Chapter 3: Discovering the Energy Entity

“Does your village have any forbidden places or the like? I’ve heard many eerie stories circulate in rural areas. I wonder if Yun Village is one of them...” Chu Wei asked the crucial question, and everyone’s ears subtly perked up.

The village chief glanced at them suspiciously. “Why are you kids asking about such things?”

Hong Qi quickly replied, “We’re fond of adventures and want to write a book about this kind of stuff. We came to the countryside to gather material.”

Seeing Hong Qi’s scholarly demeanor, the chief believed him to some extent.

“In these times, there isn’t much of that strange stuff anymore. Back in the day, if you had such ideas, you’d be dragged up on stage and shot!”

Hong Qi: ...

Well, an infinite dungeon scolding him for superstition—quite ironic.

Seeing that the chief wasn’t going to reveal anything, the group lost interest.

The chief led them to a mud hut, gave the rickety wooden door a pat, and shouted, “Wang family! Guests have arrived!”

After a moment, the door creaked open to reveal a gaunt face.

The middle-aged woman looked about forty or fifty, extremely thin, and her entire presence was dull and lifeless.

The group felt a chill, but the chief waved it off as usual. “I told you she’d have visitors today, yet she didn’t even freshen up. Don’t mind her; Aunt Wang’s always like this.”

“Aunt Wang’s house is the only one with a vacant room in the village. Make do with it. If you need anything, just ask the villagers.”

After the chief left, Chu Wei’s face suddenly went blank.

“That old woman’s pretty stubborn, hiding something and refusing to say. We’ll have to ask other villagers in a few days.”

Aunt Wang stood quietly behind the door, barely paying attention to their conversation.

Hong Qi nodded and stepped into the hut.

Xia Wulei followed, and the moment she crossed the threshold, a notification sounded in her mind.

[Energy presence detected, energy containment index 3%.]

Xia Wulei’s spirits lifted—here it was!

She looked around immediately. Seeing her behavior, Zhu Chen and Yu Huaiyu beside her sensed something and became alert.

But after scanning the surroundings, Xia Wulei found nothing unusual. Reluctantly, she began to touch things, confirming each with the system.

They watched as Xia Wulei crouched down, touching here and there—from the ground to the doorstep, even the tattered wooden door—and casually, Aunt Wang’s hand.

Aunt Wang: ?

After receiving countless reproaches, Xia Wulei shifted her gaze to a small red lantern hanging under the eaves.

The lantern was delicate but new, utterly out of place against the dilapidated house.

From the village entrance to Aunt Wang’s, the players had noticed many red lanterns.

Almost every household had one, but it wasn’t the New Year or Lantern Festival, so seeing such new lanterns was hard to ignore.

When Chu Wei asked, the chief only chuckled without giving a direct answer.

Xia Wulei tiptoed to touch the lantern under the eaves.

No one expected her move, and Aunt Wang’s face darkened as she suddenly yanked her back.

But in that brief instant, Xia Wulei’s fingertips brushed the lantern.

[Congratulations, player has discovered an energy presence, energy containment index 3%.]

That’s it!

Before Xia Wulei could rejoice, Aunt Wang’s stern voice cut through: “That lantern must not be touched!”

Facing Aunt Wang, Xia Wulei looked innocent. “I’m a city kid; my family’s strict. I haven’t played much.”

Aunt Wang: ...

She couldn’t get angry, so she spoke stiffly, “These lanterns are blessings from the Mountain God. They see the suffering of the people and protect their safety. Taking them down will anger the Mountain Lord.”

[Ding! Congratulations, player Xia Wulei has discovered a clue: The Mountain God’s (?) Eye!]

[The Mountain God’s (?) Eye: The Mountain God’s eye, able to see the places illuminated by the red lantern. Why would the Mountain God hang his eye on the door?]

The system’s message echoed in everyone’s mind, and their looks toward Xia Wulei changed.

Could she be a hidden expert? Finding a clue so quickly!

Xia Wulei also heard the prompt and, sensing their gazes, realized the clue was shared.

No wonder Hong Qi was so helpful. Players were on the same side—no competition. Once a clue was found, it belonged to you but was shared so everyone could avoid risks—a mutual benefit.

At that moment, Xia Wulei understood: the system’s “energy presence” meant ghosts.

That was fantastic!

“The empty room upstairs is yours to stay in. I don’t provide meals, but you can use the kitchen freely. I prepared tonight’s meal for you; after that, you’re on your own.”

With that, Aunt Wang turned and went back inside.

“What? What does a young master eat?!” Zhu Chen was thunderstruck. Coming to this ghostly place, dirty and broken down, was bad enough—now no food?

Hong Qi smiled bitterly. “We didn’t come here for comfort. We’ll have to solve these difficulties ourselves.”

“By the way, the clue Miss Xia found is probably just a fragment. The full clue should be this questionable Mountain God. Looks like we can dig deeper based on the red lantern.”

The players were somewhat encouraged, but evening was near, and ghosts usually appeared at night. They had to rest and fight another day.

They checked the kitchen. Aunt Wang’s food was simple: watery rice soup barely containing any grains, and a few steamed corn buns.

Zhu Chen’s face darkened instantly; Chu Wei didn’t even glance and turned away.

Not just Zhu Chen—Xia Wulei was also somewhat disheartened. If life couldn’t even satisfy basic food needs, what was the point?

No, this place needed to be cultivated!

Everyone’s faces fell. After a haphazard meal, they all went back to rest.

Hong Qi said the dungeon would grow more dangerous over time. Though it was just day one, caution was paramount.

During this, Hong Qi inquired about Xia Wulei’s system, guessing she might have a powerful “golden finger” to find clues so quickly.

Xia Wulei was straightforward: “I’m different. I came here to farm.”

Everyone: ?

They looked skeptical, clearly not believing her, assuming she was withholding.

Xia Wulei was innocent—how come no one believed the truth these days?

When it came time to assign rooms, Zhu Chen and Hong Qi shared one for mutual watchfulness; Chu Wei chose a room alone, not wanting disturbance, indifferent to solitude.

Understandable—experienced players always had a few tricks up their sleeves.

Xia Wulei stayed with Yu Huaiyu, who appeared quiet and obedient, following the crowd without much opinion.

The night passed without incident. Usually, in the first two days, ghosts wouldn’t act openly. These days were for players to adjust and gather strength.

Yet, under the cover of darkness, a slender figure silently slipped away.

At dawn the next day, just as the sky was lightening, the village chief’s roar echoed through Yun Village.

“Who the hell stole all the lanterns?!”