Chapter 143: His Rules

Dinner in the village was pretty simple with the usual home-cooked dishes.

There was a piece of eggplant, some stuffed tofu, and a serving of stir-fried potatoes.

It seemed like an ordinary meal, but something about it felt off. Maybe it was the ingredients or the seasoning, but the dishes looked strange.

The old man added a handful of something black and gritty to the pot while cooking. He blocked Liang Ye's view, as if trying to keep it a secret.

They served the meal with just one pair of bowls and one serving of rice. The old couple stood by, not planning to join in.

Liang Ye didn't ask any more questions. He took the bowl, served himself some rice, and quickly ate the three dishes. After finishing, he burped and said it could use a bit more salt but thanked them for the meal.

During this, the old couple's expressions changed from gloomy to surprised. They exchanged glances, as if having a silent conversation. The old lady's eyes seemed to ask if the ingredients were really added. The old man's look answered, saying he did, but he was amazed Liang Ye was still fine.

"By the way, are you two the only ones here? Don't you have any children?" Liang Ye asked, feeling full.

The old couple's eyes widened.

Realizing Liang Ye was someone important, the old man finally spoke after a pause.

"I had a son," he said in a rough voice. "He passed exams, went to college, studied archaeology, and traveled a lot. He'd send back strange items, saying they were new discoveries.

One day…"

The old man paused, his gaze shifting to a dark corner of the room.

"They said there was a landslide. My son, brave as he was, rescued his colleagues but couldn't make it out."

"Oh, I'm sorry to bring it up," Liang Ye said, though his apology seemed a bit off.

"No, it's fine. He'll be back soon."

The old man pointed to a dark part of the room. Liang Ye saw a bronze mirror with intricate designs hanging above the cabinet.

"That's what he brought back. He said it was very old, made by someone long gone. It held the wishes of someone who had passed away. It symbolized reunion."

"Yes," the old lady added sharply. "We both dreamed about it right after the landslide. The child told us in the dream that we could still reunite, and this mirror could make it happen. But it's been buried too long, and it's too weak now. It needs food..."

"I understand," Liang Ye said, nodding as if he got the picture.

"So, is that why people keep going missing around here?"

By then, the villagers who had been outside had come in. Their eyes were blank, and their faces looked so gloomy it seemed like they could drip water.

The small room quickly filled up. The two old men stepped aside quietly, and the strange villagers packed in.

"You're unusual," the old man said in a raspy voice. "But no one can stop our family reunion, no matter who shows up."

As he spoke, the villagers moved closer, each one looking like they were controlled by an invisible puppet master.

At that moment, a very annoying ringtone blared.

"Gourd baby, gourd baby, a flower on a vine, not afraid of wind and rain, la la la la..."

All the gloomy villagers paused, confused.

"Sorry, it's my call," Liang Ye said, making a "hold on" gesture. He pulled out his phone and smiled apologetically.

"Just a moment, I need to take this... Hello? Yes, it's me."

The villagers exchanged glances, unsure what to do. They seemed to decide to wait.

Liang Ye continued, "I'm busy here. Hurry up…"

He gave an embarrassed shrug to the villagers, indicating he'd be done soon.

"An urgent mission? But I'm, uh, okay. I'll call you back as soon as I can."

Liang Ye hung up, put his phone away, and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, work's been nonstop. By the way, where were we?"

The villagers continued to stare at each other.

Then, suddenly, a huge force crashed through the wall. Bricks and debris fell to the ground, and a young boy from the village was hurled through the wall and landed motionless.

The window shattered, and two figures flew out. Several villagers fell and rolled outside.

"Infected... they're infected," Liang Ye said casually as he knocked a young man aside and sent him crashing into a cabinet.

"They're all infected? Good, that makes things easier."

He dodged a kitchen knife, grabbed the attacker, and broke his neck.

Soon, the house was filled with fallen villagers.

Liang Ye dusted off his hands and walked towards a bronze mirror among the crowd. "This must be the source of the infection."

As he reached for the mirror, a powerful force exploded from it. Liang Ye was thrown backward and landed outside the house. He got up, squinting at what was happening.

The mirror's force had ripped a huge hole in the roof. A mass of black, gooey substance began to form a gigantic, twisted monster. Its body was like a mass of intertwined vines, with no clear animal shape and covered in dark, wrinkled skin.

"Has it turned into this after absorbing so much energy?" Liang Ye wondered as he stood up, cracking his neck.

The monster's entire body twisted like a giant fist coming down on Liang Ye.

Liang Ye looked up expressionlessly, clenched his fists lightly, and prepared to fight.

Boom! Lightning struck, splitting the sky. Thunder roared as blue lightning surged, crashing down like a waterfall.

---

"Yes, it's me, Liang Ye," he said, putting his backpack back on and getting ready to leave.

The roof was torn apart, villagers lay everywhere, and a huge, charcoal pit was outside the door, like a cake dug out. Black smoke slowly rose from the scorched ground.

"Yes, it's done. Don't worry, there's no residue," Liang Ye said on the phone as he walked out of the house. "It was an urgent mission? Okay, tell the plane to head to the coordinates I'll send. I'll be there soon… huh?"

He felt someone tugging at his ankle. It was the old man from the room.

The old man and the old woman were on the ground, clutching his pants with trembling hands. "Please kill us too."

Liang Ye looked at the old couple and then smiled. "Thanks for the hospitality. Dinner was delicious."

He shook his head. "But I'm sorry, you're not infected. I only deal with the infected. It's my personal rule."

Without looking back, he turned and walked away.