Chapter 1: Bus

"Player No. 1000001 loading - Loading % - Loading - Load successful!"

"Welcome to the Realm of Rules!"

An exaggerated and bizarre synthesized female voice echoed in the void, reverberating in the confined space and causing Qin Fei's eardrums to ache.

What was that sound?

Qin Fei's thoughts were clear, but his body felt pinned down, unable to move an inch. He strained to roll his eyes, feeling a faint tearing pain around his eye sockets, yet still, he saw nothing.

He was surrounded by thick, ink-black fog that swallowed all light, making it impossible to see even an inch in front of him.

"Your first live broadcast will commence in five seconds. The content will be World No. 0039 - Night Patrol in Yin Village. Please prepare yourself."

"5—"

"4—"

"3—"

The inexplicable voice persisted, buzzing in Qin Fei's ears until the five-second countdown concluded. The thick fog around him suddenly dissipated.

The force that had been suppressing Qin Fei also vanished, allowing him to prop himself up slowly with his arms and examine his surroundings with a furrowed brow.

They were inside an old, dilapidated bus, jolting through a haze of grayish-white mist. Inside the dimly lit cabin, a dozen people were sprawled in various positions.

Qin Fei was the first to regain consciousness on the bus. All the other passengers remained unconscious.

Where was this? Why was he here?

He tried to recall but drew a blank.

His last memory was of a wide boulevard.

It was noon, and Qin Fei had just left his neighborhood's community center after work. Contemplating what to have for lunch, a white van suddenly careened towards him like a madman.

Unable to dodge, Qin Fei was sent flying into the air, his body twisting uncontrollably. He could even hear the sickening sound of his bones snapping.

After that, his soul and body seemed to have been separated into two halves.

Qin Fei felt his body become unusually light. He observed his body falling from the air with a detached, third-person perspective. He saw the pedestrians scream as they circled around him and watched the driver of the car being escorted out of the vehicle by the police.

It was a face Qin Fei was very familiar with. Five years ago, Qin Fei had personally sent him to prison.

In short, Qin Fei believed that he should be dead, and that he had died thoroughly the moment he was hit by the car.

The cause of death was clear: a car accident, a murder born of revenge.

Yet, he woke up again.

Reborn after death, he didn't awaken in a hospital's emergency room, his bedroom, or even a coffin. Instead, it was on a bus—where the hell was this dilapidated vehicle taking him?

Qin Fei lowered his gaze and reached out to touch his chest.

He was still wearing the clothes he had on during the accident. Before he lost consciousness, the dark red bloodstains had already soaked his entire body, looking terrifying and causing the people on both sides of the road to scream in horror.

But now, all those bloodstains were gone.

The light gray casual jacket was impeccably smooth without a single crease, and the skin beneath it showed no signs of damage – those lethal wounds had vanished without a trace.

Qin Fei's heart raced more intensely. This bizarre scene stirred an unusual excitement within him, a sensation he hadn't experienced in a long, long time, so much so that it felt slightly alien. The fluid in his veins seemed to boil, creating tiny, scorching bubbles that stimulated every nerve ending in his body.

Looking up, Qin Fei directed his gaze towards the front of the bus.

Hanging on the window next to the driver was a signboard. Most of the words were worn out and illegible, but Qin Fei could barely make out the phrase "/—Defend Yin Village."

In the darkness earlier, that eerie electronic female voice had mentioned "Night Roam Defend Yin Village."

The voice also mentioned "live broadcast," yet after scanning the bus, Qin Fei found no cameras or production crew members.

So, what exactly were they going to broadcast?

And where was this Defend Yin Village?

Given the bizarre occurrences so far, Qin Fei deduced that whatever live broadcast he was about to face certainly wouldn't be a lighthearted, soothing affair.

Perhaps it was a supernatural live broadcast? Or a horror live stream? Or... something even more gruesome?

Qin Fei felt a chill run down his spine.

As Qin Fei tried to grasp the situation, the other passengers on the bus were also gradually stirring, their voices filled with surprise and confusion.

"What's going on? Did anyone else hear that voice?"

"Where is this bus taking us?"

"Stop the bus, driver! Please stop!"

The fog outside the window grew thicker, obscuring visibility to the point where one couldn't see their own hand in front of their face. Only the dim light from the bus windows illuminated a radius of less than half a meter around them.

In the pitch-black darkness, something was thumping against the body of the bus with rhythmic precision, each impact growing stronger than the last.

The fragile windows rattled, emitting a creaking noise as if they might shatter into pieces at any moment. Someone stumbled forward, holding onto the seats of the bus, heading towards the driver's cabin. "Driver! Driver! Stop the bus!"

Inside the carriage, chaos reigned, yet Qin Fei sat serenely on his seat, observing it all unfold.

This was a 45-seat coach, but including Qin Fei and the driver, there were only nineteen people on board. The spacious cabin exuded an eerie chill.

The driver, facing away from the group, obscured his appearance from Qin Fei. Among the passengers, fourteen individuals exhibited a palpable sense of panic, manifesting in their movements, speech, and expressions. It was as if they were fourteen sheep that had mistakenly wandered into a pack of wolves, their breaths laden with a sense of helplessness and confusion.

Three others, with cautious expressions, quietly occupied three corners of the bus.

Unlike the panic displayed by others, these three individuals appeared remarkably composed. Though their expressions were also tense, their anxiety contrasted starkly with that of the other fourteen people, as if they possessed a clear understanding of the situation they were about to confront.

Qin Fei raised his eyebrow imperceptibly, his gaze inadvertently locking with that of one of the three individuals present.

It was a young man with short hair, dressed in a dark gray robe. The robe wasn't new nor old; it appeared to have a design resembling a Taoist robe. He seemed to be around the same age as Qin Fei.

In such a bizarre situation, one must not show fear.

When their eyes met, Qin Fei did not avert his gaze but instead slightly curved his eyebrows and eyes, revealing a perfectly measured and seemingly benevolent smile to that person.

The person couldn't help but be taken aback for a moment. After a brief hesitation, they crouched down and softly ran over to sit beside Qin Fei.

Qin Fei, upon seeing him approach, merely turned his head to give him a glance before calmly resuming his original posture, neither moving nor speaking.

The other person soon couldn't hold back anymore: "…Are you also an experienced player?"

An experienced player.

Qin Fei savored the meaning behind these three words.

Of course, Qin Fei was not an experienced player.

He smiled and replied, "No, you've misunderstood."

He delivered this sentence with great finesse, his voice clear and soothing, his tone calm and resolute. The short and rapid negation somehow gave off the misleading impression that he was actually saying the opposite.

The man indeed didn't believe him after hearing this, suspicion etched even deeper on his face.

After hesitating for a few seconds, he said confidently, "You must be an experienced player. I know you woke up earlier than me."

As he spoke, he nervously observed Qin Fei. Seeing no sign of displeasure on Qin Fei's face, he continued the conversation, "My name is Xiao Xiao, what's yours?"

"Qin Fei."

As the conversation progressed, Xiao Xiao grew bolder. He ventured, half-flattering and half-probing, "Qin Boss, you were the first one to wake up in the bus this time, right?"

Qin Fei remained silent, which only fueled Xiao Xiao's curiosity. "Don't be modest, Boss. When I woke up, you were the only one with your eyes open. Your mental resistance must be incredibly high. How many live streams have you participated in?"

Xiao Xiao's eyes sparkled as he looked at Qin Fei, as if he had discovered a priceless treasure. "Three times? Five times?"

Qin Fei: "..."

Well, truth be told, it was actually zero.

Assuming nothing unexpected happened, this might just be his very first time?

From the context of Xiao Xiao's words, 'mental resistance' seemed to be one of the factors measuring strength in this bizarre live stream world. Qin Fei made a mental note of this.

Qin Fei's silence lent him an air of mystery, further convincing Xiao Xiao that he was dealing with a powerful figure who preferred anonymity.

Seeing Qin Fei's unresponsive demeanor, Xiao Xiao didn't dare push the issue. The two of them sat quietly at the back of the bus.

Xiao Xiao frowned, gazing at the darkness outside the car window, while Qin Fei sat calmly in his seat with his eyes closed, exuding an air of a detached sage.

The chaos within the vehicle escalated rapidly, with wailing, shrieking, and panicked individuals darting about everywhere.

The burly man who went to trouble the driver did not receive a response and has now approached the driver's seat.

"Hey, driver! Stop the car!" he shouted at the driver.

The driver paid no attention.

The burly man's emotions were clearly off, as he forcefully reached for the steering wheel.

Noticing this, the front-seat passenger immediately intervened, "What are you doing? Are you insane? Grabbing the steering wheel could cause a car accident!"

Yet, it was too late; the burly man's hand already rested on the driver's shoulder.

The driver's upper body was pushed askew against the wall by him, yet both hands remained firmly gripping the steering wheel, as if glued in place.

The burly man, flush with anger, fixed his gaze on the driver: "You—"

In the next moment, his expression drastically changed.

His unfinished words dissipated into the air as the burly man recoiled as if electrocuted, hastily retreating to the back of the carriage.

The others were startled by his reaction. "What's wrong with you?"

The man's face was deathly pale, and he panted heavily, clearly gripped by extreme fear.

After a moment, he forced himself to speak. "That driver..."

"He... He doesn't have a face."

It was true. The driver's slender neck supported a smooth, featureless head. There were no facial features on that terrifying visage, only an eerie bluish-black hue that resembled a decaying human skin wrapped around an oval shape.

The burly man's eyes still held remnants of terror.

It was too bizarre. How could someone without a face possibly see the road and drive? Qin Fei raised an eyebrow subtly.

It seemed that this live broadcast was indeed of the paranormal genre.

The burly man's words amplified everyone's fear and anxiety to the extreme, like a needle piercing the surface of a balloon, shattering their pretense of calmness instantly.

Reason was drowned by fear, and chaos spread throughout the bus.

Someone pounded the walls of the vehicle in a fit of desperation. A hot-tempered passenger yelled, "Get out! We need to get out! What kind of lousy live stream is this? I refuse to participate! Do you know that what you're doing is illegal!"

"A suggestion: we can open the windows and jump out," another man proposed.

To Qin Fei, this sounded utterly irrational, yet someone actually echoed in agreement, "I agree. The bus isn't going fast. We can climb out through the windows."

?

Finally, Qin Fei lifted his gaze, looking at the chaos ahead with confusion.

In the middle of the bus, two experienced players were crouching low, seemingly trying to keep themselves out of trouble. Xiao Xiao glanced at Qin Fei with concern, whispering a warning, "Let's ignore them."

Xiao Xiao added, "Most of the people on this bus are newcomers." This was not difficult to discern.

Xiao Xiao was well aware of the extremes to which people could go in a state of utter madness.

Leaping out of the window might very well be a suicidal act, but it was less risky than confronting those men head-on to stop them. After all, their departure wouldn't affect the others in the vehicle...

Xiao Xiao realized that he had disclosed too much to someone he had known for less than ten minutes. However, for some inexplicable reason, he found himself unable to hold back when speaking to Qin Fei.

There seemed to be a magnetic quality about Qin Fei that effortlessly inspired trust in others.

If Xiao Xiao were to describe this young man sitting beside him with one term from his limited vocabulary, it would undoubtedly be "gentle as jade."

His eyes were a light, translucent amber hue, radiating an extraordinary warmth when they fixed upon you. Simply sitting there, he exuded an irresistible charm and amiability.

To Xiao Xiao, it felt as if there was a caption floating above Qin Fei's head: Hello, I'm a good person.

In the realm of rules, "good people" were a rare find, let alone ones who appeared to possess considerable strength.

Qin Fei didn't respond to Xiao Xiao. A few seconds earlier, that electronic female voice had sounded again in his mind.

[Congratulations, Player Qin Fei, on achieving "Survive in the Rule Realm for 10 minutes." Your player attribute panel has been unlocked.]

The instant the voice faded, a palm-sized, luminous white screen filled with text gently materialized before Qin Fei's eyes.

"Player Profile"

Name: Qin Fei

Gender: Male

Health Points: 90

Sanity Points: 100

Spiritual Immunity: ? (System malfunction. Please repair promptly.)

#For more details, visit the Rule Realm - Central City - Personal Information Management Center#

Broadcast Points: 5

System Rating: F (Terrible rookie broadcaster with no appeal whatsoever)

Current live viewers: 13 (a 30% decrease in the last 5 minutes)

Qin Fei raised an eyebrow.

It was evident that the voice was not only heard by Qin Fei, but at that very moment, all the newcomers in the carriage stopped their actions simultaneously, whether sitting or standing, and began to stare blankly at the air in front of them.

Typically, a streamer's action of checking their attribute panel during a live broadcast is quite conspicuous.

Though the screen was visible only to the host, a person's blankly staring into thin air could easily catch others' attention. Qin Fei, however, scanned the words on the screen at an alarming speed, completely oblivious to Xiao Xiao's awareness.

The young man's bright chestnut eyes were gazing directly into Xiao Xiao's eyes, a look that could be described as "tender and affectionate." Xiao Xiao not only failed to notice that Qin Fei was distractedly looking at the light screen, but even felt that the young man in front of him was the most respectful person he had ever met in his life, listening to him speak so attentively with just a few words.

"Ah, Mr. Qin," Xiao Xiao spoke cautiously, "What did you do before coming here?"

In the world governed by rules, encountering a reliable teammate is quite rare. Xiao Xiao, with the intention to pledge allegiance, dropped a significant piece of information: "I used to be a Taoist priest."

In the world governed by rules, the Taoist priest is undoubtedly one of the most useful professions.

Despite the diverse range of scenarios in the Rule-bound World, paranormal ones made up at least 80% of them. The mere mention of the word "Daoist" was enough to instill a sense of ample security in people.

Unfortunately, Qin Fei is not quite like most people, and remains unmoved as he continues to browse his information panel.

Education: Doctorate (Post-doctoral), graduated from the Department of Psychology at SU University.

Occupation: Distinguished Professor of Criminal Psychology at Hua National People's Public Security University, Distinguished Psychological Consultant for the Criminal Investigation Brigade of Beijing Public Security Bureau, National First-Class Psychological Counselor... Community Worker of Chunyang Community.

Xiao Xiao made an effort to get close to Qin Fei, addressing him affably, "Big Shot Qin?"

"I am a..." Qin Fei swallowed the unsuitable "materialist" label, his gaze sweeping past the outrageously long list of job descriptions on the screen, and landing directly on the last one, "Community grassroots staff member."

Qin Fei is not wrong to introduce himself this way.

His health had deteriorated significantly over the past two years, necessitating his departure from his original position at work.

Out of boredom, he ventured to the community where he resided and signed up as a volunteer, thereby embarking on a new role as a social worker. His daily routine henceforth entailed collaborating with the local police station to address neighborhood disputes.

Trivial matters and domestic squabbles might not be to the liking of most, but Qin Fei's professional acumen enables him to navigate interpersonal relationships with remarkable ease.

Most importantly, Qin Fei reveled in this atmosphere, as it allowed him to experience the rare sense of being part of the mortal world. It reassured him that he was still a regular person.

"Community staff?" Xiao Xiao was taken aback, not expecting to hear such an ordinary occupation. Wasn't that just a community service worker?

Seeing Qin Fei's lack of interest in further conversation, Xiao Xiao wisely kept silent.

Regardless of their professions in the outside world, once they entered the Realm of Rules, strength was paramount.

The revelation of the Player Status Panels did little to soothe the newcomers' anxiety. After a brief lull, the chatter resumed.

Intimidated by the earlier confrontation with the burly man, no one dared to provoke the driver. However, a small group started to gather by a window, eager to take a look outside.

The others watched them worriedly. One person tried to dissuade them, "Is there something out there?"

Among the window climbers was a man with a scar on his face, who spoke rudely, "What could there be? It's just a bumpy road."

Something about this place felt off, and the scarred man had a hunch that their destination would be extremely dangerous – a place he didn't wish to approach.

He raised his voice, sneering as he asked, "We want to open the window and get out. Anyone against it?"

None of the newbies dared to speak up, while the three veteran players chose to observe coldly.

Xiao Xiao heaved a sigh of relief upon witnessing the situation.

According to Xiao Xiao's assumption, Qin Fei, being "an even more experienced player than himself," would surely ignore these fools as well.

But in the next second, a clear voice suddenly rang in his ears.

"I object."

A soothing tone, like an ice cube thrown into a boiling pool of lava, immediately caught everyone's attention on the bus.

In the last row of the bus, a refined and elegant young man sat with his hands crossed, his slender back straight, and his long eyelashes slightly raised. His gentle demeanor gave off an harmless vibe, making it seem as if he were not seated on a bizarre bus but rather on a pulpit bathed in divine light in a church.

Faced with the gazes of the crowd, he spoke again, emphasizing with a smile, "I don't agree with you opening the windows."

chapter 2: Villains

Rules Realm Live Broadcast Hall.

This was an ethereal expanse where countless screens of varying sizes floated in mid-air, flickering on and off every minute. Sinister and bloody scenes flickered amidst the void, while innumerable translucent spirits darted between the screens, conversing in languages unique to their kind.

"Boring, all the worlds opened for experience today are so dull."

"World 0028 has been activated four times this month; I'm already tired of it."

"It's been a long time since we've seen World 0039, wasn't the last opening two years ago?"

"39? I recall that world having quite a high mortality rate. Let me check... Damn! These newbies are incredibly lucky, four of them are experienced players in an eighteen-person team, and one is even willing to lead. Won't that disrupt the game balance?"

The air rippled near the gray spirit who had spoken, as someone responded to his words, "Look closely, that one who wants to lead isn't actually an experienced player."

Through the live broadcast hall's screens, the audience could not only observe the real-time situations in each rules realm but also access the players' personal profiles, checking details such as their names and SAN values.

"What?" The gray spirit was taken aback and moved closer to the screen in front of him.

Moments later, he let out an astonished cry, "Look, there's a newbie whose Sanity value remains at 100 even ten minutes after starting their broadcast!"

Instantly, the atmosphere around them stirred.

The spirits who were about to leave with heads shaking turned back and rushed to crowd the small area in front of the screen.

Inside the bus, Qin Fei's mind was repeatedly echoing the familiar robotic female voice.

[Congratulations, Player Qin Fei, for achieving "Fifty Enthusiastic Views." System reward: 10 points.]

[Congratulations, Player Qin Fei, for achieving "Fifteen Consecutive Likes." System reward: 5 Sanity (valid only for this instance). Current Sanity: 100 (5). Keep up the good work!]

Within just a dozen seconds, three notification sounds rang out, but Qin Fei had no time to check his attribute panel. His eyes were fixed on the scarred man not far ahead.

The scarred man had stopped opening the window when Qin Fei spoke and was now sneering. When he realized that the speaker was just a thin, slender young man, his disdain was obvious.

