Chapter 12: Night Stroll in Yin Village 10

Chapter 12: Night Stroll in Yin Village 10

"..."

"F*ck, who the hell would dare to try that?" As they left the village chief's office, Xiao Xiao marched forward, shooting a fierce glare over his shoulder at Scar while he spoke, his tone menacing and pointed.

Scar remained expressionless, neither looking at Xiao Xiao nor responding, as if he had completely ignored him.

"Alright, alright," Sun Shouyi intervened, attempting to smooth things over. "Let's discuss our next move."

The ancestral hall was vast, and with only seven players, they decided to split up to explore it efficiently. Otherwise, it could take an eternity to cover the area.

After a brief discussion, they agreed to pair up, with Qin Fei and Xiao Xiao as one team, Scar and Cheng Song as another, while Sun Shouyi joined the two girls.

Without a map from the village chief, each group had to rely on their instincts to choose a direction. They arranged to reconvene in front of the village chief's office in half an hour.

Qin Fei and Xiao Xiao walked down the central aisle.

This path was determined by Xiao Xiao after tossing three small copper coins; it was believed to have the highest likelihood of leading to crucial information.

Qin Fei walked about, attentively observing the surroundings of the temple.

The dim light lent an eerie atmosphere to the place, with its long and silent corridors. The interior structure of the temple was intricate, filled with countless branching paths that intertwined like a maze of sticky spider webs.

Decayed – this was the first impression the temple conveyed.

The wooden beams overhead were weathered and covered in spots, while the doors on one side of the passageway were old and peeling, riddled with long, scratch-like cracks.

A musty smell of damp mold permeated the air, overpowering and invasive, seeping into the nostrils amidst the still, stagnant air. It made one involuntarily worry if their lungs might resemble the temple, developing mold and moss in every nook and cranny.

"It seems rather eerie here." Xiao Xiao hunched his shoulders slightly, surveying their surroundings with a lowered voice.

To abide by the guide's rule of "never travel in pairs," he and Qin Fei stood a full half-corridor apart. A chilly wind blew between them, sending shivers down Xiao Xiao's spine. He couldn't shake off the fear that something might emerge from the darkness of the shrine at any moment.

Qin Fei, however, was unfazed. "What part of this instance isn't eerie?"

He genuinely wasn't scared at all.

Xiao Xiao: "..."

Indeed.

Xiao Xiao lifted his gaze to look at Qin Fei.

Not far away, a slender young man dressed in light clothing was examining the scratches on the door. The dim corridor illuminated his figure into a silhouette, emphasizing the sharp yet smooth contour of his jawline and his focused, serene expression.

For some reason, simply observing Qin Fei's composed demeanor reassured Xiao Xiao significantly.

Thus, he also bent down to inspect the marks on the door alongside Qin Fei.

However, it didn't take long for Qin Fei to sense something amiss.

It was too quiet.

—Not referring to the temple, but Xiao Xiao.

Despite having known Xiao Xiao for only a full day, Qin Fei had already accurately gauged his personality. There was no way that Xiao Xiao's mouth could remain still for more than two minutes straight.

Something was off.

Something must have gone wrong.

Qin Fei spun around, but only an empty corridor stretched behind him.

Not a single person in sight.

...

Ling Na's heart pounded as she hurried down the hallway at a near-jogging pace.

Ten minutes ago, she had unexpectedly lost sight of Sun Shouyi and Liu Sisi in the courtyard of the shrine.

It was bizarre. The area was an open space, with the only thing blocking the view being the low shrubs that barely reached their knees. But in the time it took for Ling Na to bend down and tie her shoelaces, when she looked up again, everyone had vanished.

Everything had happened without any warning. Ling Na was gripped by fear and confusion, unsure where the problem lay.

Under the current circumstances, it was clearly unwise to venture deeper into the dungeon alone. Ling Na struggled to maintain her composure and retraced her steps warily.

