Madmen don't keep diaries

Chapter 434-433 Daytime Curfew (Third Update)
These people were in a hurry, just like ordinary people. If Feng Xiuhu hadn't seen them with his own eyes, he would have almost thought they were already on this street.

The three exchanged a glance, then Fang Youliu jumped off the cart and grabbed a passerby: "Excuse me, could you please tell me some directions..."

Without a second thought, the man shook off the hand and said, "I don't have time, let go!"

After saying that, he hurriedly walked away.

Feng Xiuhu then noticed something amiss—the three unfamiliar faces stood out conspicuously on the street. The people on the street had clearly recognized them as outsiders, but they only glanced at them occasionally before looking away, and no one paid them much attention.

Everyone walks very fast, and everyone's eyes carry more or less numbness.

After observing for a while, Feng Xiuhu discovered that the people on the street could be roughly divided into three types: one type was running towards the city with short hoes and bamboo baskets; another type was carrying out dry food and utensils and bartering on the street; and the last type was rushing towards the tall tower in the city center.

Shunzi looked at Feng Xiuhu: "Brother, this place is very strange. Let's find an inn to stay in first, and then we can talk about other things."

Feng Xiuhu nodded, stood on the carriage shaft and looked around at the surrounding buildings, but couldn't see any that looked like an inn.

He jumped off the carriage and approached a woman who was exchanging lamp oil for bran cakes: "Beautiful lady, how do I get to the inn?"

The woman was stunned by the word "beautiful lady" and stared at Feng Xiuhu for several moments.

The middle-aged man waiting to make the deal couldn't wait any longer: "Are you going to make the deal or not? If not, I'm going to find someone else."

The woman snapped out of her daze and quickly nodded: "Yes, we need to change it!"

She handed over the bamboo jar containing lamp oil and took a piece of coarse cloth wrapped in cloth from the middle-aged man.

The woman lifted the cloth to look inside, and Feng Xiuhu, who was standing nearby, also glanced at it and found that there were two crumbly pieces of bran cake inside.

The middle-aged man turned to leave, but the woman quickly grabbed him: "Brother Cui, why are there only two pancakes? Weren't there always three before?"

Brother Cui impatiently shook off the woman: "This is the price now, take it or leave it."

The woman remained silent, not daring to speak, and could only watch Cui Erge walk away.

Feng Xiuhu was quite polite. He waited in line until Brother Cui finished his business before approaching again: "Beautiful lady, how do I get to the inn?"

The woman quickly wrapped the cloth and stuffed it into her clothes, staring warily at Feng Xiuhu: "Where did you get an inn? There haven't been any inns around here for a long time."

Feng Xiuhu frowned: "Then where will I sleep tonight?"

Seemingly sensing that Feng Xiuhu had no ill intentions, the woman carefully examined him for a moment, hesitated for a moment, and then advised, "There are no places for outsiders to stay in Zizai City. While there is still time, you should leave the city before curfew."

Feng Xiuhu didn't like hearing that: "Hey, I didn't realize your place was so xenophobic? Don't you care about your tourism economy? Believe me, I'll expose you! Don't blame me for not warning you, I've got reporters with me—"

As he spoke, he headed toward Fang Youliuzhi behind him, but when he turned back, the woman was already far away.

Feng Xiuhu returned to the car, and Shunzi quickly asked him, "Brother, what did she say?"

Feng Xiuhu said with a dark face, "She told us to get lost, saying that Zizai City does not welcome outsiders."

Shunzi was furious upon hearing this: "What a rude and unreasonable woman!"

He made a move to confront the woman, but fortunately Fang Youliu was clear-headed and grabbed Shunzi, saying, "Don't cause trouble, let's find a place to stay first."

Shunzi yelled, "Haven't you figured it out yet? The people here don't even give us a second glance. What can you possibly get out of them!"

Upon hearing this, passersby turned their gazes, but seeing Shunzi's fierce appearance, they quickly lowered their heads and hurried on their way.

Fang Youliu comforted Shunzi: "If they won't talk, we'll find someone who can. There are temples, churches, and government offices here; there's bound to be someone who can reason with us."

After saying that, he pointed to the tall tower in the distance: "Although I don't know what that is, it can't possibly be the residence of ordinary people. Let's go and take a look."

...The tower was both far and near, but the pedestrians on the street were in a hurry, and the carriages could not move fast, but could only slowly inch forward, and were not as fast as people walking.

When they were halfway through the journey, they suddenly saw a huge crowd of people surging towards them.

Fang Youliu quickly pulled the carriage to the side.

Feng Xiuhu poked his head out the window: "Where are they going?"

Fang Youliu frowned and said, "They... seem to be the same group of people who ran towards the tower just now."

After observing for a moment, Feng Xiuhu noticed that most of these people were wary, either protecting their bodies or clenching their fists tightly as they ran.

Upon closer inspection, Feng Xiuhu noticed that what they were holding appeared to be talismans.

A young boy burst into a house on the street, excitedly shouting, "Mom! I got a donation coupon!"

A woman's hushed voice came from inside the house: "Don't shout! Don't shout! Go downstairs and hide!"

Feng Xiuhu now understood that these people weren't going anywhere, but were in a hurry to go home.

But why are you in such a hurry to go home?

Feng Xiuhu gazed at the distant tower and muttered to himself, "Incense money... temple?"

Fang Youliu whispered a reminder: "There is only the Jingzhe Temple here."

Due to the crowd, the carriage remained parked in front of a house for a long time.

Suddenly, the window of the house opened, and the man inside urged them, "Don't stop here! You outsiders don't know how dangerous this is. Go find somewhere to hide!"

Rarely encountering someone who initiates conversation, Feng Xiuhu quickly chimed in: "What exactly are you hiding from?"

The man remained tight-lipped, and it looked like he was about to close the window again.

Feng Xiuhu said, "We're from out of town, we have nowhere to hide. If you don't explain yourself clearly, we won't leave your doorstep."

The man's face was grim. He looked around and beckoned Feng Xiuhu to come closer.

Feng Xiuhu got out of the car and went over to talk to the man through the window.

The man said in a low voice, "The curfew is about to start. It's too late for you to leave the city now. You'd better find somewhere else to go."

Curfew again.

Feng Xiuhu was taken aback; the woman had mentioned the same word earlier.

The man tried to close the window again, but Feng Xiuhu blocked the window frame, saying, "I haven't finished asking my questions yet."

Feng Xiuhu pointed to the midday sun overhead: "It's clearly broad daylight, where's the curfew?"

The man said angrily, "You outsiders don't know anything, so don't drag me down!"

Feng Xiuhu called out to Fang Youliu behind him, "Just park the car here, we'll stay at his house tonight."

The man panicked and quickly explained, "Don't stop at my house! I'll tell you—our Zizai City is haunted by evil spirits. The monks and priests have set a curfew and specifically instructed us not to go out. They perform exorcism rituals in the city every day and night."

"Anyone wandering around the city during curfew could be captured by evil spirits and used as a substitute. In no time, the lord's lightning will strike them—even if they aren't possessed, the lightning won't care. Who told you to come out when you shouldn't? You'll die for nothing!"

(End of this chapter)