PTYS Chapter 177

Xiao Muyu’s mind was entirely absorbed in the rapid operations and reasoning of her thoughts.

“Today is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. ‘On the fifteenth day, the gates of the underworld open, and a hundred ghosts roam the streets.’ These words are not merely for creating a mysterious atmosphere; they are telling us the truth.

Just now, Su Jin mentioned that even though we are in a paranormal game, encountering ghosts, the places we go to are places we have walked to ourselves and are real.

Only when we came out of that hall did we suddenly enter this strange city of Yingzhou.

So, everything here does not exist in reality, or we have entered the ‘underworld’ from the real world. Someone designed this to trap us here, which is why the lanterns have the character for ‘netherworld’ on them. The phrase ‘a hundred ghosts roam the streets’ matches perfectly with the hundred paper figures here.”

Zuo Tiantian listened, stunned, but upon careful thought, it indeed made sense. When they came out, everything was already blurry and unclear.

“And what about ‘the underworld judges the affairs of the living’? Does it mean someone has grievances? You said the White River Lord drowned, but from the scene when we saved the deputy leader, it seemed he was really about to get married. How did he end up dead? Could it be that he was harmed by someone, and thus there is a case to be judged?”

Xiao Muyu replied solemnly, “That’s what I think, but to know for sure, we need to hear it from the person involved.”

As soon as Xiao Muyu finished speaking, Shen Qingqiu immediately tore a piece of paper from one of the paper figures and yanked the head of the White River Lord over. With a look of disdain, she pressed the paper-covered head with one finger in front of Xiao Muyu.

“Muyu, light the candle.”
Xiao Muyu found it somewhat amusing but nodded and lit the candle.
Wisps of white smoke rose in front of the White River Lord’s head, carrying a peculiar fragrance. Xiao Muyu crouched down, her eyes fixed on the head, and said, “You have been haunting us, trying to kill us. ‘The underworld judges the affairs of the living.’ Is your case against us?”

Upon hearing this, the head let out a sinister laugh that turned into a wail, “What do you think? Do you think you are innocent? You all deserve to die! Especially you!” He glared viciously at Shen Qingqiu.

“You are flaunting yourself in front of me now, but soon, you will be in hell. Didn’t you refuse to marry me? Then I will make sure you live a life worse than death, serving me as a slave and prostitute forever…” Before he could finish, a bronze sword was thrust in front of him, the blade almost touching his nose.

Xiao Muyu said coldly, “I can see that you harbor immense resentment, so I will be lenient for now. But I warn you, you should direct your hatred elsewhere. Swallow your words, or I will show you that even being a ghost is not easy. I just need you to tell me, what grudge do you have with the Xiao and Shen families?”

The White River Lord’s words confirmed Xiao Muyu’s suspicion. The selection of the two of them was not a coincidence but a premeditated act.

This so-called case judged by the underworld is between the White River Lord and the Xiao and Shen families. Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu, both around seventeen or eighteen years old, could not have such a deep hatred with a man who had died long ago. They must be implicated by association.

The head was intimidated by the sword, and his frenzied demeanor calmed down, though his intense resentment caused his head to distort continuously.

One moment he was a handsome groom, the next a swollen and wrinkled drowned corpse, then a skeletal figure with flesh falling off, creating a visually jarring scene.
Shen Qingqiu, feeling nauseated, quickly withdrew her hand and wiped it on the paper figure.

The White River Lord seemed ready to speak. Floating in the air, he glared at Xiao Muyu, “You live in luxury, all stolen. Your two fathers are beasts in human clothing, scum who deserve to die!”

Speaking of Shen Wanlin and Xiao Qian, his rage peaked, his mouth wide open, revealing fangs, and spewing foul-smelling mud and sand.

Shen Qingqiu, her expression changing, grabbed Xiao Muyu’s sword and struck the head heavily, “Speak properly, or I’ll split your head open!”

The head shuddered, and the mud and water spouted back, oozing out of his nose, eyes, and ears, creating an indescribable scene.

