"Rules of Burial": No Sleeping the Night Away Tonight

The steward had already arrived at the Hanging Flower Gate.

He bowed and said, "Young masters and ladies, it is time to offer incense. Please follow this old servant to the Ancestral Hall."

Having said that, his gaze slowly swept over everyone present, paused for a moment, and then slowly began to speak:

"This old servant will offer incense on behalf of the Fifth Young Master today."

Upon hearing this, the players reacted with varying expressions.

Yu Hao asked tentatively, "Oh? Where is he?"

"This old servant doesn't know either. Perhaps the Fifth Young Master... was delayed by something."

This nonchalant answer left the group in silence for a moment.

The butler seemed oblivious to the silence. He looked at everyone and spoke even more slowly than before, each word seeming to carry a deeper meaning:

"If any young master or young lady is also absent due to other commitments, this old servant will also—"

"Offer incense on their behalf."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment the instant his words fell.

No one answered.

The butler, however, stepped aside and walked straight into the passageway.

Regardless of their inner thoughts, everyone had no choice but to follow.

Same route, same procedure.

Even though they were missing one person this time, the process of offering incense was not affected in any way.

After the six people had finished offering incense in an orderly manner, the butler's gaze finally fell on Shi Weiwei.

"Tonight, the young lady will keep watch."

"The rules for keeping watch are something this old servant needs to remind you of separately."

Shi Weiwei was already mentally prepared, so she didn't show any surprise and nodded calmly.

Xu Xi followed the others out of the Ancestral Hall and returned to the Hanging Flower Gate.

Do you think he genuinely didn't know, or was he pretending not to know?

Yu Hao leaned against the wall, tapping his palm with the folding fan in his hand.

"That's not important." Lin Zuo shook his head slightly. "The main issue is that he did mention that the incense offerings must not be interrupted."

Does the current situation of the player wearing the earring count as a break in the family line?

What will happen if it's interrupted...?

The remaining people each had their own thoughts.

Xu Xi was also thinking.

These other people were unaware of the Earring-Wearing Young Man's ordeal, but he did.

He had witnessed the man being pulled into the coffin.

But even Rollback prevented him from going out at night, so the other party... most likely won't survive, right?

So, will the rules still be in effect?

The wind in the corridor picked up a bit more, and the six people stood quietly.

After a while, Xing Ge suddenly asked, "What are your plans for tonight?"

The question was vague, but everyone else understood the meaning behind it.

"I'm prepared to stay another night." Yu Hao snapped open his folding fan open and then snapped it shut again. "Who knows what might happen?"

This unexpected turn of events refers both to Shi Weiwei, who will be keeping watch alone tonight, and to Hang Ze, whose fate remains unknown since his disappearance.

Tang Shutong and the others did not object, clearly believing that it was best to play it safe.

Let's see if anything unexpected happens tonight.

After a few more brief words of discussion, everyone went their separate ways.

For them, tomorrow may be the moment they truly need to face.

As the second player to take the night watch, will Shi Weiwei be able to get through the night without incident, just like Xing Ge?

And perhaps the answer will be found regarding the whereabouts of the missing Earring-Wearing Young Man.

Did they die, or did they go to some place they haven't yet reached?

When Xu Xi returned to the room, her attention was immediately drawn to the bronze mirror on the Dressing Table.

He paused, stood at the doorway, and stared at the mirror for a full three seconds.

... He remembers throwing that mirror away last night, right?

However, the bronze mirror that he threw away last night is now sitting there again.

It was perfectly straight, with a blurry Mirror Surface and intricate carvings along the edges, exactly the same as the one he had thrown away last night.

"..."

The live chat became very active upon seeing this.

[Mirror: Haha, I'm back again! Didn't expect that, did you?. jpg]

[Xu Xi's expression is so vivid, it's the first time I've ever seen speechlessness so clearly, haha]

[248: (Throws) the bronze mirror: It's alright, I'll stubbornly come back on my own.]

[So, does this count as a failed physical exorcism? (doge)]

But in the next second, the young man showed them with his actions that he didn't care about this or that, since they were coming back, he would just throw it away again.

