Chapter 226: Unexpected Change

Chapter 226: An Unforeseen Change

This old man looked like a seasoned troublemaker at first glance... Zhang Yuanqing sheathed his knife with satisfaction and asked:

"First question: how did Wang Er end up like this."

Generally speaking, there are two ways a Yin Corpse forms: one is artificial refinement, just like how he refined Undead No. 1.

The second is when a corpse is buried in a place of extreme Yin qi, absorbing it day after day, month after month, birthing a faint sentience, and becoming a zombie (Yin Corpse).

Wang Er didn't fit the second; if it were the first, to refine an ordinary villager into such a powerful Yin Corpse, even surpassing Undead No. 1...

Those methods were a bit terrifying.

The old man spoke with grief and indignation:

"It's because he went into a tomb and brought back something unclean. Some time ago, Wang Er, who had been missing for days, suddenly returned to the village carrying a huge bundle of gold, silver, and jade, claiming he'd struck it rich, that he'd build the finest house in the village and marry a girl from the provincial capital.

"He sought out Mr. Xu, the village teacher, asking him to appraise a few antiques, to estimate their worth."

Antiques... Zhang Yuan didn't dwell on the matter of Wang Er becoming a Yin Corpse, and asked:

"What antiques did he bring back?"

The old man recalled:

"I was standing right there watching the excitement at the time. He showed Mr. Xu three antiques. One was a statue of a little girl without a tongue, sporting a pair of protruding ears, dark and shiny, cool to the touch. Mr. Xu said it was Yin Jade, which had to sit in a tomb for years to become so slick and glossy.

"One was a rouge box, made of silver, carved with flowers, exceedingly pretty. The rouge inside, oh my, it was vivid as blood. You say, this thing sat in a tomb for so long, how could it not dry up?"

"What about the third item?" Zhang Yuanqing didn't banter, but asked directly.

"A bronze mirror, dull gray, inlaid with a few pretty stones. Mr. Xu said they were gems. A pity, that mirror couldn't reflect a person, otherwise it could be sold to the wealthy madams in the provincial capital."

Well, none of these three items were meant for the living; Wang Er really knew how to pick them... Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but mutter a complaint.

"Were those three items sold by Wang Er?" He recalled searching the room for half a day just now, finding nothing.

The old man nodded, then shook his head:

"That box of rouge was bought by Mr. Xu. As for the little girl statue and the mirror, who knows. Anyway, ever since Wang Er brought those things back, the very next day, several strange things happened in the village."

"What strange things happened?" Zhang Yuanqing followed the thread of conversation.

"Widow Li at the village entrance said that on the night Wang Er returned, she got up in the middle of the night to relieve herself and, through the window, saw a woman in red enter the village. That woman was stunningly beautiful, the likes of which she had never seen, only her face was a bit pale. The next day, Wang Er turned into that ghostly state." The old man said.

According to the Spirit Realm's introduction, the woman in red should be the Princess. Judging by this, Wang Er was retaliated against by the Princess and turned into a Yin Corpse. This Princess is quite fierce.

Sigh, female ghosts throughout history are all beautiful, a pity they're ghosts. Eh, wait, the Princess is most likely a Yin Corpse, not a vengeful spirit. If I could subdue her, that'd be great; I'd use her every day, hmm, use her to fight... Zhang Yuanqing thought wildly, and said:

"Anything else?"

"There is. Zhao Erdan's kid had his tongue cut off. According to Zhao Erdan's wife, that day she was cooking dinner, and Xiao Dan, Erdan's brat, was playing in the courtyard. She saw Xiao Dan following a little girl out. She didn't think much of it at the time, just assumed it was some neighbor's kid coming to play with Xiao Dan. However, that little girl's face seemed black, like a shadow, and she found it very strange.

"Erdan's wife finished cooking, went out to look for Xiao Dan, and found him passed out at the doorstep, his tongue gone." The old man spoke, a flash of fear in his eyes:

"Ever since then, as soon as dusk fell, there would be a shadowy little girl in the village who liked to press against people's windows, asking if they wanted to play a game.

"Whosever window she pressed against, the next day, that household would have their tongues cut out. That little girl would wander the village until the first watch before leaving."

So that was how the villagers had their tongues cut out—leave at the first watch, meaning the game must be played until the first watch? Zhang Yuanqing asked:

"What game?"

