Water!
Thinking back to the water that Wu Xuehua had handed him earlier, and even recalling the first time he entered the village, waiting alone at the village chief’s house for the other teammates, when Wu Xuehua had given him a cup of tea, Xin Meng suddenly felt a wave of fear!
If he had drunk that cup of water at that time, would he have already died at the very beginning of the game?!
Who would have thought that those young men and women surrounding him, who spoke to him so warmly and friendly, were actually cold-blooded man-eating monsters behind their smiles!
While chatting with him, were they secretly calculating what his flesh would taste like, and whether it would be delicious?
Was the dialect that the village chief switched to while broadcasting through the loudspeaker saying, “Food has arrived, prepare to eat once found”?
The meat on the dining table was all human flesh, and that woman they spoke of… could it be…
All the clues connected together. The inexplicable sense of incongruity Xin Meng felt when he saw that coffin was because it was too new; wood that had not been painted and buried underground for a year would definitely not still look so clean and fresh with pale yellow wood grain when dug up. The entire village had conspired to deceive them; that woman had not drowned last year but had only recently died just before they arrived. Moreover, because her blood and flesh had been completely consumed, there was no skin or muscle tissue left in the coffin. The originally misaligned timeline matched up, and when he connected it to Qi Xiaokui’s condition and the villagers’ description of the drowned woman…
He could almost confirm that the woman was Qi Xiaokui!
As for whether she had drowned or…
Xin Meng dared not think further, as the truth was simply too terrifying, and he was not mentally prepared to accept all this cruelty.
But he finally understood the pain conveyed in Qi Xiaokui’s eyes back then.
He also finally realized that the bite marks on the deceased Dong Xiu and Li Yougen were actually important clues he had overlooked. Xiong Jiabao’s leg, You Yi’s arm, and those bite marks that appeared on the ghosts before they left were all hints the game was repeatedly giving him, urging him to “pay attention to details.” It was laughable that he had been complacent, thinking he had already noticed enough details, yet he did not realize that the truth was often even more brutal.
Those evil spirits were released by them to take revenge in the village, killing the ones who had consumed their flesh and blood the most, yet they did not completely eliminate Xin Meng and You Yi, who had never eaten meat. This could be seen as a case of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”
Looking back at these “simple” villagers, they helped the villagers deal with the ghosts’ revenge, but those who truly owed them a debt of gratitude were mercilessly slaughtered by them, as evidenced by how they had killed Xiong Jiabao. This showed just how much humanity these people had lost, even worse than the evil spirits, with countless insidious methods that made it impossible to guard against!
The first time he had narrowly escaped because the cup was too dirty, so later Wu Xuehua had handed him clean cups. If he hadn’t remembered the reservoir just now and had not put it down due to psychological reasons, and if You Yi had also drunk along with him, they would have ended up like pigs waiting to be slaughtered in a slaughterhouse, eaten while they slept.
One trap after another, who would have thought that after escaping from the man-eating ghosts, they would almost not escape from the man-eating villagers.
No, these people could no longer be called humans; they were demons, cannibalistic demons!
Xin Meng trembled all over, and just as he was about to pass the level, he was struck by this terrifying fact, leaving him dizzy. Once the simple and beautiful facade was lifted, what lay beneath was nothing but the bloody, rotten, and foul-smelling nature of humanity.
Xiuse Village… Xiuse…
How could he not have remembered? On the internet, those who loved to eat human flesh were sometimes referred to as “Xiuse.”
What picturesque beauty, what colors like spring flowers, was nothing but a heartless cannibal village!
This was probably another main storyline. If they had not pushed over the stone, they would have triggered the cannibal village plot, and the slit-mouthed ghost would not have appeared, but they would have faced these even more terrifying cannibals disguised in human skin, and unknowingly become their next meal, just like Xiong Jiabao, who was now lying on the bed being dismembered…
It was hard to say which of these two main storylines was more terrifying, but looking at it now, at least choosing this one was more beneficial for Xin Meng. After all, although the slit-mouthed ghost had killed the other four teammates, it had clearly gone easy on Xin Meng and You Yi, who had not eaten meat. They could still receive Qi Xiaokui’s help, which was much better than the villagers who indiscriminately wanted to kill and eat all six of them.
