"Chase them! They're over there, don't let them escape!"
Fang Ming hadn't expected the villagers to react so quickly. He'd barely run a few steps out of Uncle An's house when people started blocking his path.
"This way," Fang Ming led Zhao Xue into an alley, searching for the path to the village outskirts based on his memory.
"Where are we going next? Can we escape this village?" Zhao Xue asked, panting.
"I'm not sure," Fang Ming's voice was heavy. "If the villagers catch us, we're as good as dead, so I have to take you to another dangerous place."
"What? Where can we go?"
"Don't ask so many questions, just follow me." Fang Ming grabbed Zhao Xue's arm and ran at full speed. Zhao Xue, being a woman, struggled to keep up.
"Careful!" Fang Ming slammed on the brakes. Zhao Xue, not paying attention, crashed into him.
"Ouch, that hurts! What are you doing?" Zhao Xue exclaimed angrily.
"Shh~" Fang Ming gestured, pointing ahead. Two villagers were milling about, looking for them.
Zhao Xue quickly shut her mouth and followed Fang Ming, pressing herself against the wall to stay out of the two men's line of sight.
A few minutes later, Fang Ming peeked out to assess the situation. "They're gone, let's go."
The two set off again, constantly avoiding the villagers' gaze. Soon, the edge of the village came into view.
Thick white mist churned, not interfering with the village's boundary. Fang Ming felt a sense of relief seeing the mist; they were almost there.
"Let's go into the white mist," Fang Ming said.
"What? Go in there?" Zhao Xue was hesitant and resistant. "Don't we have any other way to escape? I really don't want to go in."
Fang Ming shook his head. "There's no other way. If we want to avoid the villagers, we have to go into the white mist. Those villagers dare not go in."
Zhao Xue suddenly hugged her arms, her voice trembling. "Please, let's find another way to escape. I really don't want to go in."
Fang Ming looked at her in surprise, seeing this vulnerable side of her. For the first time since he'd met her, Fang Ming saw her so terrified of something.
"Why are you so afraid of going in?" Fang Ming asked, confused.
"I don't know. All I know is, if I go in, I will surely die!" Zhao Xue said fearfully.
Fang Ming frowned, not understanding Zhao Xue's words. However, this was the only way to escape the villagers' pursuit, and there was no choice but to enter.
"There they are!" A villager's shout rang out.
Fang Ming's heart leaped. They had lingered too long. The villagers had found them!
A flurry of footsteps echoed from a distance. Fang Ming didn't have time to ponder why Zhao Xue feared the white mist. He quickly pulled her and plunged into it.
But Zhao Xue struggled desperately, preferring to be caught by the villagers rather than enter the white mist.
"Can you go in with me first?" Fang Ming was annoyed. Why was this woman always dropping the ball at critical moments? If they didn't escape into the white mist now, were they waiting to be caught and slowly dismembered alive?
Did she think these villagers would simply kill her and be done with it if they caught her?
Zhao Xue was so startled by Fang Ming's angry shout that she dared not struggle for a long time. She let Fang Ming forcefully drag her into the white mist.
The villagers who had rushed over arrived at the edge of the white mist at that moment. They only needed to take a few steps in to catch Fang Ming.
But they dared not. They themselves didn't know why, but a fear and aversion from the bottom of their hearts prevented them from touching the white mist.
The group of villagers exchanged glances in front of the white mist and, with no other option, had to return. After all, those two would surely die inside anyway, so it didn't matter if they were caught or not.
...
The Village Chief's house.
"What?! You let that daughter of four yin escape?" the village chief roared.
"Bang!" A porcelain cup was smashed to the ground by the village chief. He stood up and furiously cursed the villagers who were cowering on the floor.
"What use are you useless people? You mobilized half the village and still let them escape into the white mist! The prize I had within reach is gone just like that!"
A villager trembled. "We don't know why that outsider knew our village's layout so well. They kept dodging our pursuit. By the time we saw them, they were already at the village edge."
"Are you still arguing?" The village chief, enraged, kicked him away. The others didn't dare to breathe.
After scolding for a long time, the village chief's throat was dry. He sat back in his chair and reached for a drink, only to find the cup had been smashed by himself. He slammed the table in frustration.
"How is the ancestral worship ceremony progressing?"
"R-report to the village chief, the ancestral worship ceremony is proceeding steadily. All sacrificial items and props are ready, personnel have been assigned, and we are just waiting for the ceremony to begin."
Hearing this news, the village chief's anger subsided slightly. It didn't matter if the daughter of four yin was gone; it wouldn't affect the village's lifeline. But if the ancestral worship ceremony failed, it would be a disaster for the village.
"Strengthen the village's security these few days. Don't let any outsiders break in. If the ancestral worship is disrupted, you'll be digging your own graves!" the village chief said grimly.
"Yes, yes, yes!" ... Everyone nodded and bowed, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.
"You can all go back now." The village chief waved his hand, and everyone quickly got up and left.
After everyone had left, the village chief got up and left his house, arriving at Granny Bai's house. He cautiously opened the door and slipped inside.
