calm

Wen Liang couldn't believe that such a coincidence could happen repeatedly, one after another, unless he experienced it himself.

In the end, it really was a case of "wanting to say something but holding back."

Chi Wangyue stood there, but his heart was frozen; he could hardly tell the two couples apart. Only Yan Tianhua secretly noticed that something was wrong with his expression.

"If that's the case, then let's first find out what's wrong here or what the path might be."

Yan Tianhua remained motionless and then spoke.

Chi Wangyue then heard her own voice say, "Let's do it this way first. We still believe in each other as the foundation, right, Bai Hanxin?"

Bai Hanxin took a few deep breaths, suppressing the complex emotions in her heart, and said in a low voice, "Okay..."

His gentle expression was a mixture of emotions, his eyes carrying a hint of silence, but clearly showing his agreement.

Li Er observed the situation and knew what the best option was. There was no need to go against his own course of action, and he was fundamentally confused about the matter. This was the only way to proceed.

Yan Tianhua calmly observed their surroundings. From the outside, the old inn looked exactly the same as the place they had stayed before, but some subtle details could not be hidden from the honest Li Er's eyes.

Yu is key; Yu reveals a person's growth. Li Er's transformation from being easily frightened and crying to his current composure and calmness is immense…

If we exclude the fact that he's a skilled actor, it can only be that he's experienced too much and has become somewhat weathered.

“I noticed something was still off. Everything here was too new, showing no signs of the ravages of time. Also, it seemed like a few rooms were missing. If I remember correctly, the overall space was smaller than before.” Li Er’s clear and articulate explanation didn’t feel out of place, and a strong sense of security rose within him.

Wen Liang was unaware of the immense seed he had sown. Similarly, he was unaware of Du Ye's cunning and scheming.

That night, he barely glimpsed a part of it, yet it felt vast and unfathomable for a long time. Only he remained the longest and preserved it best.

Chi Wangyue didn't completely believe Li Er's words, even if they seemed very true. Since anything could be fabricated, he couldn't trust them too easily.

"Okay. Let's go take a look."

He took steps, one after another, toward the place he had described. Li Er led the group there, only to discover that something was amiss.

If we consider the overall picture, what he said only has some merit, but it's not comprehensive, and it seems to have subtly changed something.

"Then how do we find out what's really going on?" Chi Wangyue looked at Bai Hanxin, but her voice was directed towards Li Er.

In terms of age, some of them are quite old, but in terms of familiarity with the place and how long they have stayed, Li Er is more influential than Wen Liang.

Li Er is the head waiter here, temporarily tasked with tasks such as working at the counter. In the end, at crucial moments, he is the most authoritative, yet also the most defenseless, when it comes to matters concerning the old inn.

“I assure you, this is definitely not where we started. Here, although the style is similar, the placement of things is completely different from before. It’s not just a simple reversal; it’s more like a mess, with things placed randomly.”

Li Er doesn't seem like someone who casually diagnoses someone familiar with their field. His ability to deduce this only suggests that the other party acted intentionally or was simply careless. But to understand the situation here, one needs to be able to maintain the basic understanding that things have changed somewhat.

It's not just that people have changed.

Bai Hanxin listened, her fists clenched, but she was deep in thought. Her reason had clouded her judgment; this was both the most understandable and the most unnecessary thing to do.

Yan Tianhua thought of the fake Du Ye they had mentioned. Du Ye was a legendary figure; based on the information provided by Wen Liang, they had roughly sketched out a basic outline of him.

But who can know the truth?

“We could go here and do something—a little thing, the bigger the better. They’ll definitely come back again.”

As for other aspects, I rely more on my sixth sense.

The more dangerous the moment, the stronger the sixth sense becomes in prayer and supplication.

Li Er's voice rang in everyone's ears, ending with a tinkling sound.

He said he was going to do some underhanded things, but some people were going to swiftly and unexpectedly dismantle this facade.

Bai Hanxin made a sudden, exaggerated movement. Or perhaps it was intentional; she genuinely wanted to find that person, and she had been listening to reports about Du Ye and others.

But in the end, all she had left was numb movement, and only movement could alleviate her cold body to the greatest extent possible.

Bai Hanxin had done her best, but she was exhausted and needed rest, not just a body that was barely holding on.

She didn't want to close her eyes, but drowsiness overwhelmed her, forcing her to subconsciously close them and drift into a restless dream. Generally, dreams are quite similar to what their owners desire.

