Category: The Grotesque Miss’s End Story

Chapter 49: Cultivation

Beneath Baiyan Village, perhaps beneath the entire area, lay a vast cavern filled with corpses.

This cavern seemed to be enveloped by some kind of power, preventing Luo Ling’s Spores from penetrating deeper.

But… waiting passively for rescue wasn’t Luo Ling’s style.

Even though she believed her friends would come, she wanted to do everything she could to find a way out of Baiyan Village before then.

The subterranean cavern was the only lead they had.

However, Luo Ling wasn’t willing to risk her life. Entering the cavern alone could be fatal. The villagers’ transformation into Meat Puppets was undoubtedly connected to this place.

Just as Luo Ling felt helpless, she heard Grandpa say he was going to loosen the soil for the specialty product, and an idea struck her.

As Grandpa passed by, a Spore discreetly attached itself to him.

…A single Spore couldn’t stay in the subterranean cavern for long, but by using a Meat Puppet as cover, perhaps she could take a closer look.

If it failed, Luo Ling could simply sever the connection with the Spore.

An inactive Spore was just an ordinary strand of white hair and wouldn’t affect her.

Luo Ling stayed inside with Grandma and An Yu, but her focus was on the Spore attached to Grandpa.

Grandpa, carrying a hoe and his old pipe, hummed a tune from a traditional opera, walked to a secluded corner of the yard, lit his pipe with a match, and took a long drag.

“A smoke after a meal, feels like heaven~”

Grandpa sighed contentedly, a look of satisfaction on his face.

Even when not in front of Luo Ling and the others, this Grotesquery disguised as “Grandpa” still followed his programmed behavior.

If it weren’t for the dense Grotesquery aura emanating from him, even Luo Ling, who had experienced this before, would have a hard time distinguishing him from the real Grandpa.

Truly terrifying…

After a few more puffs, Grandpa reluctantly tapped the ashes from his pipe, tucked it into his waistband, picked up the hoe again, and shuffled towards the back of the yard.

The backyard was about three hundred square meters, with designated areas for raising chickens and pigs, and growing vegetables.

It was clear that almost all the food they had eaten at lunch came from this small yard.

However, Grandpa didn’t even glance at these areas, instead continuing towards the back of the yard.

He stopped at a shady spot near the mountain and put down the hoe.

“A similar location…”

Looking around, Luo Ling immediately thought of the cellar “Old Man Huang” had taken them to. The entrance and surroundings were almost identical.

It seemed the entrances to the subterranean cavern followed a pattern…

Grandpa felt around on the ground, seemingly finding a switch. He pulled it open, revealing a cellar door camouflaged with grass.

“Sighing for my parents, tears streaming down~”

Grandpa continued humming the opera tune as he carried the hoe and walked down into the cellar.

But Luo Ling felt a sudden urge to sever the connection with the Spore.

She opened her eyes and saw Grandma munching on sunflower seeds, watching a soap opera with An Yu, occasionally commenting on the plot.

But when she closed her eyes, she saw Grandma’s dismembered and dissolving corpse, her scattered limbs half-buried in the soil, her lifeless eyes staring up at the sky.

Grandpa’s corpse was even more gruesome, only his face still recognizable, the rest of his flesh and blood feeding an enormous white reishi mushroom.

“In an instant, at Nanyang Pass, hanging white mourning banners~”

Grandpa hummed as he carefully loosened the soil around the enormous white reishi, his hoe inadvertently slicing through Grandma’s severed arm.

“All the officers in the camp, weeping bitterly~”

“Wu Yunzhao, I don my mourning clothes~”

After toiling for a while, Grandpa straightened up and wiped the sweat from his brow.

He looked up at the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lifeless faces frozen in terror, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

“Looks like the harvest is quite good this year. That old woman wanted to burn them, tsk, tsk, she’d be heartbroken if she actually did it.”

Even Luo Ling, whose emotions were dulled in her “Bai” form, couldn’t bear to watch.

Her chest rose and fell, her already pale skin losing even more color.

The veins on her small hands bulged, and her usually calm eyes trembled.

The churning in her stomach threatened to overwhelm her.

After all, Luo Ling was just a sixteen-year-old high school student.

A few months ago, she had been living a carefree life at school, until her sudden awakening dragged her into all this.

No, she couldn’t lose control…

She had to stay calm.

Unconsciously, she had crushed the apple in her hand, leaving a deep indentation.

Grandma and An Yu, who were watching TV, didn’t notice Luo Ling’s distress. Only Elsa, sitting beside her, felt her trembling.

But she didn’t know what Luo Ling was experiencing and could only offer a silent comfort.

As if struck by an idea, Elsa’s eyes lit up, and she placed Bella, the teddy bear, in Luo Ling’s arms.

“Big Sister Bai, I always hug Bella when I’m nervous. Here… you can hug her,” Elsa whispered in Luo Ling’s ear, her face blushing as she returned to her wheelchair.

Oh god, what was she doing…?

“Thank you, I feel much better,” Luo Ling whispered.

She didn’t feel better at all.

Grandpa was walking deeper into the subterranean cavern, and she witnessed even more gruesome sights, countless enormous white reishi mushrooms rooted in the crimson “soil,” blooming silently and cruelly.

Nausea.

The urge to vomit.

A wave of revulsion assaulted her senses, pushing her to the limit of her endurance.

Just then, Grandpa stopped, raised a hand to shield his eyes, and said with a look of envy,

“Oh my, whose is this one? Truly magnificent.”

Luo Ling fought back her nausea and looked in the direction Grandpa was looking, her eyes widening in an instant.

It was a white reishi mushroom far larger than the others, its slowly unfurling cap almost the size of the entire backyard.

But that wasn’t the main point.

Lying on top of this enormous mushroom was a person.

The seemingly less important target of their mission.

“The Seer… is here…”

Chapter 48: Holding Onto Belief

Although surrounded by danger, Elsa was no longer panicked or anxious.

She looked up at Bai, whose expression was calm and composed, then turned to An Yu, who was still chatting and laughing with her grandparents.

Sigh.

Elsa sighed inwardly.

She hugged Bella tightly. The silent Bella was actually quite cute, but her sudden silence at this dangerous moment was a bad sign.

Few people knew that Bella’s combat strength was no less than Elsa’s, and she was also more controllable, unlike Elsa, who was prone to friendly fire.

However, whenever Elsa used her ability, they had to clear the area for at least a kilometer.

Even Awakened Ones would experience a momentary trance upon hearing her voice, let alone ordinary people.

Those with weaker constitutions might even die from just a few words.

So, even when Bella had fought, no one had witnessed it.

The more serious problem was… although Bella was strong, she was also disobedient, only taking action when Elsa’s life was in danger.

Otherwise, even if Elsa ordered her to, she would only pretend to comply.

“Damn it, at such a crucial moment…”

Elsa clenched her small fists.

She had just told Bai she could protect her, but now they were in grave danger…

And Sister An Yu, poor Sister An Yu…

Elsa felt a familiar sense of helplessness, as if she had experienced something similar in her blocked-off past.

Just then, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Bai’s calm eyes gazing at her, her gentle voice echoing in her mind,

“Don’t worry, Elsa, just wait a little longer… They will come and save us.”

Although she didn’t know how Bai could speak directly into her mind, Elsa felt inexplicably reassured by her words.

Yes, although the members of the exchange group often bickered and argued, they had never backed down when a comrade was in danger.

Brother Liu, Sister Yang, and everyone else…

They were all good people.

Elsa had never doubted this.

