Yan Ming covered his arm, a somewhat aggrieved expression clouding his features. “That day, I did see its eyelids flicker and its eyeballs shift. But it swiftly returned to its original, unmoving state. It was hot that day, and I was so tired, so I dismissed it as a mere hallucination.”

“It is not too late to act now,” Ding Yi said calmly, her mind already formulating a plan. “Let us go and see if we can glean any useful information.”

They posed inquiries to several more residents, but still failed to unearth any invaluable clues.

Ding Yi did not believe these NPCs were intentionally deceitful. They seemed to possess limited knowledge, much like the seemingly unhelpful tour guides in Qingping Town.

To gain truly valuable insights… apart from Jenny, who was clearly both articulate and flexible…

A specific individual suddenly sprang to Ding Yi’s mind—Catherine.

“Catherine should possess some knowledge of this.”

“Catherine?”

Qin Yuan readily recognized the name. “Let’s proceed then.”

Their return trip took place earlier than their first visit, and many stalls and shops were still closed. As time passed, the previously quiet street thrived with a fresh energy.

“What is on your mind?”

Ding Yi looked into Qin Yuan’s eyes and gave a slight shake of her head. “I cannot quite articulate it.”

“I have a nagging sense that something is seriously wrong.”

Yan Ming, for what felt like the umpteenth time, politely declined the offered sliver of dried meat and trailed closely behind Jiang Xianqing, his brow furrowed in thought. “I agree. Everything about this place feels greatly strange.”

Qin Yuan kept encouraging Ding Yi to express her discomfort softly. Out of the blue, a loud disturbance broke out further along the street.

Two Wishers abruptly cried out in stark panic. Their hands visibly transformed into hooves with astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, a dense, coarse fluff sprouted from their limbs, rapidly engulfing their entire bodies.

“Ahhhhh! What is this horrifying condition?! Someone, please help us!”

Their desperate cries elicited cheers and excited shouts from the nearby town residents. Their faces were contorted in an almost manic glee, as if they were witnessing a particularly captivating street performance.

All of this transpired with terrifying swiftness. By the time the Wishers’ heads had grotesquely morphed into those of a horse and a deer, a woman selling flowers suddenly produced a gleaming knife from a long bucket overflowing with blossoms and cleanly severed the horse’s head.

Her brutal action seemed to spur the surrounding residents. They too produced an array of sharp tools from their stalls, raising them aloft with triumphant shouts of exhilaration.

The deer, gripped by extreme terror and struggling to coordinate its newly acquired limbs, desperately attempted to flee. However, the moment it turned, another knife flashed in the sunlight and descended upon its neck.

Before its severed head could even fall to the cobblestones, a tall man seized its antlers, hoisting the dripping trophy high above his head.

The blood flowing from the clean cut splattered onto his face, but he seemed utterly oblivious. He held the freshly severed head aloft, shouting and displaying it alongside the flower-selling woman.

This gruesome spectacle sent a profound jolt through Ding Yi’s nerves.

“Isn’t it utterly fascinating?”

Ding Yi abruptly turned her head.

A woman with a cascade of brown, curly hair offered her a fascinated and almost fanatical smile. “The carnival is far more enthralling than this little display,” she said. “You absolutely must participate!”

“Only by fully immersing yourselves in the carnival can you truly appreciate the unique charm of our town.”

This horrifying scene had a varied impact on the assembled Wishers.

Some broke down, their bodies wracked with inconsolable sobs.

Many more turned and fled in blind panic, desperate to escape the carnage.

Despite the sweltering heat of the day, a cold sweat slicked Yan Ming’s skin. “I… I believe I now understand the true nature of this ‘carnival’.”

Ding Yi averted her gaze from the gruesome scene and carefully navigated around the edges of the throng of town residents who were still brandishing their bloodied weapons.

The residents flocked in dense numbers, a mix of men and women, the majority of whom were remarkably tall and robust.

While attempting to squeeze through the crowd, a town girl, noticeably shorter than Ding Yi, was jostled and fell to the ground beside her.

Ding Yi instinctively reached out a hand to assist her. The moment she helped the girl to her feet, the mental fog that had been subtly clouding her thoughts suddenly dissipated.

