Chapter 35: The Spirit of the Snowy Mountain 05

Chapter 35: The Spirit of the Snowy Mountain 05

Pei Yi sharply reprimanded Zhou You, "What are you doing?"

Zhou You turned around, stuttering, "Ah! Pei Yi, I...I..."

"One might not believe in ghosts and spirits, but respect is due. You've just committed a taboo," Pei Yi said, chanting Amitabha and touching his lucky dice, resembling a sage.

The crowd was speechless.

Pei Yi concluded, "Alright, let's go back inside."

As the six of them entered the cabin, Pei Yi was the last one in, glancing back at the number on the door. He believed in ghosts, not as fanciful entities, but as supernatural forces.

Supernatural, to Pei Yi, was akin to computer intelligence. Like phones transmitting signals over distances, converting one signal into another using electromagnetic induction.

Could this supernatural force in the game operate similarly? A specific energy on the snowy mountain communicating through some medium.

He pondered over the wooden plaque's rules as he entered the cabin.

After dinner, the six gathered around the wooden table, sharing what they each had observed that day.

Pei Yi, as usual, took out a notebook to jot down key points of their discussion.

Pei Yi's notebook now listed key points: rules, songs, snowmen, tombs, countdown. Under the 'rules' category, he had meticulously recorded everything, sensing it was vital to solving the game.

Tapping his pen on the table, he looked up and said, "Let's discuss. Go around and share thoughts, views, ideas. We need collective wisdom."

Zhou You, observing him, couldn't help but remark, "Pei Yi, you're acting just like Lu Shen. He too carries a notebook and calmly questions people."

Two metaphorical lines formed on Pei Yi's forehead. Carrying a notebook was his original idea, not related to anyone named Lu.

Pointing at Zhou You, Pei Yi said, "You start."

Zhou You nodded, "Little B and I roamed around without anything peculiar happening. But, I noticed something strange — some trees had writing on them."

"Writing?" Pei Yi asked, "What did it say?"

"I didn't look closely," Zhou You admitted, recalling the moment he was kissing Little B, something he certainly couldn't mention.

Pei Yi scribbled 'writing' in his notebook, recalling the words in the cable car. He couldn't read them due to Little C's incident.

Turning to Little B, who was still grieving, she managed to say, "Same as Zhou You." She seemed dazed, comforted by Aunt Wu's reassuring pats.

Seeing her state, Pei Yi knew he wouldn't get more information and turned to Doctor Feng and Aunt Wu.

"What about you two?"

The couple exchanged a knowing look, deciding silently to keep Zhou You's action to themselves for now.

"Nothing special. We just saw a snowman at the highest ski point."

Pei Yi's brow furrowed as he tapped 'snowman' in his notebook. He recalled Little C mentioning a snowman.

"We didn't look closely and just left," they added.

Pei Yi understood their age might have made them oblivious to the idea of bodies hidden in snowmen.

But the snowman... it now occupied Pei Yi's thoughts.

"Is there anything else?"

Doctor Feng shook his head; Aunt Wu wouldn't lie and lowered her head.

Pei Yi noticed something but said no more.

He tapped on the daydreaming Chen Mo, "You. You must tell me in detail, the complete story of how little A fell off the cliff."

Chen Mo, originally looking down, suddenly raised his head with a calm expression. "I don't know, she had already fallen by the time I got there."

Across from them, Doctor Feng and Aunt Wu exchanged looks, wondering how this child had suddenly changed so much.

"No signs at all?"

"Yes."

Chen Mo's certainty was too strong, a confidence not common in ordinary people. He had changed, no longer like himself.

Pei Yi nodded, "Alright. It was probably an accident. Before A fell off the cliff, was there any strange behavior?"

Chen Mo also shook his head.

Upon seeing this, Aunt Wu involuntarily opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced as Doctor Feng pinched her hand under the table. At the same time, she saw Chen Mo glaring at her with a fierce and venomous look, filled with murderous intent, scaring her into complete silence.

After asking his questions, Pei Yi summarized, "Now, let me share my thoughts. There seem to be many clues, but they are all scattered. One thing to note, though, everyone should be careful not to look at the snowman."

Doctor Feng asked, "Is there a problem with the snowman?"

Pei Yi replied, "I'm not sure why you're fine after seeing it, but Xiao C had issues. Her death might be related to the snowman. Of course, this is just a guess. Remember the words that were wiped off the wooden sign? Let's try substituting 'snowman' in there."

Zhou You suggested, "'If you see a snowman, please walk away immediately.'"

Pei Yi nodded, "There could be other possibilities, maybe numbers, or the cable car, or something else. Anyway, the snowman seems most likely at the moment. Let's plan accordingly for tomorrow."

Pei Yi placed his notebook on the table, showcasing a sketch of the snowy mountain he had drawn. Coming from a civil engineering background, sketching was a minor task for him.

"Look, everyone. The cabin is in the middle, and the skiing spots are here, here, and here. The highest skiing point is A, the other two are B and C." The map was quite illustrative, depicting the entire snowy mountain resort as a square, with the cabin at the center and points ABC at each corner. There was also a D for the downhill route, but it was closed off.

