Remaining here was a last resort; the events of the previous night had shaken the entire village, dragging the community into a mire of grief. For two outsiders to be active and asking questions around the village at this time was incredibly unwise. There was a chance the villagers, having lost their composure, might hold me and Wang Jue responsible—something similar had happened before in Miao Village. However, back then, only Scarface had died; being listed as a suspect now wouldn't just mean spending a night locked up, it would mean wondering if we’d live to see the dawn.

So, we tried to keep a low profile, busying ourselves helping Gui Fang’s family with the arrangements. Since every household had a wake, very few people came to offer condolences. Around noon, the Elder arrived with four or five middle-aged men to offer sympathies. They glanced at Wang Jue and me with a peculiar look. Yet, because we had been so helpful to Gui Fang’s family, the Elder and Gui Fang’s husband held a good impression of us. The Elder’s group didn't dwell on us, simply instructing Gui Fang's husband to manage the memorial hall matters properly and to meet at the ancestral hall in the evening to discuss strategy.

I desperately wanted to go to the ancestral hall to listen in on their next steps. Wang Jue shook his head, advising we maintain our low profile. If we went to the hall and someone brought up the topic, potentially marking us as primary suspects, wouldn't that just lead to another round of trouble!

Fine, we stayed put at Gui Fang’s house, behaving ourselves. Wang Jue single-handedly managed the midday meal, the evening meal, and the preparation of all the necessary incense, candles, and paper money. The two men just sat, sighing toward the heavens, while Gui Zhi played alone in the courtyard.

I stared at Wang Jue’s busy silhouette, trying hard to recall the Wang Jue of before. The Wang Jue who could drive calmly even on the darkest night seemed strangely different from the one constantly working around the stove now. An ineffable feeling lingered in my heart, refusing to dissipate.

Nothing major happened for the rest of the day, but time crawled by excruciatingly slowly. Finally, the sun set. Gui Fang tucked the Elder and Gui Zhi into bed, then sat quietly with her husband before the memorial tablet. Wang Jue and I retreated to our room, closing the door, ready for rest ourselves.

Suddenly, a clamor of shouting erupted from outside the courtyard. I crept to the window frame and peered out to see a crowd rushing in, carrying torches, shouting loudly for Gui Fang’s husband. Gui Fang's husband emerged from the main hall, gripping a sickle, shouting about revenge, before merging with the throng.

Half a minute later, the procession left the courtyard, marching en masse toward the next house.

It seemed there was going to be action tonight. Watching from the window frame made my heart itch with excitement; I longed to stride out immediately and join the group heading to the ancestral hall to follow the developments. Perhaps, upon returning to Xiangcheng, I could even use this story as the basis for a horror novel.

Wang Jue, however, was unimpressed, saying with half a tone of sarcasm, "That’s contingent on you having a life to return with. If you went along, you might not even manage to salvage half your soul."

It was the first time I had heard him speak with such derision. The magnanimous Wang Jue I knew had vanished without me noticing. A sense of loss washed over me, as if I had lost a dear relative. Without another word, we turned over and went to sleep.

Just as I was drifting off into a hazy sleep, a sudden shriek pierced the silence from the main hall, immediately followed by a crash of chairs, bowls, and tables being smashed. I shot upright in the darkness, grabbing my clothes and draping them over myself, preparing to open the door and look, but Wang Jue grabbed my arm from behind.

He clapped one hand over my mouth while bracing the other against the door, listening intently to the sounds outside. Only after the chaotic din subsided did he finally open the door.