36. The Ghost Village Worships Gods (2)
The little mute boy on the west side of the village
The two guides clearly indicated that they were not going to continue down this path.
They stepped aside to make way for the players to descend the mountain, and remained silent after saying those two words.
As the players descended, several of them instinctively looked back.
The two dark figures stood amidst the lush shadows of the trees, where even light was absent, silently watching their backs.
It was as if they were witnessing walking corpses heading towards death. Perhaps at the moment when they could no longer persuade them, they felt no pity for these people at all.
"Damn it, if it weren't for this damn game, I would never have run into a place like this in my life!" someone cursed under their breath.
Qin Fu'an looked up at the slightly plump figure and felt that what he said made a lot of sense.
Even demons wouldn't want to come to a place like this, let alone humans.
"Since we still have a short distance to go, how about we get to know each other?" someone suggested, and then took the lead in saying his name: "You can call me Zhong Hao. This is my third newbie dungeon."
After that, people started to speak up, mostly referring to the third instance.
When it was Qin Fu'an's turn, one of the two figures in front of him hesitated for a long time before finally saying his name in a strained, deliberately high-pitched voice.
"You can just call me Xiao Guo... This is my third beginner dungeon." Guo Shulin was afraid that Qin Fu'an behind him would recognize his voice, and the hairs on his body stood on end, fearing that he would be suddenly attacked.
After all, he was very unsure whether the person behind him was a human, a ghost, or some unknown entity.
What normal person would keep a bird that breathes fire as a pet?!
Before being chosen by the game, Guo Shulin was a staunch atheist. After being chosen by the game... he has found it difficult to communicate smoothly with humans and is always suspicious of various things.
Fortunately, the other party did not seem to notice anything unusual about him; perhaps they really did not recognize him?
Clinging to a sliver of hope, Guo Shulin still dared not raise his head to let others see his face, and even planned to find something to cover his face once he entered the village.
Behind him came the novice players who were falling further and further behind, now panting heavily to catch their breath. After a long while, they managed to say intermittently, "I... I'm Liang Ping. Can anyone... tell me where this place is? Why did I suddenly get here? I clearly..."
"You'll know once you survive," Liu Yu, who had been cursing under his breath, replied irritably.
The only girl among them, Cen Tian, shone her flashlight on Qin Fu'an, the only one who hadn't spoken yet, and asked, "What about you?"
Qin Fu'an raised his hand to shield his eyes from the slightly glaring light and calmly said his name, "Qin Fu'an, second instance."
"Then your experience must be pretty bad. You two newbies, remember to listen to our instructions and don't run around randomly." Liu Yu looked down on the newbies. In his eyes, these inexperienced newbies were just freeloaders in the game, not only thinking about getting carried to victory, but also causing trouble for others.
Qin Fu'an ignored him, while Liang Ping nodded obediently and followed closely behind the others.
The path up the mountain was much more difficult than the path down, so the descent didn't take long. Before they knew it, they were getting closer and closer to the flickering candlelight in the darkness.
They all stopped when they saw what was clearly the entrance to the village.
"Are we just going to go in like this?" asked Li Fubiao, the oldest among them, hesitantly.
Cen Tian shone her flashlight in that direction.
The next second, the sight before them sent chills down their spines.
"Damn it!" Liu Yu's voice trembled as he cursed, and his slightly overweight body involuntarily took several steps back, subconsciously using the other players as a barrier in front of him.
Under the bright light of a flashlight, at the entrance of this small village, in the pitch-black night, stood many stiff figures.
"It's a living person!" Cen Tian exclaimed in a low voice, because she saw someone blink.
Actually, no reminder is needed; everyone knows this is a living person.
After all, once the light shone on them, they resembled clay figures gradually shaking off their sculpted forms, stiffly piling up exaggerated smiles on their faces, their hoarse voices carrying far and wide in the darkness.
"Are you the distinguished guests who have come from afar, as the Mountain God has mentioned?" A cold, aged voice slowly rang out.
