Rules of the Strange: I Can See Through All the Weird

The two walked around the statue again to make sure they hadn't missed any other details, and then walked back along the dirt road.

Upon entering the room, Qi Tong immediately noticed that the red paper on the table was still in its original place.

Yesterday I was invited to write about July 13th, today is the 14th, and tomorrow is the sacrificial ceremony.

Time is a bit tight.

She folded the red paper and put it back in her pocket.

"After we finish eating, let's take a walk around the village," she said. "Let's see if there are any other young people. Qianyu said he's the only one who went to school, but there should be other people in the village."

He Lu agreed and sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), hugging her knees.

"So, if all the villagers go on the day of the sacrificial ceremony, are the players required to participate as well?"

Qi Tong paused for a moment.

"The invitation says 'We cordially invite all journalists to attend,' but it doesn't say that attendance is mandatory. However, if all the villagers go and the player stays at home, it's equivalent to putting themselves on the opposite side of the entire village."

"Shall we go?"

"Go," Qi Tong said, "but not as a believer. Go as an observer."

She turned her head and peeked out through the hole in the paper window.

The fog had completely dissipated, and sunlight shone through the gaps in the clouds, turning the dirt road a pale white.

There were voices in the distance, the content of which was unclear, but the tone was steady, as if the day's routine had already begun.

"Today," she said, "we're going to dig up the whole story of this idol."

He Lu didn't speak, she just nodded.

The candle on the windowsill had burned out, leaving only a small piece of wax solidified at the bottom of the cup.

Qi Tong took it down, replaced it with a new one, but didn't light it.

The other players in the courtyard also gradually got up.

Breakfast was also served at the entrance, and other players sat in twos and threes at the stone table in the center of the courtyard, eating breakfast together.

They ate and discussed what happened last night.

Qi Tong still enjoyed her meal very much.

Of all things under heaven, eating is the most important.

After finishing their meal, Qi Tong and He Lu went out.

As Qi Tong passed by them, she heard Li Jianren say in a low voice, "...the footsteps stopped under my window for about five minutes..."

He glanced at Qi Tong and then stopped talking.

Several pairs of eyes followed Qi Tong's back for a few steps in the courtyard, but Qi Tong didn't even glance at them.

Tan Yi quickly ate a couple of bites of rice and chased after him.

Looking bewildered, Li Jianren asked, "Why are you all in such a rush so early in the morning? What are you doing?"

Zhou Nan clicked her tongue impatiently.

"You think everyone's like you? The sacrificial ceremony is tomorrow, time is of the essence. Right now, besides that arrogant woman, who has any clues?"

Zhao Jiayou also shifted his attention away from his rice bowl.

"Yes, Brother Jianren, we need to find clues quickly today."

Lee Kin-yan chuckled sheepishly and scratched his head.

"You should have said so earlier! I'm finished eating, and we'll set off soon!"

Zhou Peipei eats slowly, but upon hearing this, she sped up and choked a little.

Time was of the essence, and there was no time to run inside to get a drink of water. Zhao Jiayou saw a tap in the yard, grabbed an empty bowl, and filled it with water.

Zhou Peipei gulped down a large mouthful of water, then "pfft" spat it all over the floor.

"This water... is so salty."

Zhao Jiayou glanced at the water remaining at the bottom of the bowl, brought it to his lips, and tasted it.

"Ptooey! It's so salty, it tastes even saltier than seawater!"

----

Qi Tong and He Lu walked along the dirt road deeper into the village.

After the morning mist dissipated, the entire view of the Mermaid Village became much clearer than yesterday.

Low, earthen houses lined both sides of a main road, with dried fish hanging under the eaves, fishing nets and wooden barrels piled in the corners, and a faint salty, fishy smell wafting in the air.

Just like yesterday, there weren't many people walking around on the street.

Occasionally, an elderly person would open their door and come out. Upon seeing the two outsiders, they would pause for a moment, then lower their head and continue on their way, without taking the initiative to speak to them.

Qi Tong wasn't in a hurry.

She walked slowly, her gaze sweeping over every door and every window.

"Someone is following us," He Lu whispered.

"I know."

Qi Tong did not turn around.

From the moment they left the courtyard, Tan Yi followed about twenty paces behind them.

He didn't deliberately hide, but he didn't get too close either.

Reaching a fork in the road, Qi Tong suddenly turned into a narrow alley.

He Lu paused for a moment, then followed.

Tan Yi paused at the fork in the road; he didn't immediately follow.

The alley was short, with earthen walls on both sides, and at the end was a house that was slightly larger than the others, with the door half-closed.

Qi Tong walked to the door and glanced inside.

In the courtyard, a middle-aged woman was sitting on a low stool, twisting hemp rope.

She looked up and saw Qi Tong. Unlike the other villagers, she didn't react with wariness or avoidance; she simply glanced at him calmly.

"Are you a reporter?" the woman asked.

"Yes." Qi Tong stood at the door, not going inside. "And you are?"

"My surname is Lin. Everyone in the village calls me Sister Lin."

The woman put down the hemp rope, stood up, and brushed the debris off her hands. "You talked to Qian Yu yesterday?"

Qi Tong's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't show it on her face.

"We talked. He said he was the only one in the village who had gone to school."

Aunt Lin smiled, but there was something in that smile that was hard to describe.

"He did go out. He left right after his father's funeral. But he was different when he came back."

"Why is it different?"

Aunt Lin did not answer directly.

She walked to the well in the courtyard, glanced inside, and then turned to Qi Tong: "You're going to participate in the sacrificial ceremony tomorrow, right?"

"The invitation letter says 'Sincere invitation'."

"Then you need to know one thing."

Aunt Lin lowered her voice by half a octave, "The sacrificial ceremony isn't held every year. The last time it was held was ten years ago. After that, seven people disappeared from the village."

He Lu held her breath beside her.

Judging from Lin Sao's expression, Qi Tong deduced that she wasn't lying, but she didn't tell the whole story either. "Seven people are missing. Where did they go?"

"Nobody knows," said Aunt Lin. "But some say they were taken away by the Mermaid God. Others say they walked into the sea on their own."

The courtyard was quiet for a moment.

"But do you believe it?" Qi Tong asked.

Aunt Lin looked at her but did not answer.

She sat back down on the low stool, picked up the hemp rope, and continued twisting it, as if the conversation had never happened.

"Go and wander around. The villagers will gather in front of the statue before the ceremony tomorrow. You'll see then."

Qi Tong stood there for a moment, then nodded. "Thanks."

She turned and walked out of the alley, with He Lu following behind.

Tan Yi was no longer at the crossroads.

The road was empty, as if he had never followed us.

Qi Tong didn't think much of it, nor did he slow down.

"What Aunt Lin said about 'seven people being missing,'" He Lu whispered, "could it be related to the thing under that base?"

"Possibly," Qi Tong said. "Seven people, don't they seem familiar?"