Chapter 10: Night Stroll in Yin Village 08

Chapter 10: Night Stroll in Yin Village 08

Behind Qin Fei, the players gathered with mixed expressions, seemingly wanting to speak but hesitating.

Fortunately, Qin Fei was never an egotistical person. As an outstanding social worker, kindness and helping others were badges of honor ingrained in his character.

He understood the principle of sharing both fortune and adversity. Turning around, he asked with a friendly smile, "Does anyone want to come with me?"

However, as soon as he posed the question, those initially eager players began to waver.

Whispers spread through the crowd.

"The shrine... It sounds very dangerous."

"There must be many statues, right?"

"Was that village chief we saw in the hall yesterday?"

The group exchanged glances.

Tan Yong, standing at the forefront, hesitated for a moment before ultimately taking two steps back.

The unknown ahead was fraught with the looming threat of death, while the safety behind them, though temporary, was still irresistibly appealing.

Despite Qin Fei's advice last night that only by gathering as much information as possible could one truly seize the initiative, the players were still hesitant to act recklessly.

Not everyone possessed the courage to withstand the pressure of impending death.

Inside the mortuary, silence reigned supreme.

No one responded to Qin Fei.

Seeing this, Qin Fei merely curved his lips into a soft, polite smile.

There would always be someone willing to take risks for the sake of potential clues.

At least, the seasoned players would surely want to go.

Sure enough, Sun Shouyi, Xiao Xiao, and Cheng Song all expressed their willingness to accompany him.

In addition, Scar and the two new female players also stepped forward.

The two female players were named Ling Na and Liu Sisi. They were the only women in this instance dungeon. Although all the newcomers were initially panicked when the live broadcast began, these two girls calmed down rather swiftly, displaying more courage than the men who stayed behind at the mortuary.

The group immediately left the funeral parlor and headed toward the shrine.

Qin Fei took the lead, walking ahead. Before setting off, he turned back for a glance.

The Yi Tomb's gates stood wide open, yet the players who had not dared to venture out with them were equally hesitant to step beyond the threshold now.

Qin Fei couldn't shake the feeling that by the time they returned to the Mortuary, those few individuals would still be there.

On both sides of the village road, every household's doors and windows were tightly shut. A thick fog enveloped the path, the ashen mist giving off an unsettling vibe as if one could be poisoned with just a few more breaths.

As such, the journey was unusually quiet, with barely anyone speaking.

Except for Cheng Song and Scarface.

Cheng Song seemed to be engaged in conversation with Scarface. Ever since leaving the Mortuary, the two had been walking side by side at the back of the group.

Their conversation was not intentionally hushed, and snippets of their talk intermittently reached the ears of other players.

Qin Fei eavesdropped openly for quite some time but found himself unable to comprehend much of it.

What joining the Benevolent Hall, seedlings, trials...

"Hey Xiao Xiao, what's this 'Shan Tang' they're talking about?" Qin Fei inquired with genuine curiosity.

Is it the cafeteria?

Xiao Xiao: ?

Xiao Xiao was taken aback. "The Benevolent Hall is a guild for players. Didn't you know?"

Qin Fei shook his head.

Xiao Xiao found it hard to believe that there was someone who didn't know about the Benevolent Hall.

But upon reflection, not everyone was interested in participating in collective organizations. There were quite a number of lone wolves who preferred not to join guilds. Perhaps Qin Fei was one of those who cared least about external affairs.

He explained to Qin Fei, "The Benevolent Hall is an affiliated guild under the Black Feather Union - the largest guild in the entire Rule Realm. In F-rated Experience Worlds and the higher E-rated ones, the Benevolent Hall is considered one of the top-ranking entities."

Xiao Xiao paused before continuing, "It seems that Cheng Song is likely a recruiter for the Benevolent Hall, specifically tasked with attracting new players."

Worried that Qin Fei might not grasp the intricacies, Xiao Xiao added, "When we accumulate enough points through streaming, we'll leave the current world and move on to the next. Some guilds, mainly active in lower-level worlds, strategically maintain their points at a certain level to stay in those worlds for extended periods, allowing them to seize promising newcomers as soon as they enter the Rule Realm."

In the Rule Realm, the live-streaming worlds that players could enter were divided into various grades: Experience Worlds, E-rated Worlds, D-rated Worlds... all the way up to A-rated and even S and Double S-rated Worlds.

Players earned points through streaming, and once they accumulated a sufficient number of points, they would automatically advance to the next world.