Xiong Jiabao’s reckless actions, although they could not save him, inadvertently allowed Xin Meng and You Yi to avoid many deadly dangers, increasing the possibility of passing the level. Looking back now, it was hard to say whether it was good or bad.
The villagers had eaten too many people; even the dogs in the village showed no reaction to the smell of blood, probably long accustomed to it.
Players were too fixated on the surface of things, neglecting the obvious hints around them, but reality would always give them a harsh slap, sometimes at the cost of their lives.
The terrifying slit-mouthed ghost turned out to be victims they had brutally killed and devoured, while the seemingly innocent villagers were actually the executioners with blood on their hands. At this moment, Xin Meng suddenly understood the words on that card: “Those who are pitiful must have something to be hated.”
He remembered that the ones he had always felt pity for were these villagers who had been warm and friendly to them but were now dying one by one. The card had clearly told him that these seemingly pitiful people must have their hateful aspects, but he realized this too late—Xiong Jiabao had still died.
In fact, he had a chance to escape. If he had been willing to go up the mountain with them at that time, perhaps he would have already passed the level with them…
This matter could not be blamed on Xin Meng; he felt no guilt, just a bit of regret.
However, the urgent matter was that they could not stay here any longer!
He tightly grasped You Yi’s arm. You Yi understood his intention without him needing to say a word, quietly pulling him away from the window. But it was too dark outside, with no moonlight and no streetlights. The candlelight spilling from the house created visual blind spots, making it impossible to see the ground clearly. As Xin Meng moved forward, he did not notice a dry branch on the ground, which he stepped on and broke with a crisp sound.
“Who?!” The three people inside the house were startled, immediately putting down their kitchen knives and rushing to the window, just in time to see the two fleeing figures!
Wu Deli and Wu Xuehua immediately rushed out of the house to catch them, but Xin Meng had already been carried on You Yi’s back, quickly running towards the mountain path. Soon, a loudspeaker broadcast echoed behind them; this time the village chief did not have time to use dialect, and Xin Meng heard a booming voice reverberating in the valley: “The food has run away! The food has run away! Quick, chase them! Quick, chase them!”
The originally pitch-black valley suddenly lit up with flickering candle flames. Every household no longer hid, lighting candles one after another. The villagers, bare-chested, rushed out of their homes, brandishing torches as they chased after Xin Meng and You Yi. Xin Meng crouched on You Yi’s back, unable to help but look back. Those villagers who had previously shown him friendly smiles now had twisted and ferocious expressions on their faces, no longer resembling humans. Although their appearances had not changed, their hearts had long since become demons…
You Yi ran quickly, but the villagers were not slow either. People who grew up in the mountains ran every day, with excellent physical fitness. Coupled with their familiarity with the mountain paths, they were not far behind, trailing closely behind them.
As the exit drew nearer, the villagers raised their kitchen knives and hurled them forcefully at Xin Meng’s back!
“Be careful!” Xin Meng exclaimed, instinctively tightening his arms around You Yi’s neck. However, You Yi seemed to have eyes in the back of his head; his ears twitched slightly, and he accurately dodged two kitchen knives based on the faint sound of wind. Then, he ducked down, avoiding a bone saw that flew over his head, and with a powerful push against the ground, he leaped forward two meters!
But as soon as he landed, the ground beneath him shifted, the surface leaves sliding away to reveal a hidden animal trap net, instantly wrapping around the two of them and yanking them into the air!
There was actually a trap buried here?!
He had never heard anyone mention traps; the villagers had hidden them well!
Xin Meng panicked. In terms of physical strength and combat ability, he was just a burden to You Yi. Watching the villagers with twisted faces gathering below the animal trap net, he quickly made up his mind to let You Yi put him down and go pass the level first!
But before he could say anything, You Yi seemed to already know what he was thinking. He turned his head and whispered in his ear, “If we can go together, it just needs a bit of time.”
Xin Meng was calmed by his composed demeanor and slowly settled down from his panic. Remembering You Yi’s combat ability, he regained some confidence. After all, no matter how brutal they were, these were still flesh-and-blood people, much easier to deal with than the elusive ghosts.
