Chapter 1 The First Question

That old man looked like a seasoned troublemaker.... Zhang Yuanqing contentedly put away his knife and asked:

"First question, how did Wang Xiao'er become like this?"

"Generally speaking, there are two ways for yin corpses to form. One is artificial refinement, like how he refined Undead No. 1.

"The second is that the corpse is buried in a place with extremely heavy Yin energy, and it absorbs Yin energy over time, giving birth to weak intelligence, becoming a jiangshi (yin corpse).

"Wang Xiao'er doesn't fit the second type. If it's the first type, being able to refine an ordinary villager into such a powerful yin corpse, even surpassing Undead No. 1...

"This method is a bit terrifying."

The old man said with grief and indignation:

"It's all because he went to the tomb and brought back unclean things. Some time ago, Wang Xiao'er, who had been missing for several days, suddenly returned to the village with a large bag of gold, silver, and jade artifacts, saying that he had made a fortune and was going to build the best house in the village and marry a girl from the provincial capital.

"He found Mr. Xu, who teaches in the village, and asked him to help look at some antiques and estimate their price."

Antiques.... Zhang Yuanqing didn't dwell on the issue of Wang Xiao'er turning into a yin corpse and said, "What antiques did he bring back?"

The old man recalled:

"I was there watching the fun at the time. He showed Mr. Xu three antiques. One was a female doll sculpture without a tongue, with a pair of prominent ears, black and shiny. It felt very cool to the touch. Mr. Xu said it was yin jade, and it had to be left in the tomb for many years to become so smooth and lustrous.

"One was a rouge box, the box was made of silver, with carved flowers, very beautiful. The rouge inside, oh my, was as bright as blood. Can you believe that such a thing has been in the tomb for so long and it hasn't dried out?"

"What about the third item?" Zhang Yuanqing didn't respond and asked.

"A bronze mirror, covered in dust, inlaid with some beautiful stones. Mr. Xu said they were gemstones. It's a pity that the mirror couldn't reflect people, otherwise it could be sold to the wealthy ladies in the provincial capital."

Great, none of these three items are for the living. Wang Xiao'er really knows how to pick.... Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but complain.

"Were those three items sold by Wang Xiao'er?" He remembered searching the house for a long time just now, but finding nothing.

The old man nodded, then shook his head:

"The rouge box was bought by Mr. Xu. I don't know about the female doll and the mirror.

"Anyway, ever since Wang Xiao'er brought back those things, several strange things happened in the village the next day."

"What strange things happened?" Zhang Yuanqing continued to ask, following the topic.

"According to Widow Li at the head of the village, on the night Wang Xiao'er returned, she got up in the middle of the night and saw a woman in red entering the village through the window. That woman was very beautiful, she had never seen such a beautiful girl, but her face was a little pale. The next day, Wang Xiao'er turned into that ghostly appearance," the old man said.

According to the Lingjing (Mystic Realm) introduction, the woman in red should be the princess. In that case, Wang Xiao'er was retaliated against by the princess and turned into a yin corpse. This princess is a bit fierce!

Alas, female ghosts have always been beautiful since ancient times, but it's a pity they are ghosts. Oh right, the princess is most likely a yin corpse, not a resentful spirit. If I could subdue her, I would definitely use her every day, um, use her to fight.... Zhang Yuanqing thought nonsensically and said:

"Anything else?"

"Yes, Zhao Erdan's child had his tongue cut off. According to Zhao Erdan's wife, she was cooking dinner that day. Xiao Dan, that is, Erdan's child, was playing in the yard. She saw Xiao Dan going out with a girl. She didn't pay attention at the time, thinking it was just someone's child coming to play with Xiao Dan. However, the girl's face seemed to be black, like a shadow, which she found very strange.

"After Erdan's wife finished cooking, she went out to look for Xiao Dan and found him collapsed at the door, his tongue gone." The old man said, with fear flashing in his eyes:

"Since then, as long as it gets dark, there is a dark-skinned girl in the village who likes to lie on other people's windows and ask if they want to play games.

