Dying at the Warmest Moment

After the second scene reenactment ended, the participants, having grasped the pattern, walked out of the room and gathered in the corridor.

Even the Dark Star member opened the door and peeked out. When he found that no one was missing, he was clearly surprised, as if he hadn't expected that none of the people who participated in the free activities had died.

This makes his avoidance seem even more like a joke.

However, he didn't miss the commotion as the blacksmith ran towards Chen Run's room. He thought to himself, if that kind of terror were directed at him, he wouldn't be confident that he could escape death like Chen Run.

So he decided to stay put and keep his head tucked in. With that thought, he pulled his head back and closed the door again.

"Hey, are you alright? What exactly happened just now? You—" Chen Run's friend wanted to ask more, but found that Chen Run was trembling all over and his face was pale, clearly looking very frightened.

Zhang Yu and Lan Wu couldn't witness what happened, so they were somewhat surprised that the person was still alive. After all, Chen Run's scream was so powerful that they could hear it clearly in the room.

However, seeing Yu Xing's calm expression, one could tell that it was probably just good luck, and there was nothing particularly noteworthy about it.

Chen Run held the medicine bottle in his hand as if it were a hot potato. He didn't answer his friend's question, but instead strode towards the blacksmith's room and, almost like throwing a bomb, put the medicine back in its original place.

"Don't come looking for me again next time, I've returned the medicine to you." Chen Run turned to look at the blacksmith sitting motionless at the table, muttering to himself, not caring whether the blacksmith could hear him or not, and then bowed to him.

His friend frowned. "Are you scared out of your wits?"

Chen Run gritted his teeth. "Nonsense, I was the one who almost died! I don't even know if the room's security will be restored..."

His friend got impatient and grabbed his shoulder. "I know you almost did, but stop being a riddle! Just tell me why you got into trouble with that blacksmith!"

"I... I took his medicine; it was a prop for us."

"Don't take these... Don't take anything, and you shouldn't take anything either."

Chen Run was still dizzy from what had just happened. He was more focused on the cracking sound he had heard after the blacksmith threw him to the ground.

It was only after the barely perceptible cracking sound that the blood in the corridor burst through his door and rushed in.

It's easy to imagine that what was shattered was the protection the rules provided for his room.

However, although the second scene recreation has ended and everything will be reset afterward, the system didn't tell him whether the room's protection would also be reset.

What if this is a one-time use item?

If the scene repeats itself next time, and the blood can freely enter his room without him having to break the rules again, then he will only die an hour later.

He no longer had the energy to investigate the clues in the other people's rooms; he just wanted to figure out the room's security mechanisms, so he decided to go to the lobby to find the old shopkeeper!

He had seen Yu Xing chatting with the old shopkeeper behind the counter, which meant that the old shopkeeper was a harmless NPC who could be communicated with. If he wanted to know about the room, he would have to go to the old shopkeeper.

As Chen Run was thinking this, he looked up and saw the hesitation in his friend's eyes.

The two were fairly familiar with each other, and as soon as he saw that look in his eyes, he knew that his friend must also have the idea of taking something from a certain room for himself, but he didn't make a move in the last round.

They were acting together, and he didn't try to hide his actions from the other person at all; it was completely open and aboveboard. The other person definitely knew he had taken the medicine...

"Are you using me as a stepping stone?" Chen Run took a deep breath, his tone turning serious.

If there were no doubts, the other person should have taken the item they wanted, but my friend didn't, clearly indicating they were wary of something.

Having such vigilance, yet refusing to even offer a word of warning, isn't she just waiting to see what happens to him after he takes the medicine bottle?

My friend's expression changed. "What are you saying? At this level, shouldn't you be more careful about these things yourself? I'm not obligated to look after you all the time. Besides, I just didn't think to remind you at the time. Don't say such hurtful things."

Chen Run held his breath.

He finally understood why those two Dark Stars were so sensitive about being used as cannon fodder. Sometimes being used doesn't have to be arrogant; it can just come unexpectedly.

Asking about whether or not there's an obligation is just a fallacy of equivocation. If teammates don't need to help each other, what's the point of having a team?

Besides, it's not like they're asking others to sacrifice anything to help him; a verbal reminder would be enough.

Although they are independent individuals, they came together this time and made it clear from the beginning that they wanted to form an alliance.

