As soon as the side quest was triggered, a low gasp came from the back of the group. Everyone turned around to find the source of the sound—it was the comedian, Tian Mingjie. He was holding a newly appeared bundle in his hands.
It was an old blue cloth bag, faded from too many washes, with a symbol of the Bagua drawn on it.
Tian Mingjie was excited and hadn’t had the chance to inspect the bag when Zhao Luan casually walked over and took it from him. “Let me take a look.”
He pulled out a tattered book from inside, the cover reading: Master’s Notebook.
Considering their situation, this must be a tool provided by the quest.
Zhao Luan placed the notebook back into the bag and carried it. “Let’s go.”
Tian Mingjie: “…”
His expression was complicated, but in the end, he said nothing.
Chi Yi subtly elbowed Li Zhi and gave her a knowing look as if to say, “See, I told you so.” Li Zhi returned a calming smile.
The NPC didn’t seem to notice this small interaction. He continued to lead the way, saying, “My surname is Chen. You can just call me Butler Chen.”
After introducing himself, he sighed and added, “The midwife said that our Lady will give birth in three days. You all will be needed during this time. No matter what, you must ensure that she gives birth safely. She can’t handle another tragedy.”
“Another tragedy?” Zhao Luan asked, “Did something happen before?”
Butler Chen did not answer. “When we arrive, let the master explain. I’m just a servant, it’s not my place to speak.”
Qingyu Town looked ancient, with its cobbled streets and quaint, elegant houses. The stone lions standing at the gates had clearly seen many years. It resembled an old town that hadn’t yet been commercialized for tourism, maintaining its natural, historical charm.
The long alleyways were mostly empty. The rain-washed cobblestones reflected a cold, dim glow. Occasionally, a passerby would look at their group with guarded and disapproving eyes.
As they passed the tightly shut gates of the courtyards, Li Zhi couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.
She glanced around, feeling as though eyes were staring at them from behind those closed doors and windows.
Butler Chen offered an explanation: “Our townspeople are simple and traditional. They’re not too welcoming of outsiders. Please forgive them.”
As he spoke, they arrived at a large estate. Judging by the design of the front gate and the imposing stone lions, it was clear that the Jin family was the wealthiest household in Qingyu Town.
Butler Chen stepped forward and knocked on the door using the bronze knocker, and soon a servant opened it.
Entering the estate, a serene atmosphere enveloped them. The players felt as if they were wandering through a scenic garden. After walking down a corridor, they arrived at a pond filled with lotus flowers. The leaves swayed gently on the water, and the pink and white blossoms were in full bloom. One of the players couldn’t help but whisper, “It’s beautiful!”
It truly was stunning. If not for the lack of a phone, Li Zhi would have wanted to take a few photos. The Jin family clearly had deep roots. In ancient times, this would have been the residence of a high-ranking official.
Butler Chen led them to the main hall, where a middle-aged man with a worried expression sat at the head. The flickering light of the lanterns illuminated his face, etched with deep lines of concern.
“Master, the experts have arrived,” Butler Chen announced respectfully before stepping aside.
The head of the Jin family hurried over, visibly agitated. “You’ve finally arrived! Masters, I beg you, please save my daughter-in-law and my unborn grandchild!”
Zhao Luan gently supported the master, stopping him from bowing. His voice was calm and steady. “Mr. Jin, we will do everything in our power. Please, tell us what happened.”
At the mention of this, a flicker of fear flashed in Mr. Jin’s eyes. He swallowed nervously, glanced toward the door, and placed his hand over his heart, as though touching something for comfort. Only then did he calm down, letting out a heavy sigh.
“It all started with the ill fate of the Jin family.”
“I won’t hide the truth from you. The woman about to give birth is actually my second daughter-in-law. Before her, my son was married to another woman. The two of them were deeply in love, and not long after she joined the family, she became pregnant. This was to be my family’s eldest grandson, and everyone in the household was thrilled. We took great care of her, eagerly awaiting the day she would safely deliver the child. But who could have known… who could have imagined!”
