Chapter 34 Returning Home 4: Wind Orange Village
Wu Wangwang felt no discomfort, but she had vomited blood all over her skirt. She lifted the hem of her skirt and said, "Shouldn't you just tell me about this? There's so much blood, it's impossible to wash it all off."
After saying that, the referee handed over a bag from the side, which contained a new dress of the same style: "Here you go, that's why player replacement ghosts are such a hassle. From now on, I will send you a new dress that is exactly the same every day. Remember not to change to anything else."
"So, Mei Su is just being killed in this instance, but actually she died in an accident on her way here?" Wu Wangwang felt like she had grasped the core content of this instance.
The referee straightened his hair in front of the mirror: "I guess so. Sometimes in dungeons, it's all about mental fortitude. By the way, you can't tell your husband, okay? You have to appear in front of everyone as if you've always been alive and never died."
Wu Wangwang calmly replied, "I have never died."
Mei Su died, what does that have to do with Wu Wangwang?
The referee was very satisfied with her attitude: "Very good, you already have the mindset of a horror movie actor. I'm leaving now. Don't open the door for anyone who comes later, because you're already dead. Open the door after dawn."
Wu Wangwang didn't take these words to heart. Could they all come to kill her in one night?
But while she was taking a shower, she heard a knock on the door. Judging from the voice, it was Jing Jiang. She wasn't carrying anything when she came in. After knocking for a while and seeing that no one answered, she left.
After taking a shower, Wu Wangwang was about to go to sleep when she heard a knock on the door again. This time it was Wei Dong, and she was even less likely to open the door for him, so Wu Wangwang continued to play dead.
Wei Dong persisted for about an hour before Ling Yuanshan came up and stopped him, at which point he left. However, Ling Yuanshan did not knock on the door to let Wu Wangwang come out and share the news like Wei Dong did; instead, he watched Wei Dong leave together.
The following night was very peaceful. Wu Wangwang woke up naturally. Her old dress was all crumpled up. Even after washing off the bloodstains, she couldn't wear it. No wonder the referee insisted on bringing her a new dress. Only by wearing a new dress every day could she perfectly maintain the appearance she had on the first day Mei Su arrived.
After changing into her new dress and going downstairs, Wu Wangwang went to find Ling Yuanshan in room 302, just as he opened the door.
Ling Yuanshan pulled Wu Wangwang inside: "When I came upstairs last night, I heard someone knocking on your door. It turned out to be Wei Dong. Are you alright?"
Wu Wangwang shook her head: "It's nothing. I was taking a shower when he came, so I couldn't turn it on for him. He just kept banging on it. He's crazy."
Hearing this, Ling Yuanshan was somewhat puzzled: "Last night I questioned him about whether he was trying to cause you trouble or do something, and he said he was just trying it out out of boredom. He wouldn't make a fuss about nothing..."
With Wei Dong, this oddball, around, the rhythm of the dungeon was completely disrupted. Wu Wangwang wasn't one to be led by the nose, so she patted Ling Yuanshan on the shoulder and said, "Don't pay too much attention to this kind of person. It's more important for us to do our own thing. Let's go downstairs to eat first, or we'll have to go out and buy something if we miss the meal."
The two of them are currently living entirely off Mei Su's savings, so they can't afford to waste any money.
When they got downstairs, all the other players were there. They all had different expressions when they saw Wu Wangwang and Ling Yuanshan coming down the stairs side by side.
Breakfast in the village was excessively simple, consisting only of plain porridge and locally pickled vegetables, which were oddly shaped and not very appealing to most people.
The atmosphere at the table was so strange that even Ling Yuanshan noticed it. He cautiously stepped forward to protect Wu Wangwang and asked, "What's wrong with you two?"
It's still raining today, and the air is filled with a lingering damp, fishy smell. The abundant water and oxygen make one feel dazed.
Guan Lian waved her hand in front of her nose, as if to drive away the moisture: "It's nothing, the weather is just too humid. I'm from the north, and coming here feels like I'm drowning."
Tian Ji, standing next to him, nodded in agreement: "Yes, yes, I feel like I'm swimming in water."
The others remained silent, and Ling Yuanshan finally felt relieved and sat down at the dining table with Wu Wangwang.
Ling Yuanshan took a bowl and first served Wu Wangwang a bowl of porridge. Then, as he was ladling some for himself, Lei Fu, who was sitting next to him, suddenly asked, "Did you two sleep well last night?"
Asking this kind of question in a dungeon is like asking if you saw a ghost last night. Everyone answered cautiously, saying they were fine and slept soundly until dawn.
