TEFSCBSS Chapter 69

Chapter 69: Focused Deduction (Part 2)

The Method of Immortality? Wang Bokao was shocked. Then, as if something had suddenly come to mind, his face turned pale, looking utterly dreadful.

Wan Niang had no idea why he reacted that way. Though she also suspected that Cui Yixue’s last-minute assignment to her was likely given with ill intent, she still followed her role and shared the information with the group.

“Yes, the method of immortality.”

“That heartless man said that they had lived too long and only wished to experience an ordinary human life, leaving life and death to fate. However, after so many years, only a handful of us have managed to find this place, which means we are connected to it by fate. Because of that, they are willing to bestow upon us the secret of immortality.”

The group’s expressions became unreadable, while Zhao Wen, who was unaware of the bigger picture, simply nodded with a naive grin. “If you put it that way, then Cui Yixue isn’t such a bad guy after all?”

Gu Qing glanced at him, struggling to maintain his composure as a cultivator. This guy is dense. No wonder Wang Bokao always called him “Zhao Little Dog.” He usually seemed clever, but now he was acting like an overexcited golden retriever, unable to distinguish good from evil.

Clearing his throat, Gu Qing drew everyone’s attention.

“Everyone, just now, Zhao Wen and Miss Wan Niang shared some of their experiences, but discussing things in bits and pieces like this might only make things more confusing. I think we should connect the entire history of this village to get a clearer picture of the full story.”

Wang Bokao nodded from the side. “Go on. I can add anything you might miss.”

Gu Qing pulled out a small twig from somewhere and began sketching on the ground as he spoke.

“We’ve already heard a bit about Shan Shi Village from Zhao Wen, but during our investigation, we also heard the voice of a ghostly woman singing. That voice helped fill in some gaps in our understanding.”

“Shan Shi Village has existed for a very long time, making it an ancient settlement.”

“There was once a man and a woman who were in love. The man’s name was Cui Yixue. The woman’s name is unknown, but she was incredibly beautiful.”

“However, Cui Yixue was an unrepentant scoundrel. He was unfaithful, constantly seeking new lovers. When his wife became pregnant, he abandoned her for another woman—one who was wealthier and of higher status.”

“If Cui Yixue married that woman, it could have elevated the entire village’s status. So, the villagers sided with him and helped him get rid of his wife. They sealed the poor woman alive in a coffin and buried her, leaving her to suffocate to death.”

Wan Niang and Zhao Wen both looked visibly disturbed after hearing this, especially Wan Niang. Her face flushed with anger. What a wretched character! And someone tried to tell her Cui Yixue was a good person? Bah!

Gu Qing continued, “Later, we learned that the woman, after dying, became a vengeful spirit. But that still doesn’t explain how Shan Shi Village came to be this way or why its people are immortal. I have some theories that tie into Wang Bokao’s findings.”

Wang Bokao immediately added, “I found the real diary of Zhao Si, the traveling merchant. It contains details about the method of immortality used by the outsiders who settled here. They had to consume foul-smelling soil and parts of human bones.”

“We suspect that ordinary villagers alone wouldn’t be enough to grant immortality. The key must have been the bones of the vengeful female ghost.”

“Zhao Si must have eaten soil from her grave and consumed a piece of her bone, which granted him the ability to live forever. However, by doing so, he left a crucial part of himself behind—one of his bones.”

“With his body incomplete, the villagers were able to control and enslave him. He became their pawn to lure outsiders into the village.”

“Exactly,” Gu Qing nodded and continued. “Beyond that, I have another theory about why the villagers can achieve immortality.”

“By now, we should all realize one thing: apart from being immortal within the village itself, at least one or two villagers are always able to leave and lure outsiders in. This tells us two important facts.”

“First, ordinary villagers, even if they are immortal, can only survive within the village. They cannot leave.”

“This is likely due to the ghost woman’s curse. She died full of hatred and became a vengeful spirit. After her death, she slaughtered the entire village using the same method they had used on her.”

“This is why every household in the village has a coffin. Those aren’t just their homes—they’re also how they died.”

The group collectively nodded, as they had all been forming similar suspicions.

