A Place to Stay in the Wind and Snow (10,000 words)

"There's another possibility," Yu Xing thought for a moment, "The inn holds hidden benefits, benefits that make it worthwhile for everyone to fight for a spot."

It's hard to say.

If you guess wrong, the returns might not be as high as you imagined.

"Then how do we choose? Cough cough, Captain, if a town resident's house can accommodate two people at the same time..." Zhang Yu looked at him expectantly.

Yu Xing smiled, "You want to live with me."

Certainly!

Zhang Yu quickly realized in his mind that it would be a huge loss if the captain didn't follow along!

If the townspeople's homes were as dangerous as he imagined, he certainly wouldn't dare go there; his ability to protect himself is far too poor.

But as long as he stays with the captain, he should be able to protect him no matter how dangerous the place.

He was mainly confident in himself; he believed that if he went, he would definitely find some valuable information at the scene. His detective talent was not wasted.

Zhang Yu had a well-thought-out plan, and even considered asking Gao Yiling if it was okay, but his captain rejected his idea for the first time since entering Nanshui Town.

Yu Xing said, "Let's go to the inn."

"Huh?" Zhang Yu was taken aback for a moment, but of course he didn't refute it. He just asked with some doubt, "Is it because you're afraid I can't handle the danger?"

"I guess so. I have a feeling." Yu Xing tightened her grip on the painting tube at her waist. "Let's hear what the guide has to say about tomorrow's arrangements. I have a feeling... that something unexpected will happen tomorrow, the day before the Snow Festival, and it'll be related to the choices we make tonight."

"Oh." Zhang Yu immediately became obedient.

He also has a premonition of crime, but compared to the Spiritual Sense and predictive abilities found in supernatural powers, his senses are far too limited.

Therefore, he always envied Brother Zhao's spirit writing skills, but unfortunately, it was completely different from the direction in which his abilities were developing.

If the captain says he has a premonition, then he probably won't be wrong.

After the allotted time had passed, Gao Yiling tallied the number of people.

Only seven people chose to go to the hotel; clearly, the remaining twenty-odd people wanted to take advantage of the night to try their luck with information.

Everyone participating in the event is after the "ticket." These people have already gathered some information from various sources; since they're here, they must have ambitions. If they could simply coast through, why would they bother participating in this event?

Yan Li Medusa were both determined to get the tickets, so when they saw that Yu Xing, Zhang Yu from Yu Xing's team, and even Hua Subai were all staying at a hotel, a hint of surprise rose in their eyes.

Others could understand why Yu Xing, with her abilities, would choose such a conservative approach.

Could there be some secret that only the "young master of the Fang family" knows?

"Wait." Medusa interrupted Gao Yiling before she could say anything else, gently nudging Lan Wu's back with her delicate hand.

Lan Wu understood. "Guide, I think I'll go stay at an inn instead."

After Yu Xing decided to go to the inn, Zhang Yu naturally didn't ask Gao Yiling if it was possible for two people to share a room in a town resident's house. However, Lan Wu Medusa had already asked, and some townspeople's houses were large enough to accommodate two or even three people.

So Medusa originally planned to bring Lan Wu along, because, as she said before, she believed she could protect her subordinates.

At worst, they'll just share a bed... No matter what, nothing can harm the people she's protecting right under her nose.

However, Yu Xing's choice gave her a different perspective.

She knew that Lan Wu had established a good relationship with Zhang Yu when he was on the first floor of Never Forget Dwelling. The inn might not be very dangerous, but it couldn't be completely safe either. Sending Lan Wu was a gamble on Yu Xing's idea.

Gao Yiling paused, seemingly pondering Lan Wu's meaning.

She paused for a full five seconds before realizing what she meant. "Oh, okay, thank goodness I didn't start recording the list."

She had a piece of paper and a pen in her hand, and she had just picked up the pen to write something.

Once she puts her pen to paper, the choice may be irreversible.

Others hesitated, but ultimately did not change their minds.

