"Okay, okay, okay!"

Upon seeing the three gold and red blood-collecting needles, the Grand Elder's brow finally relaxed, and his gaze towards her softened considerably.

"My dear child, it's too late today. You can stay here for the night, and I'll take you out early tomorrow morning."

Although his tone was gentle, Yan Qing knew she couldn't refuse.

So she readily agreed.

The elder was pleased with her understanding and sent two spearmen to escort her to a small stone house near the stone slab.

"Bang--"

After closing the door, Yan Qing listened carefully through the door for a while, confirming that the two guards were still standing by the door, before turning around to look at the stone house she was in.

The furnishings inside the stone house were very simple, with only a stone bed about a meter wide in the center, and nothing else.

Reaching out to touch the stone bed, I was surprised to find it was warm to the touch. It was made of valuable warm stone, which was warm to the touch and moist all year round. It was something that ordinary people couldn't afford.

"I never expected to receive this kind of treatment." Yan Qing laughed self-deprecatingly, then she summoned the Nine Nether Brocade Fox, and the two quietly huddled together.

Yan Qing lowered her voice to a whisper, "Little Li, where's the thing I asked you to get?"

A familiar piece of parchment was handed to Yan Qing.

"These are—the rules?"

Yan Qing was a little confused now. Why was there another rule?

Unwrapping the parchment revealed what turned out to be the "Rules of the Zhang Family Mansion":

Dear invitees, welcome to the Zhang Family Old Residence, a secluded paradise nestled deep in the mountains. To ensure you have the most memorable experience here, please adhere to the following rules:

1. All invitees must be in a group of one woman and two men. The three must not be separated at will, otherwise misfortune will occur.

2. Gentlemen, please protect your female companions. If your female companion dies, you will be forced to eliminate them.

3. The Zhang family's old house is located in Wuyun Mountain. Please remember this.

4. All outsiders are considered unwelcome here. When night falls, please take care of yourself.

5. The Zhang Family Old House warmly welcomes you. The first and fifteenth of each month are your only opportunities to enter and exit the Zhang Family Old House. You can try visiting at other times if you like.

6. The Fallen Flower Cave Maiden is the beginning of all the misfortunes here, but she is also your only lifeline. Therefore, if anyone harms the Fallen Flower Cave Maiden, you must kill them.

7. All women dressed in red and holding flowers are the embodiment of evil; contact with them will bring you misfortune.

8. Please remember that there are no rules for passing the level here.

Upon seeing these "Rules of the Zhang Family Mansion," a very unsettling thought arose in Yan Qing's mind. Could this invitation to the Sacred Flame Festival at the Zhang Family Mansion actually be another instance of something else entirely?

It was only because she accidentally entered the Azure Dragon Coffin that she was directly upgraded to the hidden dungeon "Falling Flower Cave Girl"?

This is highly likely!

Therefore, the two men and one woman group mentioned in the rules should be the actual adventurers participating in the "Zhang Family Old House" instance.

But their dungeon rules are actually here! In the world of post-apocalyptic legends, there is a common sense that almost everyone knows—in competitive dungeons, there is only one set of rules, and the purpose is to make everyone kill each other.

In that instant, Yan Qing felt the intense malice emanating from the world of strange and uncanny rules.

She had no need for the "Zhang Family Old House Rules," but this parchment was a lifeline for those adventurers who actually came to participate in the "Zhang Family Old House Instance."

As a result, she seriously suspected that what she needed might be in the hands of the adventurers who came to participate in the "Zhang Family Old House Dungeon".

Then she started to worry. Since she came in, she hadn't seen a single other adventurer! Could it be that they weren't here?

She remembered very clearly that the Zhang family's old residence was a very special place, accessible only on the first and fifteenth of each lunar month. This rule was also mentioned in the "Zhang Family Old Residence Dungeon Rules," so it seemed she would have to verify it.

With the moon high in the sky, she seemed to hear a faint whistling sound sometime during the night. As the sound came, a wave of sleepiness washed over her, and she unconsciously climbed onto the only stone bed and slowly drifted off to sleep.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but in a half-dream, half-awake state, Yan Qing felt someone standing in front of her bed, quietly watching her.

Her mind cleared instantly, but then she found that her limbs were as if they were welded together, completely out of her control.

A white cloth fell from above and wrapped around her body.

Yan Qing felt someone lift her up. She was absolutely certain that this person was not the one who had just been standing at the head of her bed. At first, that person seemed to have vanished without a trace.

Then the people carrying her came out of the house. Yan Qing pretended to be unconscious while secretly memorizing their route.

"Turn left after exiting the door—turn right after 150 steps, pass through the hidden door, walk straight for 200 steps, then turn right again—stop after 50 steps."

She felt herself being placed in a cold place, where the temperature was significantly lower than outside, and goosebumps began to rise uncontrollably from her body.

Then, a pleasant female voice rang out.

"Alright, you can leave now."

A moment later, after the door closed, the sound of two people talking could be heard inside the room again. One of them was the woman's voice, and the other was the Grand Elder, whom she had met for the first time that day.

"Grandmother—" the woman's voice began to whine, "I've had enough! I have to deal with those disgusting women every day, and I have to use their blood to keep going. I don't want to live like this for another day!"

Then came the elder's comforting voice, "Alright, Xinxin, don't worry, our plan is almost successful. In just one more month, its curse will be completely broken—at that time, our whole family will be free."

“But—” Zhang Xinxin’s tone was full of resentment, “I still have to be injected with that damn blood, and it hurts so much every time—Grandmother, I can’t wait even a day longer now.”

"Alright, alright—" The First Elder was clearly more patient with Zhang Xinxin, his tone filled with genuine affection.

"Don't worry, those people are all your scapegoats. They'll bear all the curses for you. At most, we'll just feel a little unwell. Compared to the pain of the curse, what's a little ailment? — Xin Xin, let's get down to business first."