If the well had dried up naturally, it wouldn't be a problem for someone to go down and check the water source. However, this well appeared to have been dry for at least a century, making the presence of such fresh footprints quite strange.
“Nan Yue!”
Nan Yue turned to see Zhu Xi Ning running toward her. Zhu Xi Ning’s eyes immediately fell on the dark, bruised handprint on Nan Yue’s wrist, and she let out a gasp.
“Are you all right?”
Nan Yue waved her off. “We’ll talk back at the base. For now, I need you to keep watch here. I’m going down to the bottom of the well.”
Zhu Xi Ning peered into the well, her brow furrowing. “Isn't that too dangerous? The light probably won't reach the bottom. What if there's something down there...?”
Nan Yue nodded. “That’s why I’ll only stay where the light reaches. I just want to see what’s down there.”
Seeing Nan Yue’s persistence, Zhu Xi Ning didn't say anything more. The well walls were made of stacked stones, rough enough to provide easy handholds. For them, climbing up and down was no difficult feat.
Nan Yue carefully climbed down the wall to the bottom. A thick, overwhelming scent of blood hit her, nearly making it impossible to breathe.
The sensation was the same as her daily rest periods outside of missions—as if her entire body were stuffed into a mass of rotten meat, with every breath filled with a suffocating stench.
However, the pressure here was far less than what that thing usually exerted on her. That thing wasn't just a sensation; its formless pressure was so powerful it felt physical. This, on the other hand, was the actual smell of blood.
This wasn't just a dry well. As soon as Nan Yue reached the bottom, she saw a man-made tunnel. It was a dark hole that she would have missed if not for her sharp eyes.
As for the brown substance mixed with the soil on the ground, Nan Yue didn't even have to guess what it was.
The town’s secrets were indeed hidden here, but now was not the time for a full investigation.
Nan Yue climbed back to the surface. Zhu Xi Ning only breathed a sigh of relief once she saw her friend land safely.
“Gu Xiang Kai found the madwoman. He sent me to get you.”
Nan Yue looked up at the sky. She had wasted some time at the bottom of the well, and now the two of them had to hurry to the small woods.
When Nan Yue arrived, she saw Dongfang Yuelai and Lu Jiao were already there. Lu Jiao was trying to talk to the madwoman, but the woman only clutched her doll in silence.
“We’re really here to help you. We also think there’s something wrong with this town. If you’re willing, we can guarantee your safety.”
Lu Jiao had meant it as a casual remark, but the madwoman reacted as if a keyword had been triggered. She looked up at Lu Jiao.
“My child... They killed my child.”
Even though she already knew this, Lu Jiao’s eyes still reddened with empathetic anger. “Why would they kill your child?”
“Children... All the children... The sacrifice...”
Lu Jiao knelt down. “The town uses children for sacrifices? What happens now, then? There are no children left in your town.”
Having survived several missions, Lu Jiao immediately made a connection. “Are you kidnapping children from the outside for the sacrifices? No wonder the resentment in this town is so heavy. Is the sacrificial site at the scholar’s old residence?”
It seemed they had also noticed the strange arrangement of the corpses, which clearly indicated some kind of ritual.
“There are... there are children.”
The madwoman suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with madness. “They’re hidden away. Save them... Hurry, take me to save them...”
“You’re lying.”
“That’s not right.”
At the same moment, Nan Yue and Dongfang Yuelai spoke simultaneously, interrupting the madwoman.
Lu Jiao was stunned. She hadn't expected the madwoman to be lying, but seeing the woman’s expression instantly darken, she immediately stood up and backed away.
Nan Yue and Dongfang Yuelai exchanged a look. Dongfang Yuelai stepped forward, looking down at the madwoman.
“You don’t want to save them. Your eyes are full of spite.”
“What is it you want to do? Kill them? Because your child is dead, no other child is allowed to live?”
The madwoman lowered her head, showing only her messy hair to the group. After a long silence, she choked out, “My little treasure is dead... Waaah... she’s dead...”
Lu Jiao watched for a while and sighed. Although the madwoman had lied to them, it was somewhat understandable given the trauma she had endured.
While Dongfang Yuelai watched the madwoman in silence, Nan Yue, who had been observing the drama, spoke up lazily. “What benefit do you get from killing those children with your own hands?”
Almost everyone present instantly looked at Nan Yue, then belatedly turned their gaze back to the madwoman on the ground.
Her body froze.
“It’s not just malice in your eyes; there’s greed too. Your affection for that doll in your arms is an act. Even if you’re crazy and sometimes forget it’s not your child, the doll shouldn't be so physically mangled.”
Nan Yue knelt nearby, watching the madwoman. The woman’s eyes darted around, her face pale. Nan Yue felt her suspicion was correct.
“Did you all... eat the children?”
The words were like a thunderclap, causing everyone present to gasp. Only Dongfang Yuelai gave Nan Yue a deep look before taking a few more steps back.
The madwoman’s body began to shake. “You’re lying... Lying...”
Nan Yue pointed toward the child in her arms. “I think those chunks missing from the doll were bitten off by you.”
“The things added to the food in the restaurant and every household... those were children, weren't they?”
Ignoring the strange looks from those around her, Nan Yue continued, “The flesh and bone were stripped from the people who died at night. That’s how those children died, too, right?”
Today was the penultimate day, and the clues were actually quite obvious—especially after Nan Yue had gone down the well. She was certain the thick scent of blood down there wasn't from just one or two people.
“Your town has a custom of eating children, believing it brings good fortune. That’s why the children in every household were eaten.”
“But you didn't get any? You went through all the trouble of giving birth, only for others to eat your child without sharing? That’s why you fell out with the town and became a homeless madwoman.”
A cold smile played on Nan Yue’s lips. “What a wonderful mother you are.”
The madwoman suddenly shrieked and lunged at Nan Yue, only to be kicked away by Gu Xiang Kai, who had been standing guard.
“Damn it, what kind of lunatics are in this town?”
Gu Xiang Kai’s face was grim. He hadn't eaten any food tainted with the flesh of children, but the thought that this seemingly quaint and peaceful town had been devouring its own offspring made his stomach churn.
“Why! Nannan was mine! Why did that man let his mother and himself eat her all up!”
The madwoman threw the doll aside and dropped her facade completely, revealing a vicious side. Her mouth hung open, revealing sharp teeth as saliva dripped down her chin.
Nan Yue suddenly looked up at the sky and said something seemingly unrelated. “It’ll probably be dark in about an hour.”
Zhu Xi Ning was surprised. “So soon!”
Nan Yue looked back at the madwoman. “I wonder what will happen to you if you’re still in town after dark?”
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