Chapter 144: None of Them Are Human (Part 1)

Yang Dong?

When I heard this name, the words I originally wanted to say instantly got stuck in my throat, a feeling as uncomfortable as having a fishbone lodged there.

"Chen Chuyi!"

Seeing me suddenly freeze in place, Chen Chuyi immediately stepped forward and reached out to shake Yang Dong's hand.

"Yang Dong" (I will use quotation marks for this old man, who is the village chief of Shadowless Village, to distinguish him from the Yang Dong who previously entered Shadowless Village from Eyebrow-Painting Village) gave a slight smile and then said softly, "Chen Chuyi, such a familiar name!"

Chen Chuyi's brows twitched slightly, while I, standing to the side, felt a deep sense of confusion.

It was all far too bizarre. It felt as though someone was leading me in circles, and no matter what I did, I seemed destined to encounter another version of myself.

The incarnation of myself who was the storekeeper in Eyebrow-Painting Village had been directly refined by the Vajra Corpse in the end. However, when passing through the mirror array, that soul had completely detached from the Vajra Corpse's body and entered the mirrors.

Where the Vajra Corpse was now, I had no way of knowing. I had long since fallen into a massive maze. Faced with such a situation, I had zero capacity to resist; I didn't even know who my opponent was, and could only slowly explore and try to find out.

"Yang Dong" shifted his gaze back to me. I offered a slow, deliberate smile and feigned nonchalance. "What a coincidence, Village Chief, we share the same name!"

"This is Miss Xiyue."

As I spoke, I even managed a slightly surprised, bitter laugh.

Hearing my introduction, "Yang Dong" let out a chuckle, his eyes narrowing into slits. The sensation was profoundly bizarre, giving me the distinct impression of a hunter eyeing his prey.

However, having been through the ordeals of Eyebrow-Painting Village, I found myself strangely liberated.

The reason I had remained so depressed and unhappy for all these years was simply because I thought too much.

From childhood to adulthood, I had lived a life plagued by anxiety over gains and losses. It was precisely this personality that made my entire student life far from joyous. In high school, having Su Ying by my side made those three years truly happy. Perhaps because I had started planning my future from a young age, the moment I met Su Ying, I had completely mapped her into the blueprint of my life. What I never expected was that in the final year of high school, Su Ying would leave me, vanishing instantly from my world. From the moment she disappeared, a perpetual shadow fell over my life, because I had never imagined that I could lose everything, and even less did I expect that this parting would become permanent.

Throughout my university years, I lived in the shadow of heartbreak, utterly incapable of imagining that anyone or anything else could ever enter my life. Throughout college, I felt like a weakling. When I entered the workforce, perhaps it was because I was an easy target that people took advantage of me; every day at the company was a frantic rush. If not for my parents, I might have fallen into deep depression long ago.

Ever since I left the company and received that invitation, I had been completely sucked into a massive vortex. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined things turning out the way they did.

From initial disbelief to unwavering certainty.

I once read a line from a book, though I can no longer remember which one:

Experiencing bizarre events in the company of an extraordinary master is called fantasy; experiencing bizarre events in the company of ordinary people is called the supernatural.

Earlier, I hadn't paid any mind to this quote, but at this moment, I could vividly feel its profound truth.

Because the stage I was currently in was precisely this. Zhao Wen whom I met earlier, the Buddha's tomb I saw before, Eyebrow-Painting Village...

Everything, in truth, was connected by an invisible thread, and right now, all of us were simply searching for that thread.

"Grandpa, can big brother and big sister stay here? They aren't bad people!"

Seeing the smile on "Yang Dong's" face, Yinyin chimed in with a sweet laugh. Mid-sentence, she walked right up to me and tightly grabbed my arm, acting as if we were already old acquaintances—even though, from my perspective, we had only met once. Of course, that "single encounter" only applied to me.

Actually, all of this felt rather strange. I believed that the foxes of Eyebrow-Painting Village would eventually show their tails; for now, as long as we remained cautious at every step, we would be fine. My primary concerns right now were the specific situation in Shadowless Village and whether Xiyue could recover her memories.

"Yang Dong" looked at us and smiled. "Of course. They are honored guests of our Shadowless Village, so naturally they must be accommodated in the finest rooms. Let's arrange for them to stay at Shadowless Residence. The environment there is pleasant, the scenery is lovely, and it's close to our ancestral hall, so I can attend to any needs promptly."

Hearing "Yang Dong's" words, Yinyin grinned broadly. Her smile was enchanting. Looking at the young girl, who appeared to be only thirteen or fourteen years old, she somehow gave me the impression of Wan Niang, though Wan Niang was prettier and gentler than her.

"Very well, I happen to have matters to attend to. Take them to rest first!"

Upon hearing "Yang Dong's" instructions, Yinyin beamed with joy, grabbed Xiyue's hand, and turned to walk out of the ancestral hall. Eager to avoid staying another second in the company of this "Yang Dong," I didn't hesitate in the slightest. I hastily bid farewell to the "Yang Dong" standing before the ancestral spirit tablets, and directly pulled Xiyue along to follow behind Yinyin.

On the way to the place called Shadowless Residence, Yinyin chatted animatedly, telling me that the residence was used to host distinguished guests in Shadowless Village. Furthermore, ordinary people were not permitted to enter it, because the guests hosted there were deemed by "Yang Dong" to be the most vital and revered figures.

From Yinyin's words, I could also sense that this Shadowless Residence was far from simple on the surface. According to her, it hadn't been opened in a very long time—at least several decades.

Hearing this, my heart skipped a beat, and a figure suddenly flashed through my mind: the Yang Dong who had first entered Shadowless Village before me. What on earth had happened to him back then within these walls?

"This is it! Big Brother, let me warn you, since you're staying here, you mustn't wander around aimlessly outside. I heard Grandpa say that once night falls, evil ghosts appear outside in Shadowless Village. Once you're entangled by these evil ghosts, even Grandpa won't be able to save you!"

I nodded, though in my heart, I had already resolved to come out tonight and properly confront these evil ghosts.