The red rope on Wei Guhua's shoulder pierced directly into his shoulder, instantly turning his face deathly pale. He opened his mouth and let out a short, sharp "Ah ah!"
"What's wrong with you?"
Aunt Jin, who was closest to him, was startled.
Wei Guhua trembled as if electrocuted, but recovered in the next second, her pale face flushing red. "... I'm fine."
This interruption caused Village Chief Bai to stop pursuing the matter of the broken bowl. Instead, he smiled and asked Wei Guhua, "Would the guest like some fish soup? If there's no bowl, you can drink it directly with a spoon."
Wei Guhua seemed like a different person, walking towards the wooden bucket with surprise and anticipation. "Great! I've heard that the fish soup in Red Lotus Town is incredibly delicious. I must try it!"
"Hahaha, this tourist has great taste!"
Village Chief Bai handed a large soup ladle to Wei Guhua, who took it, scooped up a full ladle, gulped it down, and sighed with enjoyment.
"The fish is so tender, and the lotus seeds are cooked to perfection, melting in your mouth—it's heavenly!"
Aunt Jin exclaimed in disbelief, "What happened to him...?"
Su Cheng understood that the consequence of being controlled by the red thread was becoming a puppet of her identity.
The consequences were more severe than she had anticipated. Did Wei Guhua, now a puppet of the red thread, still remember who he was? He seemed to have merged with his identity as a tourist.
Forgetting your true self, even if there are gadgets in your Smart Bag, you won't remember to use them; it's no different from waiting to die.
Refusing to drink the soup could lead to questions about one's identity and trigger attacks that cross red lines.
But who would dare risk eating food from special instances? Who knows what kind of hidden health risks might result from consuming it?
Even without Smart Bag, creating an accident like Wang Zhichao did to avoid cheating is another method.
However, if someone tries to imitate this, it will backfire. Although they may escape getting the soup, they will be directly attacked by the red line.
"Gurgle gurgle"
Wei Guhua's swallowing sounds were particularly loud in the lobby. Towards the end, he threw down his spoon and buried his head in the bucket.
The two buckets of fish soup were quickly empty, not a single drop remained.
Village Chief Bai nodded with satisfaction as he counted those who had finished their fish soup, his gaze sweeping over Hao Ruoxue's empty bowl.
"Once the tourists have eaten and drunk their fill, they'll have the energy to explore the village properly."
Su Cheng called out to the three people who were about to leave with their buckets, "Excuse me, are there any must-see spots in the village? This is our first time here, and we don't know where to start."
Upon hearing this, Village Chief Bai suddenly realized and pulled a long roll of paper from his sleeve. "Oh dear, I forgot to give you this."
Su Cheng took the scroll, which contained a simple map of Red Lotus Village, marking the approximate routes to places such as "Lotus Pond," "Ancestral Hall," and "Riverbank."
Whether there are ulterior motives behind refusing to give something without asking is something only Village Chief Bai himself knows.
Su Cheng felt a chill in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face and continued, "I heard that the Red Lotus Temple has Grand Ceremony of Sacrifice to the God. I wonder if I'll have the honor of witnessing it?"
A glint flashed in Village Chief Bai's eyes, and his smile held a deeper meaning. "Oh dear, it seems this tourist has come prepared. The river god worship ceremony in Red Lotus Village is in three days. If you're still here by then, you can stay and watch."
"It's only three days from now? Then I definitely need to stay and broaden my horizons."
"Welcome very much."
After Village Chief Bai and his two companions left, only eight people remained in the courtyard.
Li Ren walked up to Su Cheng and asked, "Did you notice something?"
Su Cheng did not deny it, "That's right, if you want to know, you can exchange it for information I don't know."
Li Ren fell silent. He wanted to make an exchange, but the problem was that he didn't have any useful information at the moment.
This instance was more difficult than any before. He could guess that many things were problematic, but he couldn't see the deeper meaning behind them, which made his progress extremely difficult.
Aunt Jin, who had been listening intently, leaned over and advised, "We're all from the same apartment building, why be so petty? Share information! Saving a life is a great act of kindness."
Hao Ruoxue interrupted, "That's not how it works. Whether someone wants to share their achievements is entirely their own decision. Don't try to use moral blackmail in this life-or-death game."
Aunt Jin was speechless. "Why do you talk so sharply, little sister?"
Yaya pondered for a moment, "I'm willing to use points to exchange for this map, is that alright?"
Su Cheng had already memorized the picture and gave it to Hao Ruoxue first.
"You can look at the maps, but other information requires exchanging information for it."
In this instance, she prefers exchanging information to obtaining points and items.
Individuals have limited capacity to gather information, but comprehensive information can help her quickly clarify her task objectives.
Su Cheng's willingness to share the map prompted the others to express their gratitude and put an end to their arguments.
After Hao Ruoxue and Yaya finished looking at the map, the three of them prepared to go to the Lotus Pond to investigate, as they had previously agreed.
