Stepdaughter of a wealthy family? The little darling of a Beijing tycoon

The hotel owner, a kind-faced, plump middle-aged woman, noticed the three men's accents weren't locals and became exceptionally welcoming. She proactively recommended authentic local restaurants, carefully explaining their locations, signature dishes, and the pros and cons of each establishment.

The three thanked the proprietress politely and followed her directions to the local restaurant.

The shop wasn't big; it was just a simple little roadside stall with a few outdoor tables and chairs outside. It was bustling with activity and the business was booming. When the three of them arrived, almost all the seats outside were already taken, packed with diners.

Lin Yueru stepped forward to ask if there were any seats available. Seeing that they were out-of-towners, the shopkeeper was very accommodating and immediately brought out a simple table and chairs from the shop, setting up a table in the open space near the entrance.

"Please sit wherever you like! Order whatever you want to eat!" The owner was cheerful and easygoing.

"Then bring out a few of your signature dishes."

The owner then asked, "Can the three of you handle spicy food? Our local cuisine tends to be quite strong in flavor."

Lin Yueru turned to look at Shen Jingshu, and seeing her nod slightly, she replied, "Yes, that's fine. Just do it normally."

"Alright! Please wait a moment, you three!"

The owner readily agreed, quickly bringing over melon seeds and peanuts and setting out bowls and chopsticks. With a hint of apology, he said, "We have a lot of customers today, so you might have to wait a while. Please bear with us."

"It's okay, we're not in a hurry."

The three of them sat down and, while waiting for their food, quietly observed the small mountain town.

The town was extremely small, consisting of only two main streets running horizontally and vertically. When they entered the town, they had already taken a quick look around and found that there were only a handful of small restaurants and convenience stores in the entire town. The only place to stay was the hotel where they were staying that night, and the facilities were simple and basic.

But all three of them were easygoing and never picky. As long as it was clean and tidy, they were content to stay and rest.

The night was quiet, and a gentle breeze was blowing. Just as the group was waiting quietly for their food, several middle-aged men at the next table, who had been drinking and chatting, began to talk in hushed tones, their words barely reaching their ears.

"Have you heard? There's been some activity in Xiaowang Village lately."

As soon as the man finished speaking, the others at the table tensed up instantly, instinctively glancing around to make sure no one else could hear them, and they all lowered their voices.

"Shh! Keep your voice down! You're incredibly bold, mentioning Xiaowang Village so late at night!"

"That's right, that place is a forbidden area in our area, and no one has dared to go near it for many years."

"I heard it from an old man herding sheep in the mountains. He was herding his sheep past the border of the back mountain at dusk when he vaguely heard crying and opera singing coming from Xiaowang Village. The sounds were so loud and unpleasant that they made his scalp tingle. He was so scared that he ran back home before it was even completely dark."

Another middle-aged man in a vest picked up his glass and took a big gulp of wine. His face showed lingering fear and apprehension. He said in a deep voice, "It's not just a voice. A while ago, two hikers from out of town, not believing in ghosts, insisted on going into the mountains to explore Xiaowang Village. After they went in, they completely disappeared. The town's police station and the villagers searched for two or three days, turning the entire mountain upside down, but they couldn't find even a single hair. They just vanished into thin air."

"This isn't the first time something like this has happened!" The older man sighed, his face full of regret. "A few years ago, before the village was completely abandoned, people would inexplicably fall ill or become delirious, and strange things kept happening to every household. Later, as if they were possessed, the villagers moved away one after another, and the once beautiful village became completely empty, turning into a ghost village."

"The older generation all say that the village is haunted by evil spirits, with unclean things pressing down beneath it, and you shouldn't mess with it! Anyone who gets close to the village will either get sick from being haunted, or even lose their life!"

The group chatted amongst themselves, each sentence chilling and eerie. A gentle evening breeze seemed to diminish the lively atmosphere of the street, revealing a faint, sinister chill.

Every word of the idle chatter at the next table reached the ears of Shen Jingshu and her two companions.

Lin Yueru's pupils contracted slightly, and she quietly turned her head to exchange a glance with Xuanfeng beside her. Their destination was Xiaowang Village, a place everyone feared, but they hadn't expected to hear so many strange rumors from the locals before even entering the mountains, rumors that were even more dangerous than the information they had found beforehand.

Xuanfeng's expression was solemn, and his eyes held a hint of reverence.

Shen Jingshu, who remained silent throughout, gently stroked the table with her fingertips, her eyes slightly cool, having already seen through the surface and discerned the truth.

This Xiaowang Village is far from a simple case of evil spirits in the mountains. The yin energy here is concentrated and lingers, rooted in the mountains and earth. Over time, it has accumulated into an extremely strong yin and evil aura, constantly haunting the village and bringing misfortune to the living. It seems this mission is far more difficult than they anticipated.

The man at the next table continued to recount the bizarre stories and disappearances in the village, and the more he spoke, the more horrifying they became.

Before long, the restaurant owner brought out steaming hot signature dishes, and the rich aroma of the food wafted over, slightly dispelling the gloomy atmosphere around them.

The three suppressed their thoughts, temporarily putting aside their inquisitive expressions, and quietly ate their meal, silently memorizing all the information they had just heard, waiting for dawn the next day to venture into the mountains to investigate.

The dishes on the table were steaming hot, and the authentic mountain flavors were incredibly fragrant.

The casual conversation between the people at the next table just now lingered in everyone's hearts like a chilling wind, adding an eerie and oppressive layer to the originally lively street scene.

The three ate in silence, tacitly avoiding any conversation, only occasionally raising their hands to pick up food. They appeared calm, but in reality, each of them was secretly pondering the clues they had just heard.

The people at the next table were still chatting on and off about the strange things that happened in Xiaowang Village. The more they talked, the more bizarre it became. They talked about ghosts performing operas at midnight, lost travelers, and villagers who died mysteriously in the past. Each story sent chills down people's spines.

After a hasty dinner, the three paid the bill and walked back to the town's only hotel under the cover of night.

The town was exceptionally quiet at night, with only a few dim streetlights illuminating the streets. The wind rustled through the treetops, making the entire mountain range appear even more deep and dark.

Back at the hotel, the three of them gathered in one room, closed the doors and windows to block out outside noise, and officially reviewed the mission.

Lin Yueru spoke first, her expression grave: "Junior Uncle, Senior Brother Xuanfeng, the commission we received previously only mentioned that Xiaowang Village was plagued by lingering evil spirits and strange occurrences that disturbed the villagers, leading to their relocation and the disappearance of tourists. The information was very vague. We never expected that the rumors circulating among the locals would be far more dangerous than we anticipated."

Xuanfeng nodded, his expression serious: "The information my sect found out says that this place is filled with malevolent energy. It's not the work of ordinary wandering ghosts, but more like a formation that locks in the yin energy, completely sealing off the earth's energy in the entire mountain village."

As he spoke, he took out his phone and pulled up a pre-prepared map of the mountain village.

On the map, Xiaowang Village is located at the bottom of a valley surrounded by mountains. It is a low-lying and isolated place with poor ventilation, making it a place where yin energy gathers.

Xuanfeng pointed his finger at the center of the map: "Look here, the terrain is low-lying and gathers yin energy. The mountains and rivers are closed off, preventing the wind from entering and preventing the flow of qi. Over time, yin energy accumulates and cannot be dispersed. If someone deliberately sets up a yin-locking formation, they can completely turn the entire mountain village into a breeding ground for evil spirits."

Shen Jingshu gazed quietly at the topographical map, her eyes slightly cool, and slowly said, "It wasn't formed naturally; it was deliberately arranged by humans."