After all, they also knew that Lan Wu was only at the Struggle Level, which meant that among all the people still alive... while not the lowest level, his seniority was certainly the newest.

It's just a "face that Medusa took a liking to." Everyone knows that someone who is only brought along because of favoritism is obviously lacking in real strength.

So Lan Wu was temporarily sent to the inn by Medusa because he didn't have much ability to help the townspeople.

They are different; they have a chance.

Yan Li frowned slightly, carefully observing Yu Xing's expression.

The other person appeared calm and composed, seemingly unconcerned about their choice, and even yawned, appearing genuinely sleepy.

"..."

Never mind.

The other party must have had a reason for doing this, but that shouldn't affect his mindset.

He had his own plan, and the townspeople's homes should have a chance to access real time. After all, he and Yu Xing had already realized the existence of the inevitable timeline during the day. Besides advancing the Main Quest of the journey and finding Side Quest to get points, the most important thing was to create a time difference.

Although he vaguely sensed an unusual danger slowly approaching, ultimately... danger could be avoided, but missing an opportunity would be a pity.

I have to kill someone for Boss Hua tonight.

Knowing that Boss Hua was hiding a lot of things, Yan Li still took on the job, partly to save face for Broken Mirror.

Po Jing has made rapid progress in the past year and is currently riding high. Now that Po Jing's captain has returned and their strength has reached a level that is difficult to fathom, Po Jing will only reach a new level.

This small team is somewhat similar to the Widow Investigation Team, and their styles are not too different; you could say they are kindred spirits.

Presumably, they can still cooperate when the Absurdity System... comes along.

Yan Li timely suppressed the thoughts in his mind.

Some things can be discovered even if you just think about them. Fortunately, he had Yan Ming use hypnosis to block out that word in his mind, so that the system wouldn't be alerted prematurely.

In short, although Boss Hua wasn't one of the people who had broken the mirror, Yan Li could still sense that helping with this would increase Yu Xing's goodwill towards the Widow Investigation Team.

Gao Yiling quickly wrote down all the "passengers'" choices with her pen, then put the piece of paper that only she could see into her pocket.

"Well then, let me first explain tomorrow's itinerary, and then I'll take everyone to rest."

"Make sure to keep the clothes we made today safe, and then meet at the hotel entrance at eight o'clock tomorrow morning."

"We'll just buy something to eat on the roadside for breakfast. After that, we'll go back to Baibao Street and play a couple of Yugi."

"Oh, you have to choose one of these two Yugi. One is to find the little dolls hidden all over town, and the other is 'Hanging Blessings,' which requires you to collect a wooden plaque, black ink, and tassels from three different places to form a complete Lucky Charm, which you then hang on the sacred tree at the end of Baibao Street."

"Because both Yugi take a long time and the distances involved are somewhat random, we won't force everyone to come back for lunch and dinner. As long as you complete one Yugi, you'll receive the schedule for the Snow Festival, so you can participate in the festival with peace of mind—I'll tell you the specifics tomorrow morning. Now, I'm sending you your resting addresses for tonight; you'll need to find them yourselves!"

Gao Yiling then pulled out a stack of small slips of paper from her bag and handed one to each person.

Yu Xing took the slip of paper that belonged to him and glanced at it. It contained the address of the inn. As expected, the inn was on this street. Judging from the expressions of the others, the townhouses that had been arranged for him were obviously in towns outside of Baibao Street.

"Everyone, let's disperse! If you really can't find your way, just ask anyone you pass by~ Everyone is very warm and hospitable!" Gao Yiling clapped her hands and added the last sentence.

Make sure you're in bed before midnight!

Twelve o'clock? Yu Xing subconsciously checked the system time and estimated it based on his own time; it should be just past 9:40.

For those heading to their hotels, this is more than enough time, but for others... those with bad luck might have to hurry.

After all, such a warning has been given, so the scene in Nanshui Town after midnight will probably be unbearable.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Gao Yiling waved goodbye and went home to sleep, revealing Hua Subai in her red dress.

