Chapter 184 Ferryman Dungeon (VII)
The power of the passing ghost soldiers probably disturbed the ordinary ghosts. In the second half of the night, only two or three ghosts needed to cross the river. When they appeared, the other players reacted a little too much, which naturally attracted their attention. Therefore, Ning Hanqi had some free time in the middle of the night.
But after just over three hours, the eastern sky began to turn white, and the old boatman banged his gong. The sound was harsh and awakening, and everyone, whether sleeping soundly or dozing off, was startled awake.
"Wake up! It's already daybreak! If we don't hold the sacrificial ceremony, the guests will be here soon!" said the old boatman in a hoarse voice.
"It's only a little after 6 o'clock. Didn't we start work quite late yesterday morning?" Someone didn't sleep well and his head was buzzing.
There were some ancient toiletries on their ship. Although they were rather simple, they were better than nothing.
"Da da..." When Xia Yingnuan was wetting the cloth with clean water and handing it to Ning Hanqi, she heard the sound of a donkey cart from afar. In the darkness, the merchant came riding on the donkey on time again.
Ning Hanqi's migraine gradually eased. She felt the girl's hands were a little cool, as if they had an analgesic effect. She couldn't help but joke, "How about I give you a raise and let you be my exclusive masseuse?"
Wishful thinking! He stood up with the help of the cabinet, then peeked towards the window, "Hurry up and pull up the curtains! There really was a ghost listening to us just now! You can't open the curtains, quickly pull them up! Otherwise, we will all be seen by the ghost!"
The madman was so anxious that he stomped his feet in the corner and insisted that Ning Hanqi pull the curtains.
Xia Yingnuan was sure that there were no ghosts outside the window. Perhaps this madman was indeed mentally unstable, so Ning Hanqi could only pull back the curtains.
The madman finally breathed a sigh of relief, then took out a peach wood sword, lit several talismans, and chanted some words to exorcise ghosts in the house.
Anyway, his action was useless. At least Xia Yingnuan didn't feel any aggression.
Only after he had "purified" the house again did the madman sit down exhausted on his bed covered with yellow talismans.
"Let me tell you, ghosts are everywhere in this hotel. It took me a lot of effort to clear out the dirt in the room. Don't mess around again, or something bad will really happen!" The madman pointed at her and said unhappily.
Ning Hanqi could only nod and say that he understood and would not touch anything else.
When the madman saw that she agreed, he began to tell her his identity.
"Actually, I'm a Taoist priest. When I was young, I practiced in the mountains with my master. Two years ago, my master told me that I needed to gain some experience in the mortal world, so I came to this city, and then I discovered the overwhelming resentment in this hotel!" The madman spoke mysteriously, as if he was writing a novel.
These NPCs with their own reflections are different from other charred corpses. They look extremely vivid and have no idea what kind of world they live in. Just like the girl in that team, she thought she was in a normal hotel and was still working hard. NPCs like them should be special existences set up by the copy.
The madman should also be such an NPC, but he just said that there are ghosts everywhere here. Ning Hanqi originally thought that this madman might really know something, but now it seems that this madman in front of him probably doesn’t know much, especially the remarks he just made up... If he is not really crazy, Ning Hanqi thought of some x-cult propaganda methods of this era.
Give the xx leader a special identity, and then brainwash ordinary people...
The madman waved the peach wood sword and muttered to himself while holding the talisman, but unfortunately it had no effect. So he immediately rushed to the low cabinet, picked up a bowl filled with black and red unknown liquid and poured it towards the window.
“Go to hell!”
The curtains instantly looked like a crime scene, which was quite creepy. However, after splashing the water, the noise outside did disappear.
"Don't be afraid, I have temporarily driven away the ghosts. They won't come back for a while, but you have been targeted... Be careful from now on." The madman gave a very considerate advice.
Xia Yingnuan: “…” You’re a pretty nice person.
The noise just now looked really scary. Ordinary people would definitely be frightened here, especially the players who entered the dungeon. They were already very nervous and knew that this was the game world of ghosts. So their instinctive reaction would probably be to believe that it was ghosts causing trouble.