One after another, dark figures approached the players outside, and before they knew it, they had completely surrounded them.
This group of villagers, whose identities were unclear, included both the elderly and the young, men and women. Keen-eyed players could even spot some carrying swaddled infants, suggesting that the entire village had come.
Surrounded by them, the players had no choice but to huddle back-to-back, warily watching the group of villagers who looked extremely strange.
Qin Fu'an sized up the old man who had walked up to him. Although there was no light to assist him, Qin Fu'an's eyesight was good enough to see clearly the age spots on the man's face, which were as dark and bluish as a dead man's.
It doesn't look like a living person.
But he is indeed still alive.
It's a strange situation, but since this is a game instance, everything strange becomes normal.
"You must be the village chief, right?" In the silence, Qin Fu'an's smiling voice slowly rang out, seemingly extremely polite, "We are members of an archaeological team who want to delve deeper into the history of the haunted village and the mountain god, and we're going to do a special issue for you later. That's why we've come here so late at night. We hope we haven't disturbed you."
As he finished speaking, a hint of unknown seduction suddenly crept into his otherwise ordinary words. He chuckled and whispered, "I've heard that the Ghost Village is extremely devoted to the Mountain God. If we can spread the Mountain God's faith further and let more people know about it, the Mountain God would probably be very willing to bestow more blessings upon you, wouldn't he?"
As his voice carried clearly through the darkness to the ears of more people, several players noticed the villagers' breathing quicken unconsciously. Even though they couldn't see their expressions in the dark, they could guess how much Qin Fu'an's words had moved the villagers, and how they had quietly transformed from strange villagers into fervent ones.
After Qin Fu'an took out the archaeological certificate from his pocket and handed it to him, the village chief checked it and immediately smiled even more sincerely. He also waved to the villagers surrounding him to make way.
"No wonder the Mountain God said that distinguished guests have arrived. It turns out that they have come to spread the Mountain God's faith. Quickly, everyone, come into the village. I will arrange a place for you to sleep soon." Only then did the village chief take out a flashlight from his pocket. However, the flashlight's light was dim and flickered from time to time, as if there was a problem with the wiring. It made the already dim environment even more eerie.
Meanwhile, the players who were secretly on guard against the villagers also breathed a sigh of relief and politely chatted as they walked inside. Only Liu Yu's expression was not good. After all, he had just said that he looked down on Qin Fu'an not long ago, but he was slapped in the face by this newcomer's sweet words.
Not only that, but the viewers who were originally in his live stream also left one after another because of this incident. The plummeting popularity and the screen full of ridicule made Liu Yu even angrier.
What he lost was not only popularity, but also his means of survival. Therefore, even though Qin Fu'an had not done anything yet, he already regarded the other party as a thorn in his side.
The group was led to the village chief's courtyard.
Red lanterns hung swaying under the eaves, but they were more of a faded, pale white than red, as if they had been washed away by wind and rain time and time again, leaving only a few traces of red remaining on them.
It's the season between summer and autumn, which should be the time when mosquitoes are at their most numerous. But strangely, Qin Fu'an hasn't heard a single insect chirp along the way.
Just like these two lamps hanging under the eaves, which should be the best insect and fly traps in the dark, but the lanterns and lights are shining in a pale white light, and you can't see a single insect or moth flying around the lights.
This shouldn't be the case.
But Qin Fu'an simply kept these strange occurrences to himself and went along with the others in dealing with the village chief's odd and excited conversation, while he arranged their accommodations for the night.
Of the seven players, the most difficult to arrange was Cen Tian, the only female player.
The village chief arranged for her to stay at his eldest son's house. However, what made Cen Tian less wary was that the village chief's eldest son was away guarding the temple for the mountain god and was not at home. Only his eldest daughter-in-law and grandson were at home.
After the other players were settled into their accommodations, when it was Guo Shulin and Qin Fu'an's turn, just as the village chief was about to put them together, Guo Shulin hurriedly interrupted, "Um, no, no need! I'm used to living alone. I'm really uncomfortable with someone living with me. I'm so sorry, I've had this strange habit since I was a child..."
