The wholesale market opens earlier than the clothing store. Ji Heng searched the address and took a taxi to buy a set of clothes.
Sur was wrapped in a bed sheet in the hotel, leaning against the window to enjoy the fresh air. The message just now seemed to be sent to Princess Camellia, but in fact it was an indirect inquiry about the clues that Ji Heng had concealed from him.
The other party was playing tricks. The series of psychological analyses were so long that even a mirror couldn't hold them. I thought it was funny at the time, but later I became worried.
Assuming that Ji Heng really chose to walk away at that time, would the copy now be a world after darkness fell?
Looking at the gradually bustling streets, Su Er tried to find any signs of abnormality in them, even using his inner eye. However, the coming and going of people was a completely mundane scene.
I don't know how long I groped around in the dark, but the door of the guest room opened. Before I turned around, the aroma of soy milk blew in with the wind from the corridor.
Ji Heng came in carrying breakfast and clothes.
There was no extra communication between the two sides during breakfast. After the meal, Ji Heng looked at his watch and said, "It's only half past eight. We can go to the hospital first."
The woman who was sent to the emergency room last night woke up. After learning the situation from the police, she wanted to thank her savior in person.
The hotel wasn't far from the hospital, and as they walked there, Suer had doubts in her mind: "A child is missing. Normally, a mother wouldn't be able to consider these details."
When they arrived, the police had already left. The nurse had just come out of the ward. When she saw the strangers, she asked a few simple questions before letting the two in.
The woman looked haggard, and was on an IV drip. She asked uncertainly, "Did you bring me to this hospital?"
Ji Heng nodded.
The woman thanked him several times and stood up to transfer the medical expenses to him.
Ji Heng waved his hand to indicate that it was not necessary and mentioned what happened last night: "The human traffickers seemed to be well prepared."
After just hearing the beginning, the woman suddenly covered her face and cried, "I was wrong. I should have listened to him." The sobbing soon stopped, and she wiped away her tears and shook her head, "No one would believe this kind of thing if I told them."
Just like the policeman just now, although he didn't say it explicitly, his eyes conveyed a message... He suspected that she had suffered too much of a shock and was a little mentally ill.
Soul came forward, and his young and gentle face easily let people down.
He whispered, "We're a professional program producer. We heard about the haunting yesterday and went there specifically to collect material."
Hearing this, the woman frowned.
Su Er said at the right time: "The media has a great influence. Maybe they can help you find your child soon."
The woman was stunned for a moment, twisting her fingers nervously, and finally slowly told a story.
Her name is Lu Lanxin. A few months ago, because of work problems, she often went to the temple to burn incense. She accidentally discovered that the person who prepared vegetarian food in the temple was her elementary school classmate. The two of them got along very well and developed a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.
"Then I got pregnant, and he was ready to change jobs," Lu Lanxin's eyes gradually dulled. "But not long after, he disappeared without a trace. During that time, I often had dreams in which he said we couldn't have the child because it would bring disaster."
Su Er and Ji Heng looked at each other. Anyone who heard it could tell that one of them was in a trance due to the huge blow of being abandoned by a scumbag.
"Didn't you call the police?"
"He told me to wait for news." Lu Lanxin smiled bitterly. "He has no relatives or friends in this city, and the abbot of the temple said he resigned according to the formal procedures."
Since it cannot be classified as a missing person case, the investigation will naturally not be taken too seriously.
Sur wrote down the temple's address and her boyfriend's name, then asked, "Are there any photos? I can ask someone to look for them."
Lu Lanxin showed him a photo on her phone, and Su Er forwarded it.
"It's time to go." Ji Heng reminded.
The navigation shows that it takes nearly an hour to take a taxi from here to Hongquan Shopping Mall.
As they left the hospital, neither of them spoke. It was not until they got into the taxi that Sur asked, "Is what she said credible?"
Ji Heng shook his head: "Not necessarily."
Sur enlarged the photo. The man and woman in it were smiling, but his eyes were fixed on the background.
"Is this...a peach tree?"
Ji Heng took a glance and said, "It looks quite similar."
The host didn't tell them the exact location, so they waited at the entrance of Hongquan Shopping Mall.
The mall has just opened and there aren't many customers. Standing here you can clearly see people coming in and out.
"There are players."
