Chapter 20: Night Stroll in Yin Village 18

Chapter 20: Night Stroll in Yin Village 18

The bloody and mangled ghost infant clung to Qin Fei's body, its damp skin slowly sliding across Qin Fei's arm.

The other players watching from the side felt chills run down their spines, but the one at the center of danger remained calm, showing no signs of unease.

The young man was covered in blood, yet his eyes were as clear as a spring in early spring. A faint smile played on his lips as he gazed at the ghost infant, as if it wasn't a grotesque apparition but an actual, adorable baby.

How incredible is that!

This is probably what it means to remain composed even when faced with a crisis like Mount Tai collapsing before one's eyes.

Surrounded by admiring gazes, an invisible bead of cold sweat trickled down Qin Fei's forehead.

Seeing Qin Fei's smile, others assumed he was fearless, unaware that he was actually quite uncomfortable deep down.

The ghost infant's fleshless body resembled a slimy snail, and the sensation of it squirming on Qin Fei's skin replicated the experience of a snail all too accurately.

Though Qin Fei didn't feel fear, he could still distinguish between what was cute and what was revolting.

The young man exerted all his strength to suppress the goosebumps on his skin. He slowed down his tone and asked patiently, like a dedicated kindergarten teacher, "Sweetheart, do you need me to do anything for you?"

However, the ghost infant was unresponsive, its tiny, blood-soaked body showing no reaction.

1 minute;

2 minutes;

3 minutes.

It was unbearable—the slimy and soft sensation… Qin Fei genuinely feared that he would lose control in the next second, grabbing the ghost infant off his shoulder and throwing it ten meters away.

Despite this, Qin Fei's tone remained patient and unruffled. His smile was sweet as he gazed at the ghost infant, his voice as gentle as a cotton candy, "Sweetheart, little one, be good, okay?"

The audience in the live streaming hall burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha, I'm dying, the streamer's face is turning green, but they're still trying so hard to soothe the baby."

"But, but! The streamer is really good at comforting, their voice is so gentle and sweet, my heart is melting~"

"This voice could lure me into an online romance and strip me bare."

"Seriously, my heart is racing just through the screen. Does this little boss have a heart made of stone? How can he remain so indifferent!?"

As it turned out, even a bloodied ghost had a heart that could feel warmth.

The youth's spring-like demeanor eventually touched the tiny monster before him. The blob-like face of the ghost baby contorted, and after a long while, a faint, high-pitched sound emerged from its mouth – or perhaps some other part of its body.

"%*+#%"

It resembled the incoherent babbling of a freshly-learned-to-talk infant, utterly incomprehensible.

"He responded!" Lin Ye exclaimed in surprise.

Last night, he had been reduced to tears, pleading for mercy, screaming for his grandparents' help, and rambling nonsensically, yet the ghost baby hadn't budged at all.

Back then, he thought the creature couldn't speak at all.

Why did things change when Qin Fei stepped in?

Lin Ye was utterly impressed.

"What did he say?" Sun Shouyi mustered the courage to approach.

Qin Fei shook his head. He hadn't caught it either. The young man asked softly once more, "Darling, what did you just say?"

"..."

The ghost infant made an urgent sound as its body leaned forward, pressing directly against Qin Fei's cheek.

The slimy membrane covering its muscles was cold and damp, sticking to Qin Fei's earlobe and causing him to shiver suddenly.

Being a devoted follower really wasn't easy, Qin Fei mused sincerely.

The ghost infant shook its head repeatedly. The bright yellow talisman was stuck to its head, swaying along with its movements without falling off.

"Wah wah wah!" The ghost infant grew anxious, waving its hands about wildly.

Qin Fei suddenly understood, "You want me to help you remove this thing?"

The ghost baby immediately nodded vigorously.

Qin Fei tilted his head and examined the charm closely.

Specialists have their expertise, so he turned to Xiao Xiao and asked, "How do I remove this?"

After a moment's thought, Xiao Xiao replied, "You can just tear it off with your hand, but this charm..."

This charm didn't seem like an ordinary one; even Xiao Xiao couldn't tell its purpose.

If they tried to remove it carelessly, it might not work.

To take off this charm, they should use glutinous rice, cinnabar...

Xiao Xiao swallowed the rest of his sentence as Qin Fei, after hearing only half of it, promptly and swiftly peeled the paper charm off the ghost baby's head.

