97: Chapter 97: The Festival of Sacrifice (Forty-Two)

Once they got out, he had plenty of ways to settle the score with her later.

Qian Ye stared at the spot where the villagers had disappeared; there were no changes in the surroundings.

She pulled up the announcement, but it was still stuck at the final point.

“What happened?”

Another voice spoke. Qian Ye turned her head to see Tai You beside her; he and Meng Yu had returned to normal at the same time.

“Huh? Why are there so many fewer people here?”

“Eh, where's that Stone Monster with the jaundiced face?”

Tai You stepped forward and looked around; those villagers had actually all vanished.

The space inside the cave instantly became empty.

When he said this, the others present were also somewhat surprised.

“Boss, was that stone-covered monster still here just now?”

As soon as the Short Man spoke, the others began looking left and right, but none of them found any sign of him.

“Qian Yes assumed NPC identity, time is almost up. Right now, our main priority is finding a way out,” the Trench Coat Boss negotiated with Qian Ye.

Qian Ye glanced at him but didn't answer.

“Go out?”

“Hehehe...”

“Why go out? Isn't it good to stay here?”

“It's like a paradise... stay here forever and accompany us...”

Song Hao stood up unsteadily, his eyes gleaming with a crimson light. His gaze toward Qian Ye was filled with hatred.

“It's all your fault!”

“If it weren't for you, I could still see them!”

As he spoke, his hands began to move, and the Puppets behind him started to act in sync with his motions.

They slowly closed in on Qian Ye and the others.

“You all should stay here forever to accompany me.”

Song Hao's face was distorted with rage, looking as if he wanted nothing more than to drag Qian Ye down with him the next second.

With a 'bang' from a gunshot, Song Hao's eyes widened in disbelief. He stiffly lowered his neck and saw a bloody flower blooming on his chest.

He fell directly to the side, his eyes still staring wide, refusing to close even in death.

The Short Man stepped forward and gave him a few kicks. Only after confirming there was no movement did he pull his foot back.

“Too much nonsense.”

The next second, his gun was pointed at Qian Ye. “Come on, speak up. What should we do next?”

Qian Ye glanced at the gun in his hand and raised an eyebrow. Fine, she'd play the good person.

Qian Ye recalled the scenes that had appeared in the illusion.

She finally locked onto a certain section of the mountain wall.

Without a word, she turned and left immediately.

“Stop! Where are you going?!” the Short Man continued to threaten Qian Ye with his gun.

Qian Ye didn't stop her pace, heading straight out.

Meng Yu and Tai You followed her immediately.

The big boss must have her reasons; they just needed to follow her.

Seeing this, the Short Man's face darkened. The next second, as he was about to act, a hand suddenly blocked him.

The Trench Coat Men walked to his side. “That's enough, let's go.”

Since the boss had spoken, no matter how indignant the man was, he had to restrain himself and follow the man.

Qian Ye followed the path in her memory, turning left and right, constantly moving forward.

The journey was not smooth; strange things kept lunging out along the way, constantly obstructing their path forward.

The more it was like this, the more certain Qian Ye became that the place where the stone statue was located was in this direction.

“Damn it, is this ever going to end?”

“Is she playing us?”

The Short Man fired another shot, and a vine that had suddenly lunged out from the side was blasted back several segments.

The further they went, the gloomier the sky became. Black mist churned incessantly, as if it could swallow a person whole at any moment.

The surroundings grew increasingly silent; all sounds had vanished.

“Why does it feel like it's getting colder and colder?” Tai You couldn't help but hug himself tightly.

As they moved forward, the ambient temperature continued to drop.

Qian Ye naturally felt it too.

Finally, after listening to several more complaints from behind, Qian Ye's eyes suddenly lit up. She finally saw the stone statue from the illusion.

“Wow, what a huge stone statue!”

Tai You behind her couldn't resist stepping forward, looking up at the stone statue that had appeared on the nearby cliff wall.

Only...

Why did he feel like the face on this stone statue looked familiar?

He couldn't remember for the moment where he had seen it before.

Qian Ye stared at that face, lost in thought.

In the illusion, she couldn't see the face of the stone statue, but here, she was all too familiar with this face.

Wasn't this her dear boyfriend's face?

Looking at this stone statue, everything seemed to be explained.

“Strange?”

“Why do I feel like I want to kneel and worship when I see this stone statue?” Tai You scratched his head in confusion.

It felt very majestic, like something sacred and inviolable.

Seeing it made him feel an involuntary urge to kneel and bow.

“It... it itches so much!”

Suddenly, Tai You couldn't help but scratch behind his ear.

The next moment, Meng Yu also felt a wave of itching behind her ear.

It was also accompanied by a slight stinging pain.

Suddenly, Tai You let out a scream.

“Ah...”

“Bi-big boss, help!”

“I... I felt something, it's so soft and... and so big!”

Tai You suddenly remembered what Qian Ye had said and his whole body trembled.

“Is... is it growing bigger again...”

Tai You's body went stiff, not daring to move much.

“Wha-what should I do...”

When Tai You said that, Meng Yu's attempt to scratch paused. Looking closely, her hands were somewhat stiff.

Qian Ye pulled back the hair behind his ear and saw that the area was already red and swollen, and the bulging lump had grown even larger.

It looked as if it could burst through the skin at any second.

The Trench Coat Boss had stood behind them at some point. Seeing this scene, his eyes sharpened.

“What is that?”

Qian Ye glanced at him and then walked to the base of the stone statue.

Recalling the things she had seen before, she searched for the location while comparing it with the memories in her mind.

“Heehee~ found it~”

Qian Ye focused her gaze on a slightly raised spot at the base of the stone statue.

She remembered that the Black-Robed Figure had buried that large Ceramic Jar right here.

If she hadn't remembered incorrectly, it should still be in this position.

The position was confirmed.

Qian Ye shifted her gaze, her eyes filled with a smile as she scanned the people present.

Including the NPCs.

Finally, her gaze locked onto the Short Man's face, and she slightly raised an eyebrow.

She pointed to the spot on the ground.

“Come on.”

“What?”

The man was stunned.

“Dig.”

Qian Ye spoke with total confidence, then shifted her gaze to the Trench Coat Boss.

The meaning in her eyes was very clear: Your subordinate, you deal with him.

The Trench Coat Boss gave Qian Ye a deep look and said in a low voice, “There better be something there.”

Qian Ye shrugged indifferently. “I can't guarantee that.”

“...”

In the end, it was the Short Man who did the digging.

He didn't forget to glare at Qian Ye while he dug.

A perfectly good gun that was killing people a moment ago was now being used to dig up dirt with its other end.

After a few digs, he suddenly paused and glanced at Qian Ye.

“There really is something inside.”

How did she know?

This place was so hidden.

“Then keep going.”

At this moment, the temperature seemed to drop even lower.

A light drizzle began to fall under the vast sky.

Qian Ye held the hong ling umbrella, looking like a wealthy young lady commanding her servants to do some dirty work.

Finally, after digging for a long time, the full appearance of the object inside was revealed.

Qian Ye looked at the Ceramic Jar. It was currently still covered with a lid, and the entire body of the jar was pitch black. She couldn't be certain if it was the same one she had seen in the illusion.