Chapter 185

·

·

·

Main Character:

Shen Yao

The entire Tao Hua Town nestles against mountains and beside water; its population is simple, and its customs are relatively conservative as well.

The people here wear conservative clothing, which clashes completely with the modern outfits on us.

Some clever people have already used the jewelry they brought in to trade with locals for a set of clothes, so as to blend in better.

Shen Yao and Xi Chen, on the other hand, had no such thoughts; both have their own confidence, and aren't afraid of things going wrong.

Along the bluestone-paved road in the center of Tao Hua Town, Shen Yao strolled and browsed all the way, and whenever she came across a decent item she would spend money to buy it.

After all, with a storage bag on her person, it's nothing unusual for Shen Yao to produce whatever she needs.

"Miss has a good eye; this peach blossom hairpin is carefully carved from the branches and trunk of that peach tree in the town center — it's the most valuable piece in my little stall."

The stall owner is a middle-aged man, ordinary-looking but silver-tongued.

Shen Yao casually flipped through it a couple of times, quickly determined the price, and bought it.

Xi Chen looked at this peach blossom hairpin; before he could speak, he saw Shen Yao had already held the hairpin up before his eyes.

Hm?

Eyes widening slightly, "What's wrong?" Xi Chen examined the hairpin and found that aside from being more exquisite, it was no different from other peach blossom hairpins.

Shen Yao smiled faintly, "Didn't notice?" The demonic qi on the hairpin is very heavy, and a faint red light flickers on it from time to time.

Xi Chen shook his head very straightforwardly; he only saw an ordinary hairpin.

Shen Yao let out an "oh," reached out, and pinned the hairpin in her own hair.

There was still the magic artifact she had used earlier in her hair; the moment the two touched, the demonic qi on the hairpin weakened by a good chunk.

Shen Yao didn't mind; she raised her head to observe the area she had walked through and discovered the black qi on the buildings was still dense, faintly revealing an ominous air.

……

Daytime in Tao Hua Town is short; clearly it should be the season of spring warmth and blooming flowers in the third month, yet it has forcibly turned into a summer of unpredictable clouds and rain.

Finding a spot under a roof eave to rest, Shen Yao gazed at this sudden downpour, her expression growing increasingly heavy.

"We'll go take a look at the town's edge in a bit," if we can't get out, the trouble will be even greater.

Xi Chen gave an "mm," and added that he vaguely sensed the location of the patroller in this instance — "lingering at the town's edge, not advancing."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yao and Xi Chen lifted their gazes to look at each other; both realized this might not be good news.

It's not that the patroller doesn't want to enter; perhaps the patroller simply can't get in.

The rain eased; taking out an oil-paper umbrella, Xi Chen and Shen Yao strolled forward in the rain under the umbrella.

Guan Ying looked up at the window outside; she is partnered with a man named Su Yunzhou.

The two had originally wormed their way into a solitary elderly person's home to probe for information, but unexpectedly it started raining outside, so they could only stay temporarily and wait for the rain to stop.

"Outside, someone?"

Actually going out with an umbrella — truly not afraid of mishap; this rain comes in a strange and sinister way, she doesn't even dare touch it.

"Seems like someone from the team," Su Yunzhou glanced outward, because the facial impression was quite deep.

Guan Ying doesn't care about these things; she asked Su Yunzhou what that solitary old person said, "We have to stay here for at least seven days.

For safety's sake, it's very important to learn more about the background of Tao Hua Town and the Peach Blossom Festival."

Su Yunzhou nodded, "That person said those who can participate in the Peach Blossom Festival are all couples paired up in twos."

"Anything else?" Guan Ying pressed.

Su Yunzhou shook his head, "Fell asleep; can only wait for him to wake up and probe again."

The people here, though warm, are also highly vigilant; rashly probing can easily cause trouble.

The two of them had no leads for the moment; all they could do was wait.

They looked at each other, each sighed, each to their own, turned around, and went about their own business.

And in a place they hadn't noticed, drifting black-red qi was continuously eroding their bodies, imperceptibly altering their behavior.

On the other side, Shen Yao and Xi Chen, who could already gradually see the outline of the town's edge, also fell silent.

It really is the worst outcome; they're like they've entered a segment of space that keeps being repeatedly reset — can't get out, and even if they get out, upon returning they're still at the edge of Tao Hua Town.

Reaching out to touch the space producing water ripples, Shen Yao knocked and tapped at it, and finally concluded this is merely a blind — actually there's no road outside at all.

"How's it on your end?" Xi Chen has a special means to contact the patroller.

"Still no good; the other side shows they're right around us," but all around they've tried many times — this place is forever inside Tao Hua Town.

Xi Chen's complexion looked bad; his originally amorous peach blossom eyes also turned several degrees sharper.

Shen Yao reached out and patted his shoulder, "Maybe the time hasn't come yet.

Didn't they say seven days later is the Peach Blossom Festival in Tao Hua Town? At that time there will definitely be large numbers of people from outside coming in."

Perhaps the space trapping us right now only has a restriction of these few days.

Or perhaps, even after seven days, they still won't be able to leave the town's edge smoothly.

"Let's go back first, exchange information with the others, see if there are any new clues."

Though the two of them didn't find much, they aren't existences that drag things down either.

The flower petals placed in the storage bag Shen Yao didn't move; she's still waiting, waiting for an opportunity — to clear the Tao Hua Town instance and leave smoothly at the same time.

