I hurried over to help her tidy up.

"Grandma, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. When you get old, your hands and feet aren't as nimble. I've caused you trouble."

Grandma Bai resumed her kind and gentle look.

"The flower crown on your head looks beautiful. Did you pick the flowers on the mountain?"

"Yes, I did. I made it for Bai Ling, and she really likes it."

"You're such a good child. Bai Ling is lucky to have you."

Chatting with Grandma Bai, I quickly finished tidying up.

I helped her sit down in the guest room, and before long, Bai Ling came over with food.

During the meal, Bai Ling told me that she and Bai Min were going to the market tomorrow morning and asked me not to wander around.

I nodded and agreed, but in my heart, I thought it would be a good opportunity to explore the village and see if I could find any clues.

The next day, I woke up early and waited for Bai Ling and her sister to leave before heading out.

The people in the village woke up very early, and many of them had already gone to the fields with their farming tools.

As I walked around, I noticed something strange—the village was almost devoid of elderly people!

What was even more eerie was that these young people, around their twenties and thirties, were smoking dry cigarettes and skillfully doing farm work, behaving exactly like elderly people!

Youthful bodies and faces, but the behavior and demeanor of the elderly.

This stark contrast sent shivers down my spine.

The gazes from these bizarre villagers felt substantial and made me feel uneasy all over.

Pretending to wander aimlessly, I secretly observed the surroundings.

Stopping in my tracks, a building that looked like a temple caught my attention.

The twisted characters on the pillars, the two strange animal-shaped stone sculptures at the entrance—all exuded an air of mystery.

I walked over and gently pushed the temple's door, but it didn't budge.

Then I approached the window and realized it was covered with a black cloth, obscuring everything inside.

My intuition told me that there must be some secret inside. As I pondered how to get in, a face appeared in front of me.

"Did you see anything?"

Looking at that familiar face, my heart trembled.

It was Liu Fei!