Chapter 45

Chapter 45

The Waiter didn’t know many details, but his words provided the group with some vague clues.

“I see. I didn’t expect there to be such a layer to it.” Guan Doujin’s eyes darted around as he shifted the topic. “Actually, there’s one more thing I’d like to hear your take on.”

“What is it?” The Waiter took a small sip of wine and looked up at him.

Guan Doujin pointed toward the ceiling. “What else could it be? A matter of life and death, of course.”

The Waiter understood immediately.

There were rumors in this town that merchants died every time they visited. Yesterday, one of their own had died, so it was no wonder he was asking.

However, the Waiter looked conflicted when the subject was raised. They were running an Inn, after all; it wasn’t his place to speak of such things.

Clink.

As he hesitated, a small silver ingot rolled onto the table in front of him.

Shen Yubi withdrew his hand. “Speak.”

The three of them were taking full advantage of their status as wealthy merchants, throwing silver around without a hint of hesitation. It wasn’t their money anyway, so they might as well spend it.

Whether the information they bought was true or false remained to be seen, but using silver to loosen a tongue was a universal truth.

The Waiter frowned, struggling with himself for a moment. Finally, his fingers twitched, and he quietly snatched the silver piece, clenching it in his palm.

That one small piece of silver was worth three months’ wages.

Since business was slow at the Inn anyway, he decided to tell the truth.

“Sigh, since you’ve called me your little brother, I won’t give you any nonsense. To be honest, the rumors about the town are about half true.”

Guan Doujin asked, “How so?”

“It’s true that people died, but it’s not as supernatural as they say. All that talk about monsters and demons is just nonsense. In reality, those people died because they attracted thieves.”

“Thieves?” Guan Doujin narrowed his eyes. “Your Inn has a thief problem?”

The Waiter jumped at the suggestion, waving his hands frantically. “Don’t say such things! It’s not our shop-well, not just our shop. This town has more than one Inn.”

He began to grumble.

“I don’t know who’s so desperate for money that they’d stake out this dump every day. It’s a mystery why a town this poor would even attract thieves. But it only happens during the festival days. Those people are smart; they only steal from visiting merchants. I’ve never heard of a local household being robbed.”

Thieves?

Chu Yue didn’t believe it was that simple.

Stealing for money was one thing, but killing for it? Heh, that suggested they wanted something much more significant than just cash.

After they finished their conversation, several people entered the Inn. It was Zhang Duo and her group, including that man.

Chu Yue stopped him to ask about the paper cutting on the bed canopy.

However, the man knew nothing.

He couldn’t remember if the woman had touched the paper cutting. After all, they had left the room after checking in, and he hadn’t paid much attention to it. He certainly didn’t remember if the paper cutting had eyeballs before.

The man had a strange aversion to that room; he didn’t want to remember it, nor did he want to talk about it.

After a few brief words, he went upstairs.

Chu Yue didn’t care how Zhang Duo would question him once they were upstairs.

After finishing his questions, Guan Doujin tossed the Waiter some hush money. Shen Yubi watched for a moment before looking away, having fully captured the greed in the Waiter’s eyes.

“Is your Innkeeper here?” Shen Yubi asked.

The Waiter used a rag to wipe away wine stains on the table, not looking up. “No. He usually doesn’t come back until night.”

“Where does he go during the day?”

The Waiter replied, “Who knows? He vanishes as soon as the sun comes up. He’s often nowhere to be found. You get used to it.”

“Waiter, order!”

Someone called out from behind.

“Coming!”

The young man tossed his rag aside and scurried over to the table that was ordering.

Chu Yue watched his retreating back. “Let’s go. The rest of the Players are back.”
Taking advantage of the fact that everyone was present, Chu Yue explained his suspicions regarding the rabbit paper-cut before heading into their rooms to investigate.

Each room had a different paper-cut pasted above the bed.

One room featured a prosperous-looking carp, while another had the character for “Fortune” surrounded by butterflies and flowers. The remaining room belonged to Zhang Duo and her group. At first glance, the paper-cut above their bed seemed meaningless-it looked like flowers but wasn’t quite right, appearing more like a pattern of swirls. However, upon closer inspection, those patterns resembled massive spiders, their legs pressed against one another.

They were all very common paper-cuts.

If one had to point out something strange, only the one in their room could be considered bizarre.

“Is there something wrong with these paper-cuts?” Zhang Duo stood below the bed, arms crossed as she watched them.

Chu Yue shook his head. “I don’t know yet. There might be, or there might not.”

“Useless!”

Chu Yue ignored her. Ever since Guan Doujin had intentionally pulled that stunt at the beginning, making Zhang Duo believe he had snatched the newbie Players, she had been unable to stand the sight of him.

Running through the paper-cuts he had seen in his mind, Chu Yue couldn’t find a matching answer.

Over the past two days, they had walked through the Market quite a bit. He had seen a fair amount, and none of the stalls selling paper-cuts carried these designs.

After washing up that evening, the three of them went to bed.

Guan Doujin was the first to sigh. “That Paper-Cut Goddess must have something to do with Zhou Laoda’s family, right?”

After all, the only mention of wealth from the man at the stall was about Zhou Laoda, the head of a particularly wealthy household in town decades ago.

It seemed it was because of him that the entire town’s people were able to eat well and dress warmly.

Could it be such a coincidence?

Zhou Laoda’s entire family died a violent death, and then the Paper-Cut Goddess vanished, eventually becoming a taboo.

“And another thing,” Guan Doujin scratched his cheek. “I don’t think this Paper-Cut Goddess holds a very high status in this town.”

Shen Yubi asked, “What makes you say that?”

“It’s visible everywhere,” Guan Doujin replied.

Hearing him bring this up, Chu Yue knew what he wanted to say.

“It’s likely because of what that woman said.”

When Shen Yubi had asked today why they didn’t cut images of the Paper-Cut Goddess, what had the woman said?

She said, “No one knows what she looks like; it’s enough to respect her in your heart.”

At first listen, there was nothing wrong with that sentence, but if you thought about it carefully, it didn’t hold up to scrutiny.

That tone, that choice of words-it didn’t sound like respect at all.

“For a Deity you respect, you don’t hang a portrait, you don’t burn incense, and you don’t offer sacrifices? You just ‘respect her in your heart’? What’s the difference between that and a man who doesn’t do a damn thing but keeps saying ‘I love you’?”

Shen Yubi arched an eyebrow and turned his head to look at Chu Yue. “You seem to have a cold personality, but I didn’t expect you to have such insights into love.”

“I’ve seen a lot, so I understand.”

“Oh,” Shen Yubi asked again, “do you have a girlfriend?”

“I’m single.”

“Right, you mentioned that before.”

Guan Doujin grew interested. “Single? That shouldn’t be the case. Someone like you would be considered a ‘diamond bachelor’ back where you’re from. Haven’t any mothers-in-law tried to hook you as a golden son-in-law?”

Chu Yue didn’t speak.

Guan Doujin leaned in closer. “I mean, you’re a handsome young master from a rich family. How can you not even have a girlfriend? Is your family hard to get along with?”

As if thinking of something, he suddenly looked shocked. “Brother Chu, it couldn’t be that you have some… hidden physical ailment?”

Chu Yue repeated, “Hidden ailment?”

Guan Doujin immediately clutched his blanket and squeezed toward him. “You know, like… cough, you get it.”

Seeing him get more and more ridiculous, Shen Yubi cut in coldly, “Focus on the business at hand. Less gossip.”

Guan Doujin: “…”

Wasn’t he the one who started this topic? He only chimed in with a couple of sentences…