Suer followed Ji Heng's gaze and saw a man and a woman walking towards them, both wearing name badges.
"Liu Lang, Zhu Yu..." He read out the names: "I remember they were both ranked 3 points."
Ji Heng nodded.
Su Er smiled and said, "That's pretty impressive."
A high score means that both people have their own troubles, and it is not easy to successfully form a team in the end.
Just as they greeted each other, a breathless voice interrupted: "Caught up."
The person who ran over was called Xu Yangyang, and the name of the player in his team was very interesting... Jia Kanhua.
Last night, when they were halfway through their pursuit, they suddenly realized that the civet cat at the scene was the one worth paying attention to. Seeing Su Er standing side by side with Ji Heng, Jia Kanhua hesitated and asked, "Have you turned into a human?"
Refusing to face the unbearable past, Soul asked a more concerned question: "Where are the children?"
"We didn't catch up." Knowing that this statement was not credible, Jia Kanhua added an explanation: "Someone was meeting the traffickers and was carrying a gun."
Anyone who can act so arrogantly in the city must have a powerful network of connections behind him. It will be no good to provoke him rashly.
"How about exchanging information?" After Xu Fan's death, Zhu Yu became the only female player. She came across as quite astute. "I have a good clue."
Su Er thought about it and told the story about Lu Lanxin.
Jia Kanhua then said, "Smell... During the chase, I smelled a faint scent of peach blossoms on the baby."
Zhu Yu's eyes flickered for a moment, and she finally spoke, "I wasn't far from Xu Fan. I had wanted to find her to form a team, but by the time I got there, she was already dead."
Suhr: "I saw the photos posted by netizens. The murderer used her neck as a vase."
"It would be great if that were the case," Zhu Yu said with a complicated expression, "It's not inserted, it grows naturally."
This sentence was like a bombshell, and Xu Yangyang was the most excited: "Is it true?"
Being suspected for no reason, Zhu Yu sneered unhappily: "I checked it myself, it's connected to the tendons and can't be pulled out."
Ji Heng suddenly asked, "What flower?"
The pictures on the forum are blurred with blood, and most of them are flower buds, making it difficult to judge.
Zhu Yu said in a deep voice: "Peach Blossom."
The air suddenly became quiet.
Thinking of the peach branch Gou Baopu gave him, Suer lowered his eyes and said nothing.
As if sensing his emotions, Zhu Yu looked over with an inquiring gaze. Su Er calmly glanced at the time: "One minute left."
At ten o'clock sharp, the host still hadn't shown up.
Suer asked in the group.
Xu Yangyang's expression was strange: "There's a group?"
Because of his low score, he and Jia Kanhua had a very difficult journey and were even involved in a local gang fight, almost getting killed. Seeing this, he quickly opened his tablet and joined the group chat.
Ji Heng gently reminded: "Watch the intersection."
A motorhome was parked there, standing out.
At the same time, a car emoji was sent to the group. Everyone walked towards the RV. The door was unlocked, and the player in front tentatively knocked twice.
"Get in the car." A voice came from inside.
The room was spacious. A man sat at the table, his hands resting on a cane. He was incredibly slender, wearing glasses, and looked like a gentleman straight out of a cartoon. To his left stood a small flag with the word "Welcome" written in bold letters.
As the last one to get in, Suer closed the car door.
The man smiled faintly, "I'm the host, Camellia Princess. Welcome everyone to the Dark Resurrection dungeon." His sharp gaze swept over each player present, "You're truly unlucky to have been chosen for this game."
This sentence made many people feel depressed. Soul raised his hand and said, "No, I came in on my own initiative. I relied on the team props."
The Camellia Princess smiled and said, "Please be quiet, you nitpicker."
I haven't heard about the passing mission yet, so Suer kept his mouth shut.
"You need to find the original invader within seven days and destroy it."
The word "invader" can't help but remind people of the branches growing out of Xu Fan's neck. It seems that what the players need to deal with is some kind of parasitic monster.
Princess Camellia likes to use electronic products to explain things. She turned on the projector and adjusted the frame: "The library, Tianjia Temple, the rental house... these three places can help you better understand the truth."
The information was sent to the group, including the specific location and floor plan.
Jia Kanhua: "Free time?"
Princess Camellia shook her head. "The team with the highest total score decides where to go. We can only go to one place a day."
