Chapter 86: Lighthouse Village (Part 4)

After Su Xi killed the evil dragon, a golden Treasure Box fell out from between the dragon's bones.

The system also recovered.

【Er Miao? Are you alright?】

【I am fine. This mission has rules that shield the system. Host, you must be careful!】

【I see, that's a relief. Actually, this place is similar to that Zerg invasion; both restrict the system, and Thunder Spirit Power is actually more useful here.】

"Come on, Xiao Yan, you open it." She tossed the golden Treasure Box to Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan caught it, "But you were the one who fought for it, how can I open it? You should open it instead."

Su Xi laughed: "It's all the same, and didn't you accept this mission? We'll just split whatever is inside."

"Mm." Xiao Yan opened the Treasure Box; inside was a purplish-red Dragon Pearl and a Guild Token.

"The Dragon Pearl has the effect of blocking radiation. The Guild Token is for establishing a guild." Xiao Yan gave both items to Su Xi.

Su Xi asked Xiao Yan, "Do you want to build a guild?"

Xiao Yan shook his head, "No."

"I don't want to either, so let's sell it. After exchanging it for points, we'll split them fifty-fifty."

"Okay!"

Su Xi put the Guild Token away and had Er Miao sell it on the Player Trading Market.

Almost as soon as it was listed, it was snatched up in a second.

"100,000 Game Points have arrived, let's each take half." Su Xi immediately transferred 50,000 Game Points to Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan accepted them.

Su Xi looked at the points and suddenly froze; it was a good while later before she smiled, "So that's how it is."

"What's wrong, Sister Miao?" Xiao Yan asked.

Su Xi replied: "I had been mixing up God Points and Game Points."

Xiao Yan replied: "Is there a difference between Game Points and God Points?"

"The difference is huge!" Su Xi excitedly showed Xiao Yan, "One God Point can be exchanged for ten thousand Game Points! The reverse exchange doesn't work, meaning ten thousand Game Points cannot be exchanged for one God Point."

Xiao Yan opened his own system to show Su Xi, "Mine are all Game Points."

Su Xi glanced at it, "What about God Points, do you have even one?"

"No God Points; it should be that one needs to obtain God Points first to trigger the display," Xiao Yan replied.

"That must be it." Su Xi tapped a few times on the light screen, "Huh? It actually won't let me send them."

"God Points might need to be exchanged into Game Points before they can circulate," Xiao Yan replied.

Su Xi performed an operation.

Xiao Yan received a Game Point transfer from Da Miao.

"Sister Miao, why are you giving me points?" Xiao Yan asked in surprise.

"A gift for you." Su Xi smiled, "Sister is in a good mood today. I used to curse my god for being stingy, but now it seems he is not only not stingy, but very generous. For one mission, he hands out 1,000,000 Game Points."

"..." Xiao Yan beamed, "Thank you, Sister Miao."

"You're welcome. Who is your god?" Su Xi asked.

Xiao Yan replied: "It is a god called... 000."

"That sounds like a fake name just hearing it."

"... It's not necessarily all fake."

"Mine is called 24; what kind of god would choose a name like that?"

"Then what should he be called?" Xiao Yan asked.

Su Xi thought for a moment, "I think a god's name should be the kind that is extremely hard to read and extremely hard to write."

"Why?"

"Because a god's name carries the power of a god."

"That depends on the situation. If a god's name is imprinted into their Godhood, then that name carries Divine Power. If it is not imprinted into the Godhood, it is just an ordinary moniker."

"Hm?" Su Xi looked at him, "How do you know that?"

"I heard it from someone else too." Xiao Yan scratched his head, looking ignorant.

Su Xi flicked his forehead lightly, "Perhaps. Sister doesn't know much about it either."

The horizon brightened, a golden morning light illuminating Su Xi's smile and Xiao Yan's pure, gentle face.

"Alright, let's go investigate the mystery of the missing villagers." Although the evil dragon was killed, the mission had no progress; they likely hadn't touched the core yet.

Xiao Yan put away his system light screen and answered happily.

Su Xi prepared to use the System Map to search, only to find the system couldn't be used again.

"When the system was working just now, we should have used the map first. Especially those camping supplies we bought; we didn't even take them out."

"Next time it works, we'll take the items out first."

"Mm!"

Since the System Map couldn't be used, Su Xi and Xiao Yan had no choice but to knock on doors house by house.

But after walking down two streets, not a single household opened their door, or rather, there was no one in any of them.

Xiao Yan said: "Could it be that all the villagers have disappeared?"

"It's possible." Su Xi walked up to a door.

This house was different from the others; two yellow paper Talismans were pasted on the doorway.

Su Xi looked closely, "It's an Exorcism Talisman."

She knocked on the door.

Faint, rustling sounds came from inside.

Xiao Yan said, "Someone is there."