At this point, the head of the Jin family was in tears. Butler Chen solemnly continued, “Who would have thought that she gave birth to a stillborn? The doctor said that the former wife was too frail, and her body couldn’t provide the necessary nutrients for the fetus, leading to its death. The former wife was heartbroken, and so were all of us in the household. But life had to go on, and with careful nourishment from the doctor, she became pregnant again a year later.”
This time, the entire household was even more cautious, treating her almost like a goddess, sparing no expense on supplements and care.
But to everyone’s dismay, the second child was also a stillborn.
The Jin family head spoke with a mix of grief and sorrow: “I don’t know what sin my family has committed to suffer such repeated misfortune! After the second tragedy, my former daughter-in-law was devastated. That very night, she found an opportunity and drowned herself in the lake!”
Suddenly, a strong wind swept through the hall, whipping the curtains into a frenzy. The head of the Jin family widened his eyes in terror and clamped his hand over his mouth.
The players shuddered at the sound, instinctively huddling closer together.
Butler Chen also looked deeply fearful, lowering his voice.
“After she gave birth to two stillborns and drowned herself, we knew her resentment ran deep. We sought out a high monk to perform a ritual to release her spirit and gave her a grand burial. We thought that would be the end of it, and six months later, the eldest son remarried.”
At this, Chi Yi couldn’t help but interject, “Your former wife had only been dead for six months, and before her body had even cooled, you rushed to marry a new wife?”
The head of the Jin family gritted his teeth and said, “She chose to end her own life. Should we have delayed my son’s future because of her? If not for her weak constitution, my eldest grandson would have been born, and by now, he would be running around this house! Since she couldn’t bear it, we did our duty by giving her a grand funeral. But who would have thought that even in death, she refused to let go, continuing to cause harm! Since she couldn’t bear a child, she now refuses to let this current wife have one!”
Butler Chen sighed deeply. “Earlier, you asked what had happened before. This is the second pregnancy of the current lady. Last year, she also carried a child, but… like the previous wife, she gave birth to a stillborn.”
The head of the Jin family slammed the table in anger. “I saw it with my own eyes! The child looked exactly the same as the first stillborn! My daughter-in-law even claimed during the birth that she saw a vengeful ghost demanding the child, stuffing a ghost infant into her womb! What is she trying to do?! Tell me, what is she trying to do?! She’s trying to curse my family into extinction!”
A chilling wind blew through the hall, rustling the plants and trees in the courtyard.
The players, trembling, glanced nervously towards the door, feeling as though she stood there, watching them with venomous eyes while they condemned her.
The Jin family head, his face haggard, seemed to deflate after his outburst, slumping in exhaustion.
He spoke weakly, “We’ve sought out many masters to exorcise her spirit, but none have succeeded. Now, my daughter-in-law is nearing labor again. I know she won’t rest. I don’t expect you to exorcise her spirit. Just keep her away from my daughter-in-law long enough for her to give birth safely.”
He finished with a hopeful glance at the players. “There are so many of you. Surely, you’re all very capable!”
Players: “…”
Feeling uneasy, they exchanged glances. Once again, Zhao Luan stepped forward.
“We understand the situation now. Rest assured, Mr. Jin. We won’t fail you.”
Relief and gratitude washed over the Jin family head’s face. He turned to Butler Chen.
“Take the masters to their rooms. Have the guest rooms been prepared?”
Butler Chen bowed respectfully. “Everything is ready. Please, follow me.”
The story they had just heard cast a sinister shadow over the once-peaceful estate. Knowing that the spirit of a deeply resentful ghost lingered here made the previously serene courtyard feel suddenly eerie.
The players followed closely behind, nervous now as they walked, no longer admiring the scenery. Li Zhi suddenly turned and asked, “Master Jin, where did your former daughter-in-law drown herself?”
The Jin family head sighed. “In the lotus pond in the courtyard.”
Remembering the pond filled with blooming lotuses they had passed earlier, everyone shuddered in unison.
Thankfully, they didn’t have to pass by the pond again on their way to the guest rooms. The estate was large and labyrinthine, and despite Li Zhi’s best efforts to remember the path, the winding corridors left her disoriented. Without a guide, it would be easy to get lost.
Butler Chen led them to their quarters. “You can choose any room you’d like. If you need anything, just call for a servant.”
