Volume 1, Chapter 63: Number 37, Lin Residence

"...My plan is airtight. By now, the 'Eagle of Justice' has probably been taken down by Young Master Yin and his men, right?"

In fact, whether it was Young Master Zheng or Young Master Yin, neither of them was part of Qin Shang's original plan.

He had never expected to bump into a paranoid fanatic who loved 'wind and freedom' at a bar today, nor had he anticipated the fortunate encounter with the direct superior of the Eagle of Justice.

At that time, Qin Shang's idea was very simple.

He had communicated with the Red-Craped Cult Leader in the car, and the woman understood his goal: he wanted to exploit a game bug to pull off a public exposure stunt.

Thus, she remembered that right there in her inventory, she had an item called 'Classmate Xiaoming's Eavesdropping Device'.

This item had a single function with no special enhancements.

If Qin Shang hadn't asked if she had any other way to act as a simultaneous broadcaster, the Red-Craped Cult Leader would have almost forgotten about this item.

'Classmate Xiaoming's Eavesdropping Device' was divided into two parts: a sub-device and a parent device.

The sound captured by the sub-device would be transmitted to the parent device. Taking advantage of the time Young Master Zheng stepped outside, the Red-Craped Cult Leader directly connected to the Bluetooth of the Cloister Bar.

And that led to the scene where everyone swarmed out to watch the commotion.

After all, the fact that official personnel abused their power for personal gain to attack a free novice player was a massive deal—so massive that if public opinion wasn't controlled, it would cause a severe negative impact, causing the official deterrence to plummet sharply in the hearts of other players...

As for Young Master Yin, he was merely an extra bonus.

Even without Young Master Yin, Qin Shang's plan would not have changed.

He would have used the pretext of seeking revenge to lure the 'Eagle of Justice' into following him, and then trapped him in conversation to make him voluntarily confess his criminal acts.

As for whether there was a leader of the Eagle of Justice in the bar today, it didn't really matter.

The truth of the matter just needed to be spread.

Since the topic was already trending enough on the Divine Path Player Official Forum, someone would naturally spread the truth spontaneously later.

All he had to do was use the mouth of the 'Eagle of Justice' to nail down the conclusion and make him confess to his crimes with his own words.

Qin Shang clicked his tongue, feeling completely reassured. Right after that, an electronic prompt rang in his ear.

[Ding! The dungeon you have entered this time is: Lin Residence No. 37]

[Rank: Class A]

[Number: 0341]

[Type: Survival, Mildly Horror]

[Solo Dungeon]

[Your objective for this round is: Survive for three days]

[Time: 72 hours]

[Main Quest: Survive for 72 hours]

[Background introduction for Lin Residence No. 37: During the Republic of China era, the entire family of the famous herbal merchant Lin suffered a tragic extermination. The culprit remains unknown, with the only clues being a bloody pipa hanging from the beam and the sound of singing echoing at midnight. Everyone says it is Shen Xiuxiu, the songstress harmed by the Lin family, returning for her revenge...]

After Qin Shang vanished from the spot, he was actually quite dazed himself.

Because the very first moment he entered, he didn't actually arrive in the Divine Path.

Before his eyes was nothing but white light, as if he were placed in a void of chaotic space, with his hearing and sense of smell sealed off.

Only his vision remained usable, yet he could no longer feel the existence of his limbs.

It felt just like entering heaven.

There was only a single line on the fluorescent blue panel...

[Dungeon generating, please wait patiently...]

[Dungeon generating, please wait patiently...]

This sensation was indeed rather peculiar, but Qin Shang felt no fear.

After all, he had already survived a craniotomy before; to be honest, he had prepared himself for death a long time ago.

He had adjusted his mindset long ago, knowing he was a cancer patient who could die at any moment.

Rather than fearing death, it was better to enjoy the present.

Otherwise, was he supposed to spend every single day of his remaining life in fear?

"It seems the Divine Path has some kind of matchmaking mechanism?"

"Is this period meant to evaluate my level and item accumulation, and then match me with a corresponding dungeon?"

Qin Shang couldn't help but think.

Immediately afterward, a bizarre and magical transformation occurred before his eyes, the dark night rippling like water waves around him.