Because there were two identical groups, Princess Camellia used the most primitive method, drawing lots.
In the end, Ji Heng got the decision-making power.
Zhu Yu sighed helplessly. Luck is unpredictable.
Ji Heng quickly made a decision: "Go to Tianjia Temple."
Suer was not surprised by his choice. Lu Lanxin's boyfriend had been working in Tianjia Temple before he disappeared, so it was necessary for him to go there in person.
Princess Camellia used her physical limitations as an excuse to let the player drive. Xu Yangyang volunteered and followed the navigation to successfully drive to the bottom of the mountain, where the group took the cable car up.
The plaque of Tianjia Temple can be seen from a distance, but the gate is closed today and pilgrims are not welcome.
Princess Camellia went to knock on the door herself, and it was the abbot who opened the door. The other party seemed to have been waiting for it for a long time, and he clasped his hands together and nodded slightly.
Princess Camellia returned the gift.
I stepped over the threshold and the heavy door closed again.
The entire temple covers a large area. The abbot explained, "Tianjia Temple was originally named after the hot springs. Locals called it the Hot Spring Temple. Pilgrims come here to worship Buddha and enjoy the hot springs for health, so the temple has always been very popular."
"...But recently, a strange thing has been happening. Every few days, pilgrims fall asleep while soaking in the hot springs and nearly drown. The disciples in the temple are also sleeping longer and longer. The older ones can't even be woken up in the morning."
Camellia Princess: "What about you?"
"To be honest, it's the same." The abbot smiled bitterly, "If it weren't for this, I would have asked them to go to the hospital for a checkup."
There are some things that are only revealed through personal experience.
Camellia Princess: "Don't worry, leave the rest to us."
The abbot said, "Thank you for your help. As agreed before, the disciples of the temple will stay at the homes of ordinary people for the next few days to facilitate your work."
Princess Camellia nodded.
The abbot gave a few more instructions and then went back to his room to meditate.
Only after seeing the people return to the house did Su Er ask, "What identities did we come in with?"
"The temple is haunted, and we are all invited Taoist priests."
"…"
Princess Camellia said calmly, "When it comes to catching monsters, Taoist priests are more famous than monks."
The monster story was not the worst. The host then said that everyone would stay in the Zen room tonight, and after saying this, he indicated that they could move freely.
Ji Heng looked at the room the abbot had just walked into: "I'll go talk to him."
Soul decided to check out the hot springs.
Ji Heng shook his head: "It's very dangerous there, let's go together later."
Su Er changed his mind: "Then I'll try to find the place where the photo was taken."
"Things that can do evil in the temple should not be underestimated." Ji Heng reminded: "Be more careful."
Players each have their own plans and basically act alone. Generally speaking, the chances of something happening in broad daylight are low.
The surrounding vegetation was dense, and Suer stared at the corner of the building in the photo, constantly comparing it to the surrounding Buddhist temples. He walked, stopping and starting until he emerged from Wencheng Hall. Suddenly, he saw a huge rock in the woods ahead, and his eyes lit up.
Lu Lanxin and her boyfriend stood on the rock and held onto the tree, making the scissors hand gesture. There happened to be a few peach trees next to the boulder.
He took a few quick steps when the branches swayed and a few peach blossoms fell.
Su Er suddenly had a ridiculous illusion: the peach tree was the brothel's madam, eager to let him pass. He hesitated for a few seconds, then slowly backed away.
A peach blossom was blown by the wind and fell silently on the shoulder.
Feeling an invisible resistance behind him, Su Er made up his mind, put his hand in his pocket, held the stun gun tightly, and simply walked forward.
There was still some distance from the peach tree, and I vaguely caught a glimpse of a white shadow out of the corner of my eye.
He froze for a moment, then quickly pulled out his stun gun. The next second, a white silk thread appeared out of thin air and tightly wrapped around his fragile neck, slinging Suer's body upward. His face flushed crimson, and he struggled to raise his head... Atop an ancient tree several meters high, a female ghost in red clutched the ends of the white silk thread, tightening it and pulling it upward.
Ranged attacks were excessive, and the shock device was completely useless. The lack of oxygen wasn't the worst pain; if I kept going, I'd definitely break bones.
Sur no longer hesitated and pinched the doll's soft body.
