Seemingly due to mobility issues, the old man used a cane for support and appeared harmless.
However, after hearing his explanation, Feng Yang felt speechless.
Even a fool could see that these old men, armed with pitchforks and machetes, were clearly not there for a friendly conversation. If they had caught him, it would have meant very serious interrogation, or even torture.
Feng Yang felt somewhat fortunate. Had he been able to tolerate the musty smell in the wooden hut, he might already have been captured.
Seeing Feng Yang remain silent, the old man with the cane continued, "Don't be in a hurry to leave. We only wish to ask how you managed to get out of the barrier."
The barrier he referred to was likely the red light shield.
Feng Yang understood: these old men wanted to extract that secret from him. Now that he had escaped, they had switched tactics, hoping he would divulge it voluntarily.
Understanding their motive, Feng Yang asked with a fake surprise expression, "What, can none of you leave the barrier?"
The old man explained, "We cannot. If we try, the barrier will suck away our souls."
"Souls?" Feng Yang was taken aback. So, the barrier could actually absorb souls?
After a moment's thought, he pressed further, "Why are there only elderly people in your village? Where are the young ones?"
Hearing this, the old man with the cane did not answer immediately. Instead, he showed a strange expression. After a long pause, he finally replied, "Don't be fooled by our appearances. I am actually only twenty-eight this year."
He was only twenty-eight? The answer shocked Feng Yang. The speaker was hunched over, with white hair and a deeply wrinkled face, he looked well over seventy.
Sensing Feng Yang's disbelief, the old man elaborated. It turned out that a creature called a "spirit" would periodically appear above the village. Whenever it did, the spirit would attach itself to the light barrier and continuously absorb energy from within. And each time, the villagers seemed to have their lifespans drained, aging at an unbelievable rate. This aging would continue until the spirit departed.
Feng Yang's face showed dawning understanding. So, these "elderly" people were the result of the spirit's attacks. Such a high-end way to drain lifespan, this can't be a possible method of a spirit alone; it is more likely that there is someone doing those things behind the scenes.
According to the old man, spirits were mostly transparent, their bodies tinged with different colors. This description reminded Feng Yang of the blue ghost he had encountered earlier, the two were nearly identical. Perhaps that blue ghost had been a spirit, capable of draining people's lifespans.
The thought sent a chill down Feng Yang's spine. He had fought that thing for three whole days and survived. Even now, the memory filled him with dread.
At the same time, he was puzzled. Where did these spirits come from? And what they do by absorbing those people's lifespan?
Feng Yang asked the old man, "Do you know where the spirits come from?"
"We don't."
"Then how did this light barrier appear?"
"We don't know that either."
Aside from their rapid aging, these old men seemed to know very little about their predicament. Feng Yang felt a wave of helplessness.
After a moment, he tried another question: "Then you must at least know how you came to this village, right?"
Given the presence of the spirits, it was clear these people wouldn't live long. They couldn't have grown up here.
But at his question, the elderly villagers only looked bewildered. The old man with the cane replied, "Most of us woke up already inside this village. We have no idea who brought us here."
It seemed they had no clear answer even for this. Still, Feng Yang managed to glean a clue: whoever was silently bringing people here was undoubtedly powerful, far beyond ordinary individuals.
Moreover, Feng Yang suspected a connection between the mastermind and the spirits. It was obvious these villagers were being kept as food for the creatures.
The realization filled him with a sense of crisis. He had to leave this area as soon as possible. If he encountered another spirit or was discovered by the one behind it all, he would surely die. The longer he stayed, the greater the danger.
Having learned what he could, Feng Yang turned and left the village without a backward glance.
Seeing him about to leave, the old man with the cane grew anxious and called out, "Wait, young man! Please, hold on!"
Feng Yang paid no attention. He himself didn't know what was going on with him; how could he possibly help those strangers?
Seeing his indifference, the old man spoke quickly, "We have something for you!"
"Something?" That made Feng Yang stop. Though his life was his priority, he didn't mind staying a little longer if there were valuables to be had. The old saying, 'Birds die for food, and humans for wealth,' indeed wasn't nonsense, but a fact.
Feng Yang watched as the old men began taking out their possessions, mostly round coins made of copper and silver, likely the currency of this world. He had found similar coins in the previous village.
He understood: they were giving him these things because they wanted a favor.
Feng Yang asked casually, "What is it for? Do you need my help? But let me tell you, I can't help you get out of this barrier."
The old man with the cane said nothing more. He took a piece of cloth from his pocket, wrapped the others' belongings inside, and tossed the bundle toward Feng Yang.
Once he had, the old man said, "It's nothing major. We only hope that, if the opportunity arises, you might find someone to come back and rescue us." Then, as if worried Feng Yang might refuse, he added humbly, "But if you can't find anyone, that's alright too. We won't force you."
Feng Yang could easily tell from his tone that even they held little hope of ever being saved. Giving him the money was likely just a formality; after all, trapped in the village, the coins were useless to them.
Since they weren't pressuring him, Feng Yang agreed, and even if he doesn't, there is no way he will give those coins back. He picked up the bag of valuables, then seemed to remember something.
"Do any of you know how to get to the nearest town?" He asked randomly. "If you want me to find help, I'll need directions."
The old man with the cane shrugged and spoke while holding back his anger, "You're asking the wrong people. We can't even leave the village, how would we know where the town is?"