"Mm." Su Xi called out, "Excuse us, we are Special Envoys here to investigate the disappearance of the villagers, and we would like to understand the situation from you."

This time, the sound in the courtyard grew a bit louder.

Soon, someone came to open the door.

An old man with graying hair, followed by a four or five-year-old little boy.

"Special Envoys?" The old man looked at Su Xi and Xiao Yan.

"Yes." Su Xi squatted down, looked the little boy in the eye, and asked, "What is your name?"

"Xiao Shitou," the little boy replied.

Su Xi felt around in her pocket and pulled out a lollipop; this was something Xiao Mi had stuffed into her pocket.

"This is for you. I have a little sister about your age, and it's her favorite thing to eat." Su Xi gave the lollipop to Xiao Shitou.

Xiao Yan glanced at Su Xi but did not speak.

In truth, he was also quite puzzled; Xiao Mi was not very close to them, her own older brothers and sisters, and would want to run off after playing for a while, impossible to hold back, the kind that no amount of coaxing could soothe.

Yet she could play with Su Xi for ages; if Jun Shu hadn't forcibly dragged her away, she would have kept following her.

Moreover, she never slept beside them, yet could lie on Su Xi and sleep for a whole day.

"Thank you, Big Sister," the little boy said timidly.

The old man invited Su Xi and Xiao Yan inside.

There were also Talismans pasted in the courtyard.

Su Xi asked, "Where did this Talisman come from?"

The old man replied, "Half a month ago, Xiao Shitou and I went to the market and met a down-and-out Daoist priest who was drawing Talismans to trade for food. Xiao Shitou used two steamed buns to trade for ten Talismans. He said they could ensure peace and keep evil spirits away. After we got back, I just used some leftover porridge to stick the Talisman on the door."

"It is a very authentic Exorcism Talisman," Su Xi replied.

"The Special Envoy recognizes it?"

"Mm, I also practice the Dao, so I know a thing or two. I wonder when the villagers started disappearing, and is there anything in the village that seems particularly discordant with the usual?"

The old man immediately told Su Xi everything that had happened in the village during this period.

Xiao Yan was playing a game of picking up small sticks with Xiao Shitou on the side.

Lighthouse Village was a fishing village, and the villagers made a living by fishing. Ten days ago, not a single fisherman who went out to sea returned.

Later, the villagers who went to look for the fishermen also did not return.

The village began to be filled with panic.

Some people went to the town to report to the officials, but the officials never sent anyone.

On the fifth night, someone saw shadows moving by the seaside from the lighthouse.

Thinking the missing fishermen had returned, every household set out to check.

But once they went, those people never returned to the village either.

That day, the old man happened to be at home taking care of the feverish Xiao Shitou, so he didn't go.

But he helped search during the day and didn't find anything. Moreover, as the tide rose and fell, not even a footprint was left behind.

Gradually, there were fewer and fewer villagers, and now only the old man and his grandson remained.

"Besides you and Xiao Shitou, are you sure there are no other villagers who haven't disappeared?" Xiao Yan asked the old man.

The old man replied, "Now that you mention it, little brother, there is indeed one household, that is, the neighbor across the way, Lao Yutou. They moved away three days ago.

Oh, right, right, look at my memory; Lao Yutou mentioned something.

It was that on the night before his family moved, a strange thing happened.

He said he heard knocking on the door at night. The person claimed to be their eldest son who had returned. His eldest son had drowned three years ago while playing in the water by the sea. And since no one in his family had gone missing, Lao Yutou felt it was suspicious, so he didn't open the door.

That person knocking later opened the courtyard gate's bolt himself and entered the courtyard.

But he just stood in the courtyard for a while and then left. The next day, as soon as it was light, Lao Yutou packed his things and left the village with his wife and children.

Before leaving, he even gave me a bag of rice, saying it was to thank me for my family's Talisman.

The day I stuck the Talisman up, Lao Yutou's youngest son happened to run over to play and took one away.

When Lao Yutou moved away, he even specifically stuck that Talisman on the front of his cart."

"It is an evil spirit at work," Su Xi said to Xiao Yan, "It seems we will have to stay here for the night."

"If you two don't mind, you can rest at my place," the old man offered warmly.

Su Xi smiled and said, "Thank you, old man, but we will go to Lao Yutou's house across the way. To catch an evil spirit, one naturally has to follow it."

"Then I will get you the key. When Lao Yutou left, he left the key with me, saying he might come back in a while, or he might not."

The old man gave the key to Su Xi.

Su Xi smiled and said, "Mm, thank you for the trouble, old man."

"What trouble? Since the Special Envoys have come, I don't have anything good to treat you with; come to the house for lunch, I'll slaughter a chicken."

"No need, no need, we still have to go to other places to check. You just go about your business," Su Xi said politely.

Xiao Yan also said, "You should also do as before; do not come out at night. Even if you hear knocking, do not be curious."