Since he couldn't even trust this guy anymore, there was no point in continuing. He glanced at the four people who seemed to be watching the show not far away and sighed.

I'm abandoning this mission.

His friend raised his voice. "Hey! Wait a minute, even though you almost got away this time, at least you've figured out a condition for death. Isn't that more advantageous for us? Why are you backing out now?"

"Whether you continue or not is up to you, I'm not playing with you anymore." Chen Run rolled his eyes and walked towards the hall.

The friend who had been abandoned stood there silently, glancing at his retreating figure, then at the tightly shut door on the other side, and finally couldn't help but mutter, "Damn it, not a single one of them is reliable."

Clearly, he intended to continue, so after giving Yu Xing and the others a wary look, he headed deeper into the corridor to investigate the rooms there.

"What a great example of sticking together," Zhang Yu exclaimed. "That's all?"

"Oh dear." Lan Wu smiled and shook his head. "This kind of scene is really common, teammates betraying each other and stuff. But judging from how close they weren't to begin with, we should have been more careful."

Hua Subai chuckled softly, turning to look at Yu Xing, who was deep in thought, "What are you thinking about?"

"I think this Chen Run is quite clever." Yu Xing's gaze traveled down the corridor and landed in the direction of the hall. "At least he's realized the problem."

Just as Chen Run had worried, the protective space in his room had not been reassembled after it shattered. This protection seemed to be a one-time thing, because Yu Xing did not sense the protection returning after the blacksmith disappeared.

Another point is that, through the branches, he could see that the room across the hall was completely engulfed in blood without any obstruction.

He immediately grasped the key point. "The damaged rooms can no longer provide us with protection. Under this mechanism, the number of simulators the hotel can accommodate each night will continue to decrease."

There were twenty spots available today, but after two rooms were damaged, there will only be eighteen spots available tomorrow, and that's the best-case scenario.

The tour group was going to stay at the hotel for six nights in total, and he had a gut feeling that choosing the hotel was the right decision. Those who stayed at the townspeople's homes would definitely not make the same decision again tomorrow.

Those hotel spots will be in high demand and limited availability.

Chen Run was alright. He went to the old shopkeeper and would most likely get another room. In any case, judging from the old shopkeeper's casual attitude towards drawing rooms, he didn't care about such trivial matters as who stayed in which room.

"But Captain, if we finish the Side Quest tonight, we shouldn't encounter this situation again when we stay at the inn, right?" Zhang Yu, understanding Yu Xing's thoughts, remained cautious. "Will the number of available rooms remain at eighteen indefinitely?"

"Oh dear, you've seriously underestimated the treacherousness of Nanshui Town. Do you think he'd let us sleep comfortably for five nights? Is he doing charity work?" Hua Subai, a hint of amusement in them. "A Xing, your new teammate is too naive; he clearly hasn't experienced the system's harsh realities."

That's true.

Zhang Yu silently made a zipping motion as if he were zipping up his mouth.

He hadn't been a deducer for long, and although the system had increased the deduction frequency like crazy shortly after he joined, he could still guide him to avoid most of the system's pitfalls, no matter who was with him in the Broken Mirror.

At least in his mind, he didn't think the system was a particularly malicious entity; on the contrary, he believed that the system was the strongest guarantee for the strategists to survive in various instances.

Without the system, they have no Persona Mask. Without Persona Mask, they can't use any of the sacrificial items or special abilities. Wouldn't they just be unilaterally crushed by the ghosts when they enter the dungeon?

Moreover, he had keenly noticed that while some instances were completely controlled by the system, others seemed to have their own consciousness. The system would then fight against that consciousness, giving more initiative to the deducers and thus creating more room for survival for them.

He always heard Brother Zhao and the others say that the system was hiding something or had some kind of conspiracy, but probably because his level was still too low, such discussions had nothing to do with him.

Hua Subai's eyes crinkled into a smile, as if he could see through the meaning in Zhang Yu's gaze. He suddenly leaned close to Zhang Yu's ear and whispered, "You think the system is good to you because the system wants to take something more precious from you."

"Don't trust it too much, you naive kid."

"If you don't believe me, find a chance to ask your captain, but not now, he might be listening!"

After speaking, he straightened up and returned to a normal distance.

Zhang Yu looked to Yu Xing for help, knowing that the captain must have heard what they had just said.

But Yu Xing nodded slightly at him, actually agreeing with what Boss Hua said.

