Chapter 759: Chapter 574: Wild Temple
Before, Director Nalan had mentioned that there would be eleven participants in this task. Yang Xiao was also very curious about whether or not he was included in these eleven.
If he was, then it would be terrifying, as it would mean that the Ghost Script had calculated his unexpected involvement. But if he wasn’t included, that would be even more troubling; the task designed for eleven would now have a "twelfth person," which would certainly rile up the group of veteran players.
Thinking from another perspective, this mysteriously extra person would inevitably be treated as a Ghost. With a "ghost" slipping in at the start of the task, unnecessary suspicion and infighting within the team would ensue, planting a lethal seed for the entire task.
Apart from a few greetings from the bald man, the other people on site showed almost no reaction to Yang Xiao’s arrival. No one spoke. While warming up by the fire, everyone was secretly observing each other. Not everyone had arrived yet, and everyone was waiting for the real start of the task.
Seizing this opportunity, Yang Xiao began to observe the small temple seriously. The temple wasn’t large, but it was home to quite a few deities—around a dozen or so. However, due to years of neglect, the clay statues had deteriorated badly, and Yang Xiao couldn’t recognize which sacred figures they were supposed to be, but they were definitely not the usual kinds from the Taoist or Buddhist schools.
What was truly bizarre were the faces of these statues. Every face was defaced as if struck by axes and knives, especially the three-meter tall statue in the center whose face had been violently hollowed out, leaving a terror-inducing deep pit. Just looking at it made one extremely uncomfortable, as if their own face had been scooped out.
Suddenly, the sound of scraping interrupted his thoughts. Looking towards the noise, he saw the stone-blocked door being pushed open forcefully, and a woman, soaked to the bone and pallid from the cold, walked in. As the woman crossed the threshold, she stumbled and nearly fell.
The bald man immediately got up to help, and together with Yang Xiao, they brought her over to the fire. After a few minutes of warming up, the woman gradually regained her senses. Only then did Yang Xiao notice that she was a very young and attractive girl.
On the exposed part of the girl’s back, Yang Xiao saw some peculiar painted patterns that looked mesmerizing, as if hiding something.
"Thank you," the girl said to Yang Xiao as she reached out to take her coat, which was being warmed by him in his hands, inadvertently covering Yang Xiao’s impolite gaze.
Realizing belatedly, Yang Xiao quickly averted his curious eyes. It was very important to make a good impression on his teammates before the task began.
Over the next while, more teammates who were nearly frozen arrived, until a trembling young man pushed open the door; he was the eleventh person.
After the man was settled down, an old man sitting at the front, with his legs crossed on the ground, spoke up, "Everyone, now that we are all here, let’s begin."
"Let’s start with me," said the bald man with a smile, "Zhang Songde. I’m in the hotel business in Southeast Asia. I’ve only recently returned to the country. I look forward to everyone’s care."
"Yuan Ruoci, doll repairer," a girl with long hair and a gentle demeanor said, her voice just clear enough for everyone to hear.
"Lou Huixiang, haunted house planner," a skinny, tall man in his early thirties said in a subdued tone. He had an unhealthy look about him, and his weak voice contributed to that impression.
"Tang Zerun, cybersecurity expert," the man said tersely, nodding slightly at the crowd by way of greeting.
"Gong Banlan, school academic affairs director," a woman in her forties spoke up, her gaze quickly scanning over everyone’s faces before she imperceptibly withdrew it.
"Chang Chuchu, Funeral Master," a woman with an indifferent expression spoke, exuding a maturity that seemed beyond her youth.
Yang Xiao noticed with sharp attention that the woman was missing part of her little finger on her right hand, the site of the missing digit looked hastily treated, which gave him a very bad feeling. It was almost as if it had been bitten off by something. Considering her profession, Yang Xiao concluded that she was not someone simple.
Then it was Director Nalan’s turn, but as he began to speak, Yang Xiao couldn’t help but freeze, a sudden knot forming in his heart.
"Nalan Shuo, I’m a police officer," Nalan Shuo announced his real name calmly and gave everyone a reassuring smile.
This was not in accordance with the agreement they had before. Why would Director Nalan reveal his real name, even mentioning a profession that was very close to his own? After a brief reflection, Yang Xiao could only come up with two answers. First, this Director might be an impostor and the real Director had died—unlikely, since the task had just begun. The second was that someone among the people present knew his background, making it unnecessary to hide his identity.
Could there be some of Director Nalan’s old acquaintances among these people? Yang Xiao felt a chill. This might not be a good sign. After all, if they were good colleagues from the Patrol Defense Office or something similar, they should have been informed if chosen by the same Ghost Script. But the Director hadn’t said so, which clearly meant he hadn’t been informed.
If not friends, then the likelihood of them being enemies was higher. Director Nalan’s enemies didn’t sound easy to deal with.
"Fang Zhou." The man sitting a bit away from the fire pit spoke up; he was the last person to arrive. The man was quite young, carrying the air of someone who hadn’t graduated from school long ago. As he lifted his head with a wry smile, he said, "I’m worked to the bone at a company."