Meanwhile, as An Yu’s emotions gradually calmed, the worry in her grandparents’ eyes dissipated, replaced by loving smiles.

Grandpa held his old pipe in his mouth, habitually filling it with tobacco, then hesitated, seeing the young girls inside.

Grandma gently stroked An Yu’s hair, her other hand resting on her knee, and said softly,

“Xiao Yu, if anything bothers you in the future, come and tell Grandma. Grandma will definitely stand up for you!”

“Mm-hmm.”

An Yu nodded vigorously, a smile appearing on her lips.

She glanced at Luo Ling and Elsa, seeing their usual calm expressions, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed the situation in Baiyan Village wasn’t too bad after all.

They just had to wait for the senior members of the Patient Exchange Group to arrive. With them here, this problem would surely be resolved.

The Patient Exchange Group had faced dangerous situations before and had always pulled through.

This time would be no different.

As long as her grandparents were alive, there was still hope.

“Alright, alright, this old man won’t spoil the mood any longer. You girls chat with your grandma.” Grandpa picked up a box of matches, smiled at An Yu, and said, “My dear granddaughter, Grandpa will go tend to the specialty product and make you a pot of soup tonight!”

At the mention of the specialty product, An Yu’s face paled, and the nausea she had suppressed returned, her stomach churning.

Seeing this, Luo Ling quickly stepped forward and said,

“Grandpa, we don’t need the specialty product. Xiao Yu isn’t used to it.”

She glanced at An Yu and continued, “She had an upset stomach at lunch, so… let’s not.”

At the same time, Luo Ling’s voice echoed in An Yu’s mind,

“Ordinary people can’t see Grotesqueries, and neither can your grandparents.”

Yes, yes… that’s right…

…It must be so.

Since Xiao Bai had said so, it must be true.

An Yu nodded slightly, fighting back her nausea.

“Yes, Grandpa… no need for the specialty product. I had a bad stomachache at lunch…”

“Is that so?” Disappointment flickered across Grandpa’s face. “But it’s such a good thing, such a waste…”

“What nonsense are you talking about, old man? Our granddaughter is sick, and you’re still worried about your precious specialty product?”

Grandma glared at Grandpa, then turned to An Yu with concern. “Xiao Yu, is your stomach still bothering you? Should we go see the doctor? That nasty specialty product, making our Xiao Yu sick! We won’t eat it anymore! We’ll burn it all!”

“It’s okay, Grandma, there… won’t be any more in the future.”

A faint smile appeared on An Yu’s face. Yes, this was her grandma, not some monster. Only her grandma would care about her like this.

Grandma was so kind…

Luo Ling watched this scene in silence, her heart aching.

Images of warm memories flashed through her mind, but she quickly suppressed them.

No, this wasn’t the time to think about these things.

She had to stay focused, hold onto her belief.

Luo Ling pushed away the emotions welling up within her, her expression returning to its usual calm.

“Well… even if we don’t eat it, we can still sell it for a lot of money.”

Grandpa sighed, as if lamenting how his wife didn’t understand the value of money.

“Is money more important than our granddaughter?” Grandma glared at him.

“Our granddaughter, of course, our granddaughter!” Grandpa quickly replied. “Alright, this old man will go loosen the soil in the yard and get out of your sight.”

He picked up a hoe and shuffled towards the backyard.

Grandma lovingly stroked An Yu’s hair. “Don’t mind him, our Xiao Yu is the best…”

She then looked up at Luo Ling and Elsa and said warmly,

“Little girls, don’t be shy. Since you’re Xiao Yu’s friends, you’re family here. Don’t stand on ceremony.”

She pushed the fruit and candy on the table towards Luo Ling and Elsa. “Eat, eat. If you want anything else, Grandma will go buy it for you from Old Huang’s store at the village entrance.”

“Thank you, Grandma, this is enough, no need to trouble yourself,” Luo Ling said politely, taking a plate of fruit and casually biting into an apple.

At the same time, her perspective shifted to another location.

—Following Grandpa into the backyard.

Chapter 47: Deception

[White Witch: Urgent request for backup. New situation in Baiyan Village. Dangerous Grotesquery detected. Presumed entire village annihilated. We are trapped, no immediate danger, but please send help ASAP.]

Luo Ling checked the message she had sent, wondering if she should throw the phone again to see if she could receive a reply.

But the voices nearby interrupted her thoughts. Two pairs of eyes were on her and Elsa.

“Xiao Yu, it’s too sunny out, let’s go back inside,” Grandma said with concern, reaching out a trembling hand to take An Yu’s, as she always did.

An Yu, already on edge, instinctively flinched and pulled her hand back. Her pale face startled the two elders.

“What’s wrong, dear?” Grandpa asked with concern. “Are you feeling unwell?”

Tears welled up in An Yu’s eyes. She looked at her kind and familiar grandparents, her throat constricting with emotion.

Were they… really her grandparents?

Or were they monsters?

The image of the hollow husk of skin melting into the white, viscous threads, mimicking human speech, flashed through her mind. She remembered Old Man Huang’s lifeless eyes in the cellar, and the white reishi blooming among the corpses.

Were her grandparents… already dead?

But the two elders before her were so familiar, their every move, every word of concern… exactly the same.

She couldn’t tell.

She really couldn’t tell…

“Calm down, An Yu,” Luo Ling’s voice echoed in her mind. “They are your grandparents. They’re still alive.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Luo Ling closed her eyes, unable to bear the sight.

It was a lie.

She had already recognized the familiar aura on “Grandpa and Grandma.” It was the same as “Old Man Huang,” the aura of the Puppet Ballad.

An Yu’s real grandparents were most likely buried in the subterranean cavern beneath Baiyan Village, just like Old Man Huang, becoming part of the soil nourishing the white reishi.

What a terrifying and cruel truth…

But at this moment, Luo Ling could only lie. She couldn’t reveal the truth.

An Yu couldn’t control her emotions. If she knew the truth, she would shatter the fragile peace.

If they startled the Puppet Ballad… no, even just startling the Meat Puppets in Baiyan Village, they would likely be trapped here.

But…

If the truth brought pain, lies would only make it worse.

I’m sorry, An Yu.

Luo Ling apologized silently.

At the same time, she realized she had been telling more and more lies lately…

Elsa seemed to sense Luo Ling’s emotional fluctuation and tugged on her sleeve discreetly.

Although Elsa’s eyes were still closed, Luo Ling felt an unspoken comfort from her.

Elsa… also knew the truth.

And she had also chosen to hide it.

She knew that An Yu, who had grown up with her grandparents, surrounded by their love, couldn’t handle such a blow.

What should have been a heartwarming reunion would become a devastating tragedy.

This truth… was too much for anyone to bear.

“That’s great,” An Yu breathed a sigh of relief, hearing Luo Ling’s confirmation, a smile returning to her face. “That’s really great…”

Tears streamed down her face. She had been holding them back earlier, but now she couldn’t help but sob.

“Wuwuwu… Grandpa, Grandma… wuwuwu…”

Hearing their granddaughter’s cries, her grandparents rushed over, their faces filled with concern.

Grandma gently patted An Yu’s back, while Grandpa knelt down and wiped away her tears with his thumb.

“Don’t cry, Xiao Yu, don’t cry. Let’s go home, Grandma will make you something delicious.”

“There, there, my dear granddaughter, look, you’ve cried your pretty face into a mess. Grandpa will wipe it for you…”

“Mm, mm… okay… I’m fine now, Grandpa, Grandma, I’m fine…”

An Yu wiped away her tears, sniffled, and finally calmed down.