But the two people present were not ordinary people. The madman's tricks were not only not impressive to them, but they even felt a little embarrassed after being seen through.
"Those noises just now were not caused by ghosts, but by this madman himself..." Xia Yingnuan only transmitted her voice to Ning Hanqi.
The incense in the incense burner had signs of being broken, the Bagua mirror had also been tampered with, and there was no wind outside at all. It was only the branch that was moving. It was just that when the curtains were drawn, it was easy to cause misunderstanding among the people in the house.
Ning Hanqi moved his fingers slightly and scratched Xia Yingnuan's palm, indicating that he understood.
However, since this NPC wants to perform, Ning Hanqi naturally has to cooperate with him to continue the play. After all, if nothing unexpected happens, this is the process of the side quest.
After thinking for three seconds, Ning Hanqi, who seemed to be "scared silly", had tears in her eyes. She asked the madman tremblingly what to do next. She looked completely at a loss and could only wait for the madman to help her.
Even though Xia Yingnuan knew that her helpless and pitiful look was just an act, she couldn't control her soft heart, which made her even more deceptive to others.
The madman rolled his eyes and said, "You still need to work now, right? I'll give you a few talismans to keep close to you. I'll find a way to leave and take you with me. Remember, don't tell anyone else about what's happening here! If the ghosts hear our plan, they'll definitely be wary! It won't be easy for us to escape then."
Xia Yingnuan curled her lips at an angle where Ning Hanqi couldn't see. Double the salary couldn't buy this technology from a higher-level world, at least twenty times!
However, she still said modestly: "...If you praise me again, I will be proud."
She remembered that Ning Hanqi used to be very healthy and had no migraine problems at all. She didn't know how Xia Yingnuan could have created these problems. Xia Yingnuan muttered in her heart, but her hands did not slow down.
Until Ning Hanqi's phone rang, it should not be a confidential call, so she did not avoid Xia Yingnuan and answered it directly.
The person on the other side said something, and Ning Hanqi's hand holding the phone suddenly clenched. Xia Yingnuan could clearly see that her fingers were slightly white, and it was conceivable how much strength Ying used.
"Okay, it's okay... let someone watch him." Ning Hanqi's voice was a little gloomy and scary, as if the gentle disguise was torn off, revealing the bone-chilling coldness hidden inside.
Xia Yingnuan heard the male protagonist's name on the other end of the phone.
The male protagonist who was imprisoned for stepping on Shixia's sewing machine came out, and also won over Ning Hanqi's rivals and his father's connections.
Although his abilities were average and his time in prison didn't help him grow any smarter, he and his wife had the aura of the protagonists, which helped him to rise to prominence in the later period.
However, his every move was under the surveillance of the villain, and he thought that the greatest help was also given to him by the villain. After finally opening a small company, he was thinking about bringing down Ning Hanqi, but he didn't know that everything he did was just the clown's last carnival in the eyes of the villain.
Xia Yingnuan stopped moving her hands.
She still hasn't figured out why Ning Hanqi, the former model student, would choose such an extreme path in the future. She finally has a bright future, so how worthless is it to sacrifice herself?
Xia Yingnuan frowned. She liked to bite her lips whenever she encountered something upsetting. Sometimes she would bite them until they bled without her even realizing it.
Ning Hanqi hung up the phone. At this time, she found that there was no movement behind her. She thought that the girl was frightened. She was about to turn around to comfort her, but she was stunned by what she saw.
"Little boy, doesn't it hurt when you bite your mouth?" Ning Hanqi controlled his hand that was about to be raised. There was a hint of smile in his cold eyes, but the smile did not reach his eyes.
Xia Yingnuan quickly loosened her teeth. Hiss... It hurt a little. She touched it and fortunately there was no bleeding.
Ning Hanqi looked at her deeply, then lowered his head to look at his phone. It was already evening before he knew it. No wonder the light was a little dim.