After that, Lei Fu suddenly stopped talking and silently drank his porridge.
At this moment, Tian Ji suddenly asked, "Miss Mei Su, did the ginger soup I brought you last night work well?"
After hearing his words, Ling Yuanshan looked at Wu Wangwang in surprise, as Wu Wangwang hadn't mentioned this to him earlier.
Jing Jiang suddenly chuckled, "Oh, you're bringing ginger soup to someone's wife so late at night? Are you sick?"
Tian Ji smiled憨厚ly: "It rained heavily yesterday, and Miss Mei Su came in the rain again. I'm just a nice guy, that's just how I am."
"That's fine, I went to sleep after I finished drinking it," Wu Wangwang replied, following the script provided by the referee.
After that, the atmosphere at the dinner table became noticeably stranger. Tian Ji was very happy, Lei Fu sipped his porridge louder, Guan Lian was indifferent, and Jing Jiang had a faint smile on her face.
Just as everyone was harboring their own secrets, Wei Dong interjected, "Oh? Then the effect must be too good. I knocked on your door for an hour, and no one answered."
After he finished speaking, Jing Jiang was stunned for a moment and said, "Huh? I also knocked on the door last night, but no one answered. I thought you were asleep, Mei Su. Do you only open the door for the first person who goes there?"
That night was truly lively, a veritable bustling marketplace. You wouldn't have noticed it if everyone was talking separately, but once they were all gathered together, it was as if Wu Wangwang were some heartless man who wouldn't open the door.
Ling Yuanshan's face darkened: "Why are all of you men and women looking for my wife all night?"
The couple's identity was used perfectly. Tian Ji and Jing Jiang explained that they were just getting to know each other, and who knows, they might have to work together later. Wei Dong, on the other hand, said he wanted to confirm whether his stand-in was dead or not.
The group was in a chaotic state, and Ling Yuanshan was too lazy to talk to them. Seeing that Wu Wangwang had silently finished her porridge, he said directly to her, "Ignore them, let's go for a walk."
Jing Jiang called out to them, "It's raining so hard outside, are you going out? Is there some message you need?"
The other players immediately stared at them nervously.
Ling Yuanshan looked at them like they were idiots: "Of course we're going on vacation! The referee rules are very clear: this instance is about vacation and going home. Are you just going to sleep in the hotel on vacation?"
Ling Yuanshan then borrowed a larger umbrella from the shop owner and walked out with Wu Wangwang.
Seeing that the other players hadn't followed, Ling Yuanshan whispered, "They definitely know what I'm going to do, and they're all trying to win you over. Mei Su's identity might be a bit special."
Wu looked around to make sure no one was there, then took the list out of his pocket: "It should be special here. Look, I found it last night before I went to sleep. There are new handwritings."
A new line of blood appeared on the list: August 7th, go to a farmhouse for home-style cooking.
Ling Yuanshan was taken aback when he saw this: "Huh? It seems that Mei Su did some research. Last night I asked the boss what the local specialties of Fengju Village were. There are only three: mountain climbing, rafting, and farm stays."
Wu Wangwang put the list away and nodded: "Yes, so the list must be a very important thing. It seems that only we know what we should do. The actions of the other four are strange. For example, Tian Ji, he inexplicably brought me ginger soup, but I didn't dare to drink it."
“That makes sense. I’ve been to some similar instances, and in the end, it always ends up with players killing each other because everyone has different goals. We should be careful to avoid them, and don’t eat the things they offer,” Ling Yuanshan cautiously reminded them.
"Should we invite them to the agritourism activities? Look at the list, it says 'gathering with friends,' could it be that Mei Su's friends refer to them?" Wu Wangwang was quite worried about this issue.
The referee did not explicitly say who Mei Su's friends were, nor did he acknowledge that those people were Mei Su's friends. However, he did say that Mei Su considered those people to be friends. Since they were all friends in Mei Su's mind, they should go on the trip together, right?
Ling Yuanshan frowned: "You have a point, but given how things have turned out, even if we invite them, they probably wouldn't dare to come with us, would they?"
Wu Wangwang pondered for a while and said, "Not necessarily. At least Tian Ji, Jing Jiang and Wei Dong's mission should be related to me, otherwise they wouldn't have come to me directly last night. With the three of them agreeing, Guan Lian and Lei Fu would have to come anyway, otherwise it would be too abrupt."
When the rules of a game are unclear, standing out too much is not a good thing.