The old grandfather shook his head: "How would I know? She just kept saying 'play a game' over and over, never said what game."

Zhang Yuanqing frowned as he listened.

The intelligence broke down here. The Cat King Speaker's information said to play "You Clap One," but the old grandfather insisted there was no game.

"How exactly was your tongue cut out?" Zhang Yuanqing asked for details.

The old grandfather recalled the terrifying past, his face pale with horror:

"I was so scared then, hiding under the bed, afraid to come out. She kept lying on the window, endlessly saying 'come play a game.' Then later she vanished. I remember I fell asleep, and when I woke up, my tongue was gone."

Zhang Yuanqing combined his own experience, analyzing swiftly.

Playing the game was actually the correct way to avoid the crisis—only the villagers were too terrified, no one dared play with the little girl.

As a Spirit Realm Walker, the Demon Lord followed the rules, boldly played the game, and cleared the instance smoothly. What he played was...

Zhang Yuanqing understood. The Demon Lord played "You Clap One." No wonder—after hearing the Cat King Speaker's audio, he'd felt something was off.

"You Clap One" is a nursery rhyme. It shouldn't appear in a Ming Dynasty background instance.

The nursery rhyme didn't originate from the instance's evil—it came from the Demon Lord. The Cat King Speaker merely recorded the Demon Lord's original clearance method and played it back to him.

Of the three antiques Wang Xiaosi brought out, this is the first. There should be more strangeness to come... Zhang Yuanqing thought as he spoke:

"Any other strange occurrences?"

At those words, the old grandfather's face showed terror, his voice unconsciously dropping:

"Master Xu is dead!"

As expected... Zhang Yuanqing didn't interrupt, listening as the old grandfather continued:

"The next morning, the village children went to the private school. Master Xu, who always arrived early, didn't show. The children told the adults. Everyone went to his house and found Master Xu dead—died horribly, turned into a dried corpse.

"He lay stiff on the bed, a paper figurine beside him. The figurine was exquisitely made, face painted rosy, eyes dotted with red paint—oh, not red paint, that box of rouge.

"The rouge box sat open at the bedside. The village chief found Master Xu's fingers stained with red rouge. He must have painted the figurine's face, dotted its eyes."

Here the old grandfather spoke furtively:

"Neighbor Li Tieniu said, in the middle of the night... around the second watch, he heard Master Xu frolicking with a woman. But Master Xu has been a widower for years—where would a woman come from in his house?

"It was the paper figurine coming alive at night, killing Master Xu."

Deep night, paper figurine, painted eyes, rouged cheeks, lying beside oneself, then coming alive... Zhang Yuanqing visualized it and felt a chill.

That's why I never buy figurines—silicone dolls, inflatable dolls, want none of them. Fed daily by billions of living lives, if one ever comes alive, the joke's on you...

Zhang Yuanqing said: "Where is that box of rouge?"

"Still at Master Xu's. Who'd dare take it?" The old grandfather sighed: "After Master Xu died, that very night, around the second watch, someone saw the paper figurine walking around the village. Terrifying."

Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing narrowed his eyes.

At the second watch, paper effigies would roam the village; that is to say, the second wave of crisis would arrive at the second watch.

He wondered how the Demon Lord dealt with the paper effigies; he would ask the Cat King Speaker later.

"Old Grandpa, there should be a third strange occurrence, right? For instance, at the third watch," Zhang Yuanqing said.

Based on the old man's account, he had deduced a pattern: the first watch was haunted by that tongueless ghost doll. The second watch, the paper effigies.

Then the third watch would surely bring some new horror.

Unexpectedly, the old man shook his head. "The third watch? No strange occurrences. However, it seems something happened at the fourth watch."

Zhang Yuanqing pressed urgently, "What strange occurrence?"

The old man frowned, his wrinkled, dark face flashing with bewilderment. "I... I forgot..."

Forgot? Then he could only ask the other villagers. From what he had heard so far, this dungeon wasn't too difficult; finding the tongue would yield a wealth of intelligence, basically allowing him to grasp the anomalies within.

Play the game before nightfall, play until the first watch, and the ghost doll could be sent away. Deal with the paper effigies at the second watch. No anomalies at the third watch. The fourth watch likely had them, but the old man forgot; he could inquire with other villagers.

Once the three "antiques" were resolved, would it be time to fight the boss? Survive smoothly, and he could clear the instance.

