Chapter 147: Recollection of the Wax Museum (Part 6)

Chapter 147: Recollection of the Wax Museum (Part 6)

This question seemed to be beyond Jie Fangcheng's comprehension as well.

The summons from the Book of Life and Death were truly unreliable. It was somewhat acceptable with Lang Gu, who had at least undergone compulsory education in the netherworld, but now they were summoning even ghosts.

How simple Jie Fangcheng thought it was, hoping the Book would summon someone with a high position, capable of taking full responsibility. It didn't have to be their current CEO, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, even summoning someone from Boss Xue's department would do. Henceforth, the responsibility of saving the numerous wandering souls in the game would fall onto them.

Instead, it summoned someone subordinate to Lao Cui.

It wasn't that he looked down upon Lang Gu, but that young man was even less flexible than Lao Cui, rigid beyond imagination.

The thought alone made Jie Fangcheng sigh.

He needed to have a serious talk with the Book of Life and Death. At the very least, it should stop sending ghosts into the game. It was just by chance that Jie Fangcheng encountered this instance. In other instances, a single ghost could ruin everything.

Observing everyone diligently searching for clues, Jing Dao'an oddly glanced at him again, his gaze somewhat... mournful?

Jie Fangcheng was clueless, patting Jing Dao'an's shoulder heartily.

"Anyway, there's nothing much to do, I'll go check outside."

Jing Dao'an stumbled forward a step from the forceful pat, steadying himself and adjusting his glasses to look at Jie Fangcheng.

"What is it?"

"I will see if I can find the Book of Life and Death."

Normally, he could only spot that book while hovering in the sky after clearing a level, but wasn't this a special case? Jie Fangcheng hadn't seen it in the last two levels, feeling that something was slightly amiss.

"I'll accompany you."

Jie Fangcheng shook his head: "You can't, a white fog blocks the way. You'll dissipate if you enter."

Jing Dao'an suddenly pointed at the female ghost in the deputy manager's arms and asked, "Can she go then?"

"Ah? Yes, she can."

Initially, Jie Fangcheng was unsure of the reason behind this sudden question, but upon mentioning the female ghost, he had an epiphany.

Is this youngster really that timid?

Jie Fangcheng chuckled heartily, "In that case, let her stay here to protect you all. Rest assured, her abilities are quite commendable."

Indeed they were; the team nearly met a disaster when capturing her back then. It was only with the last-minute intervention of Jie Fangcheng, who was summoned from another field mission, that they managed to subdue her.

Saying so, Jie Fangcheng nudged the female ghost, who had her eyes closed.

"Xiao Hua, I'm going to check outside. Ensure these people are safe."

Yan Xiaohua opened her pale, bluish eyes, making a sound from her throat that was incomprehensible to normal people.

Jie Fangcheng communicated with her without barriers: "You can't eat anyone, not even one... not even a leg. Overtime pay?"

Jie Fangcheng slammed his sword into the ground, and Yan Xiaohua closed her mouth.

Having arranged the muscle, Jie Fangcheng waved at Jing Dao'an.

"I am off then."

Jing Dao'an watched him, nodding in acknowledgment.

Jie Fangcheng, carrying his sword, exited the wax museum.

Outside the wax museum, the sky was enveloped in pitch darkness.

Due to the main environment of the level being confined to the inside of the wax museum, the external scenery was rather rudimentary in its setup.

The surroundings were a barren forest covered in dry leaves, silent as a graveyard, with occasional suspicious mounds here and there.

Not long after venturing eastward into the forest, Jie Fangcheng entered the white fog.

Upon entering, Jie Fangcheng felt that something was off.

The white fog...had thinned out, but not entirely. The surroundings were still a blank canvas of white, obstructing the view and making it difficult to determine directions.

After taking a few steps, Jie Fangcheng decided not to proceed any further.

He had ventured into the white fog during his first time entering the game's level. Back then, he walked for several minutes without reaching anywhere different, finding it troublesome to return as the directions were unclear, nearly unable to make his way back to the mental hospital.

This time, Jie Fangcheng squinted within the white fog, yet his surroundings remained inscrutable.

With a pang of regret, he sighed, resolving to retreat for now.

Jie Fangcheng’s round trip took just five or six minutes, which, to the people on the second floor, seemed as brief as a restroom break, arousing no noticeable stir.

