Standing on the deserted street, Xie Zhe sighed, somewhat embarrassed.
"I feel sorry for you, madam. Along the way, we always find someone to help us. This time, something unexpected happened. We were not prepared, so you suffered this hardship with us."
"It doesn't matter, we are all here, don't worry about this." Jiao Mo waved his hand, "I have been walking around for so many years, and I have often been exposed to wind and rain. It is not the first time I have to spend the night on the street."
"I just hope there won't be any trouble tonight." Xie Zhe said worriedly.
Han Chang rolled his eyes at him: "Okay, stop saying bad words."
They found a leeward spot that looked cleaner and deliberately avoided places where flies gathered. After listening to the woman's narration, anyone can guess what bloody things may have happened in those corners that attracted mosquitoes and flies. It wasn't just chickens, ducks, fish and sheep that had left bloodstains there, there might also have been living people. They were very secretive about this.
The town is extremely quiet at night, with some insects chirping softly every night. Compared with the daytime when there should be human sounds, it seems a bit normal. Although it was not like being wary of wild beasts in the wilderness, under such circumstances, there would probably be no thieves and no one would need to keep a constant vigil. However, in view of the unknown madness, everyone was cautious.
Unfortunately, this precaution is not useless.
The moon quietly climbed up to the sky, and then slipped into the clouds. In the middle of the night, Han Chang woke up first. He opened his eyes suddenly and raised his ears. He heard a heavy sound, which was still distant for the time being, but gradually became clearer. Although the sound was ethereal, it was enough to make the animal instinct in his body suddenly awaken in his dream.
It was like the sound of a heavy kitchen knife falling on the chopping board when chopping meat and bones... It was like someone was chopping melons and vegetables, chopping heavily on the door of each house along the street.
Han Zhang's expression became solemn. Just as he was about to wake up his companions, he turned around and saw that Xie Zhe and Jiao Mo were also awake. He was not surprised. After all, the noise was gradually approaching the street where they were, and the sound was unusual. Anyone with a little vigilance would notice this unusual movement. They all stood up carefully and walked tiptoe against the wall, slowly approaching the source of the strange sound, ready to find out.
The three of them looked at the other end of the street silently in the darkness, listening attentively. At the moment, there are no exclamations or screams from anyone. I think the townspeople have some experience in dealing with such situations. They all locked their doors and kept silent. So far, no one has been injured. Even if they find someone strange, they don't know how to deal with this madness. Therefore, the three of them took shelter at this street corner for the time being, observing the movements in silence. It would be great if we could see the symptoms of a mad person, survive until dawn safely, and then seek a solution.
The sound of chopping the door was approaching, irregular, but every sound was extremely heavy, hitting the heart directly. From time to time there was the sound of the blade scraping along the wall. Click, click, click...it makes people hairy.
Suddenly, Xie Zhe whispered something bad, almost out of breath.
"Over there, when we came, we saw that the courtyard wall was extremely low..."
He stopped immediately. There was a faint light coming from the corner across the street, but the sound of banging on the door suddenly stopped. They were startled, thinking that a man suffering from madness had amazing senses and heard Xie Zhe's voice. But the next moment, they saw a small ball of light being thrown up, drawing an arc, and falling into the courtyard.
I don’t know if it’s a coincidence, or the sick person is still conscious and knows that firewood is often dried in the corner of the courtyard. Once this fire breaks out, the residents inside will no longer be able to hide safely. The oil lamp that had been thrown into the yard fell on the firewood pile, and the flames could be seen quickly jumping through the wall. Soon, the child's terrified cries broke out in the oppressively silent night. Then there were men cursing, women screaming, pots and pans clattering, figures shaking in the fire, running around, trying to get water to put out the fire. But no matter how hard the hospital went, no one dared to run out of the hospital and try to ask for help. They must have known in their hearts what would greet them when they ran out in such a panic.
The roar of people seemed to stimulate the crazy patient, and the chopping sounds outside the hospital gate became more urgent. The three people on the street could no longer sit still. They looked at each other, exchanged glances, and then nodded silently, reaching a consensus. Then, the three of them followed the shadows on the wall and quietly approached the main entrance of the house.
There was a thin shadow at the door, wielding a kitchen knife that was extremely large for his body size, and vigorously slashing at the door. With such a physique, even if they go crazy, they have the confidence to subdue them. Jiaomo immediately said:
"Leave it to me to put out the fire. You go rescue the people inside."
"That's the best. I'll deal with that lunatic. If he can't hold him down for a while, I'll divert him away and run as far away as possible." Han Chang pursed his lips and said, "The whole family inside will be left to Lao Xie. You Climb over the wall and take them to a safe place. It's better to be open and don't get blocked."
Xie Zhe nodded hastily. He ran out first, with Han Chang following closely behind him. Then, Han Chang picked up a brick from the roadside and hit the figure on the back. The man seemed a little slow and hesitated for a moment before turning around with the knife in hand.
It turned out to be a young girl.
Both of them slowed down for a moment. Although we know that madness does not distinguish between men and women, old or young, this knife-wielding assailant is still too bizarre. Who would have thought that a little girl could be so murderous and keep people awake at night? Moreover, this scene seemed a bit familiar to them, as if they had seen something similar.