Although he knew the Princess was certainly powerful, fully understanding the anomalies in the dungeon was enough. Danger laid out in the open was far more reassuring than crossing the river by feeling for stones.

Actually, Zhang Yuanqing still had a trump card—the Demon-Subduing Pestle.

This thing was a sharp weapon against Yin entities, but he didn't dare use it lightly. Given his experience at the Jinshui Amusement Park, he suspected that using the Demon-Subduing Pestle in the Night Wanderer's exclusive Spirit Realm would definitely be sensed by the Old Bangzi.

If the Old Bangzi came, kneeling and singing "Conquest" would be useless.

What would be the result of attracting a major boss? Zhang Yuanqing didn't know. He only knew the Old Bangzi crushing him would be like crushing an ant.

He didn't dare gamble his life on the other party's attitude.

At this moment, Zhang Yuanqing looked up at the sky. The heavens had already darkened; thin clouds hung motionless, the skylight appearing very faint. In a little while, it would be fully dark.

Zhang Yuanqing delayed no longer and said:

"Old Grandpa, night is falling. That ghost doll is coming. You don't want your tongue cut out either, right? Let's play a game."

The old man, in matters of going along with things, never disappointed; he nodded immediately. "What game?"

Zhang Yuanqing then explained the game's rhyme and rules to the old man.

"Can this work?" The old man looked dubious.

"You don't have a choice." Zhang Yuanqing replied, then summoned Undead Number One, communicating with the mark in his Sea of Consciousness, splitting his spirit body in two. Half remained in his main body; half possessed the Yin Corpse.

Two men and one corpse stood in a triangle. Zhang Yuanqing clapped his hands once and said:

"You clap one, I clap one, play a game before the sky turns dark."

The old man clapped his hands once:

"You clap two, I clap two, touch the tongue, touch the ear."

The two men and one corpse opened their mouths, touched their tongues, then touched their ears.

Undead Number One clapped its hands once, its voice hoarse:

"You clap three, I clap three, add the shadow and that makes three."

Crisp applause rang out unceasingly; two men and a corpse played just like that, time ticking by second by second, and night fell swiftly.

The whole world was draped in a sable veil; then, profound darkness swallowed the mountain village whole.

The night sky held no moon, no stars—only a pitch-black darkness where one could not see their own hand before their face.

The mountain village sank into a dead silence, no chirping insects, no barking dogs, a stillness so deep it inspired fear, bred unease.

The applause and voices of two men and a corpse were the sole source of sound in this world of deathly quiet.

After nightfall, the yin energy in the village grew heavier... Zhang Yuanqing maintained the rhythm of the game; as a Night Wanderer, he keenly sensed the shift in his surroundings.

During the day, the village held no yin energy to speak of, but the moment darkness fell, a cold, gloomy breath began to permeate the air, as if the entire village had transformed into a demon's den.

And as time passed, the yin energy intensified, bit by bit.

At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing heard a giggle drifting from the darkness behind him:

"Huh? Someone's playing a game~"

The voice was childish and clear, belonging to a young girl.

It's here... Zhang Yuanqing saw the old man's expression change, his lips beginning to tremble.

Zhang Yuanqing felt a wave of utterly yin, utterly cold energy approaching; its density reminded him of the Ghost Bride—precisely, the oppressive pressure she had exuded.

This ghost doll is this terrifying?

A head-on clash doesn't seem wise... Zhang Yuanqing felt his resolve waver, just like the old man.

That current of yin energy halted behind Zhang Yuanqing; then, he felt a chill press against his back, crawling upward inch by inch.

She wants to possess me?

The hair on Zhang Yuanqing's spine stood on end, his scalp tingling numb; he nearly failed to maintain the game's rhythm.

Fortunately, that frigid breath lingered for only a few seconds before leaving his back, shifting behind Corpse Number One, attempting possession.

From the corner of his eye, Zhang Yuanqing glanced over and finally saw the thing clearly.

It was a shadow, a child's shadow, cast upon the ground behind Corpse Number One, exactly as if it were the corpse's own shadow.

This shadow seemed to want to attach itself to Corpse Number One, but after several attempts, all ended in failure.

"Why are there three people again... I want to play, I want to play..."

The stunted shadow let out a little girl's tender voice, complaining unhappily.

As long as there are three players, she cannot join?

