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墨書 Inktalez
We had been in Yumu City for over two months, and this was the first time we heard about a body being found. In the past, there had been calls reporting deaths, but when we arrived at the scene, the so-called "dead person" was still alive and well. The callers were merely trying to get the police to come quickly.
However, judging by the tone of this report and the situation, it was highly likely that a murder had indeed occurred.
The caller reported finding a body in Tou Gou Zi Village—a woman's body.
The woman's corpse was covered under a thick layer of snow. A passing villager noticed a foot sticking out and hurried over to check. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the toenails were painted red, but when he touched it, it felt like ice.
The color had already darkened, and he didn't dare to pull the body out of the snow alone. Instead, he called the police and quickly returned home.
Now, we were on our way to Tou Gou Zi Village in a police car. We didn’t know the way, so Captain Zhou of the Criminal Investigation Team was driving us there. Following behind was another vehicle carrying detectives from Yumu City. This time, the entire Criminal Investigation Team was mobilized. As Captain Zhou put it, this was a good opportunity for them to learn investigative techniques.
However, after saying that, Captain Zhou's brows furrowed tightly together.
Noticing his unusual expression, I asked, "Captain Zhou, what's wrong? You look worried. What do you think about this case?"
The snowy road was slippery, especially on this rural stretch where hardly any vehicles passed by, making it difficult for the snow to melt. Captain Zhou drove slowly, cautious not to speed and cause an accident. The headlights illuminated nothing but darkness; there were no signs of cars or people moving about.
Outside, a biting cold wind howled as if we were traveling through another world.
It was too quiet—eerily quiet—without a hint of human presence. No wonder the caller left immediately after giving us the location; they must have felt uneasy waiting around.
Captain Zhou sighed and began to explain: "Actually, Tou Gou Zi Village is not a place most people would dare to go."
His voice was low and somber, contrasting sharply with the dark and desolate surroundings outside. It felt like listening to a ghost story being told by Zhang Zhen. But with Captain Zhou's words, our curiosity was piqued.
I asked with interest, "What do you mean?"
"Well," Captain Zhou replied slowly, "you outsiders probably don’t know this, but people from Yumu City refer to it as Disabled Village."
"Disabled Village?" Guan Zengbin tilted his head in confusion.
Captain Zhou nodded, lowering his voice even further: "That's right—Disabled Village. The people in this village all have disabilities; some are missing limbs, others are one-eyed or deaf-mute. In short, there isn't a single person here who is normal like us."
Hearing Captain Zhou's words stirred an indescribable feeling within me. I asked, "Are all the villagers like that?"
"Yes," Captain Zhou said, "Tou Gou Zi Village has about one hundred and eighty households, with more than two hundred people living there, all in this situation."
I did not discriminate against the disabled, but after hearing this, I felt a subtle sense of unease.
Seeing that we were silent, Captain Zhou continued, "I was born and raised in Yumu City, and I've heard about this village for a long time. Do you know how parents in Yumu City scare their children? I bet many use this method: if you don't behave, they'll throw you into Disabled Village. That usually scares the kids into behaving."
"Why do they gather together?" Gu Chen asked.
"I don't know," Captain Zhou replied. "I'm over thirty now, but I've heard about this place since I was a child. The elders in my family said it used to be an ordinary village. Later, for some reason, the number of disabled people increased. It’s probably a clustering effect."
Gu Chen raised his chin slightly. "That could be true; like attracts like. Maybe because they are all disabled, they can look out for each other. But to think that the entire village is made up of disabled people is still a bit strange."
Captain Zhou nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's why most people find this village somewhat unsettling. However, it has become a highlight of Tou Gou Zi Village, attracting quite a few curious visitors. But at this time of year, I doubt many come."
After about an hour of driving, we still had not reached our destination. Looking out the window, I saw two rows of fields covered in vast white snow. There seemed to be a dividing line in the land; below it was a blanket of white, while above it was pitch black.
Tou Gou Zi Village—a village entirely composed of disabled individuals. Indeed, the world is full of wonders; this was the first time I had heard of such a place existing. I felt an indescribable sensation within me. I wondered if the body still covered by snow was also that of a disabled person.
The sound of wheels crunching over the snow mixed with the low rumble of the car engine and the howling wind outside created a hazy atmosphere inside the vehicle. The heating was turned up high, making me feel drowsy.
