Chapter 97

Chapter 97

Everyone felt a chill down their spine after hearing Yi Tiantian's heartfelt words.

At that moment, a cold wind blew, causing some of the more timid staff members to shiver uncontrollably.

Wu Fu, however, thought it was nothing to worry about, as he had already been here once during the day.

It was just an abandoned village, nothing to be afraid of.

The bus driver seemed to notice everyone's concern and quickly turned to reassure them, "Don't worry, even though no one lives in this village, we bus drivers often stay here, so there's nothing to fear!"

Despite the bus driver's words, those who were afraid remained afraid.

After all, this was Liangda Village, where it was said that all the villagers disappeared overnight!

If something strange really happened, they wouldn't even know where to run!

After explaining to everyone, the bus driver's expression suddenly changed, and he clutched his stomach, moaning, "Sorry, I've been driving for a while, and my stomach isn't feeling well. Why don't you guys go ahead? I'll be right back!"

With that, the bus driver hurriedly disappeared into the woods beside Liangda Village to relieve himself.

The remaining staff and guests looked at each other, unsure what to do.

With the only person who knew the area gone, how could they dare to move?

Although the guests were now deep in the mountains, the live broadcast continued.

When the audience saw the bus driver leave, they couldn't help but panic.

[How did a travel show turn into a survival program?! Your production team really knows how to create excitement!]

[Ah, this is too scary! The village is pitch black with no lights at all; it's clear no one lives here anymore!!]

[Run, run, run! Living in such a place is worse than death!! Production team, run, run, run!!]

[I suspect the bus driver has already fled! The production team should leave here too!]

[Is there any authority to manage this? What about my Tiantian??]

Faced with this eerie place, everyone's mood became unusually heavy.

Wu Fu, seeing everyone's solemn expressions, chuckled and said, "You're not afraid of this place? I came here during the day, and it feels just like Women Town."

Clearly, this place was much more dilapidated than Women Town, but Wu Fu said this purely to mock Women Town!

Han Juanjuan, who despised men showing off, retorted, "Not afraid? You'd better not make a loud noise tonight!"

Wu Fu looked at Han Juanjuan in confusion and asked, "Why?"

Han Juanjuan leaned in close to Wu Fu, her face twisted into a mysterious and eerie smile.

"Because if you make any noise, those things will come for you!"

Wu Fu, seeing Han Juanjuan's wide eyes and exaggerated expression, felt goosebumps all over his arms.

But to save face, Wu Fu forced a laugh and said, "Teacher Han, as an artist, are you still into superstition?"

At this point, a group of people in the chat also came to Wu Fu's defense.

[Those who have been saying there's something wrong with this village, you should see a psychiatrist! The driver said they often come here, yet you're still talking about running away. Do you have any scientific literacy at all? I think Wu Fu is the only normal one among all the guests; he's not afraid of this village at all!]

[Wu Fu may not have performed well in some aspects on the show, but he's doing a decent job now! After all, he's not like those superstitious people who are afraid of everything!]

[Yeah, what's there to be afraid of? Wu Fu is right!]

Since he had visited the village during the day and found nothing unusual, Wu Fu was very confident.

He boasted to Han Juanjuan and the other guests, "If that driver doesn't come back soon, I'll lead you forward!"

Han Juanjuan sneered, "You? You probably don't even know the way!"

Just as Wu Fu was about to retort and lecture on materialism, he heard a sudden scream from the front.

"What the hell! There are so many animal carcasses here! It's terrifying!"

Everyone was drawn to the sound of the staff member's cry and hurried forward to investigate.

Yi Tiantian rushed ahead in two steps and, under the light of the flashlight, saw a large number of animal carcasses scattered in the center of the village.

From their appearance, these animals included chickens, ducks, geese, and other poultry.

These carcasses were fragmented and incomplete, with a significant portion already highly decomposed, emitting a nauseating stench.

The audience watching the live stream was also shocked by the scene.

[Ah, I think there's definitely something wrong with this village!!]

[This can't be real, right? This isn't just for the show effect, is it? I'm about to faint from fright!!]

[Quick, quick, use the chat to protect us!!]

[I hope the guests on site don't encounter any danger...]

Under the pale moonlight and the flashlight beams, everyone clearly saw the horrifying sight before them.

Fei Cheng frowned slightly, noticing something odd.

"Isn't this an uninhabited village? Why are there poultry carcasses here?"

Han Juanjuan lived up to her reputation as a horror manga artist; not only did she not feel afraid at the sight of the numerous corpses, but she became instantly excited.