Yu Xing knew this person would follow him. No matter how softly Zhang Yu and he talked, as long as there were no special measures to block out noise, this person would definitely be able to hear them, because Hua Subai's eyes were always on him and he was not affected by the discussions of others.

Meanwhile, the Doctor in the white coat didn't leave either. From the moment they entered the backyard of the clothing shop to make accessories, the Doctor had been waiting outside the shop, patiently waiting for Gao Yiling to finish speaking.

"Are you going to stay at a hotel?" the Doctor asked, his tone subtle as he approached.

"That's right. Do the indigenous people have any advice?" Yu Xing raised an eyebrow, practically writing "Speak up if you have any information" on her face.

But the Doctor obviously wouldn't say much. He followed her to find the child, which didn't mean he would have any strong goodwill towards Yu Xing. In other words, as her alter ego, the concept of goodwill or malice didn't exist for him.

Those are merely human perceptions and delusions.

The Doctor simply smiled and said, "No, it's nothing. You made a very smart choice."

"I have to go back to the hospital now. We'll see each other again soon."

After saying that, the Doctor turned and disappeared into the darkness around the corner.

"He... he waited so long just to say this to you?" Zhang Yu scratched his head in disbelief. "I thought he was going to follow you around forever."

Hua Subai nodded in agreement. "Oh dear, it seems Doctor can't stay in hotels. Look at the look in his eyes just now; when he mentioned hotels, he seemed to have a regret about not being able to stay with you."

"... Come on, you can't even see the face clearly, how can you see the regret in the eyes?" Yu Xing was speechless. Although what Hua Subai said was probably right, and he also felt that the hotel restricted the Doctor's entourage, it felt very strange coming from Hua Subai's mouth.

Lan Wu had been watching for a while, and finally found an opportunity. "Ahem."

The three people looked in the direction of the sound.

The white-haired youth seemed a little embarrassed, raising his slender forearm and slightly bending his hand to cover his lips. "Um... President Medusa said you're a good person and will look after me a little."

Perhaps knowing that such words were nonsense and somewhat shameless, Lan Wu still blushed slightly. "I'm sorry..."

He did have a quality that easily made people feel sorry for him, and Zhang Yu almost wanted to say, "It's okay, bro, I've got your back."

Yu Xing looked at him, then at the other four people who had chosen to stay in a hotel.

None of the four people were familiar faces. Sensing them slightly, I could tell that their internal energy was relatively weak. They probably chose the inn for safety after realizing their own inadequacy on the first day.

The four of them must know each other or at least have some connection. At this moment, they hadn't gone to find a hotel according to the address on the note. Instead, they were standing far away, discussing something, and occasionally glancing at Yu Xing and the others with a wary look.

"Two of those four people are from the Dark Star Guild," Zhang Yu, the intelligence operative, explained in a low voice. "Back when Ranran and I became diviners, Dark Star was considered one of the top twenty guilds. But just six months ago, the guild leader and two vice-leaders died in a divination, and the guild rapidly declined. Its members have mostly scattered, and now it's almost impossible to find."

"You know all this?" Yu Xing was surprised for a moment. Such detailed information must have been collected by Zhao Mou, but Zhang Yu was able to remember all of this, and even recall people just by seeing them. It was hard to imagine how much effort he had put in.

They really put their heart into it.

"Hehe." Zhang Yu was a little proud. "Ranran is good at fighting and can help Po Jing, so I have to do something too, I can't hold her back."

"The other two over there are independent individuals, but they have a good relationship with Dark Star. The four of them probably want to band together. Judging from their expressions, they definitely don't want to have any dealings with us."

"Do I look scary?" Yu Xing pushed up her gold-rimmed glasses. "You're clearly so refined."

Hua Subai laughed out loud, "Do you remember how you intimidated the Meng Dao outside the town? That trick scared quite a few people back then."

