350 Mystery
After Yuan Niang received the news, she returned very quickly.
Because the Fang family’s second son was currently training in the army, after the Fang family’s eldest son entered the city, he went to the army with his father.
In order to let Lin Suisui catch up with Mrs. Luo and the others, Lu Ze didn’t return to the backyard today. Instead, he went next door to talk to Pei Qian.
With Lin Suisui’s previous instructions, the dinner prepared by the kitchen was very sumptuous.
As Lin Suisui caught up with old friends, she was in such a good mood that she even drank two cups of wine with Yuan Niang and Mrs. Luo.
After three rounds of drinking, they became more talkative. What Lin Suisui was most concerned about was naturally Mrs. Luo and the others’ current living conditions. Hearing Lin Suishou’s concern, Mrs. Luo, Fang Liu, and the others explained their current living conditions one after another.
The village Mrs. Luo and the others were in was the safest among all of the villages the refugees were settled in.
Most of the people in the village they lived in were military families, so the population was relatively stable. Because the men were in the army, they helped each other out quite often. They were also very kind to Mrs. Luo’s family, who had just entered the village.
The house where Mrs. Luo and the others lived was an old house that had been empty previously. Because no one lived in it all year round, if they wanted to move in, it definitely needed to be renovated.
Fortunately, the villagers were very friendly and helped their family greatly. With the help of the entire village, the house was repaired in seven to eight days.
Later on, the villagers helped her family collect firewood and food for the winter. Although they celebrated the new year in a relatively simple manner, it was very heartwarming.
Speaking of the village, Fang Liu suddenly thought of something and said to Lin Suisui, “The village we live in has a mountain behind it. Logically speaking, we definitely don’t have to worry about food.”
However, strangely, the people from our village and the neighboring villages rarely enter the mountains.
Even if they needed firewood, they would only collect them at the edge of the mountain and never enter the depths of the mountain.
I found it strange, so I asked the women from the same village. They told me that we can’t enter the mountain because there are man-eating demons on it.”
“Demon?” Lin Suisui was stunned. This was the first time she had heard such a bizarre rumor, so Fang Liu’s words piqued her interest.
“That’s right.” Fang Liu nodded seriously and continued to tell Lin Suisui, “It’s only been a year or two since such rumors started spreading. Previously, everyone went into the mountain to collect herbs and hunt to supplement the family’s expenses. However, for some reason, very few people who entered the mountain came out again!
In order to find people who had not returned from the mountains, the powerful hunters in our village and a few nearby villages went in, but there was still no news of them.
“Therefore, from then on, the people in the village and the neighboring villages didn’t dare to enter the mountain anymore.”
After Fang Liu finished speaking, she picked up the soup bowl and took a sip to moisten her throat. Seeing that Lin Suisui was listening attentively, she continued, “At first, I also felt that there might be some ferocious beast in the mountain that hurt people.
“But after spring, I saw people sneak into the mountains at night a few times.”
“You saw someone enter the mountain at night?” Lin Suisui frowned. At this point, she also sensed that something was wrong.
The villagers in the surrounding villages knew that there was some strange creature in the mountains. In that case, why did people still enter the mountains?! Moreover, those who entered the mountains chose to enter at night, which was relatively more dangerous…
Something was fishy.
“I thought so too. However, because something was fishy, I didn’t dare to alarm those who entered the mountain. I just found an opportunity to ask the villagers about it.
In the end, we discovered many people entered the mountain.
“The villagers said that those people are all cultivators from a Daoist temple not far from us and they entered this mountain to find the demon who harmed our neighbors.”
As Fang Liu told Lin Suisui this, she couldn’t help but laugh. “I couldn’t refute them, but I didn’t believe them.
However, since no one was heading towards the mountains, there was no need for us to go against them.
However, strange enough, these martial cultivators were able to enter and leave the forest at any time without being affected.”
“How do you know?” Lin Suisui looked at Fang Liu curiously.
“Because I saw it.” Fang Liu replied seriously, “Our house is not far from the road into the mountain. There’s a man with a scar on his face. I’ve seen him pass by our house a few times.
“Therefore, I’m wondering if there are really some demons in the mountains. Otherwise, why are these martial cultivators fine?”
Fang Liu only treated this matter as an interesting source of gossip, but Lin Suisui felt that this matter was extremely fishy.
Therefore, after Lu Ze returned at night, Lin Suisui told him about this matter. Then, she said, “I keep feeling that this matter is fishy.
However, from what Mrs. Fang said, no one around her doubts it and they’re already used to it.
Do you think I’m worrying too much?”
Lin Suisui looked at Lu Ze as she muttered in a low voice.
“How could that be?” Lu Ze shook his head and reached out to pull Lin Suisui into his arms. Then, he pressed his chin against the top of her head and said softly, “Just as you said, there are no demons or ghosts in this world.
Even if there are demons in the mountain, are those so-called martial cultivators all top experts, so much so that those demons don’t even dare to show themselves after those martial cultivators entered?
There’s definitely a reason behind it.
“Perhaps the disappearance of those villagers is related to these cultivators who can enter and leave the forest at any time!”
“What does that have to do with them?” Lin Suisui blinked in confusion.
“What if these people are not cultivators at all but ordinary people with ulterior motives?” Lu Ze patted Lin Suisui’s back gently and said with a smile.
“Ulterior motives? Aren’t there only prey and plants in the mountains? Or herbs? What else is there?” Lin Suisui didn’t understand, so she reached out and tugged at Lu Ze’s sleeve. Her tone became filled with excitement as she suddenly asked, “Could it be that there’s a treasure in the mountains?”