This was the first time Li Er had ever seen someone torment him like this.

It stirred a sense of melancholy in him; he had long since relinquished his original self to the passage of time.

Chi Wangyue saw through it but didn't point it out. Compared to the other two, Bai Hanxin had obviously experienced more ups and downs.

She desperately needs a break to ease the tension of the situation.

You can lure someone into a trap, but you must have the resources to support them.

Chi Wangyue realized that not many people were needed this time. Li Er, on the other hand, felt more aware and helpless. If one were to look at him now compared to how he was initially terrified by Bai Hanxin's seemingly unrestrained and bold style, one could glimpse how much he had grown.

He said that his previous actions seemed like acting, or rather, like a mirage, and he couldn't distinguish between reality and illusion.

Li Er withdrew tactfully. Wen Liang glanced at him casually and saw him smiling leisurely. He hesitated for a moment, then forced himself to suppress the raging fire that was rising in his heart.

A chill ran through him, and he felt much better.

“We can determine their current location based on the positions of the items he placed,” Wen Liang thought.

They are not far from them now.

But no one knows their true purpose.

"Du Ye, you need to think this through. Everything you're doing now is just what you think is right, and I'm just doing what I should do."

…

"The people in the most danger are actually those around you."

…

Bai Hanxin was asleep, and under the influence of the medication, she revealed her vulnerability. More than her insignificant behavior was the way she frowned, exuding a sense of deep concern and resentment for the country and its people.

"Yes, I hope you won't regret anything you do."

Du Ye began to overhear conversations among his elders, without realizing it. He felt lost and questioned whether the path he was on was the right one.

But his companions always gave his overthinking brain a buffer period.

Jiang Meng talked a lot of big talk, but some of the things she said were surprisingly pleasant to hear. Regardless, Du Ye felt a warmth in his heart.

He will give them all a satisfactory answer.

This was Du Ye's own murmur, but it was also his answer to himself.

He did need to do something, but at the same time he tried his best not to implicate his companions, yet he had already been implicated.

Du Ye felt the night was slightly cool. He was all alone, yet surrounded by a large number of people of all kinds, and their backgrounds involved multiple factors.

…

"Now, we need to do something, find a way out."

Yan Tianhua observed the surrounding layout discreetly. Unlike Li Er, he did not know everything about this place, so he could only do his best.

"Look at the moon, look here."

He pointed to a seemingly ordinary place, but this small detail revealed a hidden truth: some ordinary places are often the most likely to be the breakthrough point.

"Yes," Chi Wangyue replied.

He observed the place he was observing.

“There was nothing abrupt about it, but he wanted to look more closely. There was no reason for it, just because Yan Tianhua pointed it out.”

Chi Wangyue thought of his own little system and silently murmured its name.

"Hu Li".

【What's wrong? 】

Hu Li responded, showing great concern for its host's situation. However, it itself was still unclear, and its efforts to help Wang Yue were the comfort it wanted to offer him.

"I want to understand Du Ye. But... it doesn't seem that important. Right now, I can only trace it back to the source, find the origin of all this, and look at it from the beginning. It seems like someone was secretly pushing things, deliberately setting a trap, making people investigate and explore. I don't like this feeling, like searching for flowers in a fog, unable to see the direction ahead..."

Hu Li didn't understand, but it simply knew that its host needed someone to confide in, and it was happy and good at listening.

[Yes, but Host, this is just a side story, and points will help you progress. We will gradually unravel the mystery; what we need to do now is build faith and believe in ourselves.]

In times of danger and uncertainty, you must demonstrate a strength beyond his wildest expectations to maintain your integrity amidst even greater storms. Hu Li believes in and will help the host achieve this.

It can explore, encourage, and do its best to help in places that are not visible to the main system.

Although this is beyond its authority, it is only relative, yet it is more than just relative.

Hu Li's loyalty to Chi Wangyue had long been altered through self-brainwashing and self-correction, deviating from its original, cold, and rigid nature. It had long belonged to Chi Wangyue's exclusive system, from the very beginning until now.

Therefore, taking things one step at a time now is not just about pushing things forward, but also about providing a comprehensive impetus for the host.

Hu Li, radiating inspirational wisdom, appeared in a humanoid form on Chi Wangyue's shoulder, its small fan lightly brushing against his head, seemingly imperceptible.

However, it gave Mochizuki a little reminder.

