Yan Mingguang stepped forward, his gaze lingering on the wooden plaque in Yan Wei’s hand for a long while.
Yan Wei’s eyes darted around, too embarrassed to meet Yan Mingguang’s gaze. He glanced to the sides, noticing that the girls who had been secretly watching from the sidelines had also left, perhaps frightened by Yan Mingguang’s cold aura.
Guanyin Town had been plagued by disturbances for so long, and with the recent suicide in the brothel, the atmosphere in the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel was already quite heavy. Yan Mingguang’s arrival only intensified the silence, with few people deliberately moving around. The surroundings were quiet, the faint sound of silk and bamboo instruments rising from below, mingling with the flickering candlelight.
Yan Mingguang remained silent, his gaze shifting from the wooden plaque to Yan Wei’s face. He seemed to be staring intently at Yan Wei’s eyes, his expression serious and unwavering.
Yan Wei dared not meet his gaze, lowering his eyes for a long while without hearing Yan Mingguang say anything.
The brothel was filled with an overwhelming floral fragrance, a mix of scents that stirred restless thoughts.
Yan Wei, holding a pile of these troublesome plaques, was almost at his limit. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter a word, a soft chuckle came from in front of him.
Yan Mingguang’s voice was always like a snow-covered pine, deep yet carrying a cold edge. This time, however, it seemed to be tinged with a hint of warmth: “Why don’t you like more things…”
The words sounded like a teasing jest, yet there was also a hint of helplessness in them.
Yan Wei was momentarily stunned, forgetting his earlier embarrassment. Holding the girls’ plaques in his hands, he looked up and met Yan Mingguang’s gaze.
“What?” he said.
Was this jealousy or something else?
Why didn’t he quite understand?
Yan Mingguang’s pitch-black eyes reflected Yan Wei’s figure, the candlelight in his gaze flickering like stars, revealing no emotion.
Yan Mingguang spoke again: “Let’s go.”
At the same moment, Yan Wei suddenly snapped out of his wandering thoughts—he sensed a strange and sinister aura.
The floral fragrance around them seemed to have grown stronger, mixed with a scent Yan Wei recognized… it was the same floral scent from the night the female ghost attacked him!
Yan Wei closed his eyes slightly, his Perception spreading out as he focused, hearing faint sounds of intimacy coming from a certain direction. That was where the floral scent was emanating from.
He and Yan Mingguang exchanged a glance, and the latter nodded at him. Yan Wei could no longer care about the plaques in his hands, letting them fall to the ground with a clatter. Yan Mingguang grabbed Yan Wei’s hand, and in an instant, they disappeared from the brothel.
They still didn’t know how to suppress the female ghost, and with only two Items between them, openly confronting the malevolent entity was not a wise move. This was something Yan Mingguang naturally understood without Yan Wei having to say it. Using his skill, Yan Mingguang brought Yan Wei to a deserted alley several streets away from the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel.
The alley was quite secluded, with the eerie Black Sea ahead. Ordinary townsfolk rarely ventured here except for funerals or receiving people. The two of them appeared out of thin air, unnoticed by anyone.
Yan Wei’s vision blurred momentarily, and when he steadied himself, he found himself in the quiet alley.
Yan Mingguang still held his hand.
Yan Wei’s fingertips lightly pressed against the back of Yan Mingguang’s hand, unconsciously rubbing it. He still felt that Yan Mingguang’s earlier words were somewhat strange, even touching on a vague sense of being kept in the dark.
But as he looked at Yan Mingguang, he ultimately swallowed the questions he wanted to ask.
If Yan Mingguang really wanted to say something, he would have done so already. Asking was the least meaningful action; it was better for him to find the answers himself.
He already had some clues.
Yan Wei averted his gaze, his eyes sweeping over the swallow pendant Yan Mingguang always wore. His expression returned to normal.
“The person who died in the academy today,” he said, “was likely ensnared by that female ghost when he came to the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel, right?”
Yan Mingguang nodded lightly: “Most likely.”
Over the years, those who died in such strange ways usually died suddenly in their rooms or in places with no signs of struggle. Moreover, their corpses decayed rapidly, developing corpse spots within a day, their bodies turning blue and stiff, and they would even rise from their coffins.
Yan Wei had previously speculated that these people weren’t ensnared by the female ghost at the moment of their death, but earlier. The malevolent entity was absorbing their vitality, and once it reached a certain threshold, they would suddenly die.
Yan Wei had experienced the female ghost’s method of attack—it was an indescribable act of intimacy, causing people to unknowingly fall into its trap.
In a place like the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel, those who came here, in their dazed state, wouldn’t know whether they were with a person or a ghost. And those who didn’t realize it themselves would return and die suddenly after some time. Coupled with the incidents involving the elderly, weak, women, and children, the townsfolk of Guanyin Town naturally wouldn’t think of the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel.
Now it seemed that those who died in similarly strange ways, or those who were frightened into soul loss syndrome, were mostly just distractions created by the female ghost to expand the range of victims and make it seem like the ghost was everywhere. Additionally, with some of the deceased’s neighbors also falling victim, the townsfolk would only think that the deceased’s homes were haunted.