Then, Yu Xing changed the subject. "There might be new Side Quest in the next few days. The inn has many secrets. Today we only met former guests, not the inn itself."

But that's not something they need to consider right now.

"Let's go, let's continue."

They only looked at three rooms; there were seven more waiting for them.

The next room they were going to see was Sun Yunyun's.

Sun Yunyun was mentioned in both the woman and the twin brothers' clues; she was also the short, chubby girl that Yu Xing saw in the reenactment scene.

In her room, the group found a sketchbook, which didn't describe the snow disaster much, but focused on the girl's own terrible experiences.

When she first moved into the room, she shared it with another girl. At that time, there were more than just the two girls in the entire hotel. There was a lonely woman holding a child, Xiao Yangyang's mother, an old lady with no one to rely on, the tailor's daughter, and some other young girls. There were dozens of them in total.

The hotel was overcrowded, and with so many people, more resources were being consumed. In addition, whenever they went out of the hotel to find usable supplies, the women did not exert as much effort as the men due to the difference in physical strength. Gradually, the people in the hotel began to have other thoughts.

If you can't make the same contribution but eat the same amount of food, it's fine for a day or two, but over time, dissatisfaction will grow infinitely.

Women are getting fewer and fewer supplies. Even when they go out to search, they often find that the men have already divided up all the supplies, leaving them with nothing, just as they arrive at a place where there might be supplies.

There's nothing we can do if we lack the ability. This is a disaster, a food shortage; no one has to give way to anyone else.

Women with families were alright; the woman holding the baby and the elderly woman with mobility issues were being cared for by the few remaining acts of kindness in the community. But for girls like Sun Yunyun and her roommate, who had no one to rely on, their situation became miserable.

As expected, the bodies of girls without families were used as bargaining chips; they had to "voluntarily" give up their bodies in exchange for supplies in order to survive.

Sun Yunyun's beautiful roommate ended up living a comfortable life, but all the supplies she received were obtained by exchanging her body for them, and she wouldn't share any of them with Sun Yunyun.

It seemed like she was the only one in the entire hotel who was living a miserable life. She began to hate the other women. Why, why did the other women have it easier than her even at times like this?

She didn't use the same method to obtain supplies, not because she was noble, but because she was really unattractive and overweight, and no one would want her. She didn't even have the chance to "fall into depravity."

But this hatred didn't last long. Perhaps it was fate, but one by one, the women in the inn died. Some died of illness, some froze to death while searching for supplies, some committed suicide due to depression, and others... like the tailor's daughter, who went mad and was thrown out.

Gradually, only she and the woman holding the baby, who refused to reveal her name, remained in the hotel.

She began to feel that some people were looking at her strangely.

At first, those gazes were mostly filled with disdain, but as time went on, they were increasingly replaced by a chilling longing.

Not all men are this sleazy, but some people get used to it and can't stop.

She finally traded her body for supplies. After being starving for a very long time, she locked herself in her room and wolfed down her food while crying.

Sun Yunyun felt ashamed of her previous hatred for other women, because now she knew how shameful, humiliating, and hopeless such a life was.

She rarely agreed, and more often refused. She should be grateful that these people still had a shred of hypocrisy, preventing their bestial side from becoming a given. She refused, and was rarely forced into anything.

Therefore, she continued to live in hunger and cold. The longer time dragged on, the fewer supplies she could find, and what she had became increasingly insufficient.

And she was so cold. When the snowstorm first started, they were warm enough in the hotel, and the only chance of freezing to death was when they went outside. But now the temperature was getting lower and lower, and even when she stayed in the room, she felt like she could become a corpse at any moment.

She just wanted to be warmer; even if she starved to death, she didn't want to be this cold anymore.

She might have gone mad; she wants everyone to die so she can keep all their blankets and clothes for herself.

Only Xiao Yangyang lost her parents, could still evoke a semblance of humanity in her; that child was truly well-behaved.

One night, the woman who was usually aloof and rarely spoke to anyone in the hotel while holding a baby suddenly started crying and banging on doors, begging for something to keep warm. Sun Yunyun thought, "Oh dear, has she gone mad? That woman is only looking for men who have made those kinds of requests and been rejected before."

The woman was much prettier than Sun Yunyun, and being a widow with no one to protect her, several lecherous men had already set their sights on her. Unfortunately, the woman always coldly rejected them, even giving them the look of contempt.