Li Ren, Aunt Jin, and Wang Zhichao also planned to go out to various locations in the village to gather information.
Only Yao Yue hesitated, but ultimately decided to stay behind. "I'll keep an eye on Wei Guhua and try to find out what's going on. If we can find out why he's like this, we can avoid repeating the same mistake."
All eyes fell on Wei Guhua, who was lying on the ground, half asleep, with oil stains still on the corner of his mouth.
Su Cheng approached, squatted down, and patted his shoulder. "Do you still remember who you are and what you came here for?"
Wei Guhua mumbled something, then groggily opened her eyes, "What are you doing? I'm so sleepy, I'll go explore the village after I wake up."
His performance once again confirmed Su Cheng's earlier thoughts. She secretly introduced a wisp of Qi into Wei Guhua's body, but she didn't detect it at all and couldn't Perception the red line in his body.
Su Cheng's expression darkened slightly as she stood up and left with Hao Ruoxue and Yaya.
Yao Yue watched as the others left the courtyard one after another, until he was the only one left. He breathed a slight sigh of relief; this courtyard was definitely safer than outside.
He nudged Wei Guhua, only to find the other sleeping soundly like a dead fish, even snoring.
It's impossible to get any information from Wei Guhua.
This annoyed Yao Yue, who couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Sleeping like a log."
Yao Yue sat on the ground, hoping that Su Cheng and the others could find the key information to complete the mission and return. He was willing to exchange points for it.
He has always been timid, and like most people, he was afraid of the supernatural and dared not enter special instances, so he has been putting it off until now.
He originally planned to follow Li Ren closely, just like Wang Zhichao and Aunt Jin, but he discovered during the soup-drinking incident that Li Ren was unreliable at certain crucial moments.
He can only rely on himself.
Thinking this, he reached for the cloth bag at his waist, intending to keep a close eye on Su Cheng later; that girl seemed to know a lot.
She might be willing to trade supplies for information.
If the other person is unwilling, he kneels down and begs her while crying; girls are always easily moved to pity.
He had previously avoided many dangers using this method.
Yao Yue's mood improved considerably as he imagined the generous points he would receive upon his safe departure. The lingering aroma of fish soup in the courtyard made him regretful that it smelled so good but he couldn't drink it...
He waited quietly, unable to see the two red lines spreading downwards, slowly, little by little, piercing into his flesh.
A note from the author:
none
Chapter 110
Of the locations circled on the simple map, the lotus pond is the closest to the courtyard.
When Su Cheng and the other two arrived following the map, they found that, contrary to their expectations, the lotus pond was actually a large expanse of mud.
No lotus flowers or leaves bloomed in the mud; not a single blade of grass grew. It was filled with young and middle-aged villagers.
They carried baskets on their backs, bending over and searching through the dark brown mud.
A sea of heads; it seemed like half the village's population was here.
The air was filled with the pungent smell of mud, and anyone who came here inevitably became tainted by this unique odor.
"Oh? It's the guests!" A slightly plump middle-aged woman looked up.
Her shouts caused many villagers to stop what they were doing and stand up to look at Su Cheng and the other two.
"Are guests here to dig for lotus seeds too?" someone asked with a smile.
"Definitely! Who wouldn't be curious about the red lotus seeds in our village? Finding a top-quality seed would be an immense honor."
"Unfortunately, my family has never unearthed a top-grade lotus seed..."
"Guests, don't just stand there! Come and dig up the lotus seeds in the field! Isn't that what you came here for?" The auntie had somehow emerged from the muddy ground and came to Hao Ruoxue's side.
"Let's take a look first." Hao Ruoxue twitched her nose, restraining herself from covering it.
"Oh, what are we waiting for? We're already here, we should definitely try our luck in the fields." The woman said, reaching out to push the three of them into the mud.
Su Cheng avoided the woman's hand, turned to look at the two of them, and said, "I'll go down first. You two see what happens."
Who knows what lies beneath the lotus pond? If Hao Ruoxue and her companion don't have any life-saving items, they'd better play it by ear.
Su Cheng stepped into the mud.
The mud was exceptionally soft and much deeper than it looked; one step could sink up to your knees.
A chill like ice water enveloped her legs, and for a moment, a cold aura seeped into her kneecaps, almost causing her to fall.
If you fall in, not only will you get a mouthful of mud, but you might also sink into the mud and never be able to get up again.
Seeing Su Cheng stand firm, the auntie smiled broadly, praising and encouraging her repeatedly. "Oh! That's it! Bend down and dig; the deeper you go, the better the lotus seeds you'll find!"
The other villagers around Su Cheng also started talking, offering their advice in a mix of instruction and encouragement:
"The mud isn't very deep, so don't be so careful. Even if you fall, we'll help you up."
"The river god will only bestow lotus seeds upon you if he senses your sincerity."
Su Cheng took a few steps forward and slowly bent down, as if she had taken his words to heart.
The villagers' smiles became even more genuine, and all their eyes were focused on Su Cheng.