From the current clues, there didn’t seem to be any doubts about this.
But where did this female ghost come from? Why did she mainly target male patrons of the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel? What was her connection to the Shen Estate, which was described as malevolent by A’Yu?
Yan Wei looked at Yan Mingguang.
Yan Mingguang said, “I followed the person with soul loss syndrome earlier and found out some things.”
He paused but didn’t continue.
Yan Wei blinked. “If we combine that with what you know, my side quest should be almost complete. So this female ghost—”
“Let’s go back and talk,” Yan Mingguang said, his tone unusually hurried.
Yan Wei had originally wanted to complete the quest as soon as possible to confirm the numbers, but Yan Mingguang’s suggestion to go back and discuss wasn’t unreasonable—after all, high-level players who could enter this instance all had their own trump cards. If someone were eavesdropping, it wouldn’t be good.
But… Yan Mingguang wasn’t usually this cautious. Why was he being so careful this time…?
Yan Wei felt that something was off with Yan Mingguang, but from start to finish, Yan Mingguang’s behavior was normal. He couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong.
He simply said, “Alright.”
They walked hand in hand back to Guanyin Academy.
On the way, Yan Wei encountered two funeral processions. The entire Guanyin Town was filled with an atmosphere of fear and unease.
After returning, Yan Wei specifically checked the rooms of Lin Zhen and the others. The rooms were empty, so they were probably still handling the tasks he had assigned earlier. Whether it was finding traces of the opposing faction’s players or ensuring that Lin Zhen and Lin Qing could act and retreat without leaving a trace, it wasn’t a simple task. It was normal for them not to return so quickly.
He sent messages to Lin Qing and Song Cheng’an, telling them not to fight among themselves and to return to Guanyin Academy as soon as their cooperation was complete to discuss the next steps.
Then, Yan Wei brought Yan Mingguang back to his own room in Guanyin Academy.
They sat side by side on the bed, Yan Wei holding onto Yan Mingguang’s arm as the latter slowly pulled out a folded painting from his sleeve.
Yan Mingguang’s movements were unhurried. The daylight seeped through the paper-covered window, the dust swaying in the light, the rays outlining the contours of Yan Mingguang’s profile. Yan Wei watched his hands as he carefully unfolded the painting, his attention unconsciously shifting to Yan Mingguang’s face.
After glancing a few times, Yan Wei couldn’t help but lean in and kiss Yan Mingguang’s jaw.
They had often sat like this in dangerous instances, analyzing clues. Yan Wei had done this countless times. After the kiss, he didn’t react, but Yan Mingguang was the first to pinch his chin.
“This instance is dangerous,” the man’s voice was steady and serious, “tone it down.”
Yan Wei: “?”
Who was the one who couldn’t control himself even on the train?
“Hypocrite,” he muttered.
Yan Mingguang didn’t argue.
Yan Wei: “What’s this painting? Why haven’t you opened it yet?”
He was eager to know the numbers to confirm the faction situation, but Yan Mingguang was moving so slowly. Unable to wait, Yan Wei reached out and took the painting.
Upon unfolding it, a portrait of a woman drawn with meticulous brushstrokes came into view.
The portrait had no color, only pure black lines. The woman’s dress was long, but the style was simple. Looking up, her hair ornaments were even more plain, almost resembling a man’s tied hair.
Her brows and eyes were smiling, her lips curved, her beautiful face on the paper exuding a gentle warmth.
Whoever painted this had captured the woman’s poised yet gentle demeanor with simple lines. The brushwork was elegant, yet the strokes were as swift as the wind. Whether it was the artist’s skill or the woman’s own beauty, the painting was a masterpiece.
But as Yan Wei held it, the cold touch of the paper felt like the eerie chill of a deep night, sending shivers down his spine.
The surroundings were already cold and quiet. As he stared at the painting, the chill only intensified.
Yan Wei closed the painting and listened as Yan Mingguang spoke: “Her name is Jiang Jingyun. She died five years ago. This painting was found in her room.”
“The Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel didn’t give her room to someone else?”
“No. After her death, some people claimed to have seen her at midnight. The woman we saw with soul loss syndrome also said she saw Jiang Jingyun and was frightened into madness. So no one dared to live in that room; it was sealed off.”
Yan Wei only asked: “Were there any clothes she wore before her death in the room? What color?”
“Red.”
It matched.
Yan Wei put the painting away and listened as Yan Mingguang recounted the events.
Earlier, while Yan Wei stayed in front of Fengxian’s room to gather information about Squire Shen, Yan Mingguang followed the people who had taken the woman with soul loss syndrome. He noticed that the woman suddenly started screaming and almost broke free from the servants when they passed a locked room. But once they passed that room, the woman’s condition improved.
The servants also walked quickly past that room, their expressions tense, as if afraid of being haunted by something ominous.
Yan Mingguang directly unlocked the door and entered the room to investigate.
The room was covered in dust, the air thick with particles as soon as the door opened. There was no candlelight, only the floating dust.
