Shadow Village's daytime wasn't the gloomy horror I had imagined. Sunlight still existed, but it seemed filtered through thick frosted glass—dim and lacking warmth, casting shadows that appeared particularly clear and long. A few "people" moved sporadically through the streets, their clothing ranging from ancient robes to modern jackets, but all bore the weathered patina of time and an inescapable air of melancholy. They moved slowly with wooden expressions, seemingly indifferent to everything around them.
Xiao Yu led me through winding paths, finally arriving at a Hui-style mansion on the village outskirts that appeared long abandoned. The tall horse-head walls were mottled and crumbling, carved window frames rotted beyond repair, and the tightly closed main door bore rust-stained copper rings. Weeds grew wild in the courtyard, with a dry well in the center that seemed to swallow all light.
"It's relatively safe here." Xiao Yu pushed open a half-closed side door and led me inside. "This mansion is supposedly a minor tourist attraction in the living world, but in Shadow Village, for certain reasons, no one has approached it for a long time."
The interior was dimly lit, filled with heavy dust and mold. Simple furniture was covered in thick dust, with spider webs everywhere.
"This place... was once my home." Xiao Yu's voice grew somber as she reached out to gently touch a scratched Eight Immortals table in the main hall, her eyes revealing complex emotions. "Long, long ago... when I was in the living world."
"Your home?" I was somewhat surprised.
Xiao Yu didn't continue this topic but turned to look at me seriously: "Before you understand how to leave, you must first comprehend Shadow Village's laws. Otherwise, you might not survive even tomorrow."
She found two relatively clean stools and motioned for me to sit.
"First, time flows differently in Shadow Village than in the living world." Xiao Yu began explaining. "One day here roughly equals one hour in the living world. So you only have the equivalent of three hours in living world time to find your way back."
"One hour? So fast!" My heart tightened.
"Second, Shadow Village's residents—the souls you see—are mostly people who once lived in Hongcun. After death, they remain here due to various obsessions." Xiao Yu continued. "Most souls will gradually forget their memories and emotions from life as time passes, eventually having their consciousness dissipate and completely merge with Shadow Village, becoming the grass, trees, bricks, and tiles here."
"What about the others?"
"Others like me... or rather, like those guardians and that teacher, maintain independent consciousness and partial memories due to special reasons or powerful obsessions, existing long-term. But such existence often comes with pain and bondage."
"What about you? What's your situation? You said you don't completely belong here?"
Xiao Yu fell silent for a moment, her gaze drifting toward the window: "I... am an accident. A consciousness fragment that shouldn't exist. My situation is very special—I'll tell you later. What's most important now is you."
She withdrew her gaze, her tone becoming serious: "Third, and most importantly: a living person's yang energy is both alien and... tempting to Shadow Village."
"Tempting?"
"Yes. For souls about to dissipate or filled with resentment, your yang energy is like a beacon in darkness. They instinctively want to approach, even... devour it, hoping to return to the living world or gain power. This is why the guardians must find and isolate you quickly. Your very existence could trigger chaos in Shadow Village."
I listened with chills running down my spine, feeling like a piece of meat thrown into a wolf pack. "Then... what should I do?"
"Disguise." Xiao Yu stood up and walked to a broken wooden chest in the corner, rummaging through it. "You need to weaken your yang energy as much as possible, making yourself look more like a Shadow Village resident."
She quickly found a set of clothes—a gray-blue coarse cloth jacket and patched black pants, plus a pair of mud-stained cloth shoes. "Put these on. Though crude, they're much better than your modern clothes."
I awkwardly changed into this outfit reeking of mothballs and mold, feeling like I'd traveled to some impoverished period drama set.
Xiao Yu then produced a small black-glazed porcelain bottle, pouring fine black powder into her palm: "This is made from ash of Shadow Village's unique gloomy wood, mixed with some herbs. Applied to your face and hands, it can temporarily mask your yang energy, making it harder for souls and guardians sensitive to yang energy to immediately detect you."
She approached me, using her fingertips to dip the powder and carefully apply it to my forehead, cheeks, and hands. Her movements were gentle, her gaze focused, long eyelashes trembling slightly. At such close distance, I could clearly see the persistent sadness in her eyes and those features identical to my daughter's. My heart clenched again, and intense paternal love and guilt surged up.
"Done." Xiao Yu stepped back, examined me, and nodded with satisfaction. "Though it can't completely hide it, at least you won't be so conspicuous. Remember, from now on, try to walk with your head down, avoid eye contact with anyone, especially those guardians in black robes. Don't initiate conversation with anyone unless necessary. In Shadow Village, silence is the best camouflage."