My God, I suddenly needed to relieve myself, my heart was pounding like a war drum, and my body felt as if plunged into an ice cellar, cold and numb all over. What on earth was happening? Could the feeling of being watched under the tree have been caused by Xiao Chuchu in a dream?

How could something happening in reality become part of Xiao Chuchu’s dream? If Xiao Chuchu wasn't dreaming, did that mean she was experiencing astral projection just now? Why did they both see me missing limbs, and why did they see the moon completely gone with the sky full of peach blossoms, while I saw everything as perfectly normal?

I vigorously pinched my own thigh, certain I wasn't dreaming, and then seriously addressed the four women, "Things have gotten serious. There is definitely something bizarre and strange going on here. I’ll explain the situation to everyone from the beginning..." I started from discovering Li Tieniu slicing 'human leg meat' in the east wing, followed by returning to find everyone only to accidentally see Fang Yanmeng taking a leak.

After that, the two of us went to observe the situation at Li Tieniu’s house. Of course, the part about ** that particular time I omitted entirely—I jumped straight to tracking Li Tieniu. As one of the involved parties, Fang Yanmeng raised no objection to my condensed version.

The account I gave was basically the same as what Xiao Chuchu saw in her dream. Xiao Chuchu was now even more terrified than before. After all, at first she just thought she had a very realistic dream.

Now, hearing what I said, she realized it wasn't a dream at all, but something happening concurrently. This completely shattered the group's understanding of the original world, exceeding the limits of what we could rationally accept. Zhao Fen and Zhao Fang never expected things to be this complicated.

Having lived here since childhood, they were intimately familiar with everything, and now facing events they couldn't comprehend left them stunned in place. At that moment, no one cared to dwell on or vomit over last night’s 'human' meat. Overwhelmed by extreme terror, the four women instinctively surrounded me, lifting me up.

The chorus of soft female voices, the undulating waves of their chests, was quite stimulating, especially Xiao Chuchu, whose chest was a size larger than Zhao Fen's. Suddenly filled with boldness, I embraced them left and right, inhaling their scents, repeatedly reassuring everyone, "Don't be afraid, everyone. I'm here for everything.

Think about it; so many people couldn't defeat me that night, let alone just Tieniu plus a ghost. From now on, I won't leave your side and guarantee your safety." Fang Yanmeng cried out, "Zhao Qian, I suddenly realize finding an immortal husband is completely unrealistic. It's much better to have someone like you—witty, not stiff, capable of fighting, and not afraid of ghosts..." Zhao Fang took issue with that, "Mengmeng sis, Brother Zhao is my older sister's boyfriend, my designated future brother-in-law!

You can't have designs on him." Zhao Fen blushed demurely, "Fangfang, don't talk nonsense." Startled by the ordeal, Xiao Chuchu hardened her resolve and held me tight, "Zhao Qian, you must protect me too! You're the one who brought me here; if anything happens to me, you'll be fully responsible!" Alas, being too capable for a man is also a burden, just like this. Maybe they shouldn't fight over it; why not just alternate—one, three, five; two, four, six?

"Everyone, calm down. Things haven't reached an irreparable point yet. Now, let’s vote: raise your hands if you agree to pack up and rush back to town at first light, never to return." Four hands shot up.

If I added the hand I raised in my mind, it would be a unanimous vote. "Alright then, since no one has any objections, we won't worry about any ghost peach trees, ghost photos, or ghost human meat. We’ll pack up and leave as soon as dawn breaks.

Fenfen, Fangfang, you'll follow me, so of course you won't need to come back. Mengmeng, remember to treat me to tea when you get back to the city. Chuchu, don't feel bored stuck in the office; next time, don't go looking for trouble investigating ghost photos." "Deal!" the women agreed in unison.

Having been so frightened, no one dared to sleep separately. Zhao Fen and Zhao Fang moved their bedding over, and the five of us squeezed onto one heated brick bed (kang). Although we couldn't stretch out, huddling together was better than suffering fear in another room.

When the first hint of light appeared in the east, the five of us, mentally exhausted from tension, finally couldn't hold on and drifted off to sleep leaning against each other. When I woke up first, I realized that the people who had been sleeping nestled in my arms were nowhere to be seen. My head, however, was buried between a pair of firm, full breasts.