Chi Wangyue smiled slightly, the corners of her lips turning up almost imperceptibly, and said amiably, "Yes. Little Hu Li is becoming more and more likable and sharp-tongued."

Hu Li: [...I'm glad you're happy, Host. Also, I hope you won't worry too much about this in the future. As long as you keep moving forward, you'll still discover the little details of life. When that time comes, you need to carefully examine them, and you'll find the original state of everything. I believe in you and will always support you.]

Chi Wangyue patted its little head. "Alright, you are one of my great generals. You must accompany me through the trials and tribulations."

Hu Li: Yes.

Hu Li's words were like a wake-up call, and Chi Wangyue's face immediately lit up.

Yan Tianhua gently patted Chi Wangyue's shoulder, and Chi Wangyue came back to her senses.

"I was daydreaming."

Yan Tianhua's thought.

Chi Wangyue smiled and said, "Yes. My senior brother is very observant."

Yan Tianhua ignored his persistent reply; he had discovered something.

“Something is definitely not right here. I think I just discovered a space. But it was only for a fleeting moment, as elusive as a hallucination.”

While lost in thought, Chi Wangyue did indeed reveal some clues. He thought for a moment, then said, "Let's go and find out what's going on."

"Okay. But only if they can find it."

Chi Wangyue did not find anything strange during her observation.

But he could try it himself first. Anyway, Yan Tianhua had said that the most likely reason for the appearance of a space just now was that he had fallen into it.

There's a connection between going to see Du Ye and protecting this place. They missed the illusion they were supposed to enter once. This time, perhaps it's a test.

Or perhaps there is nothing at all.

Chi Wangyue values ​​efficiency. "Senior Brother, I'm going to conduct a small experiment."

After he finished speaking, he took the lead. The place that had been empty before suddenly twisted and transformed in front of Yan Tianhua, revealing a small door. He didn't touch any mechanism, but it involuntarily drew all of them in.

Du Ye could never have guessed that "everything is always unexpected."

After entering, Chi Wangyue thought about the room she had just been in and what Li Er had said.

"They weren't familiar with the original room layout..."

Chi Wangyue acted swiftly, disregarding those around him. Turning around, he saw Yan Tianhua's face and felt a lingering fear—not the fear of someone who had caused trouble, but rather the helplessness of someone who hadn't discussed things beforehand. He added:

"Perhaps it's not as bad as we imagine; maybe the other party also wants to make some effort to help this place."

Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Right? Anyway, in the end, we still have Senior Brother Yan Tianhua!

Chi Wangyue observed Yan Tianhua's expression and patted him with slight relief.

“Let’s go together.”

Yan Tianhua didn't say much, but stared at him calmly for a few minutes before saying, "Fine. Don't let it happen again."

"Give me a heads-up if I'm around; I can't resist my junior brother's provocative moves."

Chi Wangyue nodded obsequiously. He walked forward, smiling, and said, "Yan Tianhua, you're so cute."

Yan Tianhua ignored him and followed his pace.

This place is not the same as before.

It was cold around us.

Someone's there!

As the astrologer Ke walked along, two little children, each with a bell-like shape, chattered away beside him.

Children's poems and fairy tales were placed on either side of Ke Zhixing, and there was no dissatisfaction, only the old woman's nagging.

Ke Zhixing held back his earnest words, silently watching the two children bicker.

They weren't young, just short. But in Ke Zhixing's eyes, they looked like two children. Especially with a bit of a beauty filter applied, Ke Zhixing was extremely bored and quiet, completely out of place with the two gentlemen.

"Look at you! If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be in this situation!"

"..."

“Even if it weren’t me, I would have come here. Besides, you know what you’re doing.”

"I refuse to accept this!"

"..."

"If you're not happy, then keep it to yourself."

Ke Zhixing's robe was very mysterious, black mixed with blue, and the dark blue was speckled with stars. Walking in the dark, her appearance was enhanced, making her seem exceptionally superior.

The coldness of the scene made the contrast with the two vibrant little lives all the more profound and vivid.

"Shut up."

Ke Zhixing's patience has its limits; even the most patient person will eventually explode if they endure something repeatedly.

"It's not about time, it's about the two little troublemakers."

Ahem, Ke Zhixing passed the two, but they were busy quickening their pace, and for a moment, no one had time to bicker anymore.

At this point, the dispute between the two mortals had reached a stalemate.