The Funeral (4): Divination

The room, devoid of light and filled with swirling smoke, contained a dozen or so coffins arranged in a row, lying there silently, making the entire room resemble a small tomb.

Low sobs echoed in the room. People dressed in white knelt before the coffin, their bodies hunched over. A dozen bodies were crowded together, like worms with their front halves raised, a tragic scene.

On the wall, corresponding to the coffin, hangs a black and white framed photo. The deceased in the photo has wide-open eyes, glaring angrily at the figure kneeling and weeping before his own corpse.

Unlike the portraits in the shops on the street, these dead people had grotesque expressions, as if they were chosen to look like they were at the moment of their death. Just looking at them would send chills down your spine, let alone when combined with the wailing in the room.

Suddenly, the wooden door opened a crack without a sound, and a pair of gloomy eyes glanced into the room. Upon seeing the scene inside, the eye didn't say a word and closed the door again.

Outside the door, Zhao Yijiu, dressed in a white long robe, gestured for Zhao Ruru was dressed similarly, to be quiet and shook her head.

The two exchanged a glance, and without disturbing anything, nimbly bypassed the porch and entered a room.

Zhao Ruru finally breathed a sigh of relief. She closed the door and leaned against it. "How was it? What's the situation inside?"

"A row of coffins, someone is crying, dressed in the same clothes as us, with their back to the door. We don't know exactly what it is yet." Zhao Yijiu spoke slowly, indicating that his thinking had temporarily stalled.

"That means we can't get in... There are so many places in this house with white-clad ghosts, we can't investigate," Zhao Ruru scratched her head, "But the door we're looking for is definitely in these places. We can't even get in, let alone look carefully. Tsk, is that abacus ghost lying to us?"

She said that, but she knew very well that they had worked on the task for quite a while before learning from the abacus ghost that there was a secret door to leave this haunted house, and this information was basically correct.

The question is how to find it.

This burial site was clearly the residence of a wealthy family, with a courtyard, front hall, kitchen, and so on, enough to confuse anyone entering for the first time. Luckily, neither she nor Zhao Yijiu had a bad sense of direction, otherwise even leaving a mark to meet up would have been difficult.

Finding a hidden door in such a large area... without any further clues, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Zhao Yijiu glanced at her, ignoring the obviously pointless question.

Zhao Ruru was embarrassed. This was truly the first time she had ever done a deduction with a Zhao family with this kind of personality. She always forgot that this person was an iceberg, capable of freezing people to death.

If Yu Xing were here, at least she could discuss the plot with Yu Xing.

A few seconds later, her eyes lit up. "That's right, do you think the clues might be with Xing? This is a team simulation; it's impossible that the two of us found the door while he's on a completely unrelated mission path."

Upon hearing Yu Xing, Zhao Yijiu finally responded, "He should be on his way. We can wait for him at the entrance."

"We can also try asking the abacus ghost. That thing is incredibly elusive. Luckily, I know divination, so I can roughly locate it." Zhao Ruru stroked her chin, considering her options. "How about this, we won't look for the door yet. I'll divine the abacus ghost's location, and then we'll go scare it a bit before heading to the main gate to meet Yingxing?"

Before Zhao Yijiu could speak, she whispered her analysis, "The street outside the house looks quite long and depressing. The only good thing is that it's open. If they manage to get there, we can see them from the wall. I understand."

"The reason the simulation divided the three of us into the street and the ancestral grave is so that we can cooperate with each other. One of us can attract the paper figure's attention, while the other can move to a different location when it's not paying attention."

Speaking of paper figures, Zhao Ruru still feels lingering fear.

As soon as the simulation began, they woke up in a grotto, surrounded by the sounds of weeping and suona horns, creating a strong atmosphere of mourning.

After they reunited, they went to take a look at the gate of the tomb and found that it was actually open, as if it were letting them in and out.

The house faced a street, which was covered with paper money and wreaths, and the loudest wailing sound lingered outside the door.

This is actually quite strange. All the "ghosts" they encountered along the way stayed inside the houses, so why was there one alone outside?

Something unusual is bound to happen; the unusual part might just be the clue.

After discussing it for a while, the two decided to go out and take a look first. Maybe it was some ghost with a story that couldn't enter the haunted house?

As soon as Zhao Yijiu took a step out, before Zhao Ruru could follow, she said, "Be careful!" Instantly, the wailing and mourning sounds outside the door, and throughout the entire haunted house, ceased abruptly, falling into deathly silence.:(/

The chilling feeling of that moment could probably only be understood by the two deducers who were actually there.