He spat roughly on the floor, "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Speaking, he turned and walked towards Qin Fei.

The man with the scar was in his forties, his appearance unappealing due to his overly close-set eyebrows that gave him a menacing gaze when he looked at others. Though not tall, his every move exuded ruthlessness, instilling fear in those around him.

This was the typical air of a desperado, something Qin Fei was all too familiar with.

Not just Qin Fei, but everyone on the bus could tell that Scarface was no good guy.

Compared to the smiling Qin Fei, who appeared as gentle and vulnerable as a kitten, Scarface seemed like a predator ready to pounce – it was clear who would suffer at his hands.

In that instant, the passengers on the bus split into two factions: some watched with guarded interest, while others turned away, unable to bear witnessing what was about to unfold.

As Scarface advanced with a menacing expression, Xiao Xiao, seated beside Qin Fei, fidgeted nervously. Adrenaline surged in the tense atmosphere.

In stark contrast to Xiao Xiao's obvious agitation, Qin Fei seemed disturbingly relaxed. Unfazed by Scarface's hostile gaze, he remained seated with a light in his eyes, a subtle hint of amusement sparkling in his amber irises, making those watching feel as if they were basking in a warm spring breeze.

However, basking in a warm spring breeze was situational and dependent on the person. Qin Fei's calm demeanor clearly indicated that he didn't take Scarface seriously at all.

The scarred man's expression grew increasingly grim. With a casual sweep of his hand by his side, he surprisingly pulled out a dagger shimmering with a cold glow.

Xiao Xiao's face paled. "This is... his innate weapon."

When new players entered the instance dungeon, their weapons would be cleansed by the system; knives and such tools were absolutely forbidden from being brought in. Hence, the dagger the Scarred Man had produced could only be a system-generated innate weapon.

In the Realm of Rules, each player had the chance to possess their own innate skills or weapons, but unlocking them required a catalyst.

The vast majority couldn't even reach the threshold to access their innate ability panels. Those who could acquire an innate ability in the Beginner World were as rare as phoenix feathers, and such individuals generally became the targets of fierce recruitment by major guilds.

In the realm of the game, a player's "talents" are interconnected with their personalities, specialties, and occupations in the real world. Those capable of unlocking weapon-related talents often possess exceptional martial prowess in reality as well.

Indeed, while Xiao Xiao was leisurely eavesdropping on gossip in the heart of the Rule Center City, he had learned that many among them were utterly ruthless criminals.

Scarface is by no means someone to be underestimated.

Inside the carriage, there was an absolute silence, so profound that even the fall of a pin could be heard.

As Xiao Xiao had surmised, the dagger in Scar's hand was indeed his innate talent weapon.

Scar was a lawless rogue in the real world, known for his brutal and rampant behavior. After committing a crime, he had evaded the law for nearly a decade. It was during a gang shootout that he accidentally entered this live-stream event.

Just moments ago, less than a minute prior, Scar felt a slight warmth in his right hand. He clenched his fist, and a notification about unlocking his innate weapon resounded in his mind.

"Rogue's Dagger (Upgradable): Grants an area-of-effect Intimidation buff when used, with a 0.05% (growable) critical hit chance."

Scar didn't fully understand the situation he found himself in, but the "area-of-effect Intimidation" and "critical hit" aspects of the dagger's description piqued his interest.

And now, the young man before him, who dared to defy him, would become his first test subject.

Scar halted extremely close to Qin Fei.

He enjoyed causing harm; the sensation of a blade piercing flesh was mesmerizing, and pretty-faced boys like Qin Fei were often Scar's favorite prey.

He delighted in seeing them tremble, weep, and plead for mercy under his control, sometimes even resorting to dishonorable begging just to save their lives...

Fixating on Qin Fei's delicate, pale, yet strikingly exquisite face, a hint of lust flickered in Scar's eyes. He raised the dagger high, his gaze revealing his fanaticism.

In an instant, gasps of shock echoed from all around.

Yet, the anticipated bloody incident didn't occur. In the next instant, Scar's knife-hand froze mid-air.

In the blink of an eye, Qin Fei firmly grasped Scar's wrist.

Employing some unknown technique, Scar felt his right hand go numb, nearly causing the dagger in his hand to slip uncontrollably to the ground.

"You!" Scar's expression turned grave.

Qin Fei's strength wasn't overpowering, but the speed and accuracy of his move were formidable.

The other person's overly calm demeanor finally aroused a sense of abnormality in the man with the scar. After momentarily struggling between his urge to harm and the need to assess the situation, he reluctantly took a half-step back.

"On what grounds do you stop us from leaving the vehicle?" The man with the scar lowered his voice, his gaze sweeping over Qin Fei's face like a venomous snake.

Qin Fei seemed oblivious, his gaze slanting towards the car window, his lowered eyelashes casting a small patch of raven-black shadow upon his face.

"Listen," he said.

Outside the car window, the rhythmic thudding continued, and all heads turned toward the source of the sound.

Something outside the vehicle seemed to sense the gathering attention, and its collisions with the car's body grew more frequent, causing the vehicle to sway visibly as if it were on the verge of tipping over.

Moments later, a cry of alarm echoed, "What on earth is that?!"

Countless tiny handprints smashed against the glass from within the black fog, only to bounce back.

The cumulative sound of these impacts reverberated from all directions, creating a violent oscillation that made the cabin walls rattle, instilling fear that they might collapse at any second.

Those small hands were delicate, each about the size of an infant's palm. Their skin had a translucent quality, revealing a network of blue-white veins beneath, which sent shivers down one's spine just by looking at them.

Only then did the passengers' faces change dramatically, all taking a few steps back from the windows in unison.

Qin Fei witnessed this scene, narrowing his eyes involuntarily.

In fact, he had felt something was off earlier. The reactions of the people on the bus after they woke up were overly exaggerated, with some losing control for no apparent reason.

They were all adults, and their resilience shouldn't have been so feeble.

The same applied to those who had tried to jump out the window. Even if they hadn't noticed the small hands before, the pervasive black fog outside clearly indicated a perilous situation to anyone with sight.

Yet, those few people were strangely obsessed with leaving, which didn't align with normal human behavior in such a scenario.

Perhaps this bizarre horror live stream was affecting their minds?

It could be amplifying the more extreme aspects of their personalities, making the irritable even more violent and the weak even more helpless...

The scarred man's expression darkened. He wouldn't step out of the bus even if someone held a gun to his head, but staying inside meant submitting to Qin Fei.

His uncertainty was apparent to Qin Fei, who lifted an eyebrow and said softly, "If you open the window, can you guarantee that these things won't enter the bus?"

With one sentence, the scarred man found himself on the opposite side of everyone else in the vehicle.

Instantly, the previously indifferent passengers displayed signs of discontent, and even those who had planned to jump out the window with him frowned.

Seeing this, the scarred man gritted his teeth. "Then what do you suggest?"

He raised his voice. "Just wait here while the bus keeps driving, who knows where it'll take us?"

Although the bus carried a sign reading 'Shou Yin Village', nobody had any idea where that was, so it was no different from not saying anything at all.

Qin Fei adjusted his seating position.

The cramped backseat was no place for two long legs, so Qin Fei bent them and leaned back, as relaxed as if he were on a sofa in his living room. A hint of subtle malice curved the corners of his lips beneath his calm expression: "Use your little brain. What's the fastest way to find out where this vehicle is headed?"

Someone couldn't help but chuckle.

The answer was obvious. The quickest way would be to ask the driver; no one knew the route better than the driver himself.

Xiao Xiao, listening from the side, felt his heart race with fear. He was terrified that Qin Fei's arrogance might provoke the scarred man again.

But the scarred man had now become the target of everyone's animosity, and he couldn't afford to act recklessly like he did just a few minutes ago. He forced himself to suppress his anger and replied, "How can you be sure that approaching the driver won't lead to disastrous consequences?"

Qin Fei stretched out his hand and pointed to his right rear.

The scarred man turned his head and saw, not far behind him, a tall and burly man huddled on the seat, shivering uncontrollably.

This was the muscular man who had initially interacted with the driver. Since leaving the driver's side, he had been in this state, trembling all over, cold sweat dripping down his forehead, clearly terrified out of his wits.

Qin Fei said, "He made a move against the driver."

Yet the driver didn't do anything to him.

The scarred man's facial muscles twitched slightly.

That person had mentioned that the driver had no face.

After witnessing the bizarre hand outside the vehicle, the scarred man had a deeper understanding of this live-stream world. It was not only fraught with danger but also filled with creatures defying scientific logic. As for the driver...

One of the reasons why the scarred man had wanted to escape the bus was his fear of the driver. It was now utterly impossible for him to approach and ask where the bus was headed.

"Go," the scarred man gritted his teeth.

Qin Fei stood up nonchalantly. "Sure."

Indeed, the burly man seemed to be greatly frightened, but Qin Fei didn't think he would encounter the same issue.

Xiao Xiao's eyes widened suddenly. "This... Isn't this a bad idea?"

The newbies on the bus might not know, but experienced players could tell at a glance that the burly man wasn't truly terrified. He had merely come into close contact with a Dark-type NPC, affecting his SAN value.

Within the player attribute panel lies a Sanity (San) attribute, which functions akin to a player's second life in regulated game worlds. Should one's Sanity be completely depleted, the individual is driven to madness and may even undergo a total metamorphosis, fusing irrevocably with the instance dungeon.

At this point, even with reliable teammates, it is impossible to leave the world governed by rules; one can only be perpetually trapped within the live broadcast.

Xiao Xiao's throat tightened with anxiety. Although Qin Fei appeared confident, the mental influence of dark-aligned NPCs could never be underestimated. High-level players with an initial Sanity (San) score above 90 might have the capacity to resist them, but for E-grade streamers like themselves, it was certainly out of the question.

Xiao Xiao could never have imagined that Qin Fei's current Sanity value wasn't just above 90, but had skyrocketed to an absurd 105.

He had assumed that Qin Fei was driven to take the risk by the scar's provocations, unable to back down. He lowered his voice and reminded Qin Fei, "Big Shot Qin, aren't you afraid?"

Qin Fei smiled gently. "I'm not afraid."

Xiao Xiao was perplexed. "Why?"

Qin Fei: "Because I am afflicted."

Xiao Xiao: "?"

I appreciate your intention to comfort me, but it's really not necessary.

Qin Fei didn't offer much explanation; he wasn't lying. He had indeed contracted a strange illness, and it was severe.

It was unclear when exactly it started, but Qin Fei had lost his "emotions."

At first, he lost only negative emotions – fear, sorrow, regret… Gradually, even positive emotions began to fade away.

Qin Fei could keenly sense that he was turning more and more into a living corpse – a body with flesh and blood, but without a soul.

He had visited numerous hospitals in the past two years, but they were of no help. As for psychiatrists – Qin Fei himself had an immense understanding of psychology. He had yet to find a therapist who could earn his trust and break through his psychological defenses.

Qin Fei attempted self-saving, seeking all sorts of stimulation, engaging in extreme sports, watching horror movies as if they were news broadcasts.

None of it worked. It was utterly useless.

This was the primary reason why Qin Fei left his original job to compete with the neighborhood committee aunts for work.

Moving steadily towards the driver's seat, Xiao Xiao clenched his fists, mustering his courage. Despite the considerable distance between them, he followed Qin Fei step by step.

The distance between them grew smaller and smaller.

Behind Qin Fei, the passengers held their breaths in nervous anticipation.

In front, the driver drove silently and calmly.

Despite the absurd spectacle unfolding behind him, the driver remained indifferent, his driving posture identical to when the passengers first regained consciousness. He seemed like a puppet or a lifeless corpse placed there without thoughts or vitality.

Qin Fei stood beside the driver and asked politely, "Sir, may I ask how much longer until we reach our destination?"

Polite, obedient, friendly.

Qin Fei adopted the expression that had always won over the neighborhood aunts, so reasonable and well-mannered that even the most nitpicky person couldn't find fault with it.

The driver ignored him, continuing to drive as if nothing had happened.

Qin Fei didn't get annoyed and tried again, "Sir, could you please tell me?"

Politeness x2.

It seemed Qin Fei's efforts were in vain. The man with the scar sneered maliciously.

Xiao Xiao looked embarrassed, but Qin Fei ignored him completely.

He asked again, "Sir, the driver?"

Politeness x3.

This time, the driver finally reacted.

Without turning his head, he stiffly removed his hand from the steering wheel. Under the watchful eyes of everyone on the bus, the driver slowly reached out and pressed a button on the dashboard.

A sharp, piercing electrical sound suddenly rang out, and through the bus's overhead speaker, a human voice began to speak intermittently.

"…You're a city office worker, and the fast-paced life has left you feeling weary and bored. During a holiday, you become intrigued by an isolated yet picturesque village in Xiangxi, a region known for its scenic beauty."

The voice was deep and resonant, like that of an old man seasoned by life, effortlessly capturing the attention of all the passengers on the bus.

"Although newspapers have reported yearly disappearances in this area, you didn't give it much thought. You paid a hefty travel fee and joined the best tour group."

Soon, the day of departure arrived, and you boarded the hostel bus with great joy, wandering through the mountains and forests. However, it was only the moment the bus came to a halt that you suddenly realized—

The broadcast cut off abruptly, leaving an unsettling silence to fill the cabin.

After a moment, amidst the crackling static of the snow, a voice that was completely different from before and indistinguishable in gender, rang out emotionlessly.

"Welcome %— to the 'Night Wanderer in Western Hunan' tour group. In order to... *&— ensure your personal safety and mental well-being, please take note of the following guidelines during your journey. Otherwise, you will bear the consequences yourself."

Xiao Xiao's face paled. "It's here."

The rules of this world have emerged.

Qin Fei stood with his hands hanging by his side next to the driver, blinking thoughtfully as if pondering something upon hearing the words.

"First, Xiangxi is remote and the mountain roads are difficult to travel. To avoid safety problems, please strictly follow the guide's instructions during this trip and do not travel alone."

"Secondly, there are 18 members in this tour group. Please conduct regular headcounts during the journey. If you notice an increase in the number of travelers, ignore it. A decrease in numbers is a normal occurrence. Should the count drop to six or fewer, return to the tour bus and dial the travel agency's emergency hotline for assistance. The agency will assign a new guide to the group."

"Third, you will take the bus provided by the hotel for round trip. Please do not leave your seat at will and do not stick your head or hands out of the window during the round trip. If you - remember, do not open the window! Do not open the window! It is not easy to open the window -"

The broadcast was interrupted by intense electromagnetic interference, causing Xiao Xiao's arm to prickle as if his goosebumps were fleeing en masse. Qin Fei, however, remained unperturbed.

The announcement continued.

"Four, during this journey, you will experience the most traditional customs of Western Hunan. Some of these traditions may include bloody, violent, or horrifying elements. If you find such content uncomfortable, please try to adapt and refrain from insulting or attacking the villagers.

"That concludes the essential information for all passengers. Your tour guide will provide a detailed itinerary and rules. Have a pleasant trip!"

The instant the bus's onboard announcement ceased, the vehicle came to an abrupt halt.

"We've – arrived –"

The driver spoke for the first time, his voice emerging from a face devoid of a mouth, producing a muffled and subtle echo. His voice was raspy and rough, like rusted metal scraping against a floor.

Accompanied by a screech, the front door of the bus automatically swung open.

In the veil of darkness, a faint silhouette stood outside the vehicle, holding an old electronic megaphone. The same message echoed repeatedly through it.

"The destination has been reached. Please disembark in an orderly manner—"

"Destination reached. Please alight in an orderly manner," the female voice of the system announced in Qin Fei's mind.

"Player's innate skill has been activated,"

Chapter 3: Night Stroll in Yin Village 01

A luminous white panel hovered in front of Qin Fei's eyes, displaying two lines of tiny text.

"Natural Talent: A Glib Tongue (Upgradeable)"

"System Evaluation: Your expertise lies in persuasion, turning the dead into the living, black into white. Your insight is unparalleled, easily winning others' favor."

"Skill Description: Upon activation of this talent, players can visualize the NPC's affinity towards them. Some NPCs will become available for interaction, with the specific approach left for the player to discover."

A single.

Broken Mouth.

Qin Fei's expression showed a hint of strain. Regardless of the context, this talent name was rather demotivating.

He had expected his talent to be related to psychology or spirituality, but never imagined it would be something like this... However, the actual skill content was intriguing.

Qin Fei glanced at the driver behind him. Indeed, a red line of text now appeared above the driver's head, akin to a character's name tag in online games.

"Tour Bus Driver: Affection - (Unattainable)"

Unattainable indeed.

Qin Fei turned away with a tinge of regret, directing his gaze outside the bus.

As time passed, the fog seemed to be thickening around the bus. The doors were wide open, and standing outside was a tour guide dressed in a worn-out red cap. He held a megaphone in one hand and a small flag in the other, waving it incessantly.

In Qin Fei's view, a line of text hovered above the man's head.

"Tour Guide: Affection 1% (The guide doesn't like you and might even give you a harsh scolding)"

Qin Fei: ...

He really couldn't figure out the usefulness of this ridiculous skill.

Behind the guide, a grayish-white village stood silently amidst the dense fog.

Most of the buildings in the village were low, gray-tiled houses made of brick, except for a tall archway near the bus entrance, adorned with countless strings of white paper money. When the wind blew, they produced a rustling sound.

Considering the eerie hands lurking in the mist along the way, everyone hesitated to disembark for a moment.

The guide, oblivious to the peculiar atmosphere in the bus, monotonously repeated the same phrase through a megaphone, "We have arrived at our destination. Please alight in an orderly manner—"

"We have arrived at our destination. Please alight in an orderly manner—"

"We have arrived at our destination. Please alight in an orderly manner—"

Qin Fei was the first to stand up.

Xiao Xiao instinctively tugged at him, "Hey!"

What if those monsters with infant-like arms were still lurking in the black fog? Wouldn't stepping out of the bus be tantamount to suicide?

Although the guide was also outside the bus, they were an NPC, not to be treated as a regular person.

Qin Fei blinked and sincerely said, "We're here already."

There was even a hint of longing in his tone, as if it was a rare privilege to be at this place, and they would be missing out if they didn't get off the bus quickly.

Others: "..." Someone, please carry this freak out, okay?

With Qin Fei taking the lead, a few more people finally mustered the courage to stand up from their seats.

However, nobody dared to cross him.

It wasn't until Qin Fei stepped down from the bus under everyone's watchful eyes, unscathed and waving at the guide, that the others followed suit and disembarked.

After leaving the bus, the eerie atmosphere around them grew even more apparent. Thick fog obscured their vision, making it difficult to see just a few steps away. The wind blowing in their faces was chaotic and directionless. Qin Fei took a light sniff and caught a faint scent of blood.

