My lady, don't be angry. I'm letting you touch my big tail.

Qiao Yi really didn't want to have too much contact with this person.

What she really wanted to make clear was that when she was betrayed by Qiao Zan and Qiao Yu, that pleading look in her eyes was something anyone would have.

Even if there's a stranger standing there.

Presumably, in their final desperate struggle for survival, they would also cast their gaze upon him.

Just as Qiao Yi was about to speak, Hua Ran spoke first.

"Okay, I'll take you with me."

Joey was somewhat taken aback.

"Ranran..."

"It's alright. If you need him, my wife, then it's perfectly acceptable to keep him around. However, if he deceives you, I will definitely not let him off!"

Qiao Yi immediately realized that Hua Ran was holding back.

The tall, thin man walked forward and said, "When I came to this village, I happened to run into Qiao Zan and Qiao Yu."

He said that it was about half a month ago, and the place was already in a state of cannibalism.

Only a handful of people still retain their consciousness and can speak human language.

It was the same group of people who spontaneously formed a small team to cleverly kill the unconscious people inside, dismember them, and sell the flesh to the vendors and the town below.

I don't want any money, I just want to exchange it for regular vegetables, rice, and noodles.

"The corpses were covered with magic, making it impossible for people to tell who did this?"

The tall, thin man shook his head.

"We don't know who did it, or if Qiao Zan and Qiao Yu know who's behind it, but we haven't seen that person appear. When we got here, it was already a bloody and disgusting scene."

Qiao Yi understood.

This also explains why the people in the shed and the people in the town couldn't tell.

It turns out those people were trying to save themselves.

"So now... where are the few remaining people?"

The tall, thin man sighed.

"Qiao Yu and Qiao Zan originally wanted to investigate the cause first, because this village was very strange. However, just two days later, after they had learned about the situation in the village, the few people who were still conscious said that as long as they closed their eyes, they could hear women calling to them and telling them to go to a certain place."

So… Qiao Zan and Qiao Yu, wanting to protect those people and also to find out the truth, went along. Eight days have passed, and they haven't reappeared.”

The tall, thin man also said that because he couldn't see the ghosts, he didn't go with them, but instead used the talisman left by Jozan to protect himself.

And I remembered the entrance; it was inside a room.

After Qiao Zan and the others went in, they never came out again.

At this point, the tall, thin man stopped and said, "Yiyi, are we going now? I mean... do you need me to debug your system?"

"No need! Also, don't call me 'Yiyi'."

Hua Ran then snuggled closer, her fluffy fox tail first hooking around Qiao Yi's waist, then around her neck.

She leaned softly against Joey's chest.

"My lady~ My feet hurt so much, they're so tired, I need to rest~"

Seeing this, the tall, thin man bit his lower lip, still feeling indignant, and said, "Yiyi, after we finish debugging the system, we should go find Qiao Zan and Qiao Yu as soon as possible."

Hua Ran then hugged Qiao Yi's arm and gently shook it.

"My lady, I'd like to sit down and rest..."

Inugami watched from the side and pulled Qiao Dawan a little further away.

He winked at Qiao Dawang, thinking to himself, "You shouldn't bother with this."

The area around Joey had become a battleground.

The two men were fighting so fiercely that strangers couldn't get close at all.

Qiao Yi patted Hua Ran's hand and said, "We should sit down and rest."

Upon hearing this, the tall, thin man immediately frowned.

"Given the current situation, shouldn't we..."

Before he could finish speaking, Joey scolded him in a low voice.

"There's no such thing as 'should' or 'shouldn't.' Right now, you can only rely on me, so you can only listen to me."

As for the outcome for Qiao Zan and Qiao Yu, they've probably already prepared themselves for it.

Joey made it clear that she came to investigate something.

It was for himself, for Hua Ran, and even for a girl who had never been born.

But it was definitely not for Qiao Zan and Qiao Yu.

Qiao Yi pulled Hua Ran and went directly to the dilapidated thatched hut next to them, where only the roof remained, and sat down.

The thatched hut was surrounded by skeletons and severed limbs.

Joey's decision was irrefutable. She added, "Now it's my turn to understand this village. Come here and tell me about the history and background of this village."

Hua Ran heard that Qiao Yi completely agreed with her decision, so she leaned closer to Qiao Yi's ear and blew a breath of warm air into her ear.

“My lady, don’t let him get close. Just say it from a meter away from him: I don’t want him to come near.”

At this moment, Hua Ran had fully displayed her allure.

Even if he only said this one sentence, the fox's tail was still swaying gently.

The fox's ears remained drooping to the sides.

Obedient and gentle.

"My lady... I'm scared. I want to lie in your arms, on your lap, okay?"

"Good~"

As a result, Qiao Yi sat down on the ground, right on the grass. When she sat cross-legged, Hua Ran used her hands as a cushion to support her chin and curled up on Qiao Yi's legs.

She looked at the tall, thin man with utterly seductive eyes.

The big tail also brushed against Joey's chin and obediently wrapped around Joey's waist.

But it is very protective.

No one can get close.

"Tell me~"

When he spoke, both Inugami and Qiao Dawan were startled.

She has a very strong presence.

It appears to be a nonchalant pet fox nestled in its owner's arms, but it is actually so powerful that no one dares to approach it.

Even the tall, thin man couldn't help but swallow.

Qiao Yi said coldly, "Hua Ran, you're the one who should speak!"

"cough!"

The tall, thin man then regained his voice.

"When Qiao Zan and I first came in, a man carrying a fetal bag said that this village was fine six months ago."

One day, thunder roared across the sky, and the livestock cried out in agony. The next morning, people found them all dead. That's when the problems began.

The man also said, according to a relayed account.

Before long, all the vegetables in the village rotted, and all the grains were soaked in water and rotted.

Nothing could be grown in the village anymore, and they had nothing to eat. They wanted to leave the village, but every time they went out, they would start to feel dizzy.

When I woke up and opened my eyes, I found myself lying in my own bed again.

"Then, a small group of these people started saying that they had gotten food and were kind enough to share it with everyone, and the whole village ate it."

Everyone asked where the meat came from, and a small group said it was from livestock they had hidden away.

Before long, another group of people became dissatisfied with these things, and so... they began to bite people.

Upon hearing this, Hua Ran rolled over in Qiao Yi's arms, turning into a semi-reclining position.

With its hands clenched, it looked just like a fox in animal form.

"Master Wife~"

He let out a soft, coquettish sound.

"Ranran is scared~ Can you hold Ranran?"