The next moment, a strangely shaped giant paper figure, grinning and brimming with malice, pounced on Zhao Yijiu from an unseen corner.

If Zhao Yijiu hadn't dodged quickly, that seemingly fragile paper hand would probably have pierced straight into Zhao Yijiu chest, staining his pale white robe red.

Upon seeing the battle scene, Zhao Ruru immediately retreated to the Yin House to avoid becoming a hindrance, witnessing firsthand just how fast the paper figure was. Zhao Yijiu, having pulled out the offering, barely managed to escape as well.

It wasn't that Zhao Yijiu wasn't strong in Combat Power, but rather that all the attacks that landed on the paper figure only left a small hole that disappeared within seconds, as if an unseen person was holding tools and constantly patching up the tear.

Only after Zhao Yijiu retreated back into the yin house did the paper figure look at them with its flat, ink-drawn laughing face, emitting a few shrill, androgynous laughs before disappearing into a corner. Only when it began to weep again did the wailing within the yin house return to "normal."

From this point on, Zhao Ruru was certain that the paper figure was actually an obstacle between the funeral street and the burial site, and that it would take a lot of effort for both them and Yu Xing to leave.

So they had no choice but to honestly search for clues about the yin house. On the way, they encountered the abacus ghost, who told them that the yin house was connected to the outside world's living houses and was the only exit from this space, connected by a hidden door. Only then did they begin to look for the hidden door.

Hearing Zhao Ruru's suggestion, Zhao Yijiu nodded and said, "Then hurry up."

"What do you mean, faster?" Zhao Ruru paused.

"Hurry up and calculate, hurry and find the abacus devil, then hurry and go to meet him." Zhao Yijiu's expression remained unchanged, revealing no emotion as he spoke. "If he comes, and we haven't gone yet..."

Zhao Ruru nodded knowingly. "Ah, you're worried about him? That's right, it wouldn't be good if we didn't help him attract the paper figure's attention and he ended up in danger."

Zhao Yijiu: "... That interpretation is acceptable too."

Zhao Ruru: "Huh?"

Zhao Yijiu didn't explain further, and waited with his arms crossed for Zhao Ruru to cast the divination.

What he actually wanted to say was that if they arrived late, Yu Xing, that inhuman thing, might have found a way to get in on his own, and they wouldn't have needed them at all.

He believed Yu Xing was capable of such a thing.

At that time, the people in the live stream will definitely notice Yu Xing's true strength.

Although he didn't know what grudge Yu Xing had against the Lingren, he knew that revealing his strength under so many eyes would make him an easy target for those with ulterior motives in various deductions.

After all, Yu Xing's face is too memorable, making it difficult to disguise her identity during future deductions. Just like those celebrity deductionists, she is often recognized by others as soon as she enters the deduction room.

Unless it's a role-playing deduction where over 80% involves the deducer being placed inside another character's body, celebrity deducers who gain fame and more points are at a significant disadvantage in terms of information secrecy.

Although he felt that Yu Xing's personality wouldn't allow him to fall into a passive position, wouldn't it be better to be cautious in everything?

Zhao Ruru didn't know what he was thinking. In her opinion, this famous oddball of the Zhao family was very quiet, so she didn't say anything more and took out a copper coin from her pants pocket.

This copper coin was her most frequently used offering. It was old and worn, with a square opening in the middle. The obverse was engraved with "Daoguang Tongbao" and the reverse with "Tianxia Taiping". She muttered something to herself, then weighed the coin in her hand, flicked it with her thumb, and the coin flew vertically into the air, landing on the back of her hand and being caught by her other hand.

She exhaled softly, trying to relax her mind, and removed her hand from the surface.

The coin was face down; from her perspective, the four characters Tianxia Taiping) were upside down, faintly exuding a bloody aura and carrying a strong ominous sign.

"Hiss..." Zhao Ruru gasped.

Zhao Yijiu didn't understand this and asked directly, "What conclusion?"

Zhao Ruru frowned. "A very bad omen, a sign of bloodshed."

Zhao Yijiu: "Who do you think you are?"

"What I calculated was what would happen if the premises didn't change, that is, if no third person joined us, the two of us wandering around the ancestral graveyard." She rubbed her temples, looking rather troubled. "In other words, this seemingly peaceful ancestral graveyard is about to change, and we definitely won't come out on top. It seems we need to reunite with Xing as soon as possible, so there's still a chance for things to turn around."

Zhao Yijiu's expression remained unchanged, seemingly unconcerned about the change she mentioned. He glanced out through the slightly ajar window, paused, and then turned to say, "Let's go find him directly then. We can discuss the rest later."

