A dim, ghost wind wailed and howled around an ancient village.
Chen Jiuyang, blood seeping from one shoulder, stumbled out of a wooden hut. His gaze swept across the scene; all the wooden huts had their doors tightly shut, devoid of any human presence or light. Except… the hut belonging to the village chief, 'Chen Jiuyang,' had its door ajar, with white mourning sashes and wreaths hanging at the entrance, and a coffin placed in the center.
The middle-aged village chief 'Chen Jiuyang' sat inside the hut, his expression calm and indifferent as he watched Chen Jiuyang, a peculiar aura emanating from him.
"Damn it…"
Chen Jiuyang's face was ashen, forced to curse, "Must I crawl into a coffin to escape these ghostly pursuers?"
"What kind of place is this!"
The middle-aged village chief 'Chen Jiuyang' spoke from within the hut, "Come in and lie down. If you don't lie down now, you'll truly lose your life."
"You are, after all, our village's 'Chen Jiuyang'!"
Chen Jiuyang turned to look behind him at the 'anomaly.' Even sight and light seemed to distort, making it impossible to look directly, his features unclear. However, he could sense a Yuan Dao aura, identifying it as the 'Chen Jiuyang' from the Ghost Village.
"Enter the game, observe the game, be born from death, break the game…"
"The 'Chen Jiuyang' of the Living Village wants me to be buried in a coffin, while the Dead Land Village wants to kill me, and the Ghost Village wants to devour me."
"Too few clues… If I can survive tonight, I'll gather intelligence tomorrow."
Chen Jiuyang's brow furrowed. Without further thought, he hurried into the middle-aged village chief 'Chen Jiuyang's' room, voluntarily climbing into the coffin and closing the lid.
"Crackling."
Then, he felt violent commotion outside the coffin, as if a monstrous entity was trying to pry open the lid to consume him. Yet, it was unable to. After a long, frustrated roar, the sounds gradually subsided.
"Thump! Thump!"
Chen Jiuyang's heart pounded violently. This coffin could indeed ward off the attacks of these ghostly beings. What kind of magical artifact was it? Yet, to his senses, it was just an ordinary coffin.
Why did these ghostly beings not attack during the day?
Why was the village chief 'Chen Jiuyang' not asleep, but instead lit candles and waited for him with the door open?
This village chief 'Chen Jiuyang' was definitely not simple.
Too many questions swirled in Chen Jiuyang's mind, making it impossible to comprehend.
Damn it, if Princess Shile were here, she might know what to do.
But he didn't even know where he was, let alone how to find Princess Shile's whereabouts. This was a troublesome matter.
Was this place truly Sansheng Fen Island in the mortal realm?
"Roar roar roar!"
After an unknown period, Chen Jiuyang heard the crowing of a rooster and couldn't help but ask, "Village Chief, is it safe now that dawn has broken?"
"Yes," the 'village chief' Chen Jiuyang replied. "You are safe now, you can come out."
Chen Jiuyang cautiously opened the coffin lid.
A ray of sunlight streamed in.
Confirming his safety.
"Hoo!" Chen Jiuyang breathed a sigh of relief and quickly retrieved a Medicine King from his spatial ring, consuming it to mend his injuries.
The 'village chief' Chen Jiuyang remained seated, watching Chen Jiuyang, and asked, "After last night's events, are you willing to be buried for peace and tranquility?"
Chen Jiuyang frowned, "Why must I be the one buried? Can't someone else be buried?"
The 'village chief' Chen Jiuyang replied, "Yes, eventually we will all be buried, but it must start with you."
Chen Jiuyang was puzzled, "Why?"
The 'village chief' Chen Jiuyang said, "Because our dreams are not yet fulfilled, and we cannot die yet."
Chen Jiuyang felt a chill, "My dreams are fulfilled? So I can be buried and die?"
The 'village chief' Chen Jiuyang said, "It's not quite like that. It's more that you must give us a chance and time to live and fulfill our dreams."
Chen Jiuyang felt a sudden dread, "Who exactly are you, and why do you know so much?"
The 'village chief' Chen Jiuyang replied, "I am the village chief, of course I know more."
Chen Jiuyang asked, "What happens if I don't want to die and want to live?"
"Then everyone will die," the 'village chief' Chen Jiuyang stated.
Chen Jiuyang then asked, "What about the Dead Land 'Chen Jiuyang' Village and the Ghost 'Chen Jiuyang' Village?"
The 'village chief' Chen Jiuyang slowly shook his head, "Once you are buried, you will naturally know."
Seeing the other party's resolute demeanor, Chen Jiuyang's brow furrowed. It seemed he could not extract any more useful intelligence from the 'village chief' Chen Jiuyang.
Moreover, the 'village chief' wanted him buried, but didn't resort to force. Was he trying to draw him into the game? Or to completely harm him?
Chen Jiuyang rose from the coffin, pulled out the dagger, and his injuries began to heal rapidly.
He then stepped out of the coffin and saw the young 'Chen Jiuyang' from last night, who had transformed into a venomous snake. The one who had attacked him last night was likely from the Dead Land Village and the Ghost Village.
He raised his hand and beckoned, and the Yan Sheng Saber, which had fallen into the small wooden hut the previous night, flew out.
The Yan Sheng Saber seemed confused, "Why are there so many blade masters?"
Chen Jiuyang remained silent, simply holding the saber and slowly walking towards the adjacent Dead Land Village.
That sense of dread and terror struck him again. The Dead Land Village appeared silently, while the Ghost Village's presence was overbearing.
Chen Jiuyang walked cautiously, step by step, through the Dead Land Village. Everything was silent, not a single sound.
"How can the layout and houses of this Dead Land Village be identical to the Living Village?"
"There's something strange."
"Since the houses in this village are all the same, perhaps this village also has a village chief?"
"Then I'll go check the village chief's house first."
Chen Jiuyang, holding his saber, entered the village chief's house in the Dead Land Village.
Here, Chen Jiuyang saw the identical middle-aged village chief 'Chen Jiuyang.' A coffin was also placed inside the house. The middle-aged village chief 'Chen Jiuyang' seemed to be asleep, showing no reaction even as Chen Jiuyang entered.
"What is the connection between the Living Village and the Dead Land Village?"
"Could the Ghost Village have the same layout?"
Doubts surged within Chen Jiuyang. To enter the game, he first needed to understand what kind of game it was, and then observe it.
Just as he turned to explore other areas for clues, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind…
This place also had a coffin.
So, inside this coffin, would there be a Chen Jiuyang lying there?
Thump! Thump!
Thump!
Chen Jiuyang's heart began to pound uncontrollably. In the Living Village, he was in the coffin. So, in the coffin of the Dead Land Village…
Chen Jiuyang couldn't suppress the thought and slowly pushed open the coffin lid.
Inside, indeed, lay a Chen Jiuyang! Although without the Yan Sheng Saber, his attire, aura, and appearance were identical. The moment Chen Jiuyang opened the coffin lid, the 'Chen Jiuyang' inside suddenly opened his eyes, grabbed Chen Jiuyang's hand with a look of terror, and stammered, "Don't get into the coffin! Don't get into the coffin!"
"If you want to live…"