Liu Qiao led the four to three willow trees in the distance. The location was secluded, nearly a kilometer away from the eastern entrance of the village. Hiding behind the trees, even if a Challenger suddenly escaped from the village, they would not be discovered.
Liu Qiao was slender, standing at 1.65 meters tall and weighing less than 100 pounds. She wore oversized sportswear, making her look as if she could be blown away by the wind. Yet, her expression was calm, her eyes showing no fear or tension; her clear eyes seemed to see through everything.
Xiao Lou admired this intelligent and cautious girl and asked gently, "What clue did you call us here to tell us?"
Liu Qiao gathered her thoughts and explained, "I entered the village for the first time yesterday, actually at dusk, using a flight card to fly directly into the village." She took out a card from her card holder, spread it out in her palm, and said, "This is the flight card I drew."
—S-rank tool card [Flying Bird], with the additional skill " Light as a Swallow ".
After using the skill, you immediately enter the " Light as a Swallow " state, breaking free from gravity and levitating up to 50 meters high, allowing you to fly through the air. Each levitation lasts for 3 seconds, and the skill refreshes immediately upon landing. Please use it flexibly to avoid falling halfway down and dying. Each level of growth increases the levitation time by 1 second, up to a maximum of 10 seconds.
Looking at the description on the card, Xiao Lou said, "Each time you float for 3 seconds, does that mean that without trees or other footholds, you'll land after just 3 seconds of flying? So you have to find a structure to use as a foothold, jump to another place within 3 seconds to refresh the skill cooldown, and then continue flying?"
Liu Qiao nodded: "Yes, this card cannot fly long distances. It must find a landing point after floating in the air for 3 seconds, otherwise it will fall down directly. At the maximum level, it can float in the air for 10 seconds at a time, which will be more useful."
Her health wasn't very good, and thanks to this card, she was able to successfully pass through Zombie Town in Spade 2 and Financial Crisis in Spade 3. In Spade 4, she could also use the trees to fly and avoid Villager.
Liu Qiao put the card away and continued, "Yesterday at dusk, two Challengers acted rashly and disturbed Grandma Qin's Tibetan Mastiff. The Villagers ' attention was all on them. At that time, the wind picked up, so I took the opportunity to fly into the village using the trees to see what was going on. Granny Sun's house is nearby. I landed on her big tree, and she suddenly turned her head and glanced at me."
Liu Qiao paused, her expression serious: "I suspect Granny Sun can see me."
Xiao Lou said, "Are you sure she can see you? Maybe she has sharp hearing and heard the sound you made when you landed on the tree, which is why she turned around to look in your direction?"
Liu Qiao shook her head; "It was different. Granny Sun's look at me was very precise, she met my eyes directly, and it startled me. She can see so accurately, it doesn't seem like a blind person would react like that. At that time, a pregnant woman came to her to get medicine, so she ignored me. I was worried about being discovered, so I immediately used other trees to leave. In the middle of the night, I returned to her neighborhood, and this time, I hid on the roof."
Ye Qi couldn't help but say, "You're a girl, running back to the village in the middle of the night, you're really brave!"
Liu Qiao said, "I returned to the village after we parted ways in the early morning. Most of the villagers were asleep at that time. The village is not actually dangerous. In addition, I have a flight card, an invisibility cloak, and the map you gave me. If I encounter any trouble, I can run away quickly. So, I dared to go back to check if the Granny Sun can really be seen."
Xiao Lou hurriedly asked, "What did you find out?"
Liu Qiao's expression changed slightly. She said, "It was 3:30 a.m., and she was still brewing medicine in the kitchen. There were several medicine pots on the floor. I clearly saw her throw several dead people's hand bones into the medicine pots."
Everyone: "..."
If Liu Qiao's previous suspicion that Granny Sun could see her was just speculation, then discovering that Granny Sun was using human bones to make medicine when she returned to the village to investigate at night is absolutely irrefutable evidence.