Yu Xing: "Oh~"

He's forgotten all of that.

Zhang Yu scratched his head. "Actually, they're probably afraid that the captain will make them cannon fodder or something. After Dark Starfall, the members who stayed in the guild were often bullied by people from some big guilds, such as being made to go first in dangerous situations during simulations."

"Because when Guild Leader Dark Star was still around... the entire guild acted rather... arrogantly."

It's clear that Zhang Yu has tried hard to find a milder word.

"With the president dead, retribution has come."

Now, Broken Mirror is a large "guild" for Dark Star, not to mention its number of members, but its strength.

"I see." Yu Xing had nothing to say about this. There must be a cause and an effect. He had done some things that people disapproved of because of his status. Now that he had lost his status, he would naturally have to pay the price.

He turned to Lan Wu, who was waiting quietly beside him, and said, "Since everyone else has teamed up, why don't you join us? To be honest, I quite like you."

Quiet, obedient, pleasing to the eye, and possesses both the courage to forge ahead and the composure to retreat.

They are willing to swallow their pride when necessary, and even when they show weakness, they don't come across as subservient. They also know when to offer help proactively.

Moreover, although their abilities are not yet strong enough, they seem to have some special characteristics.

Medusa's cultivation of Lan Wu wasn't solely based on his appearance.

Perhaps after some time, Lan Wu will rise to a very high position.

Lan Wu n't surprised by the result. He smiled and said, "Thank you. I also really like the broken mirror."

Since their resting places were all hotels, the locations given on the notes were exactly the same.

The hotel is located in the middle of Baibao Street, not far from the clothing store. Just walk another 100 meters and turn a corner.

The four of them simply headed in that direction. Even though it was so late, there were still the same number of townspeople wandering around. If you looked closely... you could see that many of the townspeople's faces overlapped with those they had seen during the day.

The person hasn't changed at all.

In real life, it would be equivalent to wandering the streets for most of the day without going home.

Zhang Yu was somewhat wary of them, so no matter how friendly the townspeople's smiles were, he didn't approach them. He remained vigilant and soon arrived at the inn.

The other four seemed to be intentionally keeping their distance from them, remaining where they were, probably intending to stick together.

Yu Xing didn't care what they thought, nor did he bother to pay attention; he was more interested in the appearance of the inn in front of him.

The inn wasn't on the main street, but in a small alley at the corner of Baibao Street. Although it was still within Baibao Street, there were no townspeople wandering around in the alley, nor were there any lights from the shops on the main street, making it quite gloomy.

But alleyways are like that.

Even in real-life alleyways, the deep, dark end at midnight can send chills down your spine.

At least the hotel lights were still on in this alley.

Because it's located in Baibao Street, and the hotel uses a wooden structure, it looks like the kind of building that would be burned down in a fire.

Two lanterns hung in front of the shop, swaying in the cold wind.

The soft glow of the bright yellow lanterns illuminated the ground in front of the door, like a warm little harbor for travelers in the wind and snow.

"Great, it looks quite normal." Zhang Yu exclaimed in surprise, "I thought it would have those stark white walls with two blood-red round lanterns."

"In that case," Lan Wu commented, "It wouldn't quite match the style of the main street."

Baibao Street deliberately creates a "normal" and "warm" style. Even shops like the clothing store, which have a strange red robe but are not obviously strange, are in the minority.

"Don't be too happy yet." Yu Xing looked up at the hotel signboard. "Have you forgotten how painful it was for the clothing shop's backyard?"

Lan Wu and Zhang Yu both shuddered.

It hurts, it hurts so much.

The shops on Baibao Street seem to be very good at using a harmless appearance to lower people's guard, and then striking hard with their vicious core.

Above the hotel's main entrance hangs a brown wooden plaque with bold, flowing calligraphy in deep ink, bearing the four characters "Peaceful Sleep Inn".

Sleep peacefully...

Zhang Yu couldn't help but wonder, was this a blessing or a curse?