Points in the Rule-bound Worlds serve not only for leveling up but also as the fundamental universal currency, acceptable both in the System Marketplace and the players' black market.

Large guilds maintain control over points by continuously converting them into other items. As long as points don't accumulate to the next tier, players can remain indefinitely in the same level world.

Qin Fei was puzzled. "They can do that?"

Wouldn't the System intervene in such actions? Staying indefinitely in lower-level worlds seemed prone to disrupt the balance among players.

Xiao Xiao shook his head. "Ordinary players couldn't pull this off, but Guild Recruiters are exceptions."

To become an official Union Hunter, one must apply through the Union and obtain a qualifying certificate issued by the system in Central City.

Players without the Hunter qualification who persistently stay in low-level worlds will, without exception, be transported into the Punishment World once detected by the system.

Xiao Xiao said, "No one wants to end up in the Punishment World. It's practically a place of certain death."

"And," Xiao Xiao's expression turned odd, "apart from Hunters, no one would willingly stay in low-level worlds."

Qin Fei was about to ask more, but Xiao Xiao changed the topic to the Black Feather Union.

His tone held a hint of admiration, "Black Feather is one of the four major guilds in the Rule Worlds. Most of its main members operate in B-level or higher worlds, while a few core members are superpowerful figures who first entered the S-level world."

As a branch guild under Black Feather, the Charity Hall mainly operates in Experience Worlds up to C-level worlds.

From the looks of it, Cheng Song must be a Hunter from the Charity Hall.

Qin Fei understood this much, but there were still some things he didn't quite grasp.

"How did he... take a fancy to him?" Qin Fei pursed his lips, his long eyelashes fluttering in confusion, his handsome face reflecting his bewilderment.

Xiao Xiao was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

Qin Fei looked at him, blinked, and pointed at himself with his finger.

In what way was he inferior to Scar? Why did this damned Union's recruiter fancy Scar so much?

Student Xiao Qin shook his head, disappointment evident on his face at Cheng Song's lack of insight.

Xiao Xiao: "..."

There was no need to be so competitive in such an absurd situation, right??

Xiao Xiao forcefully held back the twitching corner of his mouth. "As an experienced player, even if Cheng Song is interested in you, he wouldn't directly approach you like this."

Where there were people, there were social dynamics. The web of relationships behind seasoned players was intricate, and it had to be considered which kind of individuals the Union could recruit and which they couldn't.

In short, Unions usually conducted background checks before recruiting veteran players.

So that was how it was.

Learning that Cheng Song didn't avoid him not because he deemed Qin Fei inferior to Scarface, but due to being deceived by his superior deception skills, Qin Fei nodded in satisfaction.

However, Xiao Xiao still wore a complicated expression, with his furrowed brows never easing.

Just as Qin Fei had questioned earlier, the presence of Headhunting Players undoubtedly disrupted the balance among players during live broadcasts.

Since Cheng Song was a Headhunting Player, his live broadcast experience would undoubtedly surpass everyone else's. Having such a player as a teammate seemed advantageous on the surface. But what if he had ulterior motives...

One must know, in the Rule-bound Worlds, there were those who, armed with their overwhelming strength, bossed others around in various dungeons, treating weaker players like slaves.

If Cheng Song was such a person, then they might have a tough time in the following days.

Compared to the worried Xiao Xiao, Qin Fei was much more optimistic.

After hearing Xiao Xiao's whispered concerns, the young man smiled nonchalantly, appearing very relaxed. "I believe he's not the type to stir trouble unnecessarily."

Xiao Xiao was taken aback. "How can you tell?"

Qin Fei had his own reasoning.

Cheng Song had been quiet since the live broadcast began. According to Xiao Xiao's assessment, he was undoubtedly the strongest in the entire instance dungeon, yet he had never shown any signs of his strength, maintaining an incredibly low profile.

When he spoke or looked at others, his brows were slightly lowered, and his voice was deep – both indications of a reserved and introverted personality.

Aside from that, Qin Fei could deduce some information from the positions Cheng Song chose during their actions, the expressions on his face, and the way he looked at people.

If he were to explain these observations, it would inevitably involve a barrage of psychological jargon. Qin Fei didn't feel like bothering with such intricacies, so he simply said, "I can tell by his appearance."

Did he lie? Not exactly.

This 'appearance' wasn't quite the same as the traditional Chinese concept of physiognomy. Qin Fei believed that the ancient sages of divination wouldn't mind incorporating some modern knowledge into their system.

