The Woman Who Knocks

Unfortunately, even from the perspective of the branches, the sound was impossible to trace, and Yu Xing was still unable to get any closer to those things.

We can only wait for the story to progress further and see if there will be a chance to find out what it really is.

Now that he had confirmed that the inn was not in any danger and he didn't really want to fall into a deep sleep, he had to do something with the remaining time.

After a moment's thought, Yu Xing's eyes lit up, and she got up and pushed open the door.

He's going to talk to that old man!

Hua Subai wandered around outside for over an hour, finally returning to the hotel around 11:40 PM.

The red clothes, imbued with the scent of wind and snow, fit him even better, as if tailor-made.

As I entered, the oil lamp behind the counter was still lit, casting two shadows on the wall, one large and one small, creating a harmonious scene.

Wait, two?

Hua Subai paused, and the very next second after he saw the shadow, the steady and gentle sound of reading aloud reached his ears.

"Lin Daiyu shouted loudly, wrapped her arms around the thick tree trunk, and with a twist of her waist, uprooted the weeping willow."

Everyone was astonished and cheered, "A brave warrior!" Lin Daiyu smiled shyly, "I've made a fool of myself."

Hua Subai: "..."

He recognized the voice, his brow twitched slightly, and he quickly walked to the counter, leaning in to look inside.

Sure enough, Yu Xing and the old man were both huddled behind the counter. The old man sat on his small stool, while Yu Xing simply sat cross-legged on the floor. An oil lamp was placed between the two of them, casting a dim light.

Yu Xing held the comic book that should have been in the old man's hands and "read" it expressionlessly. The old man squinted his eyes contentedly and listened attentively.

Whether Yu Xing was taking advantage of the old man's ignorance of the plot, or whether the pirated version of the comic book was indeed so outrageous, Yu Xing remained expressionless, his face full of seriousness.

After listening to him read a few more pages of an absurdly ridiculous story, Hua Subai could hardly contain himself and tapped the table before he burst out laughing.

As the shadow fell, Yu Xing looked up and met Hua Subai's gaze, which held a strange mix of emotions, a suppressed smile.

Skillfully ignoring him, he lowered his head and continued, "Lin Chong, enraged, slammed his hand on the butcher's table: 'Hey, are you playing with me?' Unexpectedly, the butcher picked up his pig-slaughtering knife, his body shrouded in ghostly energy, and began to chase after him."

Three passersby were also caught in the crossfire and ran alongside Lin Chong. The butcher gradually lost his strength and stopped before reaching the depths of the forest, thus being outrun by the humans.

"???" Hua Subai: "What are you talking about?!"

Now he was absolutely certain that pirated comic books couldn't be blamed for this!

Hua Subai suddenly spoke, startling the old man who was about to fall asleep. The old man stared at him blankly for a long time with his cloudy eyes before recognizing him as his resident.

So he leaned back comfortably, and in a low, tentative voice urged, "... And then?"

Yu Xing closed the comic book and chuckled softly, "Grandpa, I should go to bed now. If I'm staying here again tomorrow night, I'll come back and read you another story."

The old man seemed a little unsatisfied. After thinking for a moment, he smacked his teeth, pulled the little figure back from Yu Xing's hand, and nodded, "Alright."

Yu Xing stood up, patted the wrinkles on her trench coat, glanced at Hua Subai, and gestured for him to go to the corridor.

After the two left, the old man struggled to turn the pages of the book by the oil lamp, but he couldn't find any description of the four humans escaping into the deep forest. Unwilling to give up, he searched again and again.

He probably won't be able to sleep tonight if he doesn't find it.

[How despicable, hahaha]

[Look at this old man, doesn't he remind you of yourself when you see the scene where the night ends?]

[Of course not! At least we can tell from reading the book that it's been discontinued. This old man is just looking for a non-existent passage of text. Hilarious!]

[Lin Chong fled at night and came across a mountain temple in the snow. Inside the temple was a mural. In the dead of night, a beautiful woman named Nie Xiaoqian floated out.]