"Whichever family's window she lies on, the next day, that family's tongue will be cut off. That girl will wander around the village until the first watch before leaving."

So, the villagers' tongues were cut off like this. Leaving at the first watch, that means the game has to be played until the first watch? Zhang Yuanqing said:

"What game are you playing?" The old man shook his head: "Who knows? She just keeps saying 'play a game,' but she doesn't say what kind of game."

She kept saying 'play a game'.... Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing frowned.

The information had a problem here. The information given by the Cat King Speaker was "You clap one," but the old man said there was no game.

"How did your tongue get cut off?" Zhang Yuanqing asked for details.

The old man recalled the terrifying past, his face horrified:

"I was very scared at the time and hid under the bed, afraid to come out. She kept lying on the window, constantly saying 'come play a game,' then she disappeared. I remember I fell asleep, and when I woke up, my tongue was gone."

Zhang Yuanqing quickly analyzed, combining his own experience.

Playing the game is actually the correct way to avoid the crisis. It's just that the villagers are too scared, and no one dares to play with the little girl.

Mo Jun, as a Lingjing Xingzhe (Mystic Realm Walker), complied with the rules and boldly played the game, so he successfully cleared the level. What he played was....

Zhang Yuanqing understood. Mo Jun played "You clap one." No wonder, after listening to the audio from the Cat King Speaker, he felt very strange.

"You clap one" is a nursery rhyme and shouldn't appear in a Ming Dynasty background instance.

The nursery rhyme did not originate from the strangeness in the instance, but from Mo Jun. The Cat King Speaker only recorded Mo Jun's initial method of breaking the situation and played this method for him.

The three antiques brought out by Wang Xiao'er, this is the first one now. There should be strange things happening later.... Zhang Yuanqing said while thinking:

"Are there any other strange things?"

The old man heard this and showed a look of horror, unconsciously lowering his voice: "Mr. Xu is dead!"

As expected.... Zhang Yuanqing didn't interrupt, listening to the old man continue:

"The next morning, the children in the village went to the private school to study. Mr. Xu, who always arrived early, didn't show up. The children told the adults, and everyone went to his house to take a look.

Only then did they discover that Mr. Xu was dead, and he died miserably, like a dried-up corpse.

"He was lying straight on the bed, with a paper figure beside him. The paper figure was very beautifully made, with a red face and red paint on the eyes. Oh, it wasn't red paint, it was that rouge from the box. The rouge box was placed on the bedside, still open. The village chief found that Mr. Xu's fingers were stained with red rouge, so he must have used it to paint the paper figure's face and eyes."

Speaking of this, the old man said furtively:

"Li Tieniu next door said that in the middle of the night... around the second watch, he heard Mr. Xu playing with a woman. However, Mr. Xu had been a widower for many years. Where did he get a woman in his house?

"It was the paper figure that came to life at night and harmed Mr. Xu."

In the middle of the night, a paper figure, with painted eyes and blush, lying next to you, and then it comes to life.... Zhang Yuanqing felt a bit horrified just imagining it.

So, I never buy figures. I don't want any silicone dolls or inflatable dolls. I use tens of billions of fresh lives to irrigate them every day, in case they come to life one day, it'll be a big joke. Zhang Yuanqing said, "Where is the rouge box?"

"It's still at Mr. Xu's house. Who dares to take it?" The old man sighed: "After Mr. Xu died, that night, around the second watch, someone saw that paper figure walking around in the village. It was so scary."

Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing narrowed his eyes.

The paper figure will be walking around in the village during the second watch, which means that during the second watch, the second wave of crisis will arrive.

I don't know how Mo Jun dealt with the paper figure. I'll ask the Cat King Speaker later. "Old man, there should be a third strange thing, right? For example, during the third watch?" Zhang Yuanqing said.

Based on the old man's account, he had figured out the pattern. The ghost doll without a tongue was causing trouble during the first watch. The paper figure was during the second watch.

Then something must be happening during the third watch.

