PTYS Chapter 161

Xiao Muyu had no idea how to make Shen Qingqiu and the others find their way back, so she decided to first figure out the setting and tasks of this instance. Once they remembered, they could quickly respond.

“Were there no clues left by the seven missing girls?” Xiao Muyu took the opportunity to ask.

Shen Qingqiu was also curious about this matter and, for once, didn’t interrupt, listening intently.

Chen Kaijie shook his head, “That’s why it feels so eerie. Seven living people just vanished without a trace. The authorities have been offering rewards for clues everywhere these days, trying to find the whereabouts of the missing girls. The bounty has reached a thousand taels of silver, but there’s still no lead.

“Everyone in the city is in a state of panic. There’s a rumor that ghosts are at work, claiming that it’s the gentleman from Baihe River who wants to marry and has taken those girls.”

“The gentleman from Baihe River?” Xiao Muyu mumbled instinctively. This instance seemed a bit complex, especially given the current situation, which was quite restrictive.

“You really don’t know anything, do you? Not even this.” Shen Qingqiu hurriedly interjected upon hearing this. Seeing Xiao Muyu instinctively turn to look at her, she couldn’t help but feel a bit proud. “As early as last year, someone fishing in Baihe River pulled up a skeleton in their net. It would have been just a skeleton, but when they brought it up, the brave ones who went to take a closer look saw that the skeleton was intact. The whole skeleton was perfectly outside the net, not entangled at all. Do you know how it got caught in the net?”

Xiao Muyu looked at her, her eyes showing a hint of gentleness. This Shen Qingqiu was still adorable even without her previous memories.

So, she pondered for a moment and answered seriously, “Did the skeleton grab onto the net itself?”

Xiao Muyu’s expression was too calm, her gaze very serious. It seemed she genuinely hadn’t heard about this before, and was simply answering the question earnestly, without changing her expression even when stating such a terrifying fact.

As a result, Shen Qingqiu’s expression became somewhat fearful and a bit disdainful, saying with difficulty, “How could you come up with such a twisted and terrifying answer? I feel like you might not be mentally healthy.”

Xiao Muyu was stunned by her question. Having gone through so many horror instances, her answer was quite reasonable.

Now, without her memories, Shen Qingqiu was just a delicate girl in her teens, yet here she was, accusing her of being mentally unhealthy. It’s worth noting that this was the same Shen Qingqiu who had once thought of giving her a ghost as a betrothal gift.

However, she quickly frowned, and Shen Qingqiu immediately called out with some frustration, “Look at that, as soon as I say something, you start frowning.”

Xiao Muyu, feeling a bit helpless, relaxed her brows but still looked intently at Shen Qingqiu, asking, “Mentally unhealthy?”

Shen Qingqiu, not realizing anything was wrong, nodded. But Xiao Muyu’s next question left her speechless.

“What does mentally unhealthy mean? I’ve never heard of it.”

Shen Qingqiu was dumbfounded, feeling a bit lost, and Chen Kaijie, who had been listening on the side, was also stunned. He frowned, sensing something was amiss.

“The phrase sounds odd, but I understand what Qingqiu means. It feels like I’ve heard it somewhere before.” Chen Kaijie scratched his head in confusion.

Shen Qingqiu suddenly felt a bit panicked but didn’t know why, so she shook her head, saying, “If you haven’t heard it, that’s because you’re ignorant. My cousin understands what I’m saying.”

Xiao Muyu didn’t press the issue, already having a clue in her mind. She nodded, saying, “I see. It’s my ignorance. I’ve learned something new.”

She then continued looking at the two of them, “So what does this have to do with the missing girls?”

Chen Kaijie regained his composure and continued, “Actually, Miss Xiao, your guess was quite accurate. The skeleton was pulled up because its finger bones were tightly gripping the net. This incident was already bizarre enough, but in the following days, strange things happened one after another.

First, the hastily buried skeleton had its grave dug up, and the bones disappeared without a trace. Then, someone coming back at night saw a young man in a groom’s outfit walking from the burial site along the path outside the city to Baihe River, standing alone by the river.”