"So simple!" Qin Fei exclaimed.

With his casual demeanor, Qin Fei seemed to have just discarded a piece of toilet paper from the restroom entrance.

Xiao Xiao watched as the talisman floated to the ground, his mind frozen in place.

He had devoted over a decade to studying Daoist practices, lacking even the courage to touch such a talisman. Yet, Qin Fei, without listening to his words, had effortlessly unleashed a powerful move.

Was this what his master had once said: "Believe and it exists, doubt and it vanishes"? Sometimes, an ignorant novice could be more intimidating to ghosts than a seasoned expert?

What kind of monstrous creature was this great figure, Qin Fei?

While Xiao Xiao was left dazed on the spot, Qin Fei's focus was entirely on the ghost infant.

The moment the talisman was revealed, the ghost infant's affinity for Qin Fei instantly skyrocketed from 1% to 40%.

"Dead for a long time, ghost infant: Affinity 40% (The ghost infant really likes you! Maintain this friendship, perhaps it will proactively provide you with clues.)"

This was the first time Qin Fei had seen a description accompanying a 40% affinity. Clearly, as the NPC's affinity level rose, the assistance it offered to the player grew correspondingly.

If this trend continued, what might a 100% NPC affinity bring to the player?

Qin Fei's eyelashes drooped slightly, and the glow in his amber eyes flickered, but soon returned to normal as if nothing had happened.

However, increasing the Ghost Baby's affection by 40% just by removing a talisman seemed too effortless.

Speaking of which, this kind of behavior reminded Qin Fei of someone – no, a ghost.

Surely it couldn't be that coincidental, could it?

Qin Fei's expression was inscrutable, with a barely noticeable hint of disdain in his eyes as he looked at the Ghost Baby still clinging to him.

With the sudden surge in affection, the Ghost Baby's attitude toward Qin Fei became visibly more intimate. It wrapped its short arms around Qin Fei's neck, swaying its head from side to side, seemingly basking in this hard-won freedom.

After the talisman was torn off, it turned into a worthless piece of paper, which Qin Fei casually threw on the ground.

The Ghost Baby stared at the paper on the floor for a few seconds before crawling over with its hands and feet to retrieve the scrap. It then glued it back onto its forehead.

Afterward, it shook its head a few times, seemingly content, and returned to Qin Fei's shoulder. The Ghost Baby playfully pulled the paper off and stuck it back on, amusing itself.

Qin Fei: ...

The thoughts of a dead child are just as unpredictable as those of a living one.

So why is this little creature still lingering?

"Sweetheart, do you have something else you need?" Qin Fei raised his hand and gently stroked the ghost infant's head with kindness.

That terrible texture reminded Qin Fei of the raw pork he once touched at the vegetable market.

"Are you hungry and want something to eat? Or are you looking for your mom and dad? Would you like your big brother to take you to them?" Qin Fei asked softly.

Lin Ye, listening nearby, was terrified. "Brother Qin, don't say that word..."

Forget about hunger; he was genuinely afraid that the child might be triggered and lunge at Qin Fei's head with a bite.

Apparently, the ghost infant wasn't desperate enough to devour anything in its path.

The tiny form clinging to the young man's shoulder was shrouded in black aura, its intense resentment chilling the surrounding air. Upon hearing Qin Fei's words, it blinked earnestly. Then, the black aura condensed into a visible black line that traversed the air, heading for a nearby stone monument.

It seemed there really was a task for Qin Fei to fulfill.

Qin Fei raised an eyebrow; this ghost infant truly didn't treat him as an outsider.

Xiao Xiao, with sharp eyes, spotted something over there: "There's a shovel!"

On the southwestern side of the chaotic graveyard, which had been barren before, a tiny tombstone had seemingly materialized out of thin air, inconspicuously hidden among countless others.

Everyone exchanged glances.

Were they supposed to...?

"Dig up a grave?" Xiao Xiao ventured a few steps in that direction, then hesitantly stopped, still haunted by the memory of Tan Yong.

Would they uncover something terrifying?

Qin Fei, however, didn't hesitate. After all, the half-filled progress bar above the ghost infant's head was his greatest assurance.

The young man walked to the willow tree, bent down to pick up the iron shovel on the ground, weighed it in his hand, and then turned the blade into the soil, digging scoop after scoop behind the tombstone.

