Mythology Returns! Starting with Folklore and Strange Tales

"Sigh, I'm really afraid of you people born with a childlike destiny!"

Seeing that Zhang Wei was so easy to talk to, Blind Wang, who had prepared a lot of arguments, suddenly became flustered.

Originally, the plan was simply to go out of the village to make an example of someone, drive away those evil spirits, and allow Liu Family Village to get through the Cold Clothes Festival safely. Everyone could then go back to their old ways, working at sunrise and resting at sunset, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, maintain this routine until the winter solstice without much trouble.

As for the winter solstice, we'll talk about it then.

They're all just farmers toiling in the fields; how could they possibly think that far ahead?

But if this young master isn't satisfied with the results, then it's all for nothing for them to leave!

When we return to the village, not to mention anything else, everyone present will be hung side by side under the poplar tree at the village entrance like kites, and they might even get beaten with sticks. There's no way to seek justice from them.

After all, they were quick to ask for the child back then, but now they've left him alone in the middle of nowhere. Even if he did it willingly, they're still in the wrong.

Thinking to himself, Blind Wang turned around and glared fiercely at the clerk with his one intact eye.

He was initially baffled by what was happening, but seeing Zhang Wei and Blind Wang walking and talking towards the distant wilderness, he, already drenched in cold sweat, quickly spoke up:

"Dog...nephew, how about we go back to the village first, make some preparations, and set off tomorrow night?"

Zhang Wei shook his head: "I'm just going to take a look; I might not actually do anything!"

"Besides, what's there to prepare now? Uncle Wang has already taken out most of his talismans and stockpiles, all the roosters in the village except those that weren't old enough have been slaughtered, and the village doctor is out of cinnabar. What else is there to prepare?"

"However, I do need to go back, but I won't. Uncle, you should pick some people to go back with us to share the good news with the villagers. As the saying goes, 'A young man's words are unreliable,' but if you say it, the effect will be different, saving everyone from worrying and not daring to sleep all night."

Uncle Wang and I will follow the spirits of the fallen heroes around the area. If we get a chance, we'll make our move; if not, we'll come back early. It'll be a precaution for the village. What do you think?

How is it?

That's absolutely right!

Is this the attitude? Is this how you address someone?

Knowing you're scared and hesitant, I won't say it outright. I'll just say the job is done and someone needs to go back and reassure people. It's a perfect excuse that can take away some wavering people while also getting their opinion.

No, who taught this village kid so many complicated things?

If you offend a typical naughty kid in the village, don't try to be nice to them. If they don't throw a pile of cow dung in your face, you're lucky if their family keeps a close eye on you.

But the person who said it must feel really good.

Of course, feeling comfortable doesn't mean that the person in charge should stay with their team.

Fear is inevitable. Although I've heard of people being harmed by these things and have seen many things that are hard to explain with science, hearsay and firsthand witnessing are two different things.

It wasn't just the officers who were doing the work; many militia members also had their own agendas. However, since everyone else was there, and a child was leading the charge, they became the ones being protected. They couldn't save face, so they just put on a brave face.

We finally made it through this, and now this happens again?

They might even go to great lengths to actively seek out trouble with those demons and monsters.

They were just ordinary people, not fortune tellers like Blind Wang who made a living in this field, nor wanderers like Zhang Wei who were thrown into this mess. It's not really wrong for them not to want to face it.

At least they've been with him all the way, carrying his tools and providing cover—that's enough!

Therefore, Zhang Wei's words not only gave the cadres a reason to return to the village, but also allowed the frightened militiamen to go back with him.

But seeing how magnanimous he was, I couldn't pretend I knew nothing and accept his kindness.

He patted Zhang Wei on the shoulder: "Uncle, go back and take a nap. Tomorrow morning at dawn, get the necessary documents from the village chief and set off with everyone!"

That's what he said, but the planner had already made up his mind. He would take the Liu family and head straight to his uncle's house tomorrow morning. When he got off work and opened the door, he would kneel down and kowtow, making a loud banging noise. Otherwise, he wouldn't take the job and would become a little shadow following him around every day. Not to mention going to the toilet, he would even kick his nephew over and lie between the couple at night.

Four spots?

Ha, either give him two more, or arrange some good jobs for him. He also needs to go through the formalities and apply for a leave of absence to settle down, otherwise he won't have the face to come back to Liujia Village!

After seeing off these outsiders, only Zhang Wei, Blind Wang, and a few members of the Liu clan from the militia remained.

As relatives of Zhang Wei within five degrees of kinship, they were trembling with fear, but they would never dare to leave.

In Zhang Wei's own time, relatives within five degrees of kinship were probably just something to talk about over tea or during holidays. But in the era of [Silhouette], these were real relatives. If they went back with him, his parents and brothers would tie them to a big tree in the village and beat them half to death without anyone else's help. The elders would only support them and wouldn't do anything to stop them. Afterwards, if they went to apologize, they would not only get beaten again, but they would also be disliked by their family members every day.

That's one thing, but leaving behind a reputation for disregarding family ties will cause trouble when it comes to finding a wife, not to mention the trouble of being included in the ancestral grave and genealogy after death.

Considering the consequences, demons and monsters don't seem so scary anymore!

As the night drew to a close, around 11 p.m., the evening breeze began to grow rather chilly. Those who hadn't eaten much oily food that evening were starving, and people tend to get cold when they're hungry.

Starving and freezing, they had no choice but to halt their journey. They found a sheltered mountain hollow, lit two bundles of firewood, broke the dry rations they had brought that evening into pieces, put them into a pot filled with water, threw in a few pieces of dried ginger and a little salt, and started to cook it.

And taking advantage of this desolate wilderness, with the moonlight lightly obscured by overcast skies and a chilly wind blowing, Blind Wang began his story:

"Speaking of these supernatural things, the only one in our Chizhen town that's even more troublesome than the one we just heard about is the mine in Zhuqianlin. That thing is incredibly powerful. I heard that a few months ago they hired more than ten Taoist priests and monks, along with some of the most capable people in our town, to investigate. But until now, we haven't received any accurate information!"

"The people who came back from their shift said they had boils from mining, but I've never heard of such a thing before. I think it's less of a boil and more of a massive crater underneath! And since this vein is connected to the surrounding mountains and forests, it's easy for things to grow there. Now that it's connected to this crater, I wouldn't be surprised if something supernatural is going on down there!"

"If you want to see it, you'll have to wait until after tonight. Tomorrow we'll go back to the village and borrow a donkey cart. It should arrive around noon. I'll ask around, and we'll take a look around around three or four in the afternoon. If we're capable, we'll give it a try; if not, we'll leave as soon as possible. Anyway, there are plenty of capable people in this world; we don't have to solve everything!"

"I was just thinking we could offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God again tomorrow. We didn't get anything from those offerings, so I was trying to see if I could find a suitable officiant. You're capable, I'll listen to you. We won't touch anything dangerous, just find some suitable offerings!"

After accepting the hot soup from his relative, Zhang Wei thanked him and began to speak.

"A suitable offering... How about we go check out your uncle's village, Xiakou? I only heard a few words about what happened there, and it doesn't seem like some kind of ghostly disturbance... Wait, what is that?!"