Feng Jiao’s words made the atmosphere in the dining hall somewhat eerie.
It was Zhou Api, the chubby guy, who reacted first. “How is that possible? I woke up early this morning, and when I got up, the doors in the courtyard were still closed, and all the houses were tightly shut. If he had gone out, I should have noticed.”
“But there’s no one in Xu Shuai’s room. I… I promised to be in a relationship with him last night, so I wanted to call him for breakfast this morning, but he was nowhere to be found,” Feng Jiao’s expression showed a hint of grievance, unintentionally revealing that she wasn’t in Xu Shuai’s room last night.
Mo Yang frowned. He had seen Feng Jiao enter Xu Shuai’s room before going to sleep, and now Xu Shuai suddenly went missing in the early morning. Mo Yang was a hundred percent certain that Feng Jiao was involved.
However, Feng Mengmeng, who was beside him, nodded her head, confirming that her sister was with her in the room last night, which prevented anyone from expressing suspicion towards Feng Jiao.
At least not openly.
“…Let’s eat first. After finishing, we’ll go next door and ask Zhang Xiaoyao and Murong Feng if they know anything,” Mo Yang had a sense of foreboding, but when they finished eating and went to the neighboring house to find Sun Buguai, Zhang Xiaoyao, and the others, they received even more disturbing news.
“Ah! Xu Shuai from your side is missing? We didn’t see Uncle Li during breakfast, and we thought he had gone out alone. Has something happened?” Sun Buguai and Liu Meiren became somewhat panicked, while Zhang Xiaoyao and Murong Feng also wore serious expressions.
“In any case, let’s search the village first. Maybe we can find something,” Chen Yuanyuan, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke and emphasized, “It’s better if we stick together and not split up.”
Mo Yang glanced at the female player and nodded.
The remaining eight players searched together in Phoenix Village. The tour guide, Zhu Zhu, had planned to take them to some famous scenic spots in the village for photos, but upon hearing about the missing tourists, she joined in the search. Feng Ming and Feng Hui, representing the villagers, also participated in the search since it happened in their village.
Phoenix Village had a population of only two to three hundred people, and it stretched like a crescent moon from the east to the west, built along the water. At the eastern entrance of the village were two vibrant phoenix trees swaying gently in the breeze. When Mo Yang arrived beneath these two trees the next day, he felt that they appeared even more spirited than when he arrived the previous afternoon.
Wan Mei walked around the tree roots twice, and upon seeing his actions, Murong Feng and Zhang Xiaoyao also seemed to have similar thoughts. Their expressions turned horrified as they carefully inspected the roots of the two large trees, but they ultimately found no signs of disturbed soil underneath. They let out a sigh of relief, feeling that they were overthinking things. Surely, something as gruesome as murder and burial wouldn’t happen in such a beautiful village, right?
They started searching from the east entrance and followed the crescent-shaped river toward the west.
Along the way, they passed by a beautiful giant waterwheel, saw vast fields of flowers, and encountered the Nine-Bend Waterfall within the village. However, even when they reached the westernmost house in the village, they found no trace of Xu Shuai or Uncle Li.
“How is this possible? Could they have left the village? Otherwise, why wouldn’t there be any traces left?” Zhang Xiaoyao furrowed his brow and spoke.
Zhu Zhu, who was listening, shook her head, “They shouldn’t have left the village. Besides Phoenix Village, there are no other villages or human traces in these mountains. Where could they go if they left? It takes over ten hours to drive here, so they can’t walk out of the mountains on their own.”
“Well, that’s strange! How can two living people disappear without a trace? Could it be that they are playing hide-and-seek with us?” Murong Feng questioned with a hint of annoyance. Before he could say anything else, Chen Yuanyuan suddenly moved her ears and said, “Don’t talk! I think I hear crying and arguing!!”
