Chapter 165: Shadow in the Haunted Village

The long-sealed room reeked of mold, mixed with a strange, pungent odor that hit as soon as the door opened.

Li Zhi stood at the entrance without going in, letting the air circulate first. Her flashlight swept across the old house filled with coffins. Behind the six coffins, against the wall, sat an offering table with eight memorial tablets arranged on it.

A bronze wind chime rang eerily in the dark room. Li Zhi waited until the strange smell faded, then stepped inside and casually shut the door.

The night wind was blocked out, the chime fell silent, and the dim house sank into a dead stillness—making the atmosphere even more terrifying.

Li Zhi, however, remained unfazed, while the viewers watching her live inside and outside the instance were on the verge of a breakdown:

—She shut the door! SHE REALLY SHUT THE DOOR!!!
—I used to think the streamer was just a pretty face. I was so wrong.
—Can you switch the camera to show your face instead?! I can’t watch this anymore T_T
—The coffins are sealed with red thread. It must be the six members of the village chief’s family who were hacked to death. The lunatic murderer is probably in one of these coffins.
—Evil in life, evil in death. Is she going to get hacked to death here too?
—This place is cursed! Streamer, run!
—She’s not really planning to sleep here, right? If you dare sleep here, I’ll send a million stars!

Meanwhile, other viewers outside the instance were equally stirred:

【No matter how many times I watch, I’m still in awe of Lychee’s courage. Look at her expression—she actually looks… excited?】
【Li Zhi, you’re frighteningly strong.】
【Watching her gives a thrilling yet comforting feeling. You know something will go wrong, but because it’s Lychee, it feels safe.】
【Nice! Lychee's likes are skyrocketing. She’ll definitely be the first to clear the level!】
【This lineup is insane. First time seeing such a stacked group of top-tier players—too bad it's a solo mission. I’d love to see a team-up.】
【They’re all equally popular. Whoever gets eliminated will be a shame.】
【Seems like the one who uncovers the truth behind the massacre will gain the highest popularity.】

…

The cement floor was covered in a thick layer of dust. As Li Zhi stepped in, her footprints left a clear trail. Judging by the amount of dust, this place hadn’t been visited since it was abandoned.

She walked up to the coffins. The red threads were now clearly visible. She touched them—vermilion marks stained her fingertips.

It was cinnabar.

Each of the six coffins was tightly bound in cinnabar-red thread from top to bottom. Yellow talismans were plastered over the nailed-down lids. Surprisingly, the talismans remained mostly intact, unweathered by time.

Li Zhi squatted down and shone her flashlight on one—its symbols were identical to those on the walls outside.

With the Bagua mirrors, the door god images, and the layered talismans, it was obvious: the villagers who fled were truly terrified that the village chief’s family would return as vengeful spirits.

But something didn’t add up.

Li Zhi adjusted her phone and addressed the viewers, “According to the news, the chief’s family was killed by their own son, who had manic episodes. If it’s a family affair, then even if they became ghosts, they’d only seek vengeance on their own. What’s it got to do with the rest of the villagers?”

She examined each coffin—same treatment throughout—then moved to the offering table behind.

“So, why did the villagers go to such lengths to suppress the chief’s family before they left? If they weren’t involved, what were they afraid of?”

Only the guilty fear revenge.

It was likely that the deaths of the six had hidden truths.

Those villagers who escaped must’ve lied.

Eight tablets sat on the dusty altar.

Judging by the birth and death dates, the top two were the chief’s parents. The middle two were the chief himself and his sister, Liu Cuimei. The bottom four, left to right: eldest son Liu Daqiang, second son Liu Erqiang, Liu Daqiang’s wife Zhou Xuan, and a stillborn infant—probably their child.

Eight tablets—but only six coffins.

Excluding the unborn child, someone was missing. Who?

“The one with mania must be Liu Daqiang,” Li Zhi murmured, leaning the camera closer to the tablets for her viewers. “He was 26. Liu Erqiang was only 8. Only Daqiang had the capacity to kill.”

The chat exploded again:
—Ahhhh don't zoom in like that!!!
—Streamer, you're killing me with these close-ups!
—Six coffins, eight tablets—who's the extra one?!
—Could it be that three people are in one coffin?
—The infant and Zhou Xuan died on the same day? Was it childbirth?
—Two lives in one death—mother and child! That's the most vengeful spirit imaginable!

Li Zhi noticed the death dates too—Zhou Xuan and the baby died a month before the massacre.

So the missing coffin belonged to Zhou Xuan.

Could her death be tied to the family's annihilation?

