Chapter 6: A New Lead

Page 1/3

Upon hearing Xia Wulei’s words, Yu Huaiyu also looked down and was instantly frightened, letting out a sharp scream.

“Ah—!”

Yu Huaiyu jumped up as if her backside had been pricked by a needle, stumbling backward in a panic, clearly shaken.

The kitchen table was covered with a grimy tablecloth, and Yu Huaiyu had never thought to look underneath—never expecting a ghostly child to be hiding there.

She had even been alone with him here!

At the thought of this, goosebumps rose all over Yu Huaiyu’s body.

“Calm down, it’s just an NPC.”

Xia Wulei glanced at Yu Huaiyu, noticing the child’s eyes fixed intently on the half-eaten ear of corn in her hand. She cautiously waved it side to side.

Sure enough, the child’s gaze followed the corn’s movement.

Xia Wulei had only prepared enough for two, but seeing this, she quickly steamed some fresh corn and potatoes.

When the child noticed her hands were empty, he immediately withdrew his gaze, staring blankly at the floor, motionless.

Xia Wulei had a strong feeling this child was no ordinary NPC; it seemed Yu Huaiyu’s system might finally come in handy.

While the food was still steaming, Xia Wulei pulled Yu Huaiyu aside and shared her thoughts.

Yu Huaiyu immediately frowned. “Why bother trying to ‘conquer’ a half-grown kid? How is he supposed to help me get out of the dungeon?”

Xia Wulei tugged at Yu Huaiyu. “You silly! Your system task is to win over a target. Isn’t it easier to win over a child than an adult?”

“The system’s purpose is to enhance your abilities, not to slack off! There are still NPCs to win over now. What if later there are only weird, monstrous ghosts left? How will you ‘conquer’ them then?”

Yu Huaiyu was enlightened. “You’re right!”

Winning the last dungeon so easily had made her complacent; she had been focused on finding a powerful target to ‘conquer,’ forgetting that completing the task was the real priority.

“Besides,” Xia Wulei swallowed hard, “do you remember what happened when we entered the village yesterday?”

Everyone had been focused on Chu Wei and the village chief, barely paying attention to the surroundings.

Xia Wulei had grown up living off the village’s hospitality and immediately sensed something was off about the place.

They arrived at dusk; many villagers lined the roadside, curiously eyeing their group.

Even stranger, there were many pregnant women in the village, but almost no children.

How could all the pregnancies be confined to the same time frame? Xia Wulei couldn’t make sense of it.

The child at Aunt Wang’s house looked abnormal. If Yu Huaiyu could win him over, she might gain valuable information.

Page 2/3

Yu Huaiyu snapped back to attention and silently nodded at Xia Wulei, then fixed her gaze on the child.

“Sis, he wants to eat what you had earlier.”

“Sis, he thinks the flavor is too bland.”

“Sis, you put too much salt.”

“Sis, he finds the potatoes too dry, could you make some soup?”

…

Xia Wulei was on the verge of losing her patience, almost ready to flip the table.

“Are you or am I the one winning him over? Why do I have to do everything? And you have so many demands for breakfast? Should I just feed it to you directly?”

Yu Huaiyu paused, as if sensing something, then shyly smiled. “Sis, he thinks that’s not a bad idea.”

Xia Wulei: …

The child squatted under the table, eagerly chewing on the potatoes and corn Xia Wulei gave him. He didn’t speak, but Yu Huaiyu vaguely sensed his thoughts through the system.

While the two pondered how to extract clues from the child, Aunt Wang arrived.

Her expression changed instantly when she saw the scene, and she hurriedly pulled the child behind her. “Sorry, this is my nephew. He has some mental issues.”

Xia Wulei smiled. “He’s really cute, and you seem great with kids. Haven’t eaten yet, have you? Want some?”

Yu Huaiyu quietly glanced at the child behind Aunt Wang, then at Xia Wulei.

Are you sure you’re not being sarcastic?

Aunt Wang was left speechless. “...No, thank you.”

Xia Wulei tried a few more indirect questions but only learned the child’s name was Hu Wang before Aunt Wang hurried away with him.

Hu Wang’s arm, grasped by Aunt Wang, was as thin as dry firewood. One hand still held a potato, gnawing on it, seemingly indifferent to the surrounding events.

Could he be autistic?

Xia Wulei pondered, then turned to see Yu Huaiyu’s resentful gaze and was startled.

“What’s wrong?”

“Hu Wang’s affection for me is only five points because I helped convey his thoughts, but for you, it’s already twenty points. You complimented him as cute and instantly gained ten points.”

Xia Wulei said, “Why don’t you let me use your system for a bit?”

Yu Huaiyu pretended to strike her, and the two froze suddenly.

Page 3/3

[Ding! Congratulations, player Chu Wei has discovered a clue: The Old Patriarch of the Li Family!]

[The Old Patriarch of the Li Family: The old patriarch died thirty years ago but suddenly came back to life, crawling out of the fields and biting the village’s chickens and ducks to death. Everyone says the old patriarch has returned as a zombie to cause trouble.]

[This is a complete clue. Players may use the system to view detailed information or check all acquired clues and fragments. This notification appears only once.]

Xia Wulei and Yu Huaiyu exchanged a glance: Chu Wei had found a clue! A complete one at that!

Following the prompt, Xia Wulei accessed the clue details, and a glowing screen appeared before her eyes.

[The Old Patriarch of the Li Family: The patriarch was a landlord in life, skilled in eating, drinking, womanizing, and gambling, squandering the family fortune. He died of a venereal disease, leaving only a worthless shell behind. The Li family disliked him and buried him on a random hill. Unexpectedly, the land was rich in spiritual energy, nurturing him into a zombie. The old patriarch feeds on vitality and will become a thousand-year-old zombie, breaking through the earth after seven days.]

The clue was detailed enough; now it was up to the players to prepare their response.

Others received the notification and hurried back.

Zhu Chen, exhausted from carrying two buckets of water, his thin shoulders burdened, dragged his feet back to Yun Village.

He dreaded having to carry water for another four days and wished he were dead.

Because of shaking, much of the water spilled, leaving little inside. Zhu Chen was warned by the system to ensure the water volume must be at least 80% of the bucket’s capacity in future.

Zhu Chen: This is annoying. Just destroy it all.

Approaching the village entrance, Zhu Chen was nearly blinded by a golden spectacle.

What was this? Millet?

Plump grains of rice lay spread under the blazing sun, while Xia Wulei and Yu Huaiyu sat on a small stool in the shade nearby, happily munching on ears of corn.

“Not bad, sis. This corn is really good. Raw, it’s sweet and refreshing, especially thirst-quenching. It’d be even better if we juiced it and chilled it,” Yu Huaiyu said appreciatively.

Xia Wulei nodded repeatedly. “You’re right. I’ll try to see if we can make some here in the village.”

She looked up and saw Zhu Chen. “Hey, you’re back! Have you eaten? Want an ear?”

Zhu Chen: …

Watching them, then looking at himself,

He felt like a dog.

He put down the buckets and silently sat down nearby.