Antswamp Village (22)

Everyone pushed through the crowd to see the gruesome scene inside. Song Sisi and a few others immediately turned away and vomited.

Nan Yue suppressed her nausea and went in to examine Jiang Mingfu's body. There were no signs of any outsiders entering. It was clear that Jiang Mingfu had committed suicide.

His eye socket was a mangled mess, with a chopstick driven through the eye and protruding from the back of his head.

Nan Yue glanced over. The chopstick had been brought in with the meal. It was the same food as yesterday, only now it was contaminated.

Huo Fuyu crouched down to observe for a moment before standing up. "He didn't... he just went mad."

Huo Fuyu pointed at the shoes by the bed and the overturned items. "It looks like he suddenly lost his mind while in bed, got up to find a chopstick, and killed himself."

Although Nan Yue was wary of him, his expertise as a high-level player was undeniable. This mission offered no clues, and she didn't mind a degree of cooperation as long as safety was guaranteed.

Nan Yue pursed her lips. "Hallucinations."

She suspected he had seen hallucinations, just as they had in the ant nest. He might have even felt like his head was filled with those things, leading to such bizarre behavior.

Huo Fuyu gave Nan Yue a deep look and nodded. "Right. From what we can see, the cause of death in this mission is a mental attack. It could be related to the places we've visited, the food we've eaten, or even the air."

Huo Fuyu paused, realizing something was amiss.

Nan Yue spoke up, "But if that's the case, what ate Wu Zicheng and Zhou Jie Feng?"

Huo Fuyu laughed. "I didn't expect to encounter such a high-difficulty mission."

His dark gaze swept over the faces of He Jiang and the others outside. He hadn't expected to be stuck in such a troublesome mission with these idiots.

Suo Qisi and Ga Ya arrived. Compared to Suo Qisi's panic, Ga Ya was much calmer.

"He drank something he shouldn't have," she said.

Everyone's gaze shifted to the Ant-red Flower. Dong Sheng couldn't help himself and vented the frustration he had built up from his encounter with Gu Xiang Kai.

He stood before Ga Ya, his expression dark. "Isn't that stuff supposed to cure illnesses? Our teammate drank it too, so why couldn't he?"

Dong Sheng was referring to Xie Roufen. Her face was deathly pale now, terrified that she might suffer the same fate.

"It's different."

Ga Ya gave Dong Sheng a cold glance and turned to leave.

Different?

Did it mean people who were caught in the rain couldn't drink the Ant-red Flower water? No, it was more likely that no one should consume it without permission, except for those intended for the sacrificial rite.

Nan Yue glanced at Chen Bin at the back of the crowd. He was staring blankly at the gruesome scene inside, huddled in a ball and silent.

Since Ga Ya had spoken, Suo Qisi could only bark orders at the spectating villagers to leave and called a few others to clean up the mess.

The chosen villagers were extremely reluctant but didn't dare defy the village chief and the spirit medium. They hurriedly cleaned the room and brought fresh food.

However, their expressions were sour, and they didn't look kindly upon the outsiders.

Nan Yue could understand. It was merciful enough that the villagers hadn't forcibly kicked them out.

It was a pity for Luo Liu. As a local who hadn't returned in a long time and a university student, he was deeply shaken by the consecutive deaths. He followed the village chief away in a daze without even saying a word to his classmates.

Nan Yue looked at Zhu Xi Ning, who seemed somewhat distracted.

"What is it? Are you scared?"

Zhu Xi Ning forced a smile. "It's a bit disgusting."

Nan Yue stared at her for a moment. "Are you sure it's nothing?"

Zhu Xi Ning avoided Nan Yue's gaze and looked at the dinner in her hands.

"No, it's just this food. I can't tell if there's something wrong with it. Are we still eating?"

Nan Yue frowned. She saw that Huo Fuyu had also eaten some. She sighed. "We have to. We can't go without food and water until the mission ends."

If there was something wrong, everyone would encounter it eventually; it was unavoidable.

Nan Yue took a bite. Although she didn't know if the food was safe, the crisp, sweet taste did help dispel some of the nausea.

The others clearly felt the same. He Jiang and his group finished every bit and even asked the villagers for more.

"I checked. The villagers are eating the same thing. The food should be fine," Song Sisi whispered after coming back from getting more food. Hearing her words, the others felt a bit more relieved.

Nan Yue and her group didn't eat much. Regardless of whether there was a problem, it was better to be cautious with anything tempting in a mission.

Nan Yue noticed that Chen Bin ate the most. He barely spoke, just taking bite after bite.

Nan Yue crouched beside him. "Chen Bin, are you okay?"

Chen Bin nodded while holding his bowl. "It's just... too disgusting," he said indistinctly.

Nan Yue felt something was off, but she couldn't ask more since Chen Bin had said that.

Although the room was cleaned, the scent of blood still lingered, so thick it could make one relive the gruesome scene.

Such strange, causeless deaths made everyone feel uneasy. Compared to this, visible ghosts weren't even that scary.

This kind of incomprehensible situation was much more maddening.

Nan Yue heard Li Jiao asking Xie Roufen nearby, "Did nothing really happen last night?"

Xie Roufen smiled. "No. That place is definitely a bit eerie, and I was too scared to sleep at first."

"But I eventually fell asleep after getting used to it. When I woke up, you all came to find me."

Xie Roufen whispered, "I even wonder if their ancestral hall really has some divine protection. Look at all those ants swarming outside..."

Li Jiao fell silent. After a long while, she asked, "Can I stay in the ancestral hall with you tonight?"

Xie Roufen's eyes lit up. "Really? You're willing to keep me company!"

Li Jiao smiled without speaking. Everyone knew she was also frightened by the events outside. If the ancestral hall really offered protection, she was certainly willing to go.

But Xie Roufen was also truly afraid of being there alone, so she welcomed the company.

"Just in case, let's go ask Ga Ya."

Li Jiao was cautious by nature. She was afraid of losing her life like Jiang Mingfu did by acting on her own.

Xie Roufen nodded vigorously and looked at Nan Yue and the others. "What about you? Do you want to join us?"

Nan Yue refused. Setting aside the fact that she didn't believe in safe houses in missions, Ga Ya's cryptic words about the Ant God liking Zhu Xi Ning were enough for her.

She wouldn't easily let Zhu Xi Ning get close to that place.

Xie Roufen was a bit disappointed and turned to Song Sisi and Zhao Ke'er. Song Sisi thought about it and decided it was safer to stay with Shang Xi and the others.

Xie Roufen had no choice but to give up. She took Li Jiao to find Ga Ya. They didn't return afterward. Ga Ya must have agreed, and as darkness fell, they went straight back to the ancestral hall.

After Li Jiao and Xie Roufen left, Shang Xi moved into Song Sisi and Zhao Ke'er's room.

She was a mature scavenger and knew that cooperation didn't always mean staying in one group. Spreading out might reveal more clues.