Chapter 88: Werewolf Community 25

Chapter 88: Werewolf Community 25

This was undoubtedly the most embarrassing day of Mí Yáng's life since birth.

The young man, with a rigid and kindly aunt-like expression, stood there in a daze. Only one thought lingered in his mind:

"How did he figure it out?"

Was this Princess Fēi Fēi equipped with X-ray vision?

Why could he instantly tell that Mí Yáng wasn't the real Wáng Míngmíng's mother??

Qín Fēi's straightforward revelation left no room for Mí Yáng to worm his way out.

The air distorted once more, and Mí Yáng transformed back into his original form.

But now, the black-haired youth's face no longer wore its usual arrogance or nonchalance. He covered his mouth as he looked at Qin Fei, resembling a wronged little wife.

A hint of a smile tugged at Qin Fei's lips. "Go on, tell me. Why have you been following me all this time?"

Mi Yang remained silent.

But Qin Fei wouldn't let him off just because he was playing dead.

Qin Fei fixated his gaze on the person in front of him. His amber eyes were clear and bright, as if they could penetrate all pretenses and delve into the deepest thoughts of a person:

"You can't possibly want to stay, right?"

Qin Fei's tone was very certain: "You won't be able to leave."

Since Qin Fei descended the stairs, he had been observant of Mi Yang's peculiar behavior.

The way he carried himself was off; anyone with sight could tell that something was amiss.

The expression on Mi Yang's face when he followed Qin Fei was also odd, appearing reluctant and unwilling, as if he was bound by some force and forcibly attached to his back.

Mi Yang was taken aback.

"Why is that?"

Qin Fei flexed his knuckles and tapped his chin lightly.

"Hmm, I suppose it might have something to do with your innate ability?"

Given that Mi Yang could transform into Wang Mingming's mother, it indicated that his mental-thief skill had successfully been executed in this instance.

Mi Yang had just called him 'baby son' sincerely and from the bottom of his heart.

Recalling the moment, Mi Yang seemed to have made a similar comment in the elevator but had held it back.

Mi Yang didn't want to say the word "baby."

However, it appeared he couldn't resist.

Qin Fei smiled, a knowing glint in his eyes.

At the same time, his delicate brows knitted slightly, as if genuinely empathizing with Mi Yang's predicament:

"I see... Oh dear, oh dear, what should we do now?"

Mi Yang's ears turned red.

"You say you understand, yet you still ask me?!" he gritted his teeth.

Although Princess Feifei didn't specify what Qin Fei had figured out, Mi Yang could tell from his irritating smugness that he had indeed guessed the truth.

How infuriating!

This sort of behavior, profiting from a situation and then acting all innocent, was truly detestable!

Fortunately, Qin Fei wasn't the type to derive pleasure from making others suffer. On the contrary, he was quite approachable most of the time.

"Since that's the case, come along with us."

Qin Fei kindly offered Mi Yang a way out of his predicament.

Given that Mi Yang no longer posed a threat, Qin Fei didn't mind sharing their spoils of victory with one more person.

After all, Tao Zheng had essentially handed them this victory.

And Mi Yang was at least an A-rank.

From their time in Haunted Building No. 14, it was clear that he possessed quite a few valuable items.

Princess Feifei would never admit it, but she had already started to wickedly covet Mother's supplies. With a bright smile on her face, she said,

"Come on, my dear Mommy."

As soon as she finished speaking, the other four people shuddered in disgust.

Mi Yang immediately shattered into pieces on the spot. "Don't call me that! Don't call me that, ahhhh!!"

This nickname was just too terrifying!

And that wasn't even the most terrifying part.

What was even more frightening was that the mere mention of the word "Mom" caused Mi Yang's blood to boil and surge with an overwhelming tidal wave of maternal love that he could barely contain from erupting.

Mi Yang once again covered his mouth.

He was genuinely worried that he wouldn't be able to restrain himself from kissing Prince's Highness's face.

He simply couldn't tolerate doing such a thing in front of the tens of thousands of viewers in his live stream.