Yeah, that was it.

Xiao Xiao: "..."

Xiao Xiao: "???"

Wasn't physiognomy supposed to be his specialty? Then why couldn't he see anything?

Qin Fei's Daoist friend fell into self-doubt once more.

Despite finding Xiao Xiao's words absurd, there was still an inexplicable conviction in his heart.

Qin Fei had a peculiar charm. Perhaps it was due to the sincerity in his expression whenever he spoke, making even the most preposterous statements seem plausible, as if one couldn't help but think, "Well, he must be right, then?"

Xiao Xiao turned his head to look behind him.

Scarface was whispering something to Cheng Song with his head tilted, glancing at Qin Fei from time to time with a mocking smile on his face.

Noticing Qin Fei and Xiao Xiao's attention, he suddenly raised his voice, as if intentionally challenging Qin Fei, "If I join, then—"

In the elongated tone, Scarface's ill intentions were blatant.

Cheng Song, however, didn't respond, shaking his head as he warned Scarface, "Don't do anything unnecessary."

Seeing this, Xiao Xiao couldn't help raising an eyebrow. It seemed Qin Fei had indeed guessed correctly?

The players, each harboring their own thoughts, struggled to navigate through the fog-shrouded village path.

Earlier, when they were at the funeral parlor, the path didn't seem too far away, but now it seemed like an eternity before they reached their destination.

On both sides of the road, endless, pale walls stretched out, making this path resemble an endless dead end that repeated itself.

Xiao Xiao rubbed his arms and narrowed his eyes, cautiously surveying their surroundings. "Could we be lost in a ghost maze?"

As he spoke, he made a gesture with his fingers and muttered something under his breath.

After a moment, he frowned in confusion. "No, that's not it."

"Indeed not," Qin Fei reassured, patting Xiao Xiao's shoulder.

The fog obscured their vision, and based on the original visibility, they shouldn't have been able to see the shrine from the funeral parlor.

In reality, they had only caught a glimpse of the shrine when the guide pointed, and after that, the fog-covered path was all they saw.

That one glimpse was probably due to some trick the guide had used.

Since entering the village gate the day before, Qin Fei had been silently counting his steps and estimating the village's layout.

He was certain that they hadn't taken the wrong path; the so-called "ghost wall" was merely an illusion caused by the difficult navigation through the fog and their slow progress.

Qin Fei pointed at a house by the side of the road, "Look, the paper money strings hanging under the eaves of that house are red."

All the other houses they had passed had white paper money strings.

This was a clear landmark, proving that they were not trapped in a circle.

Seeing this, Xiao Xiao's expression relaxed a bit, "Indeed."

He paused and asked the question on everyone's mind, "So, why is the paper money at this family's gate red?"

The players instinctively stopped, staring intently at the red paper money string.

The style of the paper money string was no different from those hanging under the eaves of other houses in the village, except for its eerie blackish-red color, as if it had been soaked in blood and then dried. It gave off an ominous vibe just by looking at it.

What did the color red signify?

Before the players could figure anything out, Xiao Xiao's face suddenly changed, "Shit, what is that?!"

Directly in front of Xiao Xiao, a shadow suddenly darted across the window of the house adorned with red paper money.

Everyone hurriedly turned their gaze in that direction.

Unfortunately, they were too late. All they caught was a hazy glimpse of a turbid eye vanishing behind the window frame.

Someone was inside the house.

And they were observing them.

This realization sent chills down everyone's spine, and the players instantly grew alert.

Why was this person spying on them?

Though it was just a fleeting glance, the eye they had seen through the window had been abnormally gray, its whites muddled, and its red-rimmed iris gave off an eerie, almost inhuman appearance.

Not far away, the entrance to this house, like others, was tightly shut. The old wooden door, with its simple design, was covered in grayish-red mold and moss along its edges.

The strings of red paper money swayed back and forth under the eaves, standing out starkly against the blinding white surroundings, imbued with an ominous aura.

Sun Shouyi spoke gravely, "This should be a clue."

It was too obvious, so much so that it was hard to overlook.

Such a blatant clue right before their eyes – it would be a pity to let it slip away.

However, the players exchanged glances, all revealing hesitation in their eyes.

In the end, Cheng Song took the initiative and gestured for Scar to approach, "Go take a look."

Scar's face froze upon hearing this. He hadn't expected that after being offered an olive branch by a major guild, he would be used as a whetstone without even reaping any benefits first.

His expression shifted several times before he finally gritted his teeth, "Alright."