His movements were skilled and smooth, giving off an air of professionalism.

In fact, Qin Fei had done this before.

Due to the nature of his profession, Qin Fei had seen all sorts of bizarre things before entering the dungeons. He had encountered bloated corpses that had been submerged in rivers for days countless times. Therefore, digging up this small, dilapidated grave that had likely been there for ages was a piece of cake for him.

However, he didn't think it was a big deal, but his calm demeanor made the players around him subconsciously take a step back.

What kind of person was this? How could he be so proficient in digging graves?

At the live streaming center, in front of the screen dedicated to World 0039, chatter filled the air. The spectating spirits' faces were adorned with excited smiles as they pointed at the screen.

"Look at the other streamers on the side, they're about to be scared to death."

"It's hilarious! This player doesn't act like a newbie at all. I'm definitely subscribing to their channel!"

"Hold on, what storyline are we following here? I've never seen this ghost baby NPC in any previous runs of World 0039. Did the streamer trigger a new side quest?"

As Qin Fei's pile of dirt grew higher, a tiny coffin was revealed in its entirety.

It was a roughly crafted coffin, barely distinguishable from a wooden box; it couldn't even compare to the corners of the coffins players used to rest in the mortuary. It lay silently at the center of the earth pit.

The ghost infant on Qin Fei's shoulder gradually calmed down.

Though Qin Fei couldn't make out the expression on the infant's skinless face, he could inexplicably sense its heavy mood. There was a wistful nostalgia in its demeanor, as if it was looking through the current scene and into a distant past.

"Open the coffin?" Qin Fei glanced at the ghost infant and asked.

He had somewhat grown accustomed to the cold and clammy touch, now able to differentiate this mangled creature from a snail. His aversion to the ghost infant had lessened accordingly.

The ghost infant nodded, rubbing its tiny face against Qin Fei's palm, resembling an ugly yet endearing little animal.

"Alright," Qin Fei acknowledged, swiftly digging his shovel downward.

The already fragile coffin lid crumbled effortlessly under the shovel's force, turning into splinters that mixed with the surrounding soil.

An overwhelming, unbearable stench of blood and putridness filled the air, leaving no doubt that the small skeleton within the coffin was intimately connected to the ghost infant on Qin Fei's shoulder.

Qin Fei covered his nose and took a few steps back. However, the ghost infant on his shoulder seemed to be drawn by an unseen force and shot towards the coffin with an almost frenzied enthusiasm.

"Bang!"

The flesh ball, bereft of skin, pressed its face tightly against the tiny skeleton as a chilling black aura spread. Slowly, the two merged together.

"It... It's changed..." Lin Ye exclaimed in amazement.

The ghost infant was no longer just a bundle of tendons and flesh but had grown a layer of skin.

Though the skin was a stark, pale white, indicating it had been dead for an indeterminate length of time, it was still a significant improvement over its previous state of bloody mess.

With a skeletal structure and skin, the ghost infant appeared much larger, resembling a one- or two-year-old boy.

Its large head atop a small body gave it a somewhat cartoonish appearance, akin to a little zombie from an American Gothic animation. There was a barely perceptible, indescribable charm amidst its eerie presence.

The little zombie climbed stiffly out of the coffin, staggering back to Qin Fei's side.

Given its current size, it was no longer convenient for it to cling to Qin Fei's arm as before. Instead, the little zombie latched onto Qin Fei's thigh, hanging there like an accessory.

Qin Fei lifted his leg, barely sensing any weight.

The little zombie didn't let go. It raised its head, revealing a tiny, blackened face devoid of expression. It stared intently at Qin Fei with its dark, pupil-less eyes that resembled those of a cat—clear yet immeasurably deep, reflecting Qin Fei's features.

Was he...somehow inexplicably attached to a small pet?

Qin Fei raised an eyebrow, locking gazes with the little zombie.

The night grew darker, and the faint moonlight had vanished entirely, leaving the graveyard pitch-black except for the towering gravestones that seemed like ghostly silhouettes.

A bone-chilling night breeze whistled through the tombstones and bare branches, producing eerie whispers.

Before they knew it, a faint bluish-purple hue began to spread across the distant horizon, gradually replacing the sky's faint grayish-white tinge and the dense, black aura with a moist, milky white mist.

Unbeknownst to them, they had spent the entire night in the chaotic burial ground.