Ling Yuanshan had no objections: "Alright, let's go check out the farmhouses now. I asked for directions last night. Let's go, if we make a reservation, we can invite them to have dinner together tonight."
The village was indeed small. Not far away, they saw a courtyard with a wooden sign for a farmhouse. It looked quite large, but there were very few people. Wu Wangwang and Ling Yuanshan only encountered people after they walked into the house.
The owner, a short, thin young man, smiled and said, "Welcome, distinguished guests! I'm so sorry for not welcoming you properly. Are you planning to book a table for a group or a set menu for couples?"
As he spoke, the owner gave them each a menu listing the dishes and various set meals. Staying temporarily at the farmhouse was possible, but the set meals had to be included with meals, unlike hotels.
There are so many dishes that it makes one wonder if they can actually make so many different cuisines.
Ling Yuanshan quickly finished reading, and then asked casually, "I haven't seen any other customers today. Is business bad?"
The owner hurriedly explained, "Business is good when the weather is nice, but it's because it's been raining for many days and the village is secluded, so tourists can't come in. But don't worry, if you want to make a reservation, I will definitely try my best to get the freshest ingredients to cook for you."
"Many days? I got off at a nearby stop yesterday, and it wasn't raining yet." Wu Wangwang noticed the words the boss used.
"Oh dear, miss, the bus stop you stopped at is several kilometers away. The rain here is heavier in the mountains than outside. Let me calculate, it's been raining for about seven or eight days now. The road should be closed tomorrow." The shopkeeper counted on a calendar.
This news made Wu Wangwang and Ling Yuanshan's hearts tighten. Didn't the road closure mean that they couldn't go home?
Ling Yuanshan hurriedly asked, "What do you mean by 'road closure'? Why do we have to close the roads after continuous heavy rain?"
The boss smiled and showed no sign of nervousness: "Don't be nervous, this is normal. The road closure is to prevent people from entering or leaving. You must have done your research before coming here. The most famous things here are mountain climbing and rafting. There is water in the mountains, so mudslides are prone to occur. They usually damage the roads built outside, not the villages. Don't worry."
Landslides and mudslides are practically perfect tools for crime. Players aren't united, so it's hard to guarantee they won't exploit these things.
Seeing Wu Wangwang and Ling Yuanshan remain silent, the boss thought they were frightened and said, "Gentlemen, please don't worry too much. The village won't let you go hiking or rafting in this situation. The village was built with feng shui in mind, so it won't be affected here. You can play in the village without worry."
Wu Wangwang was taken aback: "We can't play? But we're here for tourism. If we can't play, are we just going to stay in the hotel and not do anything?"
The shopkeeper sighed, "There's nothing we can do about it. Nobody can predict when it will rain. If all else fails, you can buy some playing cards at the convenience store or borrow some mahjong tiles to play."
From this perspective, Maysu's list seems difficult to complete, and she can only take it one step at a time.
They booked a table for about seven people. Wu Wangwang and Ling Yuanshan walked back to the hotel. On the way, they discussed that if the items on the list that would appear tomorrow could not be fulfilled, they would ask the referee to see if it was a difficulty inherent in the instance or an accident.
Back at the hotel, Guan Lian and Jing Jiang were sitting in the downstairs lounge area; the other three men were not there.
Upon seeing them, Wu Wangwang approached them with a flyer for a farmhouse restaurant: "Hello, my husband and I just went for a walk and found a farmhouse restaurant that seems pretty good. Let's go have dinner together tonight."
Both girls took the flyers. After glancing at them briefly, Jing Jiang said, "You guys really think you're here for a vacation? Aren't you in a hurry to clear the dungeon?"
Wu Wangwang looked puzzled: "Aren't we just trying to pass the level? Otherwise, why would we go out in this weather? Based on my experience with him, what the referee says must be true, and we can't overthink it; we have to interpret it literally."
After a moment of silence, Jing Jiang asked, "What if the information the player receives conflicts with the referee's words? Or is it completely unrelated?"
“Trust the referee,” Wu Wangwang said without hesitation. “The rule that will never change in the game is to trust that the referee can send the player away, so the rules they have for judging are absolutely correct.”
Upon hearing this, Guan Lian and Jing Jiang exchanged a glance. They said they would come over that evening, which was considered their agreement.
The remaining three men, according to Jing Jiang, were all in their rooms upstairs. They had hidden themselves after breakfast and hadn't come down.
Ling Yuanshan didn't dare to separate from Wu Wangwang, so she went upstairs with her to find the three people. Lei Fu was hiding in the room and didn't open the door. He asked them what they wanted through the door and after listening to them, he told them to leave the flyers with the boss and he would come downstairs to pick them up in the evening.
