“Nephew?”

Ding Yi looked up at Qin Yuan, who had a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, and said earnestly, “Desperate times call for desperate measures. If you feel wronged by it, I could even call you Uncle Qin.”

Seeing his face suddenly fall, Ding Yi smiled. “That whole interaction just now felt a little off, didn’t it?”

Qin Yuan sighed softly. “What do you mean?”

“Well, back in the last instance, that old man was practically tripping over himself to stamp you because he wanted you dead. Just now, that shopkeeper showed you the same unsettling enthusiasm.”

Qin Yuan nodded, a soft smile touching his lips. “Anything else that struck you as odd?”

Ding Yi thought for a moment. “While she was busy trying to charm you, I also took a glance at the jewelry she was selling. Almost all of the raw materials seemed to be processed animal skins and bones.”

She couldn’t shake the feeling that either the bracelet itself or the material it was made from held some hidden danger.

As they continued through the town, whether it was the stall owners or the residents they encountered on the street, the answers Ding Yi received to her questions were almost monotonously identical.

A strong sense of something being wrong settled over Ding Yi, yet she couldn’t quite pinpoint the exact source of this feeling.

“Can you tell if they are lying?” she asked Qin Yuan.

Qin Yuan shook his head. The sheer number of residents was overwhelming. If he were to take direct action here to force them to answer truthfully, the resulting chaos could very well cause the entire instance to collapse.

Lost in her thoughts, Ding Yi inadvertently bumped into a tall woman walking towards her, only regaining her balance when her back hit Qin Yuan’s arm.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there,” the woman said.

Ding Yi looked at the woman, who was nearly the same height as Qin Yuan, and shook her head. “It’s alright, I didn’t see you either.”

After the woman had passed, Ding Yi glanced up and noticed a remarkably lifelike elk head mounted inside the wall of the hat shop directly in front of them.

A sudden spark of recognition flickered in her mind. She recalled seeing a similar elk specimen in Jenny’s Tavern.

“Welcome, what can I help you two find? All the hats here are lovingly handmade,” a voice called out.

As Ding Yi stepped inside the shop, she realized that the elk wasn’t the only animal head specimen on display. Several others adorned the walls.

“Are these specimens also from local sources?” Ding Yi inquired.

“These beautiful heads?” The owner’s reply had a peculiar tone. “Oh no, not at all. These beautiful heads all come from a place very, very far away.”

“Does that place have a name?”

“That’s a secret, I’m afraid.”

Ding Yi’s gaze swept over the various hats in the store before she asked, “What are these hats made of?”

“These are all fine cowhide, and these over here are sturdy rhinoceros hide,” the owner introduced with enthusiasm. “And these delicate ones, these are all deerskin, and there are many, many more. Take your time and see which one catches your eye.”

Listening to his descriptions, a sudden thought struck Ding Yi. “What’s your name?”

“Torey.”

“How many people are in your family?”

“Just my beloved partner and myself.”

Ding Yi pressed further, “No children?”

“Ah, sadly, all our children passed away at a young age.”

Ding Yi paused, a hint of sympathy in her voice. “Why did they die so young?”

“I don’t know,” sighed the owner, his voice filled with genuine sadness. “Some fell ill, while others were stillborn. Perhaps we simply weren’t meant to have children.”

“How many children did you lose in total?”

“Five.”

“Do you remember their names?”

“So much time has passed. I’ve already forgotten.”

“Has anything… unusual happened in this town?” Ding Yi asked cautiously.

“Unusual things? No, not at all.”

Ding Yi followed up quickly, “Have you never done anything you’d be ashamed of?”

“Of course not,” the owner replied, his emotional state remaining remarkably even throughout their exchange. “Animal Town has simple, honest folk, and everyone here is a good person.”

---

Emerging from the hat shop, Ding Yi’s expression was grave. “Did you notice it?”

“Yes,” Qin Yuan confirmed. “They answer every single question.”

“And they don’t show any emotional response to even potentially offensive inquiries.”

It’s as if they’re just reciting information for the sake of it.

Enthusiastic and talkative, with an unfailingly prompt response to every question, the atmosphere here felt overly perfect, like a tourist town that was trying too hard to please.

In such an environment, discerning the lies hidden within the truth became incredibly challenging.

Moreover, their willingness to volunteer information meant the sheer volume of data was overwhelming, consuming a significant amount of time and energy to process and extract what truly mattered.

And that was without even considering their eagerness to initiate conversations.

“Beautiful lady, would you care for a sample? This secret family recipe jam has been passed down from my husband’s great-grandmother.”

“Come on and try our refreshing, ice-cold beer!”

All the stalls and shops selling food were actively offering samples. The moment you walked past, you were met with enthusiastic promotions.

And if you asked a few more questions, you’d invariably find that all the food was produced and sold within Animal Town, while any animal-derived products came from a distant, vaguely described place.

Ding Yi observed that while the vendors greeted every passing customer with enthusiasm, their eagerness towards the Wishers seemed subtly heightened compared to their interactions with the locals.

When handing out samples, they would almost always offer them to the Wishers first. Even if the Wisher declined, they would then offer the same items to the locals standing nearby in an inconspicuous manner.

The instance was populated with a significant number of Wishers, and it was common to see individuals who stood out from the locals. The differences in their clothing and general appearance also made it easier for the Wishers to identify one another.

Some Wishers maintained a constant state of high alert. In contrast, others had seemingly fallen under the spell of the enthusiastic merchants, wholly immersed in the fervent atmosphere and accepting everything without question.

One couple even sported the very precious bracelets that Catherine had tried to give them, worn conspicuously on their wrists.

After a full day of exploring, Ding Yi and Qin Yuan had barely covered half of the town. As they made their way back, the once bustling market was gradually emptying.

Arriving at Jenny’s Tavern, they found Jenny behind the bar diligently wiping glasses, while the previously empty tables were now filled with Wishers enjoying their meals.

“Welcome back,” Jenny greeted the two as they settled at the bar, her smile radiating enthusiasm. “Did you have any luck today?”

Her words instantly revitalized Ding Yi, who had been so weary she was seeing stars.

“It’s certainly very lively, very… fun,” Ding Yi replied, a hint of something unreadable in her tone.

Jenny nodded in agreement, asking them where they had ventured and if they had tried any of the local specialties.

Her expression, tone, and questions were so utterly natural that Ding Yi had to remind herself of Jenny’s potential true nature consciously.

This realization caused the tension that had been building within her, a result of the oppressive heat, the endless walking, and the constant influx of information, to tighten once more.

Having remained silent for the entire day, Qin Yuan, who had been solely focused on observing Ding Yi, immediately picked up on her subtle shift. The mouth that had remained closed finally opened. He subtly gestured with his wine glass towards the rhinoceros head mounted on the wall. “Where did those things come from?”

Jenny followed the direction of his gaze. “Oh, you mean these beautiful heads.”

Ding Yi, who had just taken a sip of her ice water, raised her eyebrows almost imperceptibly at Jenny’s choice of words.

“They are all ordered from out of town.”

“Could you be more specific about the location?” Qin Yuan pressed.

Jenny offered a mysterious smile. “No, that’s a secret.”

Qin Yuan continued his line of questioning. “Do all the houses in the town decorate with these specimens?”

“Of course,” Jenny replied, gazing at the argali head on the wall with what seemed like genuine infatuation. “How beautiful they are. Is there any more perfect decoration in the world?”

“Our town has the deepest love for animals, and we adorn our warm homes with the animals we cherish. There is nothing more wonderful in this world than this.”