Even the hardest times had never made this woman compromise, but this time, for the sake of her child, she was more humble than anyone else. Yet, the man, repeatedly rejected, felt immense pleasure seeing her like this, so why would he offer her any help?

Sun Yunyun listened to the woman's cries, feeling utterly numb. The woman had even lent her half a jin of rice; she was the only person who had ever been willing to lend her food.

Now she has nothing to give in return, because she too is about to freeze to death.

Strange noises came from the corridor, and when the woman's voice broke down, everyone finally couldn't help but open the door to see what was going on.

Sun Yunyun saw Xiao Yangyang's body. The only woman who had ever helped her had killed the only pure and kind boy. This realization filled her mind with utter chaos and fear, and in that instant, madness completely extinguished the last vestige of her humanity.

She only had one thought left.

Can I give her the woman's clothes and blankets?

Sun Yunyun's picture album is very thick, covering the timeline from the very beginning to the scene recreation.

This girl is very talented in drawing; she can always convey her meaning using simple images.

The initial art style is normal, depicting her own little figure always looking gloomy or breaking down in tears amidst a sorrowful environment.

From the moment girls in the hotel started exchanging their bodies for supplies, the scene became increasingly oppressive. The tiny figures representing the beautiful roommates were enormous, while Sun Yunyun's tiny figure crouched in the corner of the scene, looking at the other with envious and sinister eyes.

When Sun Yunyun first received the food, the entire picture began to distort.

Perhaps it was the repression in her heart that made her hand unable to hold the paintbrush steadily; the lines were crooked and twisted, and apart from the little figure representing Sun Yunyun, all the other figures in the painting turned into grotesque monsters.

On the last page, Sun Yunyun drew a big X with her paintbrush.

A line of text was written in the blank space marked with an "X".

[If I could do it all over again, I'd want to die in the warmest moment. Enduring these days is just torture; even those who died at the very beginning were happier than me.]

"This is... too tragic."

In the silent room, only Zhang Yu's strained voice could be heard.

Watching the living gradually despair in their struggle is more shocking than facing ghosts directly.

I spent more time looking at the art books than in the previous three rooms, because understanding the paintings was more difficult than dealing with the text directly.

"Disasters can push humanity to this extreme." Lan Wu blinked.

In his original world, there seemed to be no history of any major catastrophes; upon closer inspection, it could even be described as having no history at all.

He was completely unaware of it at the time, but after being taken away by Medusa and freed from his NPC identity, he suddenly realized how thin his world was, as thin as a temporary framework.

It was all a lie, as expected.

Later, Medusa taught him about the common sense of this world, and he also began to pay attention to history, only to realize that a real world actually has such a long and vast historical evolution.

He had read about the birth of humankind in books, as well as its subsequent divisions, reunifications, and struggles for supremacy. He also read about major catastrophes in different countries.

Floods, earthquakes, plagues.

Those horrific descriptions were ultimately too far removed from Lan Wu's reality. The bloody death toll was condensed into a string of numbers, but his rote learning failed to evoke any real connection to it.

Only today, after reading the confessions of those trapped in hotels during the snowstorm, did he finally realize that, besides ghosts and monsters, natural disasters can be just as terrifying.

Especially... without the ability to maintain order, madness and chaos can turn people into this miserable and hateful state.

"Let's keep things separate. Humans are social animals, and the atmosphere within a group determines individual behavior." Zhang Yu looked up from the picture book. "Think about it, if the people here had respected each other from the beginning, worked together, taken turns searching for supplies, and then distributed them reasonably, wouldn't things have been different?"

"Perhaps death is still inevitable, but at least someone like Sun Yunyun won't be so desperate before she dies; she might even be hoping to live on."

"This is too idealistic." Lan Wu knew all too well how rare such a scene was. There were always more selfish people than kind and capable ones, because selfish people only needed to live for themselves, while selfless people had to bear the burden of other people's lives.

How many people can actually do that?

Just look at the number of people on the Righteous Path among the deducers compared to the other two paths; the more powerful the level, the fewer people on the Righteous Path there are.

Oh, I almost forgot, he himself is also a Righteous Path.

Lan Wu chuckled. Just as he said, he had no idea why the system had given him such an evaluation. He was still a blank slate and was still learning many things.

"That's about it," Yu Xing suddenly said.

