Choosing Sides

Translator: Cinder Translations

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The shopkeeper paused as he recalled the scene from that time, his expression involuntarily filled with fear. After taking a few big gulps from the water bowl that Zhou Rong handed him, he finally calmed down.

Chen Xiaomeng, sitting on a wooden chair, leaned slightly forward and lowered her voice, speaking softly: "So... is it true that Xiao Shijian Village is cursed by the spirits of the women who died?"

"Yes," the shopkeeper nodded. "Soon after the police left, people started disappearing from Xiao Shijian Village. At first, no one suspected anything, but as more people went missing, people started to realize that it was revenge from the women who had died."

"Especially after..." His voice suddenly grew strange, and his lips trembled a little, "After they found the bodies of those men."

"What happened to the bodies?" It was Ben Fu who asked, his body shrinking, eyes widening with both curiosity and fear.

"The bodies... the way they died was horrific," the shopkeeper said. He suddenly felt cold, pulling his coat tighter around him before continuing, "Some had their eyes gouged out, their noses too, and some had their limbs broken and hung from trees. The skin was peeled off completely and neatly folded under the tree... it was dreadful, absolutely dreadful."

"Tell me, could any human do such things?"

For those who believed in curses and ghosts, there was no doubt. At least for Jiang Cheng and his team, their past tasks were all related to supernatural events.

"Creeeak—"

"Creeeak—"

Sounds came from behind. Turning to look, they saw a faint light in the dark. A woman holding an oil lamp was slowly descending the stairs.

The woman's face was yellowish, and she wore simple clothes.

Zhou Rong immediately recognized her—it was the shopkeeper's wife.

The wooden stairs, poorly maintained, creaked with every step the woman took.

The shopkeeper seemed to fear his wife. Upon seeing her, he hastily stood up, then turned to the group, urging, "Listen to my advice—no matter the reason, do not get involved with those people or that village!"

He stared at Zhou Rong's clothes, tightened his lips, and quickly spoke, "I can tell you're not ordinary people, but the things in that village are beyond your ability to deal with. Over the years, in order to resolve the curse, Xiao Shijian Village has spent a lot of money, hiring experts from all over. But those people who entered the village never came out again."

After a pause, the shopkeeper made a decision for everyone, "Rest well tonight. Tomorrow morning, I'll send you out through the back door. I won't charge for the food or the room. Leave as soon as possible and never come back."

It was clear the shopkeeper was an honest man who didn't want anyone involved in the curse of Xiao Shijian Village, only to die in vain.

But what he didn't understand was that resolving the curse was exactly what Jiang Cheng and his team were there for.

If the curse wasn't lifted within the set time, everyone would die.

Of course, these words couldn't be said to the shopkeeper.

After the shopkeeper and his wife left, the group sat around the table, starting to discuss their next steps.

Naturally, they wouldn't leave as the shopkeeper suggested, but opinions started to divide into two factions on what to do next.

The older members, led by Pei Qian, advocated a more cautious approach. They suggested staying in Anping Town and gathering more information before heading to Xiao Shijian Village, as it would be better to wait until the right time.

However, Zhou Rong opposed this. He believed they should go to Xiao Shijian Village the next day. While the mission didn't specify a time limit, the sooner they acted, the better.

Moreover, Anping Town wasn't the mission's location, and the chances of finding useful clues were slim.

The debate grew heated, and no one could persuade the other.

Finally, someone proposed a vote.

The proposal was accepted.

Jiang Zhongyi slowly raised his hand, saying, "I support Mr. Pei's opinion. We should investigate thoroughly before going. Rushing in without enough information could lead to danger."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Man folded her arms and sneered, "I agree. If you want to go tomorrow, go ahead. I'll stay behind."

She glanced at Zhou Rong as she said this, clearly trying to provoke him.

After all, the two had never gotten along.

On Zhou Rong's side, three others also supported him: Zhou Rong, Chen Xiaomeng, and Li Lu.

Li Lu seemed weak and soft-spoken, but she was very determined about going to Xiao Shijian Village.

This made the others view her more favorably.

Now, only Jiang Cheng and Ben Fu had yet to express their opinions. Their stances would ultimately decide whether the team would stay or leave.

Since they were experienced, they all knew better than to split up before the end of a horror story.

Under the pressure of everyone's gaze, Ben Fu felt a great deal of stress.

He was very clear about his own position: he was just following along. Last time, he survived only because he had latched onto someone with power.

He couldn't afford to offend anyone in the group.

"I abstain," he said quietly, glancing around.

Pei Qian gave him a look but said nothing. Zhou Rong, however, looked at him coldly.

Ben Fu noticed and quickly looked down, focusing on his feet.

Now, only Jiang Cheng remained.

His vote was crucial.

Pei Qian, who had remained mostly aloof, spoke first, "This young man," his voice wasn't loud, but it had a very convincing tone, "The choice you're about to make could determine the life and death of our team. I hope you will think carefully."

Seeing that Pei Qian had spoken, Zhou Rong wasn't willing to back down. "Mr. Yin," he turned to Jiang Cheng and urgently said, "You know how precious time is in a mission. While my plan is risky, it's the best option..."

Jiang Cheng, sitting casually in the center of a wooden chair and enjoying the attention, slowly picked up his water cup, only to realize it was empty. He frowned and clicked his tongue.

Seeing this, Jiang Zhongyi immediately grabbed the water kettle and filled Jiang Cheng's cup.

After finishing the water, Jiang Cheng squinted, a satisfied look on his face as he glanced at Jiang Zhongyi holding the kettle. He then slowly spoke, "I support..."

Jiang Zhongyi's face flushed with excitement.

"I support Zhou Rong," Jiang Cheng turned to say, "After all, Xiao Longnu is a good friend of mine, and we..." He gave Chen Xiaomeng a very serious look.

"We've... had something going on."

(End of the Chapter)

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Translated 1.4K+ Chapters and 1.65M+ Words.