Tian Ji and Wei Dong were sleeping in their room. It took them quite a while to open the door, but they gave the same answer: they would both be there that night.
With their response, Wu Wangwang and Ling Yuanshan considered their task for the day complete. It had been raining outside, so it wasn't a good time to go out and have fun.
Wu Wangwang kicked off her shoes and said, "Shall we go check out the ticket booths for mountain climbing and rafting? We don't have anything else to do today."
Ling Yuanshan had no objection, but they ate the lunch provided by the hotel before going out.
Today is the second day in the dungeon. Only Wu Wangwang and Ling Yuanshan are eating lunch. Guan Lian and Jing Jiang have also gone back to their rooms for some reason. No one comes down for lunch, which is in stark contrast to breakfast.
But Wu Wangwang and Ling Yuanshan didn't care. People who have experienced many dungeons eventually get used to clearing them alone. Every player they meet in a dungeon is just a passerby. At most, they accompany each other until the end. If things go too fast, you might just meet and then have your head fall off in front of you the next second.
The mountain climbing and rafting are both sold at the same ticket booth in the village. Since both involve climbing uphill, the village charges the same fee. Rafting is the option where you enter the water halfway up the mountain, while mountain climbing is the option where you continue climbing. The fees for both are the same.
"Doesn't that mean you can play two games for the price of one?" Ling Yuanshan asked with a smile.
The ticket seller smiled and waved his hand: "No, climbing and rafting are both non-returnable. That is to say, after reaching the end, you can only return along the designated route. So you can only play one activity by paying once."
The merchants have calculated that the recent rains have closed the roads, and the village has already suspended the activities. The earliest they can resume is after the rain stops and the roads are repaired.
Walking back to the farmhouse from the ticket booth, it was exactly 5 p.m. When Wu Wangwang and Ling Yuanshan arrived, the lights were already on. The owner, wearing an apron, greeted them: "Gentlemen, the soup is already simmering, and all the other ingredients have been prepared. Just let us know when you want to serve, and we'll start cooking right away."
Since the other players hadn't arrived, Wu Wangwang said to wait a little longer and borrowed paper and pen from Ling Yuanshan's farmhouse to draw a map of Fengju Village.
This place looks like an ordinary resort. There's nothing to investigate on the map except for the closed mountain climbing and rafting area. Judging from the height we saw today, it's very dangerous. If a natural disaster like a landslide were to occur, the tourists up there would definitely not be able to come back.
Rainy days are inherently dark, and it got completely dark shortly after five o'clock, with no players coming over.
By six o'clock, the owner had already refilled the tea twice before Wei Dong, the first person to arrive, finally came. He was still the same as before, looking as if he wished Ling Yuanshan and Wu Wangwang would die in his place.
"You guys are the only ones who have worked this hard to complete the dungeon, but do you really believe what the referee said? By the way, what information did you get?" Wei Dong asked three questions in a row right away, not thinking he was being unreasonable at all.
Wu Wangwang repeated, "I've already said, my information is that there's an extra person among us, but I won't say who that person is."
Ling Yuanshan replied, "There's nothing I can't say about my information, it's just that there's no information. This is the first time I've encountered a copy with absolutely no information provided. But thinking about it, isn't the absence of information a kind of information in itself?"
Wei Dong was very impatient with the convoluted answer. He waved his hand and said, "I don't understand your stuff. I just don't understand the intricacies of games, which is why I want to solve this once and for all. Besides, I don't believe you don't know anything. If you didn't know anything, you wouldn't be putting on this show."
If the other party didn't believe them, nothing they said would make a difference, so Wu Wangwang and Ling Yuanshan remained silent.
After Wei Dong arrived, the other players gradually arrived. After a day of development, Guan Lian and Jing Jiang seemed to have reached an agreement and traveled together. Tian Ji and Lei Fu continued to travel alone, and Lei Fu's mood was very strange today.
The rain intensified after nightfall, and they even had to change seats at the farmhouse because the water had risen.
The owner's cooking skills are indeed excellent, and the food is served quickly. The small private room is filled with various aromas.
Ling Yuanshan, with his long arms, grabbed a bowl of chicken soup and a chicken leg for Wu Wangwang: "Here, this chicken looks like it's a free-range chicken raised by the owner himself. Eat more, you're too thin."
Wu Wangwang nodded. The happiest thing about her coming to the human world was the abundance of delicious food, which was much better than the unchanging offerings and the wandering ghosts.
