Chapter 113 Witch 17

Xia Qi circled around Xiao Ou's house, still feeling doubtful, and decided to go upstairs to check.

In this dungeon, villagers did not go out or speak at night. Xiao Ou's mother didn't come to open the door for Xia Qi. He called out to her from outside and then went up to Xiao Ou's room.

Xia Qi held up a lighter, carefully inspecting the room. He noticed that there were no signs of disturbance. As Zhang Yun had said, it really looked like Xiao Ou hadn't come back since he left earlier.

Just as he was about to leave, Xia Qi suddenly caught a glimpse of something red on Xiao Ou's bamboo bed.

He walked over and found that it was a belt woven using brocade techniques. On it, a colorful rooster was rather crookedly embroidered.

Ignoring the pattern, the craftsmanship of the belt was quite high. It was about the length of an arm.

Xia Qi frowned, thinking, *Is this the wedding belt Xiao Ou talked about, the Phoenix belt that's tied around the waist?*

However, Xia Qi remembered that when he saw Xiao Ou being forced by his mother to weave this belt yesterday, it was just a board with a few threads. How did it get finished so quickly today?

Xia Qi took the belt, deciding to keep it temporarily, and put it in his pocket before heading back downstairs.

Zhang Yun paced downstairs, looking extremely worried. Noticing Xia Qi had taken a long time to come down, he couldn't help but urge, "I'm worried something happened to Xiao Ou. Can you accompany me to find him?"

For some reason, the night was exceptionally dark tonight. The village seemed to be covered in a thick layer of ink, and the lights on many stilted houses were much dimmer than the previous night.

Zhang Yun added in time, "The night is too dark tonight. I don't dare to wander around alone."

"Alright. I’ll go ask the female player what’s going on first." After Xia Qi finished speaking, he gave a slight nod in the direction where the Witch God was hiding and headed towards where the female player lived.

"Hurry, then." Zhang Yun rubbed his head irritably and sat down on the steps of Xiao Ou's door.

Xia Qi glanced at Zhang Yun, thinking, *Could it be that Zhang Yun actually has feelings for Xiao Ou?*

They had only known each other for less than a day. Their relationship was developing too quickly.

This was something Xia Qi found hard to understand.

Xia Qi walked for a while and arrived at the female player’s building. Rather than climb the window, he called out a few times and got the female player to come down.

When asked about Xiao Ou's situation, the female player answered honestly, "I was in a rush to submit my tea-picking task this morning and didn't wait for Xiao Ou to come back. Did something happen? Is he not home?"

"That's right." Xia Qi looked at the female player seriously and nodded. "He's not at home. Do you know where he might have gone?"

"Where else would he go?" The female player widened her eyes. "He has more tasks than me. I heard that after picking tea, he still has to weave the Phoenix belt. How could he possibly wander around?"

Xia Qi asked a few more questions about the time the female player had parted with Xiao Ou. Seeing that he was about to leave, the female player voluntarily followed him. "I’ll come with you to find Xiao Ou."

"No need. I’ll go find him." Xia Qi declined. The fewer people he had with him, the better.

The female player wasn't happy about this and hurriedly said, "I’ve already lost one friend. I can’t afford to lose another."

Xia Qi was surprised by Xiao Ou’s ability to make friends. One after another, they insisted on following him.

When Zhang Yun saw the female player, he gave her a surprised look. The female player smiled awkwardly at him and said, "Don't worry, I won't be a burden."

In the world of Sinful Game, except for fierce-looking women like Sister Hong, most delicate-looking women were often shunned.

Xia Qi glanced at Zhang Yun and cautiously said, "She wants to come with us to find Xiao Ou. Do you mind if she comes along?"

"Not at all." Zhang Yun waved at him and quickly added with a laugh, "More people means more strength."

"Alright. Let’s start searching the village." Xia Qi turned the brightness of his lighter to the maximum and led the two of them, starting their search from Xiao Ou’s doorstep.

He circled the village, entering every place except Yanhui Cave, and even asked at the windows of the NPC female villagers.

It was clear that Xiao Ou was gone.

"It seems... we must leave the village," Zhang Yun had been preoccupied with thoughts of Xiao Ou all along.

Xia Qi silently walked to the village gate. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed two people approaching on a nearby path.

As the three approached with torches, they recognized the two as fellow players, specifically, Cha Gong and the Bungee Player.

Cha Gong and the Bungee Player each carried a bundle of firewood on their backs. The Bungee Player looked as if he was about to collapse from the task. The three immediately understood what had happened.

Xia Qi looked Cha Gong up and down, wondering why Cha Gong was still cutting wood late into the night after doing it earlier.

The Bungee Player complained as he walked, "That damned deputy chief has made us cut wood all day!"

They had shared an NPC today, but the NPC suddenly went crazy, demanding a whole room full of firewood, making his hands feel like they were going to break.

"After delivering this load, it should be enough," Cha Gong's expression was also not good. For some reason, he felt someone was deliberately messing with him, keeping him busy all day without a moment's rest.