He rattled off incoherent excuses, while the village chief narrowed his eyes, tapped his long pipe, and nodded with a kind smile: "Alright, alright, it's fine. Why don't you stay at my house, young man? I live alone and don't have anyone to talk to. What do you think?"
The village chief's cloudy eyes stared intently at Guo Shulin.
Guo Shulin was almost in tears, but he had to force a smile and agree.
Now, only Qin Fu'an was left.
Everyone looked at him.
Qin Fu'an tilted his head and smiled, "I'll stay wherever the village chief arranges. We came here to investigate the history of the haunted village and to spread the belief in the mountain god. The accommodation is not the most important thing."
The village chief enjoyed listening to this young man talk.
It sounds wonderful; it's as refreshing as drinking a sip of cool well water on a sweltering summer day.
If Qin Fu'an's eyesight hadn't been a bit beyond comprehension, he would have insisted on giving up his own spot to Qin Fu'an.
It's a pity about the other person's eyes...
The village chief shook his head and smiled, "Well then, there's a small house on the west side of the village. There used to be a little mute living there, but I don't know where he's gone these past few days. Young man, you can stay there for now. If the little mute comes back, just tell him it was me who said it, and he'll go out and find a place to live on his own and won't bother you."
Little mute?
Qin Fu'an sensed a plot twist, and amidst the others' subtle expressions of annoyance, he readily nodded in agreement.
After all that trouble, it was already quite late.
Everyone else's homes were in the village, just a few steps away. But Qin Fu'an had to cross most of the village and walk along the most secluded path, trudging through thorny bushes for about ten minutes before finally seeing a dilapidated little house.
It's really dilapidated. Even the door panels are just made of fencing, loosely attached. It can't keep out wind, rain, insects, or snakes, let alone keep out people with ulterior motives.
Qin Fu'an walked forward with a flashlight, and after roughly looking around the dilapidated little house that seemed ready to collapse at any moment, he made sure no one was inside, then unscrewed the straw knot on the fence gate and went inside.
The room was very clean.
It was more empty than clean.
The room was so small, with only a thick layer of dry grass on the floor and a crooked wooden stump, whether it was used as a stool or a table was unclear. Other than that, there was nothing else.
There were no clothes, shoes, or socks; no tables, chairs, or benches; no kitchen for cooking; and no other traces of life.
If the village chief hadn't said that a little mute lived here, Qin Fu'an wouldn't have even thought this was a place where humans lived.
It's more like a "pen" used in human villages to raise livestock such as pigs and cattle.
Come to think of it, the cowsheds Qin Fu'an had seen were all far more luxurious than this little hut...
The live chat was buzzing with discussion, with many expressing their mixed feelings about the streamer's lucky yet unlucky start, and some even gloating and urging Qin Fu'an to quickly lie down and sleep in the haystack.
It was a complete mess, but unfortunately no one could drink it while it was still hot.
"You guys are so inconsiderate, just taking over other people's beds like that?" Qin Fu'an retorted, taking off the backpack he always carried on his shoulder while the viewers in the live chat were still confused.
It's great value for money. No wonder it's such an expensive single-player item. The equipment inside is very complete, including knives, shovels, sleeping bags, and even... flashlights.
"I take back what I said about it being great value for money. The shady businessmen behind this store are really greedy." The backpack has everything, yet players still have to spend extra money to buy a flashlight.
The abacus was clicking away so fast that the beads almost bounced into Qin Fu'an's face.
Upon hearing this, the audience burst into laughter, thoroughly enjoying watching him falter at these odd points.
Qin Fu'an checked the supplies in his backpack, then took out his sleeping bag, opened it on the ground, and used the backpack as a pillow, intending to make do with it for the night.
As for the empty haystack in the corner, Qin Fu'an glanced at it twice and then closed his eyes, showing no intention of looking for the owner of the hut.