[Nie Xiaoqian said, "I am no longer the Nie Xiaoqian I once was; I am Niu Huluo Nie Xiaoqian."]

[Your Majesty, I must accuse Consort Nie of adultery and defilement within the palace; her crime is unforgivable!]

[Just arrived, what's wrong with you guys?]

[Luckily, I was trying to get information from the old man, but he always seemed to be falling asleep, so he...]

Hua Subai followed Yu Xing to his room, closed the door behind him, and then asked in surprise, "Why did you decide to go and bother that old shopkeeper?"

"I'm bored, so I'll uphold the traditional virtues of respecting the elderly and caring for the young by helping him with his studies," Yu Xing said, shrugging.

Hua Subai scanned the room.

The furnishings inside showed no signs of being moved, and the bed had slight wrinkles from being sat on, but it was completely cold.

It seems Yu Xing has been harassing the old man for quite some time.

"You think there might be information hidden in his comic books, so you went to check them under the pretense of helping him read?"

Yu Xing nodded casually when he heard that he had already guessed.

Actually, he just wanted to talk to the old man. Since the old man owned the Peaceful Sleep Inn, he must know something about it.

At the very least, the old man should know who those motionless "people" in the houses are and what their identities are.

When he found the old man in the lobby, the old man only responded with a greeting before burying himself in his book, pretending not to hear him.

Seeing that the old man was clearly struggling to read, yet still completely absorbed in the words in the book, Yu Xing thought for a moment and said, "I'm bored right now too. Old man, your eyesight doesn't seem to be very good. How about I read a story to you?"

He was just giving it a try, because he couldn't be sure whether the old man was interested in the story in the book or simply treasured the comic book. If it was the latter, the old man probably wouldn't be willing to hand the book over to him.

Furthermore, the old man was reading a book from the moment we met, which seems to be a hint—perhaps there's some hidden information in the book?

Unexpectedly, the old man stopped pretending to be deaf and quickly shoved the book into his hands. "Read..."

Yu Xing took this opportunity to go through all the books the old man had collected.

These books are like the kind of old books sold for five cents a pound at street stalls under overpasses; they're small and thin, only a dozen pages long, and sometimes have illustrations in the style of paintings of court ladies.

The stories inside are all simple little tales. Due to the different worldviews, these stories are not the ones we are familiar with in reality, but you can still tell at a glance that they have nothing to do with intelligence.

Yu Xing read the two books carefully before trying to strike up a conversation with the old man.

"Grandpa, are you the only one running this shop? Aren't your children here?"

Perhaps Yu Xing's behavior won the old man's favor, because the old man thought about this problem for a long time.

Finally, he said that his son had died long ago, and he was all alone in the family.

How long have they been dead? I don't remember.

How long has the shop been open? I can't remember.

Can a person feel lonely?

Regarding this question, the old man remained silent for a long time, his thin figure appearing somewhat pitiful in the silence.

Finally, the old man managed to squeeze out, "What do I have to be lonely about? I have these books to keep me company. Are you going to read to me or not?"

So Yu Xing read a few more books.

By this time, he could see that the old man's eyesight was really very poor. He probably couldn't see most of the content when reading, and could only guess at some of the plot. Even though the book was almost worn out when Yu Xing read it normally, the old man's deeply lined face still showed a serious and curious expression.

It seems that only tonight did he truly learn what was written in his book.

The books piled up by the counter were gradually reduced. Midway through, the other four strategists who had chosen to stay at the hotel finally arrived. Seeing Yu Xing, they hurried away, asked the old man for the key, and left in a hurry, afraid that Yu Xing would call them back if they were even a step too late.

This little incident had no impact on Yu Xing. He ultimately failed to find any useful information from it, but he did manage to glean some intelligence from the old man during a break from reading.

For example, this old man, who looked like he could die at any moment, couldn't remember how long he had been in the hotel; it must have been a very long time.

Regarding his past, the old man's memories seemed to be forcibly shrouded by something, making them impossible to look back upon.

He could only sit in the hotel day after day, engrossed in his storybook.