"Worked to the bone?" Yang Xiao said with surprise and delight, finally a normal person. This was a good entry point. "Hello, I am as well. Yang Xiao, principal occupation as a film and television script supervisor, part-time writer of supernatural novels. By day, I’m worked to the bone for my boss, and at night for my readers."
Fang Zhou was taken aback by the question and seemed not to have expected such an inquiry. It took him a good while before he responded, "Double duty... that’s quite rough on you."
"It’s okay, when I’m really tired I just skip updates. Even a beast of burden slacks off occasionally." Yang Xiao revealed a sincere smile.
With this bit of levity, the heavy atmosphere around them lightened considerably. Everyone present was clearly an experienced player; a newcomer wouldn’t have stayed so calm.
"Jiang Qingluan." The girl Yang Xiao had helped to dry clothes lifted her head to speak, maintaining that same calm facade, "Body Painter."
Then it was the turn of the old man sitting cross-legged in the seat of honor. The elder looked to be at least in his early 70s, but his spirit was lively, and his eyes swept over everyone with an authoritative air. "I am Xiang Fengchen, a Feng Shui Master."
No sooner had he spoken than Zhang Songde, the bald man who claimed to run a hotel business in Southeast Asia, suddenly changed his expression, likely recognizing the name.
Besides him, Yang Xiao astutely noticed subtle changes on the faces of several others, including Chang Chuchu, who had claimed to be a Funeral Master, Lou Huixiang, the planner for the Haunted House, and his own Director, Nalan Shuo.
Yang Xiao understood then; it must have been this old man that Director Nalan was wary of—the Feng Shui Master Xiang Fengchen—a name Yang Xiao had never heard before.
Seeing that the conversation had cooled down after his introduction, Xiang Fengchen smiled lightly, striking the perfect balance with his grandmaster demeanor, "It appears that everyone has heard some scattered tales about me. However, many of those stories are exaggerated, and they need not be taken entirely at face value. Wouldn’t you agree, Director Nalan?"
The next second, Xiang Fengchen turned his head to look at Nalan Shuo, his smile sincere yet tinged with a hint of oddity.
Nalan Shuo smiled back, locking his gaze with Xiang Fengchen in a matching stare before finally speaking, "Evil Magician Xiang Fengchen, since our last parting in Feng City, it’s good to see that you haven’t changed."
"Hahaha..." Xiang Fengchen was not annoyed, he laughed freely, "Director Nalan, you too haven’t lost your charm. Back then, my three best disciples died at your hands. If it weren’t for some of my surviving techniques, you might have ended my lineage."
But then the conversation shifted with Xiang Fengchen baring his teeth in a provocative grin, "However, your investigation team, including the team leader and deputy, also perished at my hands. By that count, we’re even."
"Those who practice evil bring about their own destruction. The deaths of your disciples are your responsibility as their master. Letting you escape back then..." Nalan Shuo paused, "was my mistake."
"My three disciples were of poor disposition anyway; their deaths are no great loss. I can always find more students. Let’s not dwell on the past. I don’t hold grudges for personal reasons. I wonder if you, Director Nalan, would grant me that courtesy."
"Everything remains as usual in the mission, we’ll settle our affairs afterwards," Nalan Shuo stated calmly.
"Truly worthy of being Director Nalan. Your magnanimity is beyond what ordinary people could achieve. I admire you!" Xiang Fengchen exclaimed in praise.
Seeing that no conflict erupted between the two men, the others let out a breath they hadn’t realized they’d been holding. Many were aware of the notoriety of the Evil Magician Xiang Fengchen, but they didn’t know Nalan Shuo. Given that Xiang Fengchen regarded him so highly, he was surely no ordinary person.
With all veterans on this mission, it was clear it wouldn’t be easy. The stronger their teammates, the greater their chances, and they didn’t care whether someone was an Evil Cultivator or not. Even if someone was a ruthlessly murderous villain, as long as they were useful, unity was the priority.
Survival was everything.
Suddenly, Fang Zhou, sitting with his back to the wooden door and facing inward, froze, his gaze fixed directly behind Yang Xiao and the others, his expression shifting from confusion to terror.
The next second, before anyone could react, Fang Zhou shakily lifted his hand, pointing behind the group, "When you all came in, was it already like this?"
Everyone whirled around, and a few instantly stood up. By the flickering firelight, they saw a scene of horror. The statues that had been facing them just moments before had, at some unknown time, eerily turned their backs, leaving only their bald back sides. This had all happened silently, without anyone noticing.
"It’s better to stay in a graveyard than enter a wild temple," the saying was apt for this place. Realizing something was wrong, they immediately decided to leave. However, before they could reach the wooden door, they saw through the door’s cracks a string of bright red figures, like centipedes, winding their way through the dense fog in utter silence, heading straight for the dilapidated temple where they were hiding.
