Free Web NovelChapter 689: Chapter 650: Such Strange Things Still Happen in This World?
Just as Zhao Rong was lying in bed with Lili in his arms, the door was suddenly pushed open.
The Village Beauty rushed in, drenched in sweat. He looked around cautiously and said, "Brother Zhao Rong, Miss Lili, Yu Lan, Xuelian, Assistant, you have to save me..."
When Zhao Rong and the other four saw the Village Beauty suddenly barge into the room, they sat up in bed in surprise. "Village Beauty, it’s the middle of the night. Why aren’t you sleeping? Why are you running into our room screaming for help? Is someone trying to harm you?"
Miss Lili sounded even more incredulous. "I locked the door from the inside before I went to sleep. How did you get in?"
The Village Beauty pulled a key from his pocket and explained to Zhao Rong and the three women, "Brother Zhao Rong, I’m sorry, I have the key to this room... I came in to tell you something. In this village, everyone remembers their past lives. I’m the only one who can’t... Because I’m different, the people in this village are trying everything they can to get rid of me..."
Hearing that the Village Beauty couldn’t remember his past life, Zhao Rong asked curiously, "Village Beauty, why does everyone else in this village have memories of their past lives, but you don’t?"
With a pained expression, the Village Beauty told him, "I don’t know why, but I truly have no memories of my past life... But since I live here, I have to pretend that I’m like everyone else and that I have those memories, too. So, I made up some lies. The truth is, when I was reincarnated, I drank the Meng Po Soup, so I have no memory of my past life at all. Now, some people have discovered my lies and reported me to the village chief, telling him I have no past-life memories. So, the village chief has gathered some of the village’s thugs to get rid of me..."
When Zhao Rong’s group of five heard that such a strange thing was happening in this village, they asked with curiosity, "Village Beauty, if you don’t have memories of your past life, that should be a good thing, shouldn’t it? Why do the people in your village want to kill you?"
His face filled with terror, the Village Beauty explained, "Brother Zhao Rong, you don’t understand. Everyone who lives in our village was reincarnated without drinking the Meng Po Soup, so they all possess memories of their past lives. But I drank the soup, so I have no past memories. The reason this village can’t tolerate people who’ve drunk the Meng Po Soup is that those who drank it are far more likely to attract ghosts and ghouls than those who haven’t."
Confused, Zhao Rong asked, "What does that mean? The reason they want to get rid of you is just because you drank Meng Po Soup and your presence here attracts ghosts?"
The Village Beauty glanced at the pitch-black night outside the window, listened for any sounds, and then very cautiously explained, "The Underworld’s Yama Palace has a rule: anyone who did not drink the Meng Po Soup must be captured and brought back to drink it. So, if the people from Yama’s Palace discover that many people in our village haven’t drunk the soup, they will all be captured, taken back to Yama’s Palace, and forced to drink it. In other words, if they get caught, they’ll die and be reincarnated again.
"Before I was born, every single person in this village was someone who hadn’t drunk the Meng Po Soup, which is why they managed to stay so well hidden. But after I was born, I, the one who *did* drink the soup, became an anomaly. I easily attract ghosts, and that draws the attention of Yama’s Palace. That’s why the villagers want to kill me—so they won’t be discovered by the agents from Yama’s Palace and can continue living as they are."
Hearing this, Zhao Rong gasped. "Holy cow! Can such a bizarre thing really exist in this world?"
Miss Lili comforted the Village Beauty, telling him not to be afraid. "Village Beauty, don’t worry. As long as Brother Zhao Rong is here, he’ll definitely protect you. Back when we were in the Underworld, we used ghost-beating sticks and robotic dogs to defeat Black and White Impermanence, Oxhead and Horseface, and countless other minor demons. No matter who Yama’s Palace sends, they won’t be able to do anything to Brother Zhao Rong."
Yu Lan stood up, pulled the Village Beauty into an embrace, and reassured him, "Village Beauty, don’t be scared. As long as the five of us are here, no one in this village will dare to touch a single hair on your head."
Xuelian then took a gun from her bag, loaded it, cocked it, and stood protectively in front of the Village Beauty. "You are absolutely safe in this room. If anyone dares to come in with a knife, my gun will make them eat bullets." She then pulled two cans of pepper spray from her pocket, keeping one for herself and giving the other to the Village Beauty. "As long as you have this, if anyone dares to get close, just spray them. It will instantly incapacitate them and leave them on the ground crying for their mommy and daddy..."
The Assistant immediately pried a loose brick from the floor, holding it firmly. "Village Beauty, don’t be afraid. Although I only know some clumsy martial arts, this brick in my hand is no joke. If anyone dares to cause you trouble or threaten your life, I’ll smash their head in with it."
Just as everyone was preparing to defend him, the Village Beauty suddenly stood up and walked toward the door as if to leave. "Brother Zhao Rong, Miss Lili, Yu Lan, Xuelian, Assistant, I can’t drag you into this. I’ll go out now. If someone has to die, let it be me alone."
He then turned and confessed to the group, "Actually, our little village isn’t running any farm-stay or tourism businesses. The real reason I tricked you into coming here was that I wanted you to save my life."
The truth was, around noon that day, the Village Beauty had been trying to escape the village. As he was about to flee, he saw several people walking toward him. His eyesight was poor, so he mistakenly thought they were men the village chief had posted at the entrance to stop him from running away. Thinking quickly, he decided to play along and spun a story about starting a tourism business to invite people into the village for a meal. He had no idea that these people weren’t the chief’s men at all, but were simply travelers from elsewhere. That was why, upon realizing his mistake, he had made a special trip to find Zhao Rong and his group that night to beg for their help.