The courtyard wasn't far from the village chief's office, and before long, Ling Na could see the path they had come from in the distance, which slightly eased her tension.

Next, all she needed to do was wait quietly in front of the village chief's office for the other players to arrive.

If no one showed up after half an hour, she would have to think of another plan...

With this thought, Ling Na stepped over the threshold.

However, in the next instant, the scene before her abruptly transformed.

The distinct path with its visible end vanished, replaced by an unfamiliar corridor that Ling Na had never seen before.

On the left side of the corridor were tall, tightly shut wooden doors, while on the right was a solid wall. The corridor stretched forward, leading to a dark corner where nothing could be seen.

What's going on? Ling Na's eyes widened, and her feet came to a halt.

Her ears were filled with the pounding of her own heartbeat, a rhythmic thud that seemed to echo the approach of someone walking steadily closer from afar.

No, that's not right.

Indeed, someone was approaching.

Ling Na slowed her breathing, attempting to find cover, but it was already too late.

At the end of the corridor, a figure turned the corner.

A not-so-tall silhouette emerged from the shadows, their menacing gaze locking with Ling Na's.

It was Scar.

Ling Na couldn't tell whether she should feel relieved or more anxious. As their eyes met, Scar's gaze openly lingered on her.

That unwavering stare felt like an appraisal of an object, making one extremely uneasy.

He grinned, revealing a cryptic smile.

Ling Na frowned.

With the unpredictable environment surrounding them, she genuinely wished for a companion to navigate through together. But if that companion were Scar...

It would be better not to have one at all.

Ling Na took a few steps back, giving the scarred man a perfunctory nod before turning to leave.

Tap, tap, tap.

The sound of footsteps, neither too light nor too heavy, echoed behind her.

The scarred man followed closely.

Ling Na's heart tightened. She subtly increased her pace, but the person behind seemed determined to trail her, matching her speed increase.

It felt as if a searchlight was shining from behind, leaving nowhere for Ling Na to hide. She gritted her teeth and quickened her pace, but the footsteps grew closer and closer.

Finally, a hand pressed down on her shoulder.

At the same time, Ling Na distinctly felt a sharp, hard object press against her waist.

...It was that dagger.

Ling Na took a deep breath, turned her head, and forced a stiff smile. "What do you want?"

Behind me, Scar's commanding voice rang out, "Go in and take a look."

Ling Na lifted her head, only then realizing that at some unseen moment, they had traversed the corridor and arrived in front of a door.

Unlike the doors to the other rooms in the ancestral hall, this one appeared larger and newer, bearing evident marks of recent repainting. Its panels were adorned with exquisite, lattice-like floral carvings in the shape of the wan character, symbolizing infinity or longevity.

Above the door hung a plaque, its inscriptions concealed beneath a thick layer of dust, rendering them completely illegible.

The Ancestral Hall of Shadow Village was intricately designed, with one chamber leading to another, and numerous rooms. However, the vast majority were firmly locked and inaccessible.

This room was different.

Its main door was slightly ajar.

It indeed seemed like a place worth investigating, but Ling Na had no intention of entering.

—Least of all, with a knife being held to her throat.

"…We shouldn't be this close," Ling Na took a deep breath and said, "It would violate the rules."

But Scar showed no intention of conversing with her, impatiently dismissing her words, "Cut the crap."

His gaze on Ling Na was cold and sticky, making one feel uneasy.

In fact, right from the beginning, back on the bus, Scar had already noticed this young and attractive woman.

Ling Na was in her twenties, and compared to Liu Sisi, who clearly still looked like a student, she appeared more mature in her speech and mannerisms. Her attire was also refined, suggesting she was likely a corporate office worker before entering the instance.

Just as Qin Fei, a slender and fair-skinned handsome young man, appealed to Scar's aesthetics, so did Ling Na, a beautiful and fashionable woman with an hourglass figure.

Scar extended his other hand, pinching Ling Na's cheek.