She looked at Luo Ling gratefully, then at her grandparents, a bright smile returning to her face.

It was alright. Her grandparents were still alive. As long as they were alive, even if it was just them… it was enough.

After composing herself, An Yu took her grandparents’ hands and returned to their house with them.

Grandma took out a bag of candy from a corner in the kitchen and shared it with them.

An Yu happily unwrapped a candy and popped it into her mouth. After a moment of hesitation, Luo Ling and Elsa also took one.

Luo Ling had checked earlier; these were just ordinary candies.

After recovering from the initial shock of the truth, Luo Ling began to analyze the situation.

Apart from the white reishi and the strange barrier, everything else in the village seemed normal, perfectly normal.

A normal village, normal villagers, normal life.

But beneath this facade lay a terrifying truth.

Firstly, there hadn’t been a barrier when Liu Songyi came to investigate before; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to leave.

This meant that the Puppet Ballad in Baiyan Village, or at least a part of it, was growing.

And its growth was likely related to the white reishi in the subterranean cavern.

Luo Ling had noticed the neglected fields, which had led her to inquire with the villagers.

“Old Man Huang,” following his programmed logic, had led them to the cellar, where they discovered the white reishi and the truth.

When Liu Songyi and his team had investigated, this tragedy had likely just begun, and the fields hadn’t been neglected yet.

Moreover… in the villagers’ programmed logic, white reishi was white reishi, and mushrooms were mushrooms, so they hadn’t been able to glean anything from their questions about mushrooms.

Their previous investigation had been fruitless for good reason.

But now wasn’t the time to dwell on past failures. They had to wait for rescue from the Patient Exchange Group without alerting the Puppet Ballad.

“Knowing the group, with the lives of several members at stake, they should temporarily abandon the hunt for Huang Xiuqin and come rescue us,” Luo Ling thought. “It takes about an hour and a half to get from the city to Baiyan Village, maybe an hour if they hurry.

“We don’t have to wait long. As long as we can hold out until then… we can at least escape this immediate danger.”

If even the main force couldn’t rescue them, they would have no chance on their own.

However, at least the Puppet Ballad wasn’t awake yet. They still had a chance.

This thought calmed Luo Ling’s nerves slightly.

Listening to An Yu chatting peacefully with her grandparents, Luo Ling felt a sense of peace.

Just one hour. It would pass quickly.

Chapter 46: Sudden Change

A faint scent of blood hung in the still air near the small woods in Jiangcheng County’s central park.

A three-foot long sword pierced Yang Meili’s hand, pinning her to a wall. Her usual weapon, a hidden blade in her sleeve, lay broken on the ground, its shattered fragments scattered around her.

Even worse were the three burn marks on her body, still searing her flesh, the pain relentless.

Yet, Yang Meili’s expression was devoid of agony, replaced by shock and bewilderment at the even more gruesome scene before her.

“Wu Hai…”

Codenamed Flame King, Elemental path, wielding the power of fire, his skills were imbuing weapons with fire and enhancing his own body with fire.

He leaned against the wall, his face a mask of disbelief, his eyes fixated on Yang Meili, frozen in place, his red-hot claws hanging limply at his sides.

Several throwing darts protruded from his chest, piercing his heart and extinguishing his life force.

This was one of Yang Meili’s signature assassination techniques.

Flame King, Wu Hai, was dead.

Even in his final moments, Wu Hai couldn’t understand why Yang Meili had done this, only managing to inflict a final injury upon her before dying.

On Yang Meili’s broken hidden blade were traces of Ancient Martial Artist Liu Songyi’s fist force, and the sword pinning her hand belonged to Swordsman Zhong Bo.

However, neither of them was in good shape either.

Zhong Bo lay on his back, his sword hand crushed to a pulp, his legs twisted at unnatural angles, unable to stand.

Liu Songyi, though still able to fight, knelt on one knee, his muscular body covered in wounds.

Sword wounds, puncture wounds, even fist wounds, all oozing blood.

His eyes were wide with fury as he stared at the indifferent woman not far away, gritting out each word.

“Huang…Xiu…Qin…”

This was an unexpected and brutal battle, far beyond what the team had anticipated.

Even the beginning of the fight had been sudden and unforeseen.

Yang Meili, who had been scouting the area, suddenly appeared in front of Wu Hai. Before anyone could ask what was happening, she attacked.

And her attack was lethal.

Three throwing darts flew straight towards Wu Hai’s heart, while the hidden blade in her other hand slashed at his head.

Liu Songyi, who was closer to Wu Hai, reacted instantly, shattering Yang Meili’s hidden blade. Zhong Bo, half a beat slower, also reacted, throwing his three-foot long sword, pinning Yang Meili’s hand to the wall.

…But it was too late. The three throwing darts had already found their mark, piercing Wu Hai’s heart.

In his final moments, Wu Hai mustered his remaining strength and lashed out with his fire-imbued claws, leaving three gruesome burn marks on Yang Meili.

Before Liu Songyi could ask Yang Meili why she had done this, Zhong Bo, who was behind him, suddenly attacked, slashing at his back with another sword.

Fortunately, Liu Songyi’s physique was strong enough to withstand the blow. He quickly turned and subdued Zhong Bo, but as he reached out to restrain him, his hand inexplicably formed a fist and smashed Zhong Bo’s left arm to a pulp.

A fierce battle ensued, ending only when Liu Songyi was heavily injured and Zhong Bo collapsed unconscious with broken legs.

As Liu Songyi struggled to his feet, the figure they had been chasing for so long finally appeared before him, looking down at them.

Liu Songyi realized… they had failed.

This inexplicable infighting was her doing.

“You were too careless, completely unaware of the kind of opponent you were facing,” Performer said calmly. “I could easily defeat you even without knowing your abilities.”

“Oneiric path…”

Liu Songyi struggled to lift his head, staring intently at Performer, trying to memorize her face, every detail about her.

So that Ji Shinian could use his ability to find her.

He hadn’t expected… this entire operation to be a trap.

They had been cautious, gathering the strongest fighters in the group before coming here, sending the unstable Scarlet Witch and the less useful Cyber Girl on a newbie mission.

But they hadn’t expected… her ability to be so strange.

Before coming here, Performer had sought out the Speaker to obtain information on the Awakened Ones in the area, intending to use her psychological suggestion ability to take them down one by one.

But they had gathered together, and their search had been disorganized. The assassin she had initially targeted with psychological suggestion had been distracted.

…And this small-scale encounter, where her opponents were unprepared, was the perfect setting for Performer’s ability.

In direct combat, Performer’s strength wasn’t even comparable to a Judgment path Awakened One a few Orders lower than her, unless she used a sneak attack, like with the Bone Doctor.

But with a slightly larger group, she only needed to sow a little discord, and the team would easily crumble.

In the battle just now, Performer had used her ability three times, each lasting no more than two seconds.

The effect had been significant.

“Goodbye.”

Performer took out a homemade firearm from her pocket, aimed it at Liu Songyi’s forehead, and pulled the trigger.

“Pfft—”

A small, unremarkable sound, like opening a bottle of wine with a corkscrew.

Liu Songyi collapsed.

“That was easy.”

Performer put away her firearm, her expression still indifferent.

Just then, she heard a vibration. Looking down, she saw Liu Songyi’s phone in his pocket.

A message flashed on the lock screen, marked urgent.

“Hmm?”

Performer raised an eyebrow, picked up the phone, and unlocked it with Liu Songyi’s fingerprint.

