Chapter 9

Chapter 9

By the time we led the goat back to the gathering point, it was already afternoon.

Yi Jingchen didn’t seem to have gone anywhere. He really didn’t look interested in the goats.

When he saw us bring back another black goat, he frowned.

“A lot of people may have died around this house.”

He pointed out several wooden plank walls where he had swept away the dust. On closer inspection, the marks on them-some deep, some shallow-were so numerous it was chilling.

And on much of the timber, once the dust had been cleared, thick patches of bloodstains were clearly visible, one after another.

“If we had luminol reagent, after spraying this place down, we probably wouldn’t need to turn on any lights tonight.”

“No way,” Zuo Hao said, frowning, disbelief written all over his face.

“Maybe the villagers used to slaughter chickens and ducks around here, and that’s why there are so many marks. We only came here to kill a few goats. It shouldn’t cost anyone their life, right?”

“Seven people. Four goats. Not every time would someone give up their share willingly,” Yi Jingchen said, staring at Zuo Hao, enunciating every word.

The faint patter of footsteps came from not far away. We all turned to look at once. The Xu brothers had returned.

Xu Da was walking in front. I had no idea how he had killed the goat, but nearly half his body was soaked in blood.

Xu Er followed behind him. The rope that had originally been used to lead the goat was now tied around Xu Er’s wrist.

His steps were unsteady, his eyes vacant, and his forehead was smeared all over with goat’s blood.

As the brothers drew closer, the rank, gamey stench of goat blood rolled straight toward us, leaving nowhere to hide.

Ba Wuyue, who had been sitting off to the side, couldn’t help retching. Zuo Hao backed away again and again, covering his nose, but the smell seeped into everything.

Yi Jingchen was a little calmer. He stepped forward and asked, “How did it go? Is the sacrifice finished?”

Xu Da seemed somewhat dazed. He only stopped when he heard Yi Jingchen’s voice, then slowly nodded.

“Eat something first. Get some rest.”

Yi Jingchen poured the two of them some freshly boiled hot water.

Xu Da casually found a piece of wood and sat down, then tugged Xu Er along.

But when the rope pulled at Xu Er, he didn’t sit down with him. Instead, his knees buckled, and he dropped to all fours. He looked exactly like-a goat.

Xu Da’s face flushed instantly, veins bulging. He grabbed Xu Er by the collar and hauled him up, then slammed him to the ground with a bang.

“Calm down, calm down. His hysteria probably hasn’t passed yet.”

Yi Jingchen hurriedly stopped Xu Da. “Let him rest first. Maybe he’ll be fine after a night.”

Xu Er had been thrown onto the ground, but he didn’t even cry out in pain. His body writhed there, as if his limbs no longer quite obeyed him.

I helped Xu Er up and carried him into the wooden house.

Xu Er still didn’t react. He just sat leaning against the corner of the wall.

I drew out the Soul-Whip. Facing Xu Er, the Soul-Whip made no strange sound at all.

I didn’t know if it was because the goat’s blood on Xu Er’s forehead was smeared on too thickly, but the rank stench choked me into sneezing.

Just then, I suddenly heard someone call, “Brother Long!”