Chapter 10: Yangliu Po's Plague
Village chiefs fawned over their faux-philanthropist cover story. Qin promised a library and sports field (Mr. Wang's wallet groaned silently).
Drinking rice wine with locals, Qin steered talk to last year's支教 volunteers. The accountant slammed his cup. "Liu Tiesheng! Filthy dog!"
The tale unfolded: Liu, the village pariah—thief, peeping Tom, would-be predator—had fixated on Xie Xin. After her midnight chase for a lamb led to the abandoned temple, Liu's nightly stalkings cut the支教 short.
"Now he's... broken," the chief said. "Hides like a rat."
Liu's hovel reeked of woodsmoke and madness. The man cowered over roasted potatoes, eyes vacant.
"Soul-fractured," Xun murmured.
Qin flashed Xie Xin's photo. "You killed her?"
"Dead! I killed! Killed!" Liu gibbered.
"Yet she breathes. How?"
"Temple ghosts! No go!" Liu shrieked.
A neighbor intervened, hauling out village records. The crumbling temple's history oozed blood: bandits, a vengeful feng shui master, dismembered corpses birthing a wraith that slaughtered its creators.
Under moonglow, Qin and Xun picked through the ruins. Crumbling walls held no obvious malice—yet.