Chapter 14: Night Stroll in Guardian Yin Village 12

Chapter 14: Night Stroll in Guardian Yin Village 12

Why Lin Shouying had transformed into his current state was temporarily beyond Qin Fei's concern; the most pressing matter at hand was to escape as quickly as possible.

The Boss behind him showed no intention of pursuing. After expelling everyone from its belly, it gasped for air as if it had undergone immense suffering, visibly weakening before their very eyes.

Qin Fei ran while looking back. As the figure of the yellow-robed ghost grew fainter and fainter until it blended with the air, he gradually slowed down and came to a stop.

In the live broadcast hall.

Everything had happened too swiftly and confusingly. The spirits watching as spectators were equally perplexed.

A crescendo of discussions erupted in the hall.

"???"

"What the hell is going on? What just happened?"

"I didn't realize Lin Shouying had such sensitive digestion."

"Did the streamer do something?"

A rational specter analyzed the situation:

"In the past, there were players who entered this side quest of Instance Dungeon 0039. Although not many, none of them have successfully come out so far."

"They either got devoured by Lin Shouying the moment they entered without reacting, wandered forever in the illusory Village of Guarding Yin after opening the wrong door, or frantically tried to escape only to realize in despair that they couldn't get out and thus gave up on themselves."

"Anyway, their endings were all death."

The specter raised the most crucial point: "This streamer named Qin Fei managed to survive this calamity. There must be something different about him compared to other players."

But that was the strange part.

What could be special about Qin Fei, a new streamer who entered the dungeon empty-handed?

"Could it be because of the guide?" another specter asked. "Although previous streamers also came here, they explored the shrine area on their own later in their streams. Only this streamer came with a quest."

Moreover, it was a hidden quest that he had requested himself, which indeed made it somewhat unusual.

The analytical spirit being shook its head. "The logic is sound, but in my opinion, the likelihood is slim."

"The Jin Cheng Travel Agency doesn't hold much authority in Instance 0039. Its only function is to funnel tourists to Shadow Village. As for the tour guide, they're just an ordinary working person."

"But Lin Shouying is different."

"Lin Shouying is the boss of this instance, the manifestation of 'Its' will in this world—albeit the one the anchor encountered was merely a fragment. Neither the travel agency nor the guide should possess the ability to resist the source of corruption, let alone bestow such power upon another player."

"And…" The analytical spirit seemed to recall something peculiar as it scratched its chin. "In the past, when other players entered the Doorworld, although they were chased by Lin Shouying, none of them were targeted as severely as this player."

What exactly does Qin Fei have that draws Lin Shouying to him?

The spirit's reasoning resonated with many listeners, who now leaned in to hear more.

On the screen, Qin Fei gazed fixedly in the direction where the yellow-robed ghost had vanished.

The flush on his face from the frantic escape had faded, and the fine beads of sweat on his forehead were wiped away. The creased corners of his clothing were smoothed out. Now, apart from a slightly paler complexion, Qin Fei appeared no different from before. There was no sign that he had just barely escaped death.

The screaming villagers who had been running about vanished along with the yellow-robed ghost, leaving Qin Fei all alone in the shrine. Silence reigned supreme, not even a leaf could be heard rustling.

Exactly fifteen minutes had passed from the appearance to the disappearance of the yellow-robed ghost.

Qin Fei left the village chief's office and proceeded down the corridor.

His aches and pains were less noticeable when he was stationary, but as soon as he started moving, every muscle and bone in his body screamed in protest. The high toss by the yellow-robed ghost had taken its toll on him, causing him to limp slightly as he walked.

Qin Fei silently cursed his luck.

It seemed that after leaving this instance, he would have to step up his training.

Otherwise, just the chase sequences in each instance would be enough to give him a hard time.

The young man moved quietly on his own.

Unlike Hua Qiwei and Wang Shun's sudden deaths, Qin Fei was currently going through a situation that wasn't an immediate death sentence. Optimistically, it might imply that there was a way out of his predicament.

After sprinting through the distorted shrine for so long, Qin Fei began to sense that something was amiss with the layout here.

The labyrinthine layout wasn't entirely chaotic; there was a certain pattern to it.

He moved calmly through the lengthy corridors, passing countless rooms that were similar yet not entirely identical.

After a long while.

Qin Fei traversed a diagonal path through the shrine, taking twice as much time as before.

Finally, another identical village chief's office came into view before him.

Indeed.

Confirmation of his suspicion brought Qin Fei a sigh of relief.

The seemingly disorderly shrine actually concealed a secret. Upon dismantling and reassembling the interior layout, it formed a pattern that was deeply familiar to all Chinese people.

It was an Eight Trigrams diagram.

Speaking of which, Qin Fei's quick association was largely owed to Lin Shouying's sudden appearance. The bright yellow daoist robe he wore was adorned with Taiji and Bagua symbols.

Qin Fei was not well-versed in this knowledge, but his memory had always been extraordinary. After imprinting the Eight Trigrams on the Daoist robe in his mind, he quickly connected them with the layout of the temple.