Worse yet, due to the awkward sleeping position, I had drooled in my sleep, soaking a large area of her milky-white inner garment. Even without seeing her face, I knew it was Xiao Chuchu. Zhao Fen and Zhao Fang didn't wear such tight undergarments, and Fang Yanmeng's chest wasn't nearly that ample.

I was done for. Soaking up a little benefit was one thing, but leaving behind incriminating evidence was another. If Xiao Chuchu woke up and saw I had soiled her 'clothes,' I didn't know if she’d fight me to the death.

Seeing a box of tissues I brought nearby, I quietly pulled one out, intending to wipe Xiao Chuchu's clothes. "Well, Zhao Qian, you really have guts, trying to get fresh with Sister Chuchu again!" came a low voice. "Shh!" I quickly gestured for silence to Fang Yanmeng, who had woken up and caught me in the act.

"It’s not what you think! I was asleep, and somehow I soiled Chuchu’s clothes. I was just trying to clean it up for her." Fang Yanmeng rubbed her eyes and whispered, "It’s okay if I pretend I didn't see anything, but you must keep the promise you made to me back in ** last night, or I’ll start shouting right now." I frantically waved my hands, "My dearest lady, can you please not bring that up here?

Fine, I’ll do whatever you say." Fang Yanmeng chuckled, "That puts my mind at ease. Give me the tissue, hurry up! Do you really intend to wipe that spot for Sister Chuchu?" Fang Yanmeng wiped Xiao Chuchu’s clothes, which startled her awake.

Fang Yanmeng made a face at me and then said to Xiao Chuchu, "Sister Chuchu, sorry about that. I accidentally dirtied your clothes while I was sleeping. Don't mind it.

I’ll buy you a new one when we get back." Xiao Chuchu blushed, "It's fine; I have a spare in my bag. But you’re really not well-behaved, getting it dirty right there, of all places." Being stuck among this pile of women after dawn was too embarrassing. I jumped off the bed first, "Hurry up and get ready to leave!

I think the weather looks bad again today; I really hope it doesn't rain." It was truly a case of 'when it rains, it pours.' Before we could finish packing, the rain started. Although there was no thunder or lightning, large puddles formed on the ground in no time. Traveling the mountain path in this miserable weather would probably be more dangerous than sleeping in that pervert Li's house.

Zhao Fen looked anxiously out the door at the ceaseless rain, "Brother Zhao, what should we do? Traveling on any road will be perilous in this weather. Last time I took Fangfang to the town for medicine, we almost slid into the ravine." If Zhao Fen, accustomed to the mountain roads, dared not travel in the rain, how could Fang Yanmeng and Xiao Chuchu, used to city life, possibly manage?

Damn it, perhaps even Heaven wanted us to stay here. Unexpectedly, Fang Yanmeng was delighted. "The rain is good; it solidifies our resolve to stay.

I want to ask everyone: if a colossal secret lay right before your eyes, wouldn't you have the slightest urge to investigate it?" Xiao Chuchu chimed in, "We would! Perhaps uncovering this secret will bring us instant fame. Think about it; the secrets of this village might all be connected to that peach tree, and we are already close to the truth.

Wouldn't leaving now mean all our efforts have been in vain?" Damn it, how could they be like this? As soon as dawn broke, they seemed to have found all their courage. I wonder who it was crying and begging for my embrace last night.

I was truly beaten by these women. The four women conferred and collectively voted to stay. I squatted by the doorway, watching the large raindrops hit the ground, my mind in turmoil.

Never mind whose leg that was, or whether Pervert Li meant us harm—the most critical task right now was to figure out that peach tree. Fang Yanmeng probably wasn't lying, and Xiao Chuchu shouldn't be lying either. I wasn't lying.

They must have experienced hallucinations, but if a hallucination could allow Xiao Chuchu to witness us in her sleep as if she were there, then this hallucination was too bizarre. No, since it’s daytime, I must go back to the peach tree for another look. Because the weather hadn't been good recently, we brought our rain gear—raincoats and umbrellas.

As I put on my raincoat to head out, Zhao Fang stopped me, "Brother Zhao, where are you going?" Fang Yanmeng also asked, "Yes, Zhao Qian, it’s raining outside. What are you going out for?" "I’m going to check things out at the village chief’s house first, and then I’ll head to the peach tree at the edge of the village to see if I can find any clues. I’m not like some people who want to uncover the truth and gain fame but refuse to move an inch from the warm kang stove." Fang Yanmeng and Xiao Chuchu both smiled sheepishly.

