"I suspect these fellows turned into jerky weren't ordinary victims. Number 12 mentioned earlier that Boss Bai referred to them as spies," Number 2 confided to me.

I nodded, responding, "I found that strange earlier too. What exactly did he mean by spies?"

Number 2’s expression grew grave. "I’m afraid these so-called spies are actually our informants."

As he spoke, he walked toward the door next to the kitchen, which must have been Boss Bai's usual bedroom.

Pushing the door open revealed a room steeped in darkness. Turning on the light, we were confronted by a shocking sight: two skeletons lay sprawled on the messy bed—one clearly belonging to a woman, the other a child’s.

I sucked in a sharp breath. "Is this the wife and child Boss Bai mentioned being eaten?"

Number 12 stood at the doorway, his face ashen. "Probably. Their flesh has indeed been completely consumed."

I sighed, approaching with a heavy heart. I examined the scattered bones closely. "The time of death must be over two years ago. It’s been a long time. I can hardly imagine that Boss Bai slept here, alongside two corpses, for two years."

Frankly, the thought sent shivers crawling across my entire body.

Glancing at the structure of the house, I noted, "I doubt this house is older than two years. That means these remains were here before the house was even built. The murder didn't happen on this spot."

Number 2 chuckled. "Alright, we aren't here to solve a murder case. Quickly, search for anything that doesn't belong to the Bai family."

Number 12 and I both nodded and split up to search the room.

Soon enough, I found several black suits tucked away in a drawer beside the bed.

As I pulled the wadded-up suits from the drawer, an identification card suddenly fluttered to the floor.

Number 12 picked it up, said nothing, and held it out for us to see.

Upon seeing it, I sighed deeply, for it read: State Security Bureau Agent 112302, Wu Dong, ID Number 510XXXX...

Counting the suits—seven sets in total—and confirming the number of contacts with Number 2, we realized every single comrade meant to meet us here had been eliminated.

Number 2’s expression was solemn as he softly recited a Buddhist prayer. "Amitabha. There is nothing we can do now. Let's bury these comrades first, and then get out of here quickly. Since all our contacts are dead, any intelligence provided to headquarters has been false. Our current situation is extremely perilous."

Number 12 and I nodded in agreement, then headed to the kitchen to retrieve the bodies hanging from the ceiling beams, dragging them outside for cremation.

Unable to bear the stench, we left before the burning was complete, heading into the woods to traverse the road leading into the village and find a remote spot outside to camp for the night.

We eventually found shelter beneath an imposing earth embankment. The base of this earthen mound resembled a honeycomb, riddled with small cavities large enough for a person to hide in, offering protection from wind and rain.

Furthermore, our location was significantly higher than the village, granting us an unobstructed view of the entire settlement.

Since it was only 11 o'clock, we weren't ready to sleep. We checked the shelters; they were surprisingly dry and even contained items left behind by others.

Among them were several nearly new canteens, and even a military shovel and military flashlight had been left untouched.

Seeing these items, we instantly understood: this place must have once been an outpost for the PLA.

Thinking of this, I said to Number 2, "It seems the PLA really did come through here! Boss Bai wasn't lying to us."

Number 2 nodded. "Didn't I tell you before? During the day, they are normal people. They don't know what they might turn into; they just live normally. That's why everything Boss Bai said when he was in human form was the absolute truth. We don't need to worry about lingering in the village during the day."

I scratched my head. "You mean... we still have to go back into the village tomorrow?"

Number 2 confirmed with a nod. "Of course we do. And we still need to find Old Man Li and have him take us to the well at the old house to see exactly what these people are up to. We must find a clue about that Six-Armed Bodhisattva now, or this mission is a failure."

Number 12 interjected, "I think we should report the disappearance of all our contacts to headquarters immediately. That way, they can send reinforcements to assist us. In case we encounter danger, there won't even be anyone to collect our bodies."

Number 2 replied, "You don't need to worry about that. I already reported it. They will be dispatching personnel soon. However, to prevent further casualties, we must try to ascertain the enemy's strength before they arrive."

I nodded. "That's right, Number 2's analysis is sound. But I still worry that Old Man Li might be a threat to us."

