Chapter Seven, The Old Witch

At this moment, Officer Wang entered with a grim expression and said, "The eighth victim has been discovered"

"Only your family is left." Yi Shiqi said, a chill running through his heart

Yishiqi pondered over this sentence repeatedly. Logically, since the two of them were temporarily lodging and had no prior acquaintance with the old woman, and could not have anticipated any future entanglements, she had no reason to unleash the venomous spider to attack them. However, the venomous spider did attack, which leaves only one possibility: the old woman was aware of their purpose for coming to Shanyin Village and wanted to stop them

Yishi Qi said: "Yes, I am Yishi Qi, and Li Xihua is my classmate and good friend. I came in a hurry and have not yet had the opportunity to visit your home."

Yishi Qi invited Li Xiaohua to take a seat and poured her a cup of clear tea

5. The forensic examination confirmed that all deceased individuals had no external injuries or signs of poisoning, thereby ruling out the possibilities of homicide and suicide

Yishiqi knew that he was unhappy, so he nodded slightly and silently retraced his steps along the original path

By the time you read this letter, I will have already passed away. I know you will surely come, even though it will be too late.

Shiqi

"Don't be sad, your brother..." Yi Shiqi truly did not know how to comfort this poor girl

The only thing I am worried about is my younger sister Xiaohua. I beg you to take care of her, take her away from here, and never come back.

It seems that the old woman must have some connection with Shanyin Village

I was taken aback, reached out to take the envelope, and looked down; the envelope bore the inscription of China Central Television, and it was unsealed

Yishiqi silently finished reading Xihua's letter, a surge of warmth rising in his heart. Rest assured, Xihua, I have roughly unraveled the mystery of the deaths in Shanyin Village, which is related to Gu, an ancient witchcraft originating from the Miao region of China

Is the pun uttered at the moment of departure a threat or an enticement

"Do not be afraid, do not be afraid." Yi Shiqi hesitated as he reached out his hand, gently patting Xiaohua's shoulder

Yishiqi remained calm and composed, sharing the same intention. He tossed a coin, and the Qianlong coin emitted a cheerful ding-dong sound. The heavens and the earth were in harmony, with six yang and one yin, resulting in the "Lu" hexagram. The sixth line, which is the only yin line, is in motion, while all the yang lines remain still

The police station stated that they had never seen a deceased person with such an expression. The forensic expert from the county police determined the cause of death to be suspicious and sent the body to the town hospital's morgue. No one could have anticipated that, one month later, the second Aunt Huo also died, smiling in the same manner. Subsequently, the police arrived, conducting investigations and questioning, as well as testing food, suspecting food poisoning. When the third Uncle Li died in a similar fashion, fear spread among the people, prompting them to request protection from the police station. As a result, the officers intensified their patrols, remaining vigilant 24 hours a day. However, the following month, the fourth Elder Wu still died smiling at night. When the third Uncle Li died in a similar fashion, fear spread among the people, prompting them to request protection from the police station. As a result, the officers intensified their patrols, remaining vigilant 24 hours a day. However, the following month, the fourth Elder Wu still died smiling at night.

Two lines of tears rolled down in a cascade. Xiao Hua carefully took out a brown paper envelope from her bosom and handed it to Yi Shiqi, her face flushed as she gently said: "This is a letter from your brother"

A thought stirred in Yishiqi's heart; such simple and beautiful girls could hardly be found in the city.

No. But everyone knows that people only die on the night of the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, and it happens in order from the west of the village, one family at a time. At this point, Xiao Hua shivered.

Meanwhile, the investigation team established contact with the filming crew from CCTV10 in Beijing, led by Li Xihua, who had gone to Shanyin Village. Among the equipment they brought back to Beijing was Li Xihua's laptop. The Ministry of Public Security has dispatched personnel to retrieve it and is immediately making their way to Shanyang Town.

You may take your time to discuss, I have matters to attend to at the office. Officer Wang bid farewell and left

A shadow flashed through the mixed woods in the east, and Yi Shiqi couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. Wasn't that the old woman who raised the five-colored poisonous spiders? How did she come to Shanyin Village?

Shiqi, I cannot explain it, and current science may also be unable to explain it. You are an expert in the study of Feng Shui; I wonder if you could discern any clues

Second, death arrives in the order of houses, from west to east, and the sequence will not be disrupted, as if it were manipulated by human hands, leaving one perplexed

The directors of the county public security bureau have all arrived, and Uncle Wan's family and Grandma Hao's family firmly demanded to move out. The public security bureau did not agree, and each family sent police officers to stay inside, stating that they needed to cooperate with the government to catch the murderer. They are the fifth and sixth households. Xiao Hua recalled, trembling slightly.

On the next full moon night, the fifth household was in the same situation. Did the police find anything? asked Yi Shiqi

"You go back to the inn first; I want to wait for the Golden Silkworm alone." Yigu's face was dark.

The girl's eyes reddened, and tears swirled in her eyes as she spoke sorrowfully: "Elder Brother Yi probably knows that my parents passed away early, and I only have my brother to rely on. It was agreed that after the New Year, my brother would take me to Beijing, but who would have thought that my brother..." The girl finally could not hold back her sobs.

The door opened, and Officer Wang walked in

The oracle said, the eyes are nearly blind, yet can still barely see a little, insufficient to distinguish objects. The leg is lame, yet can still manage to take a few steps, but if one accidentally steps on the tiger's tail, the tiger will turn around and bite, which is extremely ominous. Yi Shiqi barely articulated the meaning of the hexagram.

