"Such a terrifying commotion, anyone would run." Lin Chunsheng, still shaken, glanced at the cave entrance. He put down the stick in his hand, thought for a moment, and picked it up again. "We can hear it from the other side of Cat Mountain, so if someone is at Shuiyun Lake, wouldn't they be scared to death?"
Qiao Mei shook her head and lowered her voice even more, "It's disappearance! I heard from my grandpa that many people saw with their own eyes that some people had half-eaten food on their dining tables, chopsticks neatly placed aside, as if they planned to return shortly to continue their meal.
The whole village, more than twenty households, looked no different than usual, with no signs of a hasty escape. They didn't even take their gold and silver. Upon close inspection, you could see that those people were calmly going about their business before they vanished. Some vegetables were only half-cut; some sewing was left at the door, yet all the men, women, and children in the village, including the chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep, vanished without a trace!"
Wan Mingchuan suddenly felt a chill down his back, which had been burning hot.
A Level Three village with over twenty households means at least dozens of people, how could they disappear without a trace? Even if there were ghosts or demons attacking, someone would've noticed and resisted, right?
"What happened afterward?" Lin Chunxi, worried about his older brother, hurriedly asked.
"Later... after some time, when it was clear that no one was returning to Shuiyun Lake, and no terrible ghostly wails were heard, some people grew greedy and moved their families into the clean and beautiful large houses there.
A few days passed, and the ghostly noises returned. When the villagers went to check the next day, the people who had moved in... had also vanished!
After that, our villagers didn't dare to take advantage anymore, leaving all those houses and land untouched. Later, occasionally, someone who wouldn't heed the warnings tried to move to Shuiyun Lake, but without exception, they encountered ghosts. Some quickly ran away while others disappeared and were never seen again."
Lin Chunsheng stood up. "Hey? It's not every time the ghosts appear that something happens; there's still a chance to escape? Well, then tomorrow, let's go to Shuiyun Lake and advise that Brother Jiang. He saved the lives of our mom and sister; we need to repay him."
"Let's make it through tonight first. Who knows how many more will die from this calamity." Qiao Mei picked up the dried jute and continued to twist the hemp rope. With the need to rebuild the village, they had to accomplish as much as they could under the dim light of flames.
The deceased have passed, but the living must strive to survive. With two children, she had to work in the daytime to find food and hide at night, never relaxing until Chun'Er grew up.
While busy with her work, she occasionally glanced at Wan Mingchuan in the firelight. This child was tall and solidly built, a good worker, and all the girls in the village looked at him with bright eyes full of interest.
Xi'Er was three years younger than him. If the two youngsters could become a couple, she could feel reassured...
Thick dark clouds rolled and enveloped the mountains and forests as evening descended, and the deserted island came to life again. In the howling winds, demon beasts that emerged at night in the wilderness woke up and began a new day.
"Even watching it again, it's so thrilling!" Jiang Yuan pondered for a few seconds, but ultimately didn't dare to go around the thatched cottage to see the situation beyond the cliff, nor could he understand why the Teleportation Array would create such a fearsome sound.
After witnessing the wilderness's arrival himself, the courtyard, where he had worked all day, was now enveloped in a soft, faint white glow.
This scene felt a bit dreamlike, like a fantastical image pieced together in post-production—under the smoke-like misty light, the courtyard remained clean and tidy. Below the light dome, about five to six meters high, was his self-cultivated strawberry field. Above it was the upper part of the lush, interconnected trees that took over the garden last night.
It was as if the trees in the wilderness lost to the Divine Mountain Statue in their territorial takeover, leading to a peaceful fusion that didn't disturb either party.
"Swish!"
A small black shadow darted through the thick foliage of the trees, rustling the branches, causing a few leaves to fall. When they touched the protective barrier, they slid smoothly down the dome to one side.
The river around the small yard wasn't part of the protected territory and had disappeared; the cliff at the back had been replaced by even grander mountains, though the mountains were mysteriously quiet tonight, without even a bird's call.
"Whew! Time to clock out!" Jiang Yuan, having gained some insights, turned around and exited the game, sitting up in his comfortable bed, rubbing his face as fatigue hit him. "In twelve minutes, I can't even finish one game, yet I've spent a whole day."
Clearly, he wasn't yet accustomed to traversing between two worlds. Moreover, working all day left him so exhausted that his mind felt muddled and dazed.
Getting up, he ate some food, filled a cup of water from the dispenser, and gulped it down like usual, then paused and examined the clean glass cup carefully. He swirled the half-cup of water, smelled it, and frowned slightly.
"Strange, why does this water taste... dry?" Jiang Yuan couldn't think of a better adjective, he just felt compared to the sweet water from the game's wilderness well, not only was the taste less refreshing but it also had an indescribable bland flavor.
The difference was like comparing mineral water to tepid water from a school cafeteria; anyone with intact taste buds could tell.
Disbelievingly, wanting to compare, he returned to the game, drew a bucket of water as quickly as possible, put it in his Storage Bag, and then returned to the real world, pouring out a glass with a thought.
He noticed that items like cherries, strawberries, mushrooms, and water could be taken out anytime without restrictions, but the Heaven-Burning Scripture couldn't be moved even a bit, remaining grey and untouched.
"Indeed, the same water tastes completely different!" Jiang Yuan tasted a sip from each of the cups in his hand and finally understood why wealthy people loved drinking expensive water, costing tens of yuan per bottle—the flavor and texture are definitely different from a two-yuan bottle!
Unfortunately, he'd only seen high-end water in short videos, never in real life, and was unsure how the taste compared to well water.
It's always easy to transition from frugal to luxurious. After drinking such delicious and free water, Jiang Yuan no longer wanted to buy bottled water.
But sharing expenses with Yang Hongye meant introducing the change would need time. He also wanted to get some samples tested to ensure the wilderness game water was safe.
Finding an old empty bucket he used for water before, he filled it up, took a shower, and fell asleep as soon as he lay down.
When he opened his eyes again, it was already five-thirty in the afternoon.
"Slept nine straight hours, how refreshing!" Feeling like a completely recharged battery, Jiang Yuan sprang off the bed and decided not to let the dumbbells, which had been gathering dust for half a year, sit idle.
No matter how much he worked in the game, it was all in vain. In reality, he had only been lying in bed for over ten minutes, but the exhaustion from over-exerting in the game left him eating or sleeping all day, which wasn't good for his body in the long run.
He didn't aspire to be a richest man but knew he couldn't achieve everything in one fell swoop, thus needing to balance work with rest for physical and mental well-being. Otherwise, no matter how much he earned in the game, it would be useless if he lost his health?
Pumping iron and breaking into a sweat left him feeling even more invigorated. He washed his face and observed himself in the mirror—his dark circles were gone, his complexion improved significantly, likely thanks to ample rest, and even his gaze was brighter than before.
"It's not about not working that lacks work taste, but having money while not working that makes the work taste go away!" Comparing his past anxious state of being constantly unemployed and job-hunting everywhere, he sincerely appreciated the value of money.
Just two days of selling cherries had brought joyful returns, and with more promising prospects, he found a rare sense of relief within himself now.