"Yes, yes, I won't disturb the Special Envoys' investigation, and I hope we can find our missing villagers as soon as possible."

"I'm afraid the outlook is grim," Xiao Yan said to the old man.

The old man sighed, seemingly having been mentally prepared for a long time.

After leaving the home of the grandfather and grandson, Su Xi said to Xiao Yan, "Let's go to the seaside first."

"Mm." Xiao Yan looked at the grandfather and grandson standing at the door and waved at them.

Su Xi smiled and said, "They are just quest characters; whoever comes, the dialogue is the same, helping players complete the mission."

Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment, then scratched her ear, "I forgot."

"That proves our Xiao Yan has a pure and kind heart." Su Xi fished another lollipop out of her pocket, "Here~"

Xiao Yan smiled, "Thank you, Sister Miao."

Su Xi's gaze was gentle, "You're welcome."

The seaside during the day is different from at night.

Golden sunlight spilled over the surface of the sea, sparkling. Where was the gloom and terror of the night when she killed the evil dragon, which felt like a boundless abyss?

"Can you dive?" Su Xi asked Xiao Yan.

"I can," Xiao Yan replied.

"I did buy diving equipment, but unfortunately, it's all in the System Space."

"If it were a battlefield, unexpected situations would arise at any time, like the system being unusable, for instance." Xiao Yan picked up a white seashell from the ground and toyed with it at her fingertips.

Su Xi looked at Xiao Yan, "A battlefield?"

Xiao Yan nodded, "Isn't this God-Favored Game of ours just a large-scale game war?"

"Is it?" Su Xi still felt it was just a game.

"Games are primarily for entertainment; only wars result in bloodshed and death. That's how I understand it, please don't laugh at me, Sister Miao." Xiao Yan said, looking a bit shy.

Su Xi, however, became serious, "Right! You're absolutely correct!"

She looked out at the sea, "This is a war wearing the guise of a game."

"Sister Miao, shall we form an alliance?" As Xiao Yan said this, she bit her finger.

Bright red blood flowed out, and Xiao Yan hurriedly pinched it to keep it from dripping.

Su Xi was stunned, but since she had already bitten it, she couldn't say anything, so she also bit her finger, "What do we do next?"

Xiao Yan pressed her finger against Su Xi's, muttered a few words, and then put the two pressed-together fingers into her mouth...

Su Xi immediately felt it was inappropriate, but since she had already put them in her mouth, she could only smile helplessly: "What kind of strange ritual is this?"

Xiao Yan's soft tongue flicked against Su Xi's fingertip, then she let go.

"Lick it, and the wound will heal."

"..." Su Xi looked at the bite mark that hadn't healed, "Oh."

"My mother said so."

Your mother was definitely just humoring you...

Xiao Yan gave a silly smile, "It doesn't seem to work very well."

A trace of spiritual power overflowed from Su Xi's fingertip, and after circling her fingertip once, the wound healed.

Then she grabbed her finger and performed the same operation, and it healed too, "Mine is the real deal, better now?"

"So amazing!" Xiao Yan's eyes widened, "Thank you, Sister!"

Then she gave the snow-white seashell to her.

Su Xi had wanted to refuse, but her gaze was so sincere that she couldn't bear to, so she accepted it, "You're welcome!"

"Did you record it?" Xiao Qi asked Xiao Mi.

Xiao Mi's golden, glittering eyes were beautifully dazzling, "I recorded it!"

"Later, playing this experience at their wedding will definitely be fun!" Xiao Qi squinted and smiled.

Yasi brought over two fruit drinks; the cups were decorated with cute curly straws, beautiful roses, and green grapes.

Watching the two little white mice lying on the soft cushion, guarding a Crystal Ball to watch, his gaze was soft, "Please enjoy, your Highnesses."

"Thank you, Uncle Yasi." Xiao Qi took a sip and took a plate of cookies out of her Small Storage Bag, "Try the handiwork of my little white."

Yasi took one, "Not bad, you should let him come over to play sometime."

"If he comes, who will watch the door?"

"Why don't you find another beast-husband? Look at Xiao Chanchan, she's already found eight."

"That's because she has a universe to manage; those beast-husbands are never idle. I do have the heart for it, but my little white won't allow it, saying he alone is enough to handle things."

"... You really do bully little white." Yasi fed the other fruit drink to Xiao Mi, "Give the Crystal Ball to me; it's time to go to class. You can only continue watching after you come back from class."

"I'll go with you to class," Xiao Qi said to Xiao Mi.

"Okay." Xiao Mi finished her fruit drink in one breath and ran off.

"Goodbye, Uncle~" The voice drifted in the air.

Xiao Qi hurriedly followed her, "Wait for me, Sister~"

Yasi stood by the window, his beautiful, rose-red eyes looking at them with warmth and tenderness as they ran out of the manor one after another and left via the teleportation array.