Ye Zhao remembered that among the passersby who'd tossed change to the Beggar Player, someone had been carrying a Carrefour shopping bag?
An overpass not far from Carrefour.
She actually found six that fit the criteria.
After comparing the color and style of the tiles and railings, she ruled out the least likely options, leaving just two possibilities.
Both locations were pretty far away. It would take at least half an hour to get there by taxi, and the two places were an hour apart.
The thought of going out still made Ye Zhao anxious, especially since she wasn't sure which of the next three days the Beggar Player would show up.
But nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Some risks had to be taken.
Ye Zhao opened the Game Panel and spent 100 Creation Points to create a [Lucky Compass].
She hoped the Lucky Compass would point her in the right direction.
"Compass, oh compass, if I go to Overpass Number One within the next three days, will I find the Bronze Mirror meant for me?"
The compass spun and stopped at 0.
Ye Zhao: ...
"Compass, oh compass, if I go to Overpass Number Two within the next three days, will I find the Bronze Mirror meant for me?"
The compass spun again and stopped at 50%.
She frowned. A fifty percent chance was way too low.
She took out the options she'd already ruled out—Numbers Three, Four, and Five—and asked about them too. One Lucky Compass could answer ten questions, so she had enough.
For all three questions, the pointer stopped at "0."
It seemed Overpass Number Two was the likeliest option.
"Compass, oh compass, if I go to Overpass Number Two today, will I find the Bronze Mirror?"
The compass spun and stopped at 50%.
Ye Zhao asked about tomorrow and the day after, too. The compass stopped at 50% each time, proving itself fair and impartial, with no favorites.
"Will I encounter danger if I go out today?"
Compass: 50%
That was as good as no answer at all.
Ye Zhao: Whatever. I'm going for it.
Ye Zhao opened X-Messenger and sent Brother Qiao a message, asking him to call a car for her because she needed to go out. Of course, to avoid accidentally getting into a ghost car, she booked it for the whole day. She'd have liked to drive herself, but she didn't have a license.
Since she had no change of clothes, Ye Zhao spent 1 Creation Point on a new outfit. She put on a hat and glasses, then five rings. That's right, she'd upgraded the +47 ring to +50. Fully equipped, and sure that even if she ran into a ghost outside and locked eyes with it, it wouldn't recognize her—and that she could get away at once if it did—she slung on her backpack and worked up the courage to leave.
When Ye Zhao stepped out of the elevator, Brother Qiao was already waiting by the doors. He escorted her to the hotel entrance with a friendly attitude, opened the car door for her, saw her safely inside, and watched her leave.
Ye Zhao: Money well spent. It made things comfortable and gave me peace of mind.
The driver dropped Ye Zhao off beside the overpass. She got out and reminded him, "Come back here to pick me up at five sharp."
She also pressed some money into his hand. "You can go wherever you like nearby, but don't be late for the time I gave you."
The driver happily took the money and repeatedly promised to pick her up on time.
Ye Zhao had made a pretty foolproof arrangement. Surely no ghost could exploit a loophole.
She climbed onto the overpass. A few people were already there selling little things, like socks and headbands. She didn't see the Beggar Player, so she looked around for anyone who might be him.
Ye Zhao watched the stall owners for a while. Once she was sure they all had shadows, she went over and said, "Sorry to bother you. Have you seen any homeless people asking for money here these past couple of days?"
The best way to ask around was not to just ask, so she bought fifty yuan's worth of socks. She'd wear them anyway, and could never have too many.
Sure enough, the stall owner's smile turned a little more genuine. "People come here asking for money every day. Who are you looking for?"
Ye Zhao thought it over. It was hard to describe him. "His hair's kind of long, really dirty and matted. He wears shabby, grayish clothes. Something like that."
"Like that?" The stall owner considered it. Didn't all homeless people look that way? "Was he missing an arm or a leg?"
"No."
"Then I haven't seen him."