Do you want them to get a good night's sleep, or do you want them to never wake up again?

As the four approached, they discovered that there was another person sitting at the shop entrance.

It was a shrunken, frail old man sitting on a small stool, his entire body huddled in the doorway, making him very inconspicuous.

The old man's face was full of wrinkles. He wore a white vest, was hunched over, and was reading a small book by the light of a lantern. His blue shorts looked loose on his thin legs.

Hearing footsteps, the old man raised his head.

He seemed far too old; even a simple movement like raising his head was difficult and awkward for him, as if his neck could no longer support the weight of his head and he was exhausted.

When a pair of cloudy eyes stared straight at you, their dullness felt like a hand pulling your heart down, making it hard to breathe.

Yu Xing could almost see the death aura emanating from the old man, so dense it was almost tangible. The old man was in a state that could only be described as half-dead; he might have been able to say one sentence perfectly fine, but then he would have breathed his last.

This deathly aura has some effect on the living, especially children. Many children feel uncomfortable or even fearful when they go to the hospital.

That might not necessarily be a rejection of needles and medicine; it could also be that the deathly aura accumulated in the hospital over the years caused the child's already unstable spirit to subconsciously try to escape.

Unaffected by this aura, Yu Xing stepped forward, squatted down, looked the old man in the eye, and said gently, "Sir, would you like to stay at the inn?"

"Huh?" The old man's hearing wasn't very good, so he leaned forward again, almost touching Yu Xing's nose, his voice hoarse, "What?"

A faint, rotten stench wafted from the old man's mouth. His skin, covered with fine lines and wrinkles, was so loose it looked as if the skin and bones were separated. His gray hair was almost gone, revealing his scalp.

"I said, 'Checking in.'" Yu Xing handed the note to the old man, reminding him with the most classic phrase, "Traveler, checking in."

The old man understood as soon as he saw the note.

The hotel and the tour group must have a long-term partnership, Gao Yiling's handwriting should be familiar to the old man.

Taking the note, the old man put down the small book he was reading on the stool and stood up shakily.

"Then, come in."

He had no crutches, and his legs trembled violently with every step he took, making one fear that he might collapse at any moment.

Zhang Yu rushed over. After all, the old man hadn't attacked them, and even his movements were so difficult. Pity for the old man outweighed his uncertain fear, and he reached out his hand, saying, "Let me help you."

The moment his hand touched the old man's arm, he felt a strange sensation.

Lifeless skin feels like withered tree bark, with an indescribable coolness that's neither hot nor cold, like a lifeless object devoid of warmth. It's uncomfortable, and can even feel nauseous very quickly.

For some reason, the frightening thing about this old man was magnified a thousandfold.

Even Zhang Yu, who had witnessed countless deaths, couldn't withstand the sudden, intense nausea that made his stomach churn. He instinctively pulled his hand back, and the color drained from his face.

Fortunately, he only touched him lightly; the old man didn't put any force on him. His back and forth didn't affect the old man's walking at all, and the old man didn't pay any attention to him either. His withered hand pushed open the door.

But Zhang Yu still felt nauseous and wanted to vomit.

Just then, a petal landed on his shoulder. Hua Subai teased, "What's wrong with you? You look like you're suffering from kidney deficiency."

Zhang Yu: "..."

He wanted to argue back but had to suppress his nausea; he was so angry he almost couldn't catch his breath.

"Young people should exercise restraint and pay more attention to their health." Hua Subai tapped Zhang Yu's forehead with a finger.

A fleeting glimpse of blackness appeared, and then another petal, seemingly from nowhere, drifted down to the ground.

Zhang Yu suddenly felt his mind clear, and the persistent feeling of nausea receded like a tide.

"Hmm..."

He hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

This Boss Hua is so wicked! He was clearly trying to help him, but he insisted on saying he had kidney deficiency. Now he should be thanking the Boss Hua!

Damn it, it would be terrible if Ranran saw this!

