Jiang Nuo and Si Yan put on their hats and went out. The little girl didn't seem to be at the hotel in the afternoon. The swing sat quietly in the corner, not moving at all.
In the afternoon, there were fewer pedestrians in the square, and the few who were there were walking in a hurry.
Mikazuki Shunsuke and Sano Kurotsuki were by the fountain when they saw Jiang Nuo and the other person approaching. Mikazuki Shunsuke still smiled and nodded, but Jiang Nuo ignored him and looked straight at the stone statue of the woman in the fountain.
Apart from the black cloth covering his eyes and the colorful ribbons on his hands, he seemed no different from an ordinary stone statue.
Sano Kurotsuki received the ribbon in the morning, but couldn't figure anything out. He was unwilling to give up and insisted that there was something strange about the black cloth and the eyes.
He glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then leaped onto the edge of the fountain in a few strides, intending to remove the black cloth.
"Ah!!"
A passerby suddenly screamed, breaking the silence in the square. Everyone stopped, turned around in a daze to look at Sano Kurotsuki, and then suddenly burst into screams.
Although there were only a few people, the commotion was quite significant. As they ran over, their eyes were unusually complex, a mixture of fear and anger.
Jiang Nuo and Si Yan both backed away, their expressions practically screaming that I had nothing to do with them.
Mikazuki Shunsuke was somewhat surprised by the residents' unusually abnormal attitude and signaled Sano Kurotsuki to speed up his actions.
"It can't be solved!"
Sano Kurotsuki was extremely frustrated. He tried his best but couldn't untie the black cloth, as if he had grown into the stone statue.
He strained until his whole body was tense, his arm muscles bulging and swelling, and it was no use trying to pull it apart with brute force.
The people who had surrounded the fountain were already standing by it. They didn't step forward to stop him, but just stood in a row, muttering incomprehensible words, their angry eyes glaring at Sano Kurotsuki's back.
Mikazuki Shunsuke couldn't understand it, thinking it was some Huaxia dialect, and worried it might be a spell. Seeing that Sano Kurotsuki really couldn't break it, he could only order, "Forget it for now, hurry up and get down... Sano!"
From the moment Sano Kurotsuki heard the sound, he felt as if the woman's body was growing cold.
Unlike the coolness of being washed by flowing water, it felt like a block of ice, a chilling sensation carrying an electric current rushing into the body, causing an excruciating headache.
Seeing Sano Kurotsuki's condition, Jiang Nuo reached out and gently touched the stone statue, puzzled, "It's not cold."
Is this person insane?
"It must be a spell," Si Yan said softly, gazing at the chanting residents. "It only works on specific people."
Sano Kurotsuki couldn't pull his hand back; it was as if he was glued on. With Mikazuki Shunsuke's help, he was almost exhausted before finally falling off the stone statue.
He fell backward to the ground, and a thin layer of frost rose from his fingertips. He quickly activated his internal energy to resist it.
"That's fucking weird."
Sano Kurotsuki cursed under his breath and slunk away after Mikazuki Shunsuke.
The residents stopped singing, turned around and watched them leave. A few seconds later, everything returned to normal, and they hurried on their way as usual.
"Wow, you run so fast!"
"What's wrong, you little Wa Country arrogance? Aren't you going to continue?"
[Hahahaha, Sano Kurotsuki has lost his real name.]
Having learned from Sano Kurotsuki's mistake, Jiang Nuo did not attempt to retrieve the black cloth again, but instead used his hands to form a spell and probe with his Spiritual Power.
Intending to test whether there was any ghostly energy in the stone statue woman's body, he noticed something strange about the fountain's water source.
" Si Yan, try putting your hand in there."
Si Yan did as instructed, dipping her long, slender hands, with their distinct knuckles, into the fountain water. She exclaimed in surprise, "It feels so good!"
" Nuonuo, there's a lot of pure... Power of Faith in this."
"As expected."
Si Yan further confirmed Jiang Nuo's suspicions.
"The fountain embodies almost the entire town's Power of Faith."
Jiang Nuo waved his hand again to sense the signal.
The Power of Faith, through underground pipes and the scent of trees, gathered in the tall building to the left.
"Church."
"Are you going?" Si Yan asked.
"Certainly."
Jiang Nuo was very certain.
But the church was not open.
When the two arrived, the church's tall doors were tightly shut, and the surroundings were extremely quiet, with only the occasional white dove flying by, creating an atmosphere that was both solemn and desolate.
"Someone's watching," Si Yan softly, her sharp eyes darting upwards.
The gaze from behind the glass was fixed on them; the light made it difficult for them to see clearly, only a blurry silhouette.
Si Yan flipped his palm, and Spiritual Power coiled around the cylindrical arch and rose straight up.
The moment the light hit the stained glass window, the gaze vanished instantly, and the window remained completely undamaged.
Who's there?
An aged voice came from behind them, and the two turned around at the same time to look at the outer wall.
An old man wearing a black cloak walked in hunched over, carrying a thick stack of newspapers in his arms. The large cloak hood obscured his face.
"The church is closed today. Who are you people? Don't you know the rules?"
Jiang Nuo glanced at the newspaper in his arms, released her arm from Si Yan's, and walked towards the old man at a distance. "My brother and I are here to visit relatives; we're staying at the owner's house at the Soul Return Inn."
"Ah... she's a relative of the boss."
The old man was clearly very familiar with it, waving the newspaper in his hand. "Want to read the newspaper?"
Jiang Nuo drew a card, and the first page that caught her eye was a list of recent deaths.
"This is...?"
He pretended not to understand.
The old man chuckled, slowly moved onto the steps, and casually sat down on the ground.
"Since you're visiting relatives, you should know the rules. There have been quite a few deaths recently, and a mass memorial service will be held in a couple of days."
"Oh, right..." the old man chuckled bitterly, "The boss's mother also recently passed away."
Are you coming to participate?
[Side Quest Triggered: Redemption of the Lost Soul Return Town ]
[Reward for completing the task: 2000 points]
0732's unexpected voice startled Jiang Nuo.
Why is the task being released so late?
He thought the system wouldn't intervene this time.
[Trigger condition detected.]
This means that attendance at this collective memorial service is still mandatory.
Jiang Nuo turned around and met Si Yan's gaze, nodding slightly.
Are there any conditions for participating?
The old man extended his wrinkled fingers from the wide sleeves of his cloak. "On the last page of the newspaper."
"Write it down, tear it out, and that's your pass."
Jiang Nuo turned the newspaper over. On the last half of the page, there was a series of information to fill in, which was nothing more than name and birthday. It didn't seem wrong at all.
"Come, all of you, join us in mourning the wandering souls."
The old man suddenly raised his voice, startling the white doves into flying away from the church; his aged voice was carried away by the wind.
The old man slowly stood up and laboriously walked towards the side of the church, as if he wanted to go inside.
They actually live there.
The two followed in perfect unison. As they approached the side door, Jiang Nuo suddenly cried out, grabbed Si Yan's hand, and gently shook it. "Brother, I'm so thirsty. Will this kind grandfather let me in for a drink of water?"
Si Yan blinked her phoenix eyes, meeting Jiang Nuo's sly gaze, and immediately cooperated, "I think so. The people here are so kind and honest; my grandfather wouldn't bear to see you suffer."
Old man. "..."
"Come in."
The old man pushed open the side door, took off his cloak, and said, "Drink your water and leave. Don't linger."