For example, when Yu Xing asked the old man if he would go out to watch the festivities on the day of the Snow Festival, the old man looked completely bewildered and had no idea what the Snow Festival was.

That's interesting.

Although the old man exuded a strong aura of death, giving the impression that he wouldn't live much longer, in other words—the old man was alive.

This was the first person Yu Xing had ever seen in Nanshui Town who could be described as a "living person".

The other townspeople, including the guide, the female clothing shop owner, the plump middle-aged woman, and so on, showed absolutely no signs of life.

Thinking about it this way, the old man must be a very special being. And yet, such a being didn't know about the Snow Festival? Was it because he was isolated from information, or because... the Snow Festival simply doesn't exist in the minds of the living?

After receiving this information, Yu Xing didn't think about anything else. He felt sorry for the old man and simply told him more stories.

His story of free improvisation.

Just as he was getting into the swing of things, Hua Subai returned.

Hua Subai exclaimed dramatically, "I knew it! You're such a kind person!"

Yu Xing: "... You're being sarcastic."

Hua Subai said "no" three times in a row, then composed himself and asked seriously, "Did you ask him who else was staying in the rooms besides the tour group?"

"I asked, and he said he didn't remember."

An old man isn't a goldfish; he won't remember yesterday after today.

He said that the people in those houses had lived there for a very, very long time.

So long that he forgot what those people looked like. If Yu Xing hadn't mentioned it today, he would have even forgotten that there were still ten rooms occupied in the hotel.

Did those people pay for such a long stay?

The old man didn't know either. He had changed the notebook he used for taking notes several times, and the old ones were long gone.

"So that's how it is." Hua Subai seemed thoughtful as he looked at the strange timing.

"And what about you?" Yu Xing glanced at him sideways, "What did you do running out there?"

"Me? The atmosphere on Baibao Street is nice, I'm just browsing." Hua Subai's expression remained unchanged.

Yu Xing understood. "It means you're not going to tell me."

Hua Subai suddenly remembered Yu Xing's distrust of him, and cleared his throat. "Oh well, anyway, I didn't do anything wrong, I promise."

"Tch." Yu Xing's response was a very clear interjection.

Before Hua Subai could say anything more, Yu Xing waved him away. "It's almost midnight, go back to your room, don't stand here. Oh, and keep an eye on Lan Wu, don't let him die."

"Alright, alright." Hua Subai sighed and reluctantly left.

Time passed slowly, Yu Xing lay on the bed, waiting for the appointed time to arrive.

Twelve o'clock was not only the time the guide specifically reminded us of, but also the time for the system to settle the first day's results.

This event uses a points-based survival system. Whether you follow the main storyline of the tour group or trigger Side Quest, you can earn points.

Strangely, judging from the current situation, Yu Xing doesn't see any effect from the points. After all, it's not a bottom-ranking elimination event. Does having more or less points only affect the rewards after the event ends?

The benefits of gaining more points outweigh the drawbacks, and the drawbacks are even more pronounced.

He felt that the points must have other uses.

Considering the inevitable death timeline, Yu Xing even wondered if the points system might offer a chance for those who hadn't considered the inevitable death timeline in the early stages.

Buy real time with points?

Or could accumulating a certain number of points grant you an item that allows you to safely survive the inevitable death phase?

Points should at least have some use, right?

Having invested time, effort, and even their lives, they must expect a commensurate return. It seems the system wants them to survive, so it won't create a useless element.

Yu Xing made some guesses about the role of points and sorted out several possibilities. He was not in a hurry. He had been following the Side Quest all along. As for the side quests, he had received the old story quest in the second-floor private room and would not fall behind others.

Perhaps the system will reveal the purpose of points during the settlement process?

The clock in the hotel lobby ticked away.

The old man, tired from flipping through the pages, still clutching his comic book, tilted his head to one side and drifted off to sleep, exhausted.

The hands of the clock finally moved slowly, very slowly, to exactly midnight.

Kakaka...

