When Zhang Nu saw Liu Hai waiting for him, he quickly followed him inside the house.
"Did you manage to find out anything new today?" Zhang Nu asked, eager to learn what Liu Hai had discovered. Liu Hai, understanding that Zhang Nu wanted to know everything, had no intention of hiding the truth. He hoped Zhang Nu would trust him.
"I did manage to learn something," Liu Hai said. "It turns out that the people in this village have always followed the village chief's words as if he were some sort of god. His authority here is absolute, and whatever he says, they obey without question. Even if the chief ordered them to die, they would do so without hesitation."
Zhang Nu was shocked to hear this. How could people be so blindly obedient? Could it really be that this village had been following the chief's commands for generations?
"It appears this village holds even more mysteries than we anticipated," Zhang Nu said, deep in thought. "I need to find a way back in to investigate. I have to understand what's really happening here."
Liu Hai nodded but looked uncertain. "Given how much these villagers fear outsiders, it won't be easy for you to return," he said with a sigh. "They won’t let anyone in so easily."
Zhang Nu understood that Liu Hai was right. The task ahead would be difficult, but he was determined. No matter how hard it was, he needed to get back into the village and uncover the truth behind its strange customs.
"We need to come up with a way to make them invite outsiders into the village willingly," Zhang Nu suggested, his tone thoughtful. "That way, it'll be easier for me to move around without raising suspicion. The problem is, what kind of excuse should we use?"
Liu Hai frowned, feeling even more at a loss. Just as they were struggling to find a solution, the eerie wailing began again, even louder and more unsettling than before. The sound carried a new level of terror that made their skin crawl.
“Do you feel like this time the sound is different?” Zhang Nu asked, his voice tense.
Liu Hai, now focused, listened closely. Zhang Nu was right—the sound had changed. But what did it matter to them? As far as Liu Hai was concerned, the village always stayed unharmed, no matter how terrifying the noise became.
“So what if the sound is more horrifying this time?” Liu Hai shrugged. “The village will stay safe, and the people will keep ignoring it. To them, this is nothing new.”
Zhang Nu considered Liu Hai’s words but couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. This time, it felt like the village’s uneasy calm was about to be shattered.
"I think this time, it's different..." Zhang Nu murmured. "Something bad might be about to happen."
Just as he finished speaking, they heard a blood-curdling howl from outside—this time, it didn’t sound like the usual wails. The cries seemed disturbingly human, as if the villagers themselves were wailing in agony. Zhang Nu couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible had happened.
“Doesn’t it sound like a person crying out?” Zhang Nu asked, his voice tense. “What could have happened to make a human scream like that?”
Liu Hai, though unsettled, shook his head and peeked outside. Sure enough, Zhang Nu was right. The once peaceful night was now disrupted as lights flickered on throughout the village, shattering the usual calm.
“Zhang Nu, you need to get out of here, quickly,” Liu Hai said, turning back to him. “No one can know you were here. If they do, they’ll blame us for whatever’s happening.”
Zhang Nu nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. He slipped out of the house, taking care not to be seen. Once he was gone, Liu Hai tried to calm himself and lay back down, but before long, his front door burst open, and several villagers rushed into his house. Jolted awake, Liu Hai sat up, his face showing shock and confusion. He glanced at the familiar faces around him with fear.
“Granny, uncle, auntie, what are you all doing here? Did something happen?”