On the distant horizon, unknown birds cried mournfully. The soil beneath their feet was black and loose, sinking slightly with each step as if freshly plowed by a harrow.

Qin Fei used the tip of his foot to scrape the ground, revealing the layer beneath the soft surface.

What greeted him was a shocking sight—layers upon layers of white, circular, hollow paper money, covering the entire ground beneath their feet.

Xiao Xiao was half-dead with fright.

"Quickly kick the dirt back!" Xiao Xiao's radar as a Taoist priest was going wild. "This place is extremely ominous!"

Papers resembling ancient copper coins covered the ground, stretching out innumerable distances. Whoever had done this must have intended to suppress something significantly powerful.

Something that required such immense effort to subdue couldn't possibly be insignificant.

This instance, it seemed, wouldn't be an easy one to clear.

Xiao Xiao was deeply concerned, but Qin Fei, upon hearing this, didn't react much. He looked up at Xiao Xiao with a smile, even a hint of naivety in it. "Sure."

He appeared obedient and gentle, completely unlike the young man who had fearlessly challenged a knife-wielding assailant on a bus.

The guide walked silently ahead, leaving the players no choice but to follow.

Qin Fei and Xiao Xiao walked at the back of the group with a few veteran players. They journeyed through the misty landscape.

The thick fog was so dense it was almost like water droplets, obscuring their vision. Not a single villager was encountered along the way, and the entire village was eerily quiet, resembling a lifeless wasteland.

As they walked, Qin Fei observed the houses on either side of the road. Unsurprisingly, he spotted strings of white paper money hanging at the entrance of each dwelling.

The village's ground was exceptionally clean, with barely any fallen leaves. Yet, every household was adorned with a blanket of snow-like paper money at their doors.

Not much further ahead, a figure suddenly emerged at the end of the densely shrouded path.

A murmur rippled through the team, and Qin Fei turned his gaze toward the silhouette.

Through the dim and hazy vision, the figure was swaying their body back and forth, with their feet as the axis, amidst the mist. The magnitude of the sway was so pronounced that it almost compelled one to furrow their brows in concern, fearing they might topple over and plunge headfirst into the ground at any second.

Yet, he didn't fall. Each time, he would reappear at his original position with an astonishing angle, and continue his swaying motion.

Swing... Rock... Swing... Rock...

Like a broken pendulum of an old clock, its rhythm was oddly regular, evoking a sense of inexplicable eeriness.

The players' steps faltered, but the guide at the forefront showed no intention of halting. They all steeled their nerves and pressed on.

They drew closer and closer to the bizarre figure.

The person stood by the roadside, their movements so vigorous that they appeared blurred. The wide brim of their red hat and the trailing, flowing robe made them seem less like a contemporary individual and more like a...

"AHHH! A ZOMBIE!"

A heart-wrenching scream echoed from the front of the line!

It came from a young man named Tan Yong, whose messy blond hair gave him an air of recklessness and carelessness. Qin Fei remembered him; on the bus earlier, Tan Yong had immediately clicked with Scarface and was one of the few who followed him in wanting to leave the vehicle.

At the same time, the other players also got a clear look at the person by the side of the road.

His face was deathly pale, with dark circles under his eyes that resembled those of a corpse. Beneath the cuffs of his blue-black Qing Dynasty official's uniform, two bony, claw-like arms slowly rose upward.

The extreme visual stimulus caused the tightly-knit group to disintegrate in an instant!

Some ran away screaming, while others fell to the ground, weeping and dragging their bodies backward.

Qin Fei darted out in the blink of an eye, so fast that Xiao Xiao beside him only saw a blur flash past. When he turned back, Qin Fei was already a hundred meters away.

Xiao Xiao: "?"

No wonder he was the big shot – even his getaway speed was faster than the average person's!

Among the scattered group, only one person remained where they were: the tour guide from the hotel.

The tour guide, who had kept his head down the whole time, finally lifted his face. Ignoring the zombie mere inches away, he moved as slowly as always and reached into the tattered cloth bag slung diagonally across his body to retrieve a dark red bell.

The bell appeared to be made of neither copper nor iron, yet resembled both. It was small and dainty, barely the size of half a palm.

The guide raised the bell and gently swayed it, its shrill and piercing sound instantly slicing through the fog like razor-sharp blades, piercing everyone's ears.

"Jingling—"

"Jingling—"

The moment the sound of the bell reached Qin Fei's ears, he suddenly found himself unable to control his legs.

He stopped, turned around, and began walking forward, propelled by an invisible force pushing him from behind. His limbs felt bound by unseen threads; Qin Fei tried to flex his fingers, realizing that this power was far beyond his current capabilities to resist.

Amidst the eerie tolling of the copper bell, the eighteen players were forced to turn back from all directions, each wearing expressions of sheer terror and unease.

Some, who had been sprawled on the ground, were also compelled to stand up under the bell's influence, struggling in vain to escape. Their bodies contorted grotesquely.

Their state of disarray resembled the rehabilitation of a severely paralyzed patient. Their legs seemed to have forgotten how to coordinate, and anyone witnessing their awkward gait would assume they were engaged in an internal battle between their left and right brains.

Qin Fei gazed at the scene before him, fell silent for a moment, and then very obediently gave up struggling, allowing himself to be guided step by step back to his original position.

Under the command of the whistle, the group once again became tightly organized.

The guide still stood in place. Qin Fei looked up at the guide's head, where the favorability bar that only he could see remained stubbornly at 1%, an absurdly low number that hadn't budged a bit.

What could he do to win the guide's favor?

The figure dressed in Qing dynasty official attire continued its earlier motion, swaying back and forth incessantly.

Qin Fei narrowed his eyes slightly, observing it carefully for a moment before speaking, "That's not a zombie."

He had been fooled.

What was actually swaying turned out to be a crude straw puppet. Now that he looked closely, its grass-woven skin had an abnormally charred yellow hue, and its clothes were roughly sewn. The eerie nails were merely a few withered twigs.

It was likely the kind of cheapest prop doll you'd find in a haunted house at an amusement park, something that wouldn't frighten anyone with even a modicum of courage.

But Qin Fei was certain that the zombie hadn't looked like this just moments ago.

For some inexplicable reason, in the players' eyes, this zombie was so lifelike that it could send chills down one's spine at first sight.

Qin Fei's gaze drooped slightly, his expression somewhat grave.

More and more clues were revealing to him that he was now in a world vastly different from what he was used to.

In this place, every sense, thought, and even his body could potentially deceive him.

The sudden scare turned out to be a mere farce, and this absurd incident further soured the players' moods. No one dared to speak, and the advancing group fell into an eerie silence.

Five minutes later, they halted in front of a black house.

"A mortuary," a player read aloud the two large characters on the plaque hanging before the door.

The guide raised the old megaphone once more, and the amplified, raspy voice echoed again, "Dear tourists, this is our destination for this journey – Shadowguard Village."

Just like the entrance to the village, the mortuary gate was littered with joss paper. Qin Fei picked up a piece from the ground and toyed with it, listening intently to the guide's speech.

"Shadowguard Village is located in western Hunan. Its remote topography has allowed it to preserve its most authentic local charm. At present, the village is holding its annual sacrificial ceremony. For the next seven days, you all will participate fully in this ritual, experiencing the genuine customs and folklore of western Hunan."

"During the village ceremony, shrines will be placed throughout the village, with deities depicted solely as paintings or statues. If you encounter any other form, pretend not to have seen it."

"Out of respect for the villagers' beliefs, please remember not to directly gaze at the left eye of any divine effigy."

"In case you accidentally see the left eye, at midnight, proceed to the hill in the northeast corner of the village and strike yourself three times with a freshly picked willow branch."

At this point, the guide paused abruptly, as if his voice had been violently severed. Fear flickered in his eyes before he regained his composure and pushed open the door to the funeral parlor.

"This will be your resting place for the next seven days."

The heavy black wooden door creaked against the ground, releasing a musty odor into the air.

Upon the door swinging wide open, all those outside simultaneously tensed up. Upon seeing the scene within the courtyard, a few timid newbies gasped in shock, on the verge of fainting.

Amidst overgrown weeds, eighteen dark purple coffins were neatly arranged!

Behind the courtyard was a main hall, flanked by two annexes, all securely locked. The massive bronze locks bore signs of rust, indicating they hadn't been opened in ages.

"Now, please return to your rooms for some rest," the guide said, standing by the entrance of the funeral parlor.

This was no "request"; it was plain surveillance.

Beneath the lowered brim of his hat, the guide's malevolent gaze swept across the players' pale faces inch by inch.

The NPC's lips curled into a stiff smile, issuing a mechanical, emotionless command: "Go ahead."

None dared to move.

With the house locked, where could they go?

Into the coffin...?

The players remained still, and so did the guide, standing by the door and repeatedly uttering those same words.

"Go ahead."

"Go ahead."

"Go—Aaaahh, aaaaahh!"

Qin Fei couldn't help but feel that the guide was like a programmed wind-up doll; once the players didn't follow his preconceived plan, he seemed to freeze up.

Qin Fei: "My ears hurt."

"GO!"

The guide's voice grew increasingly shrill and menacing, causing the players' expressions to contort. It was as if their eardrums had been struck by a massive hammer, producing a dull ache that reverberated within them.

Qin Fei frowned, scanning the people around him. Some had beads of sweat rolling down their foreheads, while others wore dazed expressions.

If earlier was mental pollution, now it was a genuine physical assault.

The novice players all lowered their heads, pretending to be meek, while a few veteran players had already made their choices in a split second.

In the realm of rules, adherence to those rules has always been the paramount principle for survival.

The bus's PA system had mentioned the importance of "listening to the tour guide's instructions."

Furthermore, based on the information available, this live broadcast is expected to last at least seven days. It's highly unlikely that the game would present an inevitable death trap right at the beginning of the first day. These coffins are most probably, much like the scarecrow zombies earlier, mere deceptive tricks designed to intimidate the participants.

The seasoned players subtly exchanged glances, and in the blink of an eye, Qin Fei's expression remained unchanged as he suddenly quickened his pace, dashing into the courtyard ahead of the other three!

The guide's shrill scream abruptly ceased at the sight of someone moving.

The scrutiny from all directions was like a barrage of searchlights, leaving Qin Fei standing at the center of an invisible stage, with every move of his under scrutiny.

Fortunately, he had never been afraid of the gazes of others.

The young man leisurely strolled half around the yard. After a moment, he stood nonchalantly before a coffin, raising his hand to pat its lid.

The solid wood lid emitted a dull thud, causing the other players watching from the entrance to stiffen in alarm.

Qin Fei, however, looked up at the guide with a smile and said something that left everyone's jaws hanging: "The tour group's accommodations are really quite nice."

Guide: "...?"

The guide wore a dazed expression.

In the next second, the young man stepped into the coffin, smoothly crossing his hands over his chest and lying down in place. He closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and smiled, adopting an appearance of peaceful departure.

Thirty seconds later, the death process was completed.

Qin Fei sat up, his tone appreciative as if he were a diligent bedding salesman: "Thank you, Guide, and thank you to the tour group for taking care of everyone. This bed is truly very comfortable."

As soon as he finished speaking, the progress bar above the guide's head rose slowly from "1%" to "2%".

Satisfied, Qin Fei blinked his eyes.

It seemed that his plan had worked out correctly. With the system providing such clear hints, to win over NPCs, all he needed to do was —

Flatter them relentlessly.

Even in a perilous Rule World where one had to appease a non-human creature, the approach wasn't much different from currying favor in the human world.

Unfortunately, a mere 2% affection wasn't enough to make a difference. The guide still didn't like Qin Fei; it would likely take a certain threshold of affection for a change to occur.

With the reassurance that the coffins weren't deadly, the players breathed a sigh of relief and began entering the courtyard one after another.

Eighteen cypress coffins lay quietly in the yard. Some players avoided them as if they were contagious, while others observed cautiously. Most, however, were exploring the courtyard in search of clues.

Qin Fei didn't step forward.

The courtyard wasn't large, so any unusual findings would inevitably be noticed by others.

Rather than joining the commotion, Qin Fei had more pressing matters to attend to.

While everyone was gathered in the center of the yard, he silently detached himself from the group of players and strolled leisurely to the wall.

In a corner of the yard, the guide was quietly standing guard.

Qin Fei stopped in front of the guide, a soft smile tugging at his lips as he politely extended his hand, "Hello, Guide. My name is Qin Fei. What's yours?"

...

Inside the live broadcast hall, Qin Fei's screen was already surrounded by spectators, the semi-transparent spirits filled with excitement, nearly overcrowding that small section.

"One of the newcomers wants to do what? Get friendly with the guide?"

"Hahaha, how silly. The guides in the Xiangxi edition hate interacting with tourists. He definitely won't survive the night with this approach."

"Cut the nonsense, what's going on with this person's Sanity Points? They haven't dropped at all – is it a glitch?"

Unaware of the discussion he had sparked, the person at the center of the controversy continued on.

In the live-streamed scene, the fair and slender young man smiled bashfully, tilting his head slightly towards the guide. His clear eyes were filled with friendliness and an attempt to please; "I hope we can spend a pleasant seven days together."

The guide slowly shifted their gaze, casting a glance at Qin Fei before retracting it moments later.

They simply ignored him like that.

Qin Fei was not discouraged, withdrawing his hand with a grin on his face.

Amidst the dense fog with visibility less than five meters, he spoke cheerfully, "What a lovely day it is, perfect for sightseeing."

"? What utter nonsense, hahaha!"

"Guide, deal with him already! I can't bear to watch anymore."

"This newcomer must be an idiot, thinking himself clever!"

"Aah, I thought it was a promising prospect, but turns out to be this?"

This time, the Guide didn't even spare Qin Fei a glance.

A myriad of curious gazes poured in from all directions, but Qin Fei remained unperturbed, his eyes burning intently on the guide.

Xiao Xiao simply couldn't bear to watch any longer.

He could comprehend Qin Fei's desire to glean clues from the NPC, but the one before them was blatantly disinterested in engaging with anyone.

The mighty Qin Fei kept talking nonstop. What if he annoyed the person on the other end?

Xiao Xiao tried hard to signal Qin Fei with his eyes.

Unfortunately, Qin Fei didn't take the hint. Instead, his smile widened, seemingly unaffected by the tour guide's indifferent attitude. He remained enthusiastic and asked, "How many years have you been working as a tour guide?"

Tour Guide: "..."

Tour Guide: "..."

This guide was so taciturn, it was as if he were mute.

But Qin Fei's efforts weren't entirely in vain. The progress bar above the guide's head climbed a tiny bit more, the digits flickering, on the verge of changing from "2" to "3".

"It's getting late now, and I'm starving."

Qin Fei was eager to find out what changes would occur in his innate skill once the progress bar reached a certain level.

The young man blinked, his amber eyes clear and pure, devoid of any shadows. His tone was warm and friendly: "Have you eaten, Guide? What did you have? When will we be having our meal today?"

"Have you eaten yet?" A traditional Chinese ice-breaker when greeting one another.

Though the NPC's nationality was unclear, they seemed to be a local—this approach might just work, right?

Xiao Xiao was astonished by Qin Fei's familiarity, it was his first time seeing someone ask an NPC if they had eaten in a dungeon.

Was this the charisma that came with working in a neighborhood committee?

Either the storyline had naturally progressed to this point or Qin Fei's persistence had annoyed the guide, but after Qin Fei's inquiry about his meal, the NPC actually lifted his head.

"Tonight's dinner... is planned at... the auditorium of Shadow Village. Everyone, please follow me."

The disjointed sentence sparked a furor among the live-stream audience.

"F*ck, isn't there something wrong here? I've never seen a guide in the Western Hunan instance interact with players like this. What about you guys?"

"It's my first time too."

"Me as well."

"What about the system? Isn't this a glitch? This must be a glitch!"

"His attribute panel doesn't make sense either. How can his sanity value exceed a hundred? Is he even human?"

Some viewers promptly submitted bug reports to the system.

The response from the system came swiftly.

A cold, synthesized voice emerged from the speakers above the screen, "Upon inspection, the NPC guide in the Western Hunan instance exhibits no abnormal behavior. It's a normal reaction influenced by the player's innate skill. Player 1000001's attribute panel is functioning correctly, all systems are normal. The live stream will continue."

Although the audience could view the players' attribute panels, talent skills fell under advanced information. They could only tell if a player had activated their talent skill, but not its specific details.

As such, nobody had previously connected the guide's unusual behavior with Qin Fei's skill.

The onlooking spirits fell into a brief silence.

Moments later, a tidal wave of discussion erupted.

All their words boiled down to one question: "What on earth is going on?"

Chapter 4: Night Stroll in Yin Village 02

The system's notification echoed incessantly in Qin Fei's mind.

【Congratulations, Player Qin Fei, on achieving the "Two Hundred Gazes" accomplishment. The system awards you 10 points.】

"84 people have followed your live streaming account."

"Player Qin Fei has entered the high-quality traffic pool for beginners. The system will continue to provide you with recommended positions for beginners. Please keep up the good work!"

"..."

How irritating.

Qin Fei stood calmly in front of the guide, though his mind was already filled with countless creases of annoyance.

Could this annoying reminder voice be turned off?

If any seasoned players could hear Qin Fei's inner monologue, they might have been tempted to burst his bubble.

What a voice that many would yearn for!

"Follow me," the guide repeated, waving the small flag and leading the players out of the funeral parlor.

After being delayed inside for over ten minutes, the darkness outside grew more profound. A half-moon, barely visible behind the clouds, shed a pale and lifeless light.

On both sides of the village path, one household after another lit their lamps.

When they arrived earlier, not a single soul was in sight. But now, with the night falling, the village had become much livelier. Villagers emerged from their homes, strolled along the streets, conversed, and hung clothes to dry, all while stepping numbly over the scattered paper money.

Strangely, despite the large group of nearly 20 people passing by, not a single villager lifted their head to look at them, as if they didn't exist at all.

At this point in the live stream, the distinction between new and experienced players was quite clear. The players divided themselves into two groups without prompting, with the seasoned players walking calmly at the front, while the newcomers followed warily but not too closely behind.

Qin Fei blended seamlessly among the veteran players, showing no sign of guilt or unease.

The auditorium mentioned by the guide was located on the west side of the village, right next to the entrance.

Similar in style to the other structures in the village, the dark purple, square-shaped auditorium occupied a vast area. Its entrance was covered with layers of paper money, and the door stood wide open, allowing faint, yellowish light to leak out.

"We've arrived." The guide stopped in front of the entrance, his hoarse voice like an ancient incantation lost to time. "What you're about to witness is one of the most primitive rituals in this Western Hunan mountain village – the Corpse King Feast."

With those words, he stepped into the hall.

The room was already packed with villagers.