In the evening, Yigu had not yet returned, and Yishiqi was leaning on the bed smoking, repeatedly pondering the suspicious aspects of the old witch. At that moment, there was a knock at the door

I eagerly took out the stationery

I know, my brother told me before the incident. The matter began six months ago at the first house in the west of the village, the home of Old Yang. That night, Uncle Yang suddenly passed away, and in the morning, Aunt Yang was shouting and screaming incessantly, she had gone mad. The neighbors rushed over, all terrified, as Uncle Yang's lifeless face was truly horrifying. At this point, Xiao Hua couldn't help but tremble all over.

The relationship between this old witch and the mysterious death case in Shanyin Village gradually became clear

Today marks the fifteenth day of this month's lunar calendar, and our family is the only one left in Shanyin Village. I have declined the kind offer from the local government leaders and decided to stay in the house to wait. I have already set up a camera and recording equipment by the bedside, with the lines connected to Grandma Hao's house next door, where the investigation team is lying in ambush.

Can you talk about the situation before and after the incident in Xihua? I came this time because I received an email from your brother.

A slender and delicate girl wearing a blue printed shirt walked in, with fair skin and sparkling black eyes. There seemed to be a fine layer of downy hair on her face, and she bore a striking resemblance to the "Heavenly Fairy Sister" that circulated on the internet some time ago.

1. The time of death is always on the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, the night of the full moon. It is known that the gravitational pull during a full moon can not only cause the tides of rivers and seas to rise significantly beyond normal levels, but it also has a considerable impact on the human body. This is why there is a belief in the West that werewolves transform on the night of the full moon.

Li Xihua's family situation is somewhat known to Yi Shiqi, who has also heard Xihua mention her younger sister, a person who is very simple and capable, but whose academic performance is average, making it impossible for her to gain admission to university

Li Xiaohua shook his head and said: "I don't know. On the night of the 15th, I insisted on sleeping in the same room as my brother. I was both nervous and scared, and my brother comforted me to sleep, just like when we were young. But when I opened my eyes, my brother had already passed away with a smile..."

Therefore, it is not difficult to explain her appearance in the woods of Shanyin Village today

Fourth, the deceased all died with a smile, a peculiar smile that has never been seen on the faces of the living

Indeed. Rumors were rampant in the town, with people saying that Shanyin Village had been cursed, while others claimed that ghosts were at play. At this time, my brother returned, bringing along a film crew. He did not believe in supernatural phenomena, and they conducted investigations and interviews everywhere, filming a documentary and maintaining contact with experts from the Beijing Academy of Sciences. When Xiaohua spoke of his brother, a hint of a smile appeared on his sorrowful face. He did not believe in supernatural phenomena, and they conducted investigations and interviews everywhere, filming a documentary and maintaining contact with experts from the Beijing Academy of Sciences. When Xiaohua spoke of his brother, a hint of a smile appeared on his sorrowful face

She took a sip of tea and continued speaking: "Uncle Wan has passed away, and Grandma Hao has asked the other family members to move to the temporary accommodation provided by the town, while she herself resolutely refused to leave. She said that at her age, she didn't care about anything and wanted to see what could make the neighbors die laughing. As a result, that night, she too died laughing. What could she have seen?"

"Has your brother made any discoveries?" asked Yi Shiqi

How?" Yigu looked at him blankly

The text appears to be incomplete or consists solely of symbols. Please provide a complete sentence or phrase for translation.

Each family has only one person who dies

The unexplained death case in Shanyin Village is the most bizarre event I am aware of, permeating the entire incident with an air of the uncanny. What is most perplexing is the regularity of the deaths, and I find the following points particularly suspicious

"Mr. Yi, I apologize for the interruption. The family of Li Xihua wishes to see you, so I have brought her here," Officer Wang said as he let the person from outside enter.

Yishiqi handed the hot tea to Xiaohua, and the girl nodded friendly

I am a journalist, a reporter for the National Television's Science Exploration program. I have decided to become bait myself, using my life to unravel the mystery of death in Shanyin Village

Xihua, on the night of September 7

Yishiqi lay on the bed in the inn, his mind in turmoil. The sudden appearance of the old woman brought an unexpected twist to the already perplexing case. As a scholar studying feng shui and the supernatural, he did not believe this was a coincidence; any unexpected occurrence must have a logical reason behind it. The decision to stay that night was made in haste and was unforeseen. Yigudu noticed the unusual cleanliness of the farmhouse and suspected it to be a place for raising poison. He also observed that there was an absence of insect sounds within a certain distance around the house, which indirectly confirmed Yigudu's speculation. To be cautious, Yigudu requested garlic, and from the old woman's expression, it was evident that she had grown suspicious. In the middle of the night, she released the five-colored poisonous spider—Xiaohua, only to be devoured by the golden silkworm. In the morning, as they were leaving, the old woman's words were quite thought-provoking: "Xiaohua, knowing you cannot win, why must you go to your death?"

The sky gradually darkened, and everything will be revealed tonight

Are you Brother Yi? I am Li Xihua's younger sister, my name is Li Xiaohua The girl blushed as she spoke, and her Mandarin, which had a strong regional accent, was very pleasant to hear

Yishiqi silently put away the copper coins