Chapter 145: Butterfly Village
The group filed into the Butterfly Specimen Museum one by one. The interior was surprisingly modern, devoid of the eerie atmosphere they'd imagined. After exiting the exhibit, the tour guide led them to another scenic spot.
As they reached the core scenic area, the village appeared livelier, bustling with more tourists.
The new attraction featured numerous handicraft stalls selling butterfly-themed souvenirs that drew crowds. Li Zhi picked up a silver butterfly-shaped accessory to examine. The young woman behind the stall smiled warmly. "You can have it if you like."
Li Zhi blinked. "For me?"
The girl's smile deepened with hidden meaning. "Yes. You're an honored guest of Butterfly Village. No charge."
Li Zhi chuckled and set it back down. "Thank you, but no."
Xu Yan, intrigued, stepped closer. "What about me?"
The stallkeeper glanced at her, still smiling. "You too."
Before Xu Yan could respond, commotion erupted nearby. They turned to see Han Wenlin arguing with a local man wearing traditional headgear. Li Zhi recognized him—he'd accompanied the village chief to their inn that morning. Though handsome, his expression carried an arrogant menace, his eyes particularly unsettling—like venomous slits that clashed jarringly with his refined features.
Han Wenlin adopted a casual but defensive stance. "Buddy, you can't force someone who's unwilling. What era are you living in? Or does your village lack legal awareness?"
Tourists knew better than to antagonize locals—outsiders rarely prevailed against entrenched power. The man's ornate attire, including what might have been real diamonds studding his hat, marked him as influential.
"I merely invited her to dine," he hissed. "No coercion!"
Han Wenlin scoffed. "She refused. Are you that desperate for company? Fine—invite me instead. I'm not picky."
The man pointed threateningly. "Stay out of this."
Trembling behind Han Wenlin, Tao Tao whimpered. Li Zhi approached, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly. "It's alright."
Xu Yan wordlessly rolled up her sleeves, flanking Han Wenlin.
"I-I don't want to go with him..." Tao Tao stammered, eyes wet.
Xu Yan glared. "You heard her. Get lost."
"You—!"
"A-Tai!" The village chief's sharp voice cut through as he strode over, berating the younger man. "What nonsense is this? Go home!"
After apologizing profusely to the group, the chief dragged A-Tai away—though not before the latter shot Tao Tao a lingering, serpentine glance that made her shudder.
"His eyes... they're terrifying!"
Han Wenlin reassured her. "Stick with the tour group. He won't dare approach you."
After browsing the market, they returned to the inn for lunch, followed by a two-hour break before the afternoon tour.
At the inn's entrance, they witnessed the young staffer chasing a bespectacled man with a broom. "Scram! Harass our boss again and I'll beat you dead!"
"A shameful local custom," a tourist murmured.
The flushed, clean-cut man dodged blows while shouting toward the inn. "Yin Fu! I know you're there! Just five minutes!"
Li Zhi intercepted him post-chase. "Yin Fu's ex?"
Ignoring her, he kept staring at the inn.
"She won't come out," Li Zhi said sympathetically. "Tell me what you want to say—I'll relay it."
His gaze turned feverish. "Get her to meet me."
"And risk you harming her?"
"I'd never hurt Yin Fu!" he roared before storming off.
Inside, Yin Fu lounged in the lobby reading, a butterfly-shaped lamp illuminating the faint ring mark on her left ring finger.
"You have questions," she observed as Li Zhi sat beside her.
"Your ex outside intrigued me," Li Zhi admitted.
Yin Fu sighed. "A youthful mistake."
"That ring you wore left quite an impression."
"Self-bought trinket," Yin Fu said airily, though her fingers tightened slightly. "Odd how some marks persist."
Li Zhi smiled. "Some traces never fade."
After lunch, Xu Yan insisted Li Zhi visit the clinic. "Better have medicine ready if your fever returns tonight."
The "clinic" resembled an ancient apothecary, reeking of herbs and hung with animal pelts. The female practitioner's eyes gleamed oddly when Li Zhi described her symptoms before producing a dubious black pill.
"No thanks," Xu Yan said, recoiling from the stench.
Back outside, Li Zhi mused, "They all recognize us."
Xu Yan frowned. "Even if we're prize tourists, why would random villagers know us? That stallkeeper called us 'honored guests' too."
"If we're collectively chosen," Li Zhi reasoned, "their recognition makes sense."
Xu Yan eyed her. "Meaning butterflies really laid eggs inside you. How are you so calm?"
Li Zhi stretched. "Seven-day deadline—it's only Day Two. Besides," she grinned, "free protein boost if I digest them."
"...Has anyone called you psychotic before?"
"You're the first."
Xu Yan saluted. "Psychotically resilient."
Returning, they found Yin Fu scattering pungent green powder around the inn—"butterfly repellent," she explained.
Xu Yan whispered, "They know what that killer is."
Increased patrols around the village confirmed their suspicions: whatever hunted at night, the locals feared its return.