Unexpectedly, the old man shook his head: "The third watch? No strange things. However, it seems like strange things happened during the fourth watch."

Zhang Yuanqing quickly asked, "What strange things?"

The old man frowned, and a dazed look flashed across his wrinkled, dark face: "I, I forgot..."

Forgot? Then I can only ask the other villagers. From what I've heard so far, this instance isn't too difficult. Finding the tongue can get a lot of information, and I've basically figured out the strangeness in the instance.

Play the game before dark, play until the first watch, and you can send the ghost doll away. Deal with the paper figure during the second watch. There are no strange things during the third watch. There should be something during the fourth watch, but the old man forgot. I can ask the other villagers to find out.

After solving the three "antiques," will I have to fight the boss? If I survive successfully, I can clear the level.

Although I know the princess must be very powerful, it's enough to figure out the strangeness in the instance. This kind of danger that is placed in the open is far more reassuring than crossing the river by feeling the stones.

In fact, Zhang Yuanqing also has a trump card—the Vajra Pestle.

This thing is a sharp weapon for restraining Yin objects, but he doesn't dare to use it much. After the encounter at Golden Water Amusement Park, he suspects that using the Vajra Pestle in the Night Tour God's exclusive Lingjing (Mystic Realm) will definitely be sensed by the old hag.

If the old hag comes, it won't matter even if I kneel down and sing "Conquer."

What will be the result of attracting a big boss? Zhang Yuanqing doesn't know. He only knows that the old hag can crush him like an ant.

He doesn't dare to bet his life on the other party's attitude.

At this moment, Zhang Yuanqing looked up at the sky. It was already dark. The thin clouds were frozen and motionless, and the sunlight was very weak. In a little while, it would be dark.

Zhang Yuanqing didn't delay any longer and said:

"Old man, it's getting dark, and the ghost doll is coming. You don't want your tongue to be cut off, do you? Let's play a game."

The old man never disappoints when it comes to following his heart. He immediately nodded, "What game?"

Zhang Yuanqing told the old man the game's incantation and how to play it. "Will this work?" The old man looked incredulous.

"You don't have a choice." Zhang Yuanqing replied, then summoned Undead No. 1, communicated with the mark in his sea of consciousness, and divided the spiritual body into two halves, leaving one half in the main body and the other half residing in the yin corpse.

The two people and one corpse stood in a triangle. Zhang Yuanqing clapped his hands and said:

"You clap one, I clap one, let's play a game before dark."

The old man clapped his hands: "You clap two, I clap two, touch your tongue and touch your ears."

The two people and one corpse opened their mouths, touched their tongues, and then touched their ears. Undead No. 1 clapped his hands, his voice hoarse:

"You clap three, I clap three, add the shadow and there are three."

The clapping continued to sound, and the two people and one corpse just played like this. Time passed by, and it soon became dark.

The whole world was covered with a layer of black veil. Then, deep darkness swallowed this mountain village.

The night sky had no moon, no stars, only darkness where you couldn't see your fingers.

The mountain village fell into silence, with no insect chirps, no dog barks, so quiet that it was frightening and unsettling.

The clapping and voices of the two people and one corpse were the only sounds in this silent world.

After dark, the yin energy in the village became heavier.... Zhang Yuanqing maintained the rhythm of the game. As a Night Tour God, he keenly noticed the changes around him.

During the day, there was no yin energy in the village, but as soon as it got dark, a cold aura began to permeate, and the entire village seemed to have turned into a ghost realm.

Moreover, the yin energy was gradually increasing over time.

At this moment, Zhang Yuanqing heard laughter coming from the darkness behind him: "Oh, someone is playing a game~"

The voice was childish and clear, from a young girl.

It's here.... Zhang Yuanqing saw the old man's expression change, and his lips began to tremble. Zhang Yuanqing felt an extremely Yin and cold aura approaching. The strength of this aura reminded him of the ghost bride, or rather, the oppressive feeling the ghost bride gave him.

This ghost doll is so scary. Just going head-to-head doesn't seem wise.... Zhang Yuanqing also started to follow his heart like the old man.