Lan Wu stood at the back, observing silently, when he saw Hua Subai turn around.

"Little one, feel free to look at whatever you want, I don't mind~"

"Sorry, I was just a little curious," Lan Wu said with a candid smile. "I didn't know what your abilities were, so I wanted to observe them."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yu Xing had already followed the old man into the shop, Hua Subai pulled a small flower from between her fingers.

"Want to know?" He toyed with the little white flower, a smile playing on his lips. "Since you're so well-behaved, I might as well give you one."

"Take it; it'll be very useful when you're injured."

Because Lan Wu witnessed the Boss Hua dispel Zhang Yu's discomfort and petals falling, he was caught off guard and took the little white flower.

The flowers exude the breath of life, tender and vibrant, and by no means seem like a bad thing.

So this is a healing item? Lan Wu thought of the name "Boss Hua" and many guesses popped into his mind.

For example, the reason the Boss Hua calls himself the Boss Hua is because his ability is to cultivate flowers with various abilities, which can achieve healing or attack effects based on their color or variety...

That seems to make a reasonable point.

Lan Wu stopped guessing and politely apologized, "Thank you, Boss Hua. Does this flower have a name?"

"No, it's just that seeing you—reminded me of this kind of flower." Hua Subai pulled her hands back into her wide sleeves and smiled. "If you'd like, naming it Lan Wu would be quite fitting."

Lan Wu assumed Hua Subai was joking and didn't investigate further. Seeing everyone else enter the shop, he followed them in.

Zhang Yu... Zhang Yu dared not speak.

The captain had also told him not to touch any of the flowers the Boss Hua offered.

But Lan Wu is an outsider, Boss Hua is clearly siding with the captain, so maybe... it's okay not to stop it?

I'll find a chance to tell the captain.

Yu Xing was actually fully aware of what was happening behind him. He originally wanted to ease Zhang Yu's mind and make him understand that in this level of deduction, even a seemingly frail old man should not be touched lightly.

The pollution of ghostly energy is everywhere. Just Zhang Yu touched it, and his Personality Assimilation Degree probably increased by one level.

However, since Hua Subai has already made the move, he probably won't leave anything bad behind. As for giving it to Lan Wu Hua...

As long as it's not someone who has broken the mirror, it doesn't matter to Hua Subai who he harms. Moreover, judging from the rich life force on that little white flower, Hua Subai wasn't lying about the fact that it could heal injuries.

Yu Xing stood in the hall and looked around.

The inn was small and somewhat cramped. Upon entering, there was a small hall of only a dozen square meters, with a counter in the corner and an oil lamp lit on it. An abacus and account books were placed next to the oil lamp.

Interestingly, many small books were stacked crookedly on the floor next to the counter.

In the middle of the lobby are some chairs and tables for resting, and further back is a corridor with a bend in the road. Behind the doors on both sides of the corridor are probably the rooms provided for guests.

Most importantly...

Yu Xing noticed a wall clock on the wall above the counter.

This was the first and only time he had ever seen anything in Nanshui Town that could clearly indicate the time!

The hands ticked away, pointing to 9:55 PM.

The old man slowly moved behind the counter, rubbed his tired eyes, then opened the notebook and asked through slurred speech, "... How many?"

Four people.

"... a note."

The three people behind him handed over the note.

There were four slips of paper in total. The old man squinted and stared at the oil lamp for a long time before he was certain of their eligibility to live there.

"I've already paid... I can move in now."

With withered hands, he pulled open the jingling cabinet, and without even looking, randomly grabbed four keys and placed them on the table.

Then the old man sat down, and suddenly he disappeared from sight.

Yu Xing was tall, and subconsciously peeked over. It turned out there was a small stool behind the counter, and the old man sat down on it, squinting his eyes and pretending to doze off.

"Old man?" Yu Xing tried calling again, attempting to wake him up and put him back to sleep. "Old man?"

Unfortunately, the old man completely ignored him.

He could only take the four sets of keys and spread them out under the light.