No wonder there were so many broken walls and distorted houses inside the temple – they were all imitating the patterns of the Eight Trigrams.

The Eight Trigram Formation consists of eight gates. Among them, Gen represents the Life Gate, while Kun signifies the Death Gate.

Based on this structure, the temple door that Qin Fei had seen earlier corresponded to—

the Death Gate.

Qin Fei pursed his lips, secretly relieved that he hadn't pushed that door open.

With this realization, the way out became clear.

All Qin Fei needed to do was walk further to the right, locate the temple gate corresponding to the Life Gate, and he should be able to escape this illusion.

Feeling more confident, Qin Fei stepped forward with renewed ease. The bruises on his body seemed to hurt less now.

However, as life often goes, one must never forget the phrase "joy can turn into sorrow."

It was as if the instance dungeon had targeted Qin Fei. Just as he turned a corner, a figure suddenly dashed out from a cluster of bushes not far ahead.

The person was dressed in a villager's attire, his face filled with terror. As he ran past, he repeatedly cried for help, "Help! Help! The Yellow Robed Ghost is killing people!"

A familiar person, a familiar voice, a familiar opening line.

Qin Fei: "......."

??????

His heart skipped a beat. The young man's expression froze as he slowly turned his head.

Then, he saw NPCs rushing out from all directions not far ahead.

The figure of the Yellow Robed Ghost materialized in the air, gradually becoming solid. Its Buddhist whisk seemed more terrifying than any glinting, razor-sharp blade.

...No way.

Again??

Qin Fei didn't look at the face of the yellow-robed ghost, but he could still keenly sense that, through the fleeing figures, its gaze was precisely fixed on him.

That gaze was laced with both desire and disgust. Qin Fei seriously doubted that, in the eyes of the yellow-robed ghost, he was now a chocolate-flavored turd – alluring on the outside but foul within.

It was evident that chocolate held an irresistible allure for the yellow-robed ghost.

Even knowing that a single bite would cause gastroenteritis, the ghost found it hard to resist.

Watching the restless movements of the eager ghost, a tic suddenly jumped in Qin Fei's forehead.

... Damn it, does it think I'm an easy target?

Grinding his teeth, he took a deep, fierce breath.

Then, he turned and ran!

...

Due to the interference of the yellow-robed ghost, Qin Fei's plan to leave the inner-world was delayed by over an hour before it could be successfully executed.

The Yellow Robed Ghost appeared roughly every fifteen minutes and relentlessly pursued Qin Fei upon sight, though the reason behind it remained a mystery.

With a better understanding of the shrine's layout, Qin Fei's escape was smoother than the first time, but the disparity in size between them was too great. How could a human outrun an aircraft or tank?

Inevitably, he was caught again.

Being captured wasn't terrifying since the ghost couldn't harm Qin Fei in any way.

Qin Fei watched helplessly as Lin Shouying vomited repeatedly before him, yet never seemed to learn from his experience.

Qin Fei was speechless. Could this ghost have some unusual dietary fetish?

However, the Yellow Robed Ghost threw up every time it touched Qin Fei, and Qin Fei had no clue why. For now, he blamed it on the ghost woman's touch or the guide's influence.

This thought left Qin Fei with a headache.

There was another troublesome issue.

After being chased by Lin Shouying for an entire afternoon within the shrine, amidst the chaos, Qin Fei inevitably got a clear look at the old man's entire appearance.

It seemed that he would have to make a trip to the abandoned cemetery south of the village tonight.

The exit door was within arm's reach, and Qin Fei didn't hesitate any longer. He reached out and pushed it open.

Outside the door, the sun was setting, its half-disc barely visible behind a veil of clouds and thick mist, casting a deathly grayish-red hue upon everything.

Qin Fei heaved a sigh of relief.

Finally, I'm out.

Judging from the sunset time yesterday, it was already half past five in the afternoon.

He hadn't expected that his pursuit game inside the Gossip Shrine would consume so much time in the real world.

Neither Xiao Xiao nor Sun Shouyi were in the shrine anymore, and the other players were also nowhere to be seen.

After being absent for so long, everyone must have assumed he was dead for sure.

According to the rules set by the guide, the night in Western Hunan begins at sunset. Since the sun was still up, they were still under the rule of "No Doubles During Daylight."

Yet, judging time with the naked eye wasn't always reliable. The pace of sunset was unpredictable, and if the sun were to set while he was halfway back, he'd be in deep trouble.

Moreover, even if Bai didn't take a double trip, Qin Fei couldn't return to the funeral parlor alone.

There was another crucial rule that could easily be overlooked.

The bus's announcement had clearly stated, "When traveling south on the Xiangxi mountain road, tourists must not venture out alone."

If Qin Fei were to stroll back by himself, there was a high chance he would fall into the trap set by the system's rules.

After some deliberation, Qin Fei didn't continue toward the temple but turned around and headed for the village chief's office instead.

Sure enough, after just a few steps, he felt a chill run down his spine.

It was as though something was gently tapping his shoulder, rhythmically.

