Chapter 17: Night Stroll in Spirit Keeping Village 15

Chapter 17: Night Stroll in Spirit Keeping Village 15

"What?!" Sun Shouyi's eyes widened in astonishment upon hearing this.

Lin Shouying's eyes were the eyes of the divine statue.

Why would the eyes of the divine statue suddenly appear all around the village?

"Who knows?" Qin Fei said nonchalantly, getting up and walking to the entrance of the funeral parlor.

On either side of the village road outside, the villagers of Spirit Keeping Village were going about their daily chores with blank expressions.

They washed clothes, hung them out to dry, swept the ground, and conversed as if the enormous red eyes covering the earth didn't exist at all.

No one treated it as a significant event.

Aside from being terrifying, these giant eyes seemed to serve no other purpose. The two players stained with blood stood there in a daze, unharmed.

"Perhaps these giant eyes aren't really anything substantial," Qin Fei concluded after observing for a while. "They might just be a method the system uses to pressure players into hastening their live-stream missions."

As Qin Fei had previously mentioned, the live-stream system wouldn't tolerate players adopting a passive approach to the game.

The existence of the rules within the instance worlds wasn't to be "obeyed," but rather to be "defied." Only when players violated these rules would the live-stream become captivating and filled with dramatic tension.

What was the point if no one ever broke them?

This was precisely the situation now.

The players were all meticulous in avoiding direct eye contact with the deity's statue.

And so, the eyes sought them out instead, leaving them with nowhere to hide.

The enormous eyes that blanketed the entire village suddenly halted their advance at the entrance of the funeral parlor without any warning. The unbarred gate acted as an invisible boundary, dividing the world inside from the world outside, creating two starkly distinct realms.

According to the rule, players were forbidden from looking directly into the deity's eyes.

But what if those eyes were no longer on the statue? Would this rule still apply?

At this juncture, no one could dare to speculate.

Sun Shouyi and Cheng Song's eyes clearly conveyed their displeasure as they looked at Tan Yong and the others.

If not for their reckless decision to open the mortuary gates, those originally inside wouldn't have suffered the same misfortune as the outsiders.

Standing at the front of the group, Tan Yong wore an awkward expression and stammered, "W-What should we do now?"

Ling Na scoffed. "All you ever say is 'what should we do.' Can't you think of anything else?"

"Hmph." The man with the scar snorted coldly.

Despite having been part of Tan Yong's group on the bus, he now regarded them with contempt and disdain.

Cheng Song, Xiao Xiao, and the others remained expressionless. Tan Yong shifted his gaze again to Qin Fei, who seemed the most approachable, but Qin Fei merely offered a cryptic smile without responding.

In fact, Tan Yong knew deep down that his question was pointless; he just couldn't bear to face reality.

His ambitious dreams of exploring the instance dungeon had been utterly crushed, leaving only one pressing matter—

Standing still, Tan Yong swallowed nervously and moved aside, creating a path for Sun Shouyi to exit the mortuary.

Those eyes outside were not just seen by them; the veteran players in the courtyard had witnessed it as well.

Of course, the veterans had no choice but to venture into the graveyard.

Since they had to go, why not let the veterans take the lead?

As novices, they were supposed to hide behind the experienced ones.

Even someone as even-tempered as Sun Shouyi was now on the verge of cursing.

Qin Fei lifted his gaze to look at the players before him, a smile that was both there and not there gracing his face.

Under Tan Yong's scrutiny, he gradually lowered his head, his body stiff and awkward, yet he remained motionless.

In the face of life and death threats, what did losing a little face matter?

Qin Fei was indifferent to it all.

He was different from the other players. That afternoon, he had been ambushed by the yellow-robed ghost in the ancestral hall. Originally, he was going to the mass grave tonight anyway – whether alone or in a group made little difference?

It was merely around eight or nine in the evening; if they were heading to the cemetery, time was fairly ample.

Qin Fei didn't wish to waste any more time. He rose and strode towards the mortuary outside.

Though it was still early, the situation in the instance could change dramatically in an instant. No one could predict what might happen along the way. It would be best to settle this matter as soon as possible.

The group set off in a grand procession towards the southwestern corner of the village.

The moonlight that had been relatively bright just moments ago had vanished without a trace. The sky resembled an enormous, pitch-black and ominous web, enveloping everything on the ground within its grasp, making escape seemingly impossible.

The villagers had long retreated to their homes, leaving the road illuminated only by the flickering candles placed at the entrances of each household, casting eerie, slanted shadows on the ground like ghostly apparitions.

The dark red candles wavered with their dancing flames, turning the night into a haunting scene. A light rain began to fall, unnoticed until it sprinkled upon the numerous stone statues that lined the road, filling every corner of the visible landscape.

As one ventured further southwest towards the village, the houses grew sparser, eventually giving way to an almost empty expanse.

In the nearby darkness, a modest-sized hillock stood calmly, undisturbed.

On the hillside, countless interwoven shadows stood tall like sentinels.

They were gravestones, one after another.

Upon seeing the graveyard so close, everyone's hearts raced with both anxiety and relief.

"Quick, find the willow tree."

"A weeping willow, where can we find a weeping willow?"

Amidst the chatter, they hurried to search for the tree but dared not venture too far, scurrying around in a limited area.

"Clearly, there's nothing but barren land around here," someone mumbled, confused.

Upon hearing this, Tan Yong's face suddenly paled. "Oh no, the guide only told us to use freshly plucked weeping willow branches to strike ourselves here, but didn't mention that we have to pick the branches from this graveyard."

They now stood right in the heart of the chaotic burial ground, an elevated spot offering an unobstructed view in all directions, with only scattered rocks and broken tombstones littering the ground.

The area was bare, without even a few blades of grass growing, let alone a large tree.