Only Jing Dao’an met his gaze briefly.

“How was it?”

Jie Fangcheng saw no reason to conceal the truth.

“It’s still foggy outside, and visibility for navigation remains poor. However, the fog has somewhat dispersed.”

The fog had thinned out.

A notion seemed to dawn on Jing Dao'an. Just as he was about to articulate it, a player, who was searching for clues, suddenly exclaimed with immense joy, "I found it!"

Jie Fangcheng was more intrigued by what Jing Dao’an might have conceived. He hastily tugged at his sleeve, urging, "Hey, did you just have a thought or insight? Can you share?"

Jing Dao’an shook his head, remarking, "It's merely a speculation without any concrete evidence. Let's evaluate the situation outside before discussing it."

His remark clearly conveyed his own reservations about the conjecture, leaning more towards a “guess” than a well-grounded hypothesis.

Jie Fangcheng wasn't particularly keen on matters requiring extensive contemplation. Following Jing Dao’an's cautious stance, he nodded, choosing not to probe further.

Together, they approached the newfound clue.

It was a stack of certificates that had been utilized as a sofa leg prop, hidden beneath the study's sofa. The originally rigid certificates now bore deep indentations due to their prolonged misuse, encased in newspaper that had deteriorated, emanating a damp, moldy odor upon touch.

The group peeled back the newspaper, revealing a thick stack of accolades and blood donation certificates, all issued to the same individual.

Qiu Jianye.

This ordinary name bore witness to an extraordinary life of deeds.

Rescuing a drowning child, disarming a knife-wielding robber, volunteering in flood relief efforts... Over two decades of accolades attested to his fearless valor. Interspersed amongst numerous blood donation certificates were a few pay slips, donation receipts, and letters of appreciation. Contributions were made to out-of-school children, critically ill patients, and even the Qiu family village. A glimpse at these donations and salary slips revealed Qiu Jianye's altruism, generously donating nearly all of his savings despite a modest income.

"A true philanthropist," someone remarked with emotion.

Indeed.

From these documents alone, it was evident that Qiu Jianye was a paragon of virtue and kindness. But to whom did these stacked certificates belong?

"They belong to the deputy manager," Jing Dao'an stated, displaying a necklace in his hand.

A tarnished red cord held an antique, worn pocket watch, its exterior paint almost completely peeled away, revealing the dark-brown metal underneath.

Upon opening the cover, the glass dial inside showed minute cracks, yet it had been maintained with meticulous cleanliness.

Affixed to the inside of the watch cover was a pristine photograph where a benevolent elderly man embraced a young girl sporting twin ponytails.

Beneath the photograph, a line of petite letters was etched.

"Wishing little Qiu Baihua a joyful ninth birthday — Qiu Jianye, July 15th."

Qiu Jianye and Qiu Baihua.

The group scrutinized the likenesses of the individuals captured in the photograph.

Qiu Jianye indeed bore a resemblance to the deputy manager, but as for the little girl in the photograph...

"They don't quite match," someone muttered under their breath.

Just then, Jing Dao'an, who was examining the newspaper wrapped around the certificates, stumbled upon a new revelation.

"Qiu Family Village's Pathway to Prosperity: The Journey from Impoverished County to Poverty Alleviation."

While other details in the news piece seemed insignificant, the accompanying photo depicted several villagers.

Qi Chanyang and others had previously observed the wax figures on the first floor. Although their analytical skills might not be as sharp as Jing Dao'an's, who deduced connections from the mud on the shoes and labels on the elderlies' clothing, their "observations" were more along the lines of seeking new clues, rather than connecting intricate details.

Even without keen perceptiveness, they could recognize the figures in the newspaper photograph at this moment.

"Some individuals in this photograph seem to bear a striking resemblance to a few wax figures on the first floor!"

Could it imply that some individuals from Qiu Family Village were immortalized as wax sculptures? Was the deputy manager behind this? What could possibly motivate such a gruesome act against his fellow villagers?

All eyes shifted between Qiu Jianye and the pitiable little girl he held in his embrace.

Although devoid of concrete evidence, a theory began to take root in everyone's mind.

"There must be additional clues substantiating this, let's keep looking, keep searching!"

The crowd immersed themselves diligently in the search.

