Mu Bai got down from the cart, and the four of them gathered close to look.
Through the crowd, they could vaguely see two police officers sealing off the scene.
Inside the courtyard was a pool of dried blood, with no signs of dragging or struggle at all.
It was a one-hit kill.
There were also officers busy inside the house.
There were more than three victims.
It seemed someone had broken into the house last night.
The victims didn’t even have time to call for help before being wiped out.
All four of them knew what this meant.
Players.
This time, they had encountered a ruthless bunch.
Even they wouldn’t kill so cleanly and directly.
Mu Bai sighed inwardly.
For the site natives, she only had a basic respect for life.
Just staying alive herself was already a struggle; she had no extra energy for pity.
Since the other party was so vicious, the idea of cooperation was impossible.
Just searching for the treasure chest was the right choice.
Not only that, but they also had to guard against the other party’s underhanded tricks.
The Train Upgrade Module System said they couldn’t be traded, but it didn’t say they couldn’t be stolen…
The way the few of them had been openly investigating the site, they had probably already been observed by the other party in secret for some time.
“Big sisters… are you from out of town? I… haven’t seen you before…”
A timid voice sounded from behind.
Mu Bai and the others turned to look.
It was a little girl about ten years old.
Her clothes weren’t very bright, suggesting her family’s financial situation was probably tight, but she was dressed very cutely.
The girl was holding a small yellow dog in her arms.
It wagged its tail occasionally, panting with its tongue out.
Just from the look in this little dog’s eyes, one could sense an almost intelligent sort of spirit.
“Yes, why? Is something wrong?”
Mu Bai observed the little girl and the dog without showing any change in expression, faintly sensing that these two might be related to the site’s clues.
It was a kind of intuition.
For this reason, she deliberately made her tone very gentle, trying to leave a good first impression.
And also… finally, she didn’t have to look up at people anymore.
Mu Bai’s favorability towards the little girl increased by one point.
“Big sisters, you should leave soon. The adults all think I’m joking, but I’ve really seen unclean things… My grandmother told me not to talk nonsense and not to scare others, but I hope you can leave safely. It’s best not to stay in the town until nightfall, you’ll get caught.”
The little girl lowered her head, not daring to look into Mu Bai and the others’ eyes, as if already prepared to be refuted.
“Thank you… Can you tell us more about what happened?”
Mu Bai said with a smile.
“This…”
The little girl hesitated.
“If it’s not convenient, shall we talk somewhere else?”
Mu Bai realized it might be because there were many adults nearby, quite a few of them likely acquaintances of the little girl, making it hard for her to say too much, so she invited.
The little girl thought for a moment.
Probably feeling that the few sisters in front of her didn’t seem like bad people, she put down the puppy, took Mu Bai’s hand, and started walking.
The remaining three followed, and the little yellow dog also trotted along.
“This is my home. My grandmother is selling vegetables at the market and won’t be back until six o’clock… There’s nothing to serve, but please have some water, sisters.”
The little girl found four cups and poured some water from the teapot on the coffee table.
The four politely picked up their teacups.
Mu Bai took a sip of water, her gaze sweeping over the room, observing the environment.
The house wasn’t small; it had two bedrooms and a living room.
The decor had the feel of a small city from the turn of the millennium.
At least it was much better than the one they stayed in last night.
“Is it just you and your grandmother at home?”
Mu Bai asked casually.
“Mom and Dad are working outside…
they’ve never come back, but Grandma says the money at home is what Mom and Dad earn.”
The little girl replied.
“Can you tell us in detail what you saw?”
Mu Bai coaxed gently.
“Every time it gets dark, I can see figures standing outside. They’re very slender, not like normal human shapes at all. But my classmates and the adults all say they haven’t seen them.”
The girl’s tone carried a note of grievance.
Mu Bai and the others exchanged glances.
So they, as players, came with built-in Yin-Yang Eyes?
Was this a system perk…
Seeing Mu Bai and the others’ reaction, the little girl thought they didn’t believe her, so she continued angrily, “I’m not lying to you. The Taoist Priest said that if you use bamboo leaf water, you can see those things… But, but…”
Halfway through, the girl realized she couldn’t prove this and gradually fell silent.
“Are you the only one who can see those things?”
Mu Bai caught the word “Taoist Priest” but didn’t ask directly.
She felt this little girl in front of her might be an important figure for this site.
“Yeah… I’ve had others try before, but the adults don’t believe me. A classmate tried it and got scared into a high fever. They say they only got better after going to the Mountain God Temple to pray for blessings, and then they completely forgot about it.”
“Have you been to the Mountain God Temple?”
Mu Bai continued.
“Grandma said when I was little, I got lost playing hide-and-seek and was finally found in front of the Mountain God Temple that had been closed for a long time… But I have no memory of it at all.”
The girl spoke as if pouring out beans, seemingly venting the questions she’d held for years.
The feeling of having many things in your heart that others won’t believe when you say them, forced to become secrets, must be quite uncomfortable.
Ye Yin showed no reaction, but Mo Cha and Tang Shi Bian kept glancing over.
Mu Bai’s line of questioning was very jumpy each time, but with the little girl’s cooperation, the efficiency of gathering information was surprisingly high.
It seemed that every time she asked a question, she considered the possible angles of the other person’s answer.
Talent, trustworthy character, personal ability, emotional and intellectual intelligence…
Just how many treasures were there yet to be unearthed from Mu Bai?
Mo Cha gently rubbed the hem of her skirt, the corner of her mouth curling up imperceptibly.
It seemed the little cake was just a bit slow in certain aspects…
Was she genuinely insensitive, or was she deliberately ignoring it?
Interesting.
Through the back-and-forth between Mu Bai and the little girl, many questions about the site were answered.
When the Taoist Priest passed by, he had accidentally discovered the girl’s Yin-Yang Eye.
Knowing it would bring her danger, he left her a hardwood pendant.
With this thing, whether it was a psychological effect or not, the girl indeed slept much more peacefully.
The slender black shadows at night didn’t appear suddenly.
As daylight faded, they gradually “grew” out of the ground with the interplay of light and darkness, just like those arms.
As for the Mountain God Temple, the girl had no memory at all.
Mu Bai speculated that it was precisely because of that experience of accidentally entering the Mountain God Temple that the girl had unexpectedly gained the Yin-Yang Eye.
After a moment’s thought, Mu Bai felt their current identities probably weren’t enough to make the little girl open up completely.
Sometimes she felt the girl clearly had something to say but chose to shake her head instead.
Maybe she didn’t trust them enough, or maybe she thought they wouldn’t believe her even if she told them.
In short, there was information that hadn’t been dug out yet.
So, Mu Bai immediately activated her deception technique:
“Actually… we are spirit mediums. We learned this town has a problem and came specifically to solve it.”