Chapter 12

Chapter 12

In a mission world, generally speaking, one does not eat food offered by the inhabitants. This is because you never truly know what exactly they are feeding you.

According to reliable records, many have met their ends after falling victim to traps hidden within the food of a mission world.

“…”

That was the theory, anyway. Baolong looked at the pickles and coarse cornbread sitting in front of him, then glanced over at Liu Ye’s side of the table. There was braised chicken, iron-pot stewed goose, red-braised ribs…

Wait, isn’t this a bit much?! He just gave them two bundles of green onions! Was that really worth all this?!

Baolong gnawed on his own dry rations with a look of pure grievance, but what made it worse was that the aroma wafting from the other side kept stimulating his taste buds.

He had never thought much of his dry rations before, but now, the more he chewed, the worse they tasted.

On the other side, Liu Ye had no such reservations and was digging into the dishes with gusto.

“Big Brother, Sister-in-law, stop fussing and come sit down to eat with me.”

The wife had a smile on her face. “Let your Big Brother keep you company for a bit. I still have soup simmering in the kitchen; I’ll go check on it.”

As she spoke, she walked out. The moment she saw Baolong sitting on a small stool nearby, her expression instantly reverted to a cold, expressionless mask.

“It’s late, and we don’t have many groceries in the house. Just make do with that.”

Baolong: “…”

Back at the table, while Liu Ye and the man were eating, the man suddenly put down his chopsticks and spoke to Liu Ye.

“Little brother, don’t blame me for being blunt. You can stay here for one night, but first thing tomorrow morning, you need to leave. This place… it isn’t a place for humans to stay.”

“Brother, why would you say that? There’s a wedding in the village, and we’re all practically family here. I have to stay and help out.”

Hearing Liu Ye say this, the man fell silent for a moment. He then reached into his clothes, pulled out a sachet, and handed it to Liu Ye.

“Little brother, since you insist on staying, I won’t say much more. But take this. Keep it by your side when you sleep at night. Also, whatever you do, do not go outside after dark.”

Liu Ye quickly accepted it with both hands and tucked the sachet into his inner pocket. Regardless of the circumstances, this was a gesture of kindness from the man. He wasn’t about to be ungrateful.

After finishing the meal, Liu Ye took the initiative to carry the bowls to the sink, intending to wash them.

He looked up and saw Baolong sitting in the corner, which left him momentarily speechless.

“Hey, Brother Long, I’m not trying to nag, but you’re a guest in someone’s home. Not only did you come empty-handed, but you’re just sitting there after eating? Can’t you see there’s work to be done? You’re a grown man; don’t you understand basic social graces?”

Baolong: “…”

If I had known that giving away green onions worked this well, I would have prepared a whole crate before coming! Who could have guessed that the tactic of gift-giving actually worked here?!

However, through Liu Ye’s behavior, he had roughly deduced that these villagers probably weren’t an immediate danger; rather, they were meant to be interacted with to obtain information.

He planned to observe for one more night. If nothing happened to Liu Ye, he intended to try and get closer to this family as well.

Just as he was thinking this, he saw Liu Ye stick his head out from the inner room and call out to him.

“Brother Long, want to play Mahjong? We need a fourth.”

Baolong: “…”

Who the hell plays Mahjong now?!!! What the hell were you thinking, bringing Mahjong into a Fiendish World?!!! Can’t you show this Fiendish World a little respect?!!!

That night, Baolong didn’t take off his clothes, opting to sleep directly in the corner of the east room.

Normally, when paired up, two people could take turns keeping watch. But there was no helping it; that liability Liu Ye had gone to the other room to play Fight the Landlord.

He was left all alone. If he didn’t sleep tonight, he wouldn’t have the energy for tomorrow. He knew all too well that in a Fiendish World, each passing day became more dangerous than the last.
Meanwhile, the occupants of the other rooms had also drifted off to sleep.

At midnight, clouds shrouded the moon. Wang Weiwei suddenly jolted awake from her slumber, feeling the urge to use the bathroom.

Though she had tried her best to restrict her water intake, nature wasn’t something she could control through willpower alone.

She turned her head to look at John beside her. Seeing that he was still fast asleep, she felt too embarrassed to wake him.

She stepped off the kang and looked at the chamber pot beneath it, a flush of embarrassment coloring her face.

As a city girl, she had never used such a thing. Furthermore, there was a man right there; even if he was asleep, it felt wrong. Who knew if he might suddenly wake up?

Ultimately, her sense of shame triumphed over her reason. She figured that if she was quick, nothing would happen.

And so, she pushed open the door and stepped out. She hurried to the latrine, and five minutes later, she emerged and rushed back to the room.

Seeing John still sleeping with his back to her, facing the wall, Wang Weiwei breathed a sigh of relief and quickly climbed back onto the kang.

Once she was tucked under the covers, she felt much more relaxed.

When a person relaxes, their mind inevitably begins to wander.

She had originally been an ordinary white-collar worker in Huicheng. Although she often worked overtime, her life had been fulfilling in its own way.

That was until the day her best friend died suddenly. While attending the funeral at her friend’s home, she was abruptly pulled into the Fiendish World.

That was her first world, where she had been relentlessly hunted by a Fiend of the Terror grade. It was only with the help of her deceased friend that she had barely managed to complete the mission.

This was her second mission. Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but clutch the necklace around her neck; it was the only memento her mother had left her.

Whenever she felt nervous, she would subconsciously grip the necklace, as if only this could provide her with a sense of security.

Just as her thoughts were drifting and she was about to fall asleep, a soft sound suddenly reached her ears.

“Creak…”

It was the sound of the door being pushed. The doors in the village were very dilapidated; they made noise even if touched with the utmost care.

Although they had locked the door before going to sleep, these rural door locks were far from reliable.

“Tap, tap…”

Faint footsteps rang out, drawing closer and closer to where Wang Weiwei lay.

Wang Weiwei trembled, her eyes squeezed shut as she feigned sleep. She huddled under the covers as if staying hidden beneath them would keep her safe.

However, the footsteps soon reached the head of her bed.

By now, Wang Weiwei was terrified to the extreme, but just then, she heard the footsteps gradually recede.

Wang Weiwei instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

She couldn’t help but open her eyes, wanting to sneak a peek to confirm the intruder had left, only to be suddenly pulled into a pair of large arms and held tight.

A hand firmly clamped over her mouth.

“Don’t move.”

John’s voice whispered in her ear.

Wang Weiwei leaned against his chest, not daring to breathe. His breath brushed against her face, and he seemed just as tense as she was.

Their posture was incredibly intimate, but at that moment, neither of them had any stray thoughts.

After a while, she heard John’s voice whisper in her ear again.

“Go, now!”

Hearing this, Wang Weiwei immediately scrambled out of bed, and the two of them bolted out of the room.

They didn’t stop until they reached the entrance of the village.