The little fox had been snacking. He had brought plenty of these when he came in.
Compared to Ye Tiancheng and the others, the little fox had a stronger preference for enjoying life. After all, among young people, how many didn't like games, novels, and junk food?
The little fox was no exception.
This did not affect their discussion of important matters. Ye Tiancheng and the others would not interfere with the little fox's preferences.
To be honest, in a place where one needed to repeatedly confirm the identity of those around them, the little fox, who was taking out snacks to satisfy his cravings, was remarkably reassuring.
Each of them carried something that only they themselves would possess. Being able to produce corresponding items was what allowed people to feel at ease, especially since their storage spaces were so special that impersonation was not easy.
If they hadn't confirmed the identities of those around them, it would have been impossible to be impersonated. The current atmosphere among Ye Tiancheng and the other three would not have been so relaxed.
As Ye Tiancheng and the other three were chatting together, the little fox's snacking abruptly stopped, interrupting their conversation.
The little fox frowned and asked everyone, "Say, did any of you hear any strange noises, like rustling..."
Nie Chongyang's gaze fell on the potato chips in the little fox's hand.
"Isn't that the noise you're making while eating snacks?"
The little fox gave Nie Chongyang a displeased look and retorted, "Of course not. Listen carefully, it's coming from outside!"
The others also strained to listen and found that there indeed was.
It was just not very obvious, very faint.
Ye Tiancheng and the others exchanged glances.
"I wonder what kind of noise that is?"
Nie Chongyang drew a conclusion and voiced it, saying, "It sounds like someone is sneaking around outside. Shall we go closer to listen? Although we've made some preparations, it's still a bit difficult to hear clearly."
No one had any objections to this. They all gathered at the door and pressed their ears against it to listen to the sounds outside.
The sound was soft and muffled, not quite like normal footsteps.
However, Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping, who had much richer experience, stated that it was likely someone had taken off their shoes and put something on their feet to deliberately conceal their footsteps and minimize the noise.
Ye Tiancheng and the little fox were more inclined to believe their judgment.
The little fox guessed, "Is it the innkeeper who's returned?"
Nie Chongyang listened for a while and replied, "It's more than that. I don't think it's just one person... approaching the door."
Everyone instantly held their breath, feeling a bit tense. But then they all remembered that with the barrier Ye Tiancheng had set up, they didn't need to be so cautious, not even needing to lower their voices when speaking.
Even Ye Tiancheng himself had slightly forgotten about this.
Just as Nie Chongyang indicated that the people outside had seemingly reached their room door, after a short interval, the four of them heard voices from outside the door.
It could be discerned that the people outside had deliberately controlled their volume. Moreover, with the room door and walls in between, under normal circumstances, even if people were chatting right outside, it would be unlikely for the four of them to hear anything.
But now, because of the special barrier Ye Tiancheng had set up, not only could they hear the movement before the other party spoke, but now all four of them had gathered at the room door. Conveniently, the soundproofing effect of the room was far from its normal state. Even if the people outside spoke in hushed tones, the four of them could hear it clearly.
Originally, they were still guessing who it might be, but as soon as the other party spoke, the four of them had almost no doubts.
The first voice to be heard from outside the room was indeed the innkeeper's.
"Are you sure they've all been drugged? Won't there be any mishaps?"
Then, a voice sounded that Ye Tiancheng and the others found quite unfamiliar, but not entirely without some impression.
"There's no possibility of mishaps. The dosage put into the food is enough for them to sleep soundly for days, guaranteed not to wake up for two or three days," the person said confidently. "Besides, didn't we all see it ourselves when we went to collect the boxes earlier? Weren't they all opened?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Tiancheng and the other three understood.
The food the innkeeper had given them earlier indeed had a problem.
The implication in these words was truly unmistakable.
The little fox mumbled behind the door, "There's really something in it? They actually drugged us?"
"How could they go back on their word?"
Hearing the little fox's words, Ye Tiancheng said, "This is not surprising. He spoke so nicely, and the written agreement we made does not have any real contractual effect; it can only be considered proof of our agreement."
"He probably doesn't think we can leave this place. For some reason, he might want to keep us here so he can better observe our movements."
"Now, at most, it's just that they couldn't wait and are preparing to make their move."
The little fox pouted slightly with dissatisfaction.
After all, they had genuinely considered rescuing ordinary humans if they were trapped here.
However, in reality, such naive thoughts were mainly held by the little fox.
Ye Tiancheng and the others had some doubts about whether the innkeeper was an ordinary human, and didn't quite trust him. They always maintained reservations about the information the innkeeper provided and didn't fully believe it.
This was almost the same for Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping.
Given their innate duty, they had nothing to say about saving ordinary people and were not afraid of saving people who were not worth saving. Saving people was something they had no objection to.