“Oh? They’ve encountered that Dangerous Grotesquery already… such fearless little ones.” Performer chuckled coldly, then her expression turned serious. “I was planning to wait for Scientist and Artist to arrive before making a move… it seems I have to act sooner than expected.”

Judging from the urgent message, the Dangerous Grotesquery was still dormant. If it awakened… it would be much more difficult to deal with.

But Performer wasn’t worried. She had “His” blessing. As long as she could reach the Grotesquery, it wouldn’t be a problem.

“Let’s go take a look.”

Performer tossed the phone aside and turned to leave.

She didn’t notice the young girl clutching a bag of snacks, who had witnessed everything from afar, covering her mouth, too terrified to make a sound.

“How could this be… I just went to buy some snacks, and Brother Liu and the others…”

Chapter 45: Calling for Backup

After Elsa used her ability to kill “Old Man Huang,” she discovered something alarming.

“Old Man Huang” didn’t have a soul. What she had done was merely sever the connection between “Old Man Huang” and some other entity.

This meant… there was still a Grotesquery lurking in Baiyan Village, controlling everything from the shadows, like a shepherd and their flock.

Although the loss of one sheep might not necessarily attract attention, their current location was extremely dangerous. If they were exposed, all three of them would likely be trapped.

The conditions for Elsa to use her ability were quite specific. Without it, she was no different from a frail, ordinary girl.

However, the good news was that Elsa had recovered. Her earlier distress had been caused by a premonition of danger, but she hadn’t known where the danger came from or if it was even a real threat, leading to an inexplicable anxiety.

Now that she understood, Elsa felt relieved, a weight lifted from her heart.

Bella, the teddy bear, still hadn’t spoken, lying quietly in Elsa’s lap like an ordinary stuffed toy. But this had happened before; its personality occasionally malfunctioned, which wasn’t unusual.

“Right, call for backup…”

An Yu calmed herself, forcing herself not to think about the terrifying implications.

She took out her phone, preparing to call for help through the group chat.

But then, things took a turn for the worse.

“No signal?” An Yu looked at her phone, which showed almost no signal, and the message that wouldn’t send. Panic flashed through her eyes. “That’s not right, I had signal when I came back before…”

“It’s not your phone, it’s this place,” Luo Ling said, her expression grim.

She had tried to use the Spores she had planted outside to call for help. This wasn’t the time to hide her long-range communication ability, but unfortunately… it also failed. She couldn’t sense the outside Spores at all.

Something seemed to be enveloping Baiyan Village, isolating them from the outside world.

“We have to leave this place,” Luo Ling exhaled, turning to An Yu. “Take us to the nearest town, quickly. If we’re exposed… we’ll be in even more trouble.”

“Mm…”

An Yu quickly put away her phone and slung her backpack over her shoulder.

She resisted the urge to look back at the cellar and led Luo Ling and Elsa towards the village entrance.

As they passed “Old Man Huang’s” body, she couldn’t help but glance at it.

A puddle of viscous white threads writhed on the ground, covered by a tattered layer of skin, opening and closing as if trying to mimic speech, but only a muffled whimper escaped.

“Don’t look, you won’t be able to handle it,” Luo Ling’s voice echoed from behind.

“I know…”

An Yu lowered her head, quickening her pace.

Xiao Bai was the “newbie” on this mission, yet for some reason, in this critical moment, she and Xiao Qian were following her lead.

What kind of person was Xiao Bai…?

An Yu suddenly realized that she knew very little about the White Witch, only her strikingly beautiful face and her aloof demeanor.

She didn’t even know much about her abilities…

She glanced back. Xiao Bai’s silver hair shimmered in the sunlight, casting an unreadable shadow over her face, like a mysterious veil.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing… it’s nothing…”

Hearing Luo Ling’s usual calm tone, An Yu felt inexplicably reassured.

She was so small and young, about the same age as Elsa, yet she seemed like a reliable older sister… strange.

After walking for a while, An Yu estimated they were close to the village entrance, but looking around, they were near the forest again.

“What’s going on?”

An Yu looked around in confusion, wondering if her memory was failing her.

Impossible, she had grown up in Baiyan Village. Even though she hadn’t run through the mountains and fields like the other village children, she at least knew the way around.

“Are… we… lost…?”

Even Elsa couldn’t help but ask.

“…Maybe.”

An Yu fought back the dizziness and examined her surroundings again.

She knew exactly how to get to the village entrance from their current location, but after turning a corner, they ended up somewhere else entirely.

This was just like…

“A ghost wall?”

An Yu’s face paled.

She hadn’t expected things to get even worse…

Seeing the change in An Yu’s expression, Luo Ling guessed what was happening.

While An Yu was leading the way, Luo Ling had also been using her Spores to scout the area, but she didn’t dare get too close to the village, afraid of being detected by the “villagers.”

She confirmed that Baiyan Village was enveloped by some kind of barrier, and with their current strength, they couldn’t break through.

“Don’t worry, there’s still a chance.”

Luo Ling reassured the increasingly anxious An Yu while thinking of a solution.

She looked up at the sky, which was also blocked by the invisible barrier. That was why the phone signal couldn’t get through, and her Spores were blocked as well.

However… living creatures, or rather, physical objects, weren’t affected.

Luo Ling watched as several birds flew in and out of the forest, passing through the barrier without any problems.

The sky seemed like a good escape route.

The only problem was, none of them could fly…

Wait, fly?

A thought struck Luo Ling, and her eyes narrowed.

If they couldn’t fly, it didn’t mean their phones couldn’t.

She immediately took out her phone, typed a message for help, took a deep breath, and threw it upwards with all her might.

“Eh?”

An Yu and Elsa stared at Luo Ling in bewilderment, unsure what she was doing.

Was she trying to activate airplane mode on her phone?

Luo Ling’s phone barely managed to pass through the barrier before falling back down.

At the same time, Luo Ling used Proliferation to make the surrounding weeds grow rapidly, forming a cushion to catch the falling phone.

She quickly picked up the phone and checked it, whispering,

“…It worked.”

After the phone had been thrown outside the barrier, the brief connection had allowed the message to be sent.

Unfortunately, the connection was too short. She had only managed to send the message but couldn’t receive any replies. The group chat was still stuck at the messages from before they entered Baiyan Village.

“You sent the message? Good, good…”

An Yu immediately understood what Luo Ling had done and breathed a sigh of relief, a rare smile appearing on her lips.

“Now we just need to hide and wait for the others to arrive after receiving the message… As long as Brother Liu and the others are here, everything will be alright.”

Just as she finished speaking, a familiar, elderly voice echoed from behind them, laced with confusion.

“Xiao Yu? And two other little girls… what are you doing here at this hour?”

Chapter 44: The Truth

A strong, putrid smell mixed with a strangely sweet scent filled the air, making An Yu nauseous.

She stared at Old Man Huang’s corpse in the cellar, then turned to look at the still-chattering Old Man Huang standing beside her. A chilling coldness surged from her bone marrow, her blood seeming to freeze in her veins.

If Old Man Huang was already dead in the cellar, then who was this Old Man Huang talking to her?

If Old Man Huang was still alive, then whose corpse was that in the cellar?

The incessant beeping of the Grotesquery fluctuation meter continued, like a death knell.

“Lass, why do you look so pale?” the living Old Man Huang asked with concern. “Are you feeling the heat? Want to go down to the cellar to cool off? Just be careful not to touch my precious goods.”

An Yu lowered her head slightly, looking at Old Man Huang’s corpse in the cellar, which he referred to as “precious goods.”

