What made Yu Sen even happier was that Si Nan managed to get in touch with Luo Yu. Although there was a bit of distance, Luo Yu was on summer vacation at that time, with plenty of free time. After discussing it, Luo Yu decided to come over with a pocket watch and a suitcase, hoping to join them and not feel so lonely.

Si Nan was quite pleased with this, which eased his fear of the clock, and he even planned to drive to the airport to pick him up.

Yu Sen found Si Xuanyang’s increasingly gloomy face amusing. He pretended to reluctantly stand up from the sofa and said startlingly, “I’ll go with you.”

And then, as if feeling awkward, he added, “Having more friends means more ways to go, it’s good to look out for each other.”

He was thinking about how to persuade Si Nan on the way, telling him not to rush even if he wanted to pursue someone, to take it slow so as not to scare the person away. In reality, he was just afraid of revealing the ‘in-law’ truth too quickly in front of Si Xuanyang, which would make life less enjoyable.

Fortunately, Si Nan was easy to persuade.

Under Si Xuanyang’s unfriendly gaze, Yu Sen stepped out with Si Nan, basking in the bright sunlight, feeling like everything was under control.

After spending half a day in the city with Si Nan, buying some food supplies, they finally picked up Luo Yu at 7 PM.

Probably because Luo Yu’s injuries from the other world were more severe than theirs, Yu Sen didn’t immediately recognize the bruised and swollen person in front of him.

“Luo Yu?”

“Hey, it’s me. Hi, Yu Ge, Nan Ge.” Luo Yu smiled shyly, but the smile that should have been sweet now looked somewhat sinister, attracting a lot of curious glances from passersby.

“Alright, stop smiling, it’s a bit scary.”

Luo Yu awkwardly cleared his throat and explained, “Actually, it’s not that bad. When I fell into the Eternal Life Technology Company, I clearly felt that several bones were broken, and the burns and bruises on my face and head were severe. I was almost certain I’d end up disfigured and might need skin grafts. I didn’t expect to come back with just these bruises. Even the burnt hair has grown back. I’m quite happy about that.”

“Yeah, if your injuries weren’t healed properly, how would you be sent to another world to risk your life?” Yu Sen lazily smiled.

“Haha… you’re right.” Luo Yu chuckled awkwardly, his bruised face looking quite comical.

But Yu Sen was right. After a week, Luo Yu’s bruises and injuries faded somewhat, and the pain no longer affected his movements. They had a premonition that the next adventure was approaching.

---

That night, Yu Sen took a shower, and after a moment of thought, lit a scented candle by his bedside, then comfortably went to bed.

In the middle of the night, he was suddenly jolted awake.

Before he even opened his eyes, the first sensation he felt was the rough and uneven stone road pressing against his back, a truly uncomfortable experience.

He slightly opened his eyes and, sure enough, it was still night.

“Wow, if we stay together, we really get sent to the same place,” Si Nan’s voice came from his right side.

Yu Sen turned over, scratched his back, and saw Luo Yu helping Si Nan up. Si Xuanyang was also standing, adjusting his clothes, his black hair fell over his brows, and his quiet demeanor made him look about the same age as Luo Yu.

Yu Sen lifted his eyelids. Even though he had seen it before, the scene of the clock hanging in the midnight sky still felt a bit eerie, like a shadow silently staring at him.

This time, however, there was something different. Beside the clock floated a much smaller pocket watch, its bronze-colored chain seeming to float on the surface of the water, drifting gently.

Yu Sen looked around, still in the desolate wilderness, which seemed no different from the last time. The moon traced a curved path in the sky, and Yu Sen couldn’t tell if it was his imagination, but he felt that the moonlight had a slight red tint to it.

The four of them exchanged glances, silently waiting. Gradually, the clock and the pocket watch began to fade, and within a few seconds, they disappeared completely.

In the place where they vanished, three items and a note fell to the ground.

Yu Sen walked towards where the items had fallen, raising an eyebrow. “What does this mean?”

Aside from the note, the three items on the ground—a hoe, a dragon-and-phoenix candle, and a red wedding veil—were puzzling. “Does this have any significance?”

“I thought they would give us weapons or transportation,” Si Xuanyang frowned and said.

“What are we supposed to do with these? Hoe the ground, light the candle, get married with the veil? Does this mean we need to prepare the land before using it as a bride price for marriage?” Si Nan said, swinging the hoe.

“You really are missing the point,” Yu Sen tilted his head, disdainfully waving his hand. “Stop swinging it around, don’t hit me in the face.”