Number 2 pressed his palms together. "Amitabha. How much do you know about my abilities? Let me tell you, I have never lost to Little 1, I just never bothered to compete with him."

I slapped my forehead. "I forgot about that. Number 2, your strength must be close to X-level, right?"

Number 12 scoffed. "Are you dense? Clearly, you haven't done your homework. Lord Longyan personally stated that both Number 1 and Number 2 are at XX-level!"

I froze. "Really? There's an XX-level!"

Number 2 smiled faintly. "In any case, just follow me, and you don't have much to worry about."

We both nodded and continued chatting about other matters, such as tomorrow's plan.

Just as we were growing tired from talking, we suddenly heard the sound of a group walking and chatting on the main road not far away.

The appearance of people in this desolate wilderness was certainly strange, but I could more or less guess what kind of group it was.

Indeed, when we looked down from the slope toward the road below, we saw more than a dozen people, carrying backpacks and led by someone holding a small flag, walking toward the village in high spirits.

Most of these individuals were young, and several attractive young women were among them. We could clearly see their expressions through our night-vision goggles.

Most looked curious and excited.

Listening briefly to their conversation, I realized they were amateur adventure enthusiasts.

Perhaps having heard tales of the Yuanmou Man eating people in this village, they had traveled specifically from Kunming, guided by a tour leader.

These people are usually the most bored among us. Remember the news reports about missing persons found in some forgotten corner of a scenic area? It's typically this type of person responsible.

The case of Fengmen Ghost Village caused a huge stir, yet many tour groups still took expeditions there in the dead of night.

In reality, Fengmen Village was just an abandoned, uninhabited settlement, with no ghosts or deities.

But later rumors about a chair that caused death upon sitting, or white shadows floating in the air at midnight, were actually fabricated by these bored thrill-seeking adventurers.

One adjective perfectly describes these people: they live for chaos.

Most of China's haunted houses, cursed spots, and perilous mysterious locations are sensationalized by this very group.

I don't care where these people explore or what horrifying topics they generate, but the nameless village we are in now poses genuine danger, and they are almost certain to meet disaster if they enter.

So, Number 2 and I both decided to intercept this group.

Our current uniforms were too bizarre; no one would believe us if we claimed to be from the State Security Bureau, and we couldn't easily display our abilities. Thus, we decided to put on the PLA gear left behind in the caves.

We rummaged around and indeed found some ragged PLA uniforms, possibly discarded after a battle.

Wearing these blood-stained, torn clothes, I had already prepared a little scene.

So, I grabbed Number 2, and we pretended to have been attacked, running down the slope in panic to block the group's path.

"Are you... PLA stationed nearby?!" The tour guide holding the small flag adjusted his glasses, stared for a moment, and asked with a hint of excitement.

I feigned heavy breathing and said, "That's right! What are you people doing here? You can't come to such a dangerous place at night. We were just chased here by several Yuanmou Men and nearly lost our lives!"

My words caused quite a stir among the group, with many asking, "The Yuanmou Man is really alive? Where, where?"

I pointed toward the earth embankment. "They are over there in the earth forest, but you cannot go there; it's too dangerous!"

At this, the bespectacled male guide's eyes flickered. He said, "Comrades from the army, we traveled a long way to get here; sending us back so abruptly is rather unreasonable. How about this: since you've seen the Yuanmou Man, just lead us there for a look. We'll take two photos and leave immediately; we won't enter the village, how about that?"

Hearing this, everyone started clamoring, "Yeah, yeah! Just let us take a picture!"

At this point, Number 2 stepped forward, his expression hardening. "Nonsense! This area is surrounded by the army; it’s not a place you can just walk into whenever you like. Get lost now, and don't let me see you again, or I'll start using force to drive you out!"

Unexpectedly, this threatening speech didn't sway the male guide at all. He even spoke with surprising force, saying, "Which army are you from? Let me tell you, I have connections in the military! If you don't let us take pictures today, we are absolutely going into the village."

Number 2 was about to lose his temper.

But I patted his arm and gave him a meaningful look.

Then, I turned to the group and said, "If that's the case, we won't stop you. Go on into the village then; don't blame anyone if you meet your end!"

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