Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Once such a thought took root, it echoed incessantly in his mind.

Lin Xingshu bit down hard on his knuckle, his mind weighed down by turmoil as he returned home, overcome by unprecedented panic. The moment he sat on the sofa and lifted his gaze, his eyes involuntarily landed on the wall hanging—embroidered with the pattern of a scarecrow. Once again, his eyes met those pitch-black ones, and he shivered involuntarily.

In the days since arriving in Xiushan Village, every time he locked eyes with the scarecrow on that wall hanging, a deep unease settled over him. Especially during showers, he couldn’t escape the feeling that those eyes were secretly watching him, making his skin crawl.

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but the longer he stared at the scarecrow, the more familiar those dark eyes seemed. He remembered… Xie Guan had the same pair of pitch-black eyes…

No… It must just be his imagination. Ghosts couldn’t possibly exist in this world. Right… It had to be…

Lin Xingshu’s anxiety only deepened, and he could only try to calm his nerves by flipping through the photos in his camera.

Seeing the images he had captured lifted his spirits somewhat, and he gradually calmed down.

There was no denying it—Xiushan Village had stunning scenery. Even the fields he had casually photographed looked stunning. If not for these unsettling events, the village would indeed make for a wonderful tourist destination.

"Hmm?"

Lin Xingshu frowned. Something about these photos seemed wrong.

He examined them one by one, squinting as he studied each image. With mounting dread, he realized that in every single photo—whether in the fields, by the roadside, near the stream, or even inside villagers’ homes—a scarecrow appeared.

This scarecrow wasn’t the usual kind. It was tall, wearing a straw hat, its head bowed low as it stood bound to a wooden frame. From a distance, it looked eerily like a grown man—exactly like the scarecrow he had spotted outside his window that day.

But… he was certain that there had been no scarecrows in these scenes when he took the photos.

As he flipped further, his face fell.

In every photo, the scarecrow was present—and with each image, it drew closer. From the far distance at first, until finally, it stood right behind him.

When he reached the last photo, Lin Xingshu sucked in a sharp breath, his grip on the camera loosening as it thudded to the floor.

The screen displayed the final picture he had taken yesterday—a shot of maple leaves at the foot of the mountain.

The leaves, layered in shades of red, would have been beautiful. But upon closer inspection, through the gaps in the foliage, the outline of a scarecrow could be seen standing atop the distant peak.

That scarecrow was fixated on him—and the clothes it wore were identical to Xie Guan’s.

Lin Xingshu’s breath came in short gasps. Over and over, he told himself that ghosts didn’t exist, that this was all just his imagination. But the proof was staring him in the face.

He might have… truly encountered a ghost. And that ghost just happened to be the man from his dreams.

Collapsing onto the sofa, Lin Xingshu felt utterly drained, his mind blank as he stared at the ceiling. As an atheist, he couldn’t process this reality—not yet.

But one question nagged at him. If Xie Guan was a ghost, why had he helped him? Out of pity? Or… was there something more sinister?

His thoughts flashed to horror movies he had seen—ghosts drawing humans in, only to possess their bodies for a fresh, young vessel…

Lin Xingshu’s face paled.

Every fiber of his being warned him—he couldn’t stay here any longer. He had to leave.

Clenching his jaw, he grabbed his phone and pulled up the contact of Wang Yuting, who’d recommended him to this job. He quickly typed out a message:

"Hello, are you there? I don’t think I’m suited for the promotional work in Xiushan Village. I’ve decided to leave. Consider the rent as compensation. I’m really sorry!"

The moment he hit send, a bright red error symbol appeared. Lin Xingshu’s eyes widened in disbelief. He sent a question mark, only to be met with the same red warning.

He had been blocked.

In panic, he tried accessing his social media account, only to find that he had been inexplicably logged out. When he tried to sign back in, he discovered—his account had been deleted.

His grip shook as he held the phone, horror dawning on his face.

He hadn’t deleted it.

With so many followers, why would he ever delete his account? Who had done this?

Pure terror seized him. He tried messaging friends for help, but the reception in Xiushan Village was abysmal. The messages spun endlessly, never delivering, only showing that infuriating error.

No… He couldn’t stay. He had to get out—now.

Lin Xingshu hastily packed his belongings and bolted from the raised house, rushing toward the village entrance. Along the way, he passed several villagers—all of whom turned their eyes toward him.

But unlike before, their stares were icy. Instead, their stares were cold, almost sinister. Goosebumps rose on his arms under their scrutiny, and his resolve to leave only strengthened as he quickened his pace.

Under the weight of their stares, he finally reached the village entrance. Just as he was about to step out, a familiar voice called from behind:

"Xiao Lin, where are you going?"

The bright voice made him jump. Slowly, he turned to see Liu Rong standing there—and behind her, several young men, their eyes fixed on him with predatory focus.

"I—my friend got into a car accident. I need to go to the hospital to see him…"

"Is that so? But Xiao Lin, weren’t you supposed to take photos for Xiushan Village? There’s a pre-sacrifice event tonight. Are you sure you don’t want to attend?"