A small sign hangs below the key; the wooden sign is very broken and worn, making the room number engraved on it illegible.

The others gathered around and each took a skewer.

Zhang Yu: "113."

"116." Lan Wu waved the small sign.

Yu Xing stroked the indentation on the plaque. "109."

Hua Subai: "117."

As expected, it was quite random; only Lan Wu and Hua Subai happened to be next to each other.

Wanting to see what the room looked like, the group didn't linger and headed down the hallway to the back.

The hotel didn't have a second floor, which wasn't apparent from inside the alley. It was only after entering that we realized the hotel likely connected an entire row of houses along one side of the alley. The corridor and the alley ran in the same direction and were quite long, with a dozen or so rooms on each side. Judging from the distance between the doors, the rooms were very small.

"Didn't the guide say the hotel could only accommodate twenty people? It seems there are more than twenty rooms here." Lan Wu is most sensitive to space; he studied architectural design in college, and he can basically figure out the overall structure and layout of the place with just one glance.

"I understand now." Zhang Yu put on the mask of pain, looked at Yu Xing, and his voice became even softer. "Does it mean there were already people staying in the inn?"

The guide said that very few outsiders come to Nanshui Town every year, and the townspeople have no need to stay in such a small hotel instead of going home. This hotel is only used occasionally, so it is built very small.

Aside from the deducers who arrived today, the others in the rooms...

What else could it be?

"At least they've marked the dangers for us." Yu Xing said casually, checking the directions. His 109 was in the left corridor, and from 115 onwards, it was in the right corridor.

Even if the hotel isn't as dangerous as the other option, it still can't guarantee you a good night's sleep. Tsk, looking at it this way, our room is pretty lucky.

Rooms 116 and 117 are conveniently located in the middle, making it easy to run around or do anything if needed.

Furthermore, 109 and 113 are not far apart. With Yu Xing's perception, this distance is practically negligible, thus ensuring Zhang Yu's safety.

"Are you going to rest now, or do you want to go for a stroll in the streets?" Hua Subai asked, turning his head after confirming the room's location.

Midnight should be a key time. If you want to figure out more about the layout of Baibao Street before then, these two hours are a good opportunity.

The guide has already announced tomorrow's activities: finding dolls and hanging Lucky Charm. Whether it's the former or the latter, knowing the route in advance will definitely be helpful.

However, Yu Xing yawned again and decisively said, "Sleep."

"You might not sleep well tonight, so take these two hours to get some rest."

These words were even more important to Lan Wu and Zhang Yu, one of them being too new and the other not having improved his physical fitness much, both of whom needed a stable period of rest the most.

The two nodded, indicating that they wouldn't go out either.

Hua Subai shrugged. "Then you guys sleep, I'm going out for a walk."

Yu Xing seemed to be deep in thought.

Hua Subai needs to go out now...

It seems he's also secretly up to something, perhaps related to the plan to kill the Flower Seeker tonight.

He doesn't care.

He wants to sleep.

The four parted ways in the corridor. Yu Xing's room was relatively far away. The two who needed protection went back to their rooms and closed their doors before he walked to the door.

The rooms on both sides were quiet; it was unclear whether they were empty or occupied.

Yu Xing sensed no presence, neither human nor ghost.

That's normal, though. Under the cover of Nanshui Town "falsehood," he wouldn't be able to sense anything either.

We'll find out whether they're human or ghost after midnight.

He used the key to open the door and entered his small room.

The room was simple and completely exposed, containing only a bed, a table, a chair, and a bedside table.

All the places where you could put things were quite empty; apart from sleeping, this kind of room served no other purpose.

Countless branches stirred in another dimension, peeking out from behind the walls, floors, and ceilings.

This place is so shabby, and the food tastes awful!

Are you going to sleep here? The food here isn't good.

Yu Xing: "..."

Are these thoughts really based on his subconscious? His mind is just filled with nothing but eating.

