Strange Arrival 4

Ye Zhao remembered that among the passersby who tossed change to the Beggar Player, someone was carrying a Carrefour shopping bag.

An overpass not far from a Carrefour.

She actually managed to find six locations that fit the criteria.

After factoring in the color of the floor tiles and the color and style of the railings, and eliminating the most unlikely ones, only two candidates remained.

Both locations were quite far away, at least a half-hour taxi ride, and the two spots were an hour apart from each other.

The thought of leaving the house made Ye Zhao anxious, especially since she wasn't sure which of the next three days the Beggar Player would appear.

But if you don't enter the tiger's den, you won't catch the tiger's cub.

Some risks had to be taken.

Ye Zhao opened her Game Panel and spent 100 Creation Points to create a [Lucky Compass].

She hoped the Lucky Compass could give her the right guidance.

"Compass, oh Compass, can I encounter my fated Bronze Mirror if I go to Overpass Number One within the next three days?"

The compass spun and stopped at 0.

Ye Zhao: ...

"Compass, oh Compass, can I encounter my fated Bronze Mirror if I go to Overpass Number Two within the next three days?"

The compass spun again and stopped at 50%.

She frowned; a fifty-fifty chance was far too low.

She took out the options she had eliminated—3, 4, and 5—and asked about them one by one. A Lucky Compass could be used ten times, which was plenty.

The needle stopped at "0" for the next three questions.

It seemed the probability was highest for Overpass Number Two.

"Compass, oh Compass, can I encounter the Bronze Mirror if I go to Overpass Number Two today?"

The compass spun and stopped at 50%.

Ye Zhao asked about tomorrow and the day after as well, but the compass stopped at 50% every time, maintaining a sense of fairness and impartiality, refusing to show favoritism.

"Will I encounter danger if I go out today?"

Compass: 50%.

That was as good as saying nothing.

Ye Zhao: Whatever, I'm going for it.

Ye Zhao opened X-Messenger and sent a message to Brother Qiao, asking him to help her call a car because she needed to go out. Of course, to avoid hailing a ghost car, she booked it for the entire day—she would have liked to drive herself, but she didn't have a driver's license.

Since she didn't have a change of clothes, Ye Zhao spent 1 Creation Point to exchange for a new outfit. She put on a hat and glasses, then donned five rings—that's right, she had upgraded her +47 ring to +50. Fully equipped and confident that she wouldn't be detected even if she made eye contact with a supernatural entity outside, and that she could run away immediately if she were, she shouldered her backpack and gathered the courage to head out.

When Ye Zhao stepped out of the elevator, Brother Qiao was already waiting there. He led her to the hotel entrance with a very friendly attitude, opened the car door, escorted her inside, and watched as she drove away.

Ye Zhao: This money was well spent; it's convenient to use and reassuring to buy.

The driver dropped Ye Zhao off by the overpass. Ye Zhao got out and instructed the driver, "Come back here to pick me up at exactly five o'clock."

She also handed him a stack of cash: "Go have fun nearby, but don't miss the time I've scheduled."

The driver happily took the money and promised repeatedly that he would be there to pick her up on time.

Ye Zhao's plan was seamless; she didn't believe any ghost could take advantage of the situation.

She climbed onto the overpass. There were already people setting up stalls to sell small items like socks and hairbands, but she didn't see the Beggar Player. She looked left and right, but saw no one who resembled him.

Ye Zhao observed the stall owners for a good while, confirming that they all had shadows at their feet, before walking over and saying, "Sorry to bother you, but have any homeless people come here to beg for money in the last couple of days?"

The best way to get information was not to ask for free, so she bought fifty yuan worth of socks. She needed them anyway, so having extra didn't hurt.

Sure enough, the stall owner's smile became a bit more sincere: "People come here to beg for money every day. Which one are you looking for?"

Ye Zhao thought about it, but it was hard to describe: "Hair a bit long, very dirty and matted, wearing gray, tattered clothes—something like that."