After speaking, Chen Yuanyuan took the lead and ran towards a house located farther from the village’s west side, adjacent to the flower fields. The others didn’t hesitate and followed her. However, Feng Hui and Feng Ming, who had been following them, frowned as they looked in that direction.
“Is Xiaoxiao unwilling to give up? Is she willing to be thrown into the captive area just for a man?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Qtfc Jtfc Tejcsejc jcv atf batfgr gfjmtfv atf tberf, atf jguewfca jcv dejggfi kfgf ralii bcublcu.
Chen Yuanyuan wanted to rush in and ask questions, but Liu Meiren and Sun Buguai held her back, covering her mouth.
“Don’t get excited, let’s listen to the commotion first!”
Then, they heard angry shouting from inside the house.
“Feng Xiaoxiao!! Don’t you want your face and your life anymore?! We raised you with so much effort, not to be a loss-making burden!! It’s just a man, isn’t it?! Look at your current state, it’s unbearable. Have you not made up your mind?! Do you want to go to the captive-“
The angry voice suddenly reached its peak as if something was about to be blurted out, but she forcefully stopped herself, making everyone feel suffocated.
Then, the door of the house was suddenly opened, and a middle-aged man with a somewhat handsome face walked out, his expression dangerous. “What do you want? Why are you standing at our doorstep?”
Murong Feng immediately put on a smiley face, “Uncle, don’t be angry. We are tourists here to visit. However, this morning we found two of our companions missing, so we couldn’t help but search the village. We heard crying, is everything okay at home?”
After hearing that they were tourists, the man’s somewhat sinister eyes glanced briefly at Murong Feng’s face, paused when he saw Wan Mei and finally settled on Mo Yang’s face. Then, his expression visibly changed from cold to warm.
“No problem at all. It’s just my wife and daughter arguing. That little girl of mine is disobedient, and she has a big sore on her face. My wife wanted her to get treatment, but she refused. They got into an argument over it. Since you’re guests, why don’t you come in and sit? Although my daughter’s face is damaged now, she’s quite skilled in cooking, and her dishes are incredibly delicious!”
The man’s eyes were fixed on Mo Yang as he spoke as if he wanted Mo Yang to come inside their house. However, Mo Yang felt a certain indescribable awkwardness in his smile. By now, the argument inside the house had stopped, and a head suddenly appeared by the window. When Mo Yang saw her, his heart trembled.
“Well, although I would love to taste Xiaoxiao’s cooking, we are currently searching for our companions, so it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to visit your home. However, since we’re not very familiar with this place, could Xiaoxiao show us around the village?”
The man, disappointed upon hearing Mo Yang’s words, soon became delighted and nodded, “It’s Xiaoxiao’s fortune to accompany the guests. Of course, you can. Ah, but Xiaoxiao’s face doesn’t look good right now…”
“It’s okay, everyone gets sick sometimes. How good-looking can anyone be when they’re sick?”
Mo Yang smiled, and the man glanced at him and confidently retorted, “Well, you are the guest, you would still look good even if you got sick.”
Mo Yang took a deep breath.
Zhang Xiaoyao, Murong Feng, and the others couldn’t help but take a step back. Why did that statement sound so cheesy?!
Fortunately, the young girl quickly came out of the house. When she appeared, the players, who were accustomed to the beautiful men and women of Phoenix Village, couldn’t help but gasp, judging from the intact left side of the girl’s face, she should be a beautiful young girl no less charming than Feng Mengmeng. However, there was a palm-sized sore on the right side of her face, resembling a blister, which directly transformed her beauty into ugliness.
The girl herself was aware of her unattractive appearance, and as she glanced at Mo Yang, a look of astonishment flickered in her eyes, but in the next second, she revealed a hint of pity.
This gaze made Mo Yang feel uncomfortable, but she had already covered her face with a veil that could hide her features.
“…Where do the guests want to go?” Feng Xiaoxiao’s voice was somewhat hoarse.