The aura stopped behind Zhang Yuanqing, and then, he only felt a chill on his back, slowly climbing up.

Does she want to possess me?

Zhang Yuanqing's back hair stood on end, his scalp tingling, and he almost couldn't maintain the rhythm of the game.

Fortunately, the cold aura only stayed for a few seconds before leaving Zhang Yuanqing's back and moving behind Undead No. 1, trying to possess it.

Zhang Yuanqing glanced out of the corner of his eye and finally saw what it was.

It was a shadow, a child's shadow. It fell on the ground behind Undead No. 1, as if it was Undead No. 1's shadow.

This shadow seemed to want to possess Undead No. 1, but it failed several times.

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

The short shadow made a girl's childish voice, complaining unhappily. As long as there are three people playing, she can't join?

How did Mo Jun figure out this rule? Uh, it doesn't seem difficult. If there wasn't the reminder from the Cat King Speaker, I would definitely gather some villagers to play the game.

"You clap two, I clap two, touch your tongue and touch your ears."

The old man's voice had already begun to tremble. It was obvious that he was very scared, but following his heart gave him the strength to persevere in playing the game.

In the following time, the shadow kept alternating behind the three of them, trying to possess them and participate in the game, but it failed.

Good, it can't get in. Just maintain this until the first watch. Also, the yin energy in the village is getting heavier.... Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief.

Everything was proceeding according to his plan.

He played the game while keeping track of the time. A long time passed, and it felt like the first watch was approaching.

At this moment, Zhang Yuanqing, whose brain was highly active under tension, suddenly thought of an incomprehensible point.

That was the "three people" hint given by the Cat King Speaker and the ghost doll's recent saying "three people again."

The number of people rule must have been summarized by Mo Jun, but there's a problem here. Without knowing the rules, the more people, the better. If I were Mo Jun, I would definitely find a group of villagers to play the game.

Instead of precisely three people.

But the ghost doll just said "three people again." If she was referring to Mo Jun's time, then the question arises, how did Mo Jun deduce that the ghost doll would be excluded if the number of people reached three?

The only answer is that Mo Jun summarized the rule after trial and error.

Did Mo Jun gather a group of villagers at the time, only to find that more people were meaningless, and the ghost doll cut off the tongues or killed the villagers one by one until only three people were left?

That doesn't seem right either. The villagers don't have that kind of discipline. If one person dies, they would probably scatter and run away. Moreover, after Mo Jun discovered that people were still dying while playing the game, would he continue to call on the villagers to play the game?

He must have just gone head-to-head with the ghost doll because he couldn't guarantee whether the ghost doll would possess him next.

So, how did Mo Jun summarize this rule?

It's almost the first watch. Let's send the ghost doll away first and then think about these things.

As soon as he thought this, he saw the old man next to him suddenly show a look of pain and muttered:

"I remember, I remember, during the fourth watch...."

At this moment, Zhang Yuanqing realized that the old man was emitting a strong Yin energy, and his skin was changing from a normal complexion to a dark green.

The surrounding Yin energy was too strong, covering up the yin corpse aura emitted by the old man.

He's a yin corpse? How is this possible.... Zhang Yuanqing's pupils shrank. As a Night Tour God, he could clearly see that the old man's body was being nourished by Yin energy, gradually transforming into a yin corpse.

The old man's eyes lost all reason, turning into a bloodthirsty Yin object, and he pounced on Zhang Yuanqing next to him.

Undead No. 1 intercepted from the side, and its powerful impact sent the old man flying. The game was forced to end.

"Hehe, I want to play a game too~"

A childish, crisp voice sounded behind Zhang Yuanqing.

An extremely Yin and cold aura stuck to his back. The next second, Zhang Yuanqing's neck made a "snap" sound, and his head was twisted behind him.

"Snap, snap...."

His legs and arms were twisted behind him in sync, and his joints were twisted, like a carelessly pieced-together puppet.

ps: I'll update the typo first and revise it later.