Lan Wu was taken aback, thinking he meant "that's enough with the exclamations," since they were short on time. He pulled himself back from his wandering thoughts and obediently said, "Sorry."

To everyone's surprise Yu Xing put down the sketchbook and said, "I mean, we've found almost all the clues, and I already have an idea of how to solve this."

Lan Wu: "?"

Zhang Yu: "?"

Hua Subai raised an eyebrow curiously. "Aren't there still six rooms to see? Aren't you afraid that your conclusions are wrong?"

"Continuing to watch will only mean witnessing the experiences of six more pitiful people." Yu Xing glanced at Sun Yunyun, who stood motionless in the room. "The solution to recreate the scene is simple, and the hints are straightforward enough. Actually, I don't quite understand why the task process requires us to understand each resident."

Although Zhang Yu was shocked by the captain's statement, he still instinctively tried to help. "Um, to deepen the character development? To avoid wasting the clues in their rooms? Or perhaps we hope that through these residents' experiences, we can gain a deeper understanding of the past snow disaster?"

The comments followed them through two rounds of scene reenactments, and also showed them the living conditions of the four residents.

The atmosphere in the live stream was a bit somber. Although the lives of those who perform deductions are also precarious, with no idea when they might die, at least they have enough ability to resist danger, and they can gain a lot after completing the deduction dungeons.

Unlike in a hotel, where no matter how long you suffer, things only get worse and worse, with no hope in sight.

They've never seen a live stream so heavy and serious!

At that moment, some people, in an attempt to liven up the atmosphere, focused on Zhang Yu's speech.

[You kid, you must have gotten really good grades in Chinese class back in school, are you doing reading comprehension here?]

[Enriching character development, driving plot forward, and highlighting character emotions]

[You've mixed up the above; the last two are about the function of environmental description.]

I'm even more curious, since Xing said he knows a solution, what could it be?

[Kill the old shopkeeper (not really)]

[Smash the clock in the lobby, so the hotel's time has no reference point! That way, it won't be able to reproduce the time accurately every hour!]

[Oh yeah, I knew there was a clock in the lobby, it looked really weird. There aren't any anywhere else. You're such a genius upstairs!]

[I was just joking, I didn't expect you to take it seriously]

[But what you said does make sense. Suddenly I realize that if the clock in the lobby is related to the time of the mission, wouldn't that make sense?]

[What's so reasonable about that? What if the task time is based on the system time? And even if it really has something to do with the clock, how do you determine if the task was completed before 6 o'clock if the clock is smashed? ┐(′-`)┌]

The comments section was buzzing with discussion. On the screen, Hua Subai chuckled and chimed in, "That's a bit strange, really. These residents are describing the same period of their lives from different perspectives, it's almost as if they're intentionally showing something."

He walked slowly to Sun Yunyun's side and touched her with his hand. "And it's not that they want to show it themselves. You see, the residents are like lifelike props, as if something else is using the residents as a medium to show us what 'it' wants us to see."

Upon hearing his words, something flashed through Yu Xing's mind.

This time, he didn't let the Spiritual Sense slip away. Instead, he closed his eyes and tried to capture the thoughts that had just been stirred within him.

The exhibit, the medium, is a resident who is neither a living person nor a ghost...

The timing was off, the mechanical sounds were elusive, and the smell was strange.

The Nanshui Town, a blend of reality and illusion, is a place where people exist when they are there, and vanishes when they are not...

Thinking back, Zhang Yu said that when he and Lan Wu sneaked out of Never Forget Dwelling, the streets were quiet and they didn't see a single person.

But when the tour guide led them away according to the procedure, the streets were bustling with people.

Isn't this also a demonstration specifically for those who perform the deductions?

Yu Xing's blue eyes lit up.

He seemed to have figured it out, to have figured out a reason that could connect all the anomalies. If that was really the case, then everything he had experienced after entering Nanshui Town would make sense.

"You're deliberately hinting at it," Yu Xing glanced sideways at Hua Subai, "When did you think of that?"

Hua Subai blinked innocently. "What hint? What are you thinking about?"

Yu Xing: "..."

He became increasingly certain that Hua Subai had grasped the essence of the current situation in Nanshui Town much earlier than he had.

This conclusion surprised him a little, and he was somewhat unconvinced. Hua Subai had been so passive and lazy, yet he was still faster than him.