What was the difference between that and pulling down his pants to defecate on the street??

Mi Yang's entire aura wilted, as he trudged along behind Qin Fei's group with his head hanging low, resembling a dejected stray dog.

Lin Ye turned back to glance at him secretly, feeling as if there was a tiny, rain-soaked cloud hovering above his head.

The six of them quickly arrived at the community's southern gate.

The southern gate was the main entrance, and the security booth where players had previously received patrol missions was located right beside it.

Qin Fei, who was no stranger to the place, confidently approached and knocked on the window of the security booth.

After a few taps, the window was pulled open from the inside, revealing the impatient face of the old security guard.

"Is there something going on?"

The old security guard had a cigarette hanging from his lips, the pungent smell of low-quality tobacco making Qin Fei's breath catch slightly.

But he quickly adjusted his expression, appearing even more polite and amiable than before.

His gaze discreetly swept over the top of the old security guard's head.

"Werewolf Community - Nameless Security Guard: Affinity -5% (The old guard has nothing to say about the guy who caused trouble in the middle of the night.)"

Causing trouble in the middle of the night referred to Qin Fei's request last night to unlock the door of Haunted Building 14.

Despite the negative affinity, the security guard didn't seem to be an NPC with high aggression.

Qin Fei's face could be incredibly thick when necessary.

Leaning with both hands on the window frame of the security booth with a charming smile, the young man showed no sign of being affected by the information on the affinity bar. He struck up a friendly conversation with the old guard as if they were old acquaintances:

"Do you remember me? I took on the patrol mission yesterday."

Old Security Guard: "?"

If he recalled correctly, the ones who took on the patrol duty yesterday should have been the other fellows behind him, right?

The old security guard studied Qin Fei's face, attempting to detect any hint of guilt from his boastful words.

There was none.

Absolutely none.

The old security guard was somewhat confused.

He wondered if his age was catching up with him, causing him to mix up events.

Perhaps this young man before him had indeed patrolled the security team yesterday?

Since they both wore the security uniform, they could be considered half-co-workers.

A slight increase in affection appeared above the old security guard's head, and he reluctantly lifted his gaze to look Qin Fei in the eye.

"What's the matter?" the old security guard asked.

Qin Fei replied, "We'd like to continue working as security guards tonight."

It was clear that Qin Fei wasn't the first player to make such a request, for the old guard shook his head with practiced ease. "No can do. There are no patrol duties tonight."

It turned out to be a one-night-only gig.

Qin Fei was rather puzzled.

Security guards patrolled at night because ghosts and supernatural creatures roamed the community then.

Just like the haunted building from last night, or the faceless entity they had encountered.

If there were no need for night patrols tonight, did that mean those things wouldn't appear?

But if they didn't show up, what would be the crisis of this night?

Was it destined to be a peaceful night?

Qin Fei found it incredibly hard to believe.

These thoughts flashed through Qin Fei's mind in an instant, but his smile remained unchanged. Unlike the previous players who had retreated upon hearing the old security guard's refusal, he stood his ground.

In his earnest eyes, Qin Fei said, "Is there really no way? We genuinely want to contribute to the community. If there are no work targets tonight, we're willing to help without pay."

The old security guard shook his head again. "Security uniforms can't be handed out casually."

He had expected the young man across from him to back down after such a clear refusal, but Qin Fei still showed no intention of leaving.

"It's fine if we can't get the uniforms. We're volunteers offering our help willingly; just give us a flashlight," Qin Fei proposed.

The old security guard was speechless for a moment, then he opened the door and gestured for Qin Fei to enter.

Qin Fei walked into the security booth with a confident stride.

"Right," Qin Fei said, collecting and stashing items while still managing to glean the last bit of information from a hidden corner. "I heard there's a garbage dump next to our security booth. Where exactly is it?"

The old security guard gave Qin Fei a deep look before pointing in a direction.

Qin Fei nodded, thanked the guard, and headed for the bushes in the indicated direction.

As they crouched in the shadows behind the bushes like mushrooms after a rain, Ghost Fire still wore a dazed expression.