Cold gusts of wind brushed past his ears, accompanied by faint, elusive laughter that seemed both near and far.

Regrettably, Qin Fei's heart remained undisturbed, and he continued forward with an unresponsive demeanor.

The laughter ceased for a moment, as if it found it hard to believe that the person before it was not afraid.

"Hoo—"

"Hoo—"

The wind in their ears grew louder and louder.

Ultimately, Qin Fei couldn't withstand it any longer.

He halted his steps but didn't turn back—according to traditional Chinese ghost stories, turning around when someone touches or calls you from behind is perhaps the quickest way to court death.

With a melancholic expression, the young man gazed at an indistinct point in front of him. With sincerity lacing his softly spoken words, he said, "Could you please pause for a moment... It's really too cold."

Especially since he had just been chased by a ghost, causing him to break out in a sweat. If this continued, Qin Fei felt that he might contract a severe cold right there and then.

The chilly wind abruptly ceased.

In the live-streaming hall, the spectating spirits were almost laughing their heads off at the scene.

"Ahahaha, oh my god, did you guys see that NPC getting shut down?!"

"She must be thinking, 'I've been scaring people here for years, and this is the first time I've come across someone who's immune to my tricks!'"

"But this streamer is so clever. He knew not to turn back, which prevented the activation of the mechanism. The NPC can't do anything to him."

"Am I the only one empathizing with the NPC? Poor thing, he seems so unlucky. I remember he used to scare people effortlessly. As long as someone turned around, he could do whatever he wanted! But it looks like he's had several consecutive failures in this dungeon."

"Yeah, those two just now, and the one last night – none worked."

"Still, the streamer's move was the most cunning..."

The unknown ghost lurking in the shadows seemed angered by Qin Fei's reaction. The chilling wind and shrill laughter behind him abruptly vanished.

Qin Fei was pleased with the silence and continued his journey to the village chief's office with ease.

He soon arrived at his destination.

At one end of the corridor, the office door remained ajar.

In the dusky twilight, an elderly man with snow-white hair and beard was bent over his desk.

He seemed not to notice Qin Fei and continued to lift his arm stiffly and mechanically, writing words with a dull expression.

Stroke by stroke, stroke by stroke...

The rhythm of his rising and falling arm was as precise as that of a machine.

Qin Fei tilted his head slightly and watched the old man in silence for a while. Then, he raised his hand and gently knocked on the door.

"Tap... Tap... Tap..."

Three soft knocks echoed.

The elder slowly lifted his head.

The young man stood against the light, with the crimson sunset outlining his silhouette beautifully. His exquisite face wore a warm and amiable smile as he looked at the village chief obediently and amiably.

This was undoubtedly a pleasing sight, but the village chief didn't show any sign of joy.

Upon seeing that it was Qin Fei, the village chief was taken aback, his eyes filled with disbelief: "You actually... You, how...?"

"Are you actually still alive?" Qin Fei kindly completed the elder's unfinished sentence, "How did you survive?"

...Though he did mean precisely that.

But there was no need to put it so bluntly.

An awkward expression appeared on the village chief's face.

He tried to force a smile, pulling the corners of his mouth sideways: "Haha, don't joke around. Your companion came here looking for me in the afternoon, saying they got separated from you."

"I just thought you had gone back early, I didn't expect you to still be here." Despite his words, the village chief's actions conveyed an entirely different meaning. He examined Qin Fei from head to toe, as if he were looking at some bizarre extraterrestrial creature.

Qin Fei nodded, not intending to engage the village chief further on this matter.

He had come to see the village chief for something far more important.

Qin Fei stepped into the office with an air of casual familiarity, as if he owned the place and had every right to be there.

His gaze lingered on the rows of travel guides on the bookshelf. "Our Shouyin Village could be considered a locally renowned tourist spot, right?"

Countless viewers watching the live stream froze at Qin Fei's words.

"What's the host up to now? Why can't I understand his moves again?"

"Hahaha, this is hilarious! Look at the village chief's confused expression."

"Probably the first time in his life someone asked him such a question. Looks like his brain is overheating, hahaha."

The viewers weren't wrong; the village chief was indeed bewildered.

The village chief nodded blankly. "Ah, yes... it could be said that way."

"Excellent." Qin Fei nodded in satisfaction. "In that case, as a visitor here, I should expect the warmest hospitality and most thoughtful assistance, right?"

A muscle twitched at the corner of the village chief's mouth.

Though he was unsure what Qin Fei had in mind, he instinctively sensed that it wouldn't be something beneficial.

But with the conversation having reached this point, he could only nod again. "Of course."

"That's fantastic." The youth grinned, revealing a row of finely polished, pearly white teeth that shimmered like seashells.

His melodious voice was like a spring thaw, melting ice into a clear stream.

Paired with his earnest gaze that held a hint of pleading, even the hardest-hearted person in the world would likely find it difficult to refuse his request at this moment.

He asked rather unceremoniously, "Actually, it's nothing major. I just want the village chief to escort me back to the mortuary."