Chapter 3: The Consensus of Many Can Melt Metal

A Qing tilted his head, looking at Liu Fu with a half-smile, and with one hand gestured towards Liu Fu, saying: "Last night, my luck was truly terrible; I lost ten rounds in a row..."

Liu Fu understood in his heart that this was his ancestors providing him with a way out. With so many people in and around Liu An's home, and with his aunt and uncle having died under such mysterious circumstances, how could he possibly say in front of everyone that he had seen the gold ring on his aunt's finger, which was entangled with a female corpse? How could his uncle's family continue to establish themselves in Jima Town after that?

A Qing stood up and awkwardly smiled, saying: "May I ask everyone a question, who was it that brought the dead body up last night?"

After respectfully sending off the ancestors, Liu Fu took a breath and said: "When a disaster strikes, it comes from the heavens while one is at home! In our Jima Town, five people have died in a single day; we must account for this blood debt! Now, everyone listen carefully, gather all the people in the town to help me find Da Bao and Hei Gou. Also, the three daughters of Uncle Lao are all married in the east of the town. We, a few elders from the Liu family, will go inform them to come and send Uncle Lao to the ancestral temple..."

Liu Lizheng, you must not be confused by the old monk! He is just an outsider who has been living in Jima Town for so many years without paying rent. His refusal to leave is simply to harm us; you are not unaware of what happened ten years ago...

Liu Fu glanced at him with disdain and said, "A Qing, if you have something to say, just say it quickly. Can't you see that everyone is exhausted from all this?"

The entire venue fell silent with hundreds of people present. Before her death, Niu Er's wife mentioned that Niu Er saw a woman in the river still moving, but when he retrieved her, it turned out to be a corpse. After being placed in the mortuary, it suddenly disappeared. Several inexplicable events, coupled with the fact that so many people have died, raises the question: could it truly be that the retribution from ten years ago is upon us?

A Qing hesitantly said to the librarian: "Uncle Fu, I saw it very clearly at that time. The little monk in the Guandi Temple was about to go into the water to stop the old monk from retrieving the dead bodies. Could this be a disaster caused by the old monk?"

"Enough of the nonsense, just tell me what you heard Niu Er say?" Liu Fu interrupted A Qing with a stern expression

As soon as A Qing finished speaking, someone nearby immediately retorted, "Isn't that just stating the obvious? Everyone in the town saw that it was the old monk from the Guandi Temple at the town entrance who fished him out!"

Ah... there are ghosts... someone come quickly! Liu Fu's terrified scream shattered the tranquility of Jima Town, and upon hearing Liu Fu's cry, the residents grabbed their harpoons and rushed over.

Liu Fu was eager to understand what was causing trouble in the town. After pondering for a moment, he simply turned around and walked backward, his eyes fixed intently on the dark, dense thicket of mugwort.

The villagers looked in the direction Liu Fu pointed, only to see a tangle of weeds, with nothing unusual in sight. Some, fearing that a female ghost might be hidden deep within the grass, decided to set it ablaze. In an instant, the flames soared into the sky, illuminating much of the town. Liu Fu caught a glimpse of a familiar reflection, which turned out to be the satin jacket worn by a woman. That faint glow was drifting towards the Guandi Temple at the entrance of the town

Night fell in the blink of an eye, and the villagers of the town, disregarding their growling stomachs, gathered at the drying ground. The continuous stream of bad news left the villagers feeling uneasy, and they secretly cursed the missing female corpse. Liu Fu, like the other villagers, was in a state of panic, but at that moment, he knew he could not act recklessly; only by devising a response could he calm the villagers' hearts

Liu Fu arrived at his uncle's house to pay respects to the remains of the two elderly individuals. On his way home, he felt a chilling sensation behind him, as if something were following him. After turning around several times, he only saw a patch of withered weeds, prompting Liu Fu to quicken his pace, the rustling sounds from the grass becoming increasingly pronounced. The distance from his uncle's house to his own was merely the time it took to smoke a cigarette, and Liu Fu did not believe in the existence of demons or ghosts in this world

