The first rays of sunlight in the early morning had not yet fully penetrated the thick clouds, and the whole world was still immersed in a hazy gray-blue.
A sudden, sharp scream that seemed to pierce the night rang out, instantly pulling Xiao Jin from the depths of her dream back to reality.
Xiao Jin's eyes snapped open, his dark pupils showing no trace of sleepiness, but rather a calm, almost ruthless light.
Her right hand almost instinctively reached into her bosom, and then accurately grasped the shattered shadow.
Not only Xiao Jin, but this scream also woke up many other players who were also asleep.
Whether they were startled or frightened, they all displayed the alertness and agility of survivors, grabbing their weapons and jumping out of bed.
"Damn it, what the hell?"
"I'm really angry, don't force me to go out and slap you." This is from a player who is suffering from severe insomnia and has just fallen asleep.
Outside the door, a grayish-brown hue filled the air, but several figures could already be vaguely seen hurrying by.
Xiao Jin walked steadily out of the room and met up with Sui Feng and the others who were already waiting outside.
At this moment, he was scanning his surroundings with sharp eyes, clearly assessing the current situation. When he saw Xiao Jin, he waved to her.
“I’m closer to the sound,” Shao Siyuan said first. “Judging from the direction of the sound, it’s definitely not coming from our building; it must be coming from the village.”
The same thought flashed through everyone's mind—something happened to the NPC?
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jin nodded slightly, her brows furrowed, and when she looked up, it seemed as if she could see further into the distance through the mist.
“I glanced out the window on the third floor when I came down.” Her voice was still a little hoarse: “There were indeed figures gathering on the east side of the village, and they seemed to be in a panic.”
The one that had the accident must have been that family.
Upon hearing this, Sui Feng waved his hand and said, "Alright, let's go take a look. The rest of the people have probably already gone. Whatever the situation, at least we won't fall behind in information."
"How is it?" He glanced at Xiao Jin after saying that.
Xiao Jin shook her head: "I have no objection."
As Xiao Jin finished speaking, the group quickly sprang into action, passing through narrow alleys and heading towards the east side of the village.
They soon arrived at the front of a house, and upon closer inspection, they saw that many players were hiding in the shadows.
At this moment, the courtyard of this house was filled with a dense crowd of people, all of whom were villagers from Guxing Village.
Just then, a familiar voice came from inside the house, breaking the surrounding silence; it was the village chief speaking.
"Auntie, please don't do this. You have to let Brother Dalong leave this world cleanly. Otherwise, it will delay the auspicious time." The village chief's voice carried a hint of coldness, seemingly displeased with the woman's nagging.
Xiao Jin followed the sound through the crooked fence, where dozens of pale faces floated in the morning mist.
The villagers were gathered around a blue stone water vat, where an old woman sat slumped in the water, wailing. The front of her coarse cloth shirt was torn open, revealing five deep, bone-revealing scratches on her chest.
My darling—
A bloated male corpse was submerged in a water tank.
The deceased's eyeballs bulged out of their sockets, his abdomen was so distended it was almost transparent, and countless strip-like protrusions were wriggling under his skin.
The strangest thing was his expression; his mouth was stretched to his ears, as if he had seen something extremely happy before he died.
"The mountain god is angry..." The old woman cried and cried, then suddenly turned to stare at the players. She ignored the village chief's words, her cloudy eyes covered with a layer of white film.
"You outsiders...it's your wanderings today that have brought this calamity!"
The players were shocked. They had all hidden themselves, so how could the old woman have found them so accurately?
The village chief struck the stone vat heavily with his pipe.
The gaunt old man, with a palm-sized black spot on the back of his neck, said, "Nonsense! It's clearly your dragon who broke the taboo! Have you forgotten what I told you before the sacrificial ceremony? This year wasn't supposed to be a competition..."
At this point, the village chief seemed to remember something and suddenly shut his mouth.
Players were quite disappointed.
Speak up! Keep talking!
Then, the village chief changed the subject and continued speaking to the old woman, "According to ancestral tradition, Dalong must be buried tonight. Hurry up and prepare; don't delay him."
"Ah~ Waaaaah~" The old woman burst into tears again.
After the village chief finished speaking, he turned to go outside. Xiao Jin suddenly noticed that there was a dark red stain on his cuff.
Unexpectedly, at that moment, the villagers who were watching suddenly turned and dodged to the side, clearly revealing the direction in which the players were located.
The village chief narrowed his eyes: "Dear guests, I'm truly sorry to have you see this."
"However, according to village custom, everyone needs to be present at the funeral in the evening. Please do as the locals do and be sure to attend."
The villagers remained silent, their faces as expressionless as if carved, their deathly gazes sending a chill down one's spine.
The old woman's eyes held an indescribable depth, seemingly mixed with a hint of greed.
The players, hidden in the shadows, couldn't help but look at each other in bewilderment.
Alright! Since we've already been discovered, let's not hide it anymore.
Then everyone came out.
As for the funeral!
Putting aside how suspicious this person's death was, just look at the timing! Who holds a funeral in the middle of the night? Are they trying to kill us?
For a moment, no one spoke.
Unfortunately, the system didn't intend for the players to escape so easily. The next second, a semi-transparent system screen suddenly appeared in front of Xiao Jin's eyes:
[Ding—Congratulations, player, you have triggered the side quest: Attend the Midnight Funeral]
Okay, very good! This time you're not even giving me a chance to refuse!
Although they knew that the funeral was probably a trap for the players, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and step into it.
Wang Zixuan, standing at the front, showed a hint of regret on her face: "Please don't be too sad, none of us wanted this to happen."
Don't worry, we will definitely be at the funeral tonight.
Upon hearing this, the village chief's face scrunched up like a chrysanthemum: "Fine, fine..."
Having explored the area thoroughly, all the players eagerly left. Even after they disappeared from sight, the burning sensation on their backs lingered for a long time.
"Tsk~ What kind of mess is this!"
On the first floor of the guesthouse, Sui Feng kicked a chair beside him listlessly: "I should have known better than to go."
Xiao Jin stood there with his arms crossed, lost in thought, actually pondering what had just happened.
Sui Ying hadn't slept well, so she went back to catch up on her sleep. Yun Ye, relying on his superior skills and daring, went to the mountains behind the village.
"There's nothing you can do. Do you think you can avoid this commotion by not going to watch?" Feng Hao also came over and grinned at Sui Feng.
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