He fell asleep quickly, and since there were no snakes, insects, or rodents in this instance, he didn't even need to do basic mosquito repellent.
Viewers couldn't possibly stare at Qin Fu'an while he slept like a pervert; most of them chose to keep the live stream running, either chatting with the viewers in the live stream or wandering around to other live streams before returning.
Then, at a certain moment, Qin Fu'an suddenly opened his eyes, startling him.
[What's going on? Sleepwalking??]
[That scared me! I thought the streamer was possessed by some evil spirit!]
[What happened?]
The live chat was filled with question marks, but Qin Fu'an quietly left the sleeping bag and walked to the door of the small, dilapidated house under the bewildered gazes of the audience.
The viewers couldn't help but look in the direction the anchor was looking.
The night wind rustled the abnormally lush vegetation around them, and no one could say what was hidden among the tall trees.
In the cool of the late night, Qin Fu'an's voice held a hint of amusement, and his eyes seemed to flicker with unreadable emotions. With a slight upturn of his lips, he gazed in a certain direction and asked gently, "What, you're at your doorstep and still not coming out?"
Just as the audience was completely confused, a rustling sound suddenly came from the clump of tall weeds they were staring at. After a while, a small, thin figure cautiously emerged.
Even the darkness of night couldn't hide the wariness and caution in the boy's wide-open eyes.
Even though it was the other person's small house, Qin Fu'an acted as if he were living in his own home, tilting his head to look at the child in front of him, his originally smiling brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
"How did he get so thin?" I finally raised my lively and adorable child, and now, after just one challenge, he's already looking so miserable and malnourished.
And this little house, I didn't feel uncomfortable before, but now when I think about the child I've raised with so much suffering here, my brow furrows even more.
Yes, she's still a mute little girl who can't speak, so she can't answer her own questions. She just stands there nervously, not daring to say a word or get close.
Qin Fu'an's voice startled the little mute boy, causing him to take two steps back and nearly fall into the clump of grass again. Qin Fu'an stepped forward and caught the child before he fell.
But then the thin arm I was holding began to struggle violently.
Qin Fu'an raised his hand and patted his messy head: "Be good, don't move."
Whether he was stunned by the slap or realized that Qin Fu'an didn't intend to attack him, the little mute actually stopped moving obediently, shrank his body, and looked up at him cautiously.
"Come inside." The joy of reunion turned into anger that kept building up in Qin Fu'an's heart every second he saw the child, so his tone was naturally not so gentle.
The child obediently let him carry him into the house.
Upon seeing his hay nest where he slept, his eyes flickered. The moment Qin Fu'an released him, he scurried into a corner like a frightened little animal and curled up inside.
"Have you eaten?" Qin Fu'an ignored the clumps of aggrieved creatures that were clinging to him, asking as he reached out and ruffled the child's head, picking away the weeds and leaves from his head as well.
The little mute boy huddled in the corner, his body tense. Hearing this, he glanced at him cautiously and then obediently shook his head.
Qin Fu'an stared at the child's body, which was trembling slightly with fear. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly smiled and raised his hand to cover the child's trembling eyes.
"Don't be afraid, I'll show you a little magic trick."
The little mute boy listened to the gentle voice in his ear and pursed his lips slightly. He didn't know who this person who had suddenly barged into his room was, or whether he was good or bad, but... he didn't seem to have anything worth coveting.
This small hut contained all his belongings; it was so simple and empty that seeing Qin Fu'an standing inside made him feel inferior and even ashamed.
The little mute boy had never been to school, but he felt that someone like Qin Fu'an... shouldn't be standing in his room talking, shouldn't be close to him, and shouldn't even touch him.
He should be high above, like a mountain god revered by the villagers, not talking to himself in this little hut.
The mute boy racked his brains trying to figure out if he had anything of value that this stranger would covet.
But he pondered for a long time under Qin Fu'an's palm and still couldn't come up with anything valuable or precious.
Strangely enough, he felt a sense of loss, as if... he would rather the other party had coveted it.