Old Mrs. Qin was soaking human bones in a rice wine jar in the kitchen.
Granny Sun actually used human bones to make medicine!
The two old women's behavior was strange in every way. To find out the truth about the massacre of the village back then, we obviously had to start with them.
Yu Hanjiang frowned and asked, " Did you go inside Granny Sun's house?"
Liu Qiao nodded: "I used Invisibility Cloak, which gives me 30 minutes of invisibility. After she finished brewing the medicine, I came down from the roof and went into the kitchen to take a look. There was a large rice jar in her kitchen, filled with the bones of dead people..."
Recalling the scene she witnessed, Liu Qiao's face turned pale.
Inside the rice bin, white, gleaming hand bones were stacked together, densely packed, a shocking sight.
Liu Qiao felt a chill run down her spine. She quickly closed the lid of the rice jar, turned around, and left, returning to the western hill.
She was alone at the time and didn't dare to investigate further. Anyway, she had already obtained the pass gem. The village was strange in every way. She just needed to make sure that her gem wasn't stolen and that she could survive for seven days to leave Liuxi Village. She didn't need to meddle in other people's business.
She only changed her mind after encountering Xiao Lou and his group again just now.
Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang exchanged a glance and said, " Captain Yu, Granny Sun and Old Lady Qin are both highly suspicious right now."
Liu Qiao paused, looking back at Yu Hanjiang with surprise, then at Xiao Lou: "Your surname is Xiao, and his surname is Yu. Could you be Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang, who broke the records for Heart 3 and Red Heart 4?"
Xiao Lou smiled and said, "Yes."
I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Xiao Lou. If I remember correctly, your sister mentioned that you're a student at Medical University? I'm a professor in the Forensic Medicine Department at Medical University.
Liu Qiao was excited, but she was always quite reserved and didn't show it too much. She nodded seriously and said, " Hello Professor Xiao, I am a freshman majoring in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Although I haven't had the chance to attend your class, I often hear my seniors talk about you."
Xiao Lou nodded to her in a friendly manner and introduced, "This is Yu Hanjiang, Captain Yu, from Jiangzhou City..." The captain of the Criminal Police Detachment. This Ye Qi is a student at the Music Conservatory. This CEO Shao is the owner of his own fund company; we've already confirmed that we 'll upgrade our contract book after going to Moon City and team up together.
Liu Qiao: "..."
It seems she stumbled upon a group of incredibly talented people by accident!
Shao Qingge said with a smile, "You won't lose out by cooperating with us."
Liu Qiao nodded immediately: "Thank you for being willing to take me with you."
Her tense mood instantly relaxed. She had been acting alone for a while, struggling to make her way in an unfamiliar world. Now, meeting these capable people, including Professor Xiao, who had the best reputation in their school, made her feel like she had a strong support system.
Liu Qiao immediately took out her card holder and said, "My transformation card might come in handy when investigating cases. It's quite powerful. Professor Xiao, please take a look."
Xiao Lou took the card from her hand and examined it carefully—
S-Rank Special Effect Card [ Twin ], Skill Effect "Copy": Upon use, immediately copies the image of a character you have seen within the last 30 minutes, creating their twin. The copy lasts for 8 minutes, with an 8-hour cooldown. Only the appearance and voice of the target can be copied; abilities and cards are not inherited. If the target dies during the copying process, the copying effect is automatically canceled.
Xiao Lou's eyes lit up: "We can copy anyone we see within 30 minutes, so can you become any one of us now?"
Liu Qiao nodded and used her card skill.
Then, everyone saw two Ye Qi appear in front of them.
Ye Qi's eyes widened suddenly as he looked at his exact reflection and exclaimed, "It's like looking in a mirror! It's so similar!"
Another " Ye Qi " mimicked him, saying, "It's like looking in a mirror, it's so similar!"
