Chapter 25
Chapter 25
“Did they kill the Dreamweaver?”
Ning Shuo shook his head. “No. Even if they have mental issues, they can think normally most of the time. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have come to investigate our identities. Killing the Dreamweaver would only make things harder for themselves; it wouldn’t be their doing.”
Ning Wang added, “Besides, we can’t exactly file an Accusation against the entire town.”
Ning Wang tossed a book into the air and caught it, his movements natural and fluid. “Thinking about it, the System wouldn’t make that Joker work so hard as to kill everyone personally.”
With Townspeople liable to go on a killing spree at any moment, combined with the fact that they could hardly sleep at night, time had suddenly become tight.
At lunch, Ying Jian and An Sheng returned soaked to the bone.
Ning Shuo asked, “Did you get into a fight with the NPCs?”
An Sheng’s expression was grim. “A hoe suddenly swung at me from behind. Luckily, Ying Jian saw the person and pulled me away.”
Recalling the vibrating sound the hoe made when it struck the spot where he had been standing, An Sheng’s face paled further. “I only cursed at him a couple of times, but he chased us for a long time swinging that hoe. Ying Jian and I had to jump into the river to escape him.”
Ning Wang stood up immediately. “You went into the water?”
An Sheng and Ying Jian exchanged a glance. An Sheng said irritably, “What’s wrong with going into the water? There are no clues in there anyway.”
There was nothing in the water.
Dreamville only had this one river that ran through the entire town. Ning Shuo made an immediate decision. “At dusk, I’m going to that bridge.”
The suspicions in his mind were becoming clearer. “If it’s possible, we should be able to find the Notary Office then.”
He looked at Ning Wang. “There should be a lot of incense the Dreamweaver used for hypnosis in his room. Keep an eye out for it. I suspect that incense can soothe emotions.”
By the afternoon, the Townspeople’s mental instability had become increasingly obvious. There was even an instance of someone hacking another person with a kitchen knife.
However, aside from Wanzi and the Dreamweaver, the horrific sight of being disemboweled with missing internal organs did not reappear.
Shen Xiao wanted to go out for another look, but a Townsperson suddenly chased after her with a kitchen knife. She hurriedly turned back and slammed the door shut.
With a loud *bang*, the sound of the knife hitting the iron door gave Shen Xiao goosebumps.
The others stood up one after another. Shen Xiao frowned. “You run into a lunatic just by stepping out the door. How is Ning Shuo supposed to dodge them if he goes out alone?”
Sui Chunsheng instinctively looked at Ning Wang, only to find that the man who had displayed Lightness Skill earlier that afternoon was now sitting calmly, looking completely unconcerned.
Sui Chunsheng asked, “Aren’t you worried about your brother?”
Ning Wang rested with his eyes closed, acting as if he couldn’t hear the commotion of the knife hitting the door outside. “I’m not worried.”
Ying Jian’s gaze immediately shifted to Ning Wang. “He’s a sickly weakling. You’re not worried?”
Ning Wang countered with a strange look, “Does being sickly have anything to do with one’s skills?”
Ying Jian opened his mouth but didn’t know how to refute him. Ning Wang said, “Don’t worry. That sickly weakling’s skills are better than all of yours. If it weren’t for your poor skills, would he have left me behind to protect you?”
His words were harsh, but since Shen Xiao and Sui Chunsheng had seen his Lightness Skill that afternoon, they didn’t say anything more. On the other hand, Ying Jian and An Sheng were dismissive; they didn’t think this man, who had let a little girl bite two chunks of flesh out of him, could be that powerful.
…
Ning Shuo once again shook off a Townsperson who was acting like a zombie. In his hand was a cleaver he had snatched from some Townsperson.
He really felt like shouting to the heavens: “Everyone, lie face down on the ground for a day!”
Unfortunately, such a baseless Word Spirit would not take effect.
The glow of the sunset covered the entire river, the water surface shimmering with golden light.
Ning Shuo stood on the bridge, with numerous corpses lying at his feet.
Even the mentally ill knew to seek advantages and avoid harm. They stood warily on the bank, watching for when their prey would show a weakness.
