Chapter 286: Village Extermination
“Mysterious Group…” Fang Mu repeated the name of this organization.
As expected, these anomalies would not escape the eyes and ears of the higher-ups. While people were living ordinary days, there was still a group of people secretly guarding them, investigating, handling, and hiding those anomalous things that should not appear in this world.
Fang Mu was, after all, someone who wrote novels. He had imagined even the most outrageous things, let alone since he read that diary he had written to himself, he had experienced constant storms and many terrifying events beyond human common sense firsthand. Although he felt some surprise at the appearance of the Mysterious Group, he did not show much reaction.
“Ask whatever you want to ask.” Fang Mu looked up at the two, his expression already restored to calm.
Faced with Fang Mu’s indifferent reaction, the two who had set up the mystery also froze for a moment. Then the woman who had spoken earlier gently waved her hand and turned off the strong desk lamp on the table, letting the person standing in the dark corner turn on the room’s electric lamp.
In an instant, the lights were bright, and the entire room became well-lit. Fang Mu thereby saw the true appearances of the two in front of him clearly.
“Mr. Fang doesn’t seem surprised at all.” The woman looked deeply at Fang Mu, feeling a trace of curiosity about his attitude.
Usually, the people they caught and brought here were either scared almost crazy or already insane. Someone as calm as Fang Mu was rare among the rare.
Fang Mu shook his head. “If you didn’t exist, I would instead be shocked and feel even more despair.”
When this world hidden with madness and despair didn’t even have a role trying to guard peace, this world wasn’t worth cherishing, nor worth pretending to be strong to live on.
Although humans were so insignificant in the face of those abnormal gods with powers beyond imagination, as long as there was something to rely on between people, they could always find a trace of warmth in despair.
“It seems something extraordinary really happened to Mr. Fang. We’ve found the right person. You should indeed be able to help us find the answers.” The woman’s expression was cold, but her eyes were very bright and lively. “I’m An Fang.”
“As expected, your surname is An.” Fang Mu muttered softly. From the first glance at the woman, he had seen An Qin’s shadow in her appearance.
This woman was most likely related to An Qin’s parents. Judging by age, she was probably An Qin’s aunt.
Fang Mu remembered An Qin introducing her family. Her father did have a younger sister who rarely came home, that is, her aunt.
If An Qin’s aunt was a member of this organization, given the nature of their work, it was indeed inadvisable to have too deep ties with family, otherwise… he would have made a colossal mistake like him, causing his family to be cut off from offspring, nearly wiped out except for himself.
An Fang couldn’t hear what Fang Mu was saying. She frowned slightly and said, “Fang Sen, please answer our questions. Is the destruction of Lin Family Village related to you?”
Hearing this, Fang Mu was full of shock, his eyebrows twitching continuously, his eyes dazed, his voice trembling: “What did you say?”
Lin Family Village was the village where he first transmigrated to this era, where Lin Fengtian, his sister-in-law, and the others lived.
In order not to have too much involvement with the villagers and to protect the village, Fang Mu left immediately after earning enough travel money.
But now, An Fang told him the village was destroyed, and the reason was unknown. He only felt his heart growing more clogged, uncomfortable to the point of unable to breathe.
“Lin Family Village is gone.” The man sitting next to An Fang sighed softly.
Fang Mu fell silent, feeling guilt and self-blame in his heart. His nose made sniffling sounds, and his choked voice said hoarsely: “I probably might know what’s going on, but I’m not sure if that’s the case. Can you tell me how the village was destroyed, and what the village is like now? Is anyone alive?”
“No survivors.” An Fang spoke as if directly splashing cold water, chilling Fang Mu’s heart.
An Fang continued: “The village seems to have been attacked by something. There are destruction marks everywhere in the village, and bloodstains from people. Almost overnight, all the villagers disappeared.
If the village was attacked by a rampaging beast, there would definitely be sharp beast claw marks or bite marks left in the village, but there weren’t any. Apart from that mucus splattered everywhere, we really can’t think of what creature those mucus came from. Creatures matching those mucus characteristics are destined not to have such destructive power. It must be related to anomalies.
In that destroyed village, you are the only one who recently lived there and luckily survived. Moreover, the village was destroyed on the second night after you left. It’s hard for us not to suspect you.”
Fang Mu clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. He only heard An Fang say in a low voice: “Do you know? Just a few days ago, we finally found the villagers, but they had become half-digested food residue, bloody and mutilated, disgusting and stinking, vomited on the shady side of a mountain near the village outskirts. That scene… you can’t imagine.”
Hearing this, Fang Mu began shaking his head, unsure if he was saying he didn’t believe it or denying that An Fang said he couldn’t imagine that shocking and horrifying scene.
Of course Fang Mu could believe it and could imagine that terrifying scene. Presumably, once that mucus evaporated, the mountain of corpses and sea of blood would turn into white bones, just like the “Bones” in the Nong Mountain cave.
Fang Mu looked up at the two, his red eyes showing strong rage, but he himself said calmly: “It was done by frog people, offspring of the Toad Frog God.”
“Frog people, Toad Frog God.” An Fang nodded, her male companion beside her recorded what Fang Mu said. She glanced at the record paper, then continued inquiring, “What are they?”
“You should know. You all should know very well.” Fang Mu looked at her and said seriously, “The Toad Frog God is a totem worshiped by some people, but it betrayed humanity’s trust in it.”
“Okay, second question.” An Fang saw that Fang Mu seemed to be suppressing rage and trying to maintain reason and calm. She also quickened the pace of her questioning. “Was it you? Is it related to you?”
“It wasn’t me, but it is indeed related to me.” Fang Mu took a deep breath and said, “I was cursed by the Toad Frog God. They want to find me and want me dead.”
An Fang was surprised that Fang Mu could answer so quickly: “So, you offended the Toad Frog God, and the village was implicated because of you.”
Fang Mu felt ashamed to face the scrutinizing gazes around him. He closed his eyes and lowered his head, nodding silently.
After a moment of silence, Fang Mu seemed to suddenly remember something and added: “Also, besides looking for me, they might be looking for something else—a nail hammer, sunk in a small river outside Lin Family Village.”