Xiao Muyu’s expression grew increasingly serious as she listened. This was indeed strange, but in this era, people were already inclined to believe in ghosts and spirits, with embellishments creating more sensational stories. She asked, “Could it be that someone made up rumors to stir up excitement?”

“A lot of people have said that. If it was just one person, it wouldn’t matter, but more than one person has seen it.

“These people aren’t usually the type to gossip, and most importantly, one day my uncle was returning from Liangzhou with goods, and due to heavy rain, he was delayed. On his way back, he saw a man in a red outfit standing by the river in the rain. He was extraordinarily handsome but extremely eerie, and he disappeared in the blink of an eye.”

Shen Qingqiu seemed very interested in this, speaking enthusiastically. However, as she continued, her face unconsciously showed a hint of fear, “In the heavy rain, why would a living person wear a wedding outfit and stand by the river outside the city? It must be a ghost.”

“Since then, there’s been a rumor that the skeleton was the gentleman of Baihe River. After being fished out, he returned to find his bride.”

Chen Kaijie shivered, looking at Shen Qingqiu with concern, which he quickly suppressed.

Xiao Muyu had been paying attention to their expressions, noticing everything, and felt a twinge of strangeness in her heart.

However, this time she didn’t rush to ask questions. Instead, she carefully went over what Chen Kaijie and Shen Wanlin had just said in her mind.

Finally, she spoke in a deep voice amidst the silence, “So now some people think that the Lord of Baihe is selecting a bride, and those seven girls were taken by him?”

Chen Kaijie quickly nodded, his face still somewhat pale, evidently also finding it horrifying.

“Do these seven girls have anything in common?” Xiao Muyu asked seriously.

Upon hearing this, Chen Kaijie widened his eyes in surprise, looking quite astonished, “How did you know?”

Shen Qingqiu looked at Xiao Muyu with curiosity and urged, “Cousin, don’t just stare blankly.What’s the common point?”

Chen Kaijie glanced at Shen Qingqiu again and said after a moment, “These seven girls are between fourteen and eighteen years old. There’s nothing special about them, except that without exception, they had all just been betrothed before they disappeared.”

Xiao Muyu’s heart suddenly chilled. No wonder they thought it was the work of the Lord of Baihe.

Young girls of marriageable age who had been betrothed but not yet married mysteriously disappearing without a trace, coupled with the rumor of a ghostly bridegroom in wedding attire—it would make anyone think along those lines.

Her current task was to investigate the cause of the seven girls’ disappearance, and this rumor about the Lord of Baihe seemed to be a breakthrough point.

But looking at Shen Qingqiu and Chen Kaijie, she felt a bit helpless. These two hadn’t recovered their memories yet, and they still didn’t know where Zuo Tiantian and Su Jin were.

Additionally, Xiao Muyu couldn’t yet determine whether this was a single-team mission or a multi-team one. If there were other teams, things would become even more complicated. So she couldn’t rush things.

“This is so bizarre. No wonder matchmaker Chen has been so idle recently; turns out there’s no business. That’s good. My father won’t keep urging me to stay home and become a proper lady, introducing me to all sorts of young masters.”

Shen Qingqiu felt a bit scared too but was quickly relieved thinking she had dodged a major issue.

Xiao Muyu’s expression became slightly strange after hearing Shen Qingqiu’s words. She looked at her and asked, “Your father is introducing young masters to you?”

Shen Qingqiu, thinking Xiao Muyu was mocking her, raised an eyebrow and said, “Humph, so what? Don’t think no one wants me. I just don’t want to. There are plenty of people in Yingzhou City eager to marry me, like the eldest son of the Xu family and the second son of the Zhou family, both accomplished and handsome. I’m very popular, unlike you, who scares people off with just one look.”

Seeing Xiao Muyu’s expression darken as she spoke, Shen Qingqiu’s voice grew smaller, feeling a bit guilty under her stern gaze.

“Why are you looking at me like that? I’m telling the truth.”

Xiao Muyu turned her head away, still expressionless, and said lightly, “Truth, got it.”

Shen Qingqiu felt a chill down her spine, shrank her neck, and fell silent. Soon, the steward called from outside, “Miss, young master, the master wants you to bring Miss Xiao to the front yard.”

