Chapter 83

Chapter 83

Chen Ying hurriedly grabbed her suitcase and followed behind Wu Su.

The others watched as the two of them left with the only phone that could contact Dr. Wu, growing more anxious and scared. They hurriedly asked, "Dr. Wu, what should we do next? Will those evil spirits climb onto the train? Is the ginger still effective?"

Although ginger can ward off evil spirits, it can't hold up against the fierce ghosts of Ping'an Village. However, seeing how terrified they were, Wu Heng didn't say it directly: "It's useful. If you have extra ginger, you can steep it in water and drink it. Isatis root can also be useful."

Ginger wards off evil spirits, and drinking hot ginger soup on a winter night can prevent colds. When someone gets sick, their yang energy is easily weakened, giving evil spirits an opportunity to take advantage.

Wu Heng paused, his expression slightly serious as he reminded them, "Stick to the water on the train; avoid the water outside. Also, seal the windows and find some strong men with robust yang energy to guard the doors. If someone knocks and tries to board, don't open the door until dawn."

The remaining passengers felt a growing sense of dread and nodded repeatedly.

The disabled elderly woman took down her bag and pulled out a large package of fresh ginger. Although it wasn't old ginger, at this moment, it seemed as valuable as gold, attracting the intense attention of all the passengers around her.

The disabled woman said shyly, "I found ginger cheap in X City and planned to buy it home for pickling. Given the situation, I'll soak it in water, and everyone can have some."

The passengers, who had initially planned to spend a fortune to buy the woman's ginger, hesitated, feeling somewhat embarrassed. They also started rummaging through their suitcases for useful items.

"I have isatis root powder here to prevent colds. The elderly, frail, sick, disabled, and pregnant should have first dibs."

"My thermos still has hot food I made this afternoon. Let the children eat first."

"My suitcase has a newly bought down jacket. If anyone needs it, feel free to take it."

A burly man also raised his hand and volunteered, "I used to be a soldier. I'll guard the door!"

The uncle sleeping above Wu Su also said, "I used to own a farm. Although it went bankrupt, I slaughtered many animals, so I probably have some killing aura. I'll guard the door too."

"I work out all year round and have abundant yang energy. I'll guard the door too!"

"Goodness, look at what's going on. Who among these people deserves to be harmed by evil spirits?"

"I've cried enough to fill a pack of tissues. My whole family is worried sick."

"I hope those fierce ghosts are caught and their souls destroyed. Thank you, and I will never forgive them."

"If they really killed thousands of people, wouldn't it be a major case both above and below? They should be sent to the deepest layer of hell and skinned alive!"

Countless family members who had bought second-hand clothes anxiously searched for their loved ones in the live stream, venting in the comments.

"Let's go." Wu Su and Chen Ying got off the train together, watching as the burly man closed the train door. The two of them followed the passengers on the path to the village.

Chen Ying, a girl from the big city, had never walked on a rural path at night, especially one without streetlights, a narrow path worn by foot traffic. She felt uneasy and scared.

Chen Ying, feeling scared, took the initiative to talk to Wu Su: "Uncle Wu, you... you don't seem like someone who needs to buy second-hand clothes."

Chen Ying recognized the black down jacket Wu Su was wearing; it cost over ten thousand yuan on the official website.

Wu Su casually took the girl's suitcase, not minding at all, and said, "I've never bought second-hand clothes. But I've seen this kind of thing a lot since I was young. This time, I probably got unlucky and got caught up in it because the yin energy from my employer's child hadn't dissipated yet. But I've quit my job now, so I won't be afraid of getting involved with yin energy anymore. Good days are ahead."

Hearing this, Wu Heng silently glanced at Shi Xuan.

Shi Xuan coughed lightly and didn't say anything, feeling that Butler Wu was still a bit naive.

Chen Ying, thinking that this was Dr. Wu's father and must be a capable person, couldn't help but ask expectantly, "Uncle Wu, I heard that girl just now say you're... a shaman? Are you also a doctor?"

