Chapter 112: The Girl’s Return

She’s back!

That girl is back!

Hidden in the two courtyards beside the little girl’s house, Wang Zheng lowered his voice in excitement as he watched the figure approaching in the darkness.

Through a second-floor window, they saw the little girl from not far off, struggling to carry a bucket of water as she wobbled along the narrow path.

Moonlight filtered through, softly illuminating her path as she walked.

A full bucket of river water left faint puddles at her feet, soaking her shoes and marking her small, winding footprints.

After leaving the girl’s house, they had been waiting for over four hours; the long wait had made nearly everyone uneasy.

The moisture in the air seemed to grow thicker at night, making anyone who stayed feel as if they were submerged in water.

Now that their main target was in sight, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.

In the courtyard nearest the girl’s house, Yenir exchanged a quick, instinctive glance with Fang He before preparing to step out.

Creak…

The old courtyard gate swung open with a creak. At the doorstep, the little girl suddenly looked up and instinctively fixed her gaze on the man at the front—Yenir.

Her eyes were alert, as if she immediately recognized that these survivors did not belong to the Settlement.

“Little Sister, there’s no need to be afraid,” he said.

“We’re the inspection team from the Zhenjiang Security Zone Military. We’re not the bad guys.”

Fang He quickly fabricated an identity, forcing an awkward smile as he crouched down to look at the girl.

“We’ve received a report that something happened here. Would you be willing to help us investigate?”

His tone was gentle and coaxing.

Fang He purposely avoided mentioning the death of the girl’s mother, hoping she would bring it up herself.

He could tell that despite her young age, her wariness was profound—the kind that made her trust no one.

Sure enough, the girl nervously glanced at the two men who had suddenly appeared, instinctively tucking the bucket behind her.

After scrutinizing them for a few moments, she finally asked:

“Are you really here to investigate?”

Seeing her hesitation, Fang He’s smile widened as he pulled out the credentials he had prepared long ago.

“As genuine as they come. Rest assured, everything you say will remain confidential. And if anyone’s up to no good, we’ll make sure they’re caught!”

“I heard some scoundrels have contaminated the water supply here—is it true…”

Before she could finish, the girl suddenly glared at Fang He, as if she’d been stepped on like a cat’s tail, and cried out sharply:

“It wasn’t contamination!”

“My mother wasn’t a bad person! They killed her! She didn’t contaminate the water!”

In her panic, the little girl stuttered her denial, her dark eyes fixated on Fang He as if the very thought repulsed her.

Ignoring her attitude, Fang He felt a sudden thrill of excitement.

“This is promising! There’s definitely something here!”

Just as they had suspected, the death of the girl’s mother seemed to be linked to the people from the Settlement!

“Killed her!? Who did it? Do you even remember their names?”

Under his relentless questioning, the others hidden in the courtyard instinctively perked up their ears.

“I know!”

“Of course I know! My mom told me everything! I even wrote down all their names!”

The girl’s face contorted as she suddenly shouted, her youthful features giving way to a fierce hatred that startled even Fang He.

Before Yenir could ask a word, the girl dashed back inside and slammed the door with a bang.

“I’ll avenge my mother!”

Inside, after her defiant shout and a few rapid footsteps, she vanished from sight.

Standing there, both Yenir and the Middle-Aged Man were left dumbfounded, their eyes heavy with solemn understanding.

“Did that girl say her mom told her something!?”

“The key lies in the names she knows!”

Fang He quickly interjected, excitement barely concealed in his eyes. With her mother dead, only a ghost could have spoken to her!

Nearby, Yenir lowered his head slightly, clearly understanding Fang He’s meaning.

Staring at the red bucket the girl had dropped, he frowned and bent down to pick it up:

“That kid… had a faint smell of blood on her.”

In the pitch-black night, as Yenir rummaged in the bucket, he soon pulled out a slim, slippery piece of flesh clinging to its side.

“This is…”

“A tongue?”

Looking at the tongue in his hand, Fang He blurted out impulsively:

“Revenge-murder!”

“That girl has already struck!”

…………

It was 10:17 PM.

In the courtyard, the assembled group watched anxiously as the bucket was brought in. Wang Zheng, anxious, whispered:

“Aren’t we going to ask more questions at the girl’s house…?”

“We’re trying to get a list; it’s impossible to get one from the other survivors.”

“Even if we investigate, it’ll probably take days.”

“The longer we wait, the bigger the problems might get…”

Crouching beside the bucket, Fang He shook his head:

“That little girl is indeed a key figure. Once we get in touch with her, my system flashed a warning: don’t upset her.”

“Clearly, if we barge in and keep questioning, we might trigger something.”

As he spoke, he instinctively glanced at the tightly closed courtyard door. Even from across the narrow path, he could sense that since the girl’s return, the courtyard—once merely chilly—now exuded a sinister vibe.

“Upset her?”

Chen Yong and the others froze, instantly piecing things together.

Meanwhile, Yenir raised his eyelids slightly in thought, shooting a glance at Fang He.

(There’s something hidden inside.)

Fang He clearly knew more than he let on but chose to keep it to himself. Judging by his behavior, Yenir guessed he was trying to hog all the credit.

“So, are we really going to question them one by one?”

“When we spoke to the Settlement’s leader earlier, we barely got anything. Besides learning that the girl’s name is Li Rou and her mother’s name is Zhang Xuemei, we know nothing more.”

“We can’t force them… They’ve already colluded to kill the girl’s mother. They must be in cahoots.”

Chen Yong wiped the water from his forehead, grimacing. Whether it was sweat or the heavy humidity clinging to him, it was clear he was desperate to get that list.

Listening to Wang Zheng’s insistent tone, Fang He looked up with impatience:

“Interrogating them now might just work, though it does carry some risk.”

“Before, we didn’t know who the ghost was, but now it’s clear—the girl’s mother is the prime suspect. I suspect Zhang Xuemei has already become a ghost.”

“Once the night grows darker and the girl and her grandmother have fallen asleep, we can sneak in and look for the list.”

With a light chuckle, Fang He nodded toward Yenir:

“In that case, let’s split up.”

“I think there are bodies along the Riverbank. Finding one might be the breakthrough we need. The survivors, still fogged by the eerie events, won’t notice a corpse—but once they see one, they’ll surely slip up.”

“You head to the river; I’ll sneak into the courtyard tonight to search for the list.”

“The girl said she wrote everything down. I reckon it’s hidden somewhere in the house.”

Yenir’s eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze on the composed Fang He.

Fang He is going to the girl’s house himself, while planning to hit the Riverbank?

Though it sounds even more dangerous for Fang He, Yenir didn’t believe this guy would be selfless enough to take such a risk. Clearly, Fang He knew something else…

Either the girl’s house is hiding another secret he wants to claim for himself, or the danger isn’t as high as we thought.

And at the Riverbank…