Luo Yu chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “Strange things can happen in this place. Maybe what Nan Ge said is true.”

With someone on his side, Si Nan perked up, throwing an arm around Luo Yu’s shoulder. “Not bad! Xiao Luo has good insight!”

“You’re such a pest.”

Yu Sen rolled his eyes dramatically, picked up the red wedding veil and the dragon-and-phoenix candle, carefully folding the veil and putting it in his pocket, then handed the candle to Si Xuanyang, taking the note from him.

The note had only one sentence written on it—“Exorcise the resentment of the salt merchant’s daughter.”

Yu Sen shivered involuntarily.

Words like “exorcise” and “resentment” usually came with some unsettling implications.

But with such a vague instruction and no specific method, how were they supposed to perform the exorcism? They weren’t monks, after all.

He looked up at Si Xuanyang, who happened to be looking at him. Yu Sen smiled and made an exaggerated mouthing gesture: “Don’t be afraid, I’ll protect you.”

Si Xuanyang frowned and averted his gaze. Afraid? Who was the one just shivering? Can you stop being so pretentious?

“Let’s hurry up. This time we don’t even have a car, and we don’t know how long it will take,” Si Nan complained, “It’s a bit cold. Is the season random too? Couldn’t it be more intelligent?”

“Stop whining, let’s go.”

Yu Sen followed behind. Without streetlights, they relied on the moonlight, which made the path a bit dark. They were cautious not to make too much noise in case they encountered something.

Si Xuanyang fell back a step, walking next to Yu Sen, and asked quietly, “Do you want to go over and pull my brother?”

Yu Sen was slightly taken aback, turning his head to look at him in confusion.

Si Xuanyang clicked his tongue, clearly frustrated, and spoke with suppressed anger, “Don’t you have night blindness? Besides, are you really okay with them walking in front together?”

“Why should I care? What’s the problem?” Yu Sen blinked and smiled. “Do you still believe I have night blindness?”

Si Xuanyang: “…Did you make that up?”

“Not exactly, night blindness does exist…” Yu Sen said with a sly smile, placing his hand on Si Xuanyang’s shoulder. “So I’ll just hold on to you.”

“Hey, you—” Si Xuanyang glanced nervously at Si Nan’s back, then turned to glare at Yu Sen. “Why don’t you listen? Is there something wrong with your comprehension?”

“Don’t move!” Yu Sen said with a stern expression, which startled Si Xuanyang. “I see that they’re not in a good mood, so let me stay with you for a while.”

“……Who told you to bring him here…”

Si Xuanyang awkwardly moved his shoulder. The warmth seeped through their thin clothes, and his helplessness grew stronger. Looking at the two people walking side by side in front, he sighed silently.

---

He thought it would be a long journey, but before long, they saw a majestic ancient city wall standing in the darkness, with the words “Huai’an City” written in blood-red characters on a plaque above the wall.

“Eh? What is this? An ancient dungeon from a game?” Yu Sen was puzzled.

“Seems like it. They’re already giving us a red wedding veil, not a white wedding dress,” Si Xuanyang said.

As they got closer, they found the city gate slightly open, as if inviting them in.

Si Nan was in front. As he peered inside, a chilling layer of ice seemed to envelop him, causing him to shiver uncontrollably. He looked up in terror to see a pale, skeletal face grinning at him, eyes like dark holes blinking like eerie dolls in display cases.

He didn’t even dare to scream, his teeth chattering as he forced a smile that was more horrifying than crying. “May I ask… what do you want?”

Yu Sen, startled, let go of Si Xuanyang’s shoulder and grabbed the back of Si Nan’s collar, pulling him back. “Who are you talking to?”

Si Nan, shaking, pointed towards the gate. “This gentleman.”

Yu Sen froze for a moment, feeling a chill in his heart. In a panic, he grabbed Si Xuanyang’s hand and pulled him closer. “Let’s go, Yang Yang, let’s meet this gentleman together.”

Si Xuanyang: “……” Weren’t you supposed to protect me?

But Yu Sen wasn’t as foolish as Si Nan, who just poked his head out. He took Si Xuanyang and walked straight into the gate.

Then, they saw ‘the gentleman’ hunched over with a body like a withered skeleton, his face smiling but his eyes not, staring at them.

Yu Sen: “… Hi, what’s your surname?”

The gentleman’s dark eyes turned in a very strange manner, remaining silent. Like a guide, he extended a hand and pointed towards the street ahead.

A thick, tangible mist covered the area in front.