"I've guessed this for a while now," Lai Yuan whispered as he led the team around the area, occasionally exchanging smiles with passing residents running errands. "The creature of death in this realm seems to both favor and despise those who are good-looking. From the way the tour guide explained the current conditions of the village, mentioning that some women can roam freely while others cannot, I guessed that those who can roam freely are not conventionally attractive. You can look around now to confirm that."
Qi Wei followed Lai Yuan's suggestion, observing the women moving outside their homes. It felt somewhat wicked to think about it, but indeed, the women outside were either elderly or not conventionally pretty.
"You asked why you triggered the creature of death last night," Lai Yuan continued, addressing Qi Wei. "The answer is obvious. It's because you're pretty. Perhaps the prettiest among us four, at least. But you're not an ordinary citizen, so the creature of death couldn't kill you just because you're pretty. You had to do something you weren't supposed to do, like looking into the mirror, to give the creature a reason to target you."
Though Qi Wei felt a bit embarrassed by Lai Yuan's words, he chose not to comment. While Lai Yuan's reasoning made sense, Qi Wei didn't necessarily think he was the prettiest among the four. In fact, he considered Huang Peng to be much more adorable than himself. Huang Peng had a gentle quality to his features, with a high nose bridge that softened into a gentle curve, lips that were just the right thickness for his face, and strikingly straight brows that contrasted with his overall soft appearance, making him both handsome and beautiful in the best way.
Lost in thought, Qi Wei didn't realize he had been staring at Huang Peng until the latter looked at him in confusion. "What's wrong? Why are you staring at me?"
Shaking off his reverie, Qi Wei reached out to adjust the black cloth on Huang Peng's face. "Since they target pretty people, be careful."
Xiao Yi felt a wave of nausea hearing Qi Wei's flirtatious remark, while Lai Yuan rolled his eyes in annoyance.
After some time scouting the area, they hadn't encountered anything particularly important to note by.
"What should we do to get out of here, then?" Qi Wei asked, voicing the question that weighed on all their minds.
They were now resting in a small hut near the lake, observing as other participants began to move around, searching for a way out as well.
"What's the first thing that comes to mind when someone tells you to improve residents' welfare?" Lai Yuan asked, reclining against a pillar of the hut, his gaze fixed on the movements of the other participants.
"I don't know, maybe provide them with food?" Qi Wei suggested.
"Are they lacking in food?" Lai Yuan countered. "Considering what we found in the guest house—full refrigerator, fruit on the counter, cereal and milk—there seems to be no shortage of food here." He urged the others to think more critically about the situation.
Qi Wei racked his brain, trying to recall every detail since he first became aware of their situation. The group fell into a contemplative silence for a few moments before Qi Wei snapped his fingers together, a spark of realization in his eyes. "I know!"
Lai Yuan chuckled at Qi Wei's reaction, finding it endearing. "Yeah? What is it?"
Standing up and turning to face the others, Qi Wei declared, "It's been mentioned that the school is closed because the children are too scared to attend. Education is a vital aspect of a community's welfare index."
Lai Yuan began to applaud slowly. "As expected from Cinderella, you're quite smart."
Though his praise sounded somewhat insincere, Qi Wei chose to overlook it. "But still, I don't know how to improve college education. It's impossible for us to force them to attend school and act as their teachers, right? We're strangers; there's no way they'd listen to us."
Another moment of silence followed their discussion.
Lai Yuan chuckled as he stood up. "We don't need to go to school to learn. Come, follow me."
He led them out of the hut, gesturing towards a small house nearby. They knocked on the door a few times before a lady opened it. She was beautiful; one could discern it with just a glance. However, the current happenings in the village made her hesitant to face the outside world boldly as she always had in the past.
She kept her face down, her hair covering most of her features as she spoke in a small voice, "Who are you? What do you want?"
Xiao Yi was the best among them when it came to speaking politely to others and gaining their trust. "Don't worry, ma'am. We are volunteers summoned by the village head to improve the welfare of the village. You don't have to fear us; we just want to have a little chat with you."
With this, the lady finally lifted her face up a bit, her eyes anxiously studying their faces one by one. "Come on in," she finally said.
As they entered the dimly lit living room, the woman gestured for them to sit down on the cushions laid out on the floor. Her movements were graceful, albeit slightly guarded, as if years of being cautious had taught her to move with a deliberate awareness of her surroundings. The room was modestly furnished, with pictures of the family adorning the walls.
From the picture it can be seen that the lady have a pretty complete family; a husband and three adorable children. Two boys and one girl.
The children's ages likely spanned from 8 to 12 years old. A home bustling with three little ones typically brims with lively chaos—messy toys strewn about, echoes of laughter and the occasional squabble. Yet, this particular house loomed in perpetual gloom. The dimness of the lighting seemed almost conspiratorial, as though it sought to conceal some secret from prying eyes that never ceased their vigil. Silence hung heavy, broken only by the rhythmic ticking of the clock, each tick resonating in the eerie stillness of the atmosphere.
Qi Wei took a deep breath, steeling himself as he redirected his gaze towards the lady. "May I inquire about the whereabouts of your children at this moment?" he asked, his tone measured yet tinged with concern.