The interior decoration of the hall contrasted starkly with the exterior. The white porcelain floor was pristine, and a peculiar crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling.

In the center of the room stood a colossal dining table, assembled from dozens of small square tables. It was adorned with an array of colorful ingredients, arranged like a blossoming garden. The plates were clean and gleaming, and the aroma of the food filled the air.

The chandelier above remained unlit, replaced by three white candles at each seat, placed on brass candlesticks and burning silently in the darkness.

Their flickering flames, unprovoked by any breeze, cast a faint light that barely illuminated the dim hall.

"Sit," the guide said, then took a seat in the nearest chair.

Most seats were already occupied, and as the players entered and found their places, the remaining spots were gradually filled.

Silent and focused, the villagers seated at the table gazed down at their utensils without a word, neither exchanging voices nor glances.

After Qin Fei took his seat, he lifted his head and caught sight of his shadow, magnified many times over by the flickering candlelight, cast onto the opposite grayish-blue wall. It resembled a monstrous beast ready to devour at any moment.

Players frowned as they examined the room, while others couldn't help but swallow their saliva instinctively.

The aroma of the food was overwhelming, seemingly able to awaken the deepest cravings nestled within one's stomach. For players who had gone a whole day without food and been subjected to numerous frights, it held an irresistible allure that was almost deadly.

Indeed, it smells incredibly delightful.

Qin Fei gazed at the succulent roast goose on the table and inhaled deeply, savoring its aroma.

However...

Two players wore dazed expressions as they reached out, seemingly under an uncontrollable urge to draw near the food on the table.

Fixing his gaze on them, Qin Fei whispered, "Don't eat."

"Why... why?" One of the two, whose consciousness was somewhat clearer, looked up in confusion.

Why?

Judging solely from their abnormal behavior, it was evident that there was something amiss with the food on this table.

Opposite Qin Fei sat another experienced player, a man in his thirties. Qin Fei had heard him mention his name back at the mortuary – Sun Shouyi.

Fixing his gaze on the man, Sun Shouyi frowned and said, "The bus announcement mentioned respecting local customs and traditions."

This feast was part of the village's ritual ceremony. Since it was a ritual, there would naturally be specific steps and procedures. None of the villagers had touched their utensils, so how could the players start eating first?

Upon hearing Sun Shouyi's words, the man regained some sense of reason and forced himself to lean back.

However, another player named Wang Shun had already lost control. Reaching out, he grabbed the food on the table and stuffed it into his mouth like a glutton.

The person seated beside Wang Shun tried to stop him but was swatted away, almost toppling over with the chair.

Wang Shun's ravenous appearance was eerie in its intensity. Glistening grease trickled down the corners of his mouth as he devoured the food greedily, looking more like a pig in a pen than a human being.

His eating manners were far from appealing; one would expect it to be off-putting. Yet, strangely, the other players only found the aroma intensifying as it wafted up their noses.

Xiao Xiao covered his mouth, his expression wary as he stared at the food in front of him. He frowned and whispered, "Why do I feel like something is just not right?"

A faint glint flickered in Qin Fei's eyes.

Indeed.

Flowers, candelabras, cutlery—how could such items appear in this remote mountain village?

No matter how one looked at it, the interior of this hall resembled a proper European-style banquet, a stark contrast to the surroundings they had seen on their way here. It was as if a Teletubby had wandered into SpongeBob SquarePants' world, creating an absurdly jarring contrast.

"Roast goose," Qin Fei whispered softly, ensuring that only Xiao Xiao could hear him.

Xiao Xiao was taken aback. "Goose? What goose?"

As expected, Qin Fei's gaze lowered thoughtfully after receiving the answer he had anticipated.

"Huh?" Xiao Xiao finally caught on. "I saw a spicy seafood hotpot with a separate section for non-spicy broth."

He began listing the dishes. "Abalone, sea cucumber, Arctic scallops, shrimp paste, tripe…"

"I wanted to say earlier, that guy stuffed those freshly cooked meatballs into his mouth without even worrying about burning himself," Xiao Xiao said, wearing a dazed expression.

Qin Fei: "..."

Well, no wonder you found it strange.

So, he could actually grasp the rationale behind the instance creating illusions based on players' deepest desires.

But still!

It should at least be somewhat realistic, right?

Behind the light screen, the live-stream viewers burst into laughter as they saw Qin Fei's expression, as if he were about to speak but held back.

"Hahaha, I'm dying here! The instance design got roasted by the streamer. System, hurry up and apologize!"

"Doesn't anyone think this streamer is really good-looking? I'm totally smitten with his frowning, pursed-lip look."

"Although the illusion here seems hastily designed, its deception rate is already over 80%. It's quite surprising that someone in the experience world can be so perceptive."

An 80% deception rate was enough for players' brains to automatically rationalize any inconsistencies as plausible.

"80% chance of deceiving him? How incredibly high is his mental resistance?!"

As the seats in the live broadcast filled up, the camera angle shifted and zoomed in. A person stood up from the main seat at the long table.

"Greetings to all guests, the feast commences—" the figure drawled out.

In response, eerie music resounded from all corners of the auditorium. Drums and gongs accompanied by suona horns created a haunting melody, hardly pleasant to the ear.

The guide glanced in the person's direction and whispered, "That's the village chief."

The village chief was no longer young, his hair and beard as white as snow. He wore a dark gray robe that swept the ground as he leaned back slightly, his eyes fixed intently on an invisible point in mid-air. Chanting words, he said,

"Feast of the Corpse King, feast for the Corpse King, the first banquet on the seventh day of the seventh month. Invite the corpse to the feast."

With folded hands, the village chief's expression was one of profound devotion.

"Invoking the Corpse's First Art, Eye Excavation—"

Upon finishing his words, silence fell upon the room.

Despite their inability to feel fear, Qin Fei's eyelid twitched involuntarily, a reflexive response to the village chief's words.

Was "digging out eyes" what they thought it was?

Dig out eyes? Whose eyes? The players exchanged bewildered glances.

Amidst the stunned expressions of the players, the village chief slowly raised his arm.

His bony fingers approached the socket, and in the next moment, with a sudden burst of force, the fingers' owner began to push them in bit by bit.

A player sucked in a sharp breath.

Half a finger dug into the eye socket, turning from left to right, as blood mixed with translucent pale yellow fluid gushed out from the village chief's eye, dripping onto the table.

He had just forcefully plucked out his own eyeball!

Qin Fei frowned, his gaze unwavering as he stared at the village chief. Xiao Xiao, on the other hand, opened his mouth, silently cursing under his breath.

But the most unbearable part was yet to come.

As the village chief completed his gesture, the two hundred puppet-like villagers in the auditorium suddenly raised their hands in unison!

A thick, metallic scent of blood filled the hall.

A young female player was startled by this horror-movie-like scene and let out a shrill scream. The players' faces turned ashen, and their arms resting on the tables trembled visibly.

Were they going to... as well?

Everyone felt as if they were facing a dire threat.

Except for Qin Fei.

In such a situation, Qin Fei was still intriguingly asking the guide, "Is this one of the unique features of the village ritual?"

Earlier, at the entrance of the charity house, the guide had mentioned, "Don't stare directly into the deity's left eye." Now, there was another eye-related activity during the banquet.

It seemed that "eyes" were an essential element in the scenario they were in.

The guide finally removed his red-brimmed hat that covered most of his face. His face beneath the hat was emaciated, with a malnourished bluish-gray complexion, making him resemble a zombie.

He nodded at Qin Fei, his face numb as he mimicked the other villagers and dug out his left eye without emotion.

His expressionless face didn't even tremble, as if he felt no pain at all.

All the villagers had completed the eye-gouging ritual. Slowly turning their heads, they fixed their hundred-odd empty eye sockets on the small group of players in the center of the hall.

"Sa-Save... Me..." A new player's lips quivered as he muttered in a whisper.

Scarface's face was grim, his knife clenched tightly in his hand. Sun Shouyi raised his arm, placing it before his face, but then fiercely blinked and lowered it again.

...He just couldn't bring himself to do it.

Gritting his teeth, he looked at Qin Fei.

Unbeknownst to him, Qin Fei, a seasoned pretender among rookies, had already become the leader among the players.

"You mentioned the rules on the bus earlier," Qin Fei smiled and nodded at Sun Shouyi.

They had to abide by the local customs and traditions.

There was no way to escape this segment.

The young man's soft hair shimmered a handsome dark brown under the candlelight, and his clear eyes exuded warmth with every earnest word he spoke.

The players fell silent upon hearing Qin Fei's words.

"However…" Sun Shouyi gritted his teeth, almost as if he were trying to reassure himself, "the rules might not be entirely correct."

Was that so?

Sun Shouyi wasn't one to speak recklessly, so could there really be false rules in these live-streamed worlds?

Qin Fei didn't insist, "It's up to you."

Even if there was a possibility of false rules, Qin Fei didn't believe that the guide would lie.

The guide and the tour bus were clearly on the same side. If the guide deceived them, then the announcements made through the bus's PA system couldn't be trusted either.

This meant that from the moment they entered the dungeon until now, the players hadn't encountered a single credible rule.

For a game where the majority of the players are newcomers, such an arrangement seems rather too harsh.

At least for now, the Guide can be trusted.

This conclusion might change in the future, but that's a matter for another time.

More importantly, Qin Fei was now certain that there was something amiss with the auditorium before him.

If the food on the table was fake, then who could truly assert that the scene they witnessed of the village chief digging out his own eyes was authentic?

Beside Qin Fei, the guide, with one hollow eyeball, was intently observing him.

Qin Fei turned sideways, meeting the guide's gaze.

Then, he reached out—

His slender index finger gently and slowly twisted into the eye socket.

Moments later, a smooth, still pulsating with fresh blood, eyeball rested in Qin Fei's palm.

Chapter 5:Night Stroll in Yin Village 03

The live stream audience exploded upon witnessing this scene.

"Oh my god, he's a monster!"

"From raising his hand to finishing... 3 seconds and 7 milliseconds! Did he just break the record?!"

"I remember the fastest player before took at least a minute and a half to mentally prepare."

"Why is he so eager to pluck out his eyeball? What kind of freak is he?!"

After removing his eye, Qin Fei showed no signs of pain.

The eyeball in his hand had transformed in texture after leaving its socket, becoming hard and icy cold, like a stone.

Yet, his now empty left eye socket remained unchanged, with its honey-colored pupil still clear and bright.

Qin Fei held his "eyeball" between his index finger and thumb, lifting it up and squinting at it as if examining the luster of a pearl under sunlight.

After a brief moment, the young man smiled and said, "It doesn't hurt."

Players: "..."

Brother, this isn't about whether it hurts or not!

Seeing the pale expressions on the other players' faces, Qin Fei didn't bother explaining further. He helplessly stuffed the eyeball back into his pocket.

He wasn't exaggerating; it genuinely didn't hurt at all.

That eyeball didn't feel like it belonged to him. Just now, the moment his finger touched the socket, it was as if something had sucked it in, accompanied by a chill.

What followed didn't seem to be an action he consciously performed. It was like watching a cutscene play out, and then the eyeball was perfectly intact in his hand.

As Qin Fei had previously thought, the scene inside the auditorium wasn't real. After removing the eyeball, the image before his eyes was vastly different.

The crystal chandelier above his head gradually faded, transforming into a pale white paper lantern.

The flowers and bronze candlesticks vanished, replaced by an old wooden table with a mottled surface. The white candles had turned dark red, their melting wax dripping down to form pools of blood-like stains at the corners of the table.

And yet, the array of ingredients on the table was, in fact, a feast of trash.

It wouldn't be entirely accurate to call it trash, though. The table was laden with platters of dark red raw meat.

The meat had clearly been left for far too long and had begun to rot, emitting a pungent stench. Upon closer inspection, one could spot unknown flies buzzing around it. Bumps had formed on the surface of the flesh, harboring tiny maggots wriggling beneath.

Ugh, how revolting.

Qin Fei took another glance at the guide.

Before entering the auditorium, Qin Fei had incessantly chattered away, boosting the guide's favorability towards him to 12%. The guide's treatment of Qin Fei was now distinctively different from that of the other players.

His gaze would occasionally land on Qin Fei, and he would respond to about one out of every three or four questions asked by Qin Fei. The text in the small brackets above his head, which previously read "(The guide doesn't like you and even wants to give you a good slap)," had changed to "(The guide doesn't like you)."

Well, not bad, right?

At least he wasn't thinking of slapping Qin Fei anymore.

Unfortunately, this method seemed to have a ceiling. After reaching 12%, the favorability bar progressed at a much slower pace.

Until just now, Qin Fei had been the first to pluck out his eye under the guide's watchful gaze, causing his favorability to surge to 17%.

It seemed that he would need to support the guide more in the future.

Sitting before the table of trash, Qin Fei endured the stench and idly rolled the stone eyeball between his fingers.

But to Xiao Xiao and the other players who had yet to undergo the eye-removal ritual, Qin Fei appeared half-covered in blood, looking listlessly at the freshly plucked eyeball he was playing with.

The scene was so terrifying that it could potentially cause psychological trauma.

Xiao Xiao was on the verge of tears from being scared by Qin Fei. He couldn't bring himself to call him "big shot" anymore: "Qin Fei, you...?"

"Oh, oh, right, I remember." Xiao Xiao subtly moved his stool further away while forcing a laugh, "You said you had an illness."

Qin Fei: "..."

If thinking this made you happier, then so be it.

Perhaps Qin Fei's calm demeanor was too encouraging, as Sun Shouyi and Xiao Xiao both raised their hands simultaneously after a brief struggle.

Then,

the third, the fourth, the fifth...

This was probably the smoothest "eye extraction" segment that the live stream viewers had ever seen in the Xiangxi scenario.

The players were slightly dazed after removing the eyes, as the sudden change in scenery left them in a trance.

White paper wreaths adorned the corners of the hall, and an old, fluttering curtain occupied one corner of the room.

Upon closer inspection, the windows were not open; the wooden frames were sealed shut with joss paper, not even leaving a crack for air.

On the wall directly opposite the main dining table hung a large, colorful painting of a man in long attire.

Recalling the guide's warning about not staring directly into the deity's eyes, Qin Fei swiftly closed his own.

Similar to the food on the table, the painting seemed to possess a mesmerizing charm, drawing the players' attention like a black hole and absorbing all their focus.

"Don't look!" Sun Shouyi covered his eyes with his hand and whispered urgently.

The expressions of the few newcomers, who had been staring blankly at the portrait, turned solemn.

But it was too late for two of them; their gazes were already glued to the painting until their fellow players shook them vigorously, snapping them out of their daze.

Qin Fei imitated the villagers, lowering his head and focusing his vision on the small tabletop in front of him, his thoughts churning within his mind.

The portrait and paper flower wreath, when combined with the eerie atmosphere inside the room, transformed the hall into something that bore no resemblance to a celebration hall – it felt more like... an enormous memorial chamber.

At the end of the hall, the village chief was softly chanting an indiscernible song before the deity statue, the melody soothing yet eerily peculiar.

The feast continued in this manner.

Seeing that the villagers remained silent, the players also suppressed their discomfort and settled into a quietude.

Except for Wang Shun.

As time passed, Wang Shun's sanity crumbled entirely. He could only chew and swallow, incapable of contemplating anything else.

He devoured the stinking raw meat in large mouthfuls, while flies swarmed around him. The air was thick with an overpowering, lingering scent of blood.

Strips of raw, marbled flesh were being torn apart by him, with dark red, translucent juices dripping from the corners of his mouth and landing on the table.

The two people sitting closest to Wang Shun couldn't help but retch violently, their nausea exacerbated by the stench of garbage. Everyone's stomachs churned tumultuously.

Only Qin Fei remained calm, even managing to calmly comment to the guide, "The food is quite good."

Xiao Xiao was seated directly across from Wang Shun, facing the full impact. His face had turned the color of liver: "Qin... Ugh! Big man, ugh ugh ugh, impressive."

To be able to lie with such brazenness was not a skill an ordinary person could possess.

Xiao Xiao glanced at Wang Shun with lingering fear.

Wang Shun was long past listening to anyone else, and naturally, he hadn't touched his own eyes either.

From the moment they entered the hall, all of Wang Shun's attention had been fixated on the pile of ingredients on the table. The putrid meat seemed like a grand feast to him, and his expression was one of madness. He had already swept his cutlery aside and was devouring the food in large mouthfuls, his breathing heavy and punctuated by bestial gasps.

Unable to bear watching, Xiao Xiao turned away, whispering, "He's eaten way too much."

Indeed, he had consumed an excessive amount, his belly visibly swollen by several rounds.

It was clear to everyone that, at this rate, Wang Shun would eventually be consumed to death.

"He…" A new player, frightened by Wang Shun's appearance, turned to the nearest veteran player for help.

The veteran player's expression was cold as they tersely spoke, "Mind your own business."

Wang Shun's behavior now was a clear sign of severe mental corruption, his sanity meter dipping below the critical point.

Under such circumstances, there was no hope for him to recover on his own; he could only wait for death.

Sun Shouyi, observing the irrational Wang Shun, frowned and said, "His mental resistance must be very low. Even if he manages to survive this, he…"

wouldn't stand a chance in future crises.

Death had already become an inevitable outcome for Wang Shun.

The newcomer shuddered, their face filled with compassion, but they forced themselves to look away.

Wang Shun, in his frenzied eating, resembled a balloon gradually inflating. Layer upon layer of fat bulged from his body, causing him to expand grotesquely until he barely fit in the chair.

With a kick, he sent the chair flying and shakily rose from the ground, his massive frame trembling.

Despite this, Wang Shun didn't stop devouring.

His clothes ripped under the strain, revealing increasingly translucent skin.

He grew bigger and bigger...

The people on either side, realizing something, hastily scrambled in the opposite direction, but it was too late.

"BOOM!"

Accompanied by a deafening crash, the colossal figure vanished from its spot.

Putrid blood splattered across the walls, drenching the entire auditorium in a lurid red. Torn flesh and fragments mixed with white debris were scattered everywhere.

None of those who had been near him were spared; they were all now covered in filth.

Qin Fei sat across from him, also unable to escape the splash. A warm liquid trickled down his cheek, and he gently wiped it away with his finger, his gaze fixed thoughtfully on his now-stained fingertip.

Even in death, Wang Shun remained abnormal. The drop of blood was so clear and dazzling that it resembled a dark red droplet of oil.

"The feast has ended—"

Amidst the blossoming blood, the village chief rose to his feet and spoke slowly.

The villagers in the room stood up, flooding out of the door like a tidal wave, leaving only the players at the tables, stunned into silence, unable to utter a word.

"Dead... Dead..." someone stammered, then burst into tears, "Dead! Dead! Ahhhhh..."

Others were not as hysterical but still wore equally ashen faces, slumped in their chairs as if their spirits had left them.

