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墨書 Inktalez
I closed the gate to the yard and followed the others outside. It wasn't long before two figures approached; it was Old Xia and Er, the action team for capturing the murderer had gathered. I noticed that both Er and Old Xia were carrying blankets, indicating they were prepared to stake out all night.
The five of us crouched down, and Gu Chen said to us, "I've surveyed the terrain. This village is higher in the west and lower in the east. I'll take position on the western side of the village, where I can see everything from the rooftops. I'm quick on my feet and can act first. Old Xia, you’ll cover the eastern entrance; you're strong and sturdy. With the two of us guarding both ends of the village, he won't be able to escape."
Old Xia nodded in agreement.
Gu Chen continued, "Wu Meng, you’ll hide on the rooftop three houses away from Old Xia. When we discussed this plan earlier, I took a look around. You’ll find a spot on the wall with two gaps that are just right for you to step up. It won’t take much effort; it’s perfect for you."
It seemed Gu Chen had been busy as well, quietly observing the village's layout and the wall's structure. He was indeed sharp, having even considered my own physical capabilities—impressive.
Gu Chen then addressed Captain Zhou and Er, saying, "Captain Zhou, you’ll stay in the middle of the village. Er, you’ll be near me in a few houses over. For better visibility, Old Xia and I will hide on the rooftops of the southern houses while you two go to the northern rooftops. This way, we’ll have a 360-degree view."
Gu Chen's arrangements were meticulous and logical; there were hardly any flaws to be found.
"Let’s move," Gu Chen said. "It’s nine o'clock at night; all the households are asleep, and the murderer should still be preparing."
With that, we five dispersed to our respective positions.
Following Gu Chen's directions to the northern houses, I indeed found the gaps in the wall. I gripped the wall with my hands and stepped onto one of the gaps, quickly climbing over it. I leaped up along the wall and landed on the rooftop. The snow on this roof had been cleared away; only a thin layer remained.
I didn’t dare waste time and hurriedly crawled down. Fortunately, I was dressed warmly and wearing thick gloves, so it wasn’t too cold. Lying flat on the rooftop, I watched for any movements on both sides. However, given the current situation, it seemed unlikely that the murderer would appear so early; it would probably be well past midnight.
Lying there on the rooftop, if it weren't for the biting cold, I might have actually dozed off. I wondered if Old Xia and Er would end up falling asleep right there with their blankets. Time passed slowly as I lay there bored; eventually, my eyelids began to droop.
I lost track of time until suddenly a gust of cold wind jolted me awake. Shivering slightly from the chill, I glanced at my watch under the dim light—it was already one o'clock.
Yet everyone around me remained still; it seemed there was no sign of the murderer yet.
The cold wind howled around me as dim lights cast eerie shadows in every direction. Snow settled on withered branches, producing soft "Creak Creak" sounds as if someone were whispering in my ear. The night deepened, and it grew colder still. Although I knew others were on nearby rooftops, they were far out of sight; it felt as though I was alone in this entire world.
At that moment, I saw someone staggering out from the East End of the Village. They were far away, and I couldn't make out who it was. But considering it was late at night, anyone wandering around must be a murderer. As the figure drew closer, I slowly began to discern their outline through their swaying movements.
It was a shy, honest-looking man. Under the dim streetlight, he slowly approached the village from the East of the Village entrance. In his arms, he cradled something bulky. It was a bundle, and a hand reached out from within—a left hand!
From this bundle, we could see his arm, but there was no palm. Where a hand should have been were just two stumps. This man was none other than Li Danan, the very person we could hardly believe was the murderer!
Li Danan walked slowly, peering around cautiously. It was clear he was observing his surroundings.
As soon as Li Danan reached Captain Zhou's position, we would act together. We could surround Li Danan among the five of us and truly catch him off guard. I even held my breath, afraid to make a sound that might alert Li Danan.
Just as Li Danan reached Old Xia's position, a voice suddenly rang out like thunder in the air.
"Stop!"
Old Xia's voice startled me so much that I shivered all over. Li Danan was clearly taken aback as well; the bundle in his hands fell to the ground. The arm hit the ground with a thud, sending snow flying everywhere. Immediately after, Li Danan turned and ran away like a rabbit heading for the village exit.