Ye Qi: "Hahaha, don't mimic me!"
Another Ye Qi: "Hahaha, don't mimic me!"
Seeing the two little Ye Qi glaring at each other, the other three sighed and facepalmed.
Xiao Lou chuckled, " Liu Qiao, change back, stop playing around."
Liu Qiao said "Oh," and obediently changed back, saying, " That's how the card works. I can transform into anyone I see within 30 minutes, whether it's a Challenger or a Freelancer. I can also transform into Granny Sun, Grandma Qin, or other Villagers."
The special effect card " Twin " is really amazing. Although it only has one skill and lasts for 8 minutes, the transformation at crucial moments can not only help you avoid danger, but also allow you to transform into a designated NPC to investigate cases when necessary.
Xiao Lou asked curiously, " What's with your little red riding hood last night?"
Liu Qiao summoned a Little Red Riding Hood and said, "This is a fairy tale summoning card. Summoning a Little Red Riding Hood grants immunity to attacks within range. I was afraid you would attack me, so I summoned a Little Red Riding Hood and hid it in the temple, and I also transformed into the image of a child to dispel your suspicions."
The cards this girl drew were all weird and strange, but they were very useful.
Twin Card can transform into anyone, including Challenger, Freelancer, and summoned characters. In other words, she can even transform into Bai Juyi, Character Card, and other characters summoned by Xiao Lou. However, it is a transformation and does not inherit the abilities, making it a very powerful means of deception.
Yu Hanjiang said, "With Liu Qiao's transformation card, our strategy will be more flexible. In addition to continuing to eavesdrop, we can also transform into people that Grandma Qin and Granny Sun know at night to get some information out of them."
Xiao Lou turned to look at him and said, " Captain Yu, Granny Sun is the only doctor in the village. We previously speculated that this murderer was likely to target pregnant women and babies, using drugs to cause the babies to go blind. Her age and occupation fit the conditions for committing the crime."
Yu Hanjiang nodded in agreement: "The massacre of the village happened decades ago. If all the adults in the village were killed at that time, and the children were blinded by Granny Sun, then when these children grew up, got married, and had children, their descendants would suffer the same fate. Everyone in Liuxi Village became blind. She could easily deceive everyone by saying it was a 'curse'."
Hearing Captain Yu's reasoning, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.
Granny Sun, as the only village doctor, is responsible for delivering babies and treating children.
It was so convenient for her to target an entire village of blind people. The others were blind and ignorant of medicine, so they had no idea what kind of medicine she was prescribing, and were even grateful for her help…
What kind of twisted mentality would drive someone to take such extreme measures to retaliate against the entire village?
They don't even spare newborn babies?!
Xiao Lou clenched his fist slightly and said, "What about Old Madam Qin? She must know the truth, right?"
"There's a possibility that these two people are working together. At the moment, we don't have enough clues." Yu Hanjiang looked up at the western sky. The sun was about to set, and the sunset was dyed blood red. The hour hand of the clock above his head was pointing to 7:00 PM. He heard hurried footsteps in the distance. Yu Hanjiang lowered his voice and said, "Everyone, hide first and wait until it gets dark before you move out."
The five people immediately hid in the tree
back.
A moment later, sure enough, two people ran towards the farmland. One of them, a young man, crawled rapidly on the ground like a gecko. Strangely, his body color changed according to his surroundings, quickly blending into the environment. Once he entered the farmland, he became the color of wheat ears, and if it weren't for his constantly moving figure, he would have been almost indistinguishable to the naked eye.
The other woman looked to be around thirty years old, with elaborate makeup. She walked with her arms raised high and her feet hopping like a zombie. But each time she jumped, she covered a distance of more than 5 meters without pausing.
The two stopped near the wheat field, and the man said in a low voice, "If we go any further, we'll have to leave the territory of Liuxi Village. The mountains outside are full of wild beasts, and it will be very dangerous."