They say that family traditions are passed down through generations. This mysterious shamanism must follow the same tradition, right?

Wu Su smiled and recalled his younger days, "I'm no doctor. I did want to inherit my father's Chengde Medical Hall back then. When my father heard about my big plans, he was terrified, fearing that I might mess up prescriptions and harm patients, ruining his name. So, he hastily took on a young apprentice that very night."

"Then I thought, if my father was afraid I would disgrace his medical hall, why not just open a Jude Medical Hall in town? But my father pleaded with me not to go into business, afraid that I would blow all his funeral savings and die with a heavy heart. So, I ended up working odd jobs here and there."

Chen Ying couldn't help but laugh, her tension easing up a lot. She felt that Uncle Wu was being modest. Dressed in fancy clothes, he must have made something of himself out there and was pretty skilled.

Wu Heng and You Jin couldn't help laughing. You Jin, as usual, started nagging, "Uncle Wu Su, I've already tidied up your room, waiting for you to come back for the New Year. My mom and grandma in the village are starting to prepare ham and sausages, and they've set aside a portion for you as well."

Wu Su immediately responded, "Awesome, awesome!"

The old man's little apprentice turned out well.

"Hahaha, so he really is Dr. Wu's father. This situation is under control. Hengbao wouldn't let his dad come to harm, right?"

"Seems like Dr. Wu's family is really close-knit. I'm a bit jealous."

"It's almost New Year's, everyone should be doing okay. Does Dr. Wu know what's happening inside? Is he coping?"

"This village seems pretty peaceful and lively. Is that cooking? There's smoke rising."

"Cooking at dawn, just imagine that."

Wu Heng pondered, "Let's see the situation first. If anything's wrong, I'll rush over immediately."

Wu Su and Chen Ying walked behind, while the panicked passengers ran ahead, leaving a large gap behind them.

Leading the way was a young man who ran into Ping'an Village, looking at the dilapidated adobe houses, gasping for breath.

He was exhausted.

Looking around, it was a typical impoverished small mountain village. Some houses were still adobe structures from the 1970s and 1980s, with layers of cobwebs under the eaves and wooden doors slightly ajar.

Looking up, he could see chimneys from each household coincidentally emitting smoke, as if they had all agreed to start cooking at the same time. Unfortunately, it was too far to smell any food.

The poverty of the village didn't matter as long as there were living people.

The young man was about to knock on the door when it creaked open, and a disheveled woman came out, scrutinizing him up and down.

Seeing her appearance, the young man thought she had just woken up due to the commotion outside. He gasped and hurriedly said, "Sister, don't be afraid. I'm not a bad person. I... my train broke down, and I'm here to seek help."

A passenger who followed, panting with one hand on his waist, also hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, sister, we are stranded passengers. Do you have a phone here? There's no signal in the mountains, can you help us call the police?"

As he spoke, the middle-aged man fumbled in his pocket and finally found a ten-yuan bill, handing it over.

The woman took the bill and seemed to be checking its authenticity.

She stuffed the bill into her pocket and looked at the group of people as if appraising livestock, swallowing her saliva and saying, "Oh, I see. Five years ago, a train had an accident not far from here, and people came here for help too."

Passengers entered the village one after another, gasping for breath and chiming in, "Yes, yes, we're all Chinese. When you're out, you rely on friends."

"Wake up, everyone, wake up! We have guests in Ping'an Village!" the woman shouted, her voice sharp with excitement.

Soon, lights were lit in each household, and women came out of their doors, looking at the fleeing passengers with ambiguous smiles.

The passengers, afraid of causing resentment by intruding into the villagers' homes, huddled in the courtyard, rubbing their hands and waiting for arrangements.

These women were also helpful, bringing out long benches commonly used in rural areas and fetching water from their homes.