In the drawers, he found many such paintings, as well as some poetry books. The wardrobe contained either extremely simple and practical robes or mostly red dresses for women. On a table against the wall, there was a pile of wooden plaques similar to Fengxian’s, but these plaques were blank, as if they hadn’t been carved yet.
Yan Mingguang took this painting and spent a large sum of money to ask an older servant in the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel about the woman’s story.
Jiang Jingyun wasn’t one of those girls who had been bought into the brothel at a young age and raised to entertain guests. She had her own name, and although her family background wasn’t the best, she was still from a respectable family. Unlike other women, she had somehow learned poetry and literature, making her stand out.
But the Jiang family had met with misfortune over five years ago.
This misfortune not only left Jiang Jingyun orphaned and bankrupt, but she was also sold into the brothel, plunging into the life of a courtesan.
Squire Shen had long coveted Jiang Jingyun, and it was unclear how much of a role he played in the Jiang family’s downfall. As soon as Jiang Jingyun was sold into the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel, Squire Shen spent a fortune to buy her. At the time, there were others who came to buy Jiang Jingyun, including scholars from Guanyin Academy who were usually spouting Confucian teachings. But Squire Shen’s offer was too high, and in the end, he took Jiang Jingyun’s contract.
Jiang Jingyun had only been in the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel for a few days, her courtesan name not yet decided, her plaque not yet carved, before she was taken to the Shen Estate.
Not long after, servants from the Shen Estate leaked the news that Jiang Jingyun had died.
The life of a brothel girl was cheap, and Jiang Jingyun’s death was just another statistic. The Shen Estate continued to scour for beautiful women every now and then. But in the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel, people began to see ghosts, claiming to see a long-haired woman in a red dress wandering the brothel. The woman Yan Wei encountered with soul loss syndrome was one of those who had been frightened into madness.
The Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel hired someone to perform rites, and the matter was suppressed.
Later, although Guanyin Town began to experience strange incidents, the victims included men, women, and children, and they weren’t dying in the brothel. Most died suddenly in their homes, so naturally, no one would think to connect it to the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel.
Yan Wei tossed a coin in his hand. “The source of the evil aura in the Black Sea around Guanyin Town is these unnatural deaths. They’re all related to Jiang Jingyun. Jiang Jingyun’s death was caused by Squire Shen’s vengeance… So the malevolent spirit we need to suppress is Jiang Jingyun’s vengeful ghost?”
As soon as Yan Wei finished speaking, the instance’s notification echoed in the minds of all players in his faction.
[Congratulations to the players in your faction for completing a side quest—discovering the cause of death for most of the inexplicable deaths and identifying the source of the resentment in Guanyin Town’s Black Sea. This side quest aids the main quest progress. The player who completed the quest receives a 3-point progress reward, and other players in the faction receive a 2-point progress reward.]
[Congratulations to your faction for receiving the side quest reward—the number of players in both factions.]
[Total number of players loaded in this instance: 25. Number of players in your current faction: 8.]
After hearing the notification, Yan Wei instinctively glanced at Yan Mingguang.
Eight people… himself, Yan Mingguang, Lin Qing, Lin Zhen, Yu Feizhou, Song Cheng’an, Zhong Bufan, and Yu Zhengqing—exactly eight. It seemed nothing was amiss.
Earlier, Yan Mingguang’s hesitant and slow demeanor had made it seem like he didn’t want Yan Wei to complete this side quest. Yan Wei had thought…
Perhaps he was just overthinking it.
Outside the Shen Estate.
Lin Zhen, who had just finished the encirclement, casually tossed aside an arrow feather and laughed. “Wow, 25 people and we only have 8? Seventeen to eight? They’re really going all out.”
Lin Qing simply said, “Expected. Don’t throw the arrows around. Some of them can mimic our skills, so we can’t let them get their hands on our arrows.”
Lin Zhen shrugged.
Yu Feizhou shook his head helplessly and bent down to pick up the arrow.
Inside the Shen Estate.
Several players were gathered in a guest room, arguing incessantly. The two people who had recently used Lin Qing’s skills and Items had not been identified, and the argument only grew more heated.
If one were to count carefully, excluding the deceased Meng Lin and including Lin Qiao, there were sixteen people in the room.
A man with a black cloth covering his eyes, dressed in black, also sat among them.
Although Geng Liang couldn’t see, his skill naturally connected his Perception to his senses, allowing him to feel the increasingly unpleasant expressions of the others. But it hadn’t reached the point of complete internal strife yet. As a successful mole who had infiltrated this faction, since Lin Qing had provided such an excellent opportunity for a counterattack, it would be a waste not to amplify the effect.
He seized the moment to add a few inflammatory remarks, then suddenly fell silent.
[…Total number of players loaded in this instance: 25. Number of players in your current faction: 8.]
Geng Liang: “???”
According to this notification, the opposing faction he had infiltrated should have a total of seventeen players.
Meng Lin was dead, meaning this faction should have sixteen people.
There were indeed sixteen people here…
But he was a mole!!