"Stay for dinner tonight." Ning Hanqi said, "I'll ask the restaurant to deliver the food."
"Thank you."
Xia Yingnuan was happy that she could escape the hospital's sick meals and finally have a good meal.
But when the food was delivered, she regretted it.
Stir-fried dried tofu with chili peppers, wood ear mushrooms with coriander, crispy green Chinese spinach...except for a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, all the others are things I hate to eat!
Xia Yingnuan held the chopsticks and tried hard for a long time to stop her hands from shaking. If she was not very sure that the other party did not notice that she had "resurrected", she would definitely think that Ning Hanqi was targeting her!
It’s better to spend a dozen dollars to eat a spicy hot pot outside!
Forget it, a plate of tomato and eggs will do, it’s just right to be eaten with rice.
Xia Yingnuan ate her rice quickly, but no matter how fast she ate, she couldn't eat as fast as Ning Hanqi. Before she knew it, there were celery and chili peppers in her bowl, and then there were cilantro and Chinese chrysanthemum...
There are villains who want to harm me!
Xia Yingnuan's face was almost turning the same color as the Chinese cabbage. She reluctantly took a bite of the green pepper, which she could tolerate best, and left the rest in the bowl.
Some things are matters of principle, and she would never put them in her mouth even if she was beaten to death.
"Even if the school handles the issue, there will inevitably be some rumors, so you should stay here for the time being." Ning Hanqi suddenly spoke.
"Puff... cough cough cough..." Xia Yingnuan hurriedly took Ning Hanqi's water and drank it.
"Don't be anxious." Ning Hanqi patted her on the back. Such tenderness made Xia Yingnuan feel creepy, as if she was being stared at by something.
It's just, it's scary.
"No, no need to bother you. I can live in the school." Xia Yingnuan shook her head like a rattle, then slapped the system that was jumping up and down and shouting "This is a good opportunity!"
"Are you afraid of me?" Ning Hanqi tilted his head slightly and smiled kindly.
Xia Yingnuan shook her head even more vigorously. Scared? How could that be possible! Who had she ever been afraid of?!
The original owner took tutoring classes outside of school. In order to make trouble for her, Zhang Qi deliberately spread those rumors to the students' parents, causing her to be fired. So now Xia Yingnuan has no source of income. Ning Hanqi probably found out about this.
Xia Yingnuan looked at Ning Hanqi's expression and couldn't see anything unusual. She looked like a kind neighbor sister who cared about a poor child.
Even the system was sighing: [The villain is so gentle and kind-hearted. Will she really kill people without blinking an eye in the future?]
Xia Yingnuan also wanted to ask this question.
"Just consider it a favor. My sister's daughter is too naughty. We need to find a teacher to control her temper." Ning Hanqi's tone was filled with worry, as if he was particularly troubled by the child.
Oh! What a naughty child!
Xia Yingnuan remembered Ning Hanqi's sister, the little brat who loved to grind her teeth on her clothes even when she was still in her cradle. Now she's a mother? She was quite naughty as a child, practically raised under the beatings of her and her sister. Wouldn't her daughter be even better than her?
Naughty kid? No! It’s a new toy!
But after thinking about it... forget it. She felt that living with Ning Hanqi was a little uneasy.
Xia Yingnuan was about to shake her head when she suddenly felt her body resisting her.
Original owner?
Xia Yingnuan's expression froze, and she finally nodded reluctantly.
"Then it's settled. Go back to school and pack your things today. I'll ask the driver to pick you up tomorrow at noon." The smile on Ning Hanqi's lips seemed to become even more intense.
Hmm... She always felt that Ning Hanqi had some bad intentions. Could she still regret it?
Ning Hanqi obviously didn't want to give her this opportunity and directly offered a generous salary. "That child is in elementary school, and none of his grades are higher than 20 points. How about the tuition fee... 400 per hour?"
This price was indeed a bit high for a college student, but Ning Hanqi asked her to take it with Nuanxin, because the extra part might be compensation for Xia Yingnuan's mental damage.