As he pondered this, he inexplicably stuck out his tongue and licked his somewhat dry lips.

Yu Xing: "..."

Never mind, it's a problem with his tongue, not his.

He sat on the somewhat hard bed, waving his hand to make all the branches spread out in all directions, while simultaneously issuing commands in his mind—

Explore all the houses.

If you encounter any strange presence of branches, retreat immediately; never alert the enemy.

The branches sang in a language incomprehensible to the human brain, and wriggled away.

Their roots were partially exposed, rubbing against Yu Xing's feet.

Yu Xing lay down directly and closed her eyes.

He wasn't actually sleepy; he just needed an absolutely quiet environment to concentrate.

Although the branch has a certain degree of self-awareness, it is actually in control of itself.

It's like one person controlling many bodies, using many branches simultaneously each time; his head is buzzing.

Consciousness sank into the network of countless roots, and the immature branches that were just restless instantly matured.

His perspective lowered and then rose, swiftly moving behind each wall, expanding as he perceived through this strange mode of existence.

Unlike his perception when he was in his body, he now smelled the "unpalatable" odor that the branches had told him about.

To his surprise, he had expected the smell the branches described to be something like rottenness or blood, but what filled his senses was a highly industrial smell.

That smell is so strange.

Like the smell of ink left after writing.

It's also somewhat like machine oil.

Even the faint, mechanical sound of clicking and clacking began to echo in his ears again.

What exactly is this?

Yu Xing's thinking was distracted as he focused on exploring the house, and he was unable to delve deeper into the matter. He could only let the sounds he heard enter his mind and think about it again when he decided to sever his connection with the branches.

Soon, he could see the surrounding rooms clearly.

There really are "people".

There were people living on both sides of him. To his left was a woman holding a child, sitting motionless on the edge of the bed, her eyes open, staring blankly into the void before her.

She was like a wooden statue, not even breathing.

In the room to the right, a boy of about ten years old sat on the floor playing with a torn newspaper, surrounded by scraps of paper. Like the woman, the boy remained motionless, staring at the tangled mess of paper in his palm, neither crying nor laughing. This calmness on the child's face was even more unsettling.

Yu Xing made an impression, then skipped over it and continued to observe.

There are some empty rooms in the back.

There were also some rooms where the people inside were just like the ones he had just seen—completely motionless, like mannequins.

A thought flashed through his already impoverished mind, and then he saw Zhang Yu lying on the bed, deep in thought.

It must be said that Zhang Yu really has no way of sensing supernatural powers; his extreme approach has inevitably left him with insurmountable shortcomings.

Yu Xing transformed into layers upon layers of tree cover, almost completely filling the entire room, without Zhang Yu noticing.

He seemed eager to get some sleep, but his anxiety and tension about the environment kept him awake. His eyes, barely closed, kept darting around, as if something was holding his thoughts back.

Further on, the branches extended into the deserted corridor, passing through Lan Wu's room.

The white-haired youth was also uneasy. Lying in bed, he leaned against the wall, facing the entire room, revealing his lack of security to the fullest extent.

He was holding a small snake doll in his hand, probably something he had been hiding in his bag. The round snake doll had an incongruous cuteness that seemed out of place here.

After a while, Yu Xing finished his investigation and found that the inn indeed only had twenty rooms available for the guests, while the remaining ten rooms were occupied by various kinds of "dummy figures".

The old man in the hall stopped dozing off, took the kerosene lamp from the counter and put it on the ground, then huddled behind it to continue reading his comic book, thoroughly engrossed in it.

After confirming that nothing was missing, Yu Xing collected all the branches.

The hotel was safer than he had imagined. Even if the mannequins started moving after midnight, they wouldn't have the ability to actually harm him because there was no sufficient energy fluctuation within them.

Having sorted out her thoughts, which seemed to be divided into many fine threads, Yu Xing began to pay attention to things that people couldn't hear or smell.

Tell him directly that something hidden so deeply must be very important, perhaps even close to the truth.