That kind of excitement gave Yu Xing a bad feeling, not because he was happy for Yu Xing, but because it was the kind of excitement a butcher feels when he fattens up a pig for slaughter.

Of course, the shaman had disguised it a bit, but for Yu Xing's keen observation, this point was not hidden.

He nodded and said, "Well, I'm feeling better now. I want to go out and take a look around here."

The shaman packed up the medical kit, her mouth curved up, her tone gentle but unquestionable. "Shi Wei... then I'll take you to the river to relax, okay?"

"Okay." Yu Xing figured that even if he wanted to refuse, the other party would definitely find a way to persuade him. Anyway, he had nothing to fear, so he might as well cooperate a bit and make things less complicated.

The shaman then took Yu Xing to the west of the village.

When they left, many villagers were coming out with farming tools. Yu Xing glanced at them, all of them were as thin as skeletons. Just like Li Po Po, their clothes were all bone frames.

And some of the villagers' faces, Yu Xing had a vague impression, as if... he had seen them in his hallucination, among the pile of hanging corpses.

This discovery made Yu Xing raise his eyebrows slightly. He didn't say a word, pretending not to have seen anything, walking side by side with the shaman, and leaving the village.

The shaman didn't say much, just casually said, "The south is the fields, and it's harvest time, so it's busy every day."

"Oh, then what about those who don't have the ability to farm like Li Po Po?" Yu Xing saw that most of the people going out were younger, like the elderly and children, they must be staying at home.

"They...," the shaman paused for a moment, elegantly said, "The elderly all have children. Li Po Po's grandson running away was just an accident, it's an exception. But the shaman won't mistreat any believer. As long as they offer a little tribute to the shaman, they can enjoy free food."

"The shaman is really a great and kind person~" Yu Xing sighed, glancing at the shaman's expression.

As expected, hearing his praise, the shaman's expression became even more pleased. She fully agreed with the statement, "Yes, he is a very kind and great person, he has given us everything."

"How do you offer tribute to him?" Yu Xing didn't know if Li Po Po had told the shaman about last night's events, so he tested her.

"...Naturally, you use piety and respect to move the shaman." The shaman looked at him and smiled, "You don't need to offer tribute, your memory is not complete. Wait until you're better, and the shaman will forgive you."

Yu Xing thought to himself, the shaman's intentions towards me are probably related to my body.

He hoped his wound would heal, but he didn't want to let him dig flesh for tribute, as if to ensure his physical well-being.

There are only a few reasons for doing this.

The two of them chatted on and off, most of the time Yu Xing asked innocently, and the shaman answered calmly, as time slowly passed.

The river was not too far from the village, but as they walked, the road became more desolate. After leaving the populated area, the trees became lush, casting large patches of shade, blocking the sunlight.

Every tree looked almost the same, and everywhere you looked, it was a patch of weeds. Without someone familiar with the road leading the way, it was easy to lose direction and wander around here.

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After a while, Yu Xing finally saw the outline of the river.

Sure enough, it was no different from the dream.

The wetlands by the river were covered with layers of reeds, half-covered and half-exposed. Upon closer inspection, the river was not clear at all, it was murky and stagnant, with little flow, and no fish or shrimp to be seen.

It was more like a stagnant lake formed at the end of the river than a river.

On the land leading to the lake, bones were scattered everywhere, dust floating on top, some thick, some slightly new, but in any case, it could be seen that people had died nearby in different eras.

Why was Yu Xing so sure that it was human bones and not animal bones?

Because when he walked, he accidentally kicked a skull that had rolled to his feet...

But something was wrong. Although the village believed in a non-existent god, and the villagers might not all be pure living people, from Yu Xing's brief contact, he found that the villagers still had normal eating and drinking needs.

Li Po Po ate the food she cooked herself, although it was unknown where her stomach and intestines had gone, the ingredients were fine. So, whether it was farming or raising livestock, clean water sources were necessary.

This lake was too dirty, the villagers couldn't possibly get water from here, not to mention, Li Po Po's grandson had once caught fish here.

There were no fish here at all.

So, Yu Xing guessed that the villagers probably got their water from upstream of this lake, and now, the shaman had brought him here for a special purpose.

"Why is this place so eerie?" He showed a frightened expression, leaning towards the shaman, like a subconscious search for a "good target" for bullying.

"Hmm? It's just quiet here, how can it be eerie?" The shaman pulled Yu Xing closer to the lake, knowing that they could see their reflections in the dirty water.

"Shi Wei, do you know?" The shaman looked at Yu Xing's reflection in the water, her eyes gradually lighting up, her tone becoming even gentler, "My man can't come home, every time I miss him, I come here and talk to the lake, this way, it's as if he's still by my side."

As Yu Xing listened to the shaman calling him Shi Wei with that affectionate tone, it was as if she was calling out to someone else behind him, and his hair stood on end.

He touched his nose and said, "Is your man in the lake?"

The shaman "...?"

She suddenly turned to look at him, and for the first time, there was a look of scrutiny in her eyes, just like when they first met.

"Why would you think that?"Yu Xing saw her reaction and sneered inwardly, but on the surface, he appeared to be in a panic as he explained, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend. I just heard you saying that you talk to the lake water, and it's as if your husband is right by your side. I thought... I thought..."

The shamaness continued to look at him.

"I thought your husband had drowned in the lake, I'm really sorry..." His voice grew softer as he spoke, and in the end, he lowered his head with a pained expression, looking like someone who had done something wrong and was waiting to be scolded.

The shamaness turned her face away, looking at her reflection in the water, and said indifferently, "It's not a big deal, I don't blame you. Don't make that disheartened face, I want you to be happy every day."

If someone else had said this, Yu Xing might even feel that it was a confession of love, but coming from the shamaness, it was utterly chilling.

Because there wasn't a trace of concern for him in the shamaness's eyes, instead, there was always a strange emotion.

There wasn't much to enjoy by the lake, apart from the surprise of stepping on bones at any given moment, there was only desolation and filth.

After a while, Yu Xing said, "Shall we go somewhere else..."

"Ah!" The shamaness exclaimed.

Her cry interrupted Yu Xing before he could finish speaking. Yu Xing asked, "What's wrong!?"

The shamaness looked down to see her calf scratched by the grass.

"I wasn't careful enough... it hurts so much, I can't walk now."