Chapter 0003: Paper Money Paving the Way

I do not know how I returned, but I know that the mother who nursed me as a child, I cannot let her die

The village chief shook his head, his face somewhat pale, saying, "I cannot explain it clearly either..."

The village chief's voice sounded somewhat strange, as if he had witnessed something terrifying

The body of Master Chen is resting on two long benches and a wooden board, covered with a white cloth, as the coffin has not yet arrived; he must be made to endure this for the time being. However, a photograph of Master Chen has already been placed in the center of the hall.

Is it that my fortune-telling skills are too poor

Alas, the carpenter Chen at the village head has passed away. Old Li, could you please help take care of it

Chen the carpenter's house is right at the village entrance, about a kilometer away from the shop. I hurried along the road under a large umbrella, and from a distance, I could see that Chen the carpenter's house was brightly lit. Here, a person cannot be buried until three days after their death, so today marks the first day.

My master left this remark, then took the umbrella from my hand and walked out on his own

At that moment, I heard my master's indifferent voice coming over, "Xiao Tian, why have you come here? Didn't I ask you to watch the store?"

"Going up the mountain? Why must we go up the mountain?" I sensed that the master's tone was off, and I even felt a chill, so I immediately asked.

Because today is a cloudy day, my master did not go out. When he saw the village chief come in, he naturally stood up to greet him, and I curiously walked over as well

I saw Chen the carpenter with a pale face, his eyes wide open, the pupils in his eyes had vanished, leaving only the whites staring intensely at me, as if I were the one who had harmed him

I instinctively shone the flashlight over, gritting my teeth and stepping forward. The light illuminated a newly erected tombstone, on which was inscribed the name Zhang Shuqian. Is this not the grave of Uncle Zhang, who just passed away?

The master furrowed his brow and asked: "How did Chen the carpenter die?"

After saying this, the master had already walked out. I stood there in a daze, even at a loss for what to do. Was Chen the carpenter also killed by my mother?

What is it? I immediately asked.

I clenched my teeth tightly. My master once said that when a person dies, their soul lingers nearby. Having been with my master for so long, I have never seen a ghost, but that does not mean I do not believe in their existence. After all, Uncle Zhang passed away only a few days ago

When I looked at the time, it was already around seven or eight in the evening

Upon hearing my master's words, I was immediately taken aback. Of course, I understood what my master meant; that woman was the she-wolf who nursed me when I was a child!

I feel a bit flustered, even somewhat at a loss. My mother actually came to see me, but why didn't she just say so directly

I stood there in a daze, at a loss, panicking, feeling very anxious. Is the master going to kill my mother?

A sudden sound came from behind, causing me to step back a few paces in fright. I looked at my master with a pale face, my hand trembling as I pointed at Chen the carpenter, "Master, his eyes are not closed"

Upon hearing the village chief's words, my curiosity was greatly piqued

The road became very slippery due to the rain, and the sky was very dark. I was running alone on the road with a flashlight, and I fell to the ground several times, but I gritted my teeth and continued to run towards the mountain.

I widened my eyes and hurried over, only to discover that Uncle Zhang's newly erected grave had been dug open, revealing a black coffin inside, and the stone I had just thrown was prominently resting on top of it

Seeing that I was silent, the master said, "Let's head back for today. Prepare well for tomorrow; we will go up the mountain!"

The sudden sound startled me, and I instinctively raised my flashlight and shone it towards the source of the sound

"Cough, cough, cough..."

After returning home, I waited for the master to go back to his room, then tidied up some things and quietly slipped out of the room, heading up the mountain.

Why does my mother want to kill?

"Village chief, you can just speak directly if there is something you need to say," my master said

After that day, I thought my mother would no longer come to see me, and there were no longer any wild rabbits or similar creatures at the door, until one day at noon, the village chief came in with a sigh.

Hmph, dying so tragically, of course it cannot be closed!

I was worried that the master would not return, so I hurriedly closed the shop door and took the large umbrella from home to go to Chen the carpenter's house to fetch my master

There are ways for humans and ways for demons; if you truly care for Xiao Tian, do not come here again

The village chief took a deep breath before continuing, "It was not just any beast that killed him; it was something terrifying. Chen the carpenter felt as if his entire heart had been hollowed out, which is quite frightening..."

