The demon stiffened, unsure of how to respond, since Huo Fu had never told it what to do in this situation.
It seemed the safest option was still to devour everyone.
Walking at the front, it hesitated for a moment before opening its bloody mouth.
Zuo Zhu clung to him, walking beside him, and was the first to notice.
She immediately brightened. “Oh, Brother Huo doesn’t like to talk. If you want to know something, just ask me.”
Lin Tianming looked at her in confusion. “How do you know?”
Zuo Zhu’s cheeks flushed with a hint of shyness. “He has told me everything about himself and said he would take responsibility for me.”
Lin Tianming was speechless. There were too many points to comment on. He suddenly felt the same emotions as Liu Minmin.
“Can you tell me?” he asked, pressing a hand to his forehead.
“Brother Huo came here several years ago to investigate the mysteries of this mountain village. He even lived here for years. Later, he realized the village’s evil spirits were too difficult to confront, so he sought other ways to leave.”
Zuo Zhu recited the excuse the male lead gives Lin Tianming in the comic. If it were the human Huo Fu during the day, he would likely say the same.
She did not want the demon to discover the lie, lose control, and devour everyone present. Perhaps she might survive, but if daytime Huo Fu returned, he would see that his careful approach with Lin Tianming had been ruined by the demon. Unable to punish it, he would vent his anger on her.
After Zuo Zhu finished speaking, she secretly glanced at the demon. It had completely calmed down, even imitating the human Huo Fu’s composure, nodding lightly. “Not bad.”
Lin Tianming felt a complex mixture of emotions.
He believed Zuo Zhu; Huo Fu’s aura truly did not belong to someone raised in this village.
But if Huo Fu had been trapped here for years, still seeking a way out, what hope did the remaining few have of leaving?
The demon led them a short distance before stopping at a corner.
“What’s wrong?”
It pointed ahead, prompting Lin Tianming to look.
Peeking around the corner, he saw a villager’s courtyard, the gate tightly locked.
Standing guard was Zhao Siyu.
Liu Minmin frowned. “Why is she out here in the middle of the night? I’ll go ask her!”
She dashed forward but was pulled back by Lin Tianming.
“Don’t be impulsive,” he said, furrowing his brow. “Something feels off.”
Zhao Siyu was not the bold type; why would she be standing outside a courtyard at night?
Lin Tianming suspected she had seen a ghost or discovered something alarming and sneaked over.
“First, let’s see where Qin Shou is.”
Liu Minmin calmed down, and they waited behind the corner, ready to act if needed.
Demon Huo Fu grew impatient. Surrounded by humans, it wanted to devour one.
To its left was Zuo Zhu, whom it had to hold back for now, especially after she had helped cover for it.
To its right was Liu Minmin, and the demon’s mind was already imagining swallowing this skinny woman whole.
Zuo Zhu quickly pulled it back, holding its arm tightly with a fake smile. “Brother Huo, you haven’t looked at me for a whole minute. Aren’t you going to look at me?”
The demon felt frustrated, not wanting to glance at her.
Liu Minmin restrained her disgust, whispering, “Zuo Zhu, are you serious?”
“You dare say that to me?” Zuo Zhu whined, collapsing into Demon Huo Fu’s arms. “Brother Huo, I am so sad and hurt!”
Liu Minmin turned away, refusing to witness this pair.
Lin Tianming kept his eyes on the courtyard. Zhao Siyu had not moved, which made him increasingly anxious.
“I think we should go in to see what they are doing,” he said.
“What about Zhao Siyu outside? She’ll be alert if we appear.”
Lin Tianming looked at Demon Huo Fu, hoping it could handle the situation so they could slip in unnoticed.
But Huo Fu didn’t even glance at him. It strode past the corner, appearing in Zhao Siyu’s line of sight.
She froze, her eyes vacant, unable to move.
Lin Tianming and the others behind were stunned.
Following Demon Huo Fu, Lin Tianming asked cautiously, “Brother Huo, how did you do that?”
Zuo Zhu smirked. “Clearly, that’s hypnotism. Lin Tianming, you really have no experience.”
Lin Tianming could only remain silent.
Zhao Siyu was controlled, like a puppet with no consciousness.
Demon Huo Fu swaggered, pushing open the gate and entering the courtyard.
The others hurried after him.
As soon as they entered, Qin Shou’s voice could be heard.
“My sweet little one, a few days have passed. Did you miss me?”
“Get away from me!”
“Damn! You were sleeping with me and you pretend like this! You filthy girl!”
A slap rang out. Lin Tianming’s expression darkened.
Liu Minmin gritted her teeth. “Beast!”
Lin Tianming explained in a low voice, “We searched the village today. This house belongs to a seventeen-year-old girl whose parents died falling while gathering mountain goods. She is the only one left at home.”
From Qin Shou’s words, he clearly had been coming to this girl before. Perhaps even before the group arrived at the village, Qin Shou had already set his sights on her.
The noise continued.
“Damn! You deserve this! You pretend to be pure, even though your parents have been dead so long. Maybe the villagers have used you, and now you act innocent with me!”
The sound of clothing tearing came through the window.
Lin Tianming could no longer restrain himself. He stepped forward, ready to enter and stop Qin Shou.
Zuo Zhu warned, “Can you take him?”
Lin Tianming froze.
He was a typical scholar type: academically excellent, but physically weak. Against a sporty Qin Shou, he had no chance.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. “Then what? Should I just watch this girl be violated?”
Zuo Zhu stayed silent. Even knowing the story, she dared not reveal anything to Huo Fu.
Lin Tianming looked at Demon Huo Fu.
The demon was hungry and cold.
Lin Tianming saw Huo Fu’s attitude and felt both disappointed and frustrated. “Brother Huo, if you know Qin Shou is here, why didn’t you stop him sooner?”
Of course, the demon gave no answer.
Lin Tianming, frustrated, saw Huo Fu and Zuo Zhu standing aside while Liu Minmin’s gaze flickered. How could he possibly fight Qin Shou alone?
The noise from inside gradually ceased.
Lin Tianming tensed, hesitated briefly, then let go of Liu Minmin’s hand and kicked the door open.
He immediately rushed into the bedroom.
Inside, only a disheveled young girl lay crying on the bed. Qin Shou was gone.
Lin Tianming felt guilty. “Are you okay?”
The girl looked up. She had seen him during the day but trembled from the trauma she had just experienced and from the sudden nighttime appearance. She retreated further into the bed.
“Don’t be afraid,” Lin Tianming reassured her. “I am not like Qin Shou. If you want to report him, I can testify. Do you know where he went?”
The girl fearfully pointed to the window. “He escaped through the window.”
Lin Tianming instinctively assumed their earlier noise had scared Qin Shou away.
He looked at the still trembling girl. “Do you want to come with us? Living here alone is not safe. There are two older girls outside. You don’t need to be afraid.”
The girl nodded while crying. “C-Can you come help me?”
As Lin Tianming reached out, a drop of water fell on his forehead.
Thinking the roof leaked, he instinctively looked up.
Looking up, he met Qin Shou’s unblinking eyes on the roof.