"We have three breakthrough points. First, the cable car. Second, the tree Zhou You mentioned. Third, the cabin. About the cable car, I'll check it again tomorrow. Zhou You and Chen Mo will look for those trees; any inscriptions must be noted. Doctor Feng and Aunt Wu, conduct a thorough search of the cabin, leaving no corner unchecked, both inside and outside, and within a five-meter radius."

Little B sniffled, "And what about me?"

Pei Yi responded, "If possible, join Doctor Feng in searching the cabin for clues. Does anyone have any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads.

After the discussion, Pei Yi went to the window to smoke, believing it’s more enjoyable when done together. Zhou You approached, offering him a cigarette.

Pei Yi's smoking gesture was practiced; Zhou You commented with a laugh, "Car God, a real smoker, huh? I was hoping you'd pair up with Little C, shame she's out of the game now."

"So, it’s like pairing up? Me with C, Chen Mo with A, and you with B, right?"

Zhou You chuckled, "Caught me there. With your good looks, it’d be a waste not to pair up."

"Ever since I went bankrupt, I lost all interest in dating. Be serious. We're playing the game here, and you're busy romancing."

"Can’t help falling in love."

"Falling in love, my foot. It's just hormones," Pei Yi retorted bluntly.

Zhou You joked, "Pei Yi, are you jealous? Why not find someone yourself? I get it now. Whether it’s one day or two, we’re all going to die, so why not die happily? Dating costs money, find someone who doesn’t want your money."

"Where do I find such a perfect girl? Stop talking nonsense."

"If not girls, then boys will do."

"You mean you?"

"I'm a straight guy, straight as an arrow, and a god behind the wheel."

They chatted and laughed. After finishing their cigarettes, they went back to sleep.

Falling asleep, Pei Yi felt somewhat lonely, possibly influenced by Zhou You's words. Why didn't any girls like him? Mainly because he wasn't interested. Boys? Who? He inexplicably thought of Lu Zai Chuan, who was truly beautiful, even more than a girl.

Thinking of this, Pei Yi almost immediately cursed out loud. Damn it. Why did he think of him! He's a straight man!

It was mainly because Lu Zai Chuan didn't want him, rejecting his team offer! If he persisted annoyingly, it would be utterly embarrassing. Sometimes people are like this... when others chase them, they're dismissive, but when they start seeking others, it feels different.

To salvage his dignity, he had once boldly vowed to break the dungeon record. Now feeling a bit cowardly, he realized he was clueless despite playing this far.

He also felt like he was being led around by this supernatural force, like a dog on a leash.

Lost in thought, Pei Yi eventually fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, a loud knocking woke him. Instantly alert, Pei Yi looked out the window into the pitch-black night, snow falling steadily.

Was this an auditory hallucination?

Then, the knocking resumed, louder and clearer. It wasn't imagined. The others woke up too. Pei Yi switched on the wall light, illuminating the room where four men sat up in bed, exchanging glances, all wondering, could it be Ying Jun again?

Pei Yi was the first to get out of bed. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door. The hallway had become the most dangerous place.

The others followed suit.

The two girls, seeing them emerge, unlocked their door and stepped out, eyes filled with terror. They too had heard the knocking.

Outside the door, it wasn't Ying Jun's voice, but Xiao A's.

"Open the door. It's me, Xiao A! Hurry up and open it."

This was followed by intense knocking, "Bang, bang, bang."

"Bang, bang, bang, bang."

Xiao B's eyes suddenly moistened, "Brother Pei. I recognize Xiao A's voice, it's her. Brother Pei, please open the door."

Pei Yi turned to her, looking serious, "Are you sure? Isn’t this like the ghost story you told? What if it's a ghost, inviting an evil spirit into our room?"

If an evil spirit wished, it would use every trick to deceive them into opening the door.

The previous day, when Ying Jun knocked, the next morning he saw drag marks at the door. Initially, he thought Ying Jun had dragged his wife's body over.

Later, he realized something was off. His wife wasn't heavy; there was no need to drag her. And considering Ying Jun's knocking sounds and force, he didn't seem severely injured. Would he really drag his wife's body along the ground?

The answer was that it was a ghost dragging Ying Jun's corpse, clinging to his back, holding his arms to knock on the door, even mimicking Ying Jun's voice.

Xiao B's eyes reddened, her spirit seemingly breaking, her lips trembling, "But... but this really is Xiao A's voice."

Doctor Feng suggested, "Let's do this. I'll go check from the window. Yesterday, everyone was too panicked to remember that we have a window overlooking the door, right?"

Pei Yi nodded, "Alright. Uncle Feng, please take a look."

As Doctor Feng was about to move, Aunt Wu grasped his hand, signaling him to be careful. Doctor Feng nodded and slowly walked to the window.

A white lace curtain hung over the window, allowing a clear view outside if lifted.

Doctor Feng lifted the curtain and looked out, only to see no one at the door, though the knocking continued.

"Bang, bang, bang."