The passengers sat on the benches, accepting water in white porcelain bowls, thanking them repeatedly.

There are still plenty of good folks out there.

Even though the water was cold, they had been running for their lives and were parched. Many passengers didn’t mind the cold water and chugged it down.

A girl asked nervously, "Auntie, what kind of water is this?"

The woman smiled and said, "It’s just well water, what we villagers drink. There are too many of you, and we didn’t have time to boil water. Just make do."

Someone among the passengers scolded the sensitive girl, "Why are you being so picky when we’re in a bind? Just be glad we have some water." After saying that, he smiled at the woman.

The girl looked at the chipped white porcelain bowl in her hand, her throat unbearably dry. She swallowed to moisten her throat but didn’t drink the water, quietly pouring it out instead.

She often watched Chengde Medical Hall’s live broadcasts, where Doctor Wu Heng said well water connects to the yin and should be boiled before drinking.

Someone casually asked, "Why are there only women here? Where are the men?"

The leading woman laughed and said, "The men are all out working. They’ll be back for the New Year."

Everyone nodded, as this made sense to them. Most village men work away to support their families.

A passenger whispered to the person next to him, "Something feels off... but I can’t quite figure it out."

But the women looked healthy, and their shadows under the streetlights showed they were clearly alive. Maybe the supernatural events had them on edge, making them more cautious.

The head woman adjusted her scarf and asked warmly, "Have you eaten? Want to join us?"

After drinking the water, the passengers felt a bit sluggish. They nodded, confused but agreeing.

A passenger couldn’t help but ask, "It’s past midnight. Why are you eating now?"

It was already past 2 a.m.

The leading woman glanced at a shorter woman beside her, who, though thin, had a shrewd look. She smiled and said, "It’s our custom. We call it breakfast to fuel up for work."

Different places, different customs. When you’re in someone else’s place, you follow their rules.

The women brought out bowls of rice with pickles, but no meat. The passengers didn’t complain. The village was clearly poor, and as outsiders, they couldn’t expect a feast. Something to eat was enough.

The dazed passengers ate, though some waved off, saying they weren’t hungry.

"Why is there no signal here? I heard even the most remote villages have mobile towers," a passenger muttered fearfully, then turned to the leading woman and asked, "Sis, what should we call you?"

The woman smiled and said, "That’s just how it is here. The signal comes and goes. It’ll probably be back by morning. I don’t remember my name. Everyone calls me Sis Eagle."

Her warm smile made "Sis Eagle" seem an odd fit, but a name’s just a name, so they called her that too.

"It’s late. How about the young girls go inside to sleep? We’ll bring some bedding for you men to make do outside," Sis Eagle suggested, looking at the hundreds of passengers.

Some passengers were almost dizzy, thinking the women were quite considerate.

It was better for the thin girls to go inside to avoid the cold. As for the men, it wouldn’t be appropriate to enter homes where there were only women, as the hostesses might be afraid of strange men, and it could lead to gossip when the men returned.

"I... I’m fine. I’ll stay outside with these young men," a girl shivered and said.

When Sis Eagle’s gaze swept over her, the girl’s legs almost gave out, but she was supported by an uncle next to her.

"What’s wrong, girl? Are you cold?"

The girl whispered, "I... I know what’s wrong. This village... there’s no barking of dogs! No crowing of roosters! Uncle, look at their wooden doors..."

The middle-aged man turned pale and added, "There are no door gods here."

Farmers usually paste spring couplets and door gods on their doors, but here, there was nothing.

This was clearly off.

"I just realized I left my phone on the trail we came from. It’s a brand-new one I spent thousands on. I want to go back and look for it," the girl hastily made up a lie, pretending to be calm as she turned and walked toward the outskirts of the village.

The man quickly added, "It’s not safe for the girl to be alone. I’ll help her look for the phone."

Others were quick to act too. Another passenger, pale and trembling, said, "I’ll check if there’s a signal outside."

