Xiao Cheng and Fang He were arranged to stay at the witch's house.
It was a rather old-looking house, surrounded by thick walls on all four sides, with only a narrow iron gate as the entrance and exit.
The door was tightly closed, and strange patterns were pasted on the door panel. It was a monster with a blue face and fangs, which looked somewhat similar to the Nuo mask worn by the village chief.
Two lanterns hung from the eaves, one red and one white. Below the lanterns hung a pair of wooden plaques with characters carved on intricate patterns. The one on the left read "Witch" and the one on the right read "God".
"This is the totem of the true god. Upon entering, one is protected by the true god. One must not be disrespectful, speak falsely, or overstep one's bounds," the witch said, pointing to the pattern on the door.
"What about this wooden plaque? Is it also a symbol of the true god?" Xiao Cheng asked curiously, moving closer and smelling a very faint woody fragrance.
“It is an offering.” The priestess’s face showed an expression of utmost piety. “The true god will see my offering.”
Stepping inside, the courtyard was eerily quiet, with a sealed coffin in the center. The fluttering banners for summoning the spirits made a whooshing sound, as if ghosts were wailing.
“Don’t be afraid, this is a village custom,” the shaman explained to them. “The coffin is for us, symbolizing that we serve the true God with our lives.”
"Ah, your faith is quite... selfless and fearless," Xiao Cheng exclaimed sincerely.
The shrine maiden simply smiled faintly, then walked to the side room on the right, opened the door, and turned on the light.
"It's too late today, and we haven't had time to prepare many things. Please make do with the accommodations for now. Remember to get a good rest tonight, as we need to start preparing for the sacrificial ceremony very early tomorrow."
The priestess stood by the door, watching them go inside, and then continued to remind them, "Remember not to go out at night; there are many wild animals in the mountains, it's not safe."
"Don't worry, I won't go out, I absolutely won't go out," Xiao Cheng said to her very sincerely.
The priestess looked at him calmly, smiled slightly, and then closed the door for them. Immediately afterward, Xiao Cheng heard the sound of the lock clicking shut.
Fang He: "..."
Xiao Cheng angrily protested: "Where is the most basic trust between people?"
"Clearly, she doesn't think you're trustworthy." Fang He made no attempt to hide his smile.
Xiao Cheng was too lazy to argue with him and turned to look around the room.
The room wasn't large, and there weren't many things inside, but it was very clean. The red floor tiles still had damp stains, indicating it had just been mopped. There was only one double wooden bed, with thick bedding that emitted a faint woody scent similar to that of a wooden plaque.
The head of the bed faces a double-pane glass window, which is only slightly ajar before being blocked by iron bars on the outside.
Opposite the window is the door, a sturdy wooden door with no keyhole or handle, so it can only be opened from the outside.
"They're really afraid we'll run away." Xiao Cheng took off her coat and shook off the dust. "There's no hot water. I was hoping to take a shower."
"You really think you're on vacation?" Fang He walked to the window and looked outside.
Actually, there wasn't much to see. Outside the window was a very thick locust tree that almost filled his entire view, and behind the locust tree was a high wall.
"Did you find anything?" Xiao Cheng leaned over to take a look. "Such a big locust tree, and that wooden sign is also made of locust wood."
"The clues are limited right now, don't focus on them. Get some rest, tomorrow might not be so easy." Fang He reached out and closed the window completely.
"Do you think something will come in from here tonight?" Xiao Cheng pondered the deeper meaning behind his actions.
Fang He looked at her with a puzzled expression, then pointed to the bed: "See? It's right in front of the head of the bed. If it's not closed, it'll let in drafts at night."
Xiao Cheng: "..." Suddenly it feels so real.
The ground was wet, so they had no choice but to sleep in the same bed. Fang He pulled a pillow and placed it in the middle, dividing the bed into two distinct sides.
"Is this alright?" he asked, turning his head.
“Okay.” Xiao Cheng seemed particularly easygoing, and lay down on the bed. Before falling asleep, she didn’t forget to remind Fang He, “I’m a heavy sleeper.”
“Yes, thankfully it was a dream kill,” Fang He nodded seriously and added.
Xiao Cheng: "..." Distant memories of social death began to attack me frantically.
The night passed peacefully until the rooster crowed, which startled Xiao Cheng awake. She turned her head and saw Fang He sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to her.
"When did you wake up?" Xiao Cheng stretched and sat up, turning her head to look at the sky, which was just beginning to lighten.
"I just woke up not long ago." Fang He got up and opened the window, letting the fresh mountain air flow into the room. "I thought you would sleep a little longer."
"We'll have plenty of time to rest after we leave the dungeon, so let's forget about staying here." Xiao Cheng had just woken up and was still a little out of it. She slipped and almost fell to the ground, but luckily Fang He caught her in time.
"Why is there still water on the ground?" She frowned and rubbed the water stains on the floor tiles with the tip of her shoe.
"Either the water is faulty, or the floor tiles are faulty," Fang He said calmly. "At worst, it's a haunted house, but haven't we stayed in plenty of haunted houses?"
Xiao Cheng: "..." That seems to make sense.
Not long after, the sound of a lock being opened came from outside the door. The shrine maiden pushed the door open and entered. Seeing that the two of them were already awake, she asked with slight surprise, "Have you two finished resting so quickly?"
"Yes, it's such a rare opportunity to see the worship of the true god, I'm so excited." Xiao Cheng's tone sounded particularly sincere. "So what activities are there today? Is it really possible for us to participate?"
“Of course, you will all feel very involved these three days.” The shrine maiden nodded. “We need to invite the gods at noon today. Come with me to the shrine later to make the preparations. The village chief will allow you to participate.”
The ancestral hall is located at the deepest part of the village, surrounded by mountains on three sides, giving people an extremely oppressive feeling, like a coffin embedded in the mountain wall.
When the witch arrived with Xiao Cheng and the others, a large number of villagers had already gathered outside.
The village chief, wearing a Nuo mask, stood guard outside the main gate of the ancestral hall, leaning on his cane, scrutinizing everyone with his deep gaze.
"Village Chief." The witch left Xiao Cheng and Fang He in the crowd and walked up to the village chief alone, communicating with him in a strange language.
Xiao Cheng paid a little attention, but couldn't understand what they were saying at all. The intonation of this language was very strange, with no tones or rhythms, and each sentence had a long trailing tone, similar to chanting.
Player #4 also arrived. Upon seeing Xiao Cheng and Fang He, she calmly approached them and asked in a low voice, "Did you see anything strange last night?"
"No, nothing happened last night," Xiao Cheng said, shaking her head.
Then Player 4 suddenly frowned: "Wait, didn't you guys hear that? There was a really loud bell ringing last night."
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