Rise of the Otherworld.

Everyone's hearts tightened when they heard the official's words, their nerves, which had just relaxed, tensed up again. Zhang Hao stepped forward, his face calm and resolute, and asked, "Sir, why can't we leave yet?" He stared intently at the official, trying to discern a clue from his expression.

The official looked solemn. After pacing back and forth for a while, he seemed to have made some kind of decision and slowly said, "To be honest, in recent days, there have been a series of strange disappearances in villages a hundred miles away from here. Several villagers have disappeared, and no one has found them alive or dead." His voice was low and suppressed, and every word seemed to carry a heavy burden.

He stopped, looked at everyone seriously, and continued: "I was planning to send someone to investigate, but there are so many things to do in the city now that I really can't spare any manpower. Since you have the ability to capture the thieves, you must be able to solve the mystery of the disappearances in this village. If you can find out the truth, this county will reward you handsomely." There was a hint of expectation in the official's eyes, as if he pinned all his hopes on Zhang Hao and others.

Zhang Hao and the others looked at each other in bewilderment. This matter sounded quite tricky. But they thought that if they didn't agree, it would probably cause a lot of trouble for no reason. Besides, they were not the kind of people who would just stand by and watch someone in danger.

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Hao frowned slightly and said, "Sir, we are willing to go and investigate, but I hope you can provide some relevant clues." He knew very well that when faced with such a mysterious incident, any clue could become the key to solving the mystery.

The official nodded, a hint of relief flashed in his eyes, and said: "According to the villagers who came to report the case, the disappearances all happened at night, and before each disappearance, a strange sound would be heard in the village, like the roar of some wild beast, but no one has ever seen what this beast looks like." As the official spoke, he gestured, trying to make everyone understand the situation more clearly.

Ling Yu frowned and asked in confusion: "Strange sound? Could it be some ferocious beast causing trouble?" His eyes were full of confusion, and his mind kept imagining various possible images of beasts.

The old man stroked his beard, his eyes flashing with wisdom, and said, "I'm afraid this matter is not that simple. If it was really an ordinary wild beast, the villagers would not be so unaware that they couldn't even see its shadow." The old man's words were steady and powerful, making everyone fall into deep thought.

The mysterious man nodded in agreement: "Maybe there is something else hidden." His voice was low and mysterious, as if he had already sensed the complex truth hidden behind the incident.

The woman looked at the little girl worriedly, her eyes full of concern, and said, "I'm afraid this trip will be very dangerous, and it's not convenient to bring a child with you." She gently stroked the little girl's hair, her eyes revealing deep maternal love.

Seeing this, the official quickly said, "Don't worry, the child can stay here for a while. I will send someone to take good care of him." The official's tone was sincere, which made people feel a little relieved.

Zhang Hao thought about it and decided that this was the only way. So after making some preparations, they set out on the road to the village.

Along the way, everyone was discussing possible situations.

"I think there might be some mysterious force behind this." Ling Yu guessed, with a hint of excitement in his eyes. He was always curious about unknown mysterious events.

The mysterious man shook his head and said solemnly: "It is also possible that some kind of evil spell caused the villagers to disappear." His voice was low and serious, which made people think of all kinds of evil spells and dark forces.

Zhang Hao said: "No matter what, we must act carefully, make sure to find out the truth and rescue the missing villagers." His eyes were firm, as if he had made up his mind to complete this mission no matter what difficulties he encountered.

When they arrived at the village, it was completely silent. Every household had its doors and windows shut tightly. Occasionally, a few villagers could be seen hurrying through the streets, faces etched with fear. The entire village seemed shrouded in a gloomy haze, a suffocating atmosphere.

They found the village chief and explained their purpose. The chief excitedly shook Zhang Hao's hand, tears glistening in his eyes, and said, "My dear heroes, you must save our village! This recent incident has scared everyone." His voice was trembling, filled with helplessness and despair.

Zhang Hao comforted him, "Don't worry, village chief. We will do our best. Can you tell us in more detail? Is there anything special about this disappearance?" Zhang Hao's tone was gentle but firm, trying to make the village chief relax so that he could get more useful information.

After thinking for a moment, the village chief slapped his head and said, "Oh, right, before a villager disappeared, he said that he saw a strange light flash by, and then there was no movement." There was a hint of fear in the village chief's eyes, as if he recalled the terrible scene.

After hearing this, everyone felt that this matter was even more strange.

"It seems that this strange light may be the key clue." Zhang Hao said, with a thoughtful gleam in his eyes.

So, everyone decided to explore the village, searching for clues related to the strange lights and sounds. They split into several groups, each investigating a different corner of the village. Zhang Hao and the mysterious man were assigned to inspect the surroundings; Ling Yu and the old man went door to door, questioning the villagers; and the woman stayed at the village chief's house, calming the villagers and keeping an eye on the village.

Zhang Hao and the mysterious man searched the edges of the village, leaving no corner untouched. They found some strange footprints, the shape of which didn't resemble either human or common wild animals. The mysterious man crouched down, carefully examining the footprints, and said, "These footprints seem quite old, and they look very strange. They don't seem to be left by ordinary creatures."

Zhang Hao frowned and said, "Could it really be some kind of mysterious creature?"

Just then, they heard a faint sound, as if coming from the woods in the distance. The sound was faint, like someone crying, or the low moaning of some creature.

"Did you hear that?" Zhang Hao asked softly.

The mysterious man nodded and said, "Go and take a look."

The two men walked cautiously towards the direction of the sound, weapons tightly grasped in their hands, and their hearts were full of vigilance. As they gradually approached the woods, the sound became clearer and clearer.

At the edge of the woods, they found a dilapidated wooden house. The door was half-open, and a faint light shone from inside. The light flickered in the darkness, as if it would go out at any moment.

Zhang Hao exchanged a glance with the mysterious man and slowly opened the door of the wooden house...