Qin Fu'an had already let go of the child's hand, but he saw that the child was still obediently tilting his head back and closing his eyes, as if he would keep them closed without his permission.
Seeing this, Qin Fu'an felt much of the hidden heartache and anger in his heart subside. He couldn't help but sigh helplessly and said gently, "Alright, open your eyes and take a look."
The little mute boy gently opened his eyes, and the next second his eyes widened in astonishment. He looked at the small box that had appeared out of thin air in Qin Fu'an's hand, then at Qin Fu'an, and finally couldn't resist his curiosity. He started making random, incoherent gestures using his own hand gestures.
[This? How did it appear?]
He was afraid Qin Fu'an wouldn't understand, so he even opened his mouth wide and made exaggerated mouth shapes.
But he never received a reply from Qin Fu'an.
He looked up curiously, only to meet Qin Fu'an's deep, dark green eyes.
The little mute boy froze, his hands, which had been gesturing, also hanging in mid-air.
He belatedly realized that he looked... utterly ugly.
The sign language gestures and the open mouth that couldn't make a sound all reminded the other person that he was mute.
Having figured this out, the little mute boy hurriedly withdrew his hand, took several steps back, lowered his head, and calmed down again, trying to sever ties with Qin Fu'an once more.
To his surprise, after he took three steps back, the tall stranger in front of him forcefully took two large steps closer, pressing his back tightly against the wall, and still refused to let him go.
"Give me your hand." Qin Fu'an reached out his hand to him.
Although it was said to be a request, in reality, there was no room for the little mute to refuse, because Qin Fu'an's hand had already grasped his wrist.
Xie Yunhuai's wrists are even more slender than in the previous instance, as if they would break with the slightest force.
Qin Fu'an didn't think there was anything suggestive about such a slender figure. His eyes were filled with anger, but he tried his best to keep his movements very gentle as he led the little mute boy's hand into the wooden box-shaped snack blind box he was dragging.
"Take out whatever you touch," Qin Fu'an coaxed the child to be bolder.
The little mute girl tried to steal a glance at him, but the moment she looked up, she met his gaze. She hurriedly lowered her head and obediently clutched the things in the box and took them out.
Qin Fu'an looked at the packaging bag he was carrying.
Lucky me, a bag of nut and cheese bread.
The little mute boy seemed to genuinely believe it was a magic trick; his eyes were wide open, and he tilted his head, trying to peek into the box to see if there was anything else hidden inside.
Seeing his unusually lively appearance, Qin Fu'an's eyes finally lit up with a smile again. In front of the little mute boy, he placed the blind box that could produce food on the wooden stump at his feet.
“You can take out different snacks from inside every day.” Qin Fu’an stuffed the little mute boy, who was clutching the bread helplessly, into his sleeping bag and coaxed him, “But you can only take one. If you’re not full, come find me. I won’t let you go hungry, understand?”
The audience initially thought he was being kind, but then they saw Qin Fu'an take the bread from the little mute's hand, tear it open, and let the aroma spread to the little mute, making him stare longingly, but he didn't immediately hand it to him.
"Did you remember?" Qin Fu'an asked, then handed the unwrapped bread to the little mute boy.
The little mute boy swallowed hard, thinking he was being discreet, and nodded obediently.
The next second, he was patted on the head again, as if rewarding a child: "Good boy, eat first, then go to sleep."
[Author's Note]
Anzai: Is this how you treat the wife I've raised with all my hard work?!
Yunzai: ...I have nothing worth being coveted.
Author: Kid! Be confident! He's after you for who you are!
.
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine:
33748790, Close your eyes when it gets dark (1);
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution:
33 bottles of Mu Han;
11 bottles of donuts for the Yangko dance;
Floating clouds stretch for a thousand miles, a cup of sake contains ten bottles;
5 bottles of Qingjiu;
Seventeen 2 bottles;
Last year, Blue Frost Sugar, Le Ran, Ling, Song You a Little Pearl, Fried Rice with Egg, Qingyu Lonely Boat 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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