"We were thinking of waiting for the rain to stop. Since you’re in a hurry, we’ll go with you." Stop raining? Looking at this weather, it might not even stop by tomorrow.

What might happen tonight is still unknown, and I don't have the patience to sit here and wait any longer. Going to Pervert Li’s house is easy to explain. I’ll just say Fang Yanmeng had a stomachache in the middle of the night and woke me up to fetch medicine.

Even if he suspects something, he wasn't home when I left, so he can't know if someone came to fetch me. I grabbed the flashlight I left near the **. I decided I wouldn’t sleep at Li’s place tonight.

Firstly, this guy is an extreme danger, so keeping some distance is better. Secondly, the four girls need protection; if I stay close to them, I can provide backup, especially since I'm quite confident in my own strength now. The five of us braved the rain again to stand before the peach tree at the entrance of the village.

It was impossible to take photos in the rain; even looking up at the higher branches was difficult. The raindrops stung our eyes, and everything around was a uniform gray, creating an unusually desolate atmosphere. "Zhao Qian, let's go back first.

I feel cold all over." After standing for a while, the women spoke in unison. Before leaving, I glanced back at the peach tree one last time. Apart from appearing ancient and vigorous due to its age, its exterior held nothing remarkable.

If there was a secret, it probably lay underground, requiring us to dig it up, but the villagers might not agree to that. Li Tieniu certainly wouldn't, judging by how earnestly he bowed to the tree last night; this tree likely held some sanctity. Back at Zhao Fen's house, I asked about the origin of the peach tree.

Zhao Fen couldn't recall its roots either, only that it had stood at the village entrance since she was little. The villagers said it was several hundred years old. When the flowers bloomed in spring, the peach trees in the valley mouth and this ancient tree at the village entrance would blossom, and the wind blowing through them created a sky full of flying petals, looking just like a celestial realm.

"Have there been any odd occurrences or unusual events in Peach Blossom Village these past few years?" I asked Zhao Fen again. "Odd occurrences?" Zhao Fen racked her memory. "Sister Zhao gave birth to a strange baby two years ago; it could call people's names right after birth.

Brother Zhao, believing the elders' words that it was a bad omen, wanted to abandon the child in the mountains, but Sister Zhao refused, saying the child was smart and it wasn't about omens. Sadly, the child died before reaching one year old." Zhao Fang interjected from the side, "Actually, our village has a strange person named Li Dan. His teeth are like steel spikes; he bites stones and bones as easily as chewing steamed buns and rice." Zhao Fen continued, "If that counts as unusual, then our village has plenty of strange things.

Lü Feng from the west end can spit pebbles from his mouth to shoot sparrows—accurately and forcefully. And Third Aunt next door doesn't need matches to start a fire; she can conjure sparks just by rubbing her fingers together." Zhao Fang added, "Even Hu Niu, whom I’m learning to read with, climbs trees effortlessly, leaping around like a monkey. And Er Shuanzi can speak without using his mouth..." Zhao Fen concluded, "If all that counts, then our village has no normal people.

Everyone has some kind of abnormality, big or small." Fang Yanmeng and Xiao Chuchu eagerly asked, "What about you and Sister Fangfang?" Zhao Fen replied, "We aren't sure about the others, but our memory is better than most people's. Anything stored in our minds, no matter how long ago, is never forgotten." No wonder Zhao Fen learned to read so quickly; I had assumed she’d studied before. It turns out she has super memory!

Damn it, this village is a special ability village! But what does this have to do with the peach tree and the photos? Could it be that someone here has super brainwaves that can affect the retinal nerves, causing hallucinations?

But if it's a hallucination, how could a camera record it? Something genuinely recorded by a camera shouldn't be purely mental. Is it a physical illusion?

Fang Yanmeng exclaimed in astonishment, "That’s wonderful! I worry constantly about how to memorize so much coursework. Fenfen, Fangfang, do you think if I stayed here for a while longer, I might develop such a special ability too?

That would make me absolutely ecstatic." Xiao Chuchu also looked wistful, perhaps thinking she might develop some superpower as well. The four of them started chattering animatedly, quickly diving into an enthusiastic discussion.