Chapter 175: Phantom of the Desolate Village

​​The cellar was quiet and warm. Without the vengeful spirits of Liu Youcai’s parents, it was practically the perfect shelter.

Li Zhi took off the red dress and sat on the ground. When she picked up her phone, she saw the live chat buzzing with discussion. Her earlier interrogation of Liu Daqiang had steered the truth of the serial massacre case in a completely different direction.

Aside from Liu Youcai and Liu Dajun’s families, the three subsequent families had not been killed by Liu Daqiang.

He wouldn’t lie in front of his deceased mother.

Li Zhi flipped open the notebook again, organizing the timeline.

Liu Youcai’s parents and Zhou Xuan had died on the same day—hacked to death by Liu Daqiang. Three nights after Zhou Xuan’s death, Liu Youqiang, locked on the second floor of his own home, got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and saw Zhou Xuan in a red dress waving at him from downstairs.

But Zhou Xuan had been cremated by the village chief’s family, her ashes scattered. That couldn’t have been her.

As soon as Liu Daqiang descended the stairs, “Zhou Xuan” turned and ran, darting straight into Liu Dajun’s house.

The scene Liu Daqiang described was identical to the scenario Li Zhi had reenacted tonight. She had put on the red dress, pretended to be Zhou Xuan, and lured Liu Daqiang to Liu Youcai’s house.

Back then, someone had impersonated Zhou Xuan to lead the enraged Liu Daqiang to Liu Dajun’s home, using him to slaughter the entire family—only the “Zhou Xuan” in the red dress had escaped unharmed.

Liu Dajun’s “wife” was none other than Shen Jiayan, the woman the villagers praised endlessly.

Li Zhi pulled out the family photo, staring at the young woman with eyes full of resentment and defiance. She had already guessed as much, but Liu Daqiang’s words now confirmed her suspicions.

It was Shen Jiayan who had pretended to be Zhou Xuan.

Ten years had passed, but her spirit had not been broken.

She had never assimilated into the village, never accepted it as her home. She had never given up on escaping.

In fact, given her intelligence and resilience, she must have had countless opportunities to flee over the years.

But she had chosen to stay.

She didn’t want to run—she wanted revenge.

A decade of humiliation and torment in this village had to be repaid with her own hands.

Zhou Xuan’s death had given her the opportunity she had been waiting for.

From the moment Li Zhi saw the photo, she knew Shen Jiayan was an exceptionally clever and tenacious woman. She had orchestrated the perfect murder by proxy, using Liu Daqiang to kill her enemies—even showing no mercy toward the son she had borne.

Given Shen Jiayan’s usual behavior in Liu Village, no one would ever suspect her.

After Liu Dajun’s family was wiped out, she had even organized their funeral herself, earning widespread praise for her “kindness.”

Then, on the seventh-day memorial of Liu Dajun’s family, Liu Dafu’s household was massacred.

Why that night?

Because those who died violent deaths harbored deep resentment. On the night of their return, every household in Liu Village would lock their doors early, too afraid to step outside after dark.

That night was the perfect time to strike.

Liu Daqiang had already been locked up—so was it Shen Jiayan who did it?

No. She couldn’t have done it alone.

To silently slaughter an entire family in the dead of night, including able-bodied men, without inside help—Shen Jiayan couldn’t have pulled it off.

The only possibility was that Shen Jiayan had teamed up with Liu Dafu’s “wife.”

After that, on the seventh-day memorial of Liu Dafu’s family, Liu Guiren’s household was wiped out. And on Liu Guiren’s seventh-day memorial, Liu Jianguo’s family met the same fate.

From start to finish, there had been no vengeful ghost.

It was the women who had suffered who had saved themselves.

That was why Liu Xiaoyan hadn’t wanted to tell Li Zhi the truth—she was protecting the sisters who had shown her the only kindness in her life.

Li Zhi watched the live chat erupt with theories. Some insisted Liu Daqiang was lying, others believed Zhou Xuan was taking revenge, and a few even blamed Liu Youcai and Liu Xiaoyan.