His bulging eyes were bloodshot, and small, budding white reishi mushrooms were growing from his eye sockets.

Wait, that white reishi…

Looked familiar.

A horrifying realization dawned on An Yu, and she couldn’t help but vomit.

“Ugh…”

The soup she had drunk at lunch, the reishi she had eaten… were they also these “specialty products”…?

An Yu clutched her stomach in terror, gagging, trying to empty the contents of her stomach.

A few drops of bile dripped onto the ground, tinged with blood.

“Lass, are you alright? Should we go see Dr. Wang?”

Old Man Huang’s face was filled with concern as he stepped forward to support An Yu.

But before he could take a few steps, Luo Ling’s dagger flashed, slicing his arm.

“…”

“I, I’ll go get Dr. Wang right now, lass, just wait!” Old Man Huang said frantically, clutching his arm. “Little girls, look after her, I’ll be right back…”

He turned to leave.

“An Yu, he’s… no longer the Uncle Huang you know,” Luo Ling said calmly.

An Yu fought back her nausea and looked up at Old Man Huang, her gaze falling on his arm. A look of sorrow and horror appeared on her face.

“How could this be…”

From the living “Old Man Huang’s” sliced arm, no blood flowed, only milky white, viscous threads.

Beneath his normal-looking skin, his flesh and blood had been replaced by… the Puppet Ballad, just like Li Tianming and Wu Qin…

The living “Old Man Huang” was merely a Meat Puppet playing a role.

The real Old Man Huang was buried in the cellar, becoming nourishment for the “white reishi.”

“But why? He looks exactly like the Uncle Huang I know…” An Yu’s voice trembled with tears. “How could he be a Grotesquery… this is impossible…”

“…”

Luo Ling remained silent. She knew this was the Puppet Ballad’s ability.

Reading memories, mimicking behavior, replacing the original person, absorbing their life force to gather strength for its dormant true form.

Watching the departing “Old Man Huang,” Luo Ling turned to Elsa and nodded.

“Do it.”

They were far enough away.

They couldn’t let the awakened “Old Man Huang” return to its kind.

Elsa nodded slightly, raised her hand, and pointed it at the departing “Old Man Huang.” A strange syllable, the first time she had spoken aloud, escaped her lips.

“Shieh.”

“Old Man Huang” froze.

“Mie.”

“Old Man Huang” collapsed.

The battle ended silently.

They were far enough away that Luo Ling and An Yu wouldn’t be affected by Elsa’s ability. If they had been closer to “Old Man Huang,” they would have been affected as well, likely suffering a similar fate.

An Yu wiped away her tears, forcing herself to calm down.

She looked at the corpse in the cellar, hesitated for a moment, and was about to go down when Luo Ling stopped her.

“Don’t go in, it’s complicated,” Luo Ling said in a low voice.

She had used her Spores to briefly scout the inside of the cellar, but she couldn’t see much.

The Spores were severely disrupted upon entering the cellar, and Luo Ling could only maintain the connection for a few seconds.

But those few seconds were enough for her to glimpse the cellar’s true nature.

…It wasn’t a cellar at all, but more like… a subterranean cavern.

Within its seemingly endless expanse, white reishi mushrooms grew everywhere, densely packed together.

And even more terrifying… the soil beneath the mushrooms was composed of rotting flesh and gruesome corpses.

The entire cavern was filled with a dense, putrid air, and even Luo Ling, who had only briefly sensed it with her Spores, almost couldn’t bear it.

If hell existed, it would probably look like this subterranean cavern.

Luo Ling had a vague suspicion, but it was a terrifying… and cruel one.

“Wait, if Uncle Huang is dead, then Grandpa and Grandma…”

At the same time, An Yu realized the same thing, her briefly calmed emotions surging with panic again.

No, it couldn’t be…

Her grandparents had seemed perfectly normal just now…

But so had Old Man Huang…

Even in his last moments, Old Man Huang had been no different from usual, exactly the same.

If her grandparents were truly dead, and the “Grandpa” and “Grandma” from earlier were just Grotesqueries in disguise, then…

The “white reishi” she had eaten at lunch was actually…

An Yu looked down at the cellar. Old Man Huang’s lifeless eyes stared back at her, devoid of color.

The white reishi mushrooms blooming beside him were pristine and alluring.

“Ugh…”

Nausea surged through her again, along with unstoppable tears.

“No, it can’t be… Grandpa and Grandma…”

“Calm down, An Yu,” Luo Ling said, gently patting An Yu’s shoulder. “Perhaps things aren’t as bad as they seem.”

This was a lie.

Luo Ling knew that the entire Baiyan Village… had become a breeding ground for the Puppet Ballad. Among the countless corpses in the subterranean cavern, there were likely the bodies of An Yu’s grandparents.

No, there definitely were.

It was a despairing truth.

…But for An Yu now, it was too much to bear.

Even Luo Ling could empathize.

Fortunately, in her “Bai” form, Luo Ling’s emotions were dulled, preventing her from overthinking.

“Really?”

An Yu looked up at Luo Ling, like a drowning person clinging to the last straw, her eyes filled with desperate hope.

…Déjà vu.

“Really,” Luo Ling said, lowering her eyes slightly.

Elsa wheeled closer and whispered something in Luo Ling’s ear.

Luo Ling’s expression turned grim, and she looked at An Yu.

“This is no longer a commission we can handle. We need to call for backup.”

Chapter 43: Baiyan Village’s Specialty Product

After resting at the house and waiting for her grandparents to take their afternoon nap, An Yu slung her backpack over her shoulder and left with Luo Ling and Elsa.

Since she had already interviewed most of the nearby villagers on their way in, An Yu felt there was no need to ask further, and since most of the elderly villagers were napping, it was best not to disturb them.

After some thought, An Yu decided to check the fields near the mountain at the edge of the village.

“Still no reaction…”

An Yu held the compass-like Grotesquery fluctuation meter. The needle remained motionless, indicating no Grotesqueries nearby.

The entire village seemed normal, everything as it always had been, seemingly unchanged.

In fact, An Yu doubted they would find anything even if they investigated, because Liu Songyi and his team had already searched the fields and mountains—otherwise, how could Narcissus have eaten wild boar from the mountain?

Of course, normalcy was a good thing. The appearance of a Grotesquery usually meant disaster, so An Yu felt slightly relieved.

While An Yu focused on detecting Grotesqueries, Luo Ling’s attention was drawn to the seemingly fertile fields.

“Does your village… not farm anymore?”

Luo Ling looked at the fields overgrown with weeds, a thoughtful expression on her face.

“Of course we do! Baiyan Village has always been self-sufficient. I even help out during the harvest every year.”

An Yu looked up and, seeing the neglected fields, exclaimed in surprise, “Hiss… wait, something’s not right, is it?”

The uncles and aunties she knew were all hardworking and would never let the fields become so overgrown. They would be heartbroken.

“This should be Old Man Huang’s field, the one who runs the small store at the village entrance… His house is nearby, should we go ask him?”

“Mm.”

Luo Ling agreed, but she still felt like she was missing something, her brow furrowed in thought.

…

“Xiao Yu? What’s the matter at this hour…?”

Old Man Huang, woken from his nap, yawned and leaned against the counter, his eyes still half-closed.

“Uncle Huang, is there something wrong with the fields at the village entrance? Why are they all overgrown?” An Yu asked, opening the small store’s freezer and grabbing a popsicle.

Investigation was investigation, but waking someone up in the middle of their nap required a small purchase.