He couldn't fathom how Xiao Qin, by simply approaching and chatting for a few moments, had managed to gather so much information?

Tasks that others couldn't obtain even after asking were effortlessly obtained by Xiao Qin.

Although he didn't get the security uniform, it wasn't essential.

Each player now held a flashlight, which was more useful to them.

Moreover, Ghost Fire had also tried to approach the old security guard earlier in the afternoon.

Back then, despite his parched throat from speaking for a long time, the guard hadn't acknowledged him at all, not even cracking a window to listen. He'd treated Ghost Fire as if he didn't exist.

Is this what they call personal charm?

The ghostly flame's gaze towards Qin Fei had shifted in an unusual way.

Fixated on Qin Fei, the ghostly flame pondered about life, while Mi Yang looked at his beloved son with a mix of love and hatred. Tao Zheng held onto his supportive role, always vigilant for any cues from the big shot.

The three of them surrounded Qin Fei with their intense gazes, making even Lin Ye, who was merely crouching nearby, feel uneasy.

But Qin Fei, standing in the spotlight, remained unperturbed.

Unaffected by external influences, he propped his chin in one hand while swatting mosquitoes away from the grass with the other, calmly awaiting the arrival of six o'clock.

The sun above his head shifted slightly to the west, and a crescent moon began to rise slowly from the east.

In the blink of an eye, a small house suddenly appeared behind the group as if out of thin air. The players didn't even hear a sound.

Tao Zheng turned around, his eyes lighting up instantly. "It's here!"

It was a rather squat structure, and with its emergence, the previously empty lawn was now littered with plastic bottles and old cardboard boxes, some neatly packed, others scattered about.

On the grayish-white concrete walls of the dumpster, three large characters were scribbled unevenly in dark red paint:

"Garbage Shed"

The garbage shed appeared exceedingly dilapidated, with rough and dirty walls. Above these walls, a few layers of crumpled tin sheets served as a makeshift roof.

The door was a dark crimson, marred with rust.

A fist-sized lock hung on it.

San Tu circled the garbage shed but found no hint of a rule. He then approached to examine the lock.

"It's locked," San Tu said after a moment.

Tao Zheng, seeing the situation, hastily retrieved a key from his personal space as if presenting a treasure.

Aside from Mi Yang, everyone present was a mid to low-level player.

When Tao Zheng suddenly pulled out a high-grade item, the group gathered around with curiosity.

Tao Zheng's sycophancy wasn't limited to Qin Fei alone; he was equally polite to Qin Fei's companions.

"This is a B-grade item," Tao Zheng explained.

"Generally speaking, an unmodified, basic lock found in a dungeon can be opened with this key."

A basic lock referred to a lock similar to those found in real life.

Regardless of the type of lock, as long as it had a keyhole, this item would work.

However, the item had its drawbacks.

Upon encountering specialized locks, such as those using facial recognition or fingerprint identification,

or encountering locks augmented in specific scenarios, like crucial quest items in important missions,

a B-grade key would prove powerless.

Tao Zheng expressed his regretful sigh, "It's said that in the S-rank and above item mall, there are even more advanced universal locks that can open any door."

However, just the mention of 'S-rank' made it seem unattainably distant.

One could never predict if he would have the chance to witness it in his lifetime.

Whether Tao Zheng would encounter an S-rank item in his lifetime was uncertain to all.

But tonight, the B-grade key he had brought was destined to be useless.

While Tao Zheng was explaining the items, Qin Fei, behind them, had already scavenged a moderately hard copper wire from an unknown trash pile.

He twisted the wire into a braid and inserted it into the lock of the garbage station's gate.

Gently prodding to the left, then gently prodding to the right.

A click resounded.

The lock clicked open instantly.

Behind him, the crowd was left dumbfounded, while only Lin Ye wore an expression of understanding.

He had already witnessed Qin Fei's remarkable skills in the Shadow Village scenario. At this moment, with a hint of pride in his demeanor, he said as if they were still inexperienced, "You haven't seen it all yet."

