Chapter 197 - 197 Fifty-four

Words : 1452 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

197: Fifty-four. Knocking at the door. 197: Fifty-four. Knocking at the door. Whoo— The gap in the wall was blocked by a bedsheet, the door was reattached to the frame, and the window was nailed shut with wooden planks. The whistling sounds of the wind passing through the crevice rose in the calm and warm cabin. “Huff...” Lu Li blew away the steam from the kettle and took a small sip. The warmth flowed into his throat and spread throughout his body. Drip-drip—drip-drip— The woolen coat and trousers that hung behind the door dripped water, while the boots were buckled against the wall. The holster containing the Spirit-Calling Gun lay quietly beside Lu Li, drying off the moisture. Lu Li, wearing only a wrung-out shirt and shorts, sat barefoot by the fire, his expression tranquil. Anna sat opposite, holding Little Rainer’s diary. Perhaps out of shyness, or maybe because of the firelight, a hint of redness appeared on her pale, delicate cheeks. Lu Li tipped the kettle, soaked a clean cloth in some hot water, and began to wipe the abrasions on his arms and hands, “You’re holding the book upside down.” Ana let out a surprised cry, frantically turned the book right side up, her cheeks growing even redder, “I-I-I’ve been practicing reading books upside down recently...” “Oh,” Lu Li responded noncommittally and continued wiping. “Really, really! I can read these characters upside down, like this one is especially white, oh no, I mean... eek—” Anna, incoherent, covered her face with the diary as the blush spread to her earlobes. After the fire had burned for a long while, Anna carefully set the diary down, revealing a pair of clear eyes. Seeing that Lu Li was focused on cleaning his wounds and not intending to bother with her, she set aside her embarrassment and shifted her attention with difficulty to the diary. She needed to confirm whether there were other key clues in the diary. What if this “uncle” had another wife? As for reading upside down... The little boy’s handwriting was very sloppy, and it was difficult to make out even when reading normally, let alone upside down... As time ticked by, Lu Li, having finished wiping his body, put down the wet cloth, added more wood to the fire, and picked up the kettle that had been warmed again, taking full sips to avoid catching a cold from the previous rain. Ana also became immersed in the contents of the diary, reading each section with a serious expression on her face. A long-forgotten calm spread between the two, with the storm raging outside and the cabin shielding them from the cold and danger. Ana did indeed find the “uncle’s” wife, but she had died a long time ago. Besides this, Anna found many other useful pieces of information. For example, the Six-legged Savages, a family of four, referred to them as “little meat,” while the unfortunate family, along with Lu Li and other humans, were called guests and “big meat.” Further on, Anna found the difference between “little meat” and “big meat,” surprisingly, it seemed to be somewhat related to Sanity Value. “I hate eating little meat; every time I eat it, I see terrifying things appear around me! Aunt went mad after eating little meat, and the Mother of the Marsh took her away!” According to the original statements from the family that worshiped the Mother of the Marsh, little meat would cause their Sanity Value to decrease, whereas big meat would not. Anna relayed the information she discovered to Lu Li, who was somewhat surprised. He hadn’t expected that these beings, which were clearly not human, would also have a Sanity Value. Did this imply something... like the fact that not only humans possess Sanity Value? Or that this family once used to be human? Lu Li recalled their physical structure, beneath the skin-like surface was a composite similar to dark wood, made up of fiber-like material. It was like cutting a loaf of bread that had been baked and left to sit for a while, exposing the dense accumulation of fibers. There was no brain tissue, no flesh, no bones. Inside, they were completely unlike any organism made of human tissues. If he had to describe them, they were like a group of plant-people, with internal fibers and an extreme fear of fire. The “uncle” was a bit different, its fibers denser and more resilient. Lu Li’s Flintlock Pistol could blast open the cranium of the woman, a stick could pierce the mouth of the little boy and pin him to the wall. But on the “uncle,” it could only make a hole the size of a bowl and penetrate a few centimeters into its body. It was more like a wooden man. The advantage was that it became stronger, but the downside was that it became more fragile, and in the end, its head was chopped off by Anna’s axe, unable to revive. Grass can regrow when broken, but trees cannot. “How did you find out about the problem?” Ana closed the diary and voiced the question that had been troubling her for some time. “Found out about what?” Lu Li left his thoughts and looked at Anna. “So, it turns out that the family of three are monsters...” The moment Lu Li fired her gun, Anna thought Lu Li had, just like the novel she had just finished reading, suddenly turned to the side of evil... “There are many suspicious points.” Lu Li’s words made Anna feel somewhat ashamed, since she hadn’t noticed a single one... “It’s strange in itself for there to be a wooden hut in Shadow Swamp inhabited by a family of three. The calm before the storm, the darkness before dawn, the peace within a crisis—remember, the more out of place it feels with its environment, the more it signifies something abnormal.” “Oh.” Anna nodded, beginning to feel the same way, then she unconsciously let down her guard... “There are also the clothes. You might not have noticed, but there are many different styles and types of clothing piled up carelessly around the bed in this hut.” Anna subconsciously looked towards the corner bed and, indeed, just as Lu Li had said, various types of clothing were piled up in the corner, layer upon layer. “And the distance from the fire. You might not have noticed, but they were roasting over the fire yet staying very far from the flames, never approaching the fire even to add more wood.” “You’ve found out so much in such a short time...?” Anna felt intellectually and observationally crushed. “So, all this made you certain they’re not human?” She was supposed to be a spirit who could observe more meticulously than Lu Li... “No.” Lu Li, however, shook her head, speaking calmly. “What made me certain there was something wrong with this family was the scent of blood. The rain had just started, splashing up the scents from the ground. The stench of blood was so strong around the wooden hut it was almost impossible to disperse. As for the other points I mentioned, those came from reasoning backward after getting the answer.” With the answer in hand, certain doubts naturally became magnified. Anna had nothing to say, unsure of which expression to face Lu Li with. Thud thud thud— The door trembled, something knocking from outside. The cozy atmosphere in the hut instantly solidified. Again!? A chill sprang up in Anna’s heart as she looked at Lu Li reaching for the Spirit-Calling Gun. Gripping the handle of the gun, Lu Li sensed a disagreeable presence approaching the door, then moving away, leaving behind only a faint trace as if something had been left there. “Open the door.” Lu Li said. Without hesitation, Anna gathered her energy and floated to the back of the door, abruptly pulling it open! Outside there was nothing but emptiness, except for the moisture that wafted in, along with an invitation that had been inexplicably posted on the door. Anna picked up the invitation with confusion, closed the door, and returned to Lu Li’s side. Lu Li set down the Spirit-Calling Gun, took the invitation and unfolded it, looking at the contents. [Esteemed Guest] [We have heard of your arrival to the marsh as a guest. The Mother of the Marsh is hospitable and she loves having guests.] [After dusk today, in the deepest part of Shadow Swamp, a gathering will commence.] [We earnestly invite you to attend the gathering.] [Do not miss it tonight.]

Chapter 197 - 197 Fifty-four

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