d taken a wooden box with him, leaving one behind in the drawer for me.The phone on the bedside table was buzzing incessantly, with several missed calls from Lin Yanqin."Ugh..." I rubbed my temples."X...We've seen a lot in our lives, but seeing someone with all black teeth still makes us frown.

The elderly person collecting money here and directing traffic is probably a lookout post. They observe the people and vehicles coming and going to inform the village about any preparations needed.

In remote and harsh areas, villages have always been a united whole, fighting against the heavens, the earth, and people. They are unlike villages in more civilized regions with simpler customs.

My brother laughed and said, “We’re going to Bazhou, right Do we go in from here”

The old man puffed on his pipe, blowing rings of smoke as he spoke: “Go to Baku Ku That place is not a good place to go, you know. People have died recently in Baku Ku, outsiders will be cursed… why don’t you visit some of the neighboring villages instead”

My brother frowned and smiled, “What do you mean Aren't there people who die every day in this world If someone dies, just bury them properly. And it’s not like outsiders are allowed to go sightseeing at the burial grounds.”

The elderly person chuckled softly: “I’m just giving you a heads up, of course you can go…Just keep walking straight down the road, and you’ll reach it when you see the river…”

He took the money and continued to puff away on his water pipe,

My brother rolled up the car window and frowned: "This old man definitely knows what happened in Baku Kwu... To be honest, getting hexed isn't a big deal in this area. We're right next to the border. Why would they even find disciples of the Shen family to exorcise and heal"

"...Maybe the person who might have their head lowered has a high status That's why they seek medical advice from many places" I guessed.

"Wouldn't that be even worse What if these unruly hill folk insisted it was a disciple of the Shen family who drove out the evil spirits and got backlashed, killing the medium What then"

"...What can we do We'll have to pay compensation...Even if we go to court, it'll mostly be a civil liability." It was really frustrating. If things really escalated, the Shen family's reputation would definitely be tarnished.

“I think Shen Qingrui shouldn't come to this kind of place. Her temper is only suitable for scolding those rich and cowardly nouveau riche in the city. Coming here is just asking for trouble! From now on, I forbid her from acting without permission. If she causes any more trouble, let her deal with it herself!” My brother said angrily.

In the back seat of the car, Xiao Nie let out a big yawn and lazily said, "This place is so hot... Let's just finish this quickly and get out of here..."

"You've already achieved enlightenment, why are you still afraid of the heat" I asked in bewilderment.

“It's just unbearable to be in this damp and stifling heat, it’s simply in my nature,” it grumbled as it lay dejectedly on the back seat.

When we got out of the car, I took a look at the surrounding terrain. The mountains here were treacherous, and there was only this one road accessible.

"There are cars in the village too, it seems like it's not an extremely isolated place... Oh, and there's a checkpoint," my brother pointed out to me.

On the road to the village entrance, there are two thatched huts with guards standing watch.

My brother found a local acquaintance on the roadside and said we should go find the village head. The acquaintance looked at us warily, but my brother slipped him some money, and he agreed to help pass along the message.

When the village secretary saw us, he had an understanding look on his face and invited us to the dilapidated village committee office.

"Are you here to handle that matter" His Mandarin was quite standard, he must be from out of town.

"What is it" my brother laughed.

“Still staying This small village has been under martial law recently, and outsiders will be met with hostility. You should have noticed on your way here, the villagers' eyes are wary and unwelcome... This place is different from ordinary villages,” he whispered.

He poured us two cups of tea, shut the door, and said in a low voice: "This place was a drug dealer's transit point and hideout many years ago. The state carried out a major campaign to rectify it, executing many criminals. Almost every household had relatives who were executed - so the people here are hostile to me, this outsider scribe. The village headmaster, Ah Gong, is the most… Those outsiders were locked up in Ah Gong's back mountain…"

He lowered his voice to report to us. My brother raised an eyebrow and said, "Where is he Wasn't he given corporal punishment"

The village head shook his head and whispered, "It was a bit tough, but nothing too serious. I tried my best to stop it."

The Emperor is far away, the law doesn't reach common people. As long as you don't cause a big disturbance, the state won't interfere. You can only suffer in silence.

"I suggest you go and meet with Village Head Grandpa. If he agrees to release the person, the villagers won't object."

We nodded. The village head smiled and said, “It must be tiring to drive all the way here Have some tea. This is local mountain tea, it's a little bitter but good for quenching your thirst.”

He enthusiastically chatted with us, sharing some history and current situation of the village.

My brother and I held our teacups, lightly sipping. We were always cautious when we went out, never letting our guard down.

After chatting for a while, he took us to the village head's house. Our car followed behind with a box of fruit and instant noodles. My brother carried it as a gift.

As expected, giving gifts to the people of the village always earns good will. The faces of the middle-aged men guarding the village head's house looked a little better.

The village head's house was much larger than the village committee building, surrounded by a dirt wall enclosing several large houses.

The village elder lived in a stilt house at the foot of the mountain. As soon as we stepped inside, we were greeted by a strange smell—like herbs and wood ash.

"Hello," I said to the shriveled village head, bowing slightly. He looked at me arrogantly with narrowed eyes.

The village secretary tried to smooth things over, but was dragged away by two middle-aged men. Inside the loft, only the village elder and the two of us were left, sitting beside a hanging clay pot.

The clay pot bubbled and gurgled, filling the room with the scent of medicine.

He held a water pipe, and from the swirling smoke he looked at us, his voice low: "…Do you know who died"

"Venerable elder, you look like a person of high moral character and reason. You must know that this matter is not the fault of my disciples. At most, they were ineffective in their aid, but they were certainly not the perpetrators. You are... accusing the wrong party for revenge, aren't you" I couldn't help but speak out.

The village chief grinned, his shriveled mouth exhaling a puff of white smoke: "Little girl, we're no strangers to sorcery here. If someone who has been cursed isn't treated properly, they risk being harmed in return. At best, they suffer minor damage, at worst, they die... Your people took on the job, but as a result, someone died violently. You say, do your people bear any responsibility"

This big pot, taken off like this, really can't explain itself.

"So, what are you going to do The person is already dead. All we can do is try to minimize the damage," I said.

The village head remained silent in response to my words.

My brother frowned and said, "Just say how much money you want! If you insist on making a fuss about this, we're not going to waste our time. We'll give you the person, do whatever you want with him!"

He was bullying his way through, and the village headman was indeed taken in by it. He quickly said, “Hmph… the deceased is my daughter-in-law, and she has a fetus in her womb. This amounts to two lives lost, and it's not simply a matter of paying compensation…”

This... then what do you want to compensate for

My brother came to his senses: "What Are you asking us to pay you a daughter-in-law Sure, sure! That Shen Qingrui whom you're holding captive, can be your son's empress—"er said, "Those people looking for these cans, bottles, and small cauldrons, they must be used to raise centipedes, right Otherwise, what would they do with these things Use them as chamber pots"I cha...