"This is our Qin boss's family's unique skill."

The four behind him: "......."

A family heirloom technique???

Your family's inheritance seems quite intense.

Laughter instantly erupted in the live broadcast hall.

"Little Lin is dying from laughter, speak more if you can."

"Tao Zheng: 'What on Earth Happened to the Big Shot I Swore Loyalty To?'"

"Well, isn't Princess our dear little lamb's precious son? Thieves stick together, after all~"

"Dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and a thief's son knows how to dig holes!"

"Hurry in."

Qin Fei waved his hand behind him.

The elderly lady in charge of the garbage collection site was elusive; Tao Zheng was tasked with staying at the entrance for backup while the others entered one by one.

Like any ordinary waste collection site, this room was spacious, without any extra partitions. Piles of bundled cardboard were stacked against the walls.

It wasn't dark outside yet, but Qin Fei noticed a vivid ghost face symbol on the wall directly opposite the entrance.

It was identical to the one he had seen in Teacher An An's hands back at the kindergarten.

The moment the ghostly face appeared on the live stream, a system notification echoed in the ears of the players.

"Congratulations to the players for successfully triggering the hidden mission of the Werewolf Community instance - The Birthplace of Sin!"

"Mission Description: In this community, once called Anxin Residential Area, residents lived peacefully and harmoniously with their neighbors, until one day, a mysterious old lady named Yu Abuela moved into the area."

"Mission Objective: Uncover the purpose behind Yu Abuela's presence in the community!"

"Time Limit: 10 minutes"

A familiar countdown timer floated mid-air above the garbage dump, and with a slam, the entrance door shut, blocking out the light from outside.

The room was plunged into a brief darkness, but soon, a bare light bulb automatically illuminated above the heads of the occupants.

Tao Zheng, standing by the door, got a fright.

"The door is locked," he said, trying to push it open but failing. He quickly hurried over to the others.

"The mission is confined within this junkyard. Let's split up and search."

Qin Fei was concise in his instructions.

The junkyard was cluttered with debris, yet its area wasn't extensive. This task might be challenging for a single player, but there were six people present.

After a quick division of the search areas, everyone assumed their designated roles.

Qin Fei was assigned an area with an obvious hiding spot:

An old desk.

The desk had a vintage style, with two locked drawers beneath its tabletop.

Qin Fei employed his previous technique and swiftly unlocked the drawers.

From the drawer, Qin Fei retrieved a black-bound book with golden lettering, titled "Junkyard Operation Notes."

Despite its title, it seemed that Station Keeper Grandma Yu had used it as a personal diary.

Qin Fei flipped through the notebook briefly and discovered a crucial piece of information:

"Granny Yu adheres to a certain religion whose doctrine advocates the unleashing of demons to restore the world to its true form."

The ghostly face symbol that repeatedly appeared in the community was the emblem of this religion.

Considering the bizarre teachings of this faith, it was highly likely that the werewolf community's haunting was connected to it.

The notebook was incomplete, with several pages torn out.

These missing pages were eventually discovered scattered throughout the garbage dump.

Among piles of old newspapers, Lin Ye found a record of the good deeds Granny Yu had done in the community over the years:

"This grandmother, on the surface working at the waste disposal site, actually spent her free time wandering around the community every day."

She focused her attention particularly on those in the community who were going through difficult times.

"For instance, Teacher An An from the kindergarten, who failed to get a promotion and, due to a momentary lapse of attention, allowed a child to fall and get injured, resulting in constant harassment from the students' parents."

Granny Yu kept a close watch on the community's residents, ready to secretly approach targets like Teacher An An and attempt to recruit them into her cult.

"All those who were swayed by Granny Yu into joining the cult eventually went mad, committing gruesome acts of violence within the community."

Just like Teacher An An, who set fire to his entire class.

The cult that Granny Yu adhered to was genuinely evil, not just in name.

Upon the death of those who had joined the cult, the community gradually forgot their former appearances, as if they had never existed.

Ghost Fire found another note tucked in a wall crevice.

