The next morning, Zhang Shi led everyone to the stone tablet teleportation point as if nothing had happened. Chen Beipan's sudden disappearance had cut off their clues about the so-called natives. Fortunately, there were still many mysteries in Fog City waiting for them to uncover one by one. Zhang Shi was not particularly concerned about Chen Beipan's life or death.

As usual, Wu Qing carefully lit the incense to provide attribute buffs to the team. There was nothing unusual about it from the outside. If Zhang Shi hadn't seen the ghost's appearance in the mirror, he would never have connected the two.

After Wu Qing lit the incense, she naturally followed behind Zhang Shi. Zhang Shi thought of the ferocious face in the mirror and silently moved forward a few steps.

Wu Qing quickly followed, her tone slightly displeased.

"What do you mean by this? I feel like you've been giving me the silent treatment."

Zhang Shi adjusted his posture, removed his face shield, and revealed a smile.

"How could that be? We're about to set off, and I was just about to check on the teleportation point."

After saying that, Zhang Shi turned around and placed his hand on the stone tablet. Sure enough, a new node appeared on it, which was the City of Fog.

A group of five appeared at the city gate, surrounded by familiar gloom and silence. The quest system had also been updated.

[Phase Two Objective: Defeat the Earth Beast (Not Completed) - Unlocks free teleportation within the Mist City]

Zhao Feng led the way, muttering to himself as he looked around.

"This place is pitch black; it's no wonder people develop mental health issues after living here for so long. I really admire that old woman; she's lived alone in this ghost town for so long. Don't you think she ever considered leaving?"

"Silence!"

Zhang Shi gestured to the crowd, then signaled them to retreat to the alleys on either side of the street. Directly in front of him, the ground was writhing, seemingly the work of the mysterious earth beast.

Zhao Feng pulled out his battle axe and took a step back.

"What's going on? Is this thing being served again?"

The church wasn't far from them, but to be on the safe side, Zhang Shi decided to take a detour to avoid the earth beast.

They moved silently along the winding, narrow alley, bypassing the earth beast that was feeding. The alley was filled with a damp and musty smell, and it was dark, without a glimmer of light.

Zhang Shi walked at the front, constantly alert to the surrounding movements, while pondering how to ask the old woman about Wu Qing.

After bypassing the earth beast, the ground returned to normal, and everything calmed down. The group arrived at the edge of a relatively open plaza. In the center of the plaza stood an ancient fountain, which, although long since dried up, still revealed its former glory through its exquisite sculptures. Zhang Shi gestured for everyone to rest there and recuperate.

Looking up at the sky, Zhang Shi noticed that the thick fog above the Fog City seemed even denser. A few rays of light had previously pierced through the fog, bringing a glimmer of light to this dim world, but now, looking up again, the sky was completely covered by thick fog, and not a single ray of light could be seen.

Zhang Shi felt a little uneasy. He remembered the old woman saying that she had survived in the city until now because of that ray of light.

"I feel something's wrong, let's take a few quick steps!"

Zhang Shi stood up, pulled out his old Duan sword, and jogged towards the church. Zhao Feng, on the other side, was somewhat surprised.

"What's going on? Didn't you just sit down?"

Ge Dalong also realized that something was wrong, so he pulled Zhao Feng up and followed Zhang Shi's steps.

Zhang Dazhuang followed closely behind. Although he didn't know exactly what had happened, he could sense the urgency emanating from Zhang Shi, which was enough to keep him alert and prompt him to act quickly. Only Wu Qing remained where she was, watching the group hurrying forward, her thoughts unreadable.

...

The moment they stepped into the church, an ominous premonition gripped everyone's hearts. The interior remained dim, but an unsettling atmosphere permeated the air, a stark contrast to the previous tranquility. The footsteps of Zhang Shi and his companions echoed jarringly in the empty church.

Inside the room, the old woman's rocking chair was empty; she wasn't there. A strong sense of unease welled up in Zhang Shi's heart. He looked around, trying to find any trace of the old woman, but the church was deserted except for them.

Suddenly, Ge Dalong's exclamation broke the silence. He pointed to a corner of the church where a dark red stain stood out starkly in the dim light—it was blood.

Zhang Shi's heart sank. He quickly walked to the bloodstains, squatted down, and examined them closely. The bloodstains had dried, but a strong smell of blood still lingered. He looked up at the others, his eyes filled with worry: "Something might have happened."

Wu Qing's face turned pale instantly. She grabbed Zhang Shi's sleeve, her voice trembling slightly, "Mother-in-law... could she already be..."

Zhang Shi shook his head, silently put Wu Qing's hand down, and tried to remain calm: "We can't be sure yet, but we must find her as soon as possible."

Zhao Feng gripped his battle axe tightly, a determined glint in his eyes: "Yes, we can't just sit here and wait to die. Grandma may be a bit strange, but she's a good person. She must be in danger; we have to go save her!"

Zhang Shi nodded, fully aware of the gravity of the situation, and his anxiety intensified. He stood up and looked around the church, trying to find some useful clues. Suddenly, his gaze fell on the icon in the center of the church. The icon seemed somewhat unusual; upon closer inspection, he noticed that one of its hands was slightly tilted, as if it had been tampered with.

A thought struck Zhang Shi. He walked to the statue and gently pushed the tilted hand. As the statue swayed slightly, a hidden compartment slowly opened, revealing a yellowed slip of paper.

Zhang Shi quickly took out the note and read it carefully in the dim light. The note contained several lines of crooked English letters: "Danger is approaching, go to the City Lord's Mansion immediately."

Ge Dalong translated the contents of the note.

Zhang Shi looked at the note with some surprise. He remembered that the old woman had said not to easily approach the city center, and the city lord's mansion was located in the very center of Fog City.

He looked up at the crowd, his tone hesitant: "So, should we go or not?"

Zhao Feng stepped forward without hesitation, his eyes gleaming with determination: "Go! Since Grandma left clues, we can't let her down. Besides, the City Lord's Mansion is the center of Fog City; perhaps there are even more secrets hidden there. If we want to become stronger, hiding won't do."

Ge Dalong nodded in agreement: "Although the old woman warned us not to approach the City Lord's Mansion, the situation is urgent now, and we cannot sit idly by. Moreover, as the center of power, the City Lord's Mansion may hold key clues about the secrets of Fog City."

Wu Qing also expressed her agreement, indicating that she also agreed to go to the city lord's mansion.

Looking at the determined eyes of the crowd, Zhang Shi slowly nodded. He took a deep breath.

"Alright, our new mission is to kill the earth beasts, so let's explore the central area and see if there are any relevant clues. But everyone be careful, there may be unknown dangers hidden in the city lord's mansion."