Chapter 26: Spiraling Out of Control (5)

"Let's go, let's head to the ancestral hall and the altar."

Having wandered around here without gaining any useful information, and with time slipping away, they had to find more clues before the sacrifice began.

"Perhaps we could stop by and find Wang Siyuan on our way," suggested Lu Jinzhao.

Wang Siyuan was the person who had been with the missing Li Haoyang; it seemed they knew each other in the real world as well.

Wei Ling looked at Lu Jinzhao upon hearing this, curious. "Are you thinking of asking him what Li Haoyang's Chinese zodiac sign is?"

Lu Jinzhao was not surprised that Wei Ling had deduced this. She nodded. "Yes."

If the old man had really seen Wei Ling and thought of his granddaughter, it would be normal to ask anything, even just her age, but why specifically ask for her zodiac sign?

In the real world, Lu Jinzhao wouldn't have thought much of it, but this was a Station, and coupled with the critical element of the "sacrifice," she couldn't help but dwell on it.

Ye Jingyun was a beat slower to react, only grasping the implication after hearing Wei Ling's words. "Are you suspecting... that this village uses people to sacrifice to an evil spirit?"

Wei Ling, evidently used to Ye Jingyun's slower pace, explained patiently, "It’s only a suspicion. After all, being inside a Station, such things are very likely, aren't they? And if that is the case, then this evil spirit, suppressed through sacrifice, might have some connection to the village's history. Perhaps uncovering that origin will increase our chances of survival."

Lu Jinzhao pondered this for a moment before asking pointedly, "But even if we find out all that, we still won't have a way to deal with the ghost, right?"

Wei Ling showed no burden, responding with a tone that sounded perfectly natural. "That’s true, but we could avoid the triggers that might cause the ghost to target us first. Compared to the others, wouldn't that increase our chances of staying alive?"

As expected...

In the Station, there was no such thing as discovering a ghost's origin and resolving its grievances to make it vanish. Lu Jinzhao didn't find anything wrong with Wei Ling's logic, but Ye Jingyun’s expression grew somber.

Shortly after, they found Wang Siyuan and asked for Li Haoyang's zodiac sign. He told them it was the "Rat," and through their questioning, he gathered some information as well.

"Do you know something?" he asked anxiously.

He wasn't worried for Li Haoyang—though they were acquaintances with some level of friendship, his concern was primarily for himself.

Wei Ling shook her head and informed him of what had happened. "We are only considering the possibility."

"I see..." Wang Siyuan sighed with regret.

Upon hearing that Li Haoyang was a Rat, Lu Jinzhao remained composed, but Ye Jingyun’s face suddenly turned pale. She was a Rat as well.

"...I hope Wei Ling’s guess is wrong. Li Haoyang’s disappearance must have nothing to do with his zodiac sign!"

"It can't be such a coincidence. Li Haoyang must have done something he shouldn't have..."

She prayed silently, but when Wei Ling suggested they return to the altar, she hesitated.

"Do we really have to go there? It’s too dangerous..."

Wei Ling turned to look at her, her gaze flickering with confusion for a second before she suddenly understood.

"You don't want to go? Is your sign also the Rat?"

Ye Jingyun’s expression soured for a moment. Since Wei Ling had called it out, she stopped hiding it. "Yes, I’m a bit afraid to go."

She and Wei Ling had already been through two Station missions together. Even though it was always Wei Ling, the younger girl, leading her, she wasn't entirely useless, and they got along well in the real world. Surely Wei Ling would take her feelings into account?

Just as Ye Jingyun thought this, the girl—who usually seemed lively, occasionally tactless, and sharp-tongued, but kind to her friends—shook her head without hesitation. "No, we have to go."

"Eh?" Ye Jingyun was clearly caught off guard. She explained urgently, "But it’s too dangerous. What if it really is about the zodiac signs..."

"You don't have to go, but I must," Wei Ling said firmly.

She wore a smile as she said this, though she consoled Ye Jingyun: "It's alright, it's normal to be afraid. You can wait for us in the courtyard; we'll be back as soon as we've taken a look."

"But if you stay by yourself..." She trailed off, her face showing a hint of hesitation and concern.

Seeing this, Ye Jingyun immediately said, "Fine, I'll go with you, but I won't go inside... I'll wait for you at the door."

Silly girl...

Lu Jinzhao sighed inwardly. She had seen it clearly: the dynamic between Wei Ling and Ye Jingyun was entirely one-sided, with Wei Ling manipulating Ye Jingyun. With just a few sentences, the other girl followed her lead.

However, Lu Jinzhao had no intention of interfering. Everyone had their own fate. If Ye Jingyun chose to rely on someone smarter than herself, she had to be prepared for the consequences of entrusting her life to another.

But... why was Wei Ling suddenly getting close to her? Did she sense that this instance was extremely dangerous and that one Ye Jingyun wasn't enough, so she needed to bring her along too?

"...This kid is not simple."

The journey to the ancestral hall was smooth, but when they arrived, the doors were wide open. The old man they had seen earlier was inside sweeping with a broom. When he heard them and turned to see Lu Jinzhao and the others, he still wore a sour expression.

"Why are you here again?"

Wei Ling smiled. "Sir, didn't you say we couldn't come here normally? I see the doors are open now, and you're cleaning, so surely it's fine for us to take a look?"

The old man just frowned and refused: "No!"

"Sir, don't be so quick to refuse." Wei Ling wasn't annoyed; she looked directly at the old man and said, "A companion of ours has gone missing. He was a Rat. Do you have any leads?"

As she spoke, the scene went silent.

The previously irritable old man stopped talking as well, instead peering at Wei Ling with a probing gaze. After a pause of two or three seconds, he said nonchalantly, "What leads would I have? He probably ran off somewhere to play and you didn't notice."

"Stop spouting nonsense here!"

This old thing...

Though she thought this to herself, Wei Ling kept a smile on her face. "Sir, just let us go in and look, won't you? What if he's inside?"

The old man didn't immediately refuse this time. Instead, contrary to his usual behavior, he looked at the three of them and asked, "Are you sure you want to come in and take a look?"

There were no lights inside the ancestral hall, only a single eternal lamp and the sunlight from the doorway; the environment could hardly be called bright. The old man stood in the dim hall, stopping all movement and staring straight at them. His question seemed to carry some hidden meaning, causing Wei Ling, who had been about to walk inside, to stop in her tracks.