"Granny Yu's ultimate goal was to unleash the demon. For this purpose, she had been lurking within the community for nearly two years, planning to strike on this year's July 15th."

July 15th.

If the players failed to discover the hidden mission, that day would mark the final day of the dungeon.

Mi Yang pressed his lips together before handing the note he had found to Qin Fei.

Qin Fei lowered his head, flipping through the pages and softly reading the text:

"Six altars, one bronze mirror, forty-four living sacrifices."

"Ching!"

Accompanied by the clear ring of a bell, the countdown that had been advancing in the darkness instantly crumbled into dust.

A more relaxed and pleasant system voice sounded once again.

"Congratulations to the player for successfully completing the first stage hidden mission!"

"Yu AhPo used dark magic to bewitch the community residents, turning the neighborhood into a breeding ground for malevolent spirits. Once all living beings are gathered and the altars are in place, the evil demon sealed within the mirror will shockingly manifest!"

"With the help of righteous outsiders, the sacrificial ritual on the 15th of July this year was unable to proceed as usual. However, this does not mean the community is now safe."

"Mission requirement: Locate Yu AhPo's hidden altar within the community!"

"Have we successfully advanced to the second stage of the mission?"

Lin Ye probed with a question.

Qin Fei nodded, took a few steps forward, and reached out to push the door.

The tightly shut door creaked open once more.

Beyond it, the sky outside gradually transformed into a blend of blue and purple, casting its light indoors.

"Such a huge neighborhood, where do we even start looking for the altar?" Phantom Fire looked utterly lost.

With no time constraint on the new mission, they were at a loss on how to proceed.

After a moment's deliberation, Qin Fei suggested, "Try to recall if any of you have seen anything resembling an altar in the neighborhood over the past two days?"

All five people on the other side shook their heads.

Not a single clue.

"Let's search the garbage area again," Qin Fei said, showing no sign of haste to leave.

Altars of this sort shouldn't be casually placed in some odd locations.

Six altars, six garbage bins.

It was easy to spark some associations.

Sure enough, after the six of them worked together, bending over for quite some time, they successfully found beneath freshly dug soil at the entrance of one garbage bin—a lid.

On the lid was the same white ghostly face symbol. Judging from its shape and style, it was indeed the cover of a jar or vase.

"How come there's only a lid? Where's the vase?" Ghost Fire asked in disbelief.

The size of the hole on the ground seemed large enough to accommodate a vase.

But the vase was nowhere to be found.

"Should we search inside again?" Lin Ye directed an inquiring look at Qin Fei.

At that moment, a hoarse and aged cry echoed not far away.

"Scrap collector! Scrap collector here!"

Tao Zheng's face paled. "Oh no, Grandma Yu is back!"

From behind the bushes at a distant corner, a wobbling tricycle slowly came into view.

The players froze, then darted out of the garbage station like mice seeing a cat.

But there were six of them, and the path was too short.

By the time Qin Fei reached the bushes outside, Grandma Yu had already ridden her tricycle to the edge of the lawn.

Despite her age, her eyesight was still sharp. From afar, she let out a startled cry,

"Who's there?! Who dared to enter my garbage station?!"

At this moment, Qin Fei was standing in the blind spot of Aunt Yu's line of sight, but it was an awkward position to be in.

He couldn't advance nor retreat.

Any slight movement could risk being caught by her.

But standing still was clearly not an option either, as Aunt Yu was sprinting towards them with both legs.

Lin Ye and the others had already darted behind the adjacent apartment building, watching anxiously from there.

Qin Fei narrowed his eyes at the approaching Aunt Yu and pressed his lips together.

An idea then struck him.

The young man straightened his back, knitted his brows, and switched on his flashlight to its maximum brightness.

A blinding beam pierced through the dusk, directly shining into Aunt Yu's face.

Simultaneously, a clear and righteous voice echoed throughout the alleyway, "Catch the thief!!!"

Granny Yu stumbled, her vision blurring from the sudden burst of intense light that assailed her eyes, nearly toppling onto the landscaping strip!