At the same time, while the other customers outside gathered to prep their next steps, the hasty Li Yangyi had already appeared in the illusory world for a while. Though he hadn't been here for some days, the scenery immediately made him remember everything, almost giving him a feeling of nostalgia. The shabby hut, the smell of leftover soup and porridge, and of course that village chef in front of him.
This time, Li Yangyi returned as a changed man. He did not rush into the situation but also wasn't overly cautious. The chef talked with him as if nothing had happened. "You should go to the receptionist hall and think about getting a place to stay. It's going to be hard leaving this place with the witch and the demons outside." The old man placed the bowl of salt on the table and walked away. "It's already late, so why don't you go take a rest over there?"
Li Yangyi stared out the window and realized what the man said was true. Though in the real world it should be barely around noon, here, the sound had started to set, painting the skies with a beautiful pinkish glow. He had heard that since villages had no candles, the people had no choice but to sleep the moment night came. What an inefficient way of living, he remarked. However, since he was the guest, he found it hard to refuse—but not before finding out the information he wants. "May I ask you something?"
"Yeah, what's up?"
"The martial arts you used," Li Yangyi spoke, "What is it called?"
"It doesn't have a name," the old man spoke and laughed. "If you want to, you can give it one."
The boys' eyes widened a little. "Why?"
"Well, if you are going to live here, you must know how to use it. Otherwise, your death is going to come sooner or later," the chef told him. He waved, indicating him to follow. "After all, you wish to stay here, right?"
This time, Li Yangyi truly was surprised. "Wait, will you teach me how to use this unfathomable art?"
"What? No." he shook his head and chuckled, disappointing Li Yangyi greatly. However, his next words lifted his spirits again. "Teach yourself. Do I look like a fighter to you? I am just a cook, haha. But you can stay these days and watch me practice if you wish to. Don't worry. It wasn't invented by me and is no big secret either, you don't have to hide your intentions like that."
Li Yangyi smiled wryly. Had he been caught? He did not know his intentions were this obvious. "I will take note of that." Still, the boy clenched his fists, suppressing his excitement. Finally, he was one step closer to learning the magic. If he were to master it, nevermind Wang Jing or Bufang. . . would he stand a chance against his father too? Lord, praise the Store of Fates!
"That's your room," the chef said and pointed at a door. "It's not much, but should fit your needs. Make yourself comfortable, and tomorrow come down to eat." He patted Li Yangyi's back, causing him to stumble forward. "Have a good rest, yeah?"
Li Yangyi grumbled while rubbing his sore back and entered the room. He saw a simple layout, with a wooden floor and a bed that had a blanket but no mattress. An unused candle stood alone at the nightstand, while the open windows invited the winds and shook the curtains. He touched the desk and realized there was no dust. It appeared that the chef had taken care of this room even without anyone residing here.
The young man laid down on the mattress, his hands resting underneath his head while he stared at the ceiling. "Hmm, what should I do now?" Of course, he wasn't tired. In the real world, he just woke up after all. As he thought that, a window suddenly popped up in front of him. He was surprised at first, but since this was not his first rendezvous with this strange thing,
[Would you like to take a rest? (Yes/No)]
"Uh, sure," he spoke with confusion. Another window appeared.
[How long do you wish to rest for (min. 1 hour ~ max. 14 hours)? The time will speed by and not be counted within your five hours. If something interrupts this rest, you will awaken normally.]
...
"Is that time magic?" Zhang Yong watched the screen, stunned by his own words. "No, of course not. That world is only an illusion, after all, not affecting reality, so it's not unusual that it has its own rules."
"As expected of Owner Shou," Ah Liang said excitedly. "No one wants to spend his five hours sleeping after all. What an incredible sense for details. Though that this is possible in the first place makes me wonder what exactly these artifacts are."
"What exactly is that young man talking about though? What martial arts," Mei Xue asked, as she watched everything happening with a curious expression.