He tightened his grip on the knife in his hand, thinking that no matter what, he could not hold them back too much. If he could kill one, he would kill one; after all, they could no longer be called humans!
You Yi moved his body, adjusting to a more advantageous position. Even when faced with unexpected changes, the military knife in his hand remained steady, showing no signs of slipping, indicating his excellent psychological quality. This knife was much sharper than the one given to Xin Meng. To avoid Xin Meng accidentally injuring himself with a knife he didn’t know how to use, he had given him a knife of ordinary sharpness, while the one in his hand could easily cut through the simple animal trap net. The real challenge would be how to protect Xin Meng intact while fighting their way out.
His tea-colored eyes quietly observed the bustling crowd below, sketching out the best plan in his mind. Just as he was about to cut the ropes above, he suddenly heard the crowd below fall silent, then part to create a path. The village chief, still wearing an apron stained with glaring blood, approached slowly, holding a kitchen knife.
“What are you all doing out here in the middle of the night?” the village chief asked with a smile, his expression no different from usual, but under the blood and darkness, it added a touch of horror and eeriness.
“…” You Yi stopped his movements, looking down at him.
“We are not from here; we should naturally return to our own place,” Xin Meng said. “We have already left four people here; isn’t that enough?”
“Not enough, of course not,” the village chief said with a smile, stroking his beard, seemingly unconcerned that his beard was stained red with blood. “Young man, you may not know, but no outsider has ever left our village. In recent years, fewer and fewer people have come; only villagers can go out, occasionally bringing back a couple to satisfy everyone’s cravings. But now, it’s hard to trick outsiders; everyone hasn’t had meat in a long time. It’s not easy to have you few come; your flesh is tender and delicious, how can we let you leave just like that? Not a single one can be spared!”
“You!” Xin Meng was furious, about to curse, but suddenly heard a familiar, piercing wail echoing in the air!
It was… the ghost’s cry?!
Xin Meng felt that this time the ghost’s cry seemed less powerful than before; at least it didn’t make him faint. But the villagers below reacted differently. They covered their ears and screamed, blood flowing from their eyes, ears, mouths, and noses, rolling on the ground in agony. Even the village chief, who had just been smiling at Xin Meng, was not spared; he fell to the ground, unable to get up, his groans weak.
As he looked past the writhing villagers, Xin Meng saw Qi Xiaokui, who had mysteriously disappeared earlier.
Behind Qi Xiaokui stood the slit-mouthed ghosts with their black eyes smiling. When they saw the villagers rolling on the ground, hatred burst forth in their eyes, and with a sharp howl, they pounced like tigers, biting fiercely at the exposed skin, instantly splattering blood!
The villagers screamed in agony; these demons, who were used to devouring others, finally tasted the flavor of being devoured themselves.
As the saying goes—good and evil will eventually be rewarded; the heavens will have their cycle!
Xin Meng raised his eyes and met Qi Xiaokui’s gaze. She pointed in the direction of their escape but did not move.
He felt a pang of sadness; indeed, in a certain sense, Qi Xiaokui was already dead. Even if she had become a ghost, she could not leave with them.
You Yi moved quickly; with a flash of the knife, the ropes binding the animal trap net snapped in two. He jumped down first and helped Xin Meng down.
They passed by the villagers and evil spirits below. Some villagers, struggling, tried to grab their ankles, but before their hands could reach, they were bitten off by the evil spirits. The two successfully reached the end of the mountain path, and just before leaving, Xin Meng glanced back.
Qi Xiaokui did not participate in the revenge against the evil spirits, nor did she follow Xin Meng and the others. She merely stood in place, silently watching everything happening around her. Feeling Xin Meng’s gaze, she looked up and waved at him.
For some reason, Xin Meng felt that Qi Xiaokui seemed a bit brighter than before…
There was no time to think further; he was pulled by You Yi, stepping into the chaos and losing consciousness.
…
In the white space, two figures stood—one standing, one sitting.
“Are there any areas in the game module under testing that need improvement?”
“The difficulty is quite high.”
“Well… then next time, let’s lower the difficulty a bit.”
“Okay.”
