"Vanished?"
Qin Fang's expression turned grave. "Were they all slaughtered, with no bodies left? Or... did even the houses and fields vanish along with them?"
"According to the case file, it's the first one."
Su Nian said, "The Lanyang City Prefecture Yamen received a report from the elders of a neighboring village and sent men to investigate. There were no signs of a fierce struggle or arson at the scene. The houses, fields, and livestock pens were all completely intact. Some homes even… had cold congee left unfinished on the stove and needlework sitting on the table. But the people, and all the living creatures like their dogs, chickens, and ducks, had all vanished. No blood, no signs of a struggle. It was as if… as if everyone was going about their daily lives, and then, in a single moment, they were erased out of thin air."
