A few people were stunned, but then they nodded and hurried toward the village.
Watching their determined steps, Ye Fan shook his head helplessly, realizing they probably hadn't taken his words to heart.
Only Shen Tianyin and Ji Nanshan were beside him.
"We'll be careful, and you're not allowed to overexert yourself."
Shen Tianyin bit her lip, her beautiful eyes fixed on Ye Fan's face, speaking sternly.
She understood Ye Fan's personality; if danger arose, he would undoubtedly rush to save others without regard for himself.
But everything here felt strange, and she didn't want Ye Fan to take risks.
Seeing Shen Tianyin's serious expression, Ye Fan felt a tremor in his heart, a warmth rushing from his heart to his entire body.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."
...
Soon, everyone arrived in front of East Village. At the entrance of the village, a wooden gate stood tall, about four to five meters high, made of wood.
A wooden sign hung on it: East Village. And right next to the village name, a corpse was hanging.
The body had been dried by the wind, a rope around its neck, clearly displayed on the crossbeam of the wooden gate.
As the breeze blew, the corpse swayed.
This scene shocked everyone.
"Ye Fan, what, why is there a corpse here?"
Shen Tianyin, the second young lady of the Shen family, despite having gone through hardships, had never witnessed such a scene. Her face instantly turned pale with fright.
Ji Nanshan beside her also frowned, his expression grim.
"Could this be a local custom?"
Elder Lei guessed in a deep voice.
Ye Fan shook his head: "Our country has a civilization of five thousand years. No matter which ethnic group, they all believe in returning to their roots and resting in peace in the earth. We've never heard of hanging a relative's corpse. Moreover, look at the corpse, it's covered in wounds, and even the clothes are tattered. I ask, who would let their relative die so miserably after death?"
Hearing Ye Fan's words, everyone fell silent again, their faces thoughtful.
"If what you say is true, then this corpse was intentionally placed here?"
Ji Nanshan's face showed fear.
If that were the case, then this matter was truly terrifying.
Ye Fan said nothing more. Since entering Qianfo Mountain, he had felt an eerie aura. Then he encountered the long-dead Old Man Xu, and now the East Village, there were too many strange things involved.
"Let's go into the village first,"
Ye Fan sighed and said in a deep voice.
Having come this far, turning back was impossible.
Moreover, having stepped into it, even if they wanted to turn back, it would likely be difficult.
Just as they were about to enter the village, a few people walked out from within.
"Esteemed guests, since you have arrived at the village entrance, why not enter?"
The person leading them was in his forties, wearing a felt hat, with a faint smile on his face. He looked quite simple and honest.
Elder Lei and the others dared not speak immediately, and all looked at Ye Fan.
"May I ask your name, sir? And how did you know we were coming to the village?"
Ye Fan stepped forward, looking at the leader, his eyes wary, but his expression remained calm.
He took in the surrounding environment, ready to react at the slightest disturbance.
"I am the village chief of East Village, Xu Sanhu. As for how I knew you were coming, I'm afraid I cannot say; it's my secret."
Xu Sanhu was straightforward and directly refused Ye Fan's question.
"Xu again."
Ye Fan thought to himself, what was the relationship between this Xu Sanhu and the former village chief, Old Man Xu?
Squinting slightly, Ye Fan lowered his voice.
"May I ask, Village Chief Xu, do you know Old Man Xu?"
Upon hearing the name, Xu Sanhu trembled violently, his pupils instantly widening as he stared intently at Ye Fan.
The people behind him also showed fear in their eyes, their gazes filled with dread.
"You, how did you know my father's name? He, he died five years ago."
Xu Sanhu's voice trembled, and the fear in his eyes seemed genuine.
"Died five years ago?"
Recalling the earthen grave they had seen, the tombstone was indeed erected five years ago. If that was the case, did Old Man Xu really die five years ago?
But Ye Fan still felt something was not quite right, though he couldn't pinpoint it.
Xu Sanhu nodded heavily: "Everyone, this is not a place to talk. Please follow me into the village. We can talk about whatever you need to in the village."
Xu Sanhu invited them warmly again.
Elder Lei and the others looked at Ye Fan, awaiting his reply.
Only Xue Tao snorted, "Standing here like guard dogs is pointless. Let's go in."
Saying that, he strode into the village.
With Xue Tao leading the way, the remaining young men exchanged glances and followed him into the village.
Only Elder Lei remained, looking at Ye Fan, awaiting his response.
After so many events, his trust in Ye Fan had grown.
Ye Fan's gaze remained fixed on Xu Sanhu and the men accompanying him, his eyes sharp.
A moment later, he gave Ji Nanshan a look and then smiled: "Since Village Chief Xu is so hospitable, it would seem rude of us not to visit. However, if we cause any inconvenience, please forgive us, Village Chief Xu."
"Everyone is a distinguished guest. Your arrival in our humble village brings us great honor. Please."
Following Xu Sanhu, Ye Fan and his group slowly walked into the village.
The moment they passed through the wooden gate, a strange, chilling aura swept over Ye Fan, causing his heart to tremble.
This coldness came very suddenly, as if conjured from nothing.
He glanced at Shen Tianyin and saw that she seemed unaffected, showing no particular reaction.
Did it mean only he sensed it?
"Little brother, is something wrong?"
Seeing Ye Fan's expression suddenly darken, Xu Sanhu quickly asked with a smile.
Ye Fan shook his head: "It's nothing. Perhaps it's the long journey, I'm a bit tired."
He offered a casual excuse, then relaxed his mind, maintaining a half-step distance from Xu Sanhu.
"Village Chief Xu, what is the meaning of the corpse hanging at the entrance? Is it a village custom?"
Ye Fan's question made Shen Tianyin and Elder Lei look at Xu Sanhu. They were also curious.
Only Ji Nanshan remained unfazed, his expression unchanged, but his eyes were constantly scanning the surroundings. Unnoticed by everyone, black powder occasionally fell from his wide sleeves.
"Alas, this matter is hard to explain."
Xu Sanhu sighed, his expression filled with helplessness.
"Perhaps you all don't know, but in Qianfo Mountain, there are three villages: the East Village, the South Village, and the North Village. In the past, these three villages got along very well, helping each other, like one family. But later, a shocking event caused the relationship between our three villages to shatter instantly, turning us into enemies."
"What shocking event?"
Shen Tianyin asked eagerly, as if listening to a story.