When they returned to the residence, the rain outside had weakened a few degrees more.

Shen Yao and Xi Chen had just entered the door when they were called into the main hall by people waiting at the doorway.

This place is similar in style to an ancient courtyard house; the central courtyard of the rooms is excessively large.

They all squeezed in and there was still space left, showing it could hold a great many people.

"You're back, any gains?" The one who spoke was the temporary person in charge, named Zhou Hai.

He didn't wait for Shen Yao to speak, but first laid out the intelligence he had obtained, also meaning to put Shen Yao and Xi Chen at ease.

Otherwise having their gains white-looted, anyone would feel uncomfortable.

"Water ripples block the town's edge; even if you go out, you return inside Tao Hua Town.

The Patrollers are not in Tao Hua Town, they are outside, but we can't see the Patrollers, and likewise, the Patrollers temporarily can't enter."

Shen Yao quickly told everyone in the Dian Dian the information she and Xi Chen had obtained.

Afterwards she was met with varied expressions; as the proverb goes, some rejoice, some worry.

Shen Yao shrugged her shoulders, pulled Xi Chen, and straightforwardly found a corner to sit down, as if the situation inside the Dian Dian at this moment had nothing to do with her.

"This, can't be true, right? The Patrollers in the instance have outstanding abilities and no mean methods," yet the result was they were stuck outside the instance unable to enter, simply a fantasy.

Others voiced agreement, some softly refuted; in the end Zhou Hai had the final say, "It's true."

He is Investigation Bureau personnel; his means of contacting Patrollers are even more convenient.

The result: not a single person could be found in all of Tao Hua Town; Zhou Hai had long had this premonition.

However, someone able to point out this matter shows that the people who entered this instance all have quite formidable methods and abilities.

Shen Yao and Xi Chen's information was merely one among many; the others weren't idle either.

After everyone had pooled their variously obtained contents, the rain outside had already dissipated, leaving only a gloomy sky.

"It's already five in the afternoon; six is dinner time; Tao Hua Town has an eight o'clock curfew; everyone wanting to go out be careful; those not wanting to go out can temporarily stay in the rooms to rest."

Zhou Hai isn't the type to disregard everything just to complete a mission.

Having explained the following matters properly, he first called his partner and went out.

As for the others remaining in the Dian Dian, it depends on each person's own thoughts and ideas.

Shen Yao had no particular thoughts; Xi Chen, on the other hand, wore a face of entirely listening to Shen Yao's arrangements.

The two people directly returned to the room located in the Rear Hall, locked the door, half-opened the window, and sat on the bunk bed behind them to rest.

The room was dim, but water and electricity were connected; no need to worry about light issues.

After checking the room inside and out once, and laying down corresponding protective measures, Xi Chen walked to Shen Yao's side and sat down.

Leaning her head lightly on Xi Chen's shoulder, Shen Yao mentioned they would likely not rest well tonight.

Xi Chen smiled, "Living in an instance, these are unavoidable things."

Not to mention resting poorly at night; sometimes, considering their own safety, they wouldn't close their eyes to rest at all.

"The situation here is somewhat complex; those petals have little use."

When Shen Yao was in the Dian Dian, she once secretly crushed petals and infused them into tea to give to those beside her to drink; it had a bit of effect, but unfortunately nowhere near as significant as the effect in Wangsheng Village.

"These people all have life-saving items on them; basically nothing will happen in the first three days of the instance."

Xi Chen let Shen Yao not think too much; she couldn't possibly save everyone.

Shen Yao leaned in Xi Chen's embrace, "I didn't want to be some Savior; just feel that if possible, saving people out isn't bad," anyway she herself loses nothing.

As for the petals valued by the Investigation Bureau and Patrollers, Shen Yao's space lacks these things the least; she even has living Xi Guang Liu Ming Flower Seeds.

She doesn't lack things that restrain these evil spirits and magic qi, but in this current environment, how to utilize them to unleash effect is a very headache-inducing matter.

It's still that progress is too slow; the foundation can't keep up, shaking and unsteady; even if the upper-level buildings are more exquisite, what use are they?

Still, slowly develop and lay the foundation first; everything else can be delayed, only this matter cannot.

Six in the afternoon, light feeble.

The person bringing food carried the food box over, then left without a care.

It's not that no one wanted to pry the other's mouth open, but the person who came was a mute; what could be done?

Shen Yao found this instance hard to describe; thought in her heart: if things can't be delayed, then try the method used earlier in Wangsheng Village, kill all the way through from start to finish.

If there's no confidence, then be cute and obedient, don't cause trouble, honestly follow the plot.

If there is confidence yet still have to act stifled, that's truly meaningless.

Shen Yao didn't want to delay here too long; being able to leave early to lay groundwork for the future, who would be willing to be trapped here wasting time?

Unfortunately, before Shen Yao could go on a killing spree, the small courtyard where they had stayed only one night suddenly had an incident.

Rooms that should have housed seven pairs of men and women abruptly lacked two rooms.

One two three four five

Shen Yao came out from the room and immediately sensed something was wrong, knowing four people were also missing.

"It's the people staying in the corner rooms; the other rooms' areas have correspondingly expanded a few degrees."

After Zhou Hai spoke, he quickly ran to check; the result: the expanded room areas really exist, and there are no traces of the disappeared rooms in the surroundings.