“Just for that? There’s nothing wrong with the fields, we’re just not planting crops anymore,” Old Man Huang waved his hand dismissively. “Nobody grows vegetables anymore. We’re all growing the specialty product now!”

“Specialty product?”

An Yu was taken aback.

“White reishi?” Luo Ling asked.

“That’s right, white reishi!” Old Man Huang’s face lit up at the mention of it.

“It’s a valuable commodity! Thanks to the blessed environment of our Baiyan Village, we can grow it here. Other villages can’t!”

“When did you start growing it?” Luo Ling asked.

“Why are you asking so many questions, little girl…?”

Old Man Huang grumbled. He was already annoyed at being woken up from his nap, and now this little girl was pestering him with questions.

“Uncle Huang, it’s for our school assignment. You’re the best, please help us~”

An Yu put on a sweet, pleading expression, which seemed to work on Old Man Huang. He waved his hand and replied,

“Two months ago.”

Two months ago…

Luo Ling’s eyes narrowed.

The Seer had disappeared two months ago, and Liu Songyi had led a team to investigate shortly after.

A specialty product they started growing two months ago… the connection…

“Can you show us where you grow this specialty product?” Luo Ling asked after a moment of thought.

“It’s for a school assignment, an assignment,” An Yu grabbed a few more popsicles, handing them to Luo Ling and Elsa. “I’ll buy more things, Uncle Huang. Can you show us?”

Although she didn’t understand why Bai was so fixated on this specialty product, as a teammate, An Yu cooperated.

“Alright, it’s not like it’s a secret.”

Old Man Huang looked at the fifty yuan An Yu handed him, his eyes darting around before pocketing the money without comment.

No change.

“Let’s go, I’ll show you little ones. The future prosperity of Baiyan Village depends on this specialty product!”

The small store was some distance from where they grew the specialty product. Old Man Huang and An Yu walked ahead, with Luo Ling pushing Elsa slightly behind.

An Yu and Old Man Huang chatted along the way, while Luo Ling noticed Elsa’s face growing paler.

“…Are you still feeling unwell?”

Luo Ling asked softly.

Elsa hesitated, then whispered in her ear,

“It’s the same as at your grandparents’ house. I don’t know if it’s nervousness or something… it feels like I can’t breathe.”

“We’re here!”

Old Man Huang’s booming voice echoed, his good mood evident. An Yu’s flattery had worked, and his earlier annoyance at being woken up had vanished.

Luo Ling looked up and found they were just in an ordinary, shady corner of the mountain, no sign of any specialty product.

Seeing Luo Ling’s confused expression, Old Man Huang scoffed.

“Of course, we grow white reishi in the cellar. Such a valuable product can’t be left out in the open for everyone to see.”

He bent down, felt around on the ground, found a latch, and pulled it open, revealing a cellar entrance.

A strange, chilly wind blew out, carrying a putrid stench.

Elsa and An Yu covered their noses, while Luo Ling walked towards the cellar entrance, her expression calm.

Suddenly, a rapid beeping came from An Yu’s backpack. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly put down her backpack, taking out the beeping Grotesquery fluctuation meter.

Old Man Huang was still bragging about the value and rarity of the specialty product, while Luo Ling had already reached the cellar entrance.

“Wait, Bai, wait! Don’t go in!”

An Yu suddenly shouted in a panicked voice.

She held up the Grotesquery fluctuation meter. The needle was pointing directly at the cellar, the beeping more frantic than ever before.

This meant that the Grotesquery they had encountered… was unprecedentedly powerful.

“Don’t go in, just take a look. If you damage my precious product, I’ll be very angry,” Old Man Huang continued chattering.

Luo Ling looked into the cellar silently, then turned to Old Man Huang, her gaze deep.

Just as An Yu rushed over, she heard Luo Ling ask Old Man Huang a strange question.

“Who are you?”

Who was who… wasn’t he Old Man Huang?

This thought flashed through An Yu’s mind, but as she inadvertently glanced into the cellar, she suddenly understood why Luo Ling had asked this question.

The midday sun shone brightly, its rays piercing through the half-open cellar door and illuminating the damp, cold interior.

—Illuminating the lifeless face of Old Man Huang, his eyes wide open in terror, lying at the bottom of the cellar.

Several delicate white reishi mushrooms bloomed cruelly amidst his horrified expression.

Chapter 42: A Warm and Happy Lunch

As a veteran criminal investigator and an experienced Awakened One, even though the Seer’s words were nonsensical, Liu Songyi had still included them in his investigation.

“So… there aren’t any?”

“There are.”

Grandma nodded and returned from the kitchen with a bag of dried mushrooms.

“…That’s probably not what she meant.”

Luo Ling’s eye twitched as she looked at the bag. These were just ordinary mushrooms.

They couldn’t be the man-eating mushrooms the Seer had described…

“Not big enough, is it? That’s what the police officers said too,” Grandma muttered. “You city folk are so strange, even picking mushrooms by size…”

“…”

Luo Ling couldn’t really say anything. After all, the talk about mushrooms came from a mental patient.

Just then, the back door opened, and An Yu, covered in the stench of chicken blood, rushed in, carrying two freshly slaughtered chickens. Grandpa followed slowly, carrying a sack.

“Grandma, let’s cook! Grandpa’s cooking isn’t as good as yours!”

An Yu shouted, and Grandpa looked at her with mock offense.

“Alright, alright…”

Hearing her granddaughter’s praise, a proud smile appeared on Grandma’s wrinkled face. She straightened up, like a triumphant general, and walked towards the kitchen.

“Xiao Bai, A Qian, wait a moment, lunch will be ready soon!”

An Yu poked her head out from the kitchen and said with a grin.

“Mm.”

Luo Ling replied and looked at Elsa, who was still pale but looked slightly better.

Bella, the teddy bear, remained silent in Elsa’s lap, like an ordinary stuffed toy.

Seeming to sense Luo Ling’s gaze, Elsa looked up and forced a smile, indicating that Luo Ling shouldn’t worry too much.

Soon, an enticing aroma drifted from the kitchen. An Yu bustled back and forth between the kitchen and the dining room, placing the dishes Grandma had prepared on the table.

“Come and eat!”

An Yu’s voice echoed from the dining room, along with the clatter of bowls and chopsticks.

When Luo Ling pushed Elsa to the dining table, Grandpa, Grandma, and An Yu were already seated, having left two seats closest to the door for Luo Ling and Elsa.

The meal was quite a feast: several chicken dishes, stir-fried meat, vegetables, and even a pot of soup.

After they were seated, An Yu diligently served Luo Ling and Elsa a bowl of soup each.

“Try it, this is a local specialty! …Right, Grandpa?”

“Yes,” Grandpa nodded proudly. “We grew these ourselves. They’re nutritious! Eat more so you can grow taller.”

Luo Ling looked at the soup. It was slightly yellowish, and besides a few pieces of chicken, there were some white chunks floating in it.

Wait, was this…

“Mushroom soup?”

Luo Ling paused.

“Little girl, you don’t recognize this?” Grandpa said proudly. “This isn’t just any mushroom, it’s white reishi.

“When I was young, only grown men could have a bowl of this soup during festivals. Look at us now, we can grow it ourselves and eat it whenever we want!”

“Try it, it’s delicious and flavorful.”

An Yu said, picking up her bowl and taking a large gulp.

Luo Ling looked troubled. After a moment of hesitation, she pushed the bowl back.

“Sorry, but I don’t really like mushrooms.”