The two cars continued to drive deeper into the village.
After another hour, we finally arrived at our destination.
It was around nine o'clock at night, and the households had already closed their doors. Only the dim light from old-fashioned street lamps lining the narrow road illuminated our surroundings; they looked like they had been there for years.
"They go to bed really early," I couldn't help but exclaim.
Captain Zhou chuckled softly. "This place is nothing like Dongxing City; people here sleep quite early. But I've already contacted someone from the village who will take us to where the body is located, just not far from the village entrance..."
With that, Captain Zhou stopped the car and said, "I'll go check it out; it's cold in here, so you all stay inside."
As Captain Zhou got out of the car, I followed him out as well.
"Captain Zhou said, 'Look at you, what will you do if you get cold coming down here?'
I shook my head and smiled. 'Brother Zhou, even though I'm from Dongxing City, I'm still on the front lines. It's not a problem. Besides, we need to find the body soon; we can't just stay in the car.'
As I spoke, several people got out of the vehicle. Although it was only early winter, this year's cold felt particularly biting. Standing outside, even with our thick down jackets, we couldn't help but stomp our feet and rub our hands together to warm ourselves. Captain Zhou would have someone lead us to the crime scene, but for now, there wasn't even a shadow in sight.
Just as we were peering into the village, suddenly someone grabbed my shoulder from behind. I was startled and instinctively turned around. But once I looked, I was even more shocked.
I saw a face—one with only one eye.
The face was grotesque, marred by large scars with flesh hanging loosely. There was a dark hole where the right eye should be, while the left eye was cloudy and continuously scrutinizing me. I considered myself battle-hardened, yet this sudden encounter nearly made me scream.
After a moment, I managed to calm myself and finally got a good look at the person’s features. The scars on his face were from burns; there wasn't a trace of moisture in his skin, which seemed to ripple like mountain ranges across his visage. This person had no lips; they had likely been burned away completely.
Without lips to cover them, his upper and lower gums were laid bare before me.
He opened his mouth and said, 'Go.'
As he spoke, I noticed the skin at the corners of his mouth pulled painfully. It was clear that each word caused him immense suffering. After uttering just that one word, he fell silent.
Captain Zhou approached and asked the man, 'Are you Old Xia sent by the village chief to guide us? Do you know the way? Did the reporter tell you?'
So this man was called Old Xia; he nodded in response.
Captain Zhou glanced at Old Xia's appearance without further comment and said, 'Alright then, sit in the passenger seat and guide us. When we arrive at the location, you speak up, understood?'
Old Xia nodded again.
Gu Chen and Guan Zengbin took their seats in the back while Old Xia climbed into the car. He pointed ahead casually and then closed his one remaining eye as if resting. We watched this strange man through the rearview mirror, wondering what kind of experiences had led Old Xia to look like this.
He wore an old military coat covered in patches that seemed to match his age.
Captain Zhou drove on."
Old Xia pointed in the direction of the other end of the village, which was exactly opposite to where we had come from. We hadn't taken a wrong turn after all. I had originally planned to ask Old Xia about the first deceased person, but seeing him like this, I decided against it.
It seemed that this Disabled Village truly lived up to its reputation.
After walking for a while, Old Xia still had his eyes closed. Captain Zhou was worried that we might have passed the right spot and asked Old Xia several times if this was the place. Each time, Old Xia simply extended his hand and pointed forward, indicating for Captain Zhou to keep going. After three or four repetitions of this, Captain Zhou began to lose his patience.
Captain Zhou clicked his tongue and said, "Old Xia, you really need to cooperate with us here. This is a matter concerning your village; the deceased might be someone you know. How can you find the body with your eyes closed like that? Are you asleep, Old Xia?"
But Old Xia remained silent with his eyes still shut.
As Captain Zhou drove, he continued, "It's not me, Old Xia; can you at least say something? Why are you so quiet? We've been driving for half an hour; have we arrived yet?"
Just as Captain Zhou was about to speak again, Old Xia finally said, "Stop!"
His voice was hoarse but loud enough to startle Captain Zhou.
He slammed on the brakes.
Old Xia opened the car door and got out.
Captain Zhou frowned and muttered, "This Old Xia either doesn't say a word or when he does, it's like a cannon going off. He nearly scared me into driving the car into a ditch..."
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