"Okay, I agree. Tsk, you guys have a really good relationship. When will I, as your teammate, get to receive this kind of treatment?"

Zhao Ruru pulled out another short black chopstick. She could feel that the guy in front of her, who was as cold and ghostly as a ghost, relaxed a lot when he mentioned Yu Xing.

Just like when he was by Zhao Mou's side, although he also had a cold face, his aura was different. So it can be seen that Zhao Yijiu, and even his brother Zhao Mou, have a strong trust in Yu Xing, who is not related by surname.

Under Zhao Yijiu's icy gaze, Zhao Ruru smiled and retreated to a corner, silently muttering to herself, then stood the chopsticks upright on the ground and let go.

"Clatter."

The chopsticks made a soft, crisp sound as they hit the ground, barely perceptible amidst the suona horns and sobs. The tips of the chopsticks rolled half a circle on the ground, pointing directly at the entrance of the mourning hall, then turned half a circle in the opposite direction, trembling as if they had bumped into something.

Before Zhao Yijiu could ask, Zhao Ruru, "This time the divination is about the location of Xing. According to the divination, he will soon coincide with the location of the main gate in the direction of the gate."

Zhao Yijiu nodded slightly. "Let's go."

Yu Xing, who knew nothing about the situation at the end of Ghost Alley, was still in the custom portrait frame shop. The account book in his hand didn't look like anything good. After flipping through it once, he obediently put it back on the counter.

We just cheated Shop Owner Jia; what if he does something else that angers the devil and forces us to reveal the outstanding debt records again?

Yu Xing was quite self-aware of her own ability to make sarcastic remarks.

The moment the notebook slipped from her hand, the shop door creaked open in the silence.

The wall of black and white photos seemed to be saying, "Get out of here. I've given you all the hints. Don't let me see you again."

Yu Xing coughed lightly, thoughtfully put the lid of the incense burner back on, carefully placed it back in the area where she had found it, and then calmly stepped out of the door and continued towards the end of the alley.

Only then did the people in the live stream realize that this unexpected encounter was over.

It's over.

But Luo Liang hasn't done it yet!

Did Luo Liang lose?

[He lost. Luo Liang figured out the correct steps by fortune-telling, which was already quite fast. He's currently reviewing the account book.]

[Luckily, eight out of the nine groups are now filled with people "born" at the end of the alley. They've all left the funeral parlor before others have even entered.]

[Luo Liang couldn't believe that if he tore the paper, he would probably have to use a sacrifice to forcefully break through.]

[What's the Group One doing?]

[There's Group One, the one doing this questline is named Jue, a little girl. She's hilarious, she's desperately trying to drag the NPCs along, and we're almost there to persuade them.]

[Puff]

The chat was much quieter now. Those who previously said Luo Liang was awesome have quietly shut up. It's unclear whether they were embarrassed to speak or unwilling to face the fact that they were proven wrong, or if they were so angry that they went to other live streams.

[This team is really solid! Cold Wine's skills are amazing, and Zhao Ruru also very clever. I just took a look, and it seems like they're plotting to intimidate the Abacus Ghost.]

The reputation of those who perform divination is not unfounded; the stronger they are, the more likely they are to be sought after.

Even though, apart from Zhao Ruru, Yu Xing has only participated in one Rookie Tournament, and Zhao Yijiu has never appeared in a live stream, their performance clearly demonstrates their strength and confidence to anyone with eyes to see.

Immediately, many guilds began inquiring about the two unfamiliar young men.

Yu Xing was unaware of this, or rather, he had already anticipated this situation and prepared a countermeasure.

He's more focused on the current scenario. So far, the dangers on this street are under control, Yu Xing feels confident in his composure and his performance is quite average... or so he thinks.

After leaving the shop and walking along the wreaths for a while, he finally saw the end of this ridiculously long alley.

It was a large mansion, somewhat like the setting of a wealthy family in a TV drama. The main gate faced the street directly and was open. You could vaguely see gold and silver paper scraps scattered everywhere inside, as well as wide white silk ribbons hanging from the beams.

A wail drifted out from within, each sound mournful and sorrowful, accompanied by the mournful strains of a suona horn, making the scene even more desolate and chilling.

Before even getting close, Yu Xing felt a bone-chilling cold and a thick aura of death emanating from the mourning hall, with a faint smell of decay lingering around her nose.

Yes, this mourning hall is the center of this street, the place with the strongest ghostly aura, and also the place where the diviner's life force resides.

He continued walking forward when suddenly, someone patted him on the shoulder from behind. A voice, indistinguishable between male and female, trembling with sobs, whispered in his ear, "Waaah... Are you here for Boss Liu's funeral?"