Zhang Xiaoyao wanted to speak but suddenly turned around and said to Feng Hui and Feng Ming behind him, “Well, thank you for accompanying us all the way. Let Xiaoxiao accompany us from now on. You must have your matters to attend to, right? Zhu Zhu too, anyway Phoenix Village isn’t that big, so if you want to take pictures and tour around, you can do it on your own. Go and rest for now. We need to search a bit more before giving up.”
Feng Ming and Feng Hui exchanged a glance and nodded without hesitation. Their expressions throughout the journey had turned cold.
Zhu Zhu, too, didn’t show any nervousness about losing her tourists as a guide. She just smiled and said, “Ah, alright then. I’m tired too. But if you find Xu Shuai and Mr. Li, please let me know! After all, I’m your guide!”
Then, Zhu Zhu also left.
When all the unrelated people had left, Zhang Xiaoyao looked at Feng Xiaoxiao and said, “Xiaoxiao, our companions have gone missing, and we need your help. Can you help us?”
Feng Xiaoxiao didn’t answer immediately. She simply led the group slowly toward the flower field. When they reached the center of the flower field, she spoke softly, “I… I know another place. But it’s a forbidden area in our village, and outsiders are not allowed to go there.”
Zhang Xiaoyao’s eyes lit up, “That’s alright! As long as you tell us the location, we’ll just take a sneak peek, we won’t do anything else. You-“
“I’m willing to take you there tonight, but you have to help me bring someone out from there. I… I can’t do it alone. Is that okay?”
Feng Xiaoxiao added nervously, “If you don’t help me, then I won’t take you there. And you won’t be able to get out of that place on your own.”
The group exchanged glances, clearly understanding that this was the developing plot. The mysterious place should provide them with some revelations. And, unless something unexpected happened, this Feng Xiaoxiao was highly likely to be the traitor of Phoenix Village. In other words, the first puzzle to solve for advancing in the game.
“You don’t have to worry, little girl. We will help you. But could you tell us the story of Phoenix Village? How did your village come to be called Phoenix Village? It’s not a name that just anyone can use,” Zhou Api seized the opportunity to inquire.
Feng Xiaoxiao’s face revealed a proud smile when mentioned. “Of course, that’s not a name ordinary people can use. The reason our village is called Phoenix Village is because a phoenix appeared in our village.”
“A phoenix appeared?”
“Yes, our village was famous for its beauties a thousand years ago. Whether male or female, those born in our village were fair and beautiful compared to people from other nearby villages. Later, a great general passed through here and saw one of the beauties in our village. It is said that when that beauty was born, birds in the mountains and forests were flying around her house. The general and the beauty fell in love at first sight and, with the villagers’ blessings, they became a couple. The general took the beauty and her sister with him.”
“Later, the general became invincible in battle and became an emperor. The beauty from our village became the queen. Before they left, they planted two phoenix trees at the village entrance, symbolizing their beautiful and steadfast love. The general said that as long as their love remained unchanged, the two phoenix trees would never wither.”
“That’s why the phoenix trees at our village entrance have remained lush and ever-blooming for thousands of years. Since then, our village has been named Phoenix Village, symbolizing the phoenix soaring in the sky and eternal friendship.”
Sun Buguai rested his chin on his hand, a sweet smile on his face. “Wow, so that’s the reason why the phoenix flowers never wither for a thousand years? It’s so romantic! I also want to find someone to plant two trees with me! Even if we die in the end, our love would still be admired by future generations.”
Feng Xiaoxiao seemed lost in sweet thoughts, her almond-shaped eyes curved. “Yes, as long as you kiss or make a vow of protection under the witness of the phoenix trees at the village entrance, you will receive the blessings of those two phoenix trees… and any kind of love will ultimately have a good outcome.”
Wan Mei, with his hands in the pockets of his coat, looked towards the phoenix trees at the village entrance, hidden among the vibrant flowers. Suddenly, he asked a random question, “Have these two phoenix trees truly never withered?”