She then spoke loudly, "When I was in Women Town, I chatted with some local girls and heard a story."

Everyone in the darkness turned their gaze towards Han Juanjuan.

"The girl said that after the people of Liang Dacun were infected with a certain virus, they began to devour each other. Once they tasted human flesh, they lost interest in any other meat, as if nothing else could satisfy them!"

Han Juanjuan's voice sounded particularly eerie in the strange night.

"So I speculate, could these animal carcasses... be what’s left from those residents who once feasted on human flesh?"

Everyone drew a sharp breath.

Especially Wu Fu.

Wu Fu had never heard such bizarre tales about Liang Dacun before. He, who was standing on the outer edge, couldn't help but shiver, goosebumps spreading all over his body.

Just then, Wu Fu felt a heavy pat on his shoulder, followed by a shrill voice in his ear.

"You—"

Before the voice could finish, Wu Fu jumped aside like a startled grasshopper.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!"

Wu Fu's scream echoed through the sky, making it sound as if someone was slaughtering a pig for a festival.

The others, who had been listening to Han Juanjuan's story, were startled by Wu Fu's scream.

They turned around and saw the paranoid Wu Fu.

His facial features were twisted in fear as he shouted to the group, "There was a ghost! There was a ghost! A ghost just spoke in my ear!!"

Wu Fu sounded incredibly terrified, his voice trembling.

Now, there was no trace of the usual refined calligrapher; Wu Fu cowered in the crowd, looking utterly disheveled!

Yi Tiantian, who had also been startled by Wu Fu's scream, instantly understood everything when she saw the bewildered bus driver.

Han Juanjuan also looked at Wu Fu with a mocking smile, "Wu Fu, didn't you say there was nothing to be afraid of? What are you doing now?"

Wu Fu knew his behavior was contradictory, but at this moment, he couldn't care less about his dignity and kept shouting, "This isn't about being afraid or not! I clearly—"

"Did I scare you just now? Sorry, little brother!"

The bus driver stepped out from the crowd, interrupting Wu Fu with an apologetic tone.

"Ah? You?!"

Wu Fu, who had been trembling in fear, now stared wide-eyed.

"No, the person who patted my shoulder just now was you?!"

The bus driver nodded sheepishly, "Yes, I just came back from the toilet and wanted to call everyone to move forward."

Wu Fu looked at the bus driver in disbelief, his face turning red with embarrassment.

The staff members around him shot Wu Fu mocking glances, which felt like a thousand cuts to him!

Wu Xin, seeing his once arrogant brother, couldn't suppress a smile.

Meanwhile, the audience in the chat room burst into laughter amidst the tense atmosphere.

[If you don't understand, is Wu Fu here to be funny? He's just like Shen Jin, saying he's not afraid one moment and then being more scared than anyone else!]

[Laughs, the person who patted his shoulder was clearly the bus driver! And he's still talking about ghosts! Where are those people who said Wu Fu was different and not superstitious? Now he's the most superstitious of all!]

[HAHAHAHA, Wu Fu, you really dug your own grave! You've gone from neutral to black, thanks!]

Despite the bus driver’s explanation, Wu Fu still felt unconvinced.

"Even if it was you, there's definitely something wrong with this village! I didn't see so many animal carcasses when I came during the day! How did they suddenly appear in piles?!"

To save face, Wu Fu successfully shifted the topic from himself to the animal carcasses in the village.

"Oh, well..."

The bus driver scratched his head, looking embarrassed and hesitating to speak.

Seeing the bus driver's reaction, Wu Fu seized the opportunity like a lifeline and said arrogantly, "See, you can't even answer! I told you there was something wrong here!"

The staff and guests fell silent after witnessing this.

The pile of animal carcasses on the ground was indeed hard to explain.

But at that moment, Yi Tiantian suddenly started revealing the truth.

"This isn't some supernatural phenomenon! These animal carcasses have been left here by bus drivers over several years!"

"Bus drivers who operate in rural areas sometimes gather here at night to eat. One person buys a chicken, another buys a duck, they slaughter and roast the meat, and throw the remains away. Over time, this has formed the pile of animal carcasses along the road!"

After hearing Yi Tiantian's explanation, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed these animal carcasses were not the result of any supernatural force!

Now they could rest easy!

Only Wu Fu refused to believe this truth.

He was still stubbornly sharing his thoughts with everyone.

"I think there's definitely something wrong here! Let's go first!"

Then he put on an anxious look, as if everyone would meet their doom if they didn't follow his advice.