Apart from the coffins and tablets, there were no other clues. The house was well-preserved. It even had a gypsum board ceiling—unlike the wooden upper floors of most village homes. Solid red brick walls explained its durability.

Clearly, the village chief's family was once the wealthiest and most powerful.

Two doors led to bedrooms on either side of the main hall. Li Zhi entered the left room and coughed as the dust stung her throat. Her flashlight revealed a traditional layout. The bed was intact but filthy, webs and dead bugs everywhere.

She checked the wardrobe—no red dress. Same for the other room.

None of the murdered households had red dresses.

Except this family was different—they were likely killed by the escaping villagers. Based on clues, Liu Daqiang avoided houses with red dresses during his killing spree. The others must’ve realized this and started preparing red dresses for protection.

But if that’s the case, and Liu Daqiang didn’t kill all at once but spaced his murders out—why didn’t the later victims know to prepare red dresses?

The village was too small for secrets. The killings must have been whispered about, even under the village chief’s suppression.

So the red dress couldn’t have stayed secret.

Yet those families still died. Did they not believe it, or did they have red dresses but still got killed?

Was there a difference in the dresses?

And if they had one, where did it go after they died?

As Li Zhi pondered this, the camera lingered on the eerie room, motionless. The viewers, shaking in fear, frantically called out to her—but with her phone mounted on her head, she couldn’t see the comments.

Suddenly, there was a sound outside. The viewers jumped.

Li Zhi snapped out of her thoughts and turned. Through the dust-covered window, she saw the courtyard gate swing open in the wind. The door god posters flapped, half torn.

It was completely dark now. Outside, on the ruined path, something—or someone—was moving.

It was too far to see clearly. She couldn't tell if it was a ghost or just the shadow of dead trees.

A staircase in the hall led to the second floor. Li Zhi climbed it quickly. The layout was the same upstairs. The roof had a hole, and cold moonlight poured in.

She walked to the window, wiped the dust away, and looked out. The house stood on higher ground—she could see the entire village from here.

In the moonlit ruins, where there hadn’t been a single figure during the day, people now roamed in groups.

But under the moonlight—they cast no shadows.

From a distance, she watched them—but then, as if sensing her gaze, they all turned and looked directly at her.

Then, as though finding their target, they started heading straight for the chief’s house.

The viewers were breathless:
—RUN!!! Why are you just standing there?!
—Is she frozen from fear?! MOVE!!!
—It’s over—it’s really ghosts this time!!!

The villagers’ faces were blurred. Li Zhi tried hard but couldn’t identify them.

Then, finally, the camera moved.

But instead of running out the back, she calmly retrieved two blankets from the wardrobe, carried them downstairs, and laid them by the coffins.

The viewers were stunned.

Li Zhi tested the blankets for softness, damp but better than bare ground. She took down her phone stand, rubbed her sore head, then switched to front cam and waved with a smile: “Tonight’s exploration ends here. The streamer is going to sleep.”

The comment section exploded with gifts.

Li Zhi chuckled, resting her chin on her hand: “Why didn’t I run? Because this is the safest place in the whole village.”

She pointed the camera at the coffins: “Don’t forget how those villagers died. Liu Daqiang killed them. Now he’s a ghost, and they’re scared of him—they won’t come in.”

“What if he comes for me?” She shrugged. “Not likely. The cinnabar threads and talismans keep him sealed. As long as I don’t open the coffin, I’m safe.”

“What? You want me to open it?” she raised a brow. “Alright—when the like count hits three million, I’ll livestream it. No takebacks.”

Instantly, the screen was buried in fireworks. The like counter surged past one million in minutes.

Li Zhi connected her phone to a power bank. Though she had nutrient fluids, she preferred the compressed biscuits and canned food in her bag.

After eating, she aimed her phone at the coffins and lay down.

Her relaxed demeanor reassured viewers—she truly wasn’t afraid.

Li Zhi understood the death rules here. Once grasped, they were easy to work around. This episode’s rule was “violence against violence.” Liu Daqiang could overpower the ghosts, and the talismans could restrain him.

Thus, the scariest place was the safest—at least for tonight.

But if she wanted to uncover the truth of Liu Family Village, she’d have to open the coffins eventually.

And once she did, Liu Daqiang would be unleashed.

She reached under her head for the backpack, inside was the red dress she’d found at the first house.

If her theory was right, the dress could protect her.

If she was wrong… it might trigger his rage.

With her eyes closed, Li Zhi made plans for tomorrow. As gifts and comments flooded in, she whispered a good night to her viewers and clutched her sunflower charm as she fell asleep.

And among the exploding fireworks, one unnoticed comment was quickly buried—

—Zhi Zhi?