallow disguise herself as a red-clothed fierce ghost and head towards Dead Village with my own eyes, I wanted you to see her, but unexpectedly you treated her like that, so..." The tone of Ya Tou's voice suddenly became filled with an air that didn't match her age.

  I clearly know what she is thinking in her heart, she is blaming me for being too good to Qiu Yan!

  But what about autumn wild geese?

  Suddenly, her lovely figure appeared before my eyes, and I had an unusual feeling in my heart. Tonight, Gabba, dressed as a village chief, and I encountered the attack of the living dead. Were she and her aunt, Jinxiangyu, in this Duanhun Mountain? If so, why haven't we seen them appear all along?

  The little girl saw me silent and asked again in a low voice, "Big brother, are you thinking of her again?"

  I suddenly came to my senses, "No... no! Girl, in this world I'm actually just like you, alone and adrift, I don't even remember what my father and mother look like. You have to believe me, I will definitely treat you well, I won't deceive you!"

  "Big brother, don't say anything more, I naturally believe you."

  "Ah Niang's words were truly heartfelt, and thinking of her lonely and difficult life, I couldn't help but say, 'Ah Niang, no matter what dangers lie ahead, I will definitely protect you!'"

  "Big brother, thank you! With these words of yours, even if I were to die right now, it wouldn't be a waste that I lived in this world!" The little girl said, with icy tears falling on her face.

  I felt a pang of heartache. "Why are you crying again? Tell me, how did your father appear in your dream and tell you the secret of the ancient well's evil rumors?"

  The girl wiped away her tears with her sleeve and asked me with a tilted head, "Do you really want to hear?"

  "I want to hear."

  "Alright, since you want to know, I'll tell you. It was after I found out that the owner of Phoenix Inn, Jin Xiangyu and Qiu Yan were descendants of Western Xia, and it was the first time I left Huanglong Village to go to Phoenix Inn to send white chrysanthemums to them on a gloomy day. That night when I came back, I dreamed of my father..."

  "Is this really just a coincidence?"

  "Uh, I remember that night after returning to the Phoenix Inn, I slept in Gabadao's medicine room and fell asleep until midnight. Suddenly, I had a dream about my blurry memory of my father... My father was standing in front of me with blood all over his body, but his eyes were very kind and gentle, as if he wanted to see through this life, this world, and this generation. I was scared and asked him who he was? He said I'm your dad, why don't you remember me? My father passed away when I was only 5 or 6 years old, so I couldn't remember what he looked like at all. I shook my head hard and said I didn't remember. My father's eyes flashed with a very painful expression, saying 'I'm really your dad!' I cried and threw myself into his arms, pounding on his chest with my fists, 'If you're my dad, why did you abandon me to be alone and miserable in this world?'"

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