A sleepless night passed, and it wasn't until the sky began to brighten that I briefly closed my eyes.

At nine o'clock in the morning, Master Qingning rang my doorbell on time.

She had changed into sportswear and looked a few years younger than in the video, like a pure college student.

Without waiting for my reaction, she affectionately called me "cousin" first.

After a brief exchange of greetings, we quickly set off on the train back to the village.

Along the way, I tried to livestream whenever there was a signal.

Ironically, it was the strangers on the internet who brought me a sense of security, while those around me were indistinguishable between humans and ghosts.

After getting off the train, we switched to a bus, and then to a bullock cart.

It was a bumpy ride, and we finally arrived at Yu Family Village before nightfall.

The village road was pitch black, with only a dim, yellowish light standing at the entrance, and a middle-aged man faintly standing beside it.

Auntie Yu showed a happy expression and walked over to greet him, saying, "Village Chief, we're back."

As I approached, I noticed that there were several young people behind the village chief, and the faint light reflected in their pitch-black eyes, giving them a somewhat eerie appearance.

They seemed particularly accustomed to the darkness. That small light, rather than illuminating, seemed to be marking our location.