To be honest, this was the first time Yu Xing had entered the same deduction process as Hua Subai. Before this, he was not sure how strong Hua Subai's deduction ability was; he could only be sure that Hua Su Bai was a strange and dangerous leech.

I never expected... Hua Subai's IQ is so high. No wonder he was able to trick Lingren. He should have realized this sooner. If his brain couldn't keep up with his strength, Hua Subai would have been killed by Lingren long ago.

Yu Xing turned her head to the side, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Ah, that's really interesting.

But when did this person surnamed Hua receive more information than him?

They basically stayed together after getting off the bus, at least in terms of the general flow of their activities. If Hua Subai saw through things earlier than him, his biggest advantage was probably his understanding of the Yin Yang City Evil God.

He only learned of the existence of Yin Yang City on the Yin Yang Corridor, and it was only after the Lingren told him that he had a concept of the evil god of Yin Yang City.

But he still didn't know which evil god was causing trouble in Nanshui Town, or what its abilities were.

Hua Subai... Yu Xing is already guessing that Hua Subai and the evil god represented by Ghost Tree must have a close relationship, and maybe Hua Su Bai is also an avatar or something. If that's the case, Hua Subai must know the specific situation of the evil god in Yin Yang City, and after exploring Nanshui Town, he can quickly determine which evil god's power was responsible.

Hmm, that makes sense.

Yu Xing found a very plausible excuse for the fact that he was not Hua Subai this time, which comforted him a lot.

He thought that the Doctor was [her] alter ego, but had nothing to do with the main storyline of the event. The evil god who was really going to give out tickets was definitely related to time.

There should be an evil god in Yin Yang City who wields the power of time, but we don't know exactly what his or her functions are.

"Ahem, Captain." Zhang Yu leaned closer, "So, Captain, what's on your mind? Can you share it with your curious teammate?"

Yu Xing resolutely rejected her curious teammate, laughing, "What I'm thinking can't be said aloud, because some being will hear it, so it's not the right time yet."

It will definitely be heard.

Now he understands clearly that the tour group's every move was probably under "its" watchful eye from beginning to end.

Hua Subai probably felt this way because he couldn't tell him directly, and had to hint at it indirectly.

Zhang Yu was extremely anxious.

"So, Captain, what's the solution to the mission you mentioned? You can at least tell me that!"

"Oh, that." Having figured out the world of Nanshui Town, Yu Xing had almost forgotten about the Side Quest. He casually said, "I'm going out to buy something."

Zhang Yu: "???"

Lan Wu was also curious. Since Yu Xing said the solution to the task was simple, and it seemed to have little to do with the residents' stories, did that mean they were overthinking it?

Hua Subai tilted her head. "Where are we going to buy things?"

"Main street convenience store," Yu Xing said, and walked out down the corridor without anyone accompanying her.

"Huh?" Lan Wu in surprise, "Is it okay to leave the hotel freely now? I thought we wouldn't be able to go out until dawn."

"You're just setting rules for yourself." Hua Subai chuckled, leaning against the wall, this time resembling a red moth with its wings folded. "Ha~ Besides, even if the rules forbid leaving the inn, do you think someone like Yu Xing wouldn't find a way to circumvent them?"

He yawned. "Never mind, I'll wait for him to come back and finish the task, then I can get some sleep in peace."

"Especially you two kids, if you don't go to sleep soon, you're going to suffer tomorrow."

Will I suffer tomorrow?

Zhang Yu suddenly had a bad feeling.

So he really needs to go to sleep soon, otherwise he won't have the strength to escape tomorrow.

Yu Xing entered the hall from the corridor and glanced at the wall clock.

The time was 1:45; if I did the math, I should have enough time.

The oil lamp in the hall was still lit, casting two shadows on the wall.

The woman waited and waited on the bridge for countless years, until finally her father returned home. Overjoyed, she wept, but when she tried to rush to embrace him, she realized she could no longer move.

Chen Run, who came to the old shopkeeper to resolve the room issue, sat next to the old man with a blank face and read a comic book to him.

The new room key was in the old man's hand. He shifted to a more comfortable sitting position, clearly using the threat of changing rooms to blackmail someone into becoming his new storyteller.

The elderly father was also eager to return home to see his daughter. He saw a newly erected statue of a woman on the bridge and felt that the statue's features were very endearing. But no matter how beautiful the statue was, it couldn't compare to his longing to see his daughter.