Feng Xiaoxiao’s brows furrowed, and even though Wan Mei had a face that amazed her, she wouldn’t be swayed by it. “Of course not. The phoenix trees have never withered! Don’t say or ask that in front of others, or they won’t be able to resist punching you!”
Wan Mei casually nodded without paying much attention. Mo Yang glanced at him and felt that he must have discovered something.
“Alright, I’ve been out for long enough, and we can’t delay any further. I need to go back home first. We’ll meet here in the flower field at midnight. If you want to find your companions, you must come. After all, if they stay there for too long, even if they manage to come out again, they won’t live for long.”
After saying these words, Feng Xiaoxiao quickly turned and left.
Then, Sun Buguai spoke, “Did Feng Xiaoxiao just tell us the reason why the phoenix flowers never wither? This should be the answer to the third puzzle, right?” A smile appeared on her round face. “In that case, this puzzle game doesn’t seem too difficult. As long as we can find the key characters, we’ll at least get two answers, right? It’s all thanks to you, YuanYuan!”
Chen YuanYuan blushed slightly at the praise and smiled. “It’s nothing. I just have naturally sensitive ears. But… is it really that simple? Feng Xiaoxiao is leading us to the forbidden area, she should be the traitor, right? And the fact that the phoenix flower trees never wither is because of the love between the general and the beauty. Did we solve two puzzles that easily?”
Mo Yang exclaimed, “It’s not that simple. If it weren’t for YuanYuan hearing Feng Xiaoxiao’s voice, we wouldn’t have come here. And if it weren’t for our handsome Yang Heigou attracting the attention of the middle-aged man, Feng Xiaoxiao wouldn’t have come out to receive us.”
“And if Xiao Yao didn’t prevent other relevant people from leaving, Feng Xiaoxiao wouldn’t have mentioned the forbidden area. Finally, Zhou Api asked the right question, and we found out the reason behind the ever-blooming phoenix flowers. Although the reason is somewhat vulgar, it does make sense.”
“You see, the process of obtaining the answers may seem simple, but in reality, each step is crucial,” Mo Yang continued.
It seemed like everyone was convinced by Mo Yang’s words, and they let go of most of the anxiety they had been carrying since morning.
Although it was somewhat unethical, with two puzzle answers already discovered, their ratings were at least B-level. All they needed to do now was to ensure their safety and survive until the end of the game. With Phoenix Village being so small, they could finish the game in at most five days.
Even if the trip to the forbidden area tonight might be dangerous, they could still escape if things didn’t go well. So they had to be grateful to those two missing people.
“Alright, everyone go back and rest now! We’ll meet in the flower field tonight. Once we find the murderer, we can enjoy the rest of the time playing and falling in love,” Zhang Xiaoyao said, and everyone smiled and left.
In the end, only Wan Mei, Mo Yang, and Zhou Api remained in the flower field.
Mo Yang glanced at Zhou Api and then turned to Wan Mei. He asked, “What about those two phoenix trees?”
Wan Mei gave him a disdainful look and casually replied, “Nothing special. Based on their current growth status and structure, I can preliminarily conclude that they have completely withered at least once. And their current state may not even be considered fully alive.”
Mo Yang narrowed his eyes suddenly, while Zhou Api felt a chill run down his spine.
That village is full of lies ~
Thank you for the update ❤️💯
So interesting! Thank you for such quick updates! You’re amazing, OliveUzer-nim!
+1 translator-nim is so consistent that I always look forward to it everyday. Thank you for all the hardwork, OliveUzer!
Is it possible that phoenix trees grow brilliantly with human corpses as its nutrients? That’s why it once withered, because there are no human sacrifices or something? Creepy as heck (｡ŏ_ŏ)
Oh, Doctor Wan done some research
Thank you for your translation 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛
Hey, did this chapter get linked wrong? The title of the story on the updates page is this chapter’s title and this specific one is linked as chapter 1?