The Villa

37.Seeds of Doubt

　　Once the terrifying thought took root in their minds, it became nearly impossible to eradicate.

　　Food.

　　The moment those two characters surfaced in their thoughts, they lingered, refusing to dissipate.

　　"No way..."

　　"Even if it was for food, they wouldn't kill for it, would they?" Liu gasped, drawing in a sharp breath.

　　It wasn't the act of killing itself that frightened him.

　　It was the reason behind those villagers murdering Guang Xiu's entire family... just for food.

　　"This isn't the first time something like this has happened.

　　In ancient times, during severe droughts and famines, people would even resort to cannibalism.

　　Many people think it's just an exaggeration, but it's actually not an exaggeration at all!" Ning said, his voice heavy with the weight of the truth.

　　"Of course, that's not the scariest part."

　　"After all, in those circumstances, people could only follow the law of the jungle, the survival of the fittest, to stay alive."

　　"What's truly terrifying is that those who committed evil deeds, after weathering the crisis, used lies to cover up their crimes and even pinned the blame on the victims!"

　　"Back then, what was stolen from Guang Xiu's family wasn't just food, but also their lives, their reputation..."

　　Bai sighed sympathetically, "That's the scariest part..."

　　"Everyone knows you're innocent, but no one speaks up for you. They even band together to fabricate absurd accusations against you, point their fingers at you, and put you on trial..."

　　"I think I can understand why such a terrifying vengeful spirit was born in this village..."

　　"This is no longer just a simple matter of life and death, of revenge."

　　Their hearts heavy with the weight of their discoveries, they fell silent, unable to continue the conversation.

　　They returned to their guesthouse in somber silence.

　　By now, they could basically piece together what had happened in the village all those years ago, but they still hadn't found the way out.

　　Time flew by quickly, and soon it was dinner time again.

　　Due to their heightened caution, apart from Tang, no one else had vanished.

　　Seven remained.

　　During dinner, everyone sat at the table, their silence deafening.

　　Only Luo stared at her plate, a constant smile plastered on her face.

　　Her smile was eerie, her expression dazed.

　　No one knew what she had experienced alone in the guesthouse that afternoon.

　　Ning observed Luo, a sense of familiarity tugging at the back of his mind.

　　 He felt like he had seen that smile somewhere before, but he couldn't quite place it.

　　The others noticed it too, subtly distancing themselves from Luo.

　　As a result, a strange scene unfolded around the circular dining table.

　　Luo sat alone, while the remaining six squeezed together on the opposite side.

　　"Luo, Luo!"