Zhang Yong answered. Currently, he was the most knowledgeable of that place. "Well, Li Yangyi had fought against that chef there before, and believe it or not, he actually lost! Against a mortal no less, even though Yangyi himself has reached the 3rd stage. It's rare, but not impossible for someone to best another person even though their ranks are lower, but that usually means their techniques are of several higher grades. So are these martial arts leaps and bounds better than ours? what a terrifying thought, right?"
"Oh, I see." Mei Xues' mouth stood agape. Was that even possible? Her common sense told her no. However, with everything she saw these two days, she found it hard to shrug off. In her mind, she had placed the store on another level. "But can he learn them even without reaching a 100% completion rate?"
"Yes, though it may take longer, but you can learn anything the traditional way, by finding someone to teach you and spending time on it."
'Then, was that witches' magic also learnable?' Mei Xue thought to herself.
"I wish we had food or something! Or some liquor. It would really enhance the experience," An Bai lamented. He called out to Shou. "Hey, can't I even have some water?"
"We don't sell that stuff here yet," he answered. "Also, no bringing your own food, okay? I am watching you guys."
The muscular merchant shook his head. "Well, I will patiently wait for the time a food menu exists then." But how good could it possibly be? This was not a restaurant after all. Whatever, in the first place, this store was not about food. That they planned to offer something in the future was innovative enough already.
"It's really fun just watching," Ran Wei spoke. "It's way better entertainment than reading a book, honestly. I wonder what that guy, Li Yangyi, was it, will do next."
The bodyguard Wan Gu agreed. "It's really as if I am watching a story unfold in front of me. Of course, it doesn't beat creating ones' own story, but I don't always feel like taking a deep dive and getting killed after all. I think this alone would be worth the money."
"Hey, don't give the owner any ideas! He's taking everything I have already," his employer An Bai commented.
Mei Xue watched Li Yangyi. "It's good that there was someone already in the instance, it helps to get a clear image of that world while we discuss things."
Li Yinyi remained silent the whole time. Thankfully, she hadn't taken her brothers' advice, otherwise, everyone would be staring at her right now. That would be too embarrassing. Truly.
"Moving on," Mei spoke, "You said that everyone that enters the village is not able to leave, correct?"
Ran Wei nodded, a little starstruck to talk with someone as famous as her. "Well, I never tried, but it was the receptionist that told me, so I don't know if it is true or not."
Zhang Yong spoke. "I've been outside several times though, but have never encountered a problem." He rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "But I never was able to get past the fields and find anything else except the witch and these shadow beasts, I realize now. I thought it was because the illusory world only had enough space for this much, but now it looks like the answer is not that easy."
Ah Liang spoke. "I am more interested in these monsters. They've spooked me half to death. Sir Zhang Yong, you say they aren't part of the witch, are you sure?"
"Yes. After all, the witch herself had killed them when I approached. There's no reason for her to do so, otherwise."
"That makes one wonder where exactly they come from and what their meaning is," Mei Xue summarized. "We also need to find out the witchs' origins. There's also the story with the wizard," she glanced at Lin Zhuyue. "He may be the key to defeating the witch. Sadly, due to the village's disposition, there's not much when it comes to history."
"I may be able to find out more about the history part," Ran Wei spoke. "If that village is similar to my hometown, even though there probably isn't a library, the village head or elder should know about what's going on."
"Then should I find out more about the wizard," Lin Zhuyue asked, not wanting to be upstaged by her co-worker.
Zhang Yong also spoke. "If it comes to the beasts, I think I will be able to gather the necessary info. I still have a bone to pick with these monstrosities after all."
Mei Xue agreed with the three of them, at the same time, she was elated to see things go this smoothly. "That only leaves us with the hardest part—the witch."
"Oh, I can do that," Li Yinyi suddenly chimed in. With an innocent smile, she said, "After all, I am locked in her basement."
A queer silence enveloped the store. Not even Shou, who had been listening to all their conversation knew what to say.
Mei Xue smirked. "All right then. The preparations are complete. Let the witch hunt begin!"