Tears streamed down his face as he screamed, “What right do you have to hit me? Your families owe me, owe us. Over twenty years ago, just after the New Year, it was bitterly cold.

That year was especially freezing, killing many people. I had just set my wedding date with my fiancée, and we were to marry soon.

Those two beasts, Shen Wanlin and Xiao Qian, were found near our estate by my family’s servants, half-dead from hunger and cold.

My parents, kind and soft-hearted, saw them dying and ordered them to be saved…”

As he spoke, blood tears flowed from his eyes. A person who had turned into a vengeful ghost still shedding blood tears showed the depth of his grief and hatred.

“They were actually bandit leaders, fleeing from the authorities. After my parents saved them, they lied about sending a letter to their families for reassurance but instead called their bandit brothers to rob our house.

That night was my wedding night. We treated them as guests, hosting them at my wedding banquet.

But after the ceremony, when the guests had left and everyone was relaxed, they… they attacked. They wanted my beautiful wife and…”
Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu listened to the head’s tearful account, not interrupting his outburst. His breakdown brought a distant script scene to life.

Now, this grotesque head was telling a story of heart-wrenching despair.

“They showed no gratitude for my parents’ kindness, mocking them for bringing wolves into the house and causing my grandmother’s death from anger.

My parents, driven by grief and anger, tried to fight back but were killed. Everyone in my family, including my newlywed wife, was slaughtered.

I was thrown into the river, my body sinking to the bottom. The cold, the rage, I died in despair. I wanted to marry you, to make the descendants of those families feel the agony of drowning, but I failed.

But you won’t leave. This place will judge you, and you’ll join me in the netherworld!”
Shen Qingqiu, frowning, refrained from striking the crazed head. His desire for revenge was understandable; they were not the ones who wronged him, and there was no need to be angry at his curses.

“Did anyone in your family survive, or did someone else help you set this up?” Xiao Muyu asked, her brow furrowing.

The head, laughing and crying, fell silent at her question. After a while, he said, “Why should I tell you? You’ll find out when you join me.”

He laughed maniacally, his expression stiffening, turning back into a paper figure’s head, leaving one eerie statement, “My grievances are voiced, now you pay the price.”

The group fell silent. Shen Qingqiu’s expanded time was limited, and once the card’s effect wore off, the invincible paper figures would eventually kill them, just as the White River Lord had said.

“It seems they plan to settle this here. But who will judge and decide the case in this fake underworld?” Shen Qingqiu asked, looking at the paper figures.

“Vice-captain, what do you mean?” The group sensed Shen Qingqiu’s implications and asked urgently.

Shen Qingqiu glanced at Xiao Muyu and continued, “Just now, when Muyu questioned him, it was to suspect that the Baihe Langjun family did not die completely back then. After all, what he talked about happened more than twenty years ago. Would a person who turned into a vengeful ghost wait twenty years for revenge?

Why would he be able to find his enemies undetected twenty years later?

If it were really mountain bandits, after committing such a big crime, they would surely change their identities and wash their hands of it.

“Moreover, Muyu had previously mentioned that the paper dolls were newly made. This ghost wouldn’t make paper dolls for itself. Someone specifically prepared these paper dolls for us.

Muyu and I were chosen because someone arranged it, especially Muyu. She had never been engaged or chosen as a bride, so how did she trigger the condition?”
Xiao Muyu nodded and looked at Shen Qingqiu with appreciation.

“Because the situation was urgent, I didn’t have time to tell you all something. I was deliberately chosen to be placed in the coffin.

Earlier, I couldn’t understand why it was Qingqiu and me, thinking it was just a random player selection. Now, I understand.

When I was nailed in the coffin and couldn’t get out, the system asked a question about how I was selected. I answered with my birth date and the shroud.”

Shen Qingqiu looked at Xiao Muyu’s collar, having already understood, and frowned, “How did someone get hold of your birth date? And this outfit, you must have worn it from home.”

