I Can Recognize Everything, But the Information is Wrong

Inside the coffin was a young man wearing the robes of the Wenda Sect.

Tian Lin and Zhou Ting didn't recognize this young man, but someone else did.

Du Qiping exclaimed, "It's Zhou Qiuzhao, Brother Zhou!"

Tian Lin had heard the name Zhou Qiuzhao before. When they first vied for the first town, Zhou Ting had told him that Zhou Qiuzhao was a member of the Demon Hunting Bureau's third team along with Du Qiping.

Why was he here, and when did he appear here?

Tian Lin remembered that the old night watchman had mentioned preparing some new stock recently — it was obvious that the so-called new stock must have been people like Zhou Qiuzhao.

Zhou Qiuzhao, like Tian Lin and the others, had come by the sect's order to open new territories.

"To be honest, not long after I advised Brother Tian and Brother Mei to head to Jiaonan Town, Brother Zhou and Brother Zuo arrived uninvited. However, I have some influence, so Brother Zuo took my advice and went to the third town —

It seems Brother Zuo, like us, originally went to find Taiping Village but inexplicably ended up in Ping'an Town."

Tian Lin listened and sent back a voice transmission, "So you're saying, in just one day, Brother Zhou was turned into a dry corpse?"

"Perhaps the Corpse Qi in this village is so strong that the villagers can dry out a corpse in just one day, or maybe the time flow here is abnormal?"

Everyone instantly recalled that they had just entered the village yesterday, yet the incense candles quickly burned out, and it was daybreak.

"What did this friend say earlier? Could this friend know this dry corpse?"

Earlier, Du Qiping exclaimed Zhou Qiuzhao's name in surprise.

And his exclamation did not escape the old Village Chief's ears.

Now, as the old Village Chief asked, Zhou Ting hurriedly spoke for Du Qiping, "Like us, he is also from the court. How could he know this Loose Cultivator?"

The old Village Chief nodded, "That's good, that's good. Officers, are you satisfied with the dry corpse in the coffin?"

Zhou Ting looked grim but nodded, "I'm satisfied. Much obliged to the Village Chief for the effort."

The Village Chief smiled and said, "Very well, now half a month remains until the delivery date. I promise to gather enough dry corpses for you officers within half a month."

At the same time, the sound of watch knocks resounded again.

The old Village Chief's expression changed and he said to Tian Lin and others, "It's getting dark, evil spirits will wander at night, officers mustn't go out."

Sure enough, Tian Lin saw many villagers fleeing to their homes in a panic, as if there were a flood or wild beast outside.

By reasoning, the words of the evil spirits should not be listened to, as they like to deceive people into traps.

But at this moment, Zhou Ting and the others dared not disobey — just how powerful must an evil spirit be to instill fear in Nascent Soul-level evil spirits?

"Then we will take our leave!"

Zhou Ting cupped his fists and turned to leave.

As they returned, Tian Lin observed the sky and said, "The sky darkens and brightens suddenly; the time flow is indeed abnormal."

Zhou Ting nodded and, after a moment's thought, said, "The sounds from the coffin in the Peach House last night might not have been from an evil spirit. Could it be that our Wenda Sect disciple heard us talking and knocked on the coffin as a warning?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not, but for now, we should take refuge inside the house."

By this time, all the villagers in the village had already returned home and locked the doors.

The old Village Chief's house was not far from the old night watchman's house, but on this return journey, for some reason, they walked for more than a quarter of an hour and still couldn't find the location of the old night watchman's house.

Tian Lin and the others' expressions grew grim as they watched the night falling, and the sun was replaced by the bright moon.

"I have a piece of magic for funerals called 'Casting a Stone for Direction,' I'm not sure if it will work."

Zhou Ting said as he pulled out a black stone and tossed it.

The stone bounced, making a distinctive clatter in the silent village.

In the darkness, a voice was heard saying, "There's sound over there; it seems there are survivors!"

The voice was distinctly male, and as Tian Lin and the others heard it while moving, their expressions changed instantly.

"Follow my stone quickly!"

As the stone continued to leap and clatter, Tian Lin and the others pursued it until they came before a small house.

This small house was the old night watchman's. Weren't the bamboo clapper and gong hanging on the courtyard wall just the old watchman's?

The stone Zhou Ting threw stopped right at the door of the old night watchman's house.

Without hesitation, he slipped inside and knocked on the guest room door, followed closely by Tian Lin and the others.

As the guest room door closed, a foul breeze blew in. Next, everyone saw a soldier in armor entering the small courtyard, holding a large saber.

The soldier's face was covered in blood, and he wielded a steel saber.

The soldier's saber was nicked, but no one dared to doubt its sharpness.

"Ah, so there are still three little brats here!"

Four more soldiers followed behind him, each tall and covered in blood.

"Don't close the door!"

Seeing Tian Lin about to close the door, the soldier quickly reached out and shouted.

But how could Tian Lin listen to him? As the five soldiers moved forward, Tian Lin had already slammed the door shut with a 'bang.'

'Bang bang bang'

The sound of knocking echoed outside, almost breaking the door.

However, the louder the knocking outside, the more firmly Tian Lin and the others pressed against the door.

After a quarter of an hour, they heard the soldiers cursing as they left.

"So the soldiers the villagers thought were to be hosted were actually those few soldiers outside?"

"The soldiers just said not to leave any survivors, meaning the villagers weren't killed by the traveling guests they murdered but were slaughtered by these soldiers?"

From the snatches of conversation outside, a new suspicion formed in their minds.

Tian Lin then spoke to Mei Xiangu and the others, "Do you remember what the Village Chief and that soldier said? There are seven of us, but the Village Chief said there are four officers among us —

The county master sent four to collect taxes, according to the Village Chief, but five soldiers came earlier.

And just now the soldier said there were three survivors here — meaning, in the eyes of the Village Chief and the soldiers, three of us aren't officials, not here to collect corpses."

Mei Xiangu couldn't help but ask, "If not officials, then what?"

"Perhaps vagrants, perhaps travelers, or even villagers!"

Mei Xiangu asked again, "Among the seven of us, who is supposed to be the official and who is the so-called vagrant traveler?"

Zhou Ting pondered and said:

"Since the previous soldiers were all male, perhaps the distinction of being an official was made based on gender. Meaning among the seven of us, I and the three junior brothers are seen as officers by the Village Chief. And you, junior sisters —"

Coincidentally, three of the seven were not seen as officials; in fact, those three were all female.

Mei Xiangu's face darkened, "So what if we're not officials, does this mean the Village Chief and those soldiers will kill us?"