Chapter 1 "Staying Vigil"

"Staying vigil?" A short, stout man who arrived last frowned slightly, looking uncomfortable. After a moment, he said in a bargaining tone, "Staying vigil isn't a problem, but we've been lost in the mountains for so long tonight, we're really exhausted. How about..."

Before he could finish, the old man interrupted him. "Don't worry, masters. We've already thought of that. We've found a place for you to rest, the best in our village. You can rest assured until it's time for your vigil later."

"Later meaning..." someone tentatively asked, as it was already completely dark, clearly well into the night.

The strong man stuck his torch into the ground and said to them, "The third watch."

The stout man mentally calculated. He knew the saying "the third watch of the night" meant midnight. Having them keep vigil over a drowned person at that hour? Something was bound to happen!

Others tried to find excuses to refuse, but the old man and the strong man played off each other, shutting down every argument. Finally, they gave up struggling. It seemed they had no choice but to keep vigil.

"Where are we resting?" Jiang Cheng asked. "And where is the mourning hall where we'll be keeping vigil?"

Hearing them agree, the old man couldn't hide his good mood, wrinkles squeezing out on his face. "Don't rush, masters. Rest here for a moment. I'll be right back, right back."

Then he left alone.

Seeing the old man leave, the strong man also said he'd arrange for villagers to help the masters tidy their rooms, asking them to wait there. He said he'd take them over after everything was ready. Then, the strong man also left with the remaining villagers.

In the blink of an eye, only Jiang Cheng and the others remained.

Everyone felt like they'd been tricked, and the infuriating thing was that everyone could see the problem, but they were helpless to refuse.

Not dwelling on it, someone slowly spoke. It was a robust man in a white t-shirt, his brow full of masculine energy. "It's fate that we've met in a place like this. I'm Chen Hao, an athlete. This is my third time entering a world like this."

"The previous two times were also through a bus?" someone asked.

Chen Hao shook his head. "No, this is my first time coming here by bus."

Someone made the first move, and the three who came with Chen Hao also began to introduce themselves. The shorter man was Pang Xiaofeng, a university student.

The man with bandages on his hand and injuries on his face called himself Lei Mingyu, the owner of a used car dealership. The injuries were from a car accident he had recently.

The last man, who looked fair and clean, quietly introduced himself as an online novelist.

"What do you write?" The stout man couldn't help but ask, interested.

"Spi...spiritual horror," the man said, his voice very soft, seemingly due to his personality. He quickly avoided eye contact.

"So you're unemployed?" someone laughed. "And...you write horror novels with that courage?"

"Just trying to make a living," the man muttered. "Working for someone means reading the boss's face. My stomach isn't good; I can't digest the empty promises they make. Bosses don't like employees like me. Readers are much easier to please. I scare them with my books, and they don't scold me, they praise me, and they subscribe and give me tips. Where can you find a better job?"

"What's your name?" Jiang Cheng found the man quite interesting.

"Du Moyu," the man finally introduced himself.

Next was a prosperous-looking middle-aged man, who said with a smile, "I'm Jia Jinliang. If you don't mind, call me Old Jia. I help a friend manage a company, a transportation company."

"Oh, and this is my driver, just call him A Biao. He's from Southeast Asia and hasn't been in the country long. His Mandarin isn't great." Jia Jinliang patted the shoulder of a man beside him.

The man wasn't tall, and his skin was tanned, but his eyes were sharp. He nodded along with Jia Jinliang's words, his face expressionless.

"I'm Yu Chengmu, retired and helping friends appraise antiques in my free time." The skinny old man in coarse cloth clothing began to introduce himself. The old man had a goatee and a slight hunch.

There were two others with Yu Chengmu, a middle-aged man in a black vest and a young man who looked to be just of age. The middle-aged man was Zhang Junyu, and the young man was Zhou Qing, both the old man's apprentices.

After everyone introduced themselves, they turned their attention to Jiang Cheng and the stout man.

Especially Jiang Cheng.

"Jiang Cheng, one of the Ten Outstanding Young People of Handong Province, National Scholarship recipient, Advanced Individual for Righteousness and Courage, young and promising, with a bright future." Jiang Cheng took a breath and continued, "I'm currently unemployed. It's not that I'm not good enough, it's just that the doctor insists I stay in the hospital for observation."

The stout man's hair stood on end listening to him. He didn't know what disease the doctor had contracted now. He immediately spoke, wanting to draw everyone's attention to himself. "Hello everyone, I'm Wang Fugui. I'm a non-orphan truck driver."

As soon as he said that, everyone's gaze towards him became similar to their gaze towards Jiang Cheng. After a moment, Du Moyu, who made a living by pleasing his readers, swallowed and tentatively asked, "Did you...did you escape from the same ward?"

Fortunately, someone arrived at that moment, providing them with a reprieve. The strong man walked over with a bamboo basket on his back, his face full of smiles. "Sorry to keep you waiting, masters."

"You're too kind," Yu Chengmu replied coolly.

As if he didn't hear the dissatisfaction in Yu Chengmu's words, the strong man turned and led them outside, his tone as respectful as ever. "Masters, let me take you to rest first. The rooms are all ready."

Following the strong man, Jiang Cheng and the others were surprised to find that the village was much larger than they thought, and the terrain was very complex, divided into several layers, inside and out. Even a layman like the stout man thought it was very mysterious.

"Extraordinary." Yu Chengmu narrowed his eyes, stroking his goatee, while his apprentice Zhou Qing supported him. "This village must have been designed with the participation of an expert. It looks simple and ordinary from the outside, but it hides secrets within."

The strong man in front scratched his head. "I don't know about that. Our ancestors have lived here for generations. The village was like this when my grandfather was around, and it hasn't changed much since. As for the expert you mentioned, I have no idea."

Turning a corner, the strong man stopped and pointed not far away. "Esteemed masters, please look, it's right there."

Jiang Cheng looked in the direction the strong man was pointing. There was a large courtyard, looking somewhat dilapidated, and two bright red lanterns hung in front of the courtyard gate.