The woman sneered, "What's there to be afraid of? Your Chameleon Card allows you to disguise yourself at any time, blending seamlessly into your surroundings. Wild beasts won't be able to spot you. My arms and legs can extend ten meters, allowing me to climb trees and find the tallest one to hide in." She paused, then turned to her companion, saying, "We're carrying gems, so hiding outside the village will be safer than inside. Don't forget, the Challengers matched in this secret room are all very strong. Our stealth abilities are top-notch; we might not be able to defeat them in a direct confrontation."
The man thought for a moment and said, "That's true. There are still six days left. We can just hide in the wild and still clear the level, so we won't be ambushed by other Challengers in the next few days. Compared to these unpredictable Challengers, the beasts are actually easier to deal with."
The woman said, "Let's go. The Villagers are searching everywhere with their mad dogs. We should get out of here before they find us."
The two didn't notice the three willow trees in the distance. They assumed the Challengers were all on the mountain and no one was in the fields, so they didn't lower their voices when they talked. Xiao Lou and the others heard their conversation clearly.
The two moved with lightning speed. After discussing their plan, they quickly disappeared outside the village. Clearly, they had chosen a rather risky approach—to hide in the wilderness for six days before clearing the level.
Xiao Lou actually agreed with what the woman said. Compared to wild beasts, the Challengers in the village whose strength was unknown were more terrifying. Once the number of gems decreased in the next few days, the Challengers who hadn't found any gems would definitely start robbing for them. The outcome was truly unpredictable.
What if someone like Yu Hanjiang, who gets a gun, decides to go all out and shoot someone?
In comparison, although the wild beasts are dangerous, these two have strong survival skills in the wild, so they might actually be able to pass the level.
After the two left, Liu Qiao said, "Actually, when I first came to the farmland, I also planned to hide in the wild." If Xiao Lou and the others hadn't changed their minds, she would have already left the village with the gemstone.
Xiao Lou said, "That woman just reminded me that we now have three gems, which might make us a target for the Challengers who haven't found any gems yet. They might team up to steal them. From now on, we need to keep a low profile and not tell anyone that we have gems."
Yu Hanjiang agreed: "Let's just pretend we didn't find it."
The five hid behind a tree and waited for nightfall. Before long, Yu Hanjiang was also affected by the blindness effect. Fortunately, he did not need to move at this time. He sat under the tree and closed his eyes to rest. Xiao Lou thoughtfully brought him some water to drink.
Next, some Challengers were forced out of the village by the Villagers. Some, like the previous pair, simply fled outside the village to take refuge. Others ran into the fields, pulled up a bunch of straw, wrapped themselves around, and pretended to be scarecrows. Still others climbed into the woods and ran around like monkeys.
Challengers are really talented.
The villager released his dogs to search, and the whole village was filled with the sound of barking. The villagers stayed up late that night, and the village gradually quieted down.
At 24:00 in the morning, several lines of large text appeared simultaneously in everyone's floating window—
Liuxi Village, the next day, 24:00.
Number of remaining Challengers: 18.
Number of gems remaining: 1.
Xiao Lou and the other four's expressions changed simultaneously—they hadn't expected that in just one day, six out of the seven gems would be found! Moreover, with only 18 Challengers remaining, it meant that several unfortunate individuals had already been eliminated.
With only one gem remaining, and the number of Challengers far exceeding the number of gems, those who haven't found it will be even more anxious. The infighting among Challengers will be the most unpredictable risk ahead.
They had to pretend they hadn't found the gem while simultaneously investigating the village, which presented them with numerous difficulties.
Yu Hanjiang glanced at the pitch-black village and whispered to Liu Qiao, "Give me your transformation card."
Liu Qiao readily took out a transformation card and handed it to him, asking, " Captain Yu, who do you plan to become?"
Yu Hanjiang said calmly, "I'll become the village chief and try to get some information out of Granny Sun. "