Lin Xingshu managed a strained smile. "I can’t. My friend’s condition is serious…"

Liu Rong sighed. "Alright then…"

A glimmer of hope flared in Lin Xingshu’s eyes. He nodded slightly at her and turned to leave—only for her voice to stop him again.

"But it’s already late. The buses to Xiushan Village only run a few times a day, and the last one’s gone. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow morning."

Lin Xingshu froze. The sound of footsteps approached from behind as Liu Rong stepped closer, her smile friendly but inscrutable.

"Xiao Lin, why not leave tomorrow? I’m not lying—if you don’t believe me, you can check the bus schedule at the stop."

He understood her meaning all too well. He forced a tight smile: "Right… I guess there’s no other choice. Tomorrow it is, then…"

"Good. Shall we head back?"

Though her words were phrased as a question, the men behind her moved without hesitation, closing in as if to "accompany" him home. Lin Xingshu knew better—they were blocking the exit, making escape impossible.

All remaining doubts evaporated. The events of today only confirmed his suspicions—Xiushan Village was hiding something. Liu Rong was clearly working with Liu Yuting.

But one thought tormented him—why had they waited so long? What did they want from him?

Sacrifice… sacrifice?!

A sudden realization hit him like a thunderbolt.

That was it! No wonder the villagers kept mentioning the upcoming ritual. It was exactly as he feared.

They worshipped Xie Guan as a deity—their most devout believers. They had kept him here for one purpose: to offer him as a sacrifice in a few days’ time. They wanted to present him to Xie Guan, allowing the ghost to possess his body and return to life!

The thought made his blood run cold. He had to escape tonight—or dawn might never come for him.

Lin Xingshu casually glanced around, calmed himself, and spoke up: "Auntie Liu, can I come over for dinner tonight? Then we can go to the ancestral hall together?"

Liu Rong was somewhat surprised. She raised an eyebrow but still agreed cheerfully, "Of course! We'll go together later. Make sure to get good pictures."

Lin Xingshu nodded eagerly and followed along with Liu Rong back to her home.

Liu Rong's attitude remained unchanged from before. She welcomed him to the table, and Lin Xingshu didn’t refuse, naturally digging in without hesitation.

He wasn’t stupid enough to think he could escape by confronting Liu Rong and the others head-on—that would be suicide. Instead, he decided to gain their trust and wait for nightfall to find an opportunity to make his move...

*

That night, the entire Xiushan Village was brightly lit, adorned with lanterns and decorations, bustling as if lit up like Chinese New Year.

Every face in the crowd was filled with joy, but Lin Xingshu’s expressionless one stood out like a sore thumb. He pretended to take photos while his mind was miles away, desperately searching the surroundings for a chance to escape.

But too many villagers had come out tonight—nearly the whole damn village showed up. If he tried to run now, he’d surely be caught. Putting up a fight was pointless.

"Xiao Lin, look! The ancestral hall is all decorated now. Isn’t it beautiful?" Liu Rong said with a smile.

Lin Xingshu jerked back to reality and followed her pointing finger. Before him stood the ancestral hall, draped in red silk and adorned with festive lanterns, looking downright festive. Some villagers even wore their Sunday best in red.

The scene looked less like a ritual and more like a wedding.

"Xiao Lin?"

"Ah... beautiful, very beautiful. It blew me away - I was speechless."

Liu Rong beamed. "I’m glad you like it. I was worried you wouldn’t."

"Haha..." Lin Xingshu gave a weak chuckle, his gaze suddenly landing on an outhouse not far away.

The restroom was divided into left and right sections—men on the left, women on the right—with the only window located on the men’s side.

Lin Xingshu narrowed his eyes, then suddenly had an idea. He quickly darted ahead of Liu Rong with a smile. "Sister, let’s go check out the front!"

Seeing his excitement, Liu Rong relaxed a little and followed him with a smile. "Sure, let’s go."

Lin Xingshu nodded eagerly and hurried forward, blending seamlessly into the crowd with an excited expression, showing no signs of anything unusual.

Liu Rong smiled and prepared to join the crowd as well, but someone suddenly shoved from within, causing Lin Xingshu to cry out as he stumbled and fell into the throng. Liu Rong’s smile froze, and she rushed forward, shoving people out of the way.

"Lin Xingshu! Lin Xingshu! Are you okay?! Move aside!"

Her heart hammered in her chest. She couldn’t bear the thought of the punishment she’d face if His bride was injured due to her negligence.

The crowd quickly scattered, but Liu Rong frantically searched without finding Lin Xingshu. She kept calling out, but there was no response.

Panting heavily, her panic gradually faded, replaced by fury at having been deceived.

Lin Xingshu had escaped—taking advantage of her lowered guard, pretending to fall, and vanishing into the crowd.

Amid the deafening clamor of drums and gongs, Liu Rong could no longer contain her rage. "SILENCE!" she roared.

Her voice boomed, and the bustling crowd instantly fell quiet, all eyes turning to her. Liu Rong took a deep breath and scanned the area.

"Just now, Lin Xingshu escaped."

"Everyone, drop what you’re doing and find him—NOW!"

"If we don’t find him, you all know His temper. We'll all pay for this! Move it! Find him now!"