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

The mountain path beneath his feet was blurred into a dark ribbon by the night. Zhao the hunter held his breath, his straw sandals still emitting a foul stench. His face was pale as he leaned on the wooden stick he had picked up on his way up the mountain, slowly making his way back.

He set off at the end of the 7 PM to 9 PM, and it took him nearly three hours to get there. When he arrived at the village in the mountain valley, it was close to the 8 AM to 9 AM, when it was pitch black and people were sleeping the most soundly.

Returning to the mountaintop, the sky was beginning to lighten, and the outline of the mountains could be faintly seen.

He gripped the small stick in his hand, took another deep breath, and used both his hands and feet to push it down.

After enduring seven long hours, Hunter Zhao was extremely tense and his physical strength was gradually running out. When he arrived at the foot of the mountain near Lotus Village, wisps of white steam were already rising from Granny Liu's courtyard as she cooked her morning meal.

The breath he had been holding in suddenly dissipated, and he collapsed to the ground, gasping for air, too weak even to lift his hand.

"Tiger Boy".

An aged voice came from behind.

He is the village chief.

He waited at the foot of the mountain the whole time, carrying a pair of brand-new, thick black cotton shoes.

Yesterday, Xiaoya brought back cotton shoes, a whole bag of white polished rice, fresh pork ribs, red berries (called "caomei"), and a large bag of tangerines.

The little girl got up early and pushed her toy car to the yard to hand out shoes and fruit to everyone.

Not seeing Hunter Zhao, she specifically asked, "Where's Uncle Zhao?"

"Yesterday, Grandpa asked your Uncle Zhao to take care of something. He's probably still asleep. Grandpa will take the shoes to him for you." The village chief took the last pair of big cotton shoes from Ya Ya's hands.

He thought that Tiger had climbed the mountain all night and walked such a long way, his shoes must have worn out long ago. The sooner he changed into new shoes, the more comfortable he would feel. So he picked up his shoes and socks and waited at the foot of the mountain.

"Uncle." Zhao Hu stood up shakily.

The village chief's pupils contracted sharply as he parted the overgrown weeds.

Zhao Hu, standing before me, was as pale as a sheet of paper, soaked to the bone as if he had just been pulled out of the water, his hair stuck to his forehead, and cold sweat mixed with mud dripping down his face.

The village chief watched Zhao Hu grow up. This kid has always been brave since he was a child. He's used to running around in the mountains, and he wouldn't panic like this even if he encountered a bear.

This appearance suggests only one possibility: something extremely terrible has happened in that village.

This was not the place to talk. The village chief quickly stepped forward, reached out and steadily supported the man. His gaze swept over the pair of straw sandals on the man's feet, which were covered in mud and had a strange smell, and he frowned.

"Let's go back to my house first."

"I have a pot of hot water boiling in my room. You can take a quick shower and change into my coat. It's still chilly today, and if you don't change and get clean, you'll catch a cold."

He helped Zhao the hunter, his old and thin body possessing a calming power.

"Don't be afraid, Tiger. Everyone from Lotus Village is here. We'll solve anything together."

Two figures, one supporting the other and the other staggering, walked towards the village chief's house.

It was half an hour later when Zhao Hu changed into clean clothes and came out wearing new cotton shoes.

He touched the village chief's brown cotton-padded jacket with small pink flowers, the warm air seeping into his skin. He wore a pair of brand-new black cotton shoes, the uppers of which were lined with thick fur, and the soles were also covered with soft fur.

The snow-white socks tightly wrapped around his big feet, warming them so much that his nose tingled slightly.

This is a solid and secure happiness, something he wants to protect.

The village chief brought over a bowl of steaming wild vegetable and pork rib soup. The aroma of meat mixed with the fresh fragrance of wild vegetables filled the whole room.

"I saved this for you. Eat it to replenish your strength."

Zhao Hu was so hungry that his stomach was sticking to his back, and his mental and physical strength were exhausted to the extreme. He didn't care that it was hot and just slurped the bowl down his throat.

After finishing a bowl of soup, some color returned to his face.

But when his gaze fell on the bones in the bowl, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he couldn't help but feel acid reflux rising in his stomach.

The village chief patted him on the back and softened his tone: "What did you see? Over there, what's going on?"

Zhao Hu quickly glanced around to make sure the doors and windows were secure before leaning forward and lowering his voice: "Uncle, I... I went over there, and all the houses on the outskirts of the village were empty, not a soul in sight. Many houses were half-buried in mud, and the roads were blocked even more completely than here."

I kept walking until I reached the very center of the village before I heard any noise.

"There are only two, one male and one female."

"I was hiding in the shadows when I happened to see the people inside getting up in the middle of the night, and I overheard them talking..."

His voice trembled for a moment, then he gritted his teeth and steadied himself: "Outside their house... there were human remains hanging, here and there..."

"They ate the villagers..."

"They said that the people in their village had almost finished eating, and that the old people found the food sour."

"They've got their eyes on this place. They say they want to kidnap little babies because they're so tender. They also say that even if our Lotus Village can't survive, they'll definitely protect the children. As long as they come over, they'll definitely be able to catch them."

The village chief's eyes widened, and he dropped his pipe to the ground.

He was old, and he had truly endured the famine and war that Zhao Hu had never experienced.

He had heard of and witnessed the horrific scene of people exchanging children to eat.

Only then did he understand why Zhao Hu, a fearless and bloodthirsty old hunter, was so terrified.

That's no longer human.

It is a man-eating demon.

The village chief let out a long sigh. "This matter must be kept to yourself. Don't tell a third person. If word gets out, the whole village will be in chaos."

Zhao Hu nodded emphatically: "I understand."

The village chief stared at him. "So, there are only two people left in that village?"

Zhao Hu frowned and shook his head: "I'm not sure. I don't dare to stay any longer. I only bumped into that couple. As for whether there are any other people living in the houses inside... I don't dare to gamble."

Just as the village chief was about to speak, a soft rustling sound came from outside. "Who's there?!"

The village chief demanded an explanation in a stern voice.

The old wooden door creaked open, and standing in the doorway was Granny Li, the village chief's wife, Li Guixiang.

Her face was frighteningly pale; clearly, she had heard every word spoken in the room.

The village chief and Zhao Hu's hearts sank at the same time. Just as they were about to make up an excuse, they saw Granny Li's eyes sharp as knives as she stepped into the room, saying, "You don't need to hide it from me."

Zhao Hu opened his mouth, "Auntie, you...you don't need to be afraid..."

"I'm not afraid, and I won't tell anyone." Granny Li wiped her eyes and closed the door.

The village chief sighed and pulled the person aside to sit down.

"Tiger, there are some things you don't know."

During the great famine, my father couldn't support the whole family, so he sold me to exchange for grain. I was forced into a pot, the fire was already burning, the water was slowly rising, and a group of people around me, holding bamboo sticks, were waiting to divide me up and eat me…”

"It was your uncle. He rushed in with a carrying pole and pulled me out of the pot."

Zhao Hu fell silent. He had no idea that era was so inhumane and so tragic.

The village chief patted Granny Li's back gently, "It's all in the past now."

Granny Li gritted her teeth, wiped away her tears, and looked up with a fierce glint in her eyes. "These cannibals aren't human, they're beasts! They can't be kept alive, they all have to be killed! Not a single one can be left alive!"

Zhao Hu was startled and momentarily at a loss for what to do.

He was a hunter, hunting and killing were commonplace for him, but killing people... was a completely different matter.