Their only fear was that the people they saved were not only unworthy of being saved but would also harm other truly ordinary people after being brought out.
Saving people requires a brain.
Just as kindness needs limits.
Otherwise, when the written agreement was made, Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping were also present; why didn't they stop Ye Tiancheng from being cautious?
Even if the little fox didn't think about it, the two of them couldn't help but consider it.
Outside the door, the innkeeper seemed to ponder and say, "Indeed, we saw them all eat. The boxes were empty. In this cursed place, being trapped here now, they have no choice but to eat our food. Otherwise, they would just starve."
The other person said, "Isn't that settled then?"
The four people inside the door raised their eyebrows coldly, listening to them speak through the door.
The innkeeper and another person, who sounded like an employee of the inn, chatted for a few moments, feeling relieved. Immediately after, Ye Tiancheng and the others heard another clanging sound.
The four of them cast their gazes upon the door lock.
The two outside were still complaining.
"It's all that damned person's fault for taking the room keys. If we had known, we should have brought a few more spares. Now we can only pry the door open."
The other said, "Stop complaining and hurry up and pry the door open. If we delay any longer and it gets dark, it won't be good."
It seemed they were prying the door open.
Ye Tiancheng thought for a moment and said, "It seems that even within the cycle, the dangers of the night should still exist and pose a threat to them."
Nie Chongyang also said, "It seems so."
The little fox suddenly let out a sly laugh, "We're just here, not going to do anything about the commotion outside? If they manage to pry the door open like this, they'll surely be pleasantly surprised."
Ye Tiancheng and the others also chuckled.
"As kind people as we are, they've gone to so much trouble for us. How can we not give them a good surprise to make them happy?"
The four of them were already gathered at the door and had no intention of leaving now.
The door lock of this dark inn's room was not particularly good to begin with. It was only thanks to the non-human entities they encountered at night who wanted to break in that they didn't force their way through the door. Otherwise, this flimsy door would surely not hold.
Therefore, it would not take the innkeeper and the others much time to pry open the door from the outside.
Ye Tiancheng and the others also heard the innkeeper outside say with heartache, asking them to be careful when prying the door, otherwise, if the lock was broken, he would have to pay for the repairs himself.
Indeed, he was greedy to the extreme.
As they spoke, they heard the lock cylinder click, and the door opened.
The innkeeper and his young assistant saw a sliver of light leak from the door crack, and their hearts trembled violently.
However, he quickly comforted himself, thinking that Ye Tiancheng and the others must have been drugged by him. He had sent so much food, and Ye Tiancheng and the others had eaten it all. With that amount of medicine, even several cows would have been affected.
Thinking this, the innkeeper felt much more at ease and reached out to gently push the door.
At this moment, the young assistant behind the innkeeper suddenly spoke, saying, "Boss, I just remembered something and feel something is not right. We sent over dishes like bone soup and sweet and sour pork ribs. Why didn't we see any leftover bones in the food boxes they sent back?"
Hearing this, Ye Tiancheng and the others felt a "Oh no" in their hearts. It seemed they weren't careful enough and had missed some details.
Fortunately, the culprit was now walking into a trap, so it was no longer important.
Next time they encountered such a situation, they would definitely pay attention.
The innkeeper was startled and turned to curse, "Don't you know to say something before speaking?!"
As soon as he uttered this curse, the innkeeper realized what the young assistant had said, and his heart sank. The young assistant stared blankly in the direction of the room door, his mouth agape, and nudged his black-hearted boss.
The innkeeper already sensed something was wrong and said tremblingly, "What is it?"
The young assistant stammered, "Boss... you, they..."
As if realizing something, the innkeeper slowly turned his head and met the smiling faces of Ye Tiancheng and the other three inside the door. Ye Tiancheng even kindly raised his hand and waved at the innkeeper, greeting him.
The innkeeper let out a "whoosh" and turned to run.
Unfortunately, his reaction was no match for Ye Tiancheng. He was immediately grabbed by the shoulder by Ye Tiancheng. This grip was exceptionally firm. Even if the innkeeper wanted to run, he couldn't.
As for his young assistant, seeing that the situation was not good, he turned and ran far away, quickly disappearing from sight.
Ye Tiancheng's tone was devoid of mockery, carrying a hint of lament that was even more cutting than mockery.
"What a loyal and good assistant..."
The innkeeper, realizing he couldn't escape, cursed furiously.
Unfortunately, cursing was useless. The person had run away, and he was the one in danger now.
He had to face reality and looked stiffly at Ye Tiancheng and the others.
"Good evening, everyone..."
The little fox came over with a sly smile and said to the innkeeper, "Boss, good evening. Have you brought us any good stuff this time?"
The innkeeper dared not speak.
He strongly suspected that Ye Tiancheng and the others had heard everything he and his assistant had said at the door. In any case, he had no room to argue.