According to the deputy chief, they would have to go to the fish pond tomorrow to work. Who knows what new challenges awaited them.

Listening to Cha Gong and the Bungee Player, Xia Qi felt a bit suspicious. He couldn't help but glance back at the darkness behind him.

In the black mist, a few peach trees were in full bloom, looking especially vibrant. As he watched, a few pink petals fell at just the right moment.

Xia Qi remembered that on the day they went to the Bianbian Field, the peach trees had been crushed clean by the Witch God using a large rock bulldozer. Yet, overnight, the peach trees had grown back.

Seeing this blatant cheating, Xia Qi shook his head in resignation, thinking the Bungee Player was likely collateral damage.

Given the deputy chief's fair nature, he wouldn't torment people without reason. It must have been the Witch God who secretly ordered him to target Cha Gong.

Cha Gong's eyes brightened. He hurried over to Xia Qi, smiling, and said, "Xia Qi, aren't you sleeping? What are you doing out here?"

"We're looking for someone." Zhang Yun, excited by the addition of two more men, voluntarily explained their purpose, "Xiao Ou is missing. We want to find him. Would you like to help us look for clues?"

"Sure, I'll go with you." Cha Gong wanted to stay close to Xia Qi. Hearing they were going to look for someone, he was more than happy to join.

Besides, he hadn't seen the Witch God with Xia Qi tonight. Cha Gong couldn't help but wonder, had Xia Qi and the Witch God really quarreled? Was the Witch God's smug appearance just a facade during the day?

This might be a great opportunity to reconcile, and he couldn't miss it.

"Damn it." The Bungee Player angrily threw down the firewood and yelled at Cha Gong, "If you don't complete the task, I can't complete mine either."

"You choose. Either wait here for me or come with us to find someone." Cha Gong threw the firewood on the ground and walked to behind Zhang Yun.

The Bungee Player glared at Cha Gong, too angry to say anything. Zhang Yun quickly interjected, "We're leaving the village."

Seeing everyone was ready to go, the Bungee Player had no choice but to follow.

Xia Qi, who had been leading, now became a follower, and a large group of people left the village.

Watching Zhang Yun and the others' backs, Xia Qi felt increasingly strange. Why had all the players come out tonight?

And... why did Zhang Yun insist on having so many people with him to search?

As they reached the fork on the halfway up the mountain, Xia Qi stopped and said, "I'll check this path. You continue."

"It's not a good idea. We should look together." Zhang Yun glanced at the other path, his expression conflicted as he looked at Xia Qi.

"Ah, you're going alone?" Cha Gong fawningly approached, saying eagerly, "It's not safe for you to go alone, let me come with you."

He found the other players around him annoying and couldn't wait to be alone with Xia Qi.

Xia Qi hastily stepped back, firmly rejecting him, "No need."

He planned to look for Xiao Ou alone with the Witch God. If Cha Gong came along, it would become a trio...

Xia Qi couldn't imagine the three of them walking together. Given the Witch God's jealousy, if Cha Gong dared to follow, he might end up dead in the wilderness tomorrow, in a state where no one would dare to collect his body.

Cha Gong still wanted to continue pestering him, but Xia Qi directly pulled out an ordinary dagger, waving it in front of him, coldly threatened, "If you come any closer, I'll fight you."

Seeing Xia Qi's firm stance, Cha Gong's eyes shifted, and he pretended to step back, raising his hands, "Alright, I won't go. Put the knife down first, don't hurt yourself."

Xia Qi gave Cha Gong a wary glance, not lowering the knife, and instead turned around swiftly and left.

In the flickering firelight, Zhang Yun watched Xia Qi leave, his eyes dark and his expression almost ferocious.

Once Xia Qi disappeared down the road, he pursed his lips and resumed his usual expression, urging the other players on, "Let's continue down the mountain."

Unexpectedly, after just two steps, Cha Gong suddenly stopped again, "You guys go ahead, I'm going back to find Xia Qi."

"Why are you leaving as well?" Zhang Yun immediately showed dissatisfaction, nervously glancing down the slope, eagerly looking for something.

"I can go wherever I want, can you control me?" Cha Gong, with his arms crossed, sneered, "If you can, stop me."

His earlier act of being a helpful citizen was all fake. As soon as Xia Qi was gone, he immediately reverted to his true nasty self.

Cha Gong's mind was consumed by thoughts of Xia Qi, wishing he could fly after him. He had no interest in Xiao Ou and even hoped Xiao Ou would die, so Xia Qi would be his again, just like before.

"How can you be so selfish!" Zhang Yun was furious, practically fuming. He didn't expect Cha Gong to use him and then discard him.

Cha Gong ignored Zhang Yun completely, turning to run, afraid Xia Qi would get too far ahead.

Excited, he reached the nearby path, and just as he saw a figure in the distance, he heard a familiar voice.

That voice, stickier than night dew, so cloying it was sickening, "A Qi, the mountain road is slippery, how about I carry you this time?"

Cha Gong: "..."