I cursed Old Xia several times in my mind before quickly climbing down from the rooftop.
At that moment, I heard Captain Zhou shouting from behind, "Li Danan! Stop! We all saw you; where do you think you can run?"
But Li Danan ignored him and continued to flee.
When I finally got down from the rooftop, Gu Chen had already reached my side. He yanked me down, and I fell into the snow but felt no pain at all. As we ran, Gu Chen urged me on, "Hurry up! At this rate, by the time you get down, the murderer will be long gone!"
I followed closely behind Gu Chen as we sprinted forward. Even without a hand, Li Danan was surprisingly fast.
Before long, even Er caught up with me and surpassed me. I felt like a fool trailing behind them; I couldn't keep up with anyone ahead of me. We all ran eastward until soon I could only see their backs.
After running for about half an hour, I simply couldn't go on anymore. I had no idea how they managed to run for so long without tiring; I was drenched in sweat and my back was soaked through. I stopped and took slow steps forward.
Outside the village, the streetlights had vanished, leaving only a blanket of white beneath my feet. When I looked up, all I could see was an expanse of darkness. The howling wind whistled through the branches, sounding like the Wailing of Ghosts and Wolves. At that moment, I was utterly alone; even their silhouettes had disappeared from view.
Walking in such an environment sent a chill of terror creeping from the depths of my heart.
I could hardly run anymore, so I had no choice but to follow their Footprints step by step.
After about twenty minutes, these Footprints led me to the entrance of the Second Market.
I cautiously scanned my surroundings; there was no sound at all. No cries, no footsteps—only the wind. I quickly glanced into the distance; the Footprints indeed only extended into the Second Market, while beyond that, on the National Highway, there were no signs of any Footprints.
This meant that these people had all entered the Second Market.
But if so many had rushed into the Second Market, why was there not a single sound?
The Second Market was lit up at that moment, yet when I peered through the glass, I saw not a soul inside.
I looked around; there was nothing. It was as if these people had mysteriously vanished from this world without leaving a trace or making a sound. Suppressing my fear, I slowly walked toward the City Gate. The door was ajar, suggesting someone hadn’t closed it properly.
I gently placed my hand on the City Gate and slowly pushed it open.
Peering inside, I found no one there—only rows of shelves greeted my eyes. But this market had only this one entrance; where could everyone else have gone?
I closed the door and wandered around this small market. The central stove had gone cold, and it felt almost as frigid inside as it did outside. As I circled around the shelves, I truly found not a single person.
Could it be that these people had really disappeared without a trace?
I quickly crouched down to examine the snow left behind by them as they entered. Following the snow trail, I moved forward until I reached a row of shelves where the Footprints suddenly ceased.
Furrowing my brow, I stared beneath the shelves.
Suddenly, I heard a "ding ding" sound coming from the shelf, as if someone was tapping on a hollow pipe. I leaned my ear against the shelf and realized that the sound was actually coming from underground. While I felt a sense of relief, another terrifying thought crossed my mind.
The Old Village Chief had once told us that every two months, supplies would be delivered to the City, but we had never seen a warehouse. This meant that the possibility of a warehouse being underground was quite high; the ground beneath was hollow.
However, the villagers had always had limited interactions with the outside world, so how could Li Danan know that there was a warehouse here?
Suddenly, a chilling sensation shot from my head straight down to my feet.
A horrifying idea emerged in my mind, and the only person I could rely on now was Guan Zengbin, who remained in the village. But if something happened to Guan Zengbin as well, then we were truly finished. I had initially considered only one possibility, but it seemed I had underestimated the situation.
"Heh heh." A cold voice came from behind me.
The voice appeared abruptly at my back.
I turned around and saw that Li Danan had somehow appeared behind me.
Seeing my surprised expression, Li Danan burst into laughter.
He lightly tapped on the shelf with his bony fingers, producing a "ding ding" sound.
Li Danan gritted his teeth and said to me, "Officer Wu, I hear you were looking for me?"
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