The prey sat leisurely on the stone railing, idly playing with his blade.
His dangerous posture made it seem as if he were the hunter instead.
Ning Shuo wrapped the coat Ning Wang had given him tighter around his body, thinking that the weather really was freezing.
Combining all the clues, the current season should be the Winter Solstice.
He looked down.
As expected, the rosy light of the setting sun blanketed the entire bridge and poured onto the shimmering surface of the water. Golden ripples from the distant horizon passed through the bridge arch, creating the spectacular phenomenon of “Golden Light Piercing the Cave.”
Just as all the Townspeople rose up to attack, Ning Shuo dropped his blade and plummeted into that pool of golden light.
First came the sensation of being enveloped by water. Within seconds, Ning Shuo felt the world spinning.
Acting on instinct, he swam upward. As his eyes broke the surface, he scanned his surroundings warily.
The Townspeople who had been surrounding him just moments ago were gone.
As he suspected, “Golden Light Piercing the Cave” was the portal connecting the two worlds.
The duration of “Golden Light Piercing the Cave” was only about twenty minutes. The town was only so large; Ning Shuo could easily find the Notary Office and leave on his own.
Otherwise, if he waited until the phenomenon ended, he wasn’t sure he could make it in time. Moreover, having just arrived here with others in tow, Ning Shuo had no way of predicting what might happen on this side.
Ning Shuo looked at the golden ripples surrounding him and fell into deep thought.
…
Starting a few minutes ago, the assault outside the courtyard had intensified.
The courtyard gate had already been breached. Sui Chunsheng and Ying Jian had sustained cuts to their arms. An Sheng had trained in the modern world, so he was slightly better off. The one in the worst condition was Shen Xiao; although her injuries were lighter than those of Sui Chunsheng and the others, she had a blood coagulation disorder and was constantly losing blood.
However, there were far fewer Townspeople daring enough to break in now.
Ning Wang, who looked exactly like Ning Shuo, stood before them. His face was splattered with blood from his kills. He had given his coat to Ning Shuo and was now wearing only a sweater with the sleeves rolled up, revealing the lean, handsome lines of his forearms.
His clothes were soaked through with blood, making them uncomfortable to wear.
Ning Wang casually tossed aside a dulled blade, and Sui Chunsheng immediately handed him a new one.
He whispered, “There are no more spare blades.”
Ning Wang wiped the blood from his face. “They won’t dare come for a while.”
Indeed, the situation was the same as on Ning Shuo’s side.
Although the Townspeople had surrounded the small courtyard so tightly that not even water could leak through, not a single person dared to step inside.
Ning Wang glanced toward the outside of the courtyard from the corner of his eye.
The fog was getting thicker.
Ning Shuo hadn’t returned yet.
Ning Wang gripped the hilt of his blade, wondering what the chances were of successfully carving a path out to protect the people behind him. Suddenly, he heard a commotion outside.
The Townspeople were agitated again, but this time, the object of their agitation wasn’t the Players in the courtyard.
Ning Shuo vaulted into the courtyard, stepping off the heads of several people along the way.
With just one look, Ning Wang understood his intention.
He hoisted An Sheng onto his back and picked up Shen Xiao. Ning Shuo performed the same actions to carry the remaining two. Then, leading Ning Wang, he used his Lightness Skill to fly toward the arched bridge, using the heads of the Townspeople as stepping stones.
“Golden Light Piercing the Cave” was about to end. Ning Shuo hadn’t used his Lightness Skill in a long time, so his movements were somewhat rusty as he left, resulting in him receiving a shallow cut.
Ning Shuo didn’t even notice it himself. After dropping the others into the water, he was about to follow them down when his wrist was suddenly grabbed.
He looked at Ning Wang in confusion, seeing a complex emotion in the other man’s eyes.
Was that… worry?
As Ning Shuo wondered, Ning Wang pressed his lips into a thin line. “Let’s go.”
It was only after Ning Shuo entered the water and felt a stinging pain in his calf that he realized he had been injured.
After they surfaced, Ning Wang asked him in a low voice, “Are you alright?”