As the weeping player's sobs subsided, the auditorium fell into a deathly silence.

In this suffocating quiet, Qin Fei was the first to rise.

The tall young man stretched his neck and shoulders, moving gracefully towards the guide. With a familiar and intimate tone, he asked, "The banquet is over. Shouldn't we be heading back?"

Chapter 6: Night Stroll in Yin Village 04

Under the guidance of the tour guide, the players, now akin to startled birds, formed a line and exited the auditorium in single file.

In the time it took for a meal, the entire Yin Village outside the auditorium had transformed dramatically.

Burning red candles were placed at the entrance of every house, with stacks of paper money piled beside each one. Statues made of stone lined doorways, eaves, and both sides of the road – virtually every visible corner was occupied by them.

The statues varied in size, but all depicted the same person: the man depicted in the painting inside the auditorium.

Having learned from the previous experience with the auditorium's painting, the players remembered the rules mentioned by the guide and refrained from closely examining the statues. With heads bowed, they returned to the funeral parlor in a gloomy atmosphere.

Inside the funeral parlor, everything remained exactly as they had left it. The main door of the annex was locked with a rusted copper lock, restricting their movement to the small courtyard. The two rows of dark purple coffins in their field of view sent shivers down their spines. At least, there were no statues here.

Qin Fei's gaze fell upon the entrance of the mortuary.

On their way back, he had an eerie feeling that something was watching them from behind, but when he turned around, there was no one in sight.

He had examined every crevice of windows and doors along the path, ensuring that no one was peeping from inside, yet that chilling and sinister gaze seemed to cling to their bones like a parasitic disease, impossible to ignore.

Several times on the journey, Qin Fei noticed players looking around nervously with ill intent, clearly sensing the same unseen stare.

If there was no one there, then what could be watching them?

The blurry image of the stone statue flashed across Qin Fei's mind.

The rules had stated that out of respect for local customs, players were not allowed to look directly into the eyes of the deities. Qin Fei had subconsciously assumed that doing so would anger the villagers.

But what if that wasn't the case?

What if the statues possessed consciousness and were capable of attacking people—

There were countless statues in the village, too many to count.

A chill crept up the back of Qin Fei's neck.

It was clear that one of the players in this group had already attracted the attention of the statue.

In the pitch-black funeral parlor, the players stood in small clusters before the coffins.

The guide put his hat back on, its wide brim casting most of his face into shadow.

He pulled out a yellowing sheet of paper and spoke with a measured tone. "Greetings, travelers. Today's activities have come to an end. Starting tomorrow, the hostel will offer a semi-self-guided tour format. During non-group activity times, you'll be free to explore on your own."

"This journey will last for seven days. On the seventh night, the hostel will provide an authentic, traditional zombie-herding experience unique to Western Hunan. Following the event, the village chief will host a farewell banquet for all of you. Please remember the time."

"Other important guidelines are listed in this 'Shouyin Village Visitor's Guide.' Feel free to pass it around."

A guidebook? Again?

The players exchanged glances.

Moreover, according to the guide, the main storyline wouldn't appear until the seventh day. Until then, they were on their own to uncover the mysteries.

Sun Shouyi exchanged a glance with Xiao Xiao, both wearing grim expressions.

It was the last day of the instance dungeon on the seventh night, and it was uncertain if they could even survive until then.

What farewell banquet were they talking about? It felt more like a last meal before execution.

"Is there any issue?" the guide asked with an eerie tone.

All participants shook their heads in unison, as if they had rehearsed the action beforehand.

"That's good to hear," the guide nodded contentedly. "Please adhere strictly to the traveler's guide while enjoying your stay. Once again, I wish you all an enjoyable journey."

Under the nervous gazes of the players, the guide scanned the room, eventually settling his eyes on Qin Fei.

Qin Fei, who had been expressionless just a moment ago, instantly transformed his face, lifting his gaze to offer the guide a submissive and enthusiastic smile.

The guide nodded approvingly. "If you have any questions during this trip, feel free to find me on the bus at the village entrance. That's where I'll be staying."

As he spoke, his sinister gaze swept across the group, conveying a silent message: don't seek me out unless it's absolutely necessary, and even then, don't bother.

With that, he handed the guidebook to Qin Fei and left the mortuary, waving his red flag.

The moment the guide's back disappeared through the entrance, the players swarmed around Qin Fei, surrounding him.

Each of them tried to push forward to see the note. Those on the outer circle couldn't see it and anxiously stood on tiptoe, asking, "What does it say?"

Under such circumstances, it would have been awkward for Qin Fei not to read out loud the contents of the note, given that he had spent the entire afternoon talking with the guide, whose voice was almost hoarse from all the chatter. In this damned village, there wasn't even a place to get a sip of water, and everyone was still hungry. Qin Fei had no interest in expending energy reading out a lengthy passage.

Lacking enthusiasm, Qin Fei promptly stuffed the note into Sun Shouyi's hand and took two steps back.

Sun Shouyi, who had been standing behind Qin Fei, was now exposed to the players' eager gazes.

Sun Shouyi: "…"

Sun Shouyi gave Qin Fei a complicated look.

Both on the bus and in the auditorium, Qin Fei's behavior had made it abundantly clear that despite his seemingly gentle demeanor, he was not someone to be trifled with.

He resignedly cleared his throat and meticulously read through the text on the paper: "Night Tour of Western Hunan Travel Guide - Special Edition for Shouying Village."

"1. The night in Western Hunan begins at sunset and ends at sunrise."

"2. Before sunset, you are free to roam within the village; after sunset, please be mindful of time and return to the mortuary before midnight to retire to your room."

"3. If you notice the sky darkening before sunset, signaling an early nightfall, return to the mortuary promptly and go to bed earlier than usual."

"4. Do not open red doors."

"5. In the day, do not travel in twos; at night, do not travel alone."

"6. This trip includes meals provided by the travel agency. Breakfast is served from 8:30 AM, lunch from 11:30 AM, and dinner from 5:30 PM. Guests are to gather at the entrance of their accommodation before mealtime, as latecomers will not be waited for."

"7. There are no living dead in the village. If you encounter any, promptly return to the mortuary, enter your room, and sleep. Adequate rest keeps the mind clear."

After reading everything, Sun Shouyi passed the guide to the player nearest to him for circulation.

The contents of this guide were disjointed and perplexing, causing considerable frustration for those who read it.

"No doubles in the day, no singles at night." Xiao Xiao frowned, pointing to the guidebook. "What does this mean?"

Qin Fei promptly replied, "During the day, two people shouldn't travel together, and at night, one should not journey alone."

Xiao Xiao was perplexed. "How do you know?"

Qin Fei shrugged. "I guessed."

Xiao Xiao: "..."

? Are you joking?

Qin Fei wore an open and honest expression.

Indeed, he had guessed, but his speculation was not baseless.

Earlier that afternoon, before it got dark, he had tried to befriend the guide. The guide had taken several large steps back, and Qin Fei initially assumed it was due to excessive social anxiety, making the guide avoid physical contact with others. However, once the guide reached the side of the other three players, they didn't retreat any further.

Now, it seemed that this behavior was likely a result of the rule they were bound by.

In Qin Fei's view, the guide left behind by the tour guide contained quite a few crucial pieces of information.

The "rooms" mentioned several times in the guide likely referred to the coffins within the mortuary.

From the descriptions provided in the guide, these coffins, despite their frightening appearance, seemed to function as a sort of safe haven. The phrase "sufficient rest keeps the mind clear" might be hinting that the coffins could, to some extent, restore a player's sanity points.

This realization led Qin Fei to ponder. Unable to contain his curiosity, Xiao Xiao asked, "Big Shot, have you figured something out?"

"I'm just a bit curious," Qin Fei rubbed his chin with a flexed knuckle, a puzzled look adorning his refined features. "I feel like these game stages aren't entirely logical. The coffins play such a crucial role – what if someone decides not to participate actively?"

According to the guidelines, players were required to stay in their coffins from midnight until dawn. During the day, if any anomalies occurred, they could potentially escape unscathed by promptly seeking refuge in the coffins.

The rules didn't enforce staying within the village, so why bother exploring? Hiding in the coffins all the time seemed like a reasonable strategy.

The live broadcast would last only seven days. As long as players minimized going out and refrained from non-essential activities during this period, they could significantly decrease the likelihood of encountering danger.

Humans, inherently fearing death, would likely adopt a survival mindset. For an average person, loafing around in the mortuary might become the preferred choice.

But would the dungeon really let players pass so easily?

Qin Fei felt that, "There's probably some other trap waiting for us in this dungeon world."

On Qin Fei's personal dashboard, the constantly rising viewer count was a testament to the fact that countless mysterious entities, unknown in origin, were lurking on the other side of the screen, taking pleasure in the players' misfortune.

If all the streamers just played dead from the start, what would be the point of watching the live broadcast?

Using small crises as distractions before pulling a sudden twist at the end to deliver a fatal blow to the protagonist who thought they had escaped, was a common tactic in horror games and movies.

Perhaps this dungeon followed the same logic.

Merely adhering to the rules wasn't enough. The rules didn't even need to deliberately deceive the players; hiding crucial information could be sufficient to catch them off guard when it mattered most.

Would the dungeon be so ruthless?

Qin Fei believed the answer was yes.

From Wang Shun's death, it was clear that this live broadcast relied on blood, morbidity, and horror as its selling points. Didn't the despair felt by the streamers from their hearts evoke more intense emotions than mere physical bloodshed?

One must take the initiative to gather more information than the rules dictate in order to expose the loopholes within them.

For this current instance, the information gathered in the early stages could very well be the decisive factor in the final victory.

Qin Fei shared his thoughts with Xiao Xiao at a leisurely pace, unaware that on the other side of the light screen, the live stream viewers were in a frenzy.

"Damn, does he know that such an insight is something most streamers only gain in C-grade or even D-grade worlds!"

Players experiencing these worlds usually lacked experience and, under the pressure of fear, tended to proceed cautiously, following the paths set by the rules until eventually being consumed by them.

Those who managed to survive were merely fortunate ants spared by the rules' mercy, eking out a living between the cracks of its grasp.

Only someone like Qin Fei, who thought on equal footing with the rules, could truly establish a firm footing in the rule-bound world and possess the capability to challenge them.

"Is he really a new player? He seems more like an experienced player preaching among novices."

"I'm subscribing to him, he's got potential."

"I bet he'll make it to at least a C-grade world."

"Too cautious! For his first live broadcast, he already has such awareness. I bet he can reach an A-class world. Don't forget, his Sanity Points haven't dropped at all!"

The usually sparsely populated F-class Livestream Hall was quietly filling up with more viewers.

...

Qin Fei spoke casually, leaving Xiao Xiao in awe.

He had long been accustomed to adhering to the rules of each instance dungeon. Qin Fei's approach, which actively looked beyond the confines of those rules, was entirely new to him.

"Well, um..." Xiao Xiao stumbled over his words, "What should we do now?"

If they were going to take the initiative, shouldn't they be searching for clues in other parts of the village right now?

This was a question on most players' minds present.

As Xiao Xiao finished speaking, several pairs of eyes turned to Qin Fei.

Qin Fei blinked and turned his head to look at Sun Shouyi.

Sun Shouyi: "?"

Why is it always me?

Clearing his throat and suppressing the twitch at the corner of his mouth, Sun Shouyi continued, "It's the first day today, so it's best not to venture out at night."

In the world of rules, nights typically spelled danger and death.

So far, players had only grasped the most basic information about this instance, without fully understanding its specific background. It was safer to remain cautious.

Besides, it was already quite late, with only about half an hour left until midnight. There wouldn't be much they could accomplish even if they went out now.

After Sun Shouyi finished speaking, he looked at Qin Fei.

Qin Fei nodded in agreement.

There was no rush to find clues; they could always resume their search tomorrow.

The rookies across from them immediately felt relieved upon seeing this.

Fresh from the heart-stopping incident during dinner, everyone had lost their courage to continue exploring.

"Should we divide the coffins and rooms then?" someone suggested cautiously.

"But," a player sitting across from Sun Shouyi raised his trembling hand, interrupting the speaker, "the guide said that if you accidentally look directly into the deity's eyes, you have to go to the hill in the east of the village at midnight..."

This was a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old boy named Lin Ye, still dressed in his school uniform. He appeared nervous and timid, his voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

Upon hearing Lin Ye's words, the middle-aged man standing beside him paled abruptly.

Indeed, the guide had indeed said, "If you accidentally look into the deity's left eye, go to the northeastern hill within the village at midnight and strike yourself three times with a freshly broken willow branch."

However, the guide's handbook, left behind before their departure, clearly stated in black and white that tourists must return to the mortuary for rest before midnight.

These two rules were, surprisingly, contradictory.

Chapter 7: Night Stroll in Yin Village 05

The young lad and the middle-aged man were familiar to Qin Fei; they were the ones who had stared at the hanging painting for a long time in the auditorium.

Out of the dozen or so players, these two were the only ones confirmed to have been affected by something.

Facing Lin Ye's suggestion, the middle-aged player showed obvious hesitation. "But it's almost midnight. If we head to the eastern part of the village now, we might not make it back before midnight."

He spoke gravely.

Sun Shouyi furrowed his brows. "In a Rule-bound World, adhering to the rules is the first principle for survival. Sometimes, false rules or contradictory rules may appear. Without additional evidence, it's up to the players to deduce which rule to follow."

Pausing, he continued, "I suggest you go to the eastern part of the village."

"I agree with Brother Sun," Xiao Xiao chimed in when he noticed the displeased expression on the middle-aged player's face, wanting to help.

As experienced players, Sun Shouyi and Xiao Xiao shared an unspoken intuition: The statue was undoubtedly a crucial element in this dungeon.

In a Rule-bound World, most dungeons had a main storyline.

Although the players were still unclear about the specific background story of the Shadow Guarding Village instance, at least the main storyline was evident: the annual village sacrificial ritual.

The sacrificial ritual, the deity statue.

There was clearly an intricate connection between the two.

Given that the statue element was linked to the main plot, it was logical that the rules associated with it would be extraordinary and not to be trifled with.

Sun Shouyi's intention was to prevent inexperienced players from being misled by the new rules and overlooking the significance of the established ones.

However, neither he nor Xiao Xiao expected these two newcomers to be so timid.

After Xiao Xiao finished speaking, the two rookies fell into a silent exchange of glances.

The middle-aged player was named Hua Qiwei, dressed in a high-quality dark gray suit with a dazzling tie clip, indicating that he held a reputable position in the real world.

He glanced at Lin Ye's slender arms and pale face, his own already pale complexion turning even more ashen. He looked up at the other players and asked urgently, "Is anyone willing to go to the east side of the village with us?"

No one responded.

Hua Qiwei clenched his back teeth and spoke again, "Is there anyone willing to join us? I can offer compensation."

He then pulled off the watch on his wrist, "This watch, worth 1.59 million."

An old player named Cheng Song looked at him with sarcasm.

"My words hold true, I have the money!" Hua Qiwei's voice rose in pitch.

Lin Ye tugged at his sleeve, wanting to speak but hesitating, only to be shrugged off.

"I! I have a lot, a lot of money! After we leave this place, you can name your price for the reward!" Hua Qiwei declared loudly.

Cheng Song, seemingly annoyed by the noise, sneered and said, "Even if you manage to get out, your money won't be of any use."

Hua Qiwei was taken aback, "What do you mean?"

Cheng Song ignored him, turning his cold face away without responding.

No one echoed Hua Qiwei's offer.

Joining him to venture to the village's east side was out of the question; the other players hadn't seen the painting, and leaving the mortuary without permission would undoubtedly violate the rules.

The gruesome sight of Wang Shun in the hall still lingered in their minds – no one would willingly risk their life for two strangers.

Inside the mortuary, silence reigned, and Hua Qiwei's face fell incrementally.

He lifted his gaze, looking hopefully at Sun Shouyi and Qin Fei.

Sun Shouyi averted his eyes, while Qin Fei met his stare with a smile but remained silent.

Knife Scar had been standing on the periphery, observing until now. With a hint of curiosity, he asked Hua Qiwei, "What did that painting you saw look like?"

Hua Qiwei seemed to have found a savior. "Are you going with us?"

He hadn't forgotten the scene of Knife Scar confronting Qin Fei in the car. Although Knife Scar didn't come out on top then, it was clear that he wasn't weak.

Hua Qiwei quickly continued, "It was a middle-aged man dressed in a bright yellow cloth robe, holding something that resembled a buddhist monk's whisk."

He strained his memory to recall, "There were yellow talismans in his pocket, and he had a cloth bag on him. His face was tilted to the left, as if he was looking at something."

Impatiently, the scarred man interrupted, "Describe his face."

Although the players had secretly examined the figure's body to some extent, no one dared to look at its face.

"His... face," Hua Qiwei struggled to recall every detail from the depths of his memory, "He was an old man, very, very old. His face was full of wrinkles, and he had long, white whiskers."

Finishing his description, he hurriedly looked up at the scarred man.

The scarred man grinned nonchalantly, giving no indication of any reaction.

Hua Qiwei's expression contorted, with only fifteen minutes left until midnight.

"Come on, hurry up," Lin Ye urged again. "If we don't leave now, it'll be too late."

The young man looked at Hua Qiwei cautiously, his tone tinged with a hint of ingratiation as he ventured, "Can't I just go with you? We could go together…"

Anxiety and tension involuntarily infused his tone with a hint of a sobbing quality.

Mid-sentence, Hua Qiwei abruptly interrupted with vehemence, "What use are you?"

With slender arms and legs, he seemed as if he could break bones with just a fall.

Hua Qiwei squinted his eyes, lost in thought.

After a moment, he glanced at the entrance of the mortuary, his gaze flickering as he whispered, "When we came here just now, I heard the villagers outside talking. There's a hill to the east of the village..."

His face was etched with fear. "It's a cemetery."

On their way back from the auditorium, Hua Qiwei had also noticed those eerie statues. Recalling the eerie gazes that clung to him, as if they were about to devour him alive, he shuddered violently.

He took a half-step back, leaning against the coffin wall with most of his body. "I'm not going!"

Hua Qiwei's tone was stern, but his inner fear was evident to all.

Lin Ye's face was filled with disbelief: "Not going?"

The youth stammered, "You'll die if you do this."

Hua Qiwei remained unperturbed: "Leaving would be genuine suicide."

Lin Ye looked at him in utter helplessness. "But, but, the rules—"

Hua Qiwei shrilled, "The rules said to stay in the Mortuary!"

He added with a flicker in his eyes, "Who knows if—" Hua Qiwei glanced at Sun Shouyi. "Who knows if what they said is true or false?"

Anger fermented in Sun Shouyi's eyes, and he let out a cold laugh.