They didn't have time to think about it. Seeing a living person appearing in front of her, the little girl immediately changed her target and rushed towards the two of them. Xie Zhe staggered his direction and ran towards the courtyard, but Han Zhang came straight towards him, attracting the girl's attention. He wanted to subdue her, but the child was too young, and it was difficult for him to use cruel methods that would break her muscles and bones. But the girl had no such worries. She waved the kitchen knife with a tight face, and every move she made was serious, as if she was fighting against a murderer.
One side was restrained, and the other side was chasing after them fiercely. For a moment, Han Chang felt a little at a loss. He avoided the blade and tentatively moved away from the yard. He immediately discovered that the girl was probably affected by madness, and she just wanted to attack. She was not obsessed with the house she had broken down before, and now she only wanted to kill Han Shangyang.
Han Shang regained his energy, and he narrowly dodged the girl's chops. He took the opportunity to retreat a few steps, stopping at a distance where the girl could catch up with him if he put more effort. He knew very well that even if he had a way to quickly incapacitate the child, it would not work. He was afraid that he might not have done it lightly and that someone would die again - although he didn't know whether the girl was alive or dead now. So Han Zhang consciously led her out of the small courtyard, leaving room for Xie Zhe and Jiao Mo to save people. The panicked shouts on the other end quickly subsided, and Han Chang took a moment to take a look. The fire seemed to have dimmed a little, and the fire seemed to be under control.
Without worries, Han Chang is more at ease. He scanned both sides of the road with his peripheral vision, and after a while, he found a door with slash marks. With a flash of his eyes, he saw the resident on the other side. There were similar knife marks on the door. He immediately ran along these marks towards where the girl came from. Once he picked up the speed, the girl gradually struggled to catch up, but was dominated by madness and did not give up the target that was still in sight.
In this way, fighting and retreating, the distance between Han Zhang and the girl gradually widened, and in the end, he couldn't even hear his steps. He was still groping along the knife marks on the door, and finally he saw a small courtyard with an empty door.
There was a faint smell of blood inside, and Han Chang's heart tightened. The smell was familiar to him—human blood. This time, it will be right.
He had a vague premonition in his heart, and as he quickened his pace, the smell became stronger. He rushed into the small courtyard and took a look. There was no knife mark on the door. The girl should have come from this family, and the smell of blood also felt familiar to him, as if it came from... someone he had just met not long ago.
The courtyard was in a mess. Han Chang didn't pay attention, and ran into the house following the smell. With a wave of his hand, he lit up the remaining candles on the table. Immediately, he exhaled and looked down at the human bodies lying on the ground.
No...it's a corpse now. From the moment he entered, he didn't hear any screams of pain or groans that were signs of life, and the people on the ground had indeed died long ago. Her body was covered with deep and shallow wounds, the skin was torn, and there were stab wounds on her legs that were deep enough to show the bones. It seems that the child first chopped the adult down, and when he was unable to get up, he landed the final fatal blow on the neck.
Han Chang went around the corpse's head and bent down. He carefully turned over the face of the corpse that was half pressed on the ground, and even though he was mentally prepared, he still let out a deep sigh.
It was the woman they had met during the day.
Her eyes were half-opened and were already cloudy. I don't know if it was a psychological effect. Hanshang couldn't see much fear on her face, but more of deep sorrow and sadness. He felt a soreness in his throat, and he didn't know what to say, let alone what to do.
Come to think of it, her husband was also killed by his daughter. How long had she kept her mad child hidden in her home? Guarding the daughter who is ready to attack at any time, avoiding the exploration of the townspeople, in exchange for food to feed the two of them... Protecting a child, a fatal secret, with fear and sorrow, is too difficult for anyone. .
It was difficult for Han Chang to describe his feelings when he went to collect the woman's body. In such a remote place, I am afraid there will be no Yamen to take care of it. If there had been, this village would not be what it is now. So he simply destroyed the crime scene, rolled up the body with a straw mat on the bed, carried it to the yard, and temporarily placed it in the corner of the house.
Afterwards, he took a few steps back and forth in the yard, as if trying to drive away the sadness in his heart. He breathed in the air, and the almost imperceptible coolness of the late spring and early summer night purged his lungs, which were heavy with blood. But not long after, he heard slightly shuffling footsteps coming from the street outside. Of course Han Chang knows what this is. He retreated silently until he was under the eaves, then gently stepped sideways behind the door. The candle on the table was still on. He lowered his body in the shadows and stared at the door intently, like a fox waiting for an opportunity to hunt.
The little figure stepped into the door and paused for a moment. The girl was attracted by the light and briefly ignored the shadow next to her. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Han Zhang flew forward and pounced on him. He didn't dare to be careless, so he pressed the opponent to the ground with force, reached out and pinched his wrist to remove the kitchen knife, and threw it far away into the corner.
After a flash of lightning, the girl realized what had happened, and she resisted violently.
"I'm sorry, little girl."
Regardless of whether she could understand it or not, Han Chang apologized.
