About an hour later, the three of us were led out of the cattle shed and soon arrived at a hall.
The entrance hall was tall and bright, and at the entrance stood a bright silver antique candlestick.
In the center of the hall was a dark gray carpet, with fine lines interwoven into a complex geometric pattern.
This hall didn't look like much from the outside, but it was very luxurious inside.
At the very back stood a golden lacquered armchair, which was particularly striking. The chair's exterior was ornate, with a golden lacquer finish that appeared opulent yet elegant, reflecting golden rays of light.
The back of the chair was light brown, adorned with many exquisite patterns, outlined with golden lines, each part intricately carved, as if it were a sculptor's masterpiece.
This chair, at first glance, was clearly an antique. I couldn't immediately tell its era, but it would certainly be highly sought after in the antique market.
Soon, an old man walked in from a side door. His face was weathered, his long beard hung down to his chest, and his face was full of wrinkles. He had a calm demeanor and sharp eyes, like an eagle.
He was not tall, but he was upright and strong, with thick arms and solid muscles. His steps were slow but powerful, each one exceptionally steady.
He slowly walked to the golden lacquered armchair and then sat down, staring at us for a long time before speaking, "Who are you?"
His voice was hoarse and low, carrying a heavy and resonant breath as he spoke.
I pursed my lips and said, "We're here for tourism..."
I knew this excuse was a bit far-fetched, but I couldn't think of anything else at the moment.
Jiang Yue was utterly dispirited, trembling constantly as she stood by. Fatty, as usual, was blabbering, and I couldn't count on either of them.
"Tourism?" The old man smiled slightly, a hint of cunning in his smile. "Do you think I'd believe that? Did you break the chains of the altar?"
I didn't know how to answer for a moment. Seeing our silence, the old man said, "You trespassed on our village altar and offended the spirits. You deserve to die! Guards, take them to the sinkhole!"
"Wait!" I gritted my teeth and said, "I can tell you what we're here for, but you have to let me go first."
The old man squinted at me for a moment, as if contemplating something. Then, he waved his hand, signaling the villagers beside him to untie me.
"Now, you can tell me?" the old man asked indifferently.
I took a breath and took out the rubbings I had: "Do you recognize this?"
When the old man saw the rubbing in my hand, he was visibly taken aback, clearly surprised.
Seeing this, I directly handed the rubbing over. Just as he was about to reach out to take it, I suddenly grabbed his wrist, then moved behind him, and clasped his neck, "Don't move!"
This sudden turn of events caught the old man off guard. The villagers standing by Fatty and the others were also stunned, looking bewildered.
I told them to release Fatty and Jiang Yue, but they remained motionless.
"Did you hear me? Let them go!" I shouted again.
The villagers still didn't move. Instead, the old man in front of me chuckled, his laughter deep and unsettling.
"I think you'd better not do anything foolish," the old man said coldly. "Since you have this rubbing, we can sit down and talk properly."
"Talk?" I snorted. "We can talk, but you have to have them released first!"
Without hesitation, the old man raised his hand and said to the villagers, "Release them."
Upon hearing this, the villagers finally untied Fatty and Jiang Yue.
"Have them all leave!" I said.
The old man waved his hand again, and all the villagers retreated.
When only the four of us remained in the hall, I was about to ask Fatty to tie up the old man when something crawled out of my sleeve. Before I could even see what it was, I felt a sharp pain in my chest!
I had to let go, and pulling open my clothes, I saw a blood-red rat that had bitten me. As I tried to grab it, it scurried away from me, jumped back towards the old man, and then disappeared into his collar.
Soon, the pain in my chest intensified, and my whole body felt as if it were being pricked by needles. Sweat streamed down my forehead.
Finally, the pain became unbearable, and I collapsed on the ground, writhing.
"Master Xiang!" Fatty cried out and rushed to help me, but I had no strength left in me.
"Old man! What did you do to Master Xiang?!"
Fatty lunged forward to confront the old man, but as soon as he reached out, seven or eight blood-red rats jumped from the old man. Before Fatty could pull his hand back, several rats leaped onto him.
In a short time, Fatty was also on the ground, writhing in pain just like me.
Jiang Yue, already terrified and beside herself, let out a scream and slumped to the ground.
The old man slowly stood up and approached me, looking down at me with a mocking expression, "How is it? Does it hurt badly?"
"What do you want?" I asked through gritted teeth.
"Shouldn't that be my question to you?" the old man replied with a smile. "If you answer my questions honestly, I can spare your lives."
"What do you want to know?"
"Where did you get this rubbing?"
"It's a family heirloom!"
In my agony, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
But unexpectedly, my casual remark made the old man freeze, looking at me incredulously. "What's your name?!"
I was quite bewildered. Why had the old man's demeanor changed so suddenly?
My mind raced, and I replied, "I have no name. Everyone calls me Xiao Fei."
"Didn't you say the rubbing was a family heirloom?" the old man asked, his beard bristling.
"Ever since I can remember, this thing has been with me. My parents are already buried."
Hearing this, the old man's expression became uncertain. He stared at me for a long moment before pulling out a delicate small medicine bottle. He poured out a black pill and said, "Open your mouth!"
I opened my mouth, and he dropped the pill in. "Swallow it!"
I had already suspected the red rat was venomous. This pill looked like an antidote. Thinking that I couldn't escape anyway, and even if it were poison, I had no choice but to take it.
After swallowing the pill, I found that the pain in my chest indeed subsided, and I felt much better.
Slowly getting up from the ground, I looked at Fatty, who was still writhing, and said to the old man, "Give him a pill!"
The old man hesitated for a moment, then snorted and walked over, popping a pill into Fatty's mouth.