Chen Run didn't have the ability to talk nonsense, so he just read from the book. When he saw Yu Xing come out out of the corner of his eye, he immediately stopped.

The old man groggily opened his eyes. "Why did you stop reading?"

Yu Xing and made a "shh" gesture to Chen Run.

Chen Run didn't want to cause any trouble, so he pretended not to see him—after all, the old man's eyesight was very poor, and as long as he didn't make a sound, the old man probably wouldn't know that someone was leaving the hotel in the middle of the night.

The woman watched as her father brushed past him, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't imagine how anxious her father would be if he couldn't find her when he got home...

Chen Run's voice gradually faded behind her. Yu Xing carefully pushed open the hotel door and slipped out in a flash.

From the alley, you can see a corner of the main street. Although the lights of the shops are on, the street is deserted and desolate.

He stepped onto the main street and took a look around.

The vendors in the shops along the street were still there, seemingly uninterested in the deserted street. They were all doing their own thing; some were sleeping, others were handling the goods in their shops, and they would occasionally look up when they saw someone passing by outside.

Seeing that Yu Xing alone, the vendors didn't bother to talk to her, nor did they show any surprise.

Yu Xing wasted no time and headed straight for the nearest general store, following the layout of the shops she had seen earlier.

The general store was the most diverse shop on Baibao Street, selling all sorts of things. He bought a few boxes of matches and then walked back to the inn without stopping.

The other three were still waiting for him in the corridor, and the only remaining lone wolf who hadn't given up on the mission was also peeking in this direction.

"One box each, don't hesitate, burn them all." Yu Xing distributed the matches to the three of them. "Be quick, don't give it time to react."

"Burn people?" Lan Wu asked inexplicably.

"Aren't these residents cold? Since they're going to die in the warmest time of the year, let's use fire," Yu Xing said. "Following the normal procedure, once we've collected all the residents' information, we should be able to find a way to get fire-starting tools from the inn, but that's too much trouble. It's better to just buy them outside."

These residents are not real people.

They were at most... a manifestation of the residents' obsessions. They weren't alive, so naturally they wouldn't be burned to death. Ever since they ended their lives in the hotel years ago, there has only been one way to die.

Their obsession is coldness.

As long as they don't get cold, what does it matter if it's hot?

"Then why do we have to hurry? Are we not giving anyone time to react? Are they going to suddenly move?" Zhang Yu was a little worried.

"Who knows? If we don't follow the procedures and miss a lot of information 'it' wants to show, it might get angry and do something to stop us," Yu Xing said with a smile, spreading her hands. "So let's hurry up and finish ordering all at once."

The group dispersed, Yu Xing, seeing that their positions were roughly equal, took out two matches, lit them, and threw them at the twin brothers in front of him.

Their clothes shouldn't have been so flammable, but the moment the match flame touched them, it burst into flames, spreading along the burning spot until, in the blink of an eye, the twin brothers were engulfed in flames.

The flames failed to ignite anything around them, clinging instead firmly to the two motionless humanoid figures.

Their skin was covered with frostbite and cracks, and large, ugly burns were spreading rapidly.

Yu Xing glanced at them one last time, then turned and went to another room.

Just then, two soft sighs came from behind him.

"It's all over."

"I can finally die..."

He turned and went to Sun Yunyun's room, where he lit the girl's body with a match.

"It's so warm." The girl sat quietly at the table, leaving Yu Xing with only her back to her. "It's so warm."

The same thing happened in every room with residents.

Their actions left the remaining man dumbfounded, yet he dared not utter a word of doubt, for he too had witnessed the effect of the fire burning.

The blacksmith, who had left a shadow on Chen Run in the previous reenactment, was set ablaze by Lan Wu.

The burly blacksmith's flames were even larger than others'; his infected arm crackled in the flames and quickly turned black.

"That feels so good, finally the torture is over..."

Whether they were fast enough or "it" didn't care about this little trickery, nothing unexpected happened until the residents were burned to ashes and vanished with the wind, contrary to common sense.

It was exactly 1:59.

Chen Run's friend snapped out of his shock and rushed to his room. Chen Run, having finally obtained his new key, also arrived at full speed.

Zhang Yu: "Do we still need to go back to our room...?"

Hua Subai tilted his head back, sensed it for a moment, then shook his head. "No need, I can feel it's already gone."

The rules here have disappeared.