Yet no matter how fast I run, the distant small hills stand out particularly clearly in the darkness, with the howling wind continuously blowing, making everything appear eerie and terrifying

What I really want to see is how Chen Mujiang actually died

I felt a chill run down my spine as I was stared at by the owl. I muttered to myself and picked up a stone, throwing it towards the owl.

There were quite few people in the mourning hall, as the gathering for the feast would take place tomorrow. Therefore, after I entered, I did not see my master, and I quickly walked towards Chen the carpenter's body, gently lifting the white cloth.

Seeing my face turn pale, the master immediately walked over and asked, "What did she just say to you?"

I feel a sense of reassurance only when the master is by my side, but upon hearing the master speak of my mother in such a way, a bitterness wells up within me. I even want to refute it, yet I lack the confidence... Mom, why do you still want to kill?

The master’s expression darkened as he busied himself with the funeral supplies, following the village chief outside. I wanted to follow, but my master turned his head, his face looking somewhat terrifying as he stared at me, "Stay in the shop! Remember, if that beast comes again, tell her that her actions will bring divine retribution!"

I am also quite curious. I secretly calculated Chen the carpenter's fortune before. Speaking solely of his lifespan, while I won't say he will live to be a hundred, he should at least have no problem living to seventy or eighty years. However, if I remember correctly, Chen the carpenter should be under forty.

My master snorted coldly as he walked over, then asked me with a serious expression, "Has that beast come over yet?" and *illustrated* *book*

Taking a few trembling steps back, upon witnessing such a scene of death, the last shred of hope in my heart collapsed. Mother, was it truly you who killed them

My mind was in chaos as I walked to the side of Chen Mujiang's corpse. I suddenly lifted the white cloth covering the body, and I was stunned.

Shaking my head, I am shaking my head with red eyes

My mother

Sitting in the store in a daze, I had no idea how this afternoon passed. By the time I came to my senses, it had already started to rain outside, and it was a heavy downpour. I was awakened by this torrential rain.

Why is that

Chen the carpenter felt as if his entire heart had been ripped out, as if some sharp claw had caused this. His heart was gone, leaving an emptiness, much like when we gut a fish, opening its belly to remove all the entrails. It was a shocking sight

The mountain is located behind our village, but to reach it, one must pass through the cemetery, which is the place where the villagers are buried after they die. Just a few days ago, Uncle Zhang passed away, so the ground along this path is covered with a lot of soaked paper money, resembling wood pulp. In the darkness, this white trail extends ahead, giving me an unsettling feeling, prompting me to quicken my pace

At the end of a path lined with paper money, a pair of emerald green eyes was staring directly at me. I nearly screamed in fright, but it turned out to be an owl the size of a human head perched on a grave, continuously opening its mouth and emitting a strange sound that resembled a human's "gaga...".

The village chief hesitated for a moment before tremblingly saying: "It seems he did not die by his own hand, nor was he killed by another person, but rather..."

I sighed inwardly, and while I wanted to bow my head to Uncle Zhang with the * picture * book, I noticed that behind the illuminated tombstone, there seemed to be a depression, no, it was a pit

The master's voice was loud, and I nervously stared at the pitch-black door outside. I couldn't tell if it was my illusion or something else, but in the darkness, I felt a pair of eyes watching me for a long, long time, only to be finally submerged by the darkness and disappear, never to appear again

Just as I was about to run over in one breath, a piercing sound shattered the sky. The first thing that reached my ears was a series of "puff, puff" sounds, followed by a very strange laughter

The owl hooted a few times, then flew away to avoid me. I shook my head, preparing to continue walking, when I suddenly heard another sound. It seemed that the stone I had just thrown had hit a wooden board. How could there be a wooden board in this graveyard

Such a terrifying scene startled me when I suddenly saw it, leaving me unable to close my eyes in death. I felt my legs trembling, but in order to find out if my mother was the one who killed him, I could only grit my teeth and continue to lift the white cloth.

I broke out in a cold sweat all over; hearing such a sound in this desolate wilderness truly left me in a difficult position. Fortunately, I have a relatively strong nerve; otherwise, I would have run away long ago

Why? A life for a life

I relayed everything my mother just said to the master without missing a word. He let out a cold laugh and then looked outside

I was taken aback; a beast? Could it be...

I soon arrived at Chen the Carpenter's home, where the mourning hall was set up in his living room. His house was not large, so the mourning hall appeared rather crowded. Since it was only today that we discovered he had passed away, everything seemed to lack proper arrangements