The rough pad of his finger brushed against her cheek, causing goosebumps to rise all over her body. She snapped, "Let go of me!"

She started to struggle.

However, she soon realized that her efforts were futile.

She was immobilized.

This wasn't merely a display of overpowering strength; the air around her seemed like an invisible shackle, tightly constraining her limbs, leaving no room for resistance.

It was that knife!

There was something wrong with that knife!

Ling Na quickly grasped the crux of the matter, simultaneously feeling a wave of despair wash over her.

The resentment on her face seemed to greatly please Scarface, who once again fondled her before pointing the blade's tip at her throat. "Hurry up!"

The icy cold edge of the knife brushed against her neck, sending shivers down her spine. Ling Na gritted her teeth, overwhelmed by a nameless rage and humiliation that burned fiercely within her like a raging fire.

Why?

What right did Scarface have?

When Ling Na first found herself trapped in the absurdity of an Infinite Flow scenario, she was panic-stricken. However, after witnessing two deaths firsthand, her intense desire to survive compelled her to quickly regain her composure.

She began to observe her surroundings with great caution, absorbing any information that could be of use.

Ling Na found Qin Fei's analysis from last night highly plausible, so despite her fear, she took the initiative that morning to join the experienced players in searching for clues outside.

She had truly tried her best.

Why did she have to be so unlucky as to encounter a despicable madman like Scarface?

If anyone deserved death, it certainly wasn't her!

In Ling Na's sincere belief, compared to those good-for-nothing men hiding in the mortuary, waiting for death, she was far more deserving of survival.

If she had accidentally fallen victim to the intricacies of the instance dungeon, so be it.

But Scarface, armed solely with a dagger bestowed by the instance dungeon, held her life and dignity in his hands.

This damned instance dungeon was anything but fair!

The sharp blade sliced through her neck, and warm blood trickled down her throat.

Perhaps the pain had some stimulating effect, for the oppressive sensation of being entangled like a mesh of barbed wire in the air suddenly lessened significantly.

Could it be that the instance dungeon felt guilty for hearing her curses in her mind?

Ling Na seized the opportunity, and with all her might, she broke free from the dagger's grip in the next second, dashing away as if her life depended on it.

The scarred man reacted swiftly too, without even the slightest hesitation. He promptly gave chase.

Before getting trapped in this instance, Ling Na would work out and exercise after work every day. Her physical fitness was by no means poor, but the scarred man was clearly superior.

She could no longer afford to think about him. The scenery on both sides of her vision blurred into an indistinct streak, yet the approaching footsteps behind her remained distinct and closer than ever.

Ling Na even suspected that the scarred man might not be exerting himself fully, merely relishing the thrill of chasing his prey.

Would she ever escape? Despite his short stature, how could he run so fast?

Just as Ling Na was on the verge of despair, a familiar voice echoed not far ahead.

A clear male voice, soft and pleasant, laced with immense curiosity and puzzlement, like a spring stream tinkling through a mountain brook, bringing a warm and refreshing sensation to one's heart:

"What are you doing?"

...

It was no exaggeration to say that at this moment, Qin Fei appeared to Ling Na like a savior descending from the heavens.

The savior emerged from the shadows behind the corner of the corridor, with Cheng Song following closely behind. The moment they appeared, Scar put away his dagger.

Ling Na quickly distanced herself from Scar and leaned against the wall, gasping for air.

According to Qin Fei, he and Cheng Song had also unexpectedly encountered each other after getting separated from their respective teammates.

"About you two?" Qin Fei smiled at Scar.

It was a pointless question; of course, they had the same experience.

By now, it was clear that there was something amiss with the "path" within this shrine. It could be an illusion or perhaps a teleportation array – in any case, people would find themselves transported elsewhere while walking around inside.

Scar's lips twitched. "The same for us."

With a stern expression, Cheng Song fixated his gaze on the scarred man. Judging from his tightly furrowed brows that could trap a fly, the two men had undoubtedly witnessed the previous incident.