This wasn’t a deliberate excuse. Luo Ling genuinely disliked mushrooms and was picky about them.

Plus, with the Seer’s ramblings about mushrooms echoing in her mind, she felt a sense of aversion towards them now.

Elsa also pushed her bowl back and shook her head.

Her reason was different from Luo Ling’s. Luo Ling simply disliked mushrooms, while Elsa couldn’t bring herself to eat anything right now.

“Huh?”

An Yu was taken aback, and Grandpa and Grandma also looked embarrassed.

They hadn’t realized their guests had dietary restrictions, and the simple couple felt they had been impolite.

“I can eat more of the other dishes, I like those,” Luo Ling quickly added, easing the awkward atmosphere.

“Yes, yes, eat more meat and vegetables, those are good too,” Grandma quickly chimed in. “We raised and grew them ourselves, they’re very healthy.

“Especially the vegetables, they have lots of chlorophyll. Eat more so you can grow taller.”

“It’s okay, if you don’t want it, I’ll eat it!” An Yu declared, taking both bowls of soup. “I love everything Grandma makes!”

Luo Ling picked up her chopsticks and started eating slowly.

After lunch, An Yu, who had eaten her fill, leaned back on the sofa, rubbing her slightly bulging belly, and sighed contentedly.

“It’s been so long since I had Grandma’s cooking. It still tastes the same… so much better than the pig slop they serve in the school cafeteria.”

“School… is the food in your school cafeteria that bad?”

Luo Ling asked curiously. She couldn’t afford to eat in the cafeteria and always brought her own lunch.

After awakening, she had lost her sense of hunger and stopped eating altogether, saving some money.

“It’s terrible,” An Yu complained. “They scramble eggs with whole tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs! They even have stir-fried eggs with spicy strips and mooncakes! What do they think eggs are?! If eggs had feelings, they would regret being born!”

“Pfft.”

Elsa couldn’t help but laugh, but remembering the effect of her voice, she quickly stifled it.

“When are we going out to investigate?” Luo Ling asked. “We can’t just ask a few villagers, can we?”

“I’m ready anytime. I just ate, a walk would be nice.”

An Yu shrugged. She didn’t mind.

Luo Ling pondered for a moment, looking at the still-pale Elsa.

“Should we let Xiao Qian rest here for a while?”

“No!”

An Yu immediately objected, and Elsa also shook her head resolutely.

“Although I don’t think anything will happen, when we’re on a mission, the entire team has to be present. We can’t just leave someone behind,” An Yu said. “This is the Group Leader’s iron rule, and every team on a mission must obey.”

Elsa nodded slightly, confirming this.

“…Alright.”

Luo Ling didn’t press further. She wasn’t familiar with their rules.

Ji Shinian’s purpose in having her participate in this simple commission was to show her how the group members cooperated… Now it seemed quite necessary.

So, just like the scruffy man had said, this mission… was practically babysitting.

Chapter 41: Kind Grandparents

An Yu’s grandparents’ house was a rare two-story building in Baiyan Village. Her parents had good jobs in the city and had used their earnings to build this house for the elderly couple.

Land was inexpensive in remote Baiyan Village, so the house was quite spacious, about a hundred square meters, almost too large for two elderly people.

—Much better than the place Luo Ling and her sister lived in.

Since this trip was primarily for the commission, An Yu hadn’t informed her grandparents beforehand, wanting to surprise them.

When she pushed open the door, the two elders were busy preparing lunch. They stared blankly at the three girls at the doorway for a moment, only reacting when An Yu spoke.

“Grandpa, Grandma!”

An Yu, carrying two bags, rushed forward and practically threw herself into her grandparents’ arms.

“Oh… it’s Xiao Yu! What brings you back at this time?”

Grandpa reached out a trembling hand and stroked An Yu’s hair, a loving smile appearing on his wrinkled face.

“Because I missed you~”

An Yu nuzzled her grandpa’s hand affectionately.

Grandma looked up at Luo Ling and Elsa, adjusting her reading glasses.

“Xiao Yu, who are these young ladies…?”

“Classmates.”

Luo Ling nodded slightly at Grandma.

“And good friends!” An Yu quickly introduced them to her grandparents. “This is Xiao Bai, and this is A Qian. They’re my best friends!”

“Xiao Yu’s friends?” Grandpa was taken aback, then sighed with emotion. “I didn’t expect Xiao Yu to make friends…”

“Indeed,” Grandma smiled at Luo Ling. “Xiao Yu was a very introverted child, afraid to even talk to the other children in the village. She used to hide at home all the time.”

An Yu? Introverted?

That…

Didn’t seem right.

Luo Ling couldn’t help but glance at An Yu, who quickly averted her gaze.

“I-I told you not to mention my childhood anymore…”

An Yu lowered her head slightly, blushing.

“Alright, alright, if Xiao Yu doesn’t want to talk about it, we won’t,” Grandma said with a chuckle.

“You didn’t even tell your parents to let us know you were coming,” Grandpa said, his tone filled with affectionate reproach. “Your grandma and I only have some plain rice and preserved meat. We didn’t have time to prepare your favorite dishes.”

“It’s fine, we’re not picky eaters. Plain rice and preserved meat are delicious too, right?”

An Yu winked at Luo Ling, who genuinely didn’t mind and nodded in agreement.

Elsa, still feeling unwell, just mumbled in agreement.

“Oh right, A Qian, come in and rest. I’ll get you some water.”

Seeing Elsa’s pale face, An Yu patted her forehead and hurried inside to get a thermos.

“It’s rare for Xiao Yu’s friends to visit. We must treat them well, especially such pretty young ladies,” Grandma said with a smile, glancing at Grandpa. “Go on, old man, slaughter two chickens in the backyard and get some of our specialties from the cellar. We can’t be impolite and embarrass Xiao Yu.”

“Alright, alright, always ordering this old man around…”

Grandpa grumbled, his back hunched as he walked towards the back door.

By the time An Yu returned with hot water, Luo Ling was sitting on the sofa in the living room, with the listless Elsa leaning against her.

For some reason, Bella, the teddy bear in Elsa’s lap, was unusually quiet, like an ordinary stuffed toy.

“Here, drink some water and rest,” An Yu handed Elsa the thermos with concern.

Elsa took the thermos with a dazed expression and took a few sips. She seemed to feel a little better, her spirits lifting slightly.

“Grandma, where’s Grandpa?” An Yu looked around, not seeing him.

“He’s in the backyard, preparing something delicious for you,” Grandma replied with a smile, then turned to Elsa with concern. “Oh, you poor child… are you alright? Should Grandma get you some of my special remedies…?”

“No, no, Grandma, please don’t!”

An Yu quickly intervened, afraid her grandma would actually bring out her remedies.

“She just needs some rest,” Luo Ling added.

“Really not going to try?”

“No…”

An Yu covered her face. Her grandma’s remedies were… something else.

“Alright, alright, if you say so.”

Grandma gave up.

“Xiao Yu, come and help! Hold these two chickens still!”

Grandpa’s voice came from the backyard. An Yu replied and turned to Luo Ling and Elsa.

“You two chat for a bit, I’ll go help Grandpa catch the chickens!”

After saying that, An Yu dashed off, disappearing in a blur.

Back in her hometown, An Yu seemed much more relaxed and genuinely happy.

Luo Ling turned and saw Grandma looking at her with a smile.

“Dear child, is Xiao Yu easy to get along with?”

“Yes.”

Luo Ling nodded slightly. Although she hadn’t known An Yu for long, she was indeed a lively and cheerful girl.

