Chapter 243 The Arrow is on the String

"This is a place where I often came to play when I was a child. Except for me and Xiao Yuan, almost no one in the village knows about it."

Wan Chongshan tied his horse to a tree by the rock wall and took out a few pieces of coarse cloth from his bag, spreading them on the ground.

"I must trouble the three of you to wait here. I will go back to the village to keep an eye on what's happening with Uncle Wang."

"Brother Wan, be careful. Do not attract any attention," Chen Mu urged.

Wan Chongshan nodded heavily, glanced in the direction of the village with a complex look in his eyes, and then turned to plunge into the forest again.

The cave fell silent. The three stopped talking and each began to regulate their breathing.

The sun gradually climbed higher, then slowly slanted to the west. It was not until dusk that Wan Chongshan's figure appeared outside the cave again. He walked very fast, sweating on his forehead, his breathing slightly rapid, but his eyes were startlingly bright.

"Did it succeed?"

Shen Suning immediately opened her eyes and asked. Chen Mu and Feng Qing also turned around.

Wan Chongshan walked quickly into the cave, grabbed a water skin, took a few gulps, wiped his mouth, and then lowered his voice to speak urgently.

"I found out. Uncle Wang used the excuse of comforting the families who lost their daughters to visit them one by one. By asking around indirectly, he was able to find out."

As he spoke, a flash of cold light appeared in his eyes.

"Carpenter Li's family, Widow Zhao's family, Hunter Liu's family, and my Xiao Yuan—the person they all went to for their engagements and to check their Eight Characters was the same person: Li Tiezui."

Shen Suning frowned slightly. "Li Tiezui? What is this person's background?"

"He is the village's fortune teller and also the only Yin and Yang practitioner. For weddings, funerals, matchmaking, picking auspicious days, feng shui, and exorcisms, people usually go to him. He has lived in the village for nearly forty years. My parents' generation knew him. It is said that when he was young, he traveled outside and learned some fortune-telling and physiognomy skills. Later, he returned to the village and has been making a living from this ever since."

Chen Mu's eyes narrowed slightly. This was somewhat different from what he had expected.

"A local? Lived here for forty years?"

"Yes!"

Wan Chongshan nodded, a look of confusion on his face as well.

"That's why I find it strange. Li Tiezui, although he makes a living with his tongue and those mysterious skills, and sometimes inevitably engages in hocus-pocus, generally has a decent reputation in the village. Whenever someone asks for his help, he never refuses. And... he watched us children grow up. When Xiao Yuan was weak as a child, he even drew talismans for her..."

His voice gradually trailed off, and his fists were already clenched.

An elder from the village who watched his sister grow up might actually be an accomplice, or even the mastermind, behind harming her! This made him feel even more absurd and angry than facing a vicious monster.

"Uncle Wang has already taken Jinniang and Huzi's Eight Characters to ask him to check their compatibility. As we discussed, Uncle Wang acted anxious and afraid, saying that since girls have been disappearing from the village one after another, he is terrified that his niece, who came to seek refuge with him, might be targeted by that thing. He wants to hold the wedding quickly to ward off bad luck and dispel that thing's intentions. He also let it be known that if the Eight Characters match, the wedding will be held tomorrow."

Wan Chongshan took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

"What did Li Tiezui say?"

Wan Chongshan showed a strange expression.

"He accepted the Eight Characters, calculated them carefully, and then told Uncle Wang that this Eight Characters is good and quite compatible with Huzi's, bringing prosperity to the husband's family. It also indicates a marriage star is moving, making it a good time for marriage. He just felt the wedding date was a bit rushed and suggested delaying it would be better. Uncle Wang didn't agree and insisted, saying he was afraid of being targeted by the monster, so the wedding will be tomorrow."

Chen Mu was expressionless, but Shen Suning's face turned pale.

A pure Yin Eight Characters, in the words of an ordinary fortune teller, would mostly be called a hard fate that harms relatives, requiring careful resolution. But here, Li Tiezui directly praised the Eight Characters as good and prosperous for the husband's family. Either he doesn't understand it at all, or he knows exactly why this Eight Characters is good.

Even if this person is not an accomplice to the monster, he must harbor malicious intentions.

Chen Mu remained silent, calculating secretly, until the sun slanted to the west, dusk gathered, the lights of Kaoshan Village extinguished one by one, the dog barking gradually ceased, and finally, it returned to dead silence.

"The time has come. Let's go."

The group immediately gathered around. Chen Mu turned and swept his gaze over everyone.

"Brother Wan, lead the way. Take the most secret path. Do not alert anyone."

The four of them slipped out of the cave silently, leaving the horses behind. Under the cover of night, they darted into the forest like civet cats, their footsteps so light that they were almost silent.

In just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the outline of the village head's courtyard vaguely appeared.

The courtyard gate was tightly closed, and there was no light inside the windows.

Wan Chongshan stepped forward and knocked lightly on the wooden door three times—two long, one short. A moment later, rustling sounds came from inside, the door bolt was gently pulled open, revealing an old face.

It was the village head, Wang Laogen.

He saw Chen Mu and the others behind Wan Chongshan. A flash of relief crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by worry. He stepped aside and whispered.

"Come in quickly."

The four of them slipped in, and Wang Laogen quickly bolted the door again. Chen Mu immediately scanned the courtyard.

This was a typical farmhouse courtyard, with three main rooms, two rooms in each of the east and west wings, and the courtyard wall and gatehouse on the south side. In the southern room of the west wing, a figure was projected on the window paper—it was Ling Xiaoning disguised as Jinniang.

Chen Mu turned to the two old people.

"Village Head, Ma'am, tonight, no matter what sounds you hear or what strange phenomena you see, stay in the main room. Do not come out, do not light any lamps, and certainly do not make a sound."

Wang Laogen nodded repeatedly, his lips trembling.

"Understood, understood... but that child..."

Chen Mu shook his head and looked toward the west wing.

"He will be fine. At least, not before we fall."

These words were chilling, stated bluntly and coldly, but they made Wang Laogen and his wife feel a little more at ease. The two supported each other as they retreated back into the main room and gently closed the door, leaving only the four of them in the courtyard.

Chen Mu quickly observed the terrain, his mind racing through simulations.

"Brother Feng, go up to the roof of the main house. It has the best view, and your bow and arrows can cover the entire courtyard. Remember, unless the monster appears and the timing is perfect, do not fire easily. Your task is to watch the windows and roof of the west wing."

Feng Qing said nothing. He pushed off the corner of the wall with his toes and silently flipped onto the roof ridge. He crouched down, holding his iron bow in front of him, his quiver slightly open. His whole body blended into the shadows of the roof tiles; if one weren't deliberately looking for him, he would be almost impossible to detect.

"Brother Wan." Chen Mu looked at Wan Chongshan. This man's eyes were bloodshot, his breathing heavy, and he was barely able to contain himself.

"Guard behind the woodpile on the north side of the east wing. From there, you can cover both the entrance and the north window of the west wing. Remember, keep your cool. If you lose your composure first, everything will be lost."

Wan Chongshan bit the tip of his tongue hard. The sharp pain cleared his head a little. He nodded, cupped his hands in salute, and without a word, crouched low and hurried behind the woodpile, concealing himself.

"Miss Shen."

Chen Mu finally turned to Shen Suning. His gaze lingered briefly on her left hand, which was holding the whip. Her right hand had not yet healed, so she could only hold the whip with her left hand.

"Follow me into the west wing and guard Xiao Ning's side. The monster's methods for abducting people are unknown and might involve poison. Since you are well-versed in pharmacology, you need to be extra vigilant."