Hua Qiwei didn't bother to look at Sun Shouyi's expression. He panted heavily, as though he was at the peak of fear, like a dying fish gasping for air.

With a sense of determination, he walked straight to the coffin in the middle and laid down inside it before anyone else could.

Qin Fei watched the spectacle indifferently, without any signs of disdain or mockery on his face. He only clicked his tongue softly.

In Qin Fei's view, Hua Qiwei had undoubtedly chosen the worst path for himself.

Whether it was the sudden appearance of the painting in the auditorium or the overwhelming stone statues that almost swallowed one's field of vision along the village road at night, everything was clearly and deliberately drawing the players' attention.

Such an alluring force, if devoid of malice, would be hard for anyone to believe.

If players could simply avoid the consequences of "gazing into the statue's eyes" by hiding in coffins, then the resolution to this situation would be far too facile and effortless.

Moreover, the rules regarding the statue were verbally explained by the guide at the entrance of the mortuary in the afternoon. Qin Fei remembered every word clearly; the fear that flickered in the guide's eyes was unmistakable, and Qin Fei was certain it was genuine, not an act.

Directly looking into the statue's eyes would inevitably lead to disastrous consequences.

In fact, Qin Fei had a nagging feeling that even if the offending players went to the eastern cemetery on time, they might still encounter distressing events.

Lin Ye stood alone in the middle of the yard, appearing lost and helpless.

With only ten minutes left, it would be a stretch to reach the eastern village by running before midnight.

He hadn't expected any other players to join them on their trip to the east, after all, this live stream was a matter of life and death.

Recalling Wang Shun's horrifying state in the shrine, Lin Ye instantly felt weak all over.

Lin Ye didn't want to die.

However, Hua Qiwei's sudden abandonment meant that if Lin Ye were to leave the funeral parlor tonight, he would inevitably violate two rules in a row.

Lin Ye gritted his teeth, shot a glance at Hua Qiwei, and then dashed out of the door.

Qin Fei looked at Lin Ye's retreating figure with some sympathy.

Outside the funeral parlor, the night was a hauntingly deep black.

Who knew what the young man would encounter on his own?

But from Qin Fei's perspective, leaving now might give Lin Ye a slim chance of survival. On the other hand, Hua Qiwei, staying in the funeral parlor, was most likely going to... Qin Fei calmly glanced at Hua Qiwei, who was pretending to be dead inside a coffin.

That spot could be considered the safest place in the entire funeral parlor, with others on either side to serve as shields.

Initially, many people had their eyes on that coffin, but it ended up being snatched by this guy.

There were only three minutes left until midnight. Everyone was scrambling into coffins, no longer wasting time competing with Hua Qiwei for a spot. Thus, he actually managed to occupy it unscathed.

Qin Fei cast a quiet look in Hua Qiwei's direction before casually finding a corner coffin to slip into. He lifted his hand to close the heavy lid behind him.

The location of the coffin shouldn't make much difference; the doomed would still meet their end.

Time ticked relentlessly toward midnight.

Qin Fei remained motionless inside the coffin, silently counting the seconds in his heart.

Qin Fei was an exceptional counter; one could even call him a living, walking timekeeper. As he counted up to 180, a faint creak echoed from the entrance of the mortuary.

Something had entered.

...

In the center of the mortuary, in another coffin, Hua Qiwei also heard the sound of the door opening.

In the pitch-black, cramped space, the man's face was terrifyingly pale, his fingertips icy cold, while fine beads of sweat continuously trickled down his forehead.

Creak...

Another noise.

Then, heavy footsteps echoed from the entrance of the courtyard.

Hua Qiwei's heart pounded wildly.

He dared not, nor could he make much noise, so he rasped, attempting to engage in conversation with anyone else in the coffins.

"Did you hear that?" he asked.

The thick coffin lid muffled his voice, causing faint echoes to reverberate within the confined space.

Whether the other players didn't hear him or simply chose not to respond, no one paid him any attention.

It felt as if the entire world had narrowed down to this tiny, square enclosure, leaving only Hua Qiwei alone - and the owner of those footsteps.

The footsteps drew closer and closer.

Closer still.

Hua Qiwei couldn't comprehend why the sound was so distinct, as if it resonated deep within his mind.

He pressed his back firmly against the coffin's rear wall, as if only this could grant him some sense of security.

This coffin, which had filled him with terror during the day, had now become his sole source of protection.

"Stay back... stay back..." Hua Qiwei dared not open his eyes despite being unable to see anything. He curled up his limbs and whispered incessantly, "Go to someone else, go to someone else..."

Unfortunately, his wish was not granted.

"Bang!"

Beyond the coffin lid came a sound of impact.

Hua Qiwei's body jolted abruptly.

"Lin Ye? Lin Ye?" he called out the name of the fellow player who shared his plight.

No response came.

It was then that he recalled the young man had seemingly ventured off alone towards the eastern edge of the village.

"Bang!"

Another thud echoed, causing the entire coffin to tremble slightly.

A metallic tang of blood rose in Hua Qiwei's throat. His eyes widened abruptly, until the pain of tearing sockets pierced through him.

What on earth had entered the mortuary?

The footsteps slowly circled around the area where Hua Qiwei was, as if encircling him.

What did it want?

"Is there anyone? Anyone at all! —" Hua Qiwei couldn't hold back anymore and let out a hoarse cry.

In the corner of Hua Qiwei's personal interface, the number of viewers was skyrocketing frenziedly.

50, 80, 200, 500...

The synthesized system announcements continued nonstop in his ear, but he had no idea what these numbers signified.

With each impact, the force grew, pounding against the coffin where Hua Qiwei lay.

"Crack." Under another massive blow, the lid cracked open a tiny gap.

Hua Qiwei let out a blood-curdling scream.

Pale moonlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating a small area in front of him.

In the vague moonlight, he saw half a face appear through the narrow crack in the coffin lid, no wider than a finger.

It was an enormous grayish-white skull, its stony surface rough with granules. The left eye was slightly narrowed as it peered into the coffin.

The features on the skull matched those of the statues lining the village road perfectly.

The statue had come to life.

"Help! Help! Someone, save me!" Supporting himself with his hands on either side of the coffin, Hua Qiwei tried to rise and flee, but his fear paralyzed him, leaving him only able to kick helplessly within the coffin.

The coffin lid lifted, and a gigantic hand reached inside.

"Ahh! Ahhh—!" The piercing scream split the night sky, echoing within the mortuary.

Hua Qiwei's cries for help grew louder and more desperate with each passing moment.

Receiving no response from the players, he even opened his personal interface, desperately pleading for help to the unseen spectators with no regard for his dignity.

"You... You can see me, can't you? You can see me, right?"

"Save me, save me! I'll do anything you want — anything at all!"

A few seconds later.

The cries of terror abruptly ceased.

...

In another corner of the mortuary, Qin Fei attentively listened to the sounds outside.

The transition from heart-wrenching screams to silence took no more than five minutes.

On Qin Fei's personal panel, the number of viewers had been plummeting rapidly since five minutes ago. It only started to rise again the moment the scream faded away just now.

Faced with such abnormal fluctuations in viewer numbers, Qin Fei could only come up with one hypothesis:

Viewers were able to switch between different streamers' perspectives while watching the same live broadcast.

The perilous situation Hua Qiwei had encountered earlier had drawn all the audience from Qin Fei's channel. Now, those who had left had returned.

It seemed highly likely that Hua Qiwei's fate was grim.

Qin Fei's previous speculation proved correct. Judging from the excessively heavy footsteps, whatever had invaded the mortuary in the middle of the night and killed Hua Qiwei must be a colossal creature.

In fact, it was very possibly one of the stone statues in the village.

The consequence of directly looking at a divine statue was to face its judgment.

Apparently, the safety provided by the coffin had its limits. When conflicting with established rules, even hiding inside the coffin would be futile.

Hopefully, nothing else would go wrong tonight.

Qin Fei lay within the coffin, gently closing his eyes.

However, as if deliberately opposing Qin Fei, the very next moment after the thought crossed his mind, a subtle sound so faint it was almost inaudible came from the right side of Qin Fei's ear.

"Ticking."

Like the gentle pattering of water droplets.

Moments later, another sound echoed.

"Ticking."

Qin Fei's breath suddenly hitched.

Chapter 8: Night Stroll in Yin Village 06

Ticking.

Ticking.

Viscous, warm liquid dripped onto Qin Fei's forehead, tracing a slow path down his brow and along the contours of his eye sockets. The scent of blood seeped in through the crevices of the coffin, transforming from a faint whisper to a rich, heavy aroma that gradually filled the entire sealed space.

The temperature within the coffin was previously identical to that outdoors, but it had now become unusually frigid.

Qin Fei's exposed skin prickled with goosebumps. He blinked, shaking off the blood droplets clinging to his eyelashes.

Inside the coffin, it was pitch black, and Qin Fei could see nothing. Yet, an eerie chill persistently brushed against the nape of his neck.

An odd sensation tingled at the back of his neck, a fine itch that traveled along his spine straight to his brain. Every inch of his skin frantically sounded alarms, all declaring the same chilling truth: A cold hand was slowly ascending up Qin Fei's back.

"Chuckles... Ha ha ah ha..."

A gender-indeterminate giggle echoed in Qin Fei's ear, seeming distant yet strangely close.

The scene should have been chilling, but Qin Fei felt no fear at all.

He lay quietly in the coffin, his heartbeat, breathing, and every rhythm of his body remaining normal, as if he were a breathing corpse.

On the other side of a light barrier, in the live broadcast hall, viewers were already whispering in confusion.

"What's going on now?"

"I've never seen that hand before. Is it a new plot addition? But speaking of which, this streamer is so brave, not even showing any fear."

"I'm truly impressed. His sanity meter hasn't dropped at all. The system must be glitched..."

If Qin Fei could see the viewer's comments, he might have smiled helplessly.

Although it sounded a bit inappropriate, he really didn't want this to happen.

The sensation from behind still persisted.

Qin Fei's mind was alert, and he blinked slowly. Keeping his body still, he tried to glimpse the appearance of the thing behind him by moving his eyes.

The hand glided along Qin Fei's ear, intentionally or coincidentally, always evading the edge of his vision.

No good, he simply couldn't see it.

Qin Fei slowly turned his head backward.

Upon sensing Qin Fei's attempt to move, the hand instantly became displeased. Its slender fingers curled into a tight grip, attempting to keep Qin Fei's head in place.

"Ugh—"

The hand was pressing against the base of Qin Fei's neck with excessive force, causing him to choke out a dry retch, followed by a violent bout of coughing that flushed the young man's face red.

If this were before Qin Fei entered the instance dungeon, such a severe coughing fit would likely have landed him in the hospital.

However, the instance world not only repaired Qin Fei's body, shattered by the car accident before his death, but also healed his numerous health issues.

As a result, Qin Fei only coughed a few times. The expected searing pain in his lungs never materialized.

From this perspective, entering the instance world wasn't entirely a bad thing. In this fleeting moment, Qin Fei unexpectedly found a hint of amusement amidst his suffering.

The young man's intense reaction seemed to startle the hand.

It quickly withdrew. Seeing that Qin Fei was no longer coughing, the hand hovered in mid-air for a few seconds, then slowly descended, resting on Qin Fei's back.

Immediately after, it began patting his back rhythmically, as if assisting him in catching his breath, seemingly fearful of causing any harm from the coughing fit.

Qin Fei: "..."

Why on earth would such an odd, motherly and filial scene unfold within a coffin?

Being caressed by a monster was far from a pleasant experience.

Yet, Qin Fei remained composed, even taking the opportunity to turn his head slightly and scrutinize the hand more closely.

Calling it a hand was accurate—it was indeed just that, a hand.

From the fingertips to the elbow, it was a complete female arm, with smooth skin. The severed end vanished into thin air, as if erased by an eraser, creating an eerie sight.

In the very moment Qin Fei took in the entire arm, a notification bar appeared above the hand.

"Ghost Maiden's Hand: Affection?%"

Qin Fei had never seen an affection level indicated with question marks before; it piqued his interest.

Since there was no warning like the bus driver's "Unattainable," it suggested that this hand might still be trainable.

Clearing his throat, Qin Fei cautiously greeted the hand, "Hey?"

In truth, Qin Fei had long stopped coughing, but the hand seemed to respond slowly, persistently patting his back.

Seizing the opportunity, he flattered, "Thank you, you're so considerate."

The hand paused, its five fingers danced happily for a moment, and then Qin Fei noticed the text in mid-air had changed.

"Ghost Maiden's Hand: Affection 10%"

Qin Fei: ?

"Your fingers have such an elegant shape," he tactfully praised further.

This time, the affinity increased straight to 20%, followed by a small parenthesis.

"Ghoul's Hand: Affinity 20% (The hand finds you agreeable and is willing to continue communicating with you.)"

...It was unexpectedly easy to win over.

Qin Fei raised an eyebrow. He had initially thought that all NPCs in this world would be as difficult to approach as tour guides.

Should he continue the conversation?

Qin Fei blinked and chose a neutral topic to test the waters. "Why are you here?"

The fingers curled slightly, as if pondering Qin Fei's question.

After a moment, it began dancing up and down inside the coffin.

Its movements seemed devoid of any recognizable meaning, and it wasn't using sign language. Qin Fei observed with a frown before suggesting, "Can you write?"

The hand moved up and down twice, floating toward one side of the coffin. Its long nails scratched against the wooden walls of the coffin, producing a grating creaking sound that made teeth ache.

Regrettably, the interior of the coffin was too dimly lit for such precise work as reading characters.

Realizing its efforts were futile, the hand returned to Qin Fei's front and resumed gesturing.

It tried earnestly, but the confined space inside the coffin and its large gestures caused it to bang against the coffin walls with a clattering noise.

Anyone could tell that its desire to communicate was intense.

Unfortunately, despite all its efforts, Qin Fei still couldn't understand a thing.

The hand's movements grew more and more urgent, until finally, it simply spread out all five fingers, attempting to lift the coffin lid.

Was it getting frustrated? Qin Fei naturally couldn't let the hand open the coffin. Swiftly, he reached out and grasped the protruding wooden beams on either side of the lid.

Their hands remained locked in a stalemate within the coffin.

After a while, the hand seemed to grow tired and lethargically landed on Qin Fei's body, half-giving up.

With its five fingers, it brushed against Qin Fei's wrinkled clothing in an irregular rhythm, as if stroking the fur of some small animal.

...Why does this ghostly entity seem somewhat clumsy?

Qin Fei managed to suppress the twitching at the corner of his lips, swiftly assessing his current situation in his mind.

He had no idea why this hand had entered his "room." Ever since Hua Qiwei's death, the mortuary had remained eerily quiet, and it was unlikely that others' coffins had experienced the same phenomenon as his.

Qin Fei was certain that he hadn't violated any known rules thus far.

Similarly, the players had been moving as a group after entering the dungeon; Qin Fei hadn't had the chance to individually break any unknown rules.

The stone statue that killed Hua Qiwei had entered the mortuary right after midnight, and from the start of Hua Qiwei's screams until they fell silent, less than two minutes had passed.

However, more than ten minutes had elapsed since the Ghost Lady's hand entered Qin Fei's room, yet it still hadn't inflicted any tangible harm on him.

Moreover, the guide had mentioned that one couldn't leave their "room" from midnight until dawn.

Qin Fei finally made up his mind.

Though uncertain why the hand had targeted him, since its intentions didn't seem malevolent, he decided to adopt a passive approach and wait for things to unfold.

Anyway, he wasn't afraid.

As for whether this is the right choice, only time will tell, and we must take a gamble.

Qin Fei closed his eyes, resting his interlocked hands gently on his abdomen.

The gentle caresses on his back continued, and after a while, the hand started fiddling with something, causing a series of faint rattling sounds to echo within the coffin.

Indeed, it didn't bother Qin Fei again.

It was unclear how much time had passed when the temperature inside the coffin gradually rose.

It was over.

Qin Fei silently exhaled in relief, not bothering to change his position before he dozed off.

...

In the Live Broadcast Hall, in a corner of the experience zone, the Xiangxi scenario where Qin Fei was located had become the liveliest area in the vicinity.

Almost half of the spirits in the hall had gathered in this tiny corner, making it crowded beyond capacity.

"This is a Ghost Maiden's hand? Wasn't she supposed to appear only after the third day? How can her hand move by itself?"

"His sanity value is still intact despite that!?"

"Forget about it dropping, he isn't even moving anymore. His body must be stiffening!"

"What's going on? The Ghost Maiden wasn't supposed to kill in this scenario."

"I had my eye on this seedling! I just bet 1000 points on him at the Newcomers' Casino. Is he really dead so soon?"

Voices filled with doubt rose up in front of the screen.

In the dimly lit scene, the youth lay expressionless in the center of the coffin, his brows slightly furrowed, and his long eyelashes casting shadows on his face. Coupled with the eerie walls of the coffin behind him, he indeed appeared to have passed away.

The spirits who had placed their bets on Qin Fei were assembled anxiously and dejectedly in front of the screen, exchanging theories about what had gone wrong.

Until someone in the image suddenly pressed their lips together.

"…Did I see it wrong? It seems like he moved?"

"He's not dead?"

"He's definitely not dead! If he were, his screen would have gone dark by now after such a long time. Look, isn't everything still normal?"

Of course, Qin Fei wasn't dead.

He was sleeping soundly, even letting out a gentle snore as he turned over, much like a cat dozing off.

Audience: "…."

Could someone please explain how someone could fall asleep while being touched by a ghostly hand?

"Darn it! If it weren't for the fact that his history of live broadcasts is zero, I wouldn't believe he's a newbie!"

"Can the panel be deceiving us?"

"I'm starting to doubt the existence of ghosts!"

...

The night passed without any dreams.

For Qin Fei, this was a rare and peaceful sleep. Strangely, after entering this bizarre instance world, the nightmares that had plagued him for years mysteriously vanished. The next morning, Qin Fei woke up early, his internal clock rousing him precisely at seven o'clock.

Qin Fei blinked and lifted the lid of the coffin.

Daylight flooded his vision. Surprisingly, the other players in the mortuary were even more punctual, scattered around the courtyard in small groups, their whispered conversations drifting near and far into Qin Fei's ears.

The village of Yin Guard was still shrouded in thick fog today. The daylight was obscured by heavy clouds, casting an ethereal mist over everything within sight. However, the crisp morning air lifted Qin Fei's spirits.

Not far away, Xiao Xiao noticed that Qin Fei was awake and started walking towards him.

Qin Fei's eyes curved into a smile, his beautiful amber irises shimmering with mirth. He waved a hand while greeting, "Hey, good morning~"

Xiao Xiao: "...Hey?"

Who could enlighten him on what was happening? How did the mighty Qin Fei look so much better after just one night?