What if there were no willows here at all? Then where would they find the willow branch?

Just moments ago, he was secretly relieved that this rule wasn't too demanding.

But now!

Sure enough, dungeons wouldn't be so merciful to players.

Tan Yong's thoughts raced, and he lifted his foot to head back.

Qin Fei stood not far from Tan Yong, his hands clasped behind his back as he watched him expressionlessly and motionlessly.

Tan Yong felt goosebumps under Qin Fei's gaze. After taking a few steps, he couldn't resist stopping, turning around, and staring straight at Qin Fei, asking, "Why aren't you guys moving?"

Qin Fei crossed his arms and replied upon hearing this, "Do you really think you can find it?"

They weren't the first batch of players to arrive at this graveyard. If this challenge were that easy, the young man named Lin Ye who had come alone yesterday would have returned long ago.

Although the boy had been a bit flustered when he first entered the dungeon, he was generally quite clever and decisive. As long as there was even a sliver of a chance for survival, he wouldn't let it slip away easily.

In fact, Qin Fei had made his statement in a calm and neutral tone without any emotional or critical undertones. However, it was undoubtedly perceived as mockery by Tan Yong.

"You!" Frustrated by his continuous setbacks before Qin Fei, Tan Yong flew into a rage and strode away hastily.

A few rookie players who had been following him hesitated, unsure whether they should continue to follow. They stood there, uncertain of what to do.

Qin Fei blinked and smiled at them. "He's quite easy to anger, isn't he?"

All he did was speak the truth.

Didn't he notice? Since entering this area resembling a cemetery, their surroundings and path had gradually become blurred.

Illusions abounded in this dungeon; encountering a ghostly maze on a hill of graves didn't seem unusual.

Sure enough, Tan Yong stormed off alone, but only a few breaths later, he reappeared from the other side of the group's line of sight.

The group of players watched him approach and then rejoin them. When Tan Yong lifted his head and saw them, his eyes were filled with confusion.

"Ah, no need to be awkward, we're all acquaintances here," Qin Fei said with a bright smile.

Tan Yong: "..."

It wasn't awkward before, but now that you've mentioned it, not feeling awkward would be quite a feat.

Tan Yong pulled a long face, defying the odds as he changed direction and continued walking towards the distance.

Moments later, they found themselves back at the starting point.

"..."

Tan Yong could no longer contain his frustration. His dark face was flushed with veins popping out as he gritted his teeth in anger. "What the hell is going on here?"

Qin Fei shrugged nonchalantly. "We can't get out."

Xiao Xiao, Cheng Song, and the others were wandering between the gravestones, but no matter how they moved, they found themselves unable to leave this area.

The instance dungeon indeed didn't offer any straightforward solutions. This maze-like terrain was the trap that held them captive. If they couldn't find a way to break free, the players would be doomed to watch their own impending demise.

"What the hell are you talking about? !" Tan Yong found it utterly unbelievable. He reached for his ears, making sure he hadn't misheard, then looked up at Qin Fei with a fierce glare, certain that he had heard correctly.

How could anyone remain so calm in the face of death?

The memory of Hua Qiwei's gruesome demise that morning—his shattered wooden fragments, powdered corpse, and the bloody pulp strewn across the ground—made Tan Yong's entire body tremble uncontrollably.

As Qin Fei's words echoed through the graveyard, chaos erupted among the players.

Some stumbled blindly, while others darted around aimlessly.

"Where is the exit? !"

"We'll all die if we can't find the willow tree!"

Wails of despair pierced the sky like a screeching funeral dirge.

Tan Yong's head throbbed as the cacophony of voices around him blended into a persistent buzzing. His mind was a jumbled mess, and he felt as though he were being boiled alive in a vat of seething water, his agitation growing by the second.

The stone monument blocking his path suddenly seemed blindingly bright. Tan Yong's eyes turned bloodshot as he raised his hand, ready to push it aside.

With a firm push, the stone monument remained steadfastly immobile.

Tan Yong could no longer contain his agitation and delivered a fierce kick towards the monument.

"Crack!"

A muffled sound echoed.

Amidst the astonished gazes of those around him, a distinct crack appeared across the waist of the stone monument, and a rustling of pebbles cascaded down its surface.

Tan Yong was utterly stunned.

His thoughts had long ceased to function normally as he retreated hastily, stumbling and sitting down hard on the ground.

Oddly eerie sounds of fragmentation resonated from the stone monument,

Crack.

Crack.

Snap.

Tan Yong trembled violently, completely oblivious to the indescribable horror that had crept into the gazes of the players nearby.

A cold hand landed on his shoulder.

Tan Yong almost suffocated. How he wished at that moment that those experienced players would lend him a helping hand!

Unfortunately, that was wishful thinking.

He had already offended everyone in his irrational state.

How he regretted it now!

With a quivering body, Tan Yong slowly turned his head around.

Before his eyes was a terrifying sight!

Pallid, swollen skin, blood-filled eyes, and a faint stench of decay permeating the air through his nostrils.

"AHHH!!!"

Tan Yong's heart-wrenching scream pierced through the night sky, sending flocks of lurking crows in the graveyard scattering into the heavens with a flurry of wings.

Simultaneously, countless grotesque and terrifying ghosts emerged slowly from behind the gravestones.

Headless female corpses, stiff figures with long tongues hanging out as if hanged, and blood streaming from their empty-eyed sockets...

Beings that existed only in legends and nightmares were now vividly materializing before the players, surrounded by an eerie, ghostly aura. The air was thick with invisible resentment, turning the atmosphere icy cold in an instant.

This was precisely what the phrase "Night Parade of One Hundred Ghosts" entailed!

In the next moment, the system's announcement echoed above the vast graveyard.

"Area Chase Mission: Now Active!"