Then she spotted a message from the user “OnlyWishForPeace”:

—The streamer is a kind girl for burying Xiaoyan, but please don’t drag the innocent back into this abyss.

Every woman who had escaped that place had blood on their hands. If the truth came out, they would be labeled murderers—and the surviving villagers would never let them go.

Even if this was just a fabricated world, even if they weren’t real.

Li Zhi switched to the front camera and waved at the screen. “That’s all for tonight’s exploration. Thanks for your support.”

The chat erupted in protest:

—No way, streamer! We still don’t know who killed them!
—You’re so close! Keep going! Not enough gifts? I’ll send a big one right now!
—You figured it out, didn’t you? Tell us!

The likes had surpassed six million. Li Zhi put on a sincere expression. “The truth is out—Liu Daqiang is the killer. Zhou Xuan’s death triggered his psychosis. He was hallucinating when he chased villagers into their homes at night. He lied to me earlier because he was afraid his mother would scold him. So everyone, stay vigilant around mentally unstable individuals. Safety first.”

The audience wavered, half-convinced by her earnest delivery, half-suspicious that something was off.

But Li Zhi didn’t give them time to think. She blinked at the camera. “A Xi, the sunflower charm cracked. Can I still use it next time?”

Li Jianxi replied instantly: Yes.

Relieved, Li Zhi grinned and waved. “Alright, I’m out. See you next time.”

Li Jianxi: See you.

Li Zhi ended the stream.

At the same time, she and the audience outside the instance heard the system’s voice:

“Stream concluded. Player will be forcibly logged out. Congratulations on completing the ‘Phantom of the Desolate Village’ instance. Proceeding to popularity evaluation. Thank you for watching. Stay tuned for the next episode. Goodbye.”

Li Zhi had planned to explain the truth to the audience after logging out, but the system was kicking her out immediately. Guess she’d have to forfeit that last bit of popularity.

She closed her eyes, ready to be transported back to the safe house.

But instead of the usual collapse-and-teleport sequence, a white light flashed, and Li Zhi found herself observing Liu Village from a third-person perspective.

The system’s voice echoed in her ears:

“Congratulations, Li Zhi, for being the first player to clear this instance. Unlocked bonus content. Would you like to proceed?”

A hidden scene? Was this a perk of solo instances?

Li Zhi selected Yes.

The sun dipped below the mountains, casting a serene glow over Liu Village—a tranquility shattered by furious wailing.

An old minivan was parked outside Liu Youcai’s house. A thin, pretty girl was being dragged out by a man and a woman. Her hands were bound, her voice hoarse from screaming, but her struggles were useless.

Li Zhi recognized her instantly.

Zhou Xuan.

Liu Youcai’s family stood at the door. His mother shot the girl a disdainful look and muttered to her husband, “Another troublemaker.”

But Liu Youcai was delighted, his eyes glued to Zhou Xuan’s face. “Ma, she’s pretty!”

His mother scoffed. “Pretty? Look how skinny she is! Can’t work, can’t bear children!”

Liu Youcai pouted. “I’m not marrying her to make her work! Xiaoyan can handle the chores. I want a beautiful wife—I’ll spoil her!”

His mother’s expression darkened.

Still sobbing, Zhou Xuan was hauled into the yard. Liu’s mother led the way, malice dripping from her voice. “Throw her in the pigpen for a few days. We’ll see if she’s still feisty then.”

Zhou Xuan was shoved into the filthy, cramped pen. The wooden door was locked. She collapsed against it, peering through the cracks as Liu’s mother counted cash for the trafficker.

The woman warned, “Keep her locked up tight. The crackdown’s intense lately—we lost one on the way here. If this one runs, your son won’t get another bride this year.”

Liu’s mother smirked. “Once she’s in Liu Village, she’s never leaving.”

Inside the stinking pen, Zhou Xuan slid to her knees, despair crushing her.