Jing Dao'an cast a thoughtful glance at the little girl, then at Qiu Jianye, before turning his attention towards Jie Fangcheng.

"Manager Jie, would you accompany me to the boiler room?"

"Ah? Yes, of course."

The pair descended the staircase to the ground floor.

Due to the instance's suspended state, the flames within the boiler room had "frozen" in place.

Although the flames ceased their dance, they retained a fiery posture, still emanating heat.

Upon their arrival, Jing Dao'an circumnavigated the blazing furnace, ultimately discovering a piece of old clothing nestled among the room's rafters.

With a swift extension of the red thread in his hand, the garment settled gently into his grasp.

It was a dress identical to the one Yan Xiaohua wore, a floral patterned little dress, but it was soaked with blood, and a peculiar white talisman was attached to its back.

Jing Dao'an turned his gaze towards Jie Fangcheng.

Meeting his eyes, Jie Fangcheng said, "I'm not well-versed in these matters, I'm not one of those erudite civil servants."

Jing Dao'an couldn't help but offer a smile.

The duo returned to the room on the second floor, holding the garment between them.

Though the purpose of the newfound talisman remained a mystery to everyone, it nonetheless presented a fresh avenue for exploration.

Shortly, someone unearthed a volume titled "Compendium of Folk Tales and Unusual Legends" from the bookshelf.

"An offering born on the fifteenth of July at the hour of Zi, sacrificed at the central juncture of the cardinal directions, shall bestow prosperity and harmony…"

Qiu Baihua's birthday was indeed on the fifteenth of July, and her limbs bore suturing marks, indicating the possibility that she was segmented into five parts and buried across five different locations.

The group exchanged uneasy glances.

Someone ventured a summary.

"So it seems that Qiu Jianye, originally from Qiu Family Village, ventured out to work, fervently engaging in acts of goodwill. A considerable portion of his earnings and bonuses were donated, including contributions towards road constructions in the impoverished village. Yet, the villagers slaughtered his granddaughter as a sacrificial offering? And indeed, they prospered and thrived as a result?"

Such savagery from those brutes!

Those wax figures were adorned in elaborate outfits, with the elders dressed in silk garments and the youth sporting trendy sneakers, all reflecting an aura of prosperity and happiness.

But there stood Qiu Jianye, the elderly man dressed in a t-shirt bearing a company logo, covered by a coat that had faded from repeated washing, his shoes marked by traces of repeated glue repairs.

This frugal and virtuous old man who spent his life doing good deeds met such a grim fate.

Even for an NPC, this background story seemed excessively infuriating, igniting a collective wrath amongst the group, who now vehemently denounced the people of Qiu Family Village and the wax figures on the first floor. In this moment, the seemingly despicable deputy manager appeared in a tragically sympathetic light.

Amidst the volley of curses, Jing Dao'an leaned towards Jie Fangcheng and whispered, "In your judgement, how would someone like Qiu Jianye be adjudicated?"

Jing Dao'an's query momentarily stunned Jie Fangcheng. He seemed to want to say something, but eventually, he just shook his head.

"Hard to say."

Hearing this response, Jing Dao'an did not press further.

The players' righteous indignation came and went swiftly, with most still treating the game as just that — a game.

Was Qiu Jianye pitiable? Worthy of sympathy?

But when all is said and done, he remains but an NPC.

After a brief moment of empathy, everyone resumed their respective activities... Not much left to do, as the main clue had been unearthed. Perhaps there were other minor leads to follow, and the group could continue to search. Nonetheless, the true nature of what transpired within the wax museum had likely been revealed.

The crowd resumed their casual search while engaging in conversation, soon congregating together once again in a leisurely manner.

"When is the reset going to happen, anyway?" someone couldn't help but inquire.

Qi Chanyang had a meticulous mind.

"We entered the instance on the second day of the public dungeon event. During the time I summoned Brother Xie, we experienced a reset, which was on the third day of the event... Could it be that it resets once every day?"

His speculation was indeed accurate.

When Xie Fangcheng escorted the six player NPCs out of the instance, they removed their gaming helmets only to exhibit bewildered expressions, simultaneously clutching the areas where they were hit, crying out in pain.

"Damn it! What's going on? We were playing a holographic game with the pain setting minimized, how could it possibly hurt?!"