Although Scar was brutal, impulsive, and quick to anger, he was clearly a practical man.

The benefits of joining a guild were countless, and he was determined to seize them.

Qin Fei watched silently as Scar stepped forward, a hint of contemplation flickering in his eyes.

Scar, like him, was also experiencing his first live broadcast and had no knowledge of the world beyond the instances.

In this situation, Cheng Song's mere words were enough to make Scar obey him blindly, which once again challenged Qin Fei's understanding of the power dynamics within "guilds" in this world.

It seemed that Xiao Xiao's description was still too conservative. Different "guilds" likely held an unchallengeable dominance in their respective levels of the rule-bound worlds, akin to local tyrants.

However, Qin Fei didn't think it was a wise move for Cheng Song to try recruiting Scar into his guild.

A lawless desperado like Scar, who disregarded morality and rules, was like a venomous snake – impossible to tame.

Even if kept in a bamboo basket by a snake charmer, it would still flick its tongue, biding its time to strike at the charmer's life source.

Perhaps Cheng Song believed his current command over Scar was part of the standard pre-membership test. But Scar would perceive it as an insult, and one day, he would retaliate unexpectedly.

Scar searched around the door and gave Cheng Song a subtle glance, his eyes filled with indiscernible complexity.

Cheng Song appeared oblivious, asking, "Well?"

Scar replied, "There's no one behind the window."

Cheng Song frowned. "Try knocking on the door."

This move was clearly risky, as they had no idea if knocking would violate Shenyin Village's customs.

Scarface fell silent for a moment before he stepped forward obediently.

"Knock, knock, knock—"

Three dull echoes resonated with their pounding hearts.

After a moment, the heavy wooden door creaked open, revealing a deeply wrinkled face behind it.

It was an incredibly aged man. His grayish-white cloth robe hung loosely on his bony frame, making him resemble a scarecrow draped in tattered linen.

The old man croaked, "Who are you?"

Scarface took two steps back, returning to Cheng Song's side.

Simultaneously, Qin Fei saw the red affinity bar reappear before his eyes.

"Ordinary Villager: Affection - (Unattainable)"

Qin Fei suddenly realized something. Apart from benefiting from the increasing affection of NPCs, his innate skill seemed to function as a monster encyclopedia.

Taking a half-step forward, Qin Fei smiled and announced their cover story: "Hello, we're tourists visiting the village."

Xiao Xiao stood behind Qin Fei. He now had a thorough understanding of Qin's boldness... no, his bravery and decisiveness. It was to the point that nothing could ruffle his composure.

The old man's gaze swept across the players: "Oh."

It was a response that left them at a loss for words.

For a moment, the other players didn't know how to proceed. Only Qin Fei remained unfazed, his tone light and casual: "Sir, your house is truly lovely."

Qin Fei looked up, his gaze landing on the ordinary village house that was indistinguishable from its neighbors.

"I genuinely believe that your home embodies the unique local charm of Shadow Guard Village," he exclaimed sincerely.

In the live streaming hall, Qin Fei's every word provoked laughter from the audience.

"Oh no, why does the host just blurt things out like that??"

"What beauty? The door is probably moldy, hahaha!"

"The seams are so dark, even the bridge I live under is newer than this house."

"I hereby dub him the number one person in the Reality Realm to brazenly lie with open eyes."

Qin Fei was oblivious to the moral judgment being passed on him by the group on the other side of the screen. He stood there quietly, his demeanor incredibly innocent, looking every bit like a naive young backpacker.

The old man looked at him expressionlessly.

Undeterred, Qin Fei continued with the words he had been longing to say, "We've been walking for half a day and are tired. Could we come in and rest at your place?"

"Just to have a cup of tea."

The young man's obedient and friendly demeanor made it seem as if he wasn't standing before an unfamiliar NPC from a bizarre instance dungeon but rather an uncle who had watched him grow up in their neighborhood.

Xiao Xiao: "..."

He was wrong, truly wrong. This person's shamelessness knew no bounds, continually reshaping his understanding of human nature.

Perhaps it was Qin Fei's audacious facade that tugged at the old man's heartstrings, for he unexpectedly consented.

"Very well." He nodded and turned half-way, ushering the players into the house.

...

This was the first time the players had entered a villager's home. Despite it being daytime outside, the interior was dim as midnight, with damp air that seemed ready to condense into droplets at any moment. The cramped and gloomy space was cold as an ice cellar.