But no one listened to him; everyone followed the bus driver into the village.

Wu Fu, left behind, looked at the dark surroundings and felt a chill run down his spine.

He hurried forward in quick, small steps, trying to catch up with the group.

But seeing his brother Wu Xin following behind, Wu Xin loudly said, "Brother, didn't you think there was something wrong here? Why are you following us?"

Wu Fu, who had intended to be low-key, now felt like a criminal caught red-handed, his face burning all the way to his neck.

"I, I'm here to protect you all!"

Wu Fu, still trying to save face, stammered.

"Protect us?"

Han Juanjuan also chimed in with a counter-question.

"If you want to protect us, why don't you stand guard at the door tonight?"

"Sure! I was planning to do that anyway!"

Wu Fu shouted in response.

"Although there haven't been any supernatural incidents in the village, there might be fierce wild animals. Wu Fu, if you stand guard at the door tonight, won't you be afraid of being carried away by a tiger?"

Yi Tiantian, who had heard the conversation, couldn't help but roll her eyes internally.

Wu Fu, hearing Yi Tiantian's words, became even more frightened, trembling like a sieve.

Encountering ghosts might still give him a chance to survive, but with his small build, encountering a tiger would surely mean death!

The more Wu Fu thought about it, the more scared he became, and he actually fainted halfway through the journey.

None of the staff or guests walking ahead noticed that Wu Fu had fainted on the ground.

After about ten minutes, the group finally arrived at the place the bus driver had mentioned.

Though it was an empty house, the furniture and decorations inside looked relatively new, and the bus driver turned on the lights as soon as they entered.

"This is where we usually stay. It's a bit shabby, but there are a few beds for us to squeeze into."

The bus driver thought this group would finally feel a bit more at ease after arriving, but he saw that everyone still looked serious.

They all seemed to have something on their minds.

Indeed, the staff and guests were not entirely at ease yet.

They still didn't know what had happened in Liangda Village!

Why had the villagers disappeared without a trace overnight?

Was there really some mysterious force here? Were those mysterious legends true?

As they walked into the village, everyone kept glancing at Yi Tiantian, hoping to find answers from her thoughts.

But because Wu Fu's showboating had interrupted, Yi Tiantian hadn't paid attention, so no one knew the truth.

At this moment, everyone was eager to know what was going on.

As if sensing everyone's confusion, Yi Tiantian's thoughts finally echoed in everyone's ears again.

"Oh, I'm so tired today!"

"I'll go to bed early later."

Everyone who had been eagerly waiting to hear the big news: ...

In such a terrifying atmosphere, you can still sleep!

Everyone was anxious, like ants on a hot pan, their eyes scanning around Yi Tiantian repeatedly.

"Oh, right, the legend of Liangda Village!"

"I forgot to check it out. I'll open it before bed."

Everyone perked up upon hearing this!

They all sat up straight, ears pricked, ready to hear the story.

The bus driver, who couldn't hear Yi Tiantian's thoughts, looked around in confusion.

Why do these people from the production team look so strange?

It's as if they've been possessed!

Meanwhile, Yi Tiantian finally revealed the information everyone was most concerned about.

"The villagers of Liangda Village didn't disappear overnight! That's just a rumor!"

"Back then, the villagers of Liangda Village had a falling out with the residents of Deep Water Town, so the residents of Deep Water Town spread rumors about Liangda Village."

"These rumors spread from ten to a hundred, eventually reaching Women Town, and somehow turned into a cannibalistic version!"

Everyone was finally enlightened.

It turned out that Liang Dacun wasn't as mysterious as the legends suggested!

At this moment, Fu Chongye glanced at Yi Tiantian.

Since there were no supernatural events, why did all the villagers disappear overnight?

Fei Cheng also found this puzzling but continued to listen without showing any emotion.

Not long after, Yi Tiantian's inner thoughts indeed surfaced again.

"As for those villagers, they didn't actually disappear overnight!"

"The villagers of Liang Dacun are quite ambitious, so most of them left the mountains to seek their fortunes in the outside world."

"And once the younger generation made a name for themselves, they came back to take their parents away."

"Gradually, every household moved out, and eventually, all the villagers of Liang Dacun relocated!"

Yi Tiantian finally finished eating the melon and lay down contentedly in her assigned spot.

"Now I can finally sleep."

Only after everyone who had been eating the melon with her truly relaxed and lay down to sleep did the audience in the chat notice something.

[Did you guys notice that Wu Fu seems to have disappeared at some point?]

