Mutated Tao

After some pondering, Li Huowang nodded. “Elder, could you please tell us what these rules are?”

“First. In our Wu Family Village, you’re not allowed to talk back to those older than you, especially me,” said the goateed village chief as he raised his index finger.

“That is a rule?” Li Huowang and the others were completely dumbfounded. They had expected there to be some peculiar rules, but they seemed quite ordinary.

“Aren’t these only household rules? You want to use your household rules to restrict outsiders?” argued Puppy.

But Li Huowang tapped Puppy’s head beside him and then said to the village chief, “Please continue. We’re listening.”

"Second. Whenever any animals from the nearby forest come out, be it a mouse or an owl, you must not harm them or step on them. If you encounter them on the road, then you must give way. They have done many favors for our Wu Family in the past. Third. You guys are outsiders, and thus your group’s men aren’t allowed to talk to the females of our village. This rule didn’t exist previously. But recently, a peddler took away two wives from here! Ah, my blood boils just thinking about it…”

As the village chief incessantly droned on about the rules, Li Huowang and the others gradually learned about the various rules of the Wu Family Village. Even trivial stuff like how they shouldn’t litter had been mentioned.

“Damn, this village has too many rules. We might as well not stay here,” muttered one of the guiding drug ingredients.

“Shh, continue listening,” whispered Li Huowang.

At this point, the village chief’s list was drawing to an end. “Eleven, don’t light up fires at night, and don’t go outside at night either. And lastly, no matter what time it is, never talk to someone with your back facing them; always turn around, and only answer them once you see their face. Never speak to someone who has their back turned to you.”

Li Huowang frowned slightly upon hearing these rules. The last two made him feel that something was amiss.

“What happens if I end up breaking these rules? What will happen?” asked Li Huowang.

“Break the rules?!” The village chief’s eyes widened fully, and then he confidently continued, “You’ll be fined, of course! A silver piece each time you break the rules! Even more if it’s a repeat offense! You will be fined until you dare not break them anymore! Don’t think that I’m bullying you just because you are outsiders. Even our own villagers are treated the same way.”

Li Huowang felt that he had some sort of misconception. Could it be that he had misunderstood something?

At that moment, Li Huowang felt someone tugging at the hem of his robes, causing him to look back at the goateed elder. He nodded as he said, “Rest assured, Elder. We are reasonable people.”

“That’s good. I wouldn’t have bothered helping all of you if not for the fact that I saw you traveling with two kids. I’m getting old; I can’t bear seeing children suffer,” said the chief. Then, he turned around and walked back to the courtyard.

Meanwhile, the two horse carriages stopped within the courtyard, while Li Huowang’s group brought their bedding into the musty and smelly west wing.

By the time they were done cleaning and arranging everything, the sun was already setting in the west.

At that moment, the chief came in with a smile. “Ah, youngsters, are you going to have dinner here? I’ll get my wife to prepare some extra.”

Have dinner?

Li Huowang’s heart tightened. Others’ food wasn’t usually so delicious to eat.

Li Huowang thought for a moment, then nodded, “Thank you, Elder.”

Then, he glanced at Xiaoman as he watched the elder leave with hands behind his back. “Go to the kitchen and help the host family.”

“Alright.” Xiaoman nodded and left.

The village chief had a large family—six sons, two daughters, and even more grandchildren. Thus, dinner-time was a bustling affair with over a dozen people.

This was also the reason why he dared to take Li Huowang’s group in. In the village, nobody dared to provoke those who had a lot of sons.

Even though they stayed in a massive mansion, the Wu Family’s dinner was quite simple. They were having plain steamed rice along with their own homegrown vegetables. It seemed rather miserly.

By the time Li Huowang arrived, they had already started eating—they didn’t have any notion of a host having to wait for the guests. In fact, many of the plates were already empty.

“The rice is over there, so help yourselves. We don’t have too many formalities when we are eating,” said the chief.

Li Huowang shook his head. “No problem.”

He led his group to the corner where the steamer was placed as he started counting in his head. Just as he had counted to ten, the sound of bowls shattering rang out behind him.

When he turned around, he saw the dozens of people, including the village chief, all lying on the floor, unconscious.

Hehe, that peddler’s knockout drugs are quite effective. You truly get what you pay for.

He didn’t bother checking whether these people were under the so-called Eighteenth Lunar’s manipulation or whether they were plotting against him. After all, whoever struck first held the advantage.

Then, with a wave of his hand, the others quickly rushed toward the east wing of the main house to search for clues.

“Start with anything written, then look for other abnormal objects. Pay extra attention to the strange things, like Buddhist amulets or Deities. I want to see what they are up to!” Li Huowang instructed.

They searched everywhere, even flipping through the entire courtyard as a group, yet they found nothing. There was nothing unusual.

How could there be nothing?

Li Huowang stood in the hall, frowning as he thought about these questions.

After an entire day's work, he hadn’t found anything in the bizarre forest besides this village.

Could the Eighteenth Lunar be in the forest we were in previously? No, I checked there already. This village is surrounded by the bamboo forest. If the Eighteenth Lunar is hiding, then it must be here.

“Does finding their silver count for anything?” Puppy carried out some silver pieces. However, he sighed helplessly when he saw Li Huowang merely glance at him, and then dejectedly carried the silver back.

Li Huowang noticed the dusky color of the sky, and then instructed again, “Bring the fire starter and start a fire.”

“Senior Li, weren’t we told not to light any fires?” Bai Lingmiao was confused.

Hearing this, Li Huowang’s eyes narrowed, while his right hand touched the row of torture tools on his waist. “I want to see what happens after I light it.”

If there were any other suspicious things about this village, than they would be the rules mentioned by the goateed man.

Whoosh~

The candle lantern found from the search earlier was rapidly lit on fire, illuminating the entire Wu Family courtyard.

In the hall filled with people lying on the floor, Li Huowang sat quietly and waited. The sky was gradually getting darker. There was no moon tonight; it was as though a giant black cloth was covering the sky.

However, the darkness fell just like that, and nothing happened.

“Ha~” Puppy yawned, then leaned against a pillar and started to doze off.

His yawns seemed to be contagious, making the others yawn as well.

At that moment, a trace of doubt appeared in Li Huowang’s heart as he looked at the unconscious Wu Family members lying on the ground.

Could I have really come to the wrong place?

Just as he was starting to have such thoughts, a mischievous giggle sounded from beyond the courtyard wall, “Hehe, you broke the rules.”

Chacha and Char's Thoughts

Annnd there it is, the thing that comes out whenever someone breaks a rule, just like in any other novels.