Sis Eagle suddenly appeared in front of them, her deathly pale nails painted bright red, like she’d just had a manicure. She held a phone in her hand and smiled eerily, "Is this your phone?"

The girl’s heart sank as she felt her empty pocket, but the next moment, screams erupted from the crowd at the meal.

"Human bones! This is a meal made of ashes!"

-

As Chen Ying and Wu Su stepped into Ping'an Village, they felt a bone-chilling cold.

The live stream viewers were equally horrified by the scene.

"A black-and-white live stream is creepy enough, but this village is engulfed in black energy."

"Is there a ghost king here, like in the stories? Cultivating some dark curse?"

"Are those passengers fleeing? Did something go wrong?"

"Doctor Wu Heng said there are no living people here... Are they trying to drain the life force of the living? That’s what the stories say."

Wu Heng frowned and said, "This place... is teeming with fierce ghosts, led by one in red. It’s not hard for hundreds of people to raise a female ghost king."

"If your Bazi is weak, leave the stream now and get some rest."

Chen Ying’s legs shook as she reached for the piece of old ginger her fiancé had given her to steady herself. "So, did the fierce ghosts here kill Duo Duo?"

Duo Duo was Nie Wei’s nickname. Chen Ying deliberately used Nie Wei’s nickname in the live stream to avoid gossips spreading her best friend’s real name in the future, causing further harm.

Thinking of the white fur coat stained with blood, Chen Ying couldn’t imagine how terrifying those fierce ghosts must be.

Wu Heng said, "As you walk, pick up seven different plants and keep them in your pocket. They won’t be able to harm you."

Chen Ying was stunned. "Just pick any?"

Wu Heng nodded. "This is the natural balance of every place under the heavens. A village full of fierce ghosts will inevitably have plants that can counteract them. Everything in nature has its counterbalance."

This was a small trick he had learned while traveling and studying herbs in ancient times.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ying immediately bent down to pick up different plants along the way. It didn’t matter if she didn’t recognize them; as long as she collected them, it would work.

Just as she picked up the seventh plant, they fully entered the interior of Ping'an Village.

What greeted their eyes were dilapidated mountain cottages, long-abandoned houses covered in spiderwebs, courtyards overgrown with weeds, and stones covered in slippery moss.

They saw passengers writhing on the ground. Some were desperately choking themselves with their hands, trying to strangle themselves, while others were banging their heads against the ground, clearly under some kind of spell.

Faintly, shadowy figures could be seen hovering over the passengers.

Some conscious passengers screamed for help, their voices filled with terror.

Wu Su noticed Chen Ying had suddenly frozen, standing there in a daze.

Wu Su thought she was terrified, after all, unlike him, who had seen strange things since childhood, but then he saw tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

'Innocent? I'm innocent too... Why did I have to be beaten to death?' Sis Eagle was no longer the amiable figure she once was, her hair was wildly disheveled, and her deathly pale face with those blood-red eyes was particularly striking. Even without a red dress, she was unmistakably a fierce ghost.

'I was thrown out of the G4044 train but only suffered minor injuries. Someone found me and took me in. I had a home in Ping'an Village, a husband, and a child!'

She cradled her head and muttered: 'I just wanted to go back to my parents' home, why won't they let me go?'

She tried to escape repeatedly, only to be dragged back every time. Her husband, with the villagers, chased her with whips, iron rods, and hounds, tying her up in the pigsty to live and eat like a pig.

In those continuous mountains, she couldn't escape. She could only carry a basket of pigweed on her back and the poems she clung to, refusing to forget despite this 'happy life,' watching the passenger train speeding away on the tracks, knowing it would never stop for her.

Sis Eagle kept convincing herself, the more she spoke, the more resolute she became: 'I love my husband, I stayed here because I love him, I gave up that city life. Yes, yes, I must love him. I love him!'