Maybe he hadn't come by yet? Ye Zhao asked again, "When do other homeless people usually come?"
"Hard to say. Some come in the morning, some in the afternoon, and some even come at night." The stall owner added, "I hear they make a lot of money. Six or seven hundred a day. No expenses either—it's a better deal than running a stall."
Ye Zhao thanked the stall owner, put away the socks, and went to the fried chicken shop next door. She ordered a fried chicken combo and went up to a window seat on the second floor. It was a great spot, with an unobstructed view of the overpass.
Along the way, a few people had tried handing out flyers, but Ye Zhao had looked straight past them through her nostrils. She might as well have had "Keep away" written on her face.
She sat there all day. Several waves of people came by asking for donations, selling lint removers, shoe polish, and shampoo coupons. She acted as if she neither saw nor heard them, making a point of ignoring everyone.
She stared out until her eyes nearly popped, but still didn't see the Beggar Player.
Had she missed him?
The sky was slowly darkening, and it was nearly time to meet the driver. Ye Zhao decided not to wait any longer. The ghostly world would only become more dangerous after dark, so she got up to leave.
But as soon as she stepped out of the fried chicken shop and walked a few paces, a familiar voice came from behind her. "Hey, big sis! Want to buy a flower~"
"Big sis, buy a flower~ Just ten yuan each~"
"A flower would look so pretty on you, big sis!"
That familiar voice made Ye Zhao's skin crawl. But she wasn't the same innocent person she'd been yesterday. She didn't look back, keeping her pace as she headed for the agreed meeting point.
Even so, the Child Ghost giggled behind her. "Big sis, I recognized you~~"
Shit!
What kind of rotten luck was this? How could she run into it here, of all places?
Without a word, Ye Zhao turned and slapped an Exorcism Talisman at it. The Child Ghost had been ready this time, and she hit nothing. At once, she felt something icy strike at the back of her head. The scent of death seemed to fill the air, making every hair on her body stand on end!
[Sanity Value: -10.]
Ye Zhao didn't dare look back. She pushed off with her foot and sprinted dozens of meters forward!
She moved so fast that she escaped the Child Ghost's attack range in the blink of an eye. But she could feel it still lurking around her, following like a persistent vengeful spirit.
There wasn't a sound around her. The pedestrians and cars had all vanished. It was as if she were the only person left in the world, and the silence was terrifying.
Ye Zhao didn't dare slow down. A Lightning Strike Elemental Card appeared in her palm, and she chose to use it.
At that moment, she felt the Lightning Strike Elemental Card connect with her as if they were of one mind. She sensed roughly where the Child Ghost was. That was another benefit of improving her Constitution: with a Constitution of 105, her five senses had grown sharper, letting her vaguely detect the Child Ghost's position, even if she couldn't predict it precisely.
She struck toward that direction, unleashing a storm of lightning!
That's right—a storm.
A hundred bolts of lightning rained down.
The Child Ghost shrieked. Ye Zhao's eyes lit up, and in the blink of an eye she appeared in front of it, slapping another Exorcism Talisman at it!
The Child Ghost let out an even louder, shrill, ragged scream, then fled underground, leaving only a Red Rose behind.
Ye Zhao could tell at a glance that the rose was unusual. She instantly moved over to it, intending to pick it up, but someone was faster!
A tall, broad-shouldered figure appeared in front of her. He picked up the rose and vanished in the blink of an eye!
Ye Zhao's hand closed on empty air.
As the Child Ghost's ghost domain disappeared, laughter and chatter flooded the silent space once more, along with the sound of car horns. The missing crowds reappeared, and people cried out at the suddenly scorched patch of ground.
"Ah! Look at the ground! What happened? How did such a big patch suddenly turn black? That's terrifying!"
"It's still warm. I can feel a little electricity?"
"Stop touching it! It could be some kind of virus!"
"Could there be something buried under this part of the ground?"
"..."