The Village Chief couldn't possibly not know! Wang Zhi's conviction grew stronger as she carefully recalled every detail of their journey. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that the seemingly kind and honest Village Chief had been either persuading her to enter the village or calming her nerves the entire way. Why were they doing this? Why could this place be a tourist hotspot? That's it! The towering mountains and steep cliffs meant that if someone died here within a few years, no one would bat an eye. After all, thousands of tourists visited annually, and accidents were bound to happen to those with a strong sense of adventure. What seemed like ordinary occurrences hid a chilling truth upon closer inspection. Every year, several people vanished here without a trace—no bodies, no signs. And how exactly had she ended up near the village's main road? That was now highly questionable, though she had indeed just seen her suitcase in the room.
The night was dark and windy, and she was in unfamiliar territory. Even if she had memorized the way to the village earlier, traversing these vast, treacherous mountains alone to reach the nearest town was impossible. Wait! If another woman discovered this problem in the middle of the night and faced the same situation, she would surely panic and flee. But I can guarantee there were people stationed outside the village, too! The Village Chief had said the town was two hours away—even if she could make it, she wouldn't be faster than them. If nothing went wrong, the Village Chief would surely come looking for her tonight. In fact, that nigh, thet patrolman earlier might have been checking for escape attempts, monitoring her movements.
The more she thought about it, the more danger she sensed, but Wang Zhi's innate decisiveness kicked in. She immediately got up and retraced her steps as quietly as possible. Yet, despite her efforts, the faint creaking of the wooden stairs and the nearly inaudible rhythm of her footsteps gave her away. Her heart lurched—No, it's too late!
Wang Zhi quickened her pace, reaching the door in three strides. Instead of entering, she turned around, facing the doorway as if she had just gotten up for a nighttime trip. She even stretched lazily to mask the noise she had made and the frantic pounding of her heart. She knew one thing for certain: they must not find out she had uncovered their secret. Otherwise, whatever reason they had for not acting against her before would no longer matter—once they knew, she would become their target.
"Girl, still up so late? I forgot to tell you earlier about the toilet's location. Came down specifically to let you know." The Village Chief's usually kind face, under the dim lighting of the room, appeared unnaturally discordant with shifting shadows—almost inhuman. Stiff, every smile seemed custom-made, identical in its amiable warmth, identical in its cracked skin texture etched onto his face. Wang Zhi's pounding heartbeat nearly drowned out her own voice, but she forced her rigid body to relax with a deep breath disguised as a yawn and stretch. Turning around, she feigned slight surprise and timidness, whispering softly, "Yeah. I had too much fun tonight, got a bit excited, and thought I'd take a stroll in the yard. Thanks, Village Chief. I can go by myself. It's just the two of us here—if I make any noise, you'd surely hear and come help, right?"
The Village Chief's smile widened further, his cheerful voice echoing from the stairwell. But instead of easing Wang Zhi's heart—now lodged in her throat—the approaching sound and his increasingly clear face only intensified her dizziness and ringing ears from tension and panic. Desperation clawed at her: What do I do? If he gets any closer, he'll notice my ragged breathing. My racing pulse and nerves haven't settled—if he finds out...
"Oscar-worthy actress! Village Chief, don't come down. I'm a bit scared, heh. After all, I'm still an unmarried girl, y'know? You being this close at night makes me nervous." Wang Zhi mentally applauded her own quick wit. I'm practically a modern-day Zhuge Liang.
The Village Chief paused, eyes narrowing slightly, though his smile remained. "Right, right, you make a fair point. Well, the toilet's near the pigpen in the backyard. Be careful at night—countryside wiring's all exposed, rain and sun keep damaging it. The bulb flickers on and off, so watch your step."
Wang Zhi plastered a shy smile on her face. "Ah, got it, Uncle Village Chief. You should rest early, too. I'll just get some air and head back inside. Heh."
The Village Chief said nothing, only nodded before turning to go back upstairs.
Wang Zhi pretended to look at the moon outside, then casually patted herself down—all her electronic devices were gone. After estimating a few minutes had passed, she turned and went back inside. In the corner of the second-floor attic, a face slowly emerged from the shadows—it was the Village Chief. His expression was unreadable, showing neither joy nor anger. Seeing Wang Zhi return, his face faded back into the darkness.