[Yeah! We haven't seen him in a while!]

[Wait, could he have met with some misfortune??]

[How could that be! He probably just went to the bathroom or something!]

The audience speculated wildly, but the live stream had already ended, so they couldn't see Wu Fu lying unconscious on a village road.

Early the next morning, Yi Tiantian heard a frantic knocking at the door.

The sound was hoarse, like the creaking of winter-dried wood.

Yi Tiantian, the first to wake up, got up to open the door and saw Wu Fu, looking disheveled.

Wu Fu's usually fair face was now dark with heavy eye bags and covered in dirt, making him look like a ragged beggar from the slums.

"Yi Tiantian, you'll regret this!"

Yi Tiantian opened the door for Wu Fu, but instead of showing any gratitude, he growled menacingly.

Fei Cheng and Fu Chongye quickly stood behind Yi Tiantian, like two protective deities.

Just then, Wu Xin, who had just woken up, overheard his brother's words and immediately stepped in front of the door, blocking Wu Fu's path.

"Brother, how can you be so impolite to others?"

Wu Fu glared fiercely at Wu Xin, ignoring his words, and shouted into the room, "Didn't you notice I wasn't here last night!"

Most of the staff and guests were now awake, but they were still confused by Wu Fu's words.

But upon reflection, they realized they hadn't seen Wu Fu since last night.

"It turns out Wu Fu fainted from fear while following the group last night!"

"He only woke up about ten minutes ago! And it was because a stray dog was licking his face!"

Wu Fu listened to Yi Tiantian recount his ordeal, feeling even angrier.

He was about to lash out at the production team when Han Juanjuan approached.

"Isn't it true, Teacher Wu, that you volunteered to protect us outside last night? Why are you denying it now?"

Wu Fu had a lot of grievances he wanted to vent, but Han Juanjuan's words choked them back, leaving him speechless.

Director Xiao Chen hurried over to calm Wu Fu, handing him a cup of warm water.

"Thank you, Teacher Wu, you're a hero to all of us!"

Wu Fu, no longer thinking about lashing out, took the cup from Director Xiao Chen and drank it greedily.

Wu Xin then loudly said, "Let's all thank our brother!"

With that, Wu Xin led the applause, and soon the room was filled with clapping.

The bus driver, unaware of what had happened, genuinely believed Wu Fu had stayed outside to guard everyone and patted him on the shoulder.

"Young man, I didn't expect you to be so brave despite your fear!"

Wu Fu, having finished his water and seeing everyone applauding him, opened his mouth but couldn't find the words.

After all, it was more honorable to say he had guarded everyone all night rather than admit he had fainted from fear.

So, for the sake of his dignity, Wu Fu swallowed his grievances and pretended to be magnanimous.

"It's nothing, it's a small matter for me."

As he spoke, he heard Yi Tiantian's inner thoughts again.

"Early in the morning, before the live stream even started, Wu Fu began to act up!"

Wu Fu instantly froze on the spot.

What, the live stream hadn't even started yet!?

So his suffering had been for nothing?!

Before Wu Fu could react and start cursing, Yi Tiantian spoke again.

"Hmm... but Wu Xin's change is quite significant; he actually dared to stand up and contradict his brother now!"

"Great, congratulations!"

Hearing this, Wu Xin's eyes were filled with surprise, and he even bit his lower lip in excitement.

To him, Yi Tiantian was now an existence more revered than any deity!

Wu Fu, on the other hand, wore a dark and gloomy expression, his heart brimming with resentment.

After a brief rest, the production team decided to return to where the mountain bus had stopped last night.

Due to the road collapse preventing them from reaching the next town, they could only take the mountain bus back to Women Town.

Upon hearing Director Xiao Chen announce the end of the segment, Wu Fu was utterly stunned.

What the heck?! Why were they going back to that place?!

Yesterday, he had completely exposed himself, thinking he would never return to this Women Town in his life.

But what he didn't expect was that the production team would suddenly decide to go back!

How was he supposed to face the residents of Women Town, how was he supposed to face Mayor Lu?!

Everyone watched Wu Fu, who was now standing dumbfounded, with a mixture of schadenfreude.

Wu Xin even burst out laughing.

And there, Yi Tiantian began to spill more beans.

"Wu Fu probably never thought he'd have to return to Women Town again!"

"This time, he's in for a rough ride!"

"Because he insulted Women Town, all the hotels there have banned him from staying!"

"Tonight, Wu Fu will once again be left to spend the night alone on the streets!"