How did the Demon Lord deduce this rule? Huh, doesn't seem too hard; if not for the Cat King speaker's warning, I would definitely have rounded up some villagers to play.

"You clap two, I clap two, touch your tongue, touch your ear."

The old man's voice had already begun to tremble; it was plain to see, he was terrified.

But going along with it gave him strength, letting him persist in playing the game.

In the time that followed, the shadow alternated ceaselessly behind the three of them, attempting to possess one and join the game, but each attempt ended in failure.

Good. It cannot get in. If we maintain this until the first watch, we’ll be fine. Besides, the Yin energy in the village has grown even heavier… Zhang Yuanqing breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Everything was proceeding according to his plan.

He played the game while keeping track of the time. A long, long while passed, and he felt the first watch drawing near.

At that moment, in a state of high tension, with his brain operating at peak activity, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly thought of a perplexing detail.

It was the "three people" hint given by the Cat King Speaker, and the "three people again" the Ghost Doll had mentioned not long ago.

This rule regarding numbers was certainly something the Demon Lord had deduced. But there was a problem: without knowing the rules, more people would naturally be better. If I were the Demon Lord, I would have rounded up a group of villagers to play.

Not pinpointed it exactly to three.

Yet the Ghost Doll had just said "three people again." If she was referring to the Demon Lord's attempt, then the question arose: how did the Demon Lord deduce that once the number reached three, the Ghost Doll would be excluded?

The only answer was that it was a pattern summarized through trial and error.

Back then, the Demon Lord gathered a crowd of villagers, only to find numbers meaningless. The villagers had their tongues cut out or were killed one by one by the Ghost Doll, until only three remained, at which point the Ghost Doll stopped?

That didn't seem right either. Villagers wouldn't have that kind of discipline. One death, and the rest would have scattered in panic. And would the Demon Lord have continued rallying villagers to play after discovering the game still got people killed?

He must have clashed head-on with the Ghost Doll. Because he couldn't guarantee the next one she possessed wouldn't be him.

So, just how did the Demon Lord deduce this pattern?

The first watch was almost upon them. Best send the Ghost Doll packing first, then ponder these mysteries.

He had just formed this thought when he saw the old man beside him suddenly reveal a look of agony, muttering:

"I remember... I remember now. When the fourth watch came... everyone in the village died..."

At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing finally noticed a dense, thick Yin energy rising from the old man's body. His skin, once a normal complexion, was turning a deathly cyan-black.

The surrounding Yin energy was too overwhelming, masking the corpse aura emanating from the old man.

He is a Yin Corpse? How is that possible... Zhang Yuanqing’s pupils contracted slightly. As a Night Wanderer, he could clearly perceive that the old man’s body was being nourished by the Yin energy, slowly transforming into a Yin Corpse.

The old man’s fingers extended into sharp claws, his eyes bloodshot, as he muttered:

"When the fourth watch came... everyone in the village died..."

Everyone in the village died... Hearing this, a chill ran through Zhang Yuanqing’s heart, his scalp tingling faintly.

There isn't a single normal person in this instance. The villagers died long ago. They retain human forms during the day, but at night, nourished by the Yin energy, they transform into Yin Corpses?

Damn it. I knew it was strange. How could there be so many living people in an A-rank instance? The Yin entities were so docile. Turns out, there isn't a single living soul.

In a flash, he understood how the Demon Lord had conducted his trial and error.

The Demon Lord summoned a group of villagers to play the game, but they all turned into Yin Corpses at night. The game failed, yet the Demon Lord didn't die immediately. Perhaps he happened to have two Yin Corpses with him, or some other means.

In any case, he deduced the pattern: as long as three people played the game, they could bypass the Ghost Doll's killing rule.

At this moment, the last shred of reason vanished from the old man's eyes. He became a bloodthirsty Yin entity, lunging at Zhang Yuanqing beside him.

Bang!

The First Corpse intercepted from the flank, a collision of massive force and momentum, sending the old man flying.

The game was forced to an end.

"Hee hee, I want to play the game too~"

A childish, clear voice rang out behind Zhang Yuanqing.

A breath of utmost Yin, piercingly cold, pressed against his back; the next second, Zhang Yuanqing's neck went *crack*, his head twisted around to the rear.

*Crack, crack...*

His legs, his arms, twisted in unison to the rear, every joint contorted, like a marionette haphazardly assembled.