Once inside, Wang Zhi truly began trying to piece together what had happened and find a way out. I can't even fully determine where I am right now. The Village Chief was cooperative the whole time we spoke. Did I lose a chunk of my memory? Did they drug me? My last clear memory was on the plane—how could they have drugged me there? Superhuman or something? Impossible. Then what? It can't be supernatural, ha! The thought almost made her laugh. Other people transmigrate back to ancient times as wealthy heiresses or doomed princesses, teaming up with handsome rebels to overthrow a corrupt dynasty. But me? Bam! No happiness, no hot guys.
Wang Zhi scratched her head, then sat cross-legged on the bed, taking a deep breath. Drawing on the meditation techniques she practiced daily, she steadied her thoughts.
First, I'm in an unknown danger. I don't know why I'm here, and I have no way to contact the outside world. Second, the distance is too great. And just now, I had a strong feeling someone was watching me. So far, I haven't slipped up. Most importantly, based on past experience, this village seems to have blood sacrifice tendencies—which directly threatens my life. If they aren't picky about victims, I might still be safe. But if they've already chosen me, the Village Chief will definitely find some excuse or method to stop me from leaving tomorrow. What can I do now? There's no way to break this deadlock. All I can do is pray my ancestors come through, and they didn't pick me. But that's basically impossible. I'm young, beautiful—ugh, stop getting distracted! Right. I'm a just-of-age woman, untouched—prime sacrifice material. At best, I can leave behind some clues. Maybe the police will investigate later and make these people pay. And if… if I'm really that unlucky, at least I can give the next person a fighting chance.
Wang Zhi scanned the room again and noticed a chest she hadn't inspected closely before.
Let's see what's inside, she thought. Maybe there's a clue. She laid the chest on its side and rummaged through the clothes inside. Before coming here, she had been fully prepared—mosquito nets, hiking boots, charging cables, hand-crank flashlights, and more. But in this chest, she found none of those. Just a few women's garments. That was it.
Huh? Wang Zhi froze in place. Two voices echoed in her mind, startling her so much that the hairs on her back stood on end! This is definitely not my stuff—my things include hiking boots, a hand-crank flashlight, and so on. The other voice insisted, Yes, all my clothes are indeed here. How nice. Wang Zhi couldn't put her current emotions into words.
Then, she keenly noticed something. Whenever she checked her belongings, she often counted on her fingers as she went. Right now, her fingers clearly showed four items accounted for, yet she only remembered three just moments ago. She had forgotten what she'd forgotten, but in such a short time, she also realized she'd forgotten the very act of forgetting. This left her bewildered, doubting whether it was an illusion—but the fingers she'd counted felt like a searing brand, etched deeply into her vision. She knew this wasn't a hallucination or anything of the sort. She had forgotten. Forgotten what she was missing, an item that could prove the existence of another.
And the second voice in her head carried no dissonance at all, its tone identical to how Wang Zhi usually praised herself inwardly. Yet that was precisely what terrified her. Which one was her own thought? What was happening? Just now, two versions of herself had thought the same thing, producing two voices and two trains of thought. When her confirmed memories clashed with reality, Wang Zhi retreated to her bed. This time, she was genuinely frightened, but she worried her sobbing might draw the Village Chief's attention. Silent tears streamed down as she lay there, staring fixedly at her fingers. She dug her nails into her arm, carving four uneven vertical lines to represent the four categories of items she'd remembered, then added a faint horizontal mark to tally the days she'd been here. Even if she couldn't recall the reason for these marks tomorrow, she knew that if she noticed them, she'd understand what had happened. Knowing what had happened was crucial.
It was then that Wang Zhi finally realized why the Village Chief had kept her in the village. Because one day, she—Wang Zhi—would become one of them. And if needed, she would offer herself as a sacrifice.
The more she dwelt on it, the more heartbroken she became. She wrapped her arms around herself, curling into a tight ball. As she did, a sharp sting pricked her ankle. Absently, she touched it and felt six fresh, jagged scratches crisscrossing her skin...
Footnote 1: Taoist disciples kneel in reverence to their patriarch, chanting scriptures and meditating morning and evening—essentially their daily tasks. Of course, Wang Zhi was a slacker. At most, she managed the evening rituals.