Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Yan Qi turned toward the speaker. Perhaps his gaze was too disdainful, because Zhou Ke hunched his neck in embarrassment. “Take me with you, sir. I’ll do whatever you say.”
Zhou Ke hated the lanterns. He did not want to remain in this place surrounded by them. Anywhere else would do.
Yan Qi looked the scrawny man up and down in distaste. “Fine.”
One companion was still better than none.
Watching them depart, Qin Wu quietly asked his brother, “Is it really okay to let them leave? Wouldn’t it be safer to stay with everyone?”
Qin Wen pressed his lips into a smile as he looked at Qin Wu. “Don’t worry about them. Yan Qi is a veteran player.”
And who better to scout the way than a veteran?
If someone insisted on rushing off to his death after being warned, he could blame no one but himself.
Yan Qi led Zhou Ke on an aimless walk through Zhangjia Village. The villagers lived simple lives, and with the ancestral ceremony taking place over the next two days, no one needed to leave for farmwork.
The villagers they passed exchanged fruits and vegetables or sat in the sun chatting about their families.
The atmosphere seemed warm and rustic… if one ignored the lanterns in their hands.
“What kind of custom makes people carry lanterns in broad daylight?”
Yan Qi walked ahead, with Zhou Ke following closely behind. Eventually, they entered an alley lined with dilapidated houses.
“Brother Qi, it doesn’t look like anyone lives in this alley.” Zhou Ke peered around nervously, terrified that a female ghost might leap from one of the houses.
Yan Qi ignored him. Something had felt strange all along. The thought was on the tip of his tongue, yet he could not put it into words.
When Yan Qi did not respond, Zhou Ke stopped talking rather than invite another snub.
As they continued, Zhou Ke suddenly realized he could hear a third set of footsteps.
The alley was silent. Thud… thud… Those were Yan Qi’s footsteps. He had a solid stance and a powerful build.
Shuffle… shuffle… Those were Zhou Ke’s own. He barely lifted his feet when he walked and dragged them along the ground.
His wife had complained many times that it looked awful and embarrassed her, but he could never change the habit.
He was an insecure man. Even his steps carried a listless air.
But listen closely, and there it was. Tap… tap… Another sound was mixed in with their footsteps.
Zhou Ke’s mind lagged half a beat behind his body. By the time his brain issued a warning, he had already turned his head, muttering, “Brother Qi, did you hear that? I think there’s something behind us…”
Zhou Ke’s voice stopped abruptly.
A bead of sweat the size of a soybean rolled from Yan Qi’s forehead. He swallowed. Those footsteps were directly behind him now.
Yan Qi had known something was following them long before Zhou Ke noticed it.
He cursed his rotten luck. Before he could decide how to deal with the situation, that fool Zhou Ke had turned around.
And now whatever stood behind Yan Qi was definitely no longer Zhou Ke.
It felt as though a block of ice had pressed against Yan Qi’s back. The cold made his arms and legs stiff.
Forcing himself to remain calm, he mentally reviewed his Items for anything that might help.
Players possessed all kinds of Items, but most had stringent restrictions and little practical use, like Lin Zhu’s book and Qi Jiajia’s noose. Others could enhance a player’s abilities. Items capable of directly affecting ghosts, however, were exceedingly rare.
Yan Qi had none.
The end of the alley loomed ahead. Yan Qi’s eyes reddened with panic. He would have to turn once he reached it. Even if standing still worked, he could hardly remain there until nightfall.
Yan Qi bitterly regretted leaving to search for clues. No player would come looking for him. By the time they did find him, he would most likely be a corpse.
When Yan Qi was only a few yards from the end of the alley, his face turned gray and despair filled his eyes.
Then the door to his right creaked open, and a blazing red lantern emerged.
Almost at that very instant, the sinister chill behind Yan Qi vanished. He let out a long breath and braced both hands on his knees, panting heavily as relief at escaping death swept through him.
Once he had recovered, Yan Qi raised his head to thank the person who had saved him. His eyes flew wide. “It’s you!”
The players who had remained near the old house ate the breakfast delivered by two lantern-carrying women and waited listlessly for the Village Head to take them to make lanterns.
Every household here had lanterns, but the villagers treated them like treasures and always kept watch over them. The players could not even approach for a closer look.
Lin Zhu swirled the watery porridge in his bowl and took a sip with a steamed bun. “Sister Miaomiao, do you think the key to solving this instance is the lanterns?”
Cheng Miao peeled the skin from her steamed bun as she ate, her gaze constantly sweeping over the entrance to each home. “Most likely. But the ruined lantern I found yesterday really was made of cloth. Where could the secret be hidden?”
The Village Head did not arrive until around eleven. He brought a rather simple-looking young man with him. “This is my eldest son, Zhang Min.”
Zhang Min smiled guilelessly but did not say much. Carrying his own lantern, he moved to the rear of the group.
Cheng Miao walked beside the Village Head. Drawing a little closer, she asked as casually as if making conversation, “Village Head, is there some custom behind lighting lanterns during the day? It’s rather unusual.”
The Village Head did not turn around. He kept walking, and his aged, raspy voice drifted back from ahead. “There’s no special custom. They symbolize thriving business and bless our lantern craft so it can continue for generations.”
Cheng Miao mulled over the answer before changing the subject. “How exactly is the ancestral ceremony performed? Do you need our help?”
The lantern workshop was nearby, only a seven- or eight-minute walk away. The Village Head stepped over the courtyard threshold and tilted his head toward Cheng Miao. “It doesn’t begin until nine on the third night. As for you, you’re welcome to join us if you have the time.”
The unnatural smile on the Village Head’s face made Cheng Miao feel as though what he truly meant was, “You’re welcome to join us if you’re still alive.”
The Village Head gave them only a cursory explanation of how to make lanterns before leaving them there.
The players stared blankly at one another.
“Sir? Sir, can you hear me?” Lin Zhu had spotted an old man in the courtyard who had been making lanterns the entire time. Judging by his practiced movements, he was a master craftsman.
Everyone relaxed. As long as someone could teach them, they would manage.
The old man raised his head, uttered two hoarse sounds, and pointed at his mouth.
The group sighed helplessly. He was mute.
The craftsman pointed at the lantern, indicating that they should watch him work and follow along.
“How long is that going to take?” Song Yu exclaimed. Making a lantern was no simple task. Shaving the bamboo strips alone would take quite a while. Surely the instance had not brought them here merely to learn a craft.
“We still need to go out and look around.” Yezi stood beneath the lantern at the courtyard gate and craned her neck to survey the street.
“It probably isn’t safe to go out without a lantern.” There was no proof, but lanterns were clearly important, and every villager carried one whenever they left home. Cheng Miao believed following the villagers’ example was the safer choice.
“Ah! Ah!” The old craftsman suddenly sprang to his feet and shouted at Yezi, who was still standing beneath the lantern. He repeatedly swept a rough hand toward himself, urgently signaling for her to come back.