It was hard to believe that she used to be introverted…

“That’s good. When she was little…”

Grandma stopped mid-sentence, remembering her promise to An Yu, and quickly changed the subject.

“Never mind, never mind. Xiao Yu will scold this old woman if she hears me…”

“Grandma, can I ask you something?” Luo Ling said.

“Is it about Xiao Yu?” Grandma’s eyes lit up.

“No… it’s about another girl, about Xiao Yu’s age.”

Luo Ling took out her phone, scrolled to the Seer’s photo, and showed it to Grandma.

Grandma squinted at the photo for a long time, adjusting her reading glasses.

“I haven’t seen her, but she looks familiar… Oh right, I think it was two months ago, the police officers from the station came to the village looking for her… They even put up posters.”

Grandma returned the phone to Luo Ling, her voice filled with concern. “Did something happen to this girl? Does she know Xiao Yu?”

“Mm… something happened, but it has nothing to do with Xiao Yu.”

Although the answer was expected, Luo Ling was still slightly disappointed.

Perhaps Liu Songyi’s initial investigation was correct. The Seer wasn’t in Baiyan Village.

Just then, Luo Ling remembered the other two messages about the Seer. After a moment of silence, she asked,

“By the way, Grandma, are there… mushrooms in Baiyan Village?”

“Mushrooms?” Grandma looked surprised. “Dear child, why are you asking the same question as the police officers?”

Chapter 40: A Simple Village with Rustic Charm

A Grotesquery fluctuation meter that looked like a compass, several disposable emergency signal flares, and three bone blades… Although An Yu had named their group the “Homecoming Squad,” she hadn’t neglected their preparations. Her backpack was stuffed full of necessary equipment.

The three bone blades were weapons given to her by her teacher, the Bone Doctor, crafted from her own bones. While not as powerful as Sacred Tools, they were still valuable weapons with a certain purifying effect against Grotesqueries.

The dagger in Luo Ling’s possession, however, was a much rarer Sacred Tool, its most valuable feature being the Grotesquery ability sealed within.

Not only was its material top-tier, but it also essentially granted her an extra skill.

Of course, even if Luo Ling didn’t know how to activate the sealed skill, simply using it as a dagger was better than the bone blades.

Elsa seemed to have prepared nothing, but with her strength, ordinary enemies weren’t a threat.

…As long as Luo Ling and An Yu could get far enough away.

“But don’t worry, Brother Liu and the others have already investigated once, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

An Yu tried to reassure Luo Ling, who was on her first mission, but then realized that Luo Ling didn’t seem to need much reassurance…

“Mm.”

Luo Ling nodded slightly at her and continued to sit with her eyes closed, seemingly lost in thought.

…She was actually memorizing the sixty-four required poems for the college entrance exam, currently reciting “Hard Roads in Shu.”

Even while on a mission, she couldn’t neglect her studies!

Elsa, in her wheelchair, stared blankly out the window, Bella sitting quietly in her lap. An Yu didn’t dare approach either of them.

So, she awkwardly opened her phone to check on the progress of the other team hunting down “Huang Xiuqin.”

“They’ve pinpointed her location! It looks like a big battle is about to begin…”

An Yu clenched her fists slightly, regretting that she wasn’t qualified to participate in such a high-level fight.

In fact, An Yu wasn’t even a First-Order Awakened One yet, still haven’t mastered her first skill.

Order and Other Shore were the rarest and most unique paths for Awakened Ones, each step requiring deeper understanding and enlightenment.

Holy Water made from Sacred Relics could enhance “inspiration,” making enlightenment easier, but… it was most effective when the Holy Water matched the Awakened One’s path.

In other words, An Yu needed Holy Water made from a Chaos path Grotesquery.

Unfortunately, the group hadn’t encountered any such Grotesqueries so far.

Therefore… An Yu’s current combat strength relied solely on her Awakened physique, the swordsmanship taught by her teacher, and the bone blades she had inherited. Her own ability was practically useless in combat.

As An Yu nervously watched the various teams in the group chat closing in on their target, she felt a tug on her sleeve.

“We’re here.”

Luo Ling pushed Elsa past her, offering a gentle reminder.

“Oh, oh!”

She had been so engrossed…

An Yu quickly put away her phone and gathered her bags.

Her backpack contained equipment for the mission, while the large bag in her hand was filled with gifts and specialties from the city for her grandparents.

Baiyan Village was truly in the countryside. Even the bus stop was located on a desolate hillside, a chilly wind blowing through the nearby woods.

Elsa seemed uncomfortable in this environment, looking anxious and uneasy since leaving the bus.

Luo Ling was used to such scenery. She and her sister lived in a relatively remote area, not as rural as Baiyan Village, but there were still fields and forests nearby.

An Yu was the most excited. Carrying the most luggage, she walked the fastest, chattering away to Luo Ling and Elsa.

“Ahaha, it’s just like it used to be! This broken-down bridge is still here! I used to fish on it every day!”

“Oh, the little store at the village entrance is still there too! I want to buy some snacks. My grandparents never let me eat too many when I was little!”

“I don’t see Dog Egg and the others, though. They’ve probably gone to work in the city…”

An Yu skipped along, greeting everyone she met cheerfully. She seemed to know almost everyone.

To her, this was home, a place much more familiar than the city.

Luo Ling carefully observed Baiyan Village. The few villagers she saw were mostly elderly, nodding kindly at them as they passed.

It seemed like a simple, ordinary village with friendly people.

“Mm…”

Elsa huddled in her wheelchair, seemingly cold.

“Elsa, are you alright?”

Luo Ling bent down and asked softly.

Elsa opened her mouth slightly, wanting to say something.

But seeing An Yu and some villagers nearby, she was worried about the effect of her voice on them.

After a moment of thought, she blushed slightly, tugged on Luo Ling’s sleeve, and whispered in her ear,

“I’m okay, just… feeling inexplicably nervous, and my head feels a bit dizzy.”

“…Are you shy?”

Luo Ling looked at Elsa in surprise, seeing her red ears, and realized it might be true.

“I… I don’t think so…”

Elsa said, sounding troubled.

“Are you two whispering secrets?”

An Yu, after greeting the villagers, popped up beside them, blinking curiously.

“Do you want to hear?”

Luo Ling pointed at Elsa.

An Yu immediately understood and waved her hands, shaking her head vigorously.

“No, no… I don’t want to hear.”

Even a few words from the Scarlet Witch could induce a trance. Listening to more would send her on a psychedelic trip down memory lane. She didn’t know why Bai was immune… but she certainly wasn’t!

Anyone who had experienced it wouldn’t want to experience it again.

“Xu Qian said she’s feeling a little unwell,” Luo Ling said. “Probably carsick or something. She just needs some rest.”

“Oh, then let’s hurry. My grandparents’ house is just up ahead. She might feel better after some water.”

An Yu also became concerned. The Scarlet Witch was their only real fighting force. What if something happened and they encountered a Grotesquery?

It was always best to prepare for the worst.

“I just asked some of the uncles and aunties, and they said the police officers had already asked about the person we’re looking for. No one has seen the Seer.”

An Yu shared the information she had gathered while walking. She hadn’t just been excitedly greeting people; she had also been working on the commission.

“Is it possible they’re lying?” Luo Ling asked after a moment of thought.

“Probably not,” An Yu shook her head. “Not only do I know these uncles and aunties very well, and I’m sure they wouldn’t lie to me,

“Brother Liu is a criminal investigator. He can definitely tell if someone is lying.”