The two were enjoying their meal when they were half full, only to realize that everyone else was staring at them, not touching their chopsticks, and instead giving them strange looks.
"Is it not tasty?" Wu Wangwang asked in confusion.
Guan Lian asked softly, "Why are you two eating so relaxed? Don't you think this instance is weird?"
Wu Wangwang put down her chopsticks: "What's strange about it?"
Tian Ji whispered, "There's nothing to do. No ghosts, no boss, no rules of death, no escape, nothing at all. It's so relaxing, it's like we're really on vacation."
But this is an escape game. The more relaxed the environment, the less they dare to truly relax. Instead, their mental pressure gradually increases as they try to find even one rule that leads to death.
After listening to Tian Ji's words, Wu Wangwang wiped her face and remained silent. Where was there no ghost? This ghost was sitting there drinking chicken soup, eating very happily.
Ling Yuanshan wasn't a talkative person. He silently removed the fish bones from Wu Wangwang's bones. He had gone through too many dungeons, especially during the year he was treating his illness. He had to enter a dungeon almost every ten days or so. He was so used to the dungeons that he became numb to many of the settings and didn't think there was anything wrong with them.
An awkward silence fell over the table until Lei Fu broke it by suddenly pushing away his chopsticks and standing up, saying, "I'm going to the bathroom."
After he left, Wei Dong mentioned, "Fatty, you can't say that. Besides Ling Yuanshan and Wu Wangwang, isn't that big guy acting strangely? Didn't you guys notice? He's been shaking since this morning, without stopping."
Guan Lian glanced at Wei Dong and said, "Do you think that he saw a ghost and has already triggered the rules?"
Wei Dong smiled and said, "I didn't say that. It's just that he's acting very strangely. He was fine yesterday, but today he's trembling all over, like he's seen a ghost. Who knows what he's discovered? What if he's the ghost among us?"
The topic suddenly shifted back to the information given by Wu Wangwang. The players all looked at her. Assuming that the information she gave was true, one of the seven players must be an extra one. Should they choose the strangest one or the most normal one?
A perfectly good farm stay ended on a sour note. Lei Fu went to the restroom and didn't return for a long time. When he came back, only Wu Wangwang, Ling Yuanshan, and Tian Ji were left at the table. After going to the restroom, he was barely shivering anymore. He even greeted Ling Yuanshan, saying that he felt bad tonight because he seemed to have caught a cold and wasn't feeling well.
The last thing served at the farmhouse was sweet soup, a white fungus and ginkgo soup. The ginkgo nuts in it were soft and chewy, and very delicious. However, it was obvious that none of the three men really liked it. Only Wu Wangwang finished her share and Ling Yuanshan's share.
After they finished eating, they went back to the hotel together. It was raining heavily, and even though Ling Yuanshan was careful to hold the umbrella, Wu Wangwang's skirt was still soaked. After they got back to the hotel, he said, "You should go back and take a shower. Getting sick in the dungeon is not a good thing. Call me if you need anything."
Wu Wangwang nodded and went upstairs first.
After taking a shower, she thought the night had passed peacefully, but she soon noticed someone standing on the balcony. She quickly walked over and pulled back the curtains, only to see Lei Fu holding a knife and stabbing it viciously into her abdomen. In order to follow the plot, Wu Wangwang was completely unprepared, and blood instantly flowed all over the floor.
Lei Fu gritted his teeth: "Go to hell!"
After saying that, Lei Fu slashed the knife horizontally, cutting open Wu Wangwang's stomach and spilling out her intestines. Then, seemingly still not satisfied, Lei Fu pulled out the knife, grabbed Wu Wangwang's neck, and pushed her off the fourth-floor balcony.
Thunder rumbled, rain washed away the traces of time, and in Wu Wangwang's eyes, Lei Fu, with a ferocious smile, leaned on the balcony, breathing heavily, as if he had finally woken up from some nightmare.
Without a belly to cover her, her intestines and internal organs, washed away by the heavy rain, slowly spilled out of Wu Wangwang's body. In the deserted rainy night, Mei Su died again.
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Author's Note: [End of Chapter]
Wu Wangwang: Then if I show up in the little blue dress again tomorrow, won't you explode?
Ling Yuanshan: Without my knowledge, my wife has already died three times. [Please]
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I have a bad cold, my head is spinning, but I'm still managing to keep updating. I guess I'm pretty determined despite my physical limitations. [Chin resting on hand]
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Thank you for watching, and I hope you enjoyed the article.
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