According to Ou, Xishan Village was nestled between mountains and rivers. Although not completely isolated, it rarely saw outside visitors. About a year ago, Qiuye Bai became prevalent in the Jingchu region. A family’s young son studying in the county town was enticed by classmates to explore the red-light district. Out of curiosity, he accidentally became addicted to the drug and even shared Qiuye Bai with his peers during a home visit. By the time his parents discovered it, the son’s addiction was so deep that quitting seemed impossible.
That family had some assets and particularly doted on their youngest son, initially dismissing the Qiuye Bai, claiming they could simply buy drugs for him. However, as the addiction deepened, the user’s demand for Qiuye Bai increased. Even in Kuang Feng County, Qiuye Bai was a rare and expensive commodity that ordinary families could hardly afford, let alone farmers. Soon, the family could no longer support their son.
When drug withdrawal struck, the suffering was unbearable. The son was tortured beyond recognition and ultimately unable to endure, running out of the house on a rainy night and drowning himself.
However, villagers whispered that the son was not suicide but was deliberately drowned by his family who could no longer bear the burden.
Due to this lesson, except for those initially involved with the drug, other villagers dared not touch Qiuye Bai. Yet, this didn’t prevent some from secretly growing a few plants around their houses, envious of its high price.
Fu Shen remained silent for a long time. Yan Xiaohan recalled the thunderbolt that split the divine statue that night; perhaps there was indeed a predetermined fate guiding them. If not for that lightning, they would have directly headed to Jingzhou after resting at the Fox Immortal Temple and would not have lingered in this small village, let alone discovered the secret that the entire village had kept tight-lipped.
“It’s not some vengeful ghost, just a plague. Perhaps because all the culprits were stained with that person’s blood, they contracted the same disease and then infected other villagers,” Fu Shen said coldly. “Karma comes full circle; those who sin cannot survive.”