The young man walked expressionlessly to the Dressing Table, picked up the bronze mirror, turned around, opened the door, and raised his hand—

The movements were fluid and skillful.

The mirror traced an arc in the air before disappearing again into the twilight outside the door.

[Bronze Mirror: I give up.]

[Haha, Xu Xi never plays by the rules!]

[Mirror: Goodbye, Mom~ Tonight I set sail again~]

[I went to check on Yu Hao and the others, and sure enough, everyone went straight to the Dressing Table and threw the bronze mirror as soon as they entered.]

[The bronze mirror means you can throw it away as you please, but if it doesn't come back tomorrow, I'll admit defeat.]

[No, no, no, Tang Shutong didn't throw it away]

[It's confirmed, she really does have a problem; she's talking to the mirror!]

[???]

[Really, she was speaking softly in front of the mirror. I couldn't hear what she said, but her expression... is hard to describe.]

[What expression?]

[It's like... she recognizes the person in the mirror.]

[By the way, don't you guys feel this Dungeon is getting a bit too quiet?]

Isn't it normal for things to be calm for the first day or two of a long-duration Dungeon?

[But the problem is, there's Hang Ze in this Dungeon!]

[... Holy crap]

[You know what, I suddenly have a bad feeling about this.]

[+1]

Xu Xi was unaware that his "physical exorcism" technique had been copied and pasted by all the other players.

He was debating whether or not to go out again tonight.

The Shen Residence at night presents a completely different face.

He had already verified this last night.

Although the Rollback predicted he would die if he went out, but... what if tonight is different?

After all, the daytime exploration yielded little result.

And since he died so suddenly last night, perhaps there will be some different discoveries tonight?

... You can't sleep in every night, can you?

Having made his decision, Xu Xi sat down at the table, preparing to wait for midnight.

The viewers in the Livestream Room saw that the young man just sat quietly after throwing the bronze mirror, and they all wondered if he planned to go out that night.

*

The oil lamp burned slowly, the wick shrinking shorter and shorter, the flame growing weaker and weaker, casting flickering shadows on the table.

Time seemed to stretch out, each second feeling exceptionally long.

Xu Xi was quite puzzled when she didn't hear the question, "Why did Master leave?"

Is he not coming tonight?

He hesitated and waited for a while longer, but the outside remained silent. He couldn't sit still any longer and took the initiative to open the door.

What came into view was a viscous darkness, almost solidified.

The White Lanterns under the eaves are still there, but their pale light cannot reach more than three feet away, as if it has been cut off by something.

The air was filled with a strong, damp, musty smell, mixed with some indescribable stench of decay.

It's obvious that the scene is completely different from last night.

Xu Xi didn't hesitate much and stepped out of the door.

Something new has happened? That's exactly what he needs now!

However, Xu Xi quickly sensed that something was wrong.

As he continued forward, he gradually heard murmurs in his ears.

At first, the sounds were very faint, like the rustling of wind through withered leaves. The further he went, the denser and clearer the sounds became, as if countless mouths were opening and closing simultaneously in his ear.

Each syllable was indistinct, and they overlapped to create a strange and heavy cacophony.

Xu Xi couldn't help but cover her ears.

Even so, those faint sounds from all directions still managed to force their way into his ears.

Xu Xi endured his headache and continued forward, but the next moment, he suddenly stopped and looked down at the bluestone slabs beneath his feet—

Wet.

It wasn't rainwater, but a thin, sticky liquid that gleamed with a dark sheen under the glow of the lanterns.

Like... well water?

Or something else?

Xu Xi felt her head throb even more.

He looked up and froze once again.

Deep in the corridor ahead, something is moving.

Not human.

It was a blurry and distorted outline, small and short, as if seen through a layer of water ripples.

It made no sound, but slowly, inch by inch, moved in this direction.

Behind it, a long, wet trail stretched out.

--

As vision gradually cleared, the candlelight flickered and emitted heat.

Xu Xi took a deep breath.

He didn't remember how he died, only the intense, suffocating feeling of drowning at the end.

Perhaps this is the real reason why people are not allowed to go out at midnight?

What happened last night?

Unable to come up with a solution for the time being, he decided not to torment himself.

Putting everything else aside, does this mean he really has no choice but to continue sleeping tonight?