Shen Qingqiu seized the chance to escape and whispered to the steward, “Uncle Chen, my father isn’t planning to keep her for dinner, is he?”

Uncle Liu, knowing the discord between his young lady and Xiao Muyu, smiled and said, “Miss Xiao hasn’t dined here for a long time, and she’s injured today. The master must keep her for dinner out of propriety. Don’t throw a tantrum, or the master will scold you again.”

In the front yard, Shen Wanlin expressed concern about Xiao Muyu’s injury and indeed invited her to stay for dinner.

Given that Shen Qingqiu didn’t remember her and their current poor relationship, Xiao Muyu couldn’t miss the chance to spend time with her, so she agreed.

“Thank you, Uncle Shen.”

“Why are you being so polite? I’ve sent word home. Stay here and rest assured,” Shen Wanlin said with a hearty laugh, his previous seriousness dispelled by his smile.

At dinner, the other members of the Shen family joined them. Xiao Muyu watched as a middle-aged couple walked in. One was refined and handsome, and the other, though not young, had a cheerful smile unlike typical women. Her voice preceded her, “Muyu, it’s rare to see you. It’s been a long time. Have you been quarrelling with Qingqiu again?”

Xiao Muyu stood up, observing the woman and the man beside her, deducing she wasn’t Shen Wanlin’s wife.

However, given the affectionate address to Shen Qingqiu, she quickly guessed and bowed, “Aunt Shen, Uncle Shen.”

Immediately, Shen Qingqiu chimed in, “Aunt, when have I quarreled with her? She just didn’t want to come. Why blame me?”

Both showed no abnormal reaction to the address, confirming Xiao Muyu’s guess. Yet, she felt a sense of déjà vu.

It was as if she had frequently dined with these people, and even the different personality of Shen Qingqiu seemed natural to her.

Could it be that despite the lack of memory, the role setting made it feel familiar?

When Xiao Muyu regained her composure, the names displayed on the couple’s NPC tags were Shen Yuru and Miao Anli, confirming her guess.

Shen Qingqiu’s mother was away, praying. The meal was subdued due to the elders’ presence, with Xiao Muyu having to respond to Shen Wanlin and Shen Yuru’s questions frequently. Shen Qingqiu, meanwhile, sulkily ate and occasionally made faces at Xiao Muyu.

Xiao Muyu, despite trying to keep a stern face, couldn’t help but smile, which Shen Qingqiu and Shen Yuru noticed.

Shen Qingqiu stopped chewing her rice, staring at Xiao Muyu until she looked back, prompting Shen Qingqiu to bury her head and eat, her ears turning red. Xiao Muyu, with a softer gaze, continued conversing with Shen Wanlin.

“Muyu, Yingzhou City has been unstable recently. You should be careful and avoid going out. If you must go out, take a servant with you,” Shen Wanlin said, looking worriedly at his daughter.

“Thank you, Uncle Shen. I understand. However, being cautious might not be enough. Disappearances happening even at home suggest the perpetrator is audacious and well-prepared. We need to find the root cause to eliminate this threat, or everyone will live in fear.”

Miao Anli, serving food to Shen Yuru, asked curiously, “Muyu, do you think it’s not a supernatural cause but human?”

Shen Wanlin, also curious, focused on Xiao Muyu, who shook her head. “I’m not sure if it’s supernatural or not, but I believe there’s always a reason behind everything. Even if it’s supernatural, it often has some connection to humans.”

Miao Anli said nothing, but Shen Wanlin smiled and said, “So wise for your age, Muyu. You’re right. However, with so many incidents happening recently, relying on the authorities might not yield quick results. All I can do is urge caution.”

Shen Wanlin’s tone grew somber, and he glanced at his distracted daughter, sighing.

Xiao Muyu felt a nagging sense that Shen Wanlin and Chen Kaijie were particularly worried about Shen Qingqiu, but why?

Author’s note: This chapter contains many clues. Feel free to discuss if you find any, and note down the contents even if you don’t.

Reality and illusion blend here due to the dungeon’s settings. The key content hasn’t appeared yet. Once everyone is gathered, we’ll see what this dungeon is really about.

Recently, I’ve been home alone, so my imagination is restrained to avoid scaring myself. Amitabha.