A faint crying sound was heard, and the female ghost on the tree was stunned for a moment. He took the opportunity to break free from the restraints around his neck.
Once again, I feel that it was worth it to peel the skin off my hands. A crying child is probably the most useful prop after the electric shock device.
Unfortunately, there were only three minutes to make the ghost feel infinite pity. Sur quickly thought about how to use the short time to kill the ghost above, but when he failed, he decided to escape first.
Unexpected circumstances occurred… When the fight between the retreating ghost and the ghost in red was just about to begin, the pink-dressed ghost suddenly appeared and grabbed her by the neck: "Bitch, how dare you block my plan to make a fortune!"
The life-and-death struggle between ghosts was quite terrifying. Sur watched helplessly as the big tree with the sign "Century-old Tree" fell down and smashed towards here steadily and fiercely.
"!!!"
He immediately ran in the other direction.
There was no turning back at this moment. He rushed forward madly for several minutes, but the expected loud noise did not come. Sur turned around and looked. The tree was swaying back and forth, as if it was caught by something.
Not long after he breathed a sigh of relief, he looked up and saw the word "Hot Spring" engraved on the wooden sign in front of him. He couldn't help but be stunned.
After going around in circles, we finally arrived at the hot springs.
The calm water surface gurgled, reminding people of the swaying peach branches just now, as if they were luring them over.
The leaves rustled, and the rustling sound never stopped since Sur arrived.
"Mine." A cold presence appeared behind him, trying to drag him away.
The hot spring bubbled, and a stream of water, filled with vitality, automatically came ashore and wrapped around Sur's feet.
"be mine."
Forces from all sides are engaged in some kind of contest, and the parties involved feel like they are about to be torn into pieces.
Su Er narrowed his eyes and decided to use the electric shock device to get rid of the ghost behind him first.
Caught off guard by an electric shock, when the force behind him loosened, the water current wrapped around Sur's feet tried to drag him directly into the hot spring.
He was not afraid either, at least he only had to face one ghost after entering the water.
At the critical moment, the water flow was cut off. Princess Camellia appeared out of nowhere and struck with her cane, temporarily dispersing the evil spirit. His face paled slightly, and he gasped for breath from exhaustion.
He originally came to watch the show, but he has never stopped since entering the dungeon.
Su Er got up and complained: "These ghosts are too unrestrained in broad daylight."
Princess Camellia reminded coldly: "Insurance business."
Su Er was speechless.
Evil spirits were on the loose... Those who had bought insurance were trying to scam people, while those who hadn't bought it in advance were jealous and started causing trouble. In just one day, the host fought evil spirits, carried giant trees, and continued to fight ghosts to maintain order... He was almost exhausted.
Thinking of this, he glared at Sur fiercely. Out of sight, out of mind. Princess Camellia decided to stay at home for two days to resolve the hidden danger and communicate through software on a daily basis.
·
After Ji Heng finished talking to the abbot, his expression became slightly solemn. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past him, caused by the host's brisk walking.
The moment they passed each other, Princess Camellia stopped abruptly and banged the ground twice with her cane: "Whose death is this?"
He thinks it's his!
Seeing the man leave with resentment, Ji Heng looked puzzled.
Not long after, Su Er appeared in a mess, his clothes were torn and wet, and there was a mark on his neck. He floated over like a ghost, and his nose moved, and he smelled the refreshing aroma of tea.
Ji Heng explained, "Not long ago, the abbot and I were discussing the Dao over tea."
Hearing this, Su Er raised his head and sighed, asking the same soul-searching question as Camellia Princess: "Whose fate is this?"
Since I turned into a raccoon cat yesterday, I can't remember how many times I almost died.
Taking out a tissue to wipe the water off his forehead, Ji Heng frowned: "Go change your clothes, be careful not to catch a cold."
The temple is equipped with special bathrobes for changing.
Tying the belt of his bathrobe, Soul shrugged, "Before I came here, I thought I must protect you."
Ji Heng couldn't help but laugh: "You changed your mind now?"
"That's not the case," Soul said, "it's just that the situation is not what we expected."
Handing over a cup of hot water, Ji Heng asked in agreement, "What's the difference?"
Soul counted on his fingers and summarized carefully: "Your day... petting cats, drinking tea, and a peaceful life." Then he pointed at himself: "My day... fighting, quarreling, and being petted like a cat."