Cough... cough. Cough... cough. You... remember this: ten years ago, Jima Town experienced a great calamity filled with blood and chaos. Cough... cough. Cough... cough. We have barely recovered, so please do not destroy Jima Town again! Let's go! Carry me back; the younger generations are suffering continuous misfortunes, sending the white-haired to mourn the black-haired... The ancestor cast a glance at the stiff aunt and allowed Liu Gui and the others to carry him out of the courtyard... Carry me back; the younger generations are suffering continuous misfortunes, sending the white-haired to mourn the black-haired... The ancestor cast a glance at the stiff aunt and allowed Liu Gui and the others to carry him out of the courtyard...

The ancestor Liu Tianbao angrily scolded: "Liu Fu! How can you, a village chief living off the imperial salary, handle this? So many incidents have occurred in the town all at once, and you still haven't come up with a solution!"

The entire town began to busily search for Da Bao and the black dog, but the villagers scoured every corner of Ji Ma Town and could not find the two of them. It is said that Ji Ma Town is surrounded by water, and to leave, one must take a fishing boat; however, the river is currently frozen, and the only way to depart is by breaking the ice with a boat.

Why on earth did they have to go into the water to rescue that woman when everything was fine? As a result, five people died overnight and two are still missing

Liu Fuzheng was taken aback and said: "Ancestral elder, please do not be angry. As long as we find Da Bao and Hei Gou, we will know what has happened. I clearly saw that my aunt had ... ... "

A Qing sighed, "I was standing behind Niu Er when the old monk at the Guandi Temple pulled up the woman and the book. Niu Er then said, 'It was clearly moving just now, how can it be a dead person? Is retribution really coming?"

Liu Fu, still shaken, pointed at the pile of mugwort and said: "I... I saw that woman... She... She is not human... She is hovering in the air, over a meter tall, she... she... is still there... She is still laughing..."

"Uncle Fu, what happened to you!" asked the villagers who rushed over to help Liu Fu, who had fallen to the ground.

The villagers in the sunlit square smacked their lips and gradually returned home. Throughout the entire Jima Town, lights remained bright, with someone at every door keeping watch. Any slight movement would surely awaken the entire town. Whether it was a spirit or a female corpse, with three to four hundred people on high alert, it was certain that nothing would go amiss.

Everyone stop making a fuss, be quiet! Be quiet! I suddenly remembered something; the more I think about it after the incident, the more it feels off! The people in the arena fell silent, and all eyes were on the person speaking...

The entire Niu Er family met a tragic end, and even now, we are unable to recover all the bodies! We certainly do not wish to die such a miserable death!

A Qing laughed and said: "I was standing right behind Niu Er last night. Niu Er had once blurted out a sentence after the old monk fished up the dead body! I heard it very clearly and distinctly. Aren't you saying I'm talking nonsense? Then I won't say anything more!"

Listening attentively, Liu Fu quickly got up and walked over, saying: "A Qing, what did you hear Niu Er say last night? Everyone here is from Ji Ma Town, so feel free to speak openly!"

Amidst the clamor of the villagers, the body of the woman in the haystack slowly rose. Liu Fu could see that the woman was indeed the corpse that had mysteriously vanished from the mortuary, though her face, framed by long hair, appeared even darker. The once grayish-white eyeballs had now transformed into two pitch-black blood holes, with dark blood oozing and dripping down her jaw. ... The woman still wore the golden armor on her hands, and Liu Fu was certain that it was the very thing his aunt had clutched tightly when she died ... The once grayish-white eyeballs had now transformed into two pitch-black blood holes, with dark blood oozing and dripping down her jaw. ... The woman still wore the golden armor on her hands, and Liu Fu was certain that it was the very thing his aunt had clutched tightly when she died ...