Xiao Muyu nodded, “In ancient times, one’s birth date was very important and wouldn’t be given out easily unless necessary. So, whoever got my birth date must have gotten it from someone in my family.

As for this white garment, as soon as I entered the game, my second aunt, Mei Qianqian, had someone measure me for it. The person measuring even inquired about my birth date.”

“Second aunt?” Chen Kaijie was stunned and then thought of Miao Anli, exclaiming, “So, it’s highly likely that Mei Qianqian and Miao Anli are accomplices, helping to set this up?”

“The reason I got out today is because of my uncle, and Muyu, isn’t it because of your second aunt?” Shen Qingqiu asked.
Xiao Muyu nodded.

Shen Qingqiu sneered, “Looks like Shen Shiyi is still quite useful. Being cautious of those around you is really necessary.”

After speaking, she grabbed two paper dolls and threw them out forcefully, ruthlessly stomping on them. Chen Kaijie looked puzzled, wondering what the vice-captain was doing.

“Time is almost up. She’s intimidating those two paper dolls,” Xiao Muyu quickly explained. Now was not the time to analyze the truth.

This place was specially set up by someone, so everything had to follow the plot.

But this is also a game, so there must be hints for players to solve the puzzle; it can’t be a dead end.

The person who set it up wouldn’t give random hints, so it must be crucial.

Actually, Xiao Muyu had already figured it out, but finding a way out was either going to be very easy or extremely difficult. More importantly, they not only had to survive but also uncover the truth.

So she didn’t rush to explain but first tried to get information from Baihe Langjun. It was much easier to get the truth in his safe territory.

Although he wouldn’t speak about the living, his silence confirmed her suspicions.

At least, by now the plot had reached… Xiao Muyu glanced at the progress bar. The progress of finding the missing girl hadn’t changed, but the plot was already at 65%.

“A spirit house opens between Yin and Yang. The dead return to Yin and rest in peace; the living return to Yang and seek a way to survive.”

Thanks to Xiao Muyu’s earlier explanations of the first four lines, Su Jin and the others had found a way to interpret the rest.

After Zuo Tiantian recited it, Chen Kaijie continued, “A spirit house opens between Yin and Yang. Xiao, you said that after we left that house, we ended up here, which is the underworld.

But before entering the house, it was indeed the real world. Doesn’t that perfectly match? So the other exit of that house leads back to the real world, right?”
Xiao Muyu nodded, “Correct.”

Su Jin’s eyes brightened, “After Baihe Langjun expressed his grievance, he rested in peace. To escape, we must return to the real world, meaning we need to find that house and return to reality.

“But seeking the place where the paper dolls were activated, how do we know where that is?” Su Jin frowned.

Shen Qingqiu glanced at Zuo Tiantian, then threw the paper dolls to the edge of Yingzhou City, clapping her hands and saying, “Follow Tiantian. We haven’t used 006, so we’re waiting here. I’m really curious, is it destiny? Success and failure are both in the wind and clouds?”

Zuo Tiantian was stunned by Shen Qingqiu’s words. She didn’t quite understand the latter part but grasped the former.

She immediately stretched out her hand, trembling with excitement, “I understand, I understand.”

Shen Qingqiu sighed, “Good that you understand.” Xiao Muyu looked at her thoughtfully.

After speaking, Shen Qingqiu turned to Xiao Muyu and said, “Muyu, hug me.”

Xiao Muyu’s face changed slightly, quickly opening her arms. Shen Qingqiu’s body suddenly shrank and fell into Xiao Muyu’s embrace.

Xiao Muyu held her tightly, full of distress, “Thank you.”

Shen Qingqiu shook her head, “You worked harder. Sigh, my damned frailty.”

She shook her head and sighed seriously, but her words made Xiao Muyu almost laugh. This delightful person.

Author’s Note: After Xiao Shen got out: My damned sweetness.

Xiao Xiao was speechless.

A cute reader explained it perfectly, thumbs up for you, almost exactly what I thought. Haha…