“Thank you so very much,” the girl said softly, her voice gentle. “I crafted this necklace myself. Please, accept it as a token of my gratitude.”

Ding Yi lowered her gaze, briefly noting the warm, smooth texture of the bone beads, and continued to move forward without uttering a word.

Having finally extricated herself from the press of the crowd, Ding Yi immediately turned to the other three. “I know what feels wrong about this place.”

“Killing people in the street in broad daylight…” Jiang Xianqing said, her face ashen, clutching her stomach as if on the verge of violent nausea. “These people are utter lunatics!”

“Yes, lunatics,” Ding Yi murmured, recognizing the raw fear in Jiang Xianqing’s voice.

“Listen to me carefully. There are no children here.”

Qin Yuan’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What exactly do you mean?”

“Children,” Ding Yi repeated with emphasis. “Whether they are infants, toddlers, young children, or teenagers… There are none to be seen.”

“This town is unlike Qingping Town, where there was a conspicuous absence of women and young adults. Here, there are so many people, men and women, and they are all relatively young, yet there are absolutely no children present.”

“There is an abundance of food, plenty of water, no signs of disease, and no evidence of natural disasters.”

“Why… why are there no children in this town?”

A flicker of realization dawned in Yan Ming’s eyes. He recognized the truth in Ding Yi’s observation. The answer seemed to be right on the tip of his tongue, yet he struggled to grasp it fully. “That… that… that child… the child…”

“That statue!”

“Qing Jie mentioned that the statue possessed a maternal aura.”

Jiang Xianqing was momentarily stunned, then her eyes widened in sudden comprehension. “That statue… it has a child?”

Yan Ming continued, his voice gaining certainty. “But that statue’s child was harmed by the residents of this town! The statue, in turn, harms their children. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, this town still feels compelled to worship their statue.”

“This… this must be the insidious evil lurking within this town!”

With this significant breakthrough, Jiang Xianqing and Yan Ming’s expressions visibly relaxed, a faint glimmer of understanding even flickering across their faces.

Qin Yuan observed the two who had seemingly regained their composure. He suddenly found Ding Yi’s approach rather intriguing.

She had already formulated the answer in her mind, likely even before the other two had voiced their hesitant conclusions. Yet, she had patiently guided them, allowing them the time and space to arrive at the realization themselves.

Was it… for their comfort?

“Probably,” Ding Yi murmured, unaware of Qin Yuan’s internal musings.

Seeing that Jiang Xianqing and Yan Ming had appeared to recover from their initial shock, she immediately said, “Let’s go. We need to ask Catherine what is truly going on here.”

---

“Oh, my little beauty!” Catherine, ensconced beneath a vibrant parasol, began waving to Ding Yi from a short distance. However, while her gesture was directed at Ding Yi, her gaze remained fixed intently on Qin Yuan. “You have returned.”

“Come closer, little one, and see if any of my wares catch your eye. This particular beauty,” Catherine rose gracefully and circled Jiang Xianqing, her eyes appraising. “She strikes me as someone who would be utterly stunning in red. I possess a magnificent red gown; you would look simply breathtaking in it.”

“Indeed! I can even bestow it upon you as a gift. You can wear it to the grand carnival tomorrow!”

“You absolutely must accept it. That dress is truly—”

“Are you quite finished?” Qin Yuan interjected, taking a deliberate step forward, allowing Ding Yi to step into the shade provided by the parasol. “She has a question she wishes to ask you.”

The bright smile on Catherine’s face faltered, a flicker of annoyance crossing her features. She pointed a finger adorned with vibrant red nail polish at Qin Yuan. “You… I find you exceedingly disagreeable.”

“Catherine,” Ding Yi said, her voice calm and direct, “where is Ophelia’s child?”

“Oh… the child.”

The smile that returned to Catherine’s face was suddenly enigmatic, imbued with a chilling mystery. “Dead.”

“Where is it buried?”

“Beauty,” Catherine’s demeanor shifted abruptly, a frightening sharpness now underlying her tone. “That is not the right way to ask that specific question.”

Ding Yi remained unfazed, her gaze steady as she met Catherine’s. “Then I will ask again,” she said.

“Alright, I’ll change my question. How did Ophelia’s child meet its untimely death?”