"Due to some special reasons, that child's personality isn't very good. I hope you can be more tolerant. If you can teach that child well, I'll increase your salary tenfold."
ten times?
"Okay, Mr. Ning, when do you think we can start class?" Xia Yingnuan raised a sincere smile.
Ning Hanqi was stunned for a moment, then slightly shifted his gaze to look at the darkening sky outside: "...The day after tomorrow, tomorrow you just moved the things in, you need to rest too."
"No problem, Mr. Ning. I'll stay at the school tonight and pack up tomorrow morning!"
"Don't worry, I won't be bullied by them! It's just one night." Xia Yingnuan was full of confidence and she would definitely let go before the other person took his last breath!
Ning Hanqi considerately asked the driver to take Xia Yingnuan to school. She still had a smile on her face when she left, but the moment she closed the door, her expression turned cold.
Even the warm breeze of early summer could not blow away the chill around her body. At this moment, she was just like what the outside world described, a beauty carved out of ice and jade.
She took out her cell phone and dialed a number.
"Help me find out who Guo Yuzhen has been meeting recently."
"Guo Yuzhen? Isn't that the student you sponsored?" There was some surprise on the other end of the phone.
Ning Hanqi is keen on charity and has sponsored many children who are unable to go to school due to poverty. Many people call her a living Bodhisattva and a money-giving girl, but she reflects that Ning Hanqi is cold-hearted at heart and does good deeds only to accumulate blessings for the dead person. She herself has nothing to do with kindness.
But the little girl named Guo Yuzhen was a little special. It was hard to tell whether she was lucky or not, but she had a face that looked 50% like the dead person. Perhaps because he loved her so much, Ning Hanqi cleared all her debts without asking for anything in return when she was in the most difficult time.
The original owner's temperament might have changed drastically due to the stimulation, but Xia Yingnuan had overlooked one thing, which was that Ning Hanqi knew her better than she knew herself.
She didn't realize that during the ten summers that she was absent, Ning Hanqi had suffered too much because of the name Song Qinuan. All these things made her sensitive and suspicious.
Ning Hanqi knew very well what Xia Yingnuan liked and disliked to eat. Even after ten summers had passed, she still couldn't forget her little habits.
Reincarnation? No, she certainly wouldn't think of such an outrageous reason. Ning Hanqi would only suspect that someone deliberately asked Guo Yuzhen to imitate him.
"Okay, leave this matter to me. Okay, okay, let's not talk about unhappy things so late at night. Do you know that Lao Huang is holding an art exhibition? It will be in two weeks. Let's go together..." After chatting for a while, the woman hung up the phone after getting the other party's consent.
"Sigh..." The woman felt that she sighed more during this phone call than she had in the whole summer. In her annoyance, she kicked the slippers hanging on her feet away.
Someone insists on saying that he doesn't like something, but if he doesn't like it, how could he remember the other person's little habits for ten years?
Song Qinuan, ah Song Qinuan, if you die, everything will be over, but what about the living people who are left behind?
I just hope that little girl didn’t get so confused for a moment and become such an ungrateful person.
The power hidden in this taste has a great influence on ghosts, but when we were eating today, both Nuannuan and I could feel that the taste of the dried meat was lighter. Was it because the taste was lighter, or had the taste subtly "blinded" their perception?
She immediately told Xia Yingnuan her guess, and Xia Yingnuan's expression suddenly turned ugly. If the other party did it on purpose, then his purpose behind it was terrifying! Just letting him fend for himself was probably not feasible.
But they never expected that what happened next was completely different from their plan. Xia Yingnuan didn't even have time to do anything. In the evening, a small boat slowly floated back.
Someone on the river bank noticed that there seemed to be something unusual on the boat. When they heard the other players' surprised discussions, they looked over and saw a man lying on the side of the boat, half of his body hanging outside the boat and the other half still inside the boat, but his head was completely submerged in the water and he did not move for a long time.
Although she couldn't see his face, she recognized him at a glance based on his iconic scarf. He was the player with the greatest suspicion.
But now, he is dead.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