“Second, to leave the village, they must use the bodies of outsiders. That’s why they lure people in, get them to lie inside the coffins, and perform a soul-swapping ritual to obtain a new, usable body.”

Everyone was shocked. Their gazes turned toward Li Tiezhu, especially Zhao Wen.

After all, when they found Li Tiezhu… he had been lying inside a coffin.

No wonder the villagers just claimed that Li Tiezhu was one of them!

Li Tiezhu: …Sigh, this is tough. No wonder he wanted Jiang Liang to be his scapegoat. Now that he’s all alone, standing against the players, won’t they just try to kill him off soon?

Zhao Wen asked, “So, at the very beginning, when Zhao Si led us toward the villagers, was he trying to turn us into scapegoats too?”

“But something doesn’t add up. Weren’t they supposed to be preparing some kind of ritual? If the ritual succeeds, why would they still need scapegoats?”

Wang Bokao waved his folding fan and said, “That’s where you don’t get it.”

He explained what “Zhao Si” had said about true immortality and freedom. “So, within this village, there are two factions—one that wants to end this miserable half-human, half-ghost existence, and another that seeks true immortality.”

Even so, Zhao Wen still felt something was off. “But wasn’t it the monks who provided the so-called transcendence ritual?”

“Yet in my new script, Wufei is colluding with Zhao Si’s group to perform the soul-swapping ritual. Why is that?”

Gu Qing scoffed. “Didn’t you already say it? They’re bandits, outlaws, assassins serving that group.”

“If Wufei had the means to help everyone transcend, why would he be seeking immortality and wealth for himself?”

That made sense. Zhao Wen nodded. “So, the monks were lying. Their real goal was to stir up conflict within the village?”

“If they had come asking for true immortality outright, they probably wouldn’t have even gotten close to the ghost woman’s remains. So they came up with this scheme—to infiltrate the village, earn the villagers’ trust, uncover the treasure’s location, and secretly investigate the soul-swapping ritual. Honestly, it’s a pretty solid plan.”

“What about the traveling merchant? Why did he guide us here?” Zhao Wen, having less information, was still unsure about Zhao Si’s true motives.

Wang Bokao sighed. “The real traveling merchant is already dead. He knew what those monks were after, and he also knew that no matter how much they schemed, the horrific secret of Shan Shi Village’s so-called immortality would eventually spread beyond this place. He brought us here to put an end to it once and for all.”

He tapped his folding fan against his chest. “I was one of Zhao Si’s hidden pieces in this game.”

“Zhao Si found a way to destroy Shan Shi Village.”

“The ghost woman from back then actually managed to give birth before she died. She entrusted the child to a kindhearted villager and provided them with money to escape this place. Before she perished, she also left behind a longevity lock for the child. If we bring that longevity lock back and place it in the ghost woman’s grave, it will suppress her resentment and neutralize her power.”

“If that happens, the villagers of Shan Shi Village will no longer be bound by the ghost woman’s curse. Over time, without her power sustaining them, these murderers-turned-ghosts will eventually turn on each other in a desperate struggle for survival. In the end, they’ll completely vanish.”

Then he turned to Jiang Liang. “As for that big fool… Based on the information in his script, he was Zhao Si’s backup plan.”

“Jiang Liang is the descendant of Zhao Hualang—the true master of this supernatural tale. He followed his family’s teachings and came here to reclaim Zhao Si’s severed spine, which had been taken by the villagers to control him. If Jiang Liang returns it to him, Zhao Si will finally be free from their grasp.”

“As for Wan Niang… she already knows that her so-called ‘lover’ is Cui Yixue, the most ruthless man in this entire village. Naturally, she wouldn’t want to get too close to him.”

“But to create a distraction at a critical moment, Zhao Si brought her here. Since she’s Cui Yixue’s lover, the villagers wouldn’t dare to use her for the soul-swapping ritual. At the very least, her life isn’t in immediate danger.”

“Now, as for Zhao Wen and Gu Qing…” Wang Bokao hesitated for a moment and glanced at Gu Qing. “Maybe you should explain this part yourself.”

Gu Qing sighed. “Oh, I was just dragged into this mess against my will.”