'I loved him so much, why did he beat me to death? Just because I organized other women to go back to our parents' homes?'

Then he hurled her onto that white fur coat, the one she cherished so much as the only link to her past, and hit her with an iron rod, angrily calling her a vicious bitch, willing to abandon her child to escape.

A passenger with a righteous air suddenly asked: 'Where is your husband?'

'Dead.'

The other women nearby cackled eerily: 'Of course he's dead, we loved them so much, they naturally had to come with us.'

"...Damn, this is too terrifying! Is this a village massacre? No wonder there's black fog everywhere—this is pure resentment."

"I once read that victims convince themselves they 'love' their abusers."

"Did everyone notice, besides the passengers, there's not a single man, not even a male ghost. Could it really be..."

"This sister’s impressive—harmed in life, but able to take revenge after death."

"So disgusting, why is it always these women who become evil after death? So having sons is still a plus—at least you don’t have to worry about them turning into wicked female fierce ghosts after death!"

Wu Heng's face darkened, and he said coldly: "Then why do you think so many women become fierce ghosts after death?"

Because they’re always disadvantaged, always treated unfairly. Who wouldn’t turn into a fierce ghost right then and there? Those who benefit should keep their mouths shut at this time.

Wu Heng also didn't bother to argue with the netizen, raising his hand to kick the netizen out of the live broadcast room, not caring if his family was among the passengers to be rescued.

Chen Ying stared in disbelief at Sis Eagle, who was neither human nor ghost, her voice trembling: "She... massacred the village?"

Wu Heng fixed his gaze on the leading fierce ghost, trapped in her painful obsession, observing her face and said: "Not just that, they also devoured the ghosts and demons of those villagers."

How many women in the world are treated unfairly? And the entire Ping'an Village has become a large ghost domain.

Fierce ghosts want ghost power, then they have to "eat." This food can be the ghosts and demons of their kind, or it can be living people.

The ghosts and demons feed them, but also strip them of their rationality, only struggling in the nightmare of their death.

"Damn, devouring other ghosts? No wonder they're so fierce, able to lure an entire train."

"If they run out, wouldn't it be chaos? How many people would die?"

"The police? Shouldn't they be arrested? Was there a yin emissary undercover just now? Does the underworld sentence in this situation?"

"They deserve to be devoured, if it were me I'd eat all those who harmed me. These sisters did well, why suffer alone?"

"I'm so hungry," Sis Eagle grinned wickedly as she looked down at the passenger at her feet. She leaned in close to the passenger's trembling face, sniffing the scent of the living, which was tantalizing.

Fierce ghosts are barely rational, like ravenous beasts driven only by hunger.

Sis Eagle was unbearably hungry. She had gradually ground her beloved husband's bones into a pulp, relishing his agonized expressions as she devoured him bite by bite, the remaining bones crunching crisply between her teeth.

But the pigs in the pen would eventually run out, and the ghosts and demons among the villagers were dwindling day by day.

So hungry...

These living people smelled just as enticing, but they seemed unrelated, not aligning with the underworld's principle of retribution, where every grievance has its rightful target.

"I'm already a ghost, a fierce ghost, so filthy. Why should I care about all these rules?" Sis Eagle muttered to herself.

The good life had long since abandoned her. Why should she still abide by these so-called rules?

She now ruled the entire Peace Village as its queen. She decided who lived and who died.

Lai Yin Chai stood under the tree, intently watching the scene, holding his work phone to record it. He exchanged a look with two shadowy figures under a nearby tree, nodding in agreement to take action.

At that moment, a figure rushed toward Sis Eagle at lightning speed.

Sis Eagle's face was full of disdain. With a mere gesture, she could kill this presumptuous mortal, just in time to fill her stomach.

However, an unfamiliar scent suddenly filled her nostrils. Sis Eagle froze, and in the next moment, she was forcefully pulled off the passenger's body by Chen Ying, who cried out, "Nie Wei, wake up!"