Han Jiao had a question.

Qiu Ping clearly had a shield, an item that negated damage. How did Wen Renxi bypass it and kill her? It was as if the shield never existed.

Or was there a time limit? That didn’t make sense either.

If there was a time limit, Qiu Ping would’ve known and been prepared. But she wasn’t; she was completely taken by surprise by Wen Renxi, hence Wen Renxi succeeded.

This made Han Jiao even more puzzled. Was she really in cahoots with a tiger? Also, Wen Renxi said she left when the beasts attacked, while Huang Pingyu was swarmed. Was that true? Did beasts really kill Huang Pingyu, not Wen Renxi?

“What’s on your mind?”

Noticing Han Jiao slowing down and biting her finger, Wen Renxi stopped and asked.

“Huang Pingyu…”

Saying his name startled Han Jiao.

But Wen Renxi clearly wasn’t hiding anything, admitting it outright.

“Yes, it was me. He tried to kill me.”

Han Jiao understood.

Wen Renxi acted because Huang Pingyu tried to kill her.

Hearing this, she fell silent again.

It wasn’t Wen Renxi’s fault.

But she still felt fear towards Wen Renxi.

“If we don’t hurry, the things that smell blood will come.”

Han Jiao quickened her pace.

No, she needed to check the clock’s records!

Everything was too unpredictable. She couldn’t tell who was safe, who was a hidden enemy.

She had to figure out what was happening.

“…After finding Zaoya, I want to rest for a while.” Hesitantly, Han Jiao finally spoke.

“Yeah, once we find Zaoya, we’re done. I need to rest too.”

They hurried back.

Too scared, Han Jiao talked more, as if the sound provided security in the silent forest.

Even knowing Wen Renxi killed two players, she still stayed close.

The darkness was terrifying; the nightmare world’s darkness even more so.

Wen Renxi replied absently, sensing Han Jiao’s fear. Since they hadn’t fallen out, she’d help Han Jiao when asked.

After walking a while, Wen Renxi slowed, then stopped, frowning.

Seeing her hand on her knife, Han Jiao tensed.

What was wrong? Was something else off?

Or was she going to kill her? No, she didn’t sense danger from Wen Renxi. So, it was the surroundings?

What was it?

“Something’s wrong.”

“What’s wrong?”

Wen Renxi didn’t answer, crouching down and examining the ground in the moonlight. “No blood.”

Han Jiao was confused.

Wasn’t no blood normal? Why would blood be normal?

Seeing Han Jiao’s blank look, Wen Renxi sighed inwardly.

For a player, Han Jiao’s adaptability and alertness were poor, a bit clumsy.

“We were attacked by beasts on the way here, Qiu Ping killed many. But on the way back, there are no bodies.”

Before Han Jiao could object, Wen Renxi continued, “Yes, it’s a mountain, beasts might drag bodies away. But there shouldn’t be no trace, not even blood in the dirt, like they vanished.”

“Surely, other animals wouldn’t lick all the blood in the dirt clean in this short time?”

Even if small creatures could decompose it, not this fast, it was only less than an hour.

Listening to Wen Renxi’s explanation, Han Jiao felt a chill, her scalp tingling. She understood—the beasts weren’t beasts.

They were something else.

In a nightmare world, what else could they be?

But Wen Renxi hadn’t considered this; she still saw herself as a local, unaware of the world’s true nature, as if something was blinding her.

Preconceptions were strong.

“Let’s go back. Zaoya isn’t outside. We don’t need to be here anymore.”

Let’s go back quickly.

The mountain at night was so scary!

She was terrified!

Wen Renxi felt she almost grasped something, but Han Jiao’s voice interrupted her. She stood and nodded. “Yes, let’s go back. We can ask the villagers; they were out at night too.”

Han Jiao nodded, and they sped up.

Unbeknownst to them, where they fought, Qiu Ping’s body was slowly covered, as if being consumed, and soon disappeared.

Like the so-called beasts.

They weren’t disturbed on the way back, and with no Qiu Ping to worry about, they moved fast.

Wen Renxi asked Han Jiao about Zaoya, who said she was still at the ancestral hall, hadn’t moved.

This meant no immediate danger, or Zaoya would’ve left.

They reached the village entrance and met people from the Hu’s, searching for the bride, with Zaoya’s father.

“Did you two just come back?”

The Hu’s people smiled at them, seemingly polite, but the lantern light made them look ghostly, their smiles twisted.

“Yes, we didn’t have time during the day, so we’re helping at night, since we’re staying at the Hu’s.”

Wen Renxi subtly shielded Han Jiao, while Zaoya’s father looked at them with sinister intent.

In fact, after learning the players’ mission, Wen Renxi wanted to drag them to experience the snow bride’s pain, but reason prevailed.

She knew they were just doing their mission.

She understood why Qiu Ping attacked her. So, when the Hu’s people looked at her strangely, she knew their intent.

Like Qiu Ping.

The real evil wasn’t the players, but these villagers. Wen Renxi’s hostility was strongest towards them, then the players.

“You’re such kind girls. My young master would’ve liked you if he were alive, hehehe…”

The Hu’s people smiled cryptically, while Zaoya’s father glared at them.

Indeed, the Hu’s were eyeing them. If they were chosen and Zaoya was still missing, what would happen to Zaoya’s family? Could they still prosper under the snow bride’s blessing?

No way!

Zaoya was so good; what were these outsiders? Zaoya had to be the snow bride.

“Really? We don’t ask for much in a partner, no dowry. Just one simple request: both parents dead, no living parents.”

Han Jiao: “…”

Hu’s people: “…”

Zaoya’s father: “…”

They were all stunned by Wen Renxi’s casual remark.

“…Yeah, no other demands, but parents must be dead. Young master Hu doesn’t qualify.”

Han Jiao quickly agreed.

What did they mean he’d like them? He was dead!

Dead!

Who wanted to be with a corpse!

Even if Hu Jizu was alive, they wouldn’t be interested, given the village’s situation!

And what did that mean? The thought made her skin crawl. Han Jiao remembered Zaoya being forced into the coffin with Hu Jizu’s decaying body!

If this were real, Han Jiao couldn’t have stood by.

The Hu’s people chuckled, their eyes even darker.

“These outsiders are impure. Our Zaoya is different, grew up here, we know her.” Zaoya’s father said, glaring at them.

Wen Renxi’s face turned cold, her hand reaching back, but Han Jiao grabbed it.

“Calm down! Calm down, Wen Renxi. You don’t bite back if a dog bites you!” Han Jiao knew the mission rules, afraid her volatile partner would kill the villager.

That’d be the end of them.

The mission warned, Shangyang villagers were united, an offense meant village-wide ostracization.

Of course, Han Jiao was also angry, handing her a stick, whispering, “Use this.”

Wen Renxi took the stick, testing its weight, and then struck Zaoya’s father, who was still raving about Zaoya’s virtues.

One strike swelled his face, but Wen Renxi looked innocent, teary-eyed. “I was just angry. You don’t mind, do you?”

She didn’t mean to cry, but was too mad, losing control of her eyes.

This concerned them, not the village customs Professor Huang mentioned.

“Hehehehe.”

The Hu’s people just smiled, staring at Wen Renxi and Han Jiao, ignoring Zaoya’s father’s cries.