"Like that?" The stall owner pondered. Aren't all homeless people like that? "Is he missing any arms or legs?"

"No."

"Then I haven't seen him."

Had he not come yet? Ye Zhao asked again, "When do other homeless people usually come?"

"That's 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 good money, six or seven hundred a day. It's a business with zero overhead; it's more profitable than my stall."

Ye Zhao thanked the stall owner, packed up her socks, and went to the fried chicken shop next door. She ordered a set meal and went to a window seat on the second floor. It was a great spot with a clear view of the entire overpass.

On the way, she encountered a few people handing out flyers, but she looked down her nose at them, practically wearing a "stay away" sign on her face.

However, she sat there for the entire day. During that time, several groups came by asking for donations, or trying to sell lint rollers, shoe polish, or shampoo cards. She acted as if she didn't see or hear any of them, maintaining an air of complete indifference.

She waited until her eyes grew weary, but she simply didn't see the Beggar Player.

Had she missed him?

Seeing the sky slowly darken and the time agreed upon with the driver drawing near, Ye Zhao decided not to wait any longer. The supernatural world was only more dangerous under the cover of night, so she stood up and left.

Who would have thought that just a few steps after leaving the fried chicken shop, a familiar voice would drift from behind: "Big sister, want to buy a flower~"

"Big sister, buy a flower~ It's only ten yuan each~"

"Big sister looks best with a flower!"

This familiar voice instantly made Ye Zhao's skin crawl, but she was no longer the naive person she had been yesterday. She did not turn back, continuing to walk toward the meeting spot without slowing her pace.

However, even so, the Child Ghost behind her giggled: "Big sister, I recognize you~~"

Damn it!

What kind of shitty luck is this, to run into it here?

Without a word, Ye Zhao spun around and slapped an Exorcism Talisman toward it. The Child Ghost was prepared this time, and Ye Zhao's strike hit empty air. She instantly felt something cold and sinister attacking the back of her head; it was as if she could smell the scent of death, making every hair on her body stand on end!

Sanity Value: -10.

Ye Zhao didn't dare look back, pushing off the ground to dash dozens of meters forward!

Her figure was incredibly fast, dodging out of the Child Ghost's attack range in the blink of an eye, but she could feel the Child Ghost lingering around her like a shadow, refusing to let go.

There wasn't a sound in the surroundings; the pedestrians and vehicles had all vanished. It was as if she were the only one left in this world, the silence terrifying.

Ye Zhao didn't dare slow down. A Lightning Strike Elemental Card appeared in her palm, and she chose to use it.

She felt the Lightning Strike Elemental Card resonate with her mind at that moment. She sensed the approximate location of the Child Ghost—this was the benefit of her improved Constitution. Her 105 points of Constitution had made her five senses much sharper, allowing her to vaguely sense the Child Ghost's position, even if she couldn't predict it with precision.

She struck out toward that direction, unleashing a sheet of lightning!

That's right, a sheet.

A hundred lightning strikes fell like rain.

The Child Ghost let out a shriek. Ye Zhao's eyes lit up, and in the blink of an eye, she appeared before the Child Ghost, slapping another Exorcism Talisman toward it!

The Child Ghost's gloomy, tearing scream grew louder as it burrowed into the ground to escape, leaving only a Red Rose behind.

Ye Zhao felt at a glance that this rose was unusual. She moved to the rose on the ground in the blink of an eye, intending to pick it up, but at that very moment, someone was faster than her!

A tall, upright figure appeared before her, picked up the rose, and vanished in the blink of an eye!

Ye Zhao reached out and grabbed nothing but air.

As the Child Ghost's domain vanished, the silent space was once again flooded with laughter, the honking of car horns, and the reappearance of the crowd. Seeing the suddenly scorched ground, they let out cries of surprise.

"Ah! Look at the ground, what happened? Why is there a huge black patch all of a sudden? How terrifying!"

"It's still hot, and there's a slight electric sensation?"

"Don't touch it, what if it's some kind of virus?"

"Could it be that something is hidden under this patch of ground??"

"..."