With lowered eyebrows, they entered the room cautiously, secretly taking in the arrangement of objects within.

What unfolded before them was an unassuming country cottage, its wooden structure echoing the local architectural style, indistinguishable from other houses in the village. Inside, various sundries were haphazardly piled up, filling every nook and cranny, imparting an inexplicable sense of oppression to the atmosphere.

Qin Fei moved slowly through the clutter, carefully placing each step to avoid accidentally knocking anything over.

"Sit," the elder spoke, his deep and raspy voice echoing within the room.

He poured a glass of water and handed it to Qin Fei, completely ignoring the others, showing no intention of entertaining them at all.

Qin Fei took the cup and gently touched his lips to it.

It was ordinary tea.

The other players huddled by the door, not because they didn't want to sit but because there was simply no space in the room. The old man paid them no attention, not even casting a glance their way.

It was as if Qin Fei was the only one who existed in his eyes.

The clock hanging in the corner of the room ticked away, and after a moment, Cheng Song, who was being pushed toward the door by the crowd, couldn't hold back any longer. "Old man, the thing hanging at your doorstep—"

Struggling to find the right words, he paused before continuing, "Why is its color different from others'?"

The old man glanced at Cheng Song but didn't respond.

In the awkward silence, Qin Fei stepped forward slightly. "Sir?"

Without Qin Fei saying anything extra, the previously deaf and mute NPC suddenly spoke up. "My little granddaughter passed away from an illness three months ago."

He gazed at Qin Fei, his cloudy eyes filled with unreadable emotions.

The statement was rather abrupt, but Qin Fei immediately grasped its meaning.

He softly hummed in response, his amber eyes reflecting genuine regret: "Accept my condolences."

The NPC's expression relaxed, and he nodded.

This scene left the live-stream viewers dumbfounded.

"Damn, I'm really impressed. Why do NPCs in this instance favor those with thick skin so much?"

"I wonder what this old man does. I've never seen him before."

"Isn't that obvious? It's rare for anyone to attempt unraveling the mysteries of a low-level world's time-limited instances. The streamers who visited this instance before never triggered this quest to send items to the shrine, let alone stumbled upon such a minor villager subplot."

"What's Qin Fei's background? How come he doesn't follow the usual path at all..."

Only Qin Fei knew that the NPC's politeness might stem from the influence of his innate skill.

He had sensed that even though he was labeled unapproachable, NPCs seemed to tolerate him more than other players.

"In households where there has been a death within the year, red paper money strings must be hung under the eaves," the NPC elder spoke again.

His voice was odd and wavering, casting an eerie atmosphere upon the cramped space.

As he spoke, the elder stood up and walked to the other window, lifting his hand to open it.

The wooden window shutter knocked softly against the wall as it swung open.

Qin Fei glanced out the window, and his pupils constricted in the next instant.

In the alley directly opposite the window, every house had red paper money strings hanging beneath their eaves!

Qin Fei's eyes flickered slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. He asked calmly, "These people...?"

"Yes," the elder turned around, facing the players at the door with a bizarre smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"There has also been a loss in their families."

He lifted his head and stared unblinkingly into the players' eyes.

Xiao Xiao suddenly couldn't help shivering and stealthily moved two steps behind Qin Fei.

The old man continued, "That family's man died four months ago."

As he spoke, the elder pointed to another house, "In that one, the man died five months ago. Now, there's only a widow left."

"That one, lost their granddaughter four months ago."

"That one..."

In the alley outside the window, five households had red paper money strings hanging.

"Five months ago, four months ago, three months ago..." Xiao Xiao frowned, counting them.

Sun Shouyi whispered, "One person each month."

The village chief had mentioned it during dinner yesterday that it was the seventh day of the seventh month.

From January to June, someone in Yinshou Village had died every month.

Such a pattern couldn't possibly be a coincidence.

"Of course, it's not a coincidence," the NPC elder seemed to read the players' thoughts and directly addressed their curiosity. "It's all for the village ritual, for..."

His voice faded away.

Nobody caught the last few words.

Xiao Xiao grew anxious. "Old man, don't keep us in suspense."

The elder suddenly changed the subject. "Why, didn't you know that tourists go missing in this village every year? Why would you still dare to come?"

Sun Shouyi glanced at Qin Fei, who showed no intention of speaking, and carefully phrased his question. "Old man, so what happened to those missing tourists?"

The elder spoke with an air of deliberate mystery. His cracked lips twisted into an unappealing curve. "In a few days, you'll find out."