His complexion was rosy and radiant, as if he had been rejuvenated.

Could it really be possible for someone to sleep well inside a mission instance? Xiao Xiao felt that his worldview was once again being challenged.

With an indescribable expression, Xiao Xiao gazed at Qin Fei. A strange hue in the corner of his eye caught his attention, causing his scalp to tingle. "Why is there blood in your coffin?"

Qin Fei let out a soft "hum." "Well, I didn't notice it. Perhaps it was already there in the coffin?"

"Is that so?" Xiao Xiao was taken aback, feeling an inexplicable sense of discomfort, but unable to pinpoint exactly what was wrong.

Qin Fei pursed his lips, his smile gentle and obedient as he nodded earnestly. "Of course."

"Alright then." Xiao Xiao found himself inexplicably swayed by Qin Fei's smile.

Qin Fei blinked, his long eyelashes casting a delicate shadow on his cheeks.

Despite having lifted the coffin lid, a subtle scent of blood could still be discerned upon closer sniffing.

That must be the scent left behind by Ghost Hand last night.

Qin Fei never expected that it had left so much blood inside the coffin.

Recalling the rustling sounds he heard just before falling asleep last night, Qin Fei's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Following the trail of blood, he pressed down inch by inch until his touch paused at a particular spot.

Under his fingers, the surface was uneven with fine scratches.

It was text.

Ghost Hand had actually carved a line of words into the coffin using its nails.

No wonder so much blood had been spilled; perhaps its fingertips were worn raw. Qin Fei felt a strange sympathy for the dungeon boss.

The engravings were very shallow, and Qin Fei struggled to distinguish them, bit by bit.

Dot, vertical stroke, dot, horizontal stroke...

The first word was "Swift."

The second—Qin Fei's breath hitched.

Run, swiftly.

That was the message the Ghost Maiden left for him.

Flee quickly.

Do not trust anyone.

Chapter 9: Night Stroll in Yin Village 07

Run.

That was the warning left behind by the Ghost Lady for Qin Fei.

Qin Fei frowned, a hint of suspicion flashing through his eyes.

So, last night, the Ghost Lady had desperately tried to open his coffin just to urge him to leave quickly?

Was there something wrong with the coffin?

No, that couldn't be right.

As the only safe haven in the dungeon, if the coffin itself was a deception, then the players would be at a significant disadvantage.

The Ghost Lady's hand might have left this message to warn Qin Fei that there was something amiss with the village and its inhabitants.

Or perhaps she meant something else entirely.

Only it knew the truth of its situation.

"Big Shot Qin! Big Shot Qin?"

Xiao Xiao's voice came from beside him, and Qin Fei turned his head to look.

"What were you thinking about? I've been calling you for ages, but you didn't respond." Xiao Xiao wore a look of resentment.

"I was just lost in thought." Qin Fei smiled gently, effortlessly brushing off the subject. "Why did you call me?"

Xiao Xiao glanced toward the other side of the yard, his expression a mix of emotions. "Actually, there's nothing much. I just wanted to tell you... Hua Qiwei is dead."

In the center of the yard lay a shattered coffin, its remains soaked in blood. Scattered bits of flesh and tattered clothing dotted the area, but no corpse was in sight. It was unclear where the monster that appeared in the middle of the night had taken it.

It was a gruesome death, to say the least.

Qin Fei nodded. Hua Qiwei's demise was expected. He then asked, "What about Lin Ye?"

Xiao Xiao replied, "I'm not sure. He hasn't returned yet."

It seemed highly unlikely that they would return.

If Lin Ye were to die, half of the blame would fall on Hua Qiwei, his incompetent teammate who had dragged him down.

"Speaking of which," Xiao Xiao said, "you were right. The coffin can actually restore a player's Sanity Points."

After spending a night in the coffin, Xiao Xiao woke up this morning to find that his Sanity Points had increased by five points.

Unfortunately, five points were barely a drop in the bucket. Just yesterday, in the funeral parlor, Xiao Xiao's Sanity Points had dropped by eight points.

That was even without being affected by any of the instance's illusions or succumbing to the food on the table. Novice players with lower mental immunity than him would have lost even more Sanity Points.

Xiao Xiao asked Qin Fei, "Expert, how much Sanity Points did you recover?"

He wanted to know if the coffin had the same effect on everyone, but after asking around in the morning, he found that few were willing to share their information.

Xiao Xiao didn't take it personally and simply smiled as he looked for his next target.

How could Qin Fei possibly know how many Sanity Points he had recovered?

The entire day before, Qin Fei's Sanity Points hadn't dropped at all. Furthermore, when the Ghost Hand appeared in the middle of the night, due to the influx of new viewers in the live stream, the system had granted Qin Fei another reward, which directly pushed his Sanity Points past the 120 threshold.

As such, the coffin's supposed boost to Sanity Points didn't seem to have any effect on Qin Fei.

Qin Fei evaded the question. "Same as you."

Xiao Xiao didn't doubt him and instead turned to inquire other players nearby.

Soon, at 7:30 in the morning, the guide arrived punctually and opened the door to the mortuary.

Affected by last night's banquet, the players were on high alert for breakfast this morning. Unlike yesterday, however, the guide didn't lead them anywhere else. Instead, he entered the mortuary with two bamboo baskets filled with food.

The contents of the bamboo baskets were ordinary – egg and ham sandwiches wrapped in crude oil paper, along with milk. They were neatly arranged within.

Despite this, the players remained cautious.

Once again, Qin Fei took the initiative. After thanking the guide, he picked up a sandwich from the basket at random.

The sandwich was still warm, its taste no different from those sold in bakeries.

Watching Qin Fei enjoy his meal, the players finally mustered the courage to approach.

After an entire day without food yesterday, they pounced on the bamboo basket like starving wolves. Some eagerly reached out to snatch food, while others gazed at the basket with solemn expressions, seemingly lost in thought. A few still lingered timidly at the back of the crowd.

Three minutes later, the guide looked up at the half-filled basket, his face contorted with disdain. His gaze swept across the players' faces like razor-sharp blades.

Only when he saw Qin Fei did he manage a faint, barely recognizable smile, his ashen cheeks stretching slightly.

Though the gesture was minute, it sufficed to bring a sense of comfort to Qin Fei's mind and body.

Beside him, a player biting into a sandwich suddenly exclaimed, "My sanity value has recovered by one point!"

"I did too!"

"Me too."

This revelation left the players who hadn't taken breakfast in a state of stunned disbelief. Though they were all newcomers, they had come to understand the crucial role of their sanity values in the past day and night. Missing an opportunity to replenish it could very well mean taking a giant leap closer to death.

Someone ventured forward again, only to be deterred by the tour guide's withering glance.

Among those who had grabbed breakfast, some had indeed guessed the potential effect of the food on restoring their sanity points, but most were merely driven by hunger and peer pressure.

If not for Qin Fei's initial attempt, they would never have dared to act recklessly.

Several grateful gazes fell upon Qin Fei. Standing still, he pursed his lips into a subtle smile, exuding an air of hidden accomplishments and anonymity.

The slender and elegant young man stood tall, his skin fair. He resembled a willow in the breeze, appearing both approachable and dependable.

His attire was impeccable and serene, exuding an air of nonchalance amidst the eerie ambiance of the dungeon. Unaffected by the gloom and peculiarity that plagued the surroundings, he stood out starkly among the group of disheveled players, like a ray of light in a world of shadows.

The guide glanced at the others and then at Qin Fei. The favorability bar above his head reluctantly moved forward a tiny bit once more.

Though it's only a slight amount, its significance absolutely cannot be underestimated.

For Qin Fei, this was nothing short of a historic moment, as at this very instant, the Tour Guide's favorability towards him had finally surpassed the significant milestone of 20.

"Travel Lodge Guide": Affinity: 20 (The guide has a positive impression of you and is willing to continue communicating.)

Qin Fei's spirits lifted.

The guide's "continued interaction" was clearly much more useful than the ghost girl's.

After collecting all the milk bottles, the guide whispered, "You're free to roam around the village at will now, but don't leave. Please return to the mortuary by 11:30."

With that, the guide turned to leave.

Qin Fei swiftly stepped forward and blocked the guide's path at the entrance of the mortuary. "Sir Guide, aren't you coming with us?"

True to his expectations, the guide replied to Qin Fei. He shook his head and spoke in fragmented sentences, "I have... other matters to attend to."

Qin Fei slightly furrowed his brow, his delicate face displaying disappointment. "Is that so? That's really too bad."

He lowered his gaze, his amber eyes filled with loss. "I was looking forward to exploring the beauty of Western Hunan with you, Sir Guide."

His pitiful appearance tugged at one's heartstrings.

Upon finishing his words, the guide's favorability towards Qin Fei increased by 1 point.

Qin Fei silently gave himself a mental thumbs up.

In the live stream's audience section,

"Damn, he's seriously too shameless. I've never seen someone so skilled at bootlicking."

"But why does he keep trying to please the guide?"

"It's not just the guide, he didn't even spare a single hand last night."

"It must have something to do with his innate skill."

Players who had activated their innate skills had differently colored attribute panels from those who hadn't, making it easy for viewers to tell at a glance.

The specifics of an innate skill were considered private information and were protected by the system, so viewers couldn't directly see them.

However, the system wouldn't miss any chance to make money. A wealthy viewer immediately purchased a Decryption Mirror from the system store, a tool that could somewhat decipher a player's innate skill content.

But soon, that viewer was left dumbfounded, "What's going on? Why can't I see anything? The system shows that his anti-peeping level is the highest S class."

In F-rated streams and above, viewers could interact with players in real-time through bullet screens. To ensure fairness in the game, the system restricted spectators from sharing Host A's personal information with Host B.

However, systems were rigid, while viewers were resourceful.

With determination, one could always find creative ways to skirt around the rules and leak information.

Detailed revelations might be impossible, but sometimes, even the tiniest bits of information could significantly impact the dynamics within a dungeon instance.

As a result, some high-level players, mindful of their privacy, would purchase counter-surveillance items in Central City.

Such items would only appear on those gods among players whose innate abilities have evolved time and again, and who have accumulated an impressive score to a significant level.

For an inexperienced player like Qin Fei, who didn't even have a comprehensive understanding of the live broadcast system and audience, how could he possibly possess such an item?

This was his very first instance; he hadn't even had the chance to access the system's marketplace yet.

"Is it a bug?"

"This time, it has to be a bug, right!"

The live streaming hall erupted into another round of feverish excitement.

Unfortunately,

The system's mechanical female voice, as cold as ever, announced a fact that the audience found hard to believe.

"All is in compliance, no loopholes detected. Please view the stream in an orderly manner."

What on earth was going on?

The viewers exchanged bewildered glances.

Qin Fei's online viewer count skyrocketed, and upon hearing the continuous system notifications in this area, spectators from neighboring zones flocked over.

Speculations about Qin Fei's peculiarities abounded, but the most discussed topic remained his innate skill.

Some sharp-eyed viewers were close to unraveling the truth, "The system mentioned that the guide's unusual attitude toward him is related to his talent. So, his flattery must be due to a requirement of his skill, right?"

"Flattery is used to win favor from others, from NPCs... Could it be that his innate skill is to charm NPCs? If they have a high affinity for him, they might assist him."

This conjecture could be said to have precisely nailed the truth; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it prophetic.

However, just a second later, someone immediately refuted it.

"Do you even know anything about live streaming?"

"Exactly, how could that be? There are only a limited number of fixed types for innate abilities. They keep reappearing. You made up the strategy-based ability yourself?"

The audience engaged in heated discussions.

Eventually, they finally reached a conclusion:

Qin Fei's unusual behavior must be related to his innate ability. Courting NPCs might bring him some advantage. Perhaps his ability was charm-based, or he was a mental-type thief who could steal information from NPCs.

But the theory that "innate ability equals NPC strategy" couldn't hold water.

Everyone had watched so many live streams, and they had never seen a streamer successfully court an NPC. NPCs in the rule-bound worlds were naturally hostile towards players. Even the most gentle and harmless NPCs didn't have any affection for these outsiders.

Even the rarest charm-type innate abilities were no exception; they could only work for a very short period while the skill was active.

The ability to romance non-playable characters is truly heaven-defying.

Absolutely.

It's absolutely impossible.

...

On the other side of the screen, Qin Fei, who had been deemed "impossible," was thriving in his pursuit of the guide character.

The guide attempted to leave, but Qin Fei clung to him like a piece of sticky candy: "Guide, what tasks do you have? Is there anything I can assist you with?"

The young man's expression was earnest, his clear and gentle eyes shimmering with unwavering determination. It was as if he was the most trustworthy and caring guide in the world: "Since we're already in the village, it would be ideal if we could help alleviate some of your work burden while enjoying our visit."

Guide: "..."

The guide had never encountered such an enthusiastic tourist and was momentarily taken aback.

Moments later, the guide regained their composure.

Perhaps it was because Qin Fei's demeanor appeared overly dependable that the guide hesitated for a few seconds before actually retrieving a box from the massive backpack on his back. "This is collaborative material between the travel agency and Shadow Village. Can you deliver it to the village chief?"

Qin Fei readily agreed. "No problem."

The other players watching from behind were left with their jaws hanging in astonishment.

Did this guy really just get a new mission like that?

In fact, this wasn't the first time. Whenever the player named Qin Fei conversed with the guide, he always received a response, as if the guide would fulfill any request.

Was it possible that the guide's menacing appearance, as if he'd lop off someone's head at the slightest provocation, was just an act, and that he was actually quite approachable in reality?

Some players began to entertain such thoughts. Their gazes met in the air, and soon they huddled together, whispering conspiratorially.

Qin Fei glanced over and noticed the group of ruffians led by the one with the scar.

These individuals had been clustering together since they were on the bus. No one knew what they discussed, but after a while, a young man with yellow hair named Tan Yong was pushed forward.

He strode confidently up to the guide.

"Hey! Guide." Clearly, Tan Yong was attempting to emulate Qin Fei's demeanor, forcing a relatively innocent smile for the guide.

Unfortunately, his facial features worked against him, and the attempt at duplicating Qin Fei's gentle and composed aura fell flat, bordering on sleazy instead.

The guide's face darkened, and he remained silent.

Tan Yong felt the guide's impatience like a cold breeze, leaving him stammering, unable to utter a word.

Something was off. Why was the situation different for him? When Qin Fei approached, the guide seemed to relax, his expression softening. But with Tan Yong, the guide's brows knitted together as if he wished to crush him on the spot.

Tan Yong was nervous, and his nerves only worsened his performance.

The guide soon lost his patience. He disliked the ugly, blond youth lingering before his eyes and shot him a menacing glare, "Spit it out if you have something to say."

Tan Yong's face flushed a deep shade of purple.

The guide ignored him and turned his attention back to Qin Fei, beginning to give him directions.

Inside Qin Fei's box were a few sheets of paper and a booklet, its cover adorned with flashy landscape photographs, reminiscent of local travel guides found in real-world travel agencies or long-distance bus rides.

"The village chief is at the ancestral hall. You can deliver the items there. The ancestral hall is over—" The guide raised a hand, pointing in a direction. "That way."

Qin Fei followed the direction indicated by the tour guide.

The mist in the village was even denser today than it was yesterday, which was peculiar; it was as if this place were entirely devoid of sunlight.

A pallid mist draped everything within sight, imbuing it with a desolate and lifeless hue.

It was daytime now, and the stone deities lining the village pathways had been retrieved by the villagers. Similarly, the villagers themselves had vanished, leaving the entire village shrouded in an eerie silence.

At the end of the dense fog that obscured the view, a building stood silently in place.

Strangely enough, despite the low visibility, the outline of the shrine appeared unusually distinct. Its dark entrance seemed to be facing the direction of the mortuary, almost glowing with an eerie crimson hue in the haze. Upon closer inspection, however, there was nothing but emptiness.

It resembled a black vortex, ready to devour all living creatures within its reach.

Chapter 10: Night Stroll in Yin Village 08

Behind Qin Fei, the players gathered with mixed expressions, seemingly wanting to speak but hesitating.

Fortunately, Qin Fei was never an egotistical person. As an outstanding social worker, kindness and helping others were badges of honor ingrained in his character.

He understood the principle of sharing both fortune and adversity. Turning around, he asked with a friendly smile, "Does anyone want to come with me?"

However, as soon as he posed the question, those initially eager players began to waver.

Whispers spread through the crowd.

"The shrine... It sounds very dangerous."

"There must be many statues, right?"

"Was that village chief we saw in the hall yesterday?"

The group exchanged glances.

Tan Yong, standing at the forefront, hesitated for a moment before ultimately taking two steps back.

The unknown ahead was fraught with the looming threat of death, while the safety behind them, though temporary, was still irresistibly appealing.

Despite Qin Fei's advice last night that only by gathering as much information as possible could one truly seize the initiative, the players were still hesitant to act recklessly.

Not everyone possessed the courage to withstand the pressure of impending death.

Inside the mortuary, silence reigned supreme.

No one responded to Qin Fei.

Seeing this, Qin Fei merely curved his lips into a soft, polite smile.

There would always be someone willing to take risks for the sake of potential clues.

At least, the seasoned players would surely want to go.

Sure enough, Sun Shouyi, Xiao Xiao, and Cheng Song all expressed their willingness to accompany him.

In addition, Scar and the two new female players also stepped forward.

The two female players were named Ling Na and Liu Sisi. They were the only women in this instance dungeon. Although all the newcomers were initially panicked when the live broadcast began, these two girls calmed down rather swiftly, displaying more courage than the men who stayed behind at the mortuary.

The group immediately left the funeral parlor and headed toward the shrine.

Qin Fei took the lead, walking ahead. Before setting off, he turned back for a glance.

The Yi Tomb's gates stood wide open, yet the players who had not dared to venture out with them were equally hesitant to step beyond the threshold now.

Qin Fei couldn't shake the feeling that by the time they returned to the Mortuary, those few individuals would still be there.

On both sides of the village road, every household's doors and windows were tightly shut. A thick fog enveloped the path, the ashen mist giving off an unsettling vibe as if one could be poisoned with just a few more breaths.

As such, the journey was unusually quiet, with barely anyone speaking.

Except for Cheng Song and Scarface.

Cheng Song seemed to be engaged in conversation with Scarface. Ever since leaving the Mortuary, the two had been walking side by side at the back of the group.

Their conversation was not intentionally hushed, and snippets of their talk intermittently reached the ears of other players.

Qin Fei eavesdropped openly for quite some time but found himself unable to comprehend much of it.

What joining the Benevolent Hall, seedlings, trials...

"Hey Xiao Xiao, what's this 'Shan Tang' they're talking about?" Qin Fei inquired with genuine curiosity.

Is it the cafeteria?

Xiao Xiao: ?