There were six rooms in total, just enough for the twelve of them to pair up, two per room.
After Butler Chen left, Zhao Luan said, “Let’s pair up.”
Chi Yi immediately stuck close to Li Zhi, afraid that someone else might try to snatch her as a partner. And she wasn’t wrong to worry—Li Zhi’s performance in the last instance had already been posted online by the viewers, and most of the players knew about her. Who wouldn’t want to team up with someone reliable?
Compared to Zhao Luan, who had a reputation for using teammates as human shields, everyone naturally preferred staying with someone like Li Zhi, who would risk her life to save a teammate.
Unfortunately for the others, Chi Yi had already secured the best teammate. The rest had to pair up on their own. In the end, Zhao Luan was left without a partner.
No one wanted to be in a group with him.
It was almost laughable—what if he decided to throw someone to the ghosts in the middle of the night as bait? Who would they cry to then?
Zhao Luan sneered, not bothering to say anything, and headed straight for one of the rooms, slamming the door shut behind him.
The remaining three players squeezed into one room together, looking quite pleased about it.
Meanwhile, Zhao Luan’s fans were not happy about what had just happened, as evidenced by the angry comments in the livestream chat:
【Can’t play fair, huh? Now they’re isolating him?】
【A bunch of cowards huddling together. Just wait, don’t ask for Brother Zhao’s help later!】
【Brother Zhao doesn’t need to bother with them. He’ll pass the quest solo and grab the MVP for sure!】
【Isn’t everyone saying that Li Zhi is amazing? Why hasn’t she done anything impressive yet?】
【MVP will definitely go to Brother Zhao! He’s a lone wolf, doesn’t need those weaklings.】
Li Zhi, unaware of the minor drama unfolding behind her, was busy observing the layout of the guest rooms. Chi Yi whispered, “Zhi Zhi, what are you looking at?”
Li Zhi replied, “I feel like something’s off about these rooms.”
Chi Yi blinked in confusion. “What’s strange about them?”
Li Zhi explained, “Usually, old houses are built with symmetry in mind, but these rooms are arranged irregularly. It doesn’t follow the traditional principles of symmetry in Chinese architecture.”
Chi Yi grew nervous. “So… should we still stay here?”
Li Zhi casually picked a room and walked inside. “We’re already here, so why not? Maybe the designer just preferred asymmetry.”
Chi Yi: “…”
They didn’t have much of a choice, after all. They couldn’t very well sleep outside. Fortunately, the interior layout seemed normal enough, without any creepy decorations. Chi Yi lay on the bed and relaxed, feeling a bit more at ease.
She took out the “demon-banishing” kitchen knife she’d been carrying, giving it a couple of practice swings in the air.
With a weapon in hand, she felt more secure. After a moment of thought, Chi Yi asked, “Zhi Zhi, do you think this demon-banishing knife can ward off the ghost? If it can, we could just stand by the lady during childbirth and protect her to complete the mission, right?”
“It won’t be that simple. If it were, the system wouldn’t have given us that other item.”
“Oh, right! The Master’s Notebook!” Chi Yi sat up abruptly, her face scrunched up in frustration.
“What was Zhao Luan thinking, acting like that tool was just for him? It’s not his personal item. How does he expect to hog it all to himself?”
As she spoke, there was a knock on the door.
It was Tian Mingjie and his teammate, knocking on Zhao Luan’s door. “Zhao Luan, how about we take a look at the Master’s Notebook together? It’s not your personal item, after all.”
Chi Yi, eager to see the drama unfold, grabbed Li Zhi and said, “Let’s go join them.”
After a moment, Zhao Luan opened the door with a scowl. “Come in.”
A dozen or so people crowded into Zhao Luan’s room. Li Zhi glanced around and noted that the layout of his room was identical to hers—nothing out of the ordinary.
In the middle of the room, on the round table, lay the Master’s Notebook.
They were disciples of a powerful master, so this notebook naturally belonged to that master. It likely contained techniques for exorcising evil and defeating ghosts. The players, excited, flipped open the notebook, and sure enough, the first page described a “Rain Summoning Ritual.”
Li Zhi stared at the illustrations and writing on the page, feeling that the handwriting looked oddly familiar.