After learning that Aeria was actually a man whose penis was probably bigger than everyone else's...
Without exception, everyone in the Sharp Blade Squad stared wide-eyed, their expressions collectively losing control.
As a veteran of the traditional military, Zhao Yan's mind went blank on the spot.
My worldview has been devastated; I can't comprehend this absurd situation.
The chopsticks in the Shadow's hand fell to the ground.
She stared blankly at Aeria's stunningly beautiful face, which was no less beautiful than her own, and murmured to herself.
"Can a man... be this beautiful?"
The Shadow beside her first glanced down at her D-cup breasts.
Then he looked up again, staring at Aeria's impressive curves.
"No... why should I?"
Why is it that a man's chest is bigger than mine?
Liu Ruyan's eyes were filled with resentment and despair.
Only Xin An had recovered from her shock.
He turned his head, trembling, and glared fiercely at the Clown was still watching the show from the sidelines.
"You knew all along, didn't you?! Why didn't you say so sooner?!"
Xin An roared inwardly.
The Clown, sporting Tang Sirui's seemingly harmless face, scratched his head cheekily.
"Oh dear, I just wanted to give everyone a surprise!"
"Captain Aeria is the top courtesan at the Green Moon Tower!"
"Just because you're pretty, that's all. Why worry about so much?"
Xin An's face instantly turned a deep liver color.
Why care so much?!
If I hadn't cared, he would have just done it to me!
Why do you think I care?
The roar rolled three times in Xin An's throat.
Ultimately, out of consideration for the reputation of China's Sharp Blade, they swallowed their anger.
Seeing Xin An's utterly dejected expression, Aeria finally couldn't help but laugh.
He released Xin An and casually straightened his red robe, which had slipped down.
"Okay, it was just a joke."
"Look how scared you are. I am the captain of Eagle Country squad. I would never go so far as to blackmail someone for a little bit of information."
He picked up his wine glass and took an elegant sip.
"Moreover, the information about those two Spirit Artifact isn't exactly top-secret."
"In this town, it's only a matter of time before we find out more."
"Everyone, let's eat quickly. After all, the selection competition starts tomorrow at noon, so we need to replenish our energy tonight."
Zhao Yan then snapped out of his daze and quickly picked up his wine glass to reply, "Ahem..."
"That's right."
"We were very rude just now; it was our Sharp Blade. I, Zhao, offer you a toast as an apology!"
With Zhao Yan smoothing things over, the atmosphere in the private room finally eased.
Although Xin An's hands were shaking even when picking up food in the second half, the dinner party ultimately ended in a superficially happy atmosphere.
22:00
The group left the private room.
Aeria stated that accommodations for the Sharp Blade Squad had been arranged at the Bright Moon Inn on the back street of the Green Moon Tower.
"Xin An, you should go and rest first."
Zhao Yan wiped his face and declined his colleague's suggestion.
"I just landed a big job before I came, and I have to rush off to get ready."
Liu Ruyan immediately raised her hand. "I'm not going either! I haven't met my sales target for today!"
"Tang Sirui, you promised to teach me how to steal money, let's go!"
The Clown sighed and resignedly allowed Liu Ruyan to drag him away by the collar.
Xin An turned to the Shadow for help, seeking a final sense of security.
Shadow gave an apologetic look. "Deputy Captain Xin, I'm also a handyman; I have to work with the captain."
"Take care."
Let's look at the Eagle Squad.
Allen Dick and Jamie were supporting Roman, who was completely drunk, on either side of him, and clearly had no time to pay attention to him.
In the end, only a heartbroken Xin An remained in front of the Bright Moon Inn, along with...
Aeria, dressed in a red robe.
"Looks like we're quite destined to meet, Vice Captain Xin."
Aeria looked at him teasingly.
Xin An subconsciously took a half step back, not daring to respond to the conversation, and could only awkwardly change the subject.
"Captain Aeria..."
When did you arrive in this Soul Return Town?
Aeria's smile faded slightly as she looked up at the pale moon in the night sky.
The day before yesterday.
"However... if I had the chance to choose again, I would never lead a team into this godforsaken place."
