Chapter 97: Run!
In addition to this, Liu Xing also noticed that right in the center of the Ancestral Hall, there was a massive pit with a radius of three to four meters, and it seemed bottomless. Without further ado, this was the stage where the Earth-boring Demon Worm would make its appearance.
Village Chief requested Liu Xing and his two companions to stand beside the large pit, while the villagers, armed with their "weapons," gathered around them, maintaining a distance of two to three meters. However, they had all set down their "weapons" and had started chatting with each other.
But for Liu Xing and his companions, this was not good news at all. After all, when they had tried to escape earlier, the villagers had had enough time to react and attack them.
So, with a wry smile, Liu Xing said to Village Chief, "Village Chief, we really haven't lied. We didn't harm Tang Tai or the father and son from the Tang family."
Village Chief smirked coldly and replied, "Heh, then why don't you bring the old Tang father and son out to testify? They were perfectly fine in the village yesterday, but now they've disappeared, and you claim to have seen them. So, who should I suspect if not you?"
Liu Xing sighed in resignation and said, "Well, I don't have much to say now, Village Chief. What do you want? Are you going to make us pay with our lives for the Tang father and son?"
Seeing this, Village Chief nodded with a cold smile and pointed at the large pit behind Liu Xing, saying, "Of course. There's an old saying that goes, 'an eye for an eye.' Since you three killed our foreign friend and the Tang father and son, it's only fair that one life is exchanged for another. Later, you will have to jump into this pit. Of course, if you can climb out, I might spare you and let you live."
Liu Xing and his companions exchanged glances. Leaving aside the Earth-boring Demon Worm in this pit, just the depth of the pit itself was likely several hundred meters deep. Jumping in would surely mean certain death.
"Village Chief, I'm afraid this pit is several hundred meters deep. Jumping in would be a suicide mission, especially since you've tied us up," Mo Jin said, sighing.
Clearly, Mo Jin was trying to provoke Village Chief.
Village Chief raised an eyebrow, intrigued, and said, "Oh, so are you saying that if your hands weren't tied, you could climb out?"
Mo Jin, having successfully used the provocation tactic, continued, "Of course. I just took a look at this pit, and I noticed that its rock walls are uneven. I've had some experience with rock climbing, so I believe I could climb out without any equipment. But now, with my hands tied by you, Village Chief, it seems impossible."
Village Chief chuckled and said to Zhang San, who was nearby, "Zhang San, go ahead and untie his hands. I'd like to see if he can really climb out."
Zhang San nodded and proceeded to untie Mo Jin's hands. At the same time, Shi Ying approached, and Zhang San also untied her restraints.
Mo Jin flexed his wrist and continued, "Very well, Village Chief, you'll see soon enough. But let me ask you this, what if, after we jump into this pit, the Tang father and son return and prove that we were telling the truth? Won't you be punishing innocent people? How about this, Village Chief, you could first lock us in that room for a couple of days. If the Tang father and son don't show up by then, we'll accept our fate, even if it means we die willingly."
"Hmph, don't think I don't see through your tricks. Do you think I don't know what you're planning? I've already heard from Wang Wei that you volunteers have daily contact with the county. If you suddenly stop communicating with them for two or three days, the county will definitely send someone to find you. Then, you can use that as an excuse to shift all the blame onto our Earth Dragon Village. You could say the Tang father and son killed the foreign volunteer, and we, Earth Dragon Village, imprisoned and controlled you to protect them. We won't bear that black mark," Village Chief said, wearing an expression that seemed to say he had seen through everything, speaking coldly.
Mo Jin sighed in resignation and then said, "Alright, since you put it that way, Village Chief, we have nothing more to say. We'll accept our fate. But before we do, I have one last question for you. How did this pit come to be? It can't be that your Earth Dragon Village has been digging it for generations, considering its immense depth, beyond human capabilities."
"I can tell you about that. You've probably heard Wang Wei mention the legend of our Earth Dragon Village. This pit was left behind when Earthworm, our elder, burrowed underground. That's why it's so unfathomably deep," Village Chief said, with a proud demeanor.
Liu Xing, upon hearing Village Chief's words, couldn't help but think to himself, "This Earth-boring Demon Worm is quite intriguing, actually controlling Village Chief and making him refer to himself as 'Earthworm elder.'"
But upon reflection, it made sense. The Earth-boring Demon Worm's intelligence, compared to humans, was on a different level, so it possessed human-like emotions, including vanity.
So, Mo Jin engaged in a conversation with Village Chief, or rather, with the Earth-boring Demon Worm, to weaken its vigilance. However, in reality, the Earth-boring Demon Worm didn't seem too concerned about Liu Xing and his companions since, in its eyes, they were already as good as dead.
After a while, more villagers entered the Ancestral Hall. When Village Chief saw that enough people had gathered, he clapped his hands and began detailing the "crimes" of Liu Xing and his companions.
"Dear villagers, these three individuals not only killed a foreign friend but also, in an attempt to shift the blame onto our Earth Dragon Village, they went so far as to murder the elderly Tang father and son. How should we deal with such wicked individuals?" Village Chief, with his back turned to Liu Xing and his companions, addressed the villagers.
Liu Xing also noticed that, apart from Village Chief, the villagers had a vacant look in their eyes, appearing lifeless. Clearly, these villagers were under the control of the Earth-boring Demon Worm.
However, because the Earth-boring Demon Worm had only partially released its seal, its power was limited. So, rather than saying the Earth-boring Demon Worm controlled the villagers, it was more accurate to say it had hypnotized them.
As a result, after the mechanically uttered chants of "sacrifice" from the villagers, Village Chief turned around, sneering at Liu Xing and his companions, and said, "Well, are you going to jump on your own, or do you want me to come up?"
At this moment, Mo Jin chuckled and said, "Heh, do you really think we'll surrender like this?"
Mo Jin paused for half a second and shouted loudly, "Run!"
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