Moreover, the pain persisted even after their return.

Li Qiulang was the first to be ejected, and he had been pondering over this issue since then. At this moment, he seemed to have stumbled upon an answer.

"Could it be because they have become aware of our true identities..."

Revealing one's player status to the NPCs could have serious repercussions.

They had previously dismissed this warning, but this experience served as a painful reminder that something had changed.

Xie Fangcheng demonstrated good control over his strength; the group recovered after a few minutes of wincing, left only with the memory of the pain.

Someone couldn't resist voicing their concern: "So... shall we continue playing this game?"

"Of course! These gaming helmets were quite pricey, and to quit just because of this one painful experience? I can't bear to do that. We just need to be more cautious during the next save, avoiding exposure of our identities and keeping the NPCs in the dark... Li Qiulang, you were too obvious! You always speak so loudly in the game."

The accused Li Qiulang retorted defiantly, "Don't pin this on me! I've been careful with my words, never mentioning 'game' or anything like that. You, on the other hand, mentioned 'this game' several times."

The six had a good rapport, quickly overcoming their setback amidst their bickering.

"But this instance... the two new NPCs are somewhat frightening. I constantly feel that the green one seems capable of actually killing me. Let's clear this level quickly and move on to the next. I don't want to linger here any longer."

While the pain was within bearable limits, no one wished to experience such agony a second time.

With the game only resetting once a day, everyone waited silently as time trickled away.

Inside the stagnant instance, even though the environment was static, the players had devised their own methods to keep track of time.

As seconds ticked away, everyone found a spot to rest.

The more observant players, like Qi Chanyang, had already identified the most terrifying aspect of this instance.

The true horror of this instance wasn't during the time immediately after player NPCs entered, but rather in these silent moments, awaiting the instance's reboot.

This time, they had the formidable Xie Fangcheng and Zhong Dao'an at their disposal. Their composed demeanors served as pillars of stability, their strength and intelligence instilling a belief that no matter what transpired, they could handle it without insufferable consequences.

But what about the last time?

Last time, without the presence of Xie Fangcheng and his companion, what kind of emotions were they harboring during the wait?

Regardless of what everyone was pondering, time slowly ticked away.

Finally, the screen before the crowd underwent a sudden transformation.

[Welcome players Li Qiulang, He Yuan, Guan Yangyang... to the game [Authentic Wax Museum].]

[Number of Activations: 2.]

Accompanied by the illumination of the [Start] button at the bottom of the screen, a flash of white light streaked across.

Inside the instance, the pitch-black night sky transitioned like a frame in an animation, shifting to an evening with the sun nearing its descent.

The golden-hued sunset rays cast down, enveloping the wax museum and the desolate woods surrounding it.

On the small road leading to the wax museum, a coach bus moved silently forward.

Thirteen individuals occupied the seats on the bus.

In the tranquil setting, situated at the last row of seats, Xie Fangcheng opened his eyes.

He paused for a moment, before locking eyes with Zhong Dao'an, who had also just opened his eyes.

Up front, five players from the infinite flow had just awoken as well.

They simultaneously received notifications from the system.

[You have entered the instance [Memorial Wax Museum]...]

A new instance, huh? The condition for clearing it is... to uncover the truth and burn down the wax museum?

Seems not too challenging.

Indeed, during the public instance period, the difficulty level of the instances had been substantially reduced.

Moreover, this instance seems to be a rather short one, it's likely that there won't be any competitive dynamics amongst the players, right?

With a decreased difficulty level, the willingness of players to cooperate within the instance diminishes slightly.

After all, lower difficulty signifies a reduced risk factor, negating the necessity for substantial collaboration.

Naturally, the lack of cooperation doesn't imply that everyone would be at odds with each other from the get-go, rather, the current emphasis should be on scoring points.

One ought to carefully assess the situation of the players on their side...

"Holy shit!"

The player seated in the second to last row was the first to notice a faint green glow emanating from behind. Turning around, he couldn't help but exclaim, causing a cascade of similar exclamations to resound within the bus cabin.

Xie Fangcheng!

How could this top player in the instance possibly be in the same one as them?!

Xie Fangcheng felt that just a moment ago he was dining with Zhong Dao'an, and in the next blink, a flash of white light appeared before his eyes, and he was inside this game.

