Chapter 51: Meat Puppets
Luo Ling slowly opened her eyes, traces of shock still lingering in them.
Somewhere in the subterranean cavern, the Seer was fighting for her life.
Even though the rescue she was waiting for had overlooked her…
“Big Sister Bai?”
A soft voice echoed beside Luo Ling’s ear. Turning her head, she met Elsa’s closed eyes.
Luo Ling then realized she was being held in Elsa’s lap, her head resting on her knees.
She quickly sat up, placing Bella back in Elsa’s arms.
“Sorry for the trouble.”
“It’s… nothing…”
Elsa lowered her head, her voice barely a whisper.
“Oh, Xiao Bai, you’re awake?”
An Yu, who had been watching TV, turned around, looking at Luo Ling in surprise.
Grandma just smiled, her expression unchanged.
But seeing Grandma’s face, Luo Ling couldn’t help but recall the gruesome corpse in the subterranean cavern and quickly averted her gaze.
“Mm.”
An Yu leaned closer, glanced at Grandma, and whispered,
“Brother Liu and the others should be arriving soon. We need to go to the village entrance to meet them.”
She hadn’t forgotten the dangerous situation they were in, but because of Luo Ling and Elsa’s deception, she still believed the Grotesquery’s threat wasn’t too serious.
A Grotesquery that could annihilate an entire village was something she had yet to encounter.
Luo Ling understood An Yu’s intention in suggesting they go out to meet the others. She didn’t want to involve her grandparents in the Grotesquery incident, even if it meant putting herself in danger.
Everyone had their own selfish desires, and An Yu’s was her grandparents.
But…
Luo Ling closed her eyes in pain.
She couldn’t imagine the despair An Yu would face when she learned the truth.
“Okay.”
She replied softly.
An Yu nodded seriously, then turned to Grandma and said cheerfully,
“Grandma, we’re about to head back!”
“Oh?” Grandma was taken aback. “Leaving so soon? Why not… stay a few more days?”
“We still have classes, Grandma. We just came here to finish a school assignment,” An Yu winked playfully. “Besides, if we stay any longer, you’ll get tired of us.”
“Nonsense, I would never get tired of Xiao Yu, no matter how long she stays,” Grandma chuckled. “But studying is indeed important. Your father was the only university student in our village. Everyone envies us.”
“That’s right~ Grandma, you’re so wise. Dad was lucky to be born into our family.”
An Yu’s sweet words made Grandma laugh heartily.
“Alright, alright. This old woman’s legs aren’t what they used to be. Just a short walk today, and my joints are already aching. I won’t see you out, be careful on your way… Wait, let me get you something to take back with you.”
Grandma stood up with some difficulty and went to the kitchen to pack some fruits and vegetables. She initially wanted to include the leftover half a chicken from lunch but decided against it, worried An Yu wouldn’t be able to carry it.
Grandma handed An Yu a large bag filled with fruits and vegetables.
“Take these back with you. Your grandpa and I can’t finish them all. It would be a waste to leave them here.”
“Isn’t this… a bit too much?”
An Yu struggled to hold the heavy bag.
“Who knows when you’ll be able to visit Grandma again after you leave.”
Grandma held An Yu’s hand and rambled on,
“Besides, your grandpa grew these himself, no pesticides, very healthy, much better than the stuff outside. Eat more, it’s good for you…”
An Yu listened patiently, then picked up the bag and smiled sweetly.
“Okay, Grandma, I’m leaving now. I’ll definitely come back to visit when I have time.”
“Good, good…”
Grandma shuffled to the door, watching them leave with reluctance.
Even as they turned the corner, An Yu could still see Grandma’s kind smile, a comforting sight.
“Where are we going?”
Luo Ling asked softly.
After leaving “Grandpa and Grandma,” she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, nothing unexpected had happened before they left. The truth about the subterranean cavern made Luo Ling’s scalp crawl just thinking about it.
She… couldn’t stay there any longer.
“The only road into the village is near Uncle Huang’s small store… We’ll wait there,” An Yu said, her voice still trembling slightly at the mention of “Uncle Huang.”
Baiyan Village wasn’t large, only about two hundred households, less than a thousand people, and almost everyone knew each other.
Old Man Huang was one of the elders she was closest to, after all, the small store was a favorite haunt for children.
But now…
Life was unpredictable. Who would have thought that such a small village would suffer such a terrible fate?
Fortunately, this tragedy would soon be over.
“Rest in peace, Uncle Huang,” An Yu whispered in her heart.
“Okay.”
Luo Ling didn’t hesitate. She wasn’t directionally challenged, and with her Spores, she had memorized most of the village’s layout before entering.
Old Man Huang’s small store was at the village entrance. A little further ahead was the road leading out of the village, but due to the Grotesquery’s barrier, every time they tried to leave, they would be inexplicably redirected, trapping them within.
If they waited near the small store, the main force from the Patient Exchange Group would see them immediately upon entering the village.
Soon, the three of them arrived at Old Man Huang’s small store.
Before they could get close, they saw several children gathered in front of the store, chattering excitedly.
An Yu looked at this scene with nostalgia. She had once been one of those children, though much quieter back then.
However, both Old Man Huang and “Old Man Huang” were dead. Were these children… stealing something?
Or had they discovered something?
An Yu’s heart skipped a beat. As she wondered, Luo Ling suddenly stopped, holding An Yu and Elsa back.
“Don’t go over there,” Luo Ling whispered.
Elsa and An Yu looked at her questioningly and saw the grim expression on her face.
“Let’s go somewhere else.”
The Spores had seen it.
The children gathered in front of the store were scratching lottery tickets.
And the one selling them the tickets was Old Man Huang.
No, “Old Man Huang.”
The thin, wrinkled husk of skin, animated by the dissolving white mycelia, twitched and made unintelligible noises, seemingly hawking its wares.
Its voice rose and fell with the excited chatter of the children around it.
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