The little one's purse connects the two worlds, turning a desolate village into a paradise.

Ya Ya counted three red bills, then turned around with a cart full of black cotton shoes. She wanted to go back and buy some pretty sweet fruits, a bag of fine rice, and see if there was any other grain available.

Behind Lotus Village are big mountains.

The early spring wind was still a bit chilly. Hunter Zhao pulled his coarse linen coat tighter around himself, and underneath he put on the cotton-padded jacket that Ya Ya had bought for him. The mountain air was cold, and he didn't want to catch a cold by being too careful with his clothes.

It doesn't matter to him, a rough guy, but it would be terrible if he caught a cold and spread it to the villagers.

He walked in the dark for more than an hour before finally finding his way down the mountain.

He was lucky tonight; he didn't encounter any wild boars or wolves along the way, and the only sound was the rustling of leaves in the wind. He stood on high ground and looked down; the foot of the mountain was pitch black and silent, and he couldn't see anything at all.

Hunter Zhao tiptoed down, feeling his way down little by little, afraid of slipping and disturbing something.

But just as I reached the foot of the mountain, I suddenly felt a "click" under my feet and stepped on something hard yet somewhat soft.

His heart tightened, and he squatted down and reached out to touch it. His fingertips touched a cold, rough, hollow piece of bone, which was shaped like a human leg bone.

Zhao the hunter's heart skipped a beat and jumped into his throat.

He suppressed the panic that made his scalp tingle, and dared not turn on the flashlight. He only took out the little fairy chicken from his pocket and slowly pressed the button.

The faint flame shone for only a second.

In that one glance, he saw it clearly—

Beneath their feet lay a section of white human leg bone, with several broken bones scattered nearby.

The flame went out.

Darkness returned to the surroundings.

Zhao the hunter froze on the spot, a cold sweat breaking out on his back. He looked up at the village in the mountain valley not far away, its dark outline eerily quiet.

How could there be human bones at the foot of this mountain?

Was it an accident, or... something else?

He dared not think any further, his palms were covered in cold sweat, and he even breathed very softly.

The wind in the mountains seemed even colder, chilling you to the bone.

Hunter Zhao gritted his teeth, suppressing his panic, and crouched low, stealthily making his way towards the village.

He crept along the mountainside, slowly making his way into the village, his heart growing colder with each step.

This village is eerily quiet.

There were no barking dogs, no crowing roosters, no sounds of turning over in bed at night, and not even a trace of warmth could be felt.

The deathly silence was like a damp, cold, tattered blanket, tightly enveloping the entire village.

He walked on the muddy road, and even the sound of his own footsteps made his heart pound.

As we approached the first hut at the foot of the mountain, the moon, which had been obscured by dark clouds, finally revealed a small sliver of its shimmering light.

By the faint moonlight, he saw that the yard was in a terrible state of disrepair. Most of the fence had collapsed, and the ground was covered with mud tracks that had been washed down from the mountain, all traces of landslides.

Zhao the hunter felt a sudden jolt in his heart.

He didn't dare go directly to the center of the village, but instead circled around the foot of the slope little by little.

The more I wander, the heavier my heart becomes.

The roadside was full of collapsed earthen slopes, blocked paths, and corners of walls half-buried by mud and rocks.

The road was completely blocked; this was clearly a mountain village trapped by a mudslide.

He cautiously made his way to the back wall of a house. The paper covering the windows was torn beyond recognition. He peered inside, but it was empty, as if the place had been ransacked.

I looked at several more places, and they were all empty houses, exactly the same.

The vegetable garden next to the house has long been abandoned, and the weeds have grown to almost thigh-high.

He gritted his teeth, walked more than ten feet toward the center of the village, and his eyes suddenly narrowed.

There are traces of human life here.

Half a stack of firewood was piled in the corner, several long, narrow objects hung under the eaves, and there were fresh footprints on the ground.

The moonlight was reflected in the water in the water tank.

Zhao the hunter held his breath, crouched down and approached. Suddenly he heard rustling sounds coming from inside the house. He looked around, hid in the shadows of the side corner of the house, and covered his mouth.

There was a sound of fabric rubbing inside, like someone putting on pants in the dark.

Then a woman spat in a low voice, "You rascal, hurry up and go outside. Don't stay inside, or you'll stink to death!"

An impatient male voice rang out: "What time is it? Stop being so picky! If you think it smells bad, you might as well quit!"

Despite grumbling, footsteps still reached the door.

"Squeak—"

The dilapidated wooden door was pushed open a crack, and a tall, dark figure swayed out, standing there in a daze, facing the corner of the wall.

The next second, a hissing sound of water rang out, and a strong, pungent smell of urine wafted into Zhao the hunter's nose.

His stomach churned violently, and he clenched his teeth, not daring to move.

A moment later, the sound of water stopped.

The man shook himself, pulled up his pants, slammed the door shut with a bang, and crawled back into the house.

A low conversation soon broke out in the room, each word sending chills down Zhao the hunter's spine.

"...We're almost out of supplies. If we don't come up with a solution soon, we're all doomed. With the road blocked like this, the authorities have already given up on us."

"What can we do then, just let it rot here?"

"There are still a few left outside... After eating... my old bones will ache... I'm still a kid..."

"Over at Lotus Village..."

"They're all old bones, no good..."

"There are also little babies, easy to catch... drag them back... they can hold out for a while longer."

"They're probably all dead."

"Child...no...there must be...we'll catch as many as we can..."

The sounds inside the room were intermittent.

Hunter Zhao covered his mouth tightly; he seemed to know what was hanging outside the house.

No, he needs to see it clearly.

Hunter Zhao endured the darkness for a good half hour, until there was no sound from inside the house, not even the breathing could be heard, before he dared to move his feet little by little.

The ground was sticky, wet, and cold, but he didn't even care about the discomfort and stepped right through the wet patch that still smelled of foul odor.

Luckily, Ya Ya's new shoes haven't been bought yet. If she were wearing new shoes, I would be heartbroken.

For some reason, Hunter Zhao suddenly thought of this.

He steadied himself, pressed himself against the wall, and slowly moved to a position where he could see into the yard.

The moonlight just happened to shine through a little bit.

He looked up, and in just one glance, his stomach churned, and he almost vomited on the spot.

What's hanging under the eaves is meat.

It wasn't livestock or wild animals, nor was it cured meat; it was strips of human flesh, partially cleaned, some thin and dry, some still with small joints.

A pungent, sweet, and putrid odor mingled with the cold wind, mixed with a foul smell.

He felt dizzy.

They've gone mad.

They ate everyone.

They've eaten up all the food in their own village, and now they've set their sights on Lotus Village, and on the children of Lotus Village!

Hunter Zhao's face was ashen, and he was trembling uncontrollably.

He dared not look a second time, pinching his thigh hard to keep himself calm, hunching over, and inching his way down the mountain along the corner of the wall until he reached the top. Only then did he lower his hand covering his mouth and breathe in the crisp mountain air.

His palms were covered in cold sweat. Zhao the hunter calmed himself down and desperately climbed up the mountain.

A sense of relief welled up inside him. Fortunately, the village chief had sent him to investigate.

Life is good in Lotus Village now, and the villagers are kind and have very low vigilance. If it weren't for this trip...

that……

What that person said about catching little babies might actually be true!

He had to inform the village chief immediately and protect Ya Ya and the entire village.