Xin An was taken aback for a moment, then asked curiously, "Why?"
Under the moonlight, Aeria turned her head slightly to the side.
"On this Weird Island, don't trust strangers easily."
"Especially so-called allies..."
"Even your teammates."
Xin An's pupils suddenly contracted.
"I've said my piece; figure it out for yourself."
Aeria pointed ahead. "Your room is just ahead. See you tomorrow, buddy."
After saying that, he turned and left, his red robe brushing past Xin An.
Xin An stood alone in place, the words echoing in her mind.
Ally...
Teammate...
He turned around abruptly, wanting to ask what this meant.
But they found the streets deserted; the other party had vanished without a trace.
"Bang!"
A red firework exploded overhead, illuminating the entire street as if it had been ravaged by blood.
Xin An subconsciously looked up at the sky filled with red light, feeling uneasy.
It seems...
This Soul Return Town is far from as peaceful as it appears on the surface.
Soul Return Town, West Square
Meanwhile, Zhao Yan and Shadow had already arrived at the agreed-upon work location.
In the center of the square, three large red sedan chairs were parked steadily.
Three place names were written on the curtain of the sedan chair.
[Deep Pool Fortress]
[Confucian Scholar Dojo]
[Prayer Deep Pool]
In front of the sedan chair, a wedding procession of over a hundred people, responsible for blowing trumpets and beating gongs and drums, had already lined up and were ready to go.
On either side of the sedan chair stood nine paper sedan chair carriers with stiff smiles on their faces.
But what truly terrified Zhao Yan and Shadow was the ring of soldiers standing on the outermost edge of the formation.
They were clad in black iron armor, their faces covered with tattered cloths painted with runes, and they held rusty sabers in their hands.
Ghost!
This was the first time Zhao Yan and Shadow had come into close contact with this level of armed force since entering Soul Return Town.
Even just standing there, the fierce aura emanating from the ghost messenger made it almost impossible for the two of them to breathe.
The two exchanged a glance, then looked at the three remaining empty seats behind the sedan chair.
Clearly, those were the hard labor positions reserved for them, the menial workers.
"Captain, which one should we go to?"
"The Shadow asked in a low voice."
Zhao Yan glanced at the three sedan chairs and decisively pointed to the first one.
"Deep Pool Fortress."
"This place isn't on the South District map, so let's take this opportunity to explore a new area."
"With these ghost guards protecting us, there shouldn't be any danger on the road."
Shadow nodded in agreement, but then glanced at the empty seat next to her, looking somewhat curious.
"We're still short one person. Who will fill that spot?"
Time seemed unwilling to answer her questions.
The leader of the wedding procession, a townsman, quickly stepped forward and struck a broken gong.
"The auspicious hour has arrived! Deep Pool Fortress wedding procession, depart!"
"All accompanying personnel, listen up! You must return to Soul Return Town before 3:14 AM on March 14th, 1314!"
"Lord Phoenix Emperor will personally inspect the documents at [Central Forest Garden]! Do not be late and you will be punished!"
Zhao Yan and Shadow's eyes lit up!
Phoenix Emperor will check Central Forest Garden?!
This means that as long as they go on this mission, they will be able to meet the ruler of Soul Return Town ahead of time!
That is, the final boss of the selection competition!
This is absolutely a pleasant surprise!
The two men quickly stepped forward and lifted the wooden poles at the back of the sedan chair, one on each side.
Accompanied by the sound of suona horns, the gates of Soul Return Town began to appear, and the wedding procession marched out of the town in a grand procession.
However, the moment the leading townsman stepped out of the gate and his feet touched the muddy ground outside the town...
A sudden change has occurred!
Zhao Yan and Shadow's pupils contracted instantly!
Because in their line of sight, those originally dressed in festive clothes...
The townspeople, who looked like normal humans, all revealed their true forms the moment they left the town!
Beneath the red wedding robes, there were either stark white bones or rotting flesh teeming with maggots!
The paper figures carrying the sedan chair in front of the sedan chair instantly twisted their features and bled, turning into vengeful ghosts!