What's going on?

Before he could figure it out, Zhong Dao'an had already spoken.

“Where is Qi Chanyang?”

“What?” Xie Fangcheng was taken aback.

“You sent me an invitation message saying that Qi Chanyang brought you into this instance and you wanted to invite me in,” Zhong Dao'an said, his brows furrowed, but quickly shifted his gaze to his system backpack.

If anyone were to open Zhong Dao'an’s system backpack, they would be surprised to find, amidst a bunch of scattered items labeled “damaged”, a large quantity of food stored.

Ready-to-eat hamburgers, colas, and newly purchased unprepared gourmet meal kits.

These items are quite expensive, serving only the special purpose of being “allowed into the instance”. And due to their “freshness” constraint, once taken out in the instance, they cannot be put back, making them rather uneconomical. Therefore, hardly anyone buys them.

Yet, Zhong Dao'an had spent most of his points on these seemingly useless items. Not only that, but he also made sure to check his stock before each instance, to avoid ending up with subpar food that would dampen his appetite.

But this time... one hamburger was missing.

Zhong Dao'an was not a careless player. On the contrary, he was terrifyingly meticulous. Seeing the decreased count, coupled with Xie Fangcheng's bewildered response “What? When did I invite you?” raised alarm bells.

Although Xie Fangcheng's first reaction upon opening his eyes in the instance was to look for the invitation item, he was certain that he hadn't had the chance to use it yet. He was clueless about what had transpired.

Zhong Dao'an surveyed their surroundings.

Many unfamiliar faces were scrutinizing them... but something was off.

A fraction of them seemed genuinely surprised, approximately five pairs of eyes. Their astonishment was very likely directed at Xie Fangcheng, and primarily focused on him alone.

This was understandable since Xie Fangcheng had unequivocally become the top player in the game. Everyone assumed such a formidable figure would be battling in a level five instance, not appearing in a level two instance.

What was he doing here? Stirring up trouble?

The other six individuals, however, alternated their surprised gazes between Xie Fangcheng and Zhong Dao'an, as if recognizing both of them.

Xie Fangcheng was famous, his notoriety characterized by the luminescent green glow enveloping him.

Zhong Dao'an was also known, but his fame lacked a distinctive marker.

These six individuals seemed to recognize both of them, and they appeared to know each other, occasionally exchanging glances.

Zhong Dao'an instinctively felt that, although they appeared to be players and clearly seemed out of place in the environment, they didn't quite resemble infinite flow players.

In Zhong Dao'an’s recollection, it should have been Xie Fangcheng who was taken away by Qi Chanyang and then invited him after entering the instance. However, Xie Fangcheng had no memory of this.

Their memories have been altered.

But the fact that there were no warnings left by their pre-amnesia selves indicates that this memory loss is within controllable limits, and that their past selves believed they would easily comprehend the situation.

Almost in an instant, Zhong Dao'an began to grasp a vague understanding.

Is this... a cycle of reincarnation?

This seems to be the most appropriate explanation.

First, Qi Chanyang invited Xie Fangcheng, followed by Xie Fangcheng extending an invitation to him.

However, upon reloading the save, both he and Xie Fangcheng experienced a reset phenomenon in the game, starting with memories from the moment they entered the instance, despite the change in the timeline.

Now, taking a look at the people around them.

Five of the players clearly exhibited the characteristics of infinite-flow players - although unfamiliar with the environment and instance, and keen to explore how to clear it, their most notable feature was the eagerness in their faces to get acquainted with Xie Fangcheng, albeit hesitating due to his notorious violent reputation, yet displaying an eagerness to meet the elite player.

The remaining six were... incredibly easy to identify.

Proficient, familiar with the surrounding environment, not interested in exploring the nearby circumstances, they only exhibited some surprise when looking at the duo, Xie Fangcheng.

Why the surprise?

Because in the previous cycle, they were summoned by Qi Chanyang, and the time or place of entering the instance wasn't as it is now.

To find out more, they would have to meet Qi Chanyang.

Xie Fangcheng wore a baffled expression: "What's happening? What's going on?"

Zhong Dao'an offered a faint smile: "Nothing much, just that there's a high likelihood that we're about to experience a second interruption during our meal, mentally speaking."