The sun shone brightly, yet the villagers in the town sat in silence, surrounded by an eerie stillness. Liu Fu shook his head and said, "Da Bao and Hei Gou have no idea where they went. Strange things happened in the town last night. Both Old Uncle and Niu Er's family have died, so I thought about reporting to the authorities..."

Liu Fu looked up at the sky and said, "Master Ku Cha has a heart of a Bodhisattva and would never commit such evil deeds. It is about to snow. I will go light some incense for my uncle; everyone else should disperse."

What use is reporting to the authorities? Can you guarantee that the demon won't come out tonight to harm people?

"Dabao, Heigou!" Liu Fu shouted loudly as he turned his head, but he had not seen these two boys since entering the courtyard. Surely, two lively individuals wouldn't have encountered any mishap, would they?

A Qing took the silver and said solemnly: "Uncle Fu, although I, A Qing, am not much of a person, I have never told a lie. Last night, I was gambling at Lai Zi's place and ended up losing everything cleanly. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became, so I decided to go to the riverbank in town to get a boat and catch some fish. However, as soon as I arrived at the riverbank, I heard Niu Er banging a gong and shouting in despair. I was planning to go over and scold him, but when I got there, I saw a woman with disheveled hair in the river... The more I thought about it, the angrier I became, so I decided to go to the riverbank in town to get a boat and catch some fish. However, as soon as I arrived at the riverbank, I heard Niu Er banging a gong and shouting in despair. I was planning to go over and scold him, but when I got there, I saw a woman with disheveled hair in the river..."

The elder coughed and said: "Cough... cough... Nowadays, with people dead, what more is there to say? Your Uncle Liu An died under mysterious circumstances, and there must be an explanation. Have someone bring back the three daughters of the Liu family to handle the aftermath. Although Niu Er is not a member of the Liu clan, we should still properly select a burial plot for their family... cough... cough... I am old... You must not let the people in the town poke at the backbone of the Liu family... Have someone bring back the three daughters of the Liu family to handle the aftermath. Although Niu Er is not a member of the Liu clan, we should still properly select a burial plot for their family... cough... cough... I am old... You must not let the people in the town poke at the backbone of the Liu family..."

One wave has not yet settled, and another rises. Before Liu Fu left, he clearly saw his aunt tightly clutching three pieces of gold armor in her hand. Yet, in less than an hour, the corpse of his aunt lay with her palm open, and there was no trace of the gold armor. Could it be that the big dog left behind to guard the corpse took it? ... Thinking of this, Liu Fu's heart ignited with fury ...

Liu Fu deeply understood this person's nature; he was usually engaged in petty theft and had no proper occupation. He took out a few taels of loose silver from his pocket and said, "A Qing, it's not that I want to meddle in your affairs. You're already in your thirties, and it's time you start planning for your life properly. Take this silver for now. What exactly did Niu Er say?"

Liu Fu, without anger yet exuding authority, said: "Enough! Everyone be quiet! What happened ten years ago was our fault towards others. Does a monk need to wait so long for revenge? You all... you all should just go home. In the evening, let's look out for each other in the neighborhood..."

In the blink of an eye, it was dusk, and three to four hundred men, women, and children from the entire town were beating drums and gongs, shouting until their throats were hoarse, yet to no avail. The families of Daba and Heigou were even more anxious, their heads drenched in cold sweat, fearing that they too might encounter misfortune

Under the moonlight, the sound of "sira... sira..." from the mugwort grass rustled in the wind. Suddenly, a glimmer of light seemed to flash from deep within the dark grass. Liu Fuping held his breath and focused as he stepped closer to the source of the reflection. At that moment, a woman's head slowly emerged from the grass.

... ...

Liu Fu knelt before his ancestors and said: "Ancestral spirits, please rest assured. I will immediately send someone to invite the three daughters of my uncle's family back. This matter can only be resolved once we find Da Bao and the others. I kindly ask the ancestral spirits to return home and rest well. I will certainly provide an explanation to all the townsfolk!"

How can that be? The dead person was brought up by the old monk, so of course the matters in the town are related to him