Only the celebratory music of gongs and drums remained unchanged.
But the performance by this group of Devils sounded incredibly sinister and terrifying.
The two experienced individuals had long suspected that the town was full of strange occurrences.
But when this collective visual shock of stripping away disguises actually happens before your eyes, it still sends chills down your spine.
"Shadow, don't mess things up!"
Zhao Yan gritted his teeth, suppressing the horror in his heart, and whispered his instructions.
"Keep an eye on the sedan chair behind us; we're about to enter the mass grave. Watch out for the tombstones around us!"
"Clear!"
The Shadow gripped the sedan chair arm tightly.
The wedding procession entered the cemetery at a leisurely pace.
A chilling wind blew, and will-o'-the-wisps flickered.
Just as they reached the middle of the cemetery, the solitary graves on the outer edge suddenly began to tremble!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
More than a dozen chains with coffin nails broke through the ground.
Shoot it at the eerie townsman playing the suona!
"Roar!"
The ghost guards on both sides let out a low, inhuman growl.
They drew their sabers, clang! clang!
The chains were severed instantly!
Immediately afterwards, the ghost messengers leaped up and plunged their sabers into the few lonely graves that had been stirring up trouble.
A few screams rang out, and then the surrounding area fell silent again.
Zhao Yan was secretly alarmed. "Aren't these guys Phoenix Emperor's Guard Dog? How come they're even killing their own kind!"
I don't know.
The Shadow observed its surroundings, "But it seems only the isolated graves on the outer edges are active; those deeper inside are all quiet."
"Etc..."
The Shadow's gaze suddenly fixed on a tombstone by the roadside.
That is Tang Sirui's grave.
Exactly the same as what Liu Ruyan described during the day!
"The person is still alive, so why is there a tombstone?"
What is the purpose of its existence?
The Shadow was completely baffled.
"Shadow, forget about that! Look over there!"
Zhao Yan stared in shock at a high slope not far ahead.
It was a solitary tomb.
Unlike the messy graves around it, there were no other graves within a hundred meters.
It was as if a monarch was looking down upon his ministers.
Moreover, the orientation of that tombstone was very strange.
It faces away from the wilderness, and the writing on it can only be clearly seen from the direction of Soul Return Town.
By the light of the eerie green will-o'-the-wisp, Zhao Yan and Shadow were able to make out the inscription on the tombstone.
[Dragon God's Tomb]
Below, lines of delicate, blood-red characters were also engraved.
On the day the soul returns, a hundred ghosts roam the night.
[Their love is mutual, and the time has come.]
Love is stronger than gold, and can be exchanged for the sun and moon.
The moment of resurrection awaits us today!
--Phoenix Emperor
A gust of wind blew through the room.
Zhao Yan and Shadow stood frozen in place.
"The Dragon God's Tomb?!"
Zhao Yan kept muttering those few words to himself.
The meaning of the other sentences is still unclear...
"But these three lines, 'Love is stronger than gold, and can be exchanged for the sun and moon...'"
What do the sun and moon represent?
Does it refer to time, or... lifespan?
His brow furrowed, realizing that the truth about Soul Return Town lay within those mere sixteen words.
However, lacking key clues, it remains impossible to fully understand the rules involved.
The Shadow tugged at his sleeve and whispered a reminder.
"Captain, let's think about it after we get back safely."
"This job has a time limit; if we miss the deadline, who knows what will happen?"
"Yes, you're right."
Zhao Yan nodded, memorizing the inscription on the tombstone, and focused on continuing forward with the group.
Soon, the sound of suona horns from the first wedding procession faded into the distance.
We left the cemetery area on the outskirts of Soul Return Town.
The second group heading to the [Prayer Deep Pool] also quietly set off shortly afterward.
There was nothing particularly special about this procession; the entire wedding party, from the musicians to the sedan chair bearers, consisted entirely of townspeople and paper figures.
Until the time reached 0:00 AM.
The third wedding procession finally drove slowly out of the gates of Soul Return Town into the night.
Their destination is the nearest [Confucian Scholar Dojo]...