"My lady, we have allowed those two to enter the white mist as you instructed," the village chief said to the Granny Bai before him.
Granny Bai sat in the courtyard. In front of her was a wicker basket containing several straw figures tied with straw. She was tying another one in her hand. Strangely, these straw figures looked peculiar, somewhat like monsters.
"Hmm, I know," Granny Bai nodded. "Has anything gone wrong with the ancestral worship?"
"No, no, everything for the ancestral worship is being prepared in an orderly fashion, and nothing has happened." the village chief replied.
"Well, you may return now." Granny Bai dismissed him. The village chief quickly offered a fawning smile and turned to leave.
"I want to see what exactly is in that white mist that can make me feel fear," Granny Bai stopped her movements, her gaze fixed in the direction of the white mist.
The reason Fang Ming and Zhao Xue were able to escape so smoothly was that she had made arrangements behind the scenes. Otherwise, with just the two of them, how could they have evaded the pursuit of so many villagers?
Everyone in Bai Mu Village knew one thing: there was an unknown entity in the white mist! This entity instilled great fear in all the villagers of Bai Mu Village, including Granny Bai.
Granny Bai had also once forced a group of villagers into the white mist, but without exception, none of them ever came out. Even taking one step inside would lead to them getting lost and dying in the mist.
Since Fang Ming arrived in Bai Mu Village, Granny Bai had been observing him from afar. After he had wandered fearlessly near the white mist before, Granny Bai knew that this "outsider" could ignore the fear brought by the white mist!
Therefore, she had been planning for a long time to have Fang Ming enter the white mist, hoping that Fang Ming could discover what was within the mist that even she feared.
...
In the white mist.
Fang Ming pulled Zhao Xue along, running blindly. He didn't know if the villagers would pursue them, so he wanted to get as far away as possible.
"Stop... stop running, please," Zhao Xue grabbed Fang Ming's arm and sat down on the ground, resolutely refusing to run any further into the depths of the white mist.
Fang Ming stopped helplessly. "What if someone chases us from behind? We're finished. Hurry and run."
"I'd rather be caught by them than run another step into the white mist," Zhao Xue shook her head firmly, her stance unwavering.
Fang Ming had no choice but to comply. He listened for sounds behind them, but there was only silence. It seemed the villagers hadn't pursued them.
In this white mist, the visibility was only about five meters. He could also faintly smell a peculiar scent in the air, but Fang Ming rather liked it, though he couldn't quite place it.
"Ah!" Suddenly, Zhao Xue screamed and quickly let go of Fang Ming's arm, pointing at him with a look of horror. "You... you... you're a monster!"
"What?" Fang Ming was stunned for a moment, not immediately understanding. He followed Zhao Xue's gaze to his arm.
Patches of scales were slowly emerging, not quickly, but showing no signs of stopping.
Fang Ming quickly covered his arm, his brow furrowed, his heart sinking.
Was the situation in the white mist similar to being in the dark night?
This white mist had existed for who knows how long, so surely...
"Did you deliberately bring me here? What do you want, you monster!" Zhao Xue was terrified. Her imagination was already running wild, suspecting that Fang Ming had intentionally led her into the white mist, and that the villagers were the good guys.
"If you feel I'm trying to harm you, you can leave now." Fang Ming couldn't be bothered to explain so much to this woman. He sat down on the spot to consider his next move.
Zhao Xue dared not leave now. The fear the white mist instilled in her far outweighed her current fear of Fang Ming.
Zhao Xue secretly glanced at the gloomy-faced Fang Ming, then cautiously moved a few steps away, ensuring Fang Ming remained within her sight. She was afraid Fang Ming would abandon her here.
"If only my diary hadn't been left behind in that dark space, I could at least refer to it for my next steps," Fang Ming thought. "The effect this white mist has on me, while not as rapid as the onset of night, is constantly taking effect."
Fang Ming looked up, his gaze filled with worry at his surroundings. The tranquility of the area gave him a sense of oppressive calm before a storm.
How many monsters were hidden in this white mist?
"Zhao Xue?" Suddenly, Fang Ming saw Zhao Xue abruptly stand up and run towards the depths of the white mist. He called out to her.
But Zhao Xue ignored him, as if she couldn't hear Fang Ming's shouts. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared from his sight.
"This woman." Fang Ming cursed inwardly and quickly got up to chase after her. He thought Zhao Xue wouldn't leave, but she had run off like this?
However, the mist was too thick, with a visibility of only a few meters. Zhao Xue was initially only at the edge of his vision. By the time Fang Ming reacted and got up to chase, Zhao Xue was nowhere to be seen.
"..." After chasing a few steps, Fang Ming had to stop. He couldn't tell directions in the white mist. If he continued to chase, he feared he wouldn't be able to find his way out.
Fang Ming looked at his almost fully transformed arm. A tentacle was also beginning to writhe and grow from his severed right arm.
"I hope she can escape," Fang Ming could only offer a silent prayer. His current appearance was indeed terrifying. Perhaps she had been scared away by him?
Fang Ming gave a wry smile. He wondered if he would still retain this monstrous transformation after returning from Bai Mu Village.