A trace of evident regret flickered across the scarred man's face.

Ling Na deduced that he wasn't regretting attacking her but was likely irritated by Qin Fei and Cheng Song's untimely appearance.

Cheng Song didn't seem intent on settling scores with the scarred man. Not wanting to cause Qin Fei trouble in this perilous situation, Ling Na swiftly changed the subject. "We found a strange room over there."

"Mm," the scarred man reluctantly replied.

"Oh?" As expected, Qin Fei's interest was piqued. The quartet promptly returned to the open door nearby.

In just this short span of time, the abnormality of the door was even more noticeable.

There was no wind in the corridor, yet the air carried an eerie stillness. Despite this, the wooden door creaked as if it were being pushed by an invisible force.

Dark stains clung to the bottom of the door, resembling dried bloodstains. The crack between the door seemed to have widened slightly, allowing a thick darkness to seep out.

In the next moment, the wooden door creaked open without any wind.

A series of squeaking sounds caught the attention of all four individuals.

The following second, under their watchful gaze, the door slowly swung wide on its hinges.

Qin Fei reacted swiftly, taking a large step backward on the spot.

A thick musty odor escaped from the door, filling their nostrils with an irritating scent that made one want to sneeze. Through the swirling dust particles, Qin Fei saw a scattering of spirit tablets on the ground.

Each of the tall or short spirit tablets was a deep purple-black color and had a texture resembling the coffins in the funeral parlor. The owners' names were engraved on them in various handwriting styles.

"It seems like we're in a memorial hall," Cheng Song murmured softly.

Qin Fei nodded, expressing his agreement.

A memorial hall, as its name suggested, was a place for worship and was usually the largest and most significant room within a family temple.

Directly across from the entrance of the hall stood an altar, with twelve neat rows of wooden stands arranged from left to right. However, there were only six spirit tablets, while the other seven stands were empty.

Zhao Hongmei.

Li Hong.

Zheng Kesou.

...

Qin Fei squinted his eyes, straining to read the names on the spirit tablets in the dim light.

He keenly sensed something amiss.

Generally speaking, a ancestral hall, as a place to venerate forebears, would be closely tied to a particular family.

In China, many villages had their own clan temples. At their inception, the villagers usually shared a common ancestry, and thus, the same surname.

However, on this altar in the temple, the spirit tablets bore names of entirely different surnames.

Qin Fei's gaze swept over the remaining six empty slots on the altar.

Village Sacrifice.

Six villagers, each perishing in a different month.

Six memorial tablets already erected.

Visitors drawn into the mountain village.

The enigmatic mutterings of the elderly villagers.

These eerie incidents wove together like a dense web, ensnaring everyone within.

For some inexplicable reason, Qin Fei suddenly felt an intense and overwhelming sense of unease. This feeling came out of nowhere, and he swiftly turned around, whispering urgently:

"Leave now!"

Unfortunately, it was too late.

A violent suction force erupted from the wide-open door ahead. The four players were grouped by the entrance, Qin Fei neither at the forefront nor the back. Yet, strangely, this force seemed to pinpoint him with uncanny accuracy.

Qin Fei felt himself being swept away by a fierce gale, so swift was the movement that he couldn't even witness himself being lifted off his feet. He only heard a few startled cries before crashing heavily into the room.

The scene before his eyes retreated at an astonishing speed. As his position changed, Qin Fei noticed that behind that ordinary carved wooden door was now painted entirely in vivid red!

With a thud!

Qin Fei landed hard on the floor, sending the spirit tablets inside scattering everywhere.

In the next instant, the scene before Qin Fei's eyes transformed dramatically.

Intense blackness surged from all directions, and the two doors swung shut on their own. Qin Fei lifted his head, barely managing to catch a glimpse of the dwindling gap between the closing doors, behind which the three figures wore expressions of stunned helplessness.