Xiao Xiao was taken aback. "The Benevolent Hall is a guild for players. Didn't you know?"

Qin Fei shook his head.

Xiao Xiao found it hard to believe that there was someone who didn't know about the Benevolent Hall.

But upon reflection, not everyone was interested in participating in collective organizations. There were quite a number of lone wolves who preferred not to join guilds. Perhaps Qin Fei was one of those who cared least about external affairs.

He explained to Qin Fei, "The Benevolent Hall is an affiliated guild under the Black Feather Union - the largest guild in the entire Rule Realm. In F-rated Experience Worlds and the higher E-rated ones, the Benevolent Hall is considered one of the top-ranking entities."

Xiao Xiao paused before continuing, "It seems that Cheng Song is likely a recruiter for the Benevolent Hall, specifically tasked with attracting new players."

Worried that Qin Fei might not grasp the intricacies, Xiao Xiao added, "When we accumulate enough points through streaming, we'll leave the current world and move on to the next. Some guilds, mainly active in lower-level worlds, strategically maintain their points at a certain level to stay in those worlds for extended periods, allowing them to seize promising newcomers as soon as they enter the Rule Realm."

In the Rule Realm, the live-streaming worlds that players could enter were divided into various grades: Experience Worlds, E-rated Worlds, D-rated Worlds... all the way up to A-rated and even S and Double S-rated Worlds.

Players earned points through streaming, and once they accumulated a sufficient number of points, they would automatically advance to the next world.

Points in the Rule-bound Worlds serve not only for leveling up but also as the fundamental universal currency, acceptable both in the System Marketplace and the players' black market.

Large guilds maintain control over points by continuously converting them into other items. As long as points don't accumulate to the next tier, players can remain indefinitely in the same level world.

Qin Fei was puzzled. "They can do that?"

Wouldn't the System intervene in such actions? Staying indefinitely in lower-level worlds seemed prone to disrupt the balance among players.

Xiao Xiao shook his head. "Ordinary players couldn't pull this off, but Guild Recruiters are exceptions."

To become an official Union Hunter, one must apply through the Union and obtain a qualifying certificate issued by the system in Central City.

Players without the Hunter qualification who persistently stay in low-level worlds will, without exception, be transported into the Punishment World once detected by the system.

Xiao Xiao said, "No one wants to end up in the Punishment World. It's practically a place of certain death."

"And," Xiao Xiao's expression turned odd, "apart from Hunters, no one would willingly stay in low-level worlds."

Qin Fei was about to ask more, but Xiao Xiao changed the topic to the Black Feather Union.

His tone held a hint of admiration, "Black Feather is one of the four major guilds in the Rule Worlds. Most of its main members operate in B-level or higher worlds, while a few core members are superpowerful figures who first entered the S-level world."

As a branch guild under Black Feather, the Charity Hall mainly operates in Experience Worlds up to C-level worlds.

From the looks of it, Cheng Song must be a Hunter from the Charity Hall.

Qin Fei understood this much, but there were still some things he didn't quite grasp.

"How did he... take a fancy to him?" Qin Fei pursed his lips, his long eyelashes fluttering in confusion, his handsome face reflecting his bewilderment.

Xiao Xiao was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

Qin Fei looked at him, blinked, and pointed at himself with his finger.

In what way was he inferior to Scar? Why did this damned Union's recruiter fancy Scar so much?

Student Xiao Qin shook his head, disappointment evident on his face at Cheng Song's lack of insight.

Xiao Xiao: "..."

There was no need to be so competitive in such an absurd situation, right?

Xiao Xiao forcefully held back the twitching corner of his mouth. "As an experienced player, even if Cheng Song is interested in you, he wouldn't directly approach you like this."

Where there were people, there were social dynamics. The web of relationships behind seasoned players was intricate, and it had to be considered which kind of individuals the Union could recruit and which they couldn't.

In short, Unions usually conducted background checks before recruiting veteran players.

So that was how it was.

Learning that Cheng Song didn't avoid him not because he deemed Qin Fei inferior to Scarface, but due to being deceived by his superior deception skills, Qin Fei nodded in satisfaction.

However, Xiao Xiao still wore a complicated expression, with his furrowed brows never easing.

Just as Qin Fei had questioned earlier, the presence of Headhunting Players undoubtedly disrupted the balance among players during live broadcasts.

Since Cheng Song was a Headhunting Player, his live broadcast experience would undoubtedly surpass everyone else's. Having such a player as a teammate seemed advantageous on the surface. But what if he had ulterior motives...

One must know, in the Rule-bound Worlds, there were those who, armed with their overwhelming strength, bossed others around in various dungeons, treating weaker players like slaves.

If Cheng Song was such a person, then they might have a tough time in the following days.

Compared to the worried Xiao Xiao, Qin Fei was much more optimistic.

After hearing Xiao Xiao's whispered concerns, the young man smiled nonchalantly, appearing very relaxed. "I believe he's not the type to stir trouble unnecessarily."

Xiao Xiao was taken aback. "How can you tell?"

Qin Fei had his own reasoning.

Cheng Song had been quiet since the live broadcast began. According to Xiao Xiao's assessment, he was undoubtedly the strongest in the entire instance dungeon, yet he had never shown any signs of his strength, maintaining an incredibly low profile.

When he spoke or looked at others, his brows were slightly lowered, and his voice was deep – both indications of a reserved and introverted personality.

Aside from that, Qin Fei could deduce some information from the positions Cheng Song chose during their actions, the expressions on his face, and the way he looked at people.

If he were to explain these observations, it would inevitably involve a barrage of psychological jargon. Qin Fei didn't feel like bothering with such intricacies, so he simply said, "I can tell by his appearance."

Did he lie? Not exactly.

This 'appearance' wasn't quite the same as the traditional Chinese concept of physiognomy. Qin Fei believed that the ancient sages of divination wouldn't mind incorporating some modern knowledge into their system.

Yeah, that was it.

Xiao Xiao: "..."

Xiao Xiao: "?"

Wasn't physiognomy supposed to be his specialty? Then why couldn't he see anything?

Qin Fei's Daoist friend fell into self-doubt once more.

Despite finding Xiao Xiao's words absurd, there was still an inexplicable conviction in his heart.

Qin Fei had a peculiar charm. Perhaps it was due to the sincerity in his expression whenever he spoke, making even the most preposterous statements seem plausible, as if one couldn't help but think, "Well, he must be right, then?"

Xiao Xiao turned his head to look behind him.

Scarface was whispering something to Cheng Song with his head tilted, glancing at Qin Fei from time to time with a mocking smile on his face.

Noticing Qin Fei and Xiao Xiao's attention, he suddenly raised his voice, as if intentionally challenging Qin Fei, "If I join, then—"

In the elongated tone, Scarface's ill intentions were blatant.

Cheng Song, however, didn't respond, shaking his head as he warned Scarface, "Don't do anything unnecessary."

Seeing this, Xiao Xiao couldn't help raising an eyebrow. It seemed Qin Fei had indeed guessed correctly?

The players, each harboring their own thoughts, struggled to navigate through the fog-shrouded village path.

Earlier, when they were at the funeral parlor, the path didn't seem too far away, but now it seemed like an eternity before they reached their destination.

On both sides of the road, endless, pale walls stretched out, making this path resemble an endless dead end that repeated itself.

Xiao Xiao rubbed his arms and narrowed his eyes, cautiously surveying their surroundings. "Could we be lost in a ghost maze?"

As he spoke, he made a gesture with his fingers and muttered something under his breath.

After a moment, he frowned in confusion. "No, that's not it."

"Indeed not," Qin Fei reassured, patting Xiao Xiao's shoulder.

The fog obscured their vision, and based on the original visibility, they shouldn't have been able to see the shrine from the funeral parlor.

In reality, they had only caught a glimpse of the shrine when the guide pointed, and after that, the fog-covered path was all they saw.

That one glimpse was probably due to some trick the guide had used.

Since entering the village gate the day before, Qin Fei had been silently counting his steps and estimating the village's layout.

He was certain that they hadn't taken the wrong path; the so-called "ghost wall" was merely an illusion caused by the difficult navigation through the fog and their slow progress.

Qin Fei pointed at a house by the side of the road, "Look, the paper money strings hanging under the eaves of that house are red."

All the other houses they had passed had white paper money strings.

This was a clear landmark, proving that they were not trapped in a circle.

Seeing this, Xiao Xiao's expression relaxed a bit, "Indeed."

He paused and asked the question on everyone's mind, "So, why is the paper money at this family's gate red?"

The players instinctively stopped, staring intently at the red paper money string.

The style of the paper money string was no different from those hanging under the eaves of other houses in the village, except for its eerie blackish-red color, as if it had been soaked in blood and then dried. It gave off an ominous vibe just by looking at it.

What did the color red signify?

Before the players could figure anything out, Xiao Xiao's face suddenly changed, "Shit, what is that?!"

Directly in front of Xiao Xiao, a shadow suddenly darted across the window of the house adorned with red paper money.

Everyone hurriedly turned their gaze in that direction.

Unfortunately, they were too late. All they caught was a hazy glimpse of a turbid eye vanishing behind the window frame.

Someone was inside the house.

And they were observing them.

This realization sent chills down everyone's spine, and the players instantly grew alert.

Why was this person spying on them?

Though it was just a fleeting glance, the eye they had seen through the window had been abnormally gray, its whites muddled, and its red-rimmed iris gave off an eerie, almost inhuman appearance.

Not far away, the entrance to this house, like others, was tightly shut. The old wooden door, with its simple design, was covered in grayish-red mold and moss along its edges.

The strings of red paper money swayed back and forth under the eaves, standing out starkly against the blinding white surroundings, imbued with an ominous aura.

Sun Shouyi spoke gravely, "This should be a clue."

It was too obvious, so much so that it was hard to overlook.

Such a blatant clue right before their eyes – it would be a pity to let it slip away.

However, the players exchanged glances, all revealing hesitation in their eyes.

In the end, Cheng Song took the initiative and gestured for Scar to approach, "Go take a look."

Scar's face froze upon hearing this. He hadn't expected that after being offered an olive branch by a major guild, he would be used as a whetstone without even reaping any benefits first.

His expression shifted several times before he finally gritted his teeth, "Alright."

Although Scar was brutal, impulsive, and quick to anger, he was clearly a practical man.

The benefits of joining a guild were countless, and he was determined to seize them.

Qin Fei watched silently as Scar stepped forward, a hint of contemplation flickering in his eyes.

Scar, like him, was also experiencing his first live broadcast and had no knowledge of the world beyond the instances.

In this situation, Cheng Song's mere words were enough to make Scar obey him blindly, which once again challenged Qin Fei's understanding of the power dynamics within "guilds" in this world.

It seemed that Xiao Xiao's description was still too conservative. Different "guilds" likely held an unchallengeable dominance in their respective levels of the rule-bound worlds, akin to local tyrants.

However, Qin Fei didn't think it was a wise move for Cheng Song to try recruiting Scar into his guild.

A lawless desperado like Scar, who disregarded morality and rules, was like a venomous snake – impossible to tame.

Even if kept in a bamboo basket by a snake charmer, it would still flick its tongue, biding its time to strike at the charmer's life source.

Perhaps Cheng Song believed his current command over Scar was part of the standard pre-membership test. But Scar would perceive it as an insult, and one day, he would retaliate unexpectedly.

Scar searched around the door and gave Cheng Song a subtle glance, his eyes filled with indiscernible complexity.

Cheng Song appeared oblivious, asking, "Well?"

Scar replied, "There's no one behind the window."

Cheng Song frowned. "Try knocking on the door."

This move was clearly risky, as they had no idea if knocking would violate Shenyin Village's customs.

Scarface fell silent for a moment before he stepped forward obediently.

"Knock, knock, knock—"

Three dull echoes resonated with their pounding hearts.

After a moment, the heavy wooden door creaked open, revealing a deeply wrinkled face behind it.

It was an incredibly aged man. His grayish-white cloth robe hung loosely on his bony frame, making him resemble a scarecrow draped in tattered linen.

The old man croaked, "Who are you?"

Scarface took two steps back, returning to Cheng Song's side.

Simultaneously, Qin Fei saw the red affinity bar reappear before his eyes.

"Ordinary Villager: Affection - (Unattainable)"

Qin Fei suddenly realized something. Apart from benefiting from the increasing affection of NPCs, his innate skill seemed to function as a monster encyclopedia.

Taking a half-step forward, Qin Fei smiled and announced their cover story: "Hello, we're tourists visiting the village."

Xiao Xiao stood behind Qin Fei. He now had a thorough understanding of Qin's boldness... no, his bravery and decisiveness. It was to the point that nothing could ruffle his composure.

The old man's gaze swept across the players: "Oh."

It was a response that left them at a loss for words.

For a moment, the other players didn't know how to proceed. Only Qin Fei remained unfazed, his tone light and casual: "Sir, your house is truly lovely."

Qin Fei looked up, his gaze landing on the ordinary village house that was indistinguishable from its neighbors.

"I genuinely believe that your home embodies the unique local charm of Shadow Guard Village," he exclaimed sincerely.

In the live streaming hall, Qin Fei's every word provoked laughter from the audience.

"Oh no, why does the host just blurt things out like that?"

"What beauty? The door is probably moldy, hahaha!"

"The seams are so dark, even the bridge I live under is newer than this house."

"I hereby dub him the number one person in the Reality Realm to brazenly lie with open eyes."

Qin Fei was oblivious to the moral judgment being passed on him by the group on the other side of the screen. He stood there quietly, his demeanor incredibly innocent, looking every bit like a naive young backpacker.

The old man looked at him expressionlessly.

Undeterred, Qin Fei continued with the words he had been longing to say, "We've been walking for half a day and are tired. Could we come in and rest at your place?"

"Just to have a cup of tea."

The young man's obedient and friendly demeanor made it seem as if he wasn't standing before an unfamiliar NPC from a bizarre instance dungeon but rather an uncle who had watched him grow up in their neighborhood.

Xiao Xiao: "..."

He was wrong, truly wrong. This person's shamelessness knew no bounds, continually reshaping his understanding of human nature.

Perhaps it was Qin Fei's audacious facade that tugged at the old man's heartstrings, for he unexpectedly consented.

"Very well." He nodded and turned half-way, ushering the players into the house.

...

This was the first time the players had entered a villager's home. Despite it being daytime outside, the interior was dim as midnight, with damp air that seemed ready to condense into droplets at any moment. The cramped and gloomy space was cold as an ice cellar.

With lowered eyebrows, they entered the room cautiously, secretly taking in the arrangement of objects within.

What unfolded before them was an unassuming country cottage, its wooden structure echoing the local architectural style, indistinguishable from other houses in the village. Inside, various sundries were haphazardly piled up, filling every nook and cranny, imparting an inexplicable sense of oppression to the atmosphere.

Qin Fei moved slowly through the clutter, carefully placing each step to avoid accidentally knocking anything over.

"Sit," the elder spoke, his deep and raspy voice echoing within the room.

He poured a glass of water and handed it to Qin Fei, completely ignoring the others, showing no intention of entertaining them at all.

Qin Fei took the cup and gently touched his lips to it.

It was ordinary tea.

The other players huddled by the door, not because they didn't want to sit but because there was simply no space in the room. The old man paid them no attention, not even casting a glance their way.

It was as if Qin Fei was the only one who existed in his eyes.

The clock hanging in the corner of the room ticked away, and after a moment, Cheng Song, who was being pushed toward the door by the crowd, couldn't hold back any longer. "Old man, the thing hanging at your doorstep—"

Struggling to find the right words, he paused before continuing, "Why is its color different from others'?"

The old man glanced at Cheng Song but didn't respond.

In the awkward silence, Qin Fei stepped forward slightly. "Sir?"

Without Qin Fei saying anything extra, the previously deaf and mute NPC suddenly spoke up. "My little granddaughter passed away from an illness three months ago."

He gazed at Qin Fei, his cloudy eyes filled with unreadable emotions.

The statement was rather abrupt, but Qin Fei immediately grasped its meaning.

He softly hummed in response, his amber eyes reflecting genuine regret: "Accept my condolences."

The NPC's expression relaxed, and he nodded.

This scene left the live-stream viewers dumbfounded.

"Damn, I'm really impressed. Why do NPCs in this instance favor those with thick skin so much?"

"I wonder what this old man does. I've never seen him before."

"Isn't that obvious? It's rare for anyone to attempt unraveling the mysteries of a low-level world's time-limited instances. The streamers who visited this instance before never triggered this quest to send items to the shrine, let alone stumbled upon such a minor villager subplot."

"What's Qin Fei's background? How come he doesn't follow the usual path at all..."

Only Qin Fei knew that the NPC's politeness might stem from the influence of his innate skill.

He had sensed that even though he was labeled unapproachable, NPCs seemed to tolerate him more than other players.

"In households where there has been a death within the year, red paper money strings must be hung under the eaves," the NPC elder spoke again.

His voice was odd and wavering, casting an eerie atmosphere upon the cramped space.

As he spoke, the elder stood up and walked to the other window, lifting his hand to open it.

The wooden window shutter knocked softly against the wall as it swung open.

Qin Fei glanced out the window, and his pupils constricted in the next instant.

In the alley directly opposite the window, every house had red paper money strings hanging beneath their eaves!

Qin Fei's eyes flickered slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. He asked calmly, "These people...?"

"Yes," the elder turned around, facing the players at the door with a bizarre smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"There has also been a loss in their families."

He lifted his head and stared unblinkingly into the players' eyes.

Xiao Xiao suddenly couldn't help shivering and stealthily moved two steps behind Qin Fei.

The old man continued, "That family's man died four months ago."

As he spoke, the elder pointed to another house, "In that one, the man died five months ago. Now, there's only a widow left."

"That one, lost their granddaughter four months ago."

"That one..."

In the alley outside the window, five households had red paper money strings hanging.

"Five months ago, four months ago, three months ago..." Xiao Xiao frowned, counting them.

Sun Shouyi whispered, "One person each month."

The village chief had mentioned it during dinner yesterday that it was the seventh day of the seventh month.

From January to June, someone in Yinshou Village had died every month.

Such a pattern couldn't possibly be a coincidence.

"Of course, it's not a coincidence," the NPC elder seemed to read the players' thoughts and directly addressed their curiosity. "It's all for the village ritual, for..."

His voice faded away.

Nobody caught the last few words.

Xiao Xiao grew anxious. "Old man, don't keep us in suspense."

The elder suddenly changed the subject. "Why, didn't you know that tourists go missing in this village every year? Why would you still dare to come?"

Sun Shouyi glanced at Qin Fei, who showed no intention of speaking, and carefully phrased his question. "Old man, so what happened to those missing tourists?"

The elder spoke with an air of deliberate mystery. His cracked lips twisted into an unappealing curve. "In a few days, you'll find out."