For a fleeting moment, the sound of the machinery amplified to the point where it could be heard with the naked ear. A look of alarm flashed in Yu Xing's eyes, and the illusion that had been shrouded in something shattered with a crash. It was as if something was slowly flowing through the air.

At that moment, he heard the breathing of humans in the rooms on both sides.

[Day 1 is over. Points will now be tallied.]

The system's voice appeared simultaneously, a female voice in a businesslike tone.

[Main Quest Points: 2000]

[Side Quest Points: 900]

[Remaining points: 2900]

[Usable points detected. Limited-time shop now open]

Really.

Just as he realized this, the system confirmed his idea. While keeping an eye on the commotion outside the door, Yu Xing clicked into the so-called limited-time shop.

[Limited-Time Shop: Remaining open time is six days. This shop can only be used during the Nanshui Town event. Items in the shop can only be redeemed using points earned during the event.]

There aren't many items inside, only four types in total. Although they're called goods, most of them are actually "states" or "conditions".

[Cognitive Recovery: When you feel like you are no longer yourself, using the Cognitive Recovery state can help you regain cognitive stability. 5000 points per use.]

[Breath Concealment: Can be used when you need to hide yourself. 2000 points per use, lasts for one minute.]

[True Key: Brief entry to [redacted], lasting ten minutes. 1000 points per use.]

[Pointer: Can be used to find items. After use, it will precisely locate the item's position and continuously appear as an arrow in the field of view. 2000 points per use.]

Oh wow.

Yu Xing pondered for a while. The functions of these items were all simple and clear, and the pointer was one that she might need to use tomorrow.

After all, tomorrow's activity is about finding dolls or accessories for Lucky Charm.

He could understand the True Key; the erased area clearly represented the "real scene" or "real time."

The Breath Concealment and Cognitive Recovery has not yet been urgently needed, but from another perspective, the fact that these two items appeared in the store first is a reminder to the deducer that there will be difficulties in these areas later.

Overall, these items are very expensive, and even if you decide to buy them, you should consider whether you might need other items later.

"Dong dong dong dong!"

There was a sudden knock on the door.

Outside the door, a soft, weak female voice trembled slightly as she stammered, "Hello, I'm sorry to bother you, but my child is very cold. Could someone kindly lend me a piece of cloth?"

Yu Xing out of her daze, listened for a moment, and sure enough, the breathing of the woman holding the child in the next room had disappeared.

Without hearing any footsteps, that breath had already teleported to his doorstep, trembling, rapid, and coming from his mouth and nose.

Yu Xing did not get up, but strictly followed the guide's instructions—"You must be in bed after 12 o'clock."

Receiving no response, the woman became even more anxious. She pounded on the door harder and raised her voice, "Is anyone home? Is anyone home? My child really needs something warm, please, please!"

Yu Xing remained silent.

Snow and wind have been a constant celestial phenomenon over Nanshui Town, making even the air feel icy cold.

People with frostbite were constantly being sent to the hospital in the town, and since entering Baibao Street, he had not seen anyone suffering from the cold. It was this strange sense of disconnect that formed the flaw in Nanshui Town beneath its normal appearance.

Surprisingly, there were people "frozen" at the tourist spot.

A branch silently slipped through the wall, following a route it already knew well, and entered Zhang Yu's room.

Strange activity has begun; he'd better keep a close eye on this kid.

Of course, he wouldn't help unless absolutely necessary, otherwise Zhang Yu would have it too easy.

He thought the kid was actually quite smart; unless he suddenly had a brain fart, he wouldn't get out of bed at this time to throw his life away.

Outside, the woman grew increasingly anxious.

"My child is really... he's freezing to death, please! Please have mercy! Give me something to keep him warm!"

Perhaps because there had been no movement for too long, the woman dejectedly lowered her hand.

She clutched the swaddled baby tightly in her arms, gritted her teeth, and went to knock on the other doors.

This time, she knocked on the door of the room opposite Yu Xing's.

If Yu Xing remembered correctly, that room seemed to have been drawn by a divination expert from Dark Star.