Having entered the Divine Path for the third time, he wasn't quite as scared this time.

Especially upon seeing the dungeon information clearly stating that this was a solo dungeon.

Qin Shang instantly felt much more at ease.

Compared to gathering clues step by step within a dungeon and fumbling his way through to clear it, Qin Shang felt that dealing with human hearts was far more difficult. The most unpredictable thing in this world was the human heart.

With other players intervening, the difficulty of the dungeon would skyrocket instantly, developing completely outside of his own control.

Sometimes, uncontrollable factors were simply far more numerous than one could imagine.

A solo dungeon might actually be a bit better.

"I hope there are no God Slayers in this dungeon!"

However, since the dungeon prompt didn't mention it, there probably weren't any.

After all, the experience from the [Death Train] had taught him.

The Divine Path would not create an information gap for players regarding crucial details.

If there were entities like God Slayers in the dungeon, the players would definitely be notified.

Otherwise, without prior warning, if a player died at the hands of a God Slayer, they would probably be left wondering how on earth they even died.

After all, who the hell knows how an NPC can possess self-awareness?

God knows which NPCs can be communicated with and which ones are monsters?

Shortly after, his vision completely cleared up.

As soon as he entered the dungeon, Qin Shang discovered that the lighting of his location was unusually dim, and a rich scent of sandalwood drifted from not far away. At a glance, this place appeared to be an ancestral hall, with red candle lanterns hanging overhead, casting a dark red hue over the entire environment.

Beside the ancestral hall, a heavy scent of sandalwood rushed into his nostrils first, causing Qin Shang to cough repeatedly. The surrounding light remained dim, looking somewhat gloomy.

He could now more or less figure out how the Divine Path managed lighting.

If you entered the Divine Path during the day, it would basically be daytime outside; if you entered at night, it would be nighttime.

If the Divine Path needed to adjust the dungeon time due to internal elements, there would be a dedicated reminder.

Similar to that line, 'Night Falls', during the [Death Train].

A massive gate tower, blood-red paint smeared across several wooden walls acting as pillars, and behind him stood a large blood-red gate, from which a faint fishy stench seemed to emanate under the dark night.

A flash of panic swept through Qin Shang's mind, and he quickly comforted himself that this was just the psychological aftereffect of the [Death Train].

Only then did he look toward the ancestral hall.

The person being worshipped was a young woman. Through the photograph, it wasn't hard to tell her age—around twenty-five or twenty-six, right in the prime of her youth. The woman had delicate eyebrows, was exceptionally beautiful, with long black hair and two dimples on her small face.

It was as if sunlight had been cast upon her, captured forever in the frame. However, the black-and-white photo seemed to possess the magic of a seal, locking her tranquility and beauty forever at that age.

It inevitably made one feel a sense of regret that such an absolute beauty had died young at this age.

The photo frame was pinned with white cross-shaped tacks, embedded directly into the blood-red wall before him. Beside the frame were offerings; leaving aside things like fruits, what made Qin Shang feel most astonished was an incense burner. When his gaze landed on the incense burner in the ancestral hall, item information unexpectedly popped up on the panel before his eyes.

[Item: Soul-Locking Censer]

[Function: Purification, dispels all fear]

[Introduction: After the tragedy befell the Lin family, bizarre occurrences happened one after another. A master was invited for counsel, and thus the master forged this Soul-Locking Censer using vital blood. It requires sandalwood for worship.]

[Remarks: Immovable]

"‘Deeply Licking Cockroach Jade Feet’, what are you doing? Why aren't you hurrying over to kowtow?"

"You're the only one left, you came back the last, don't you feel guilty toward us in your heart..."

"Young lady, every debt has its debtor, the Third Concubine has already been taken away by you, and no one else in the Lin family ever did anything to wrong you. This series of events can end here..."

Just as Qin Shang was checking the item information, a eerie voice suddenly came from not far away. Qin Shang followed the sound and looked toward the speaker.

He saw an old woman with extremely heavy dark circles and deeply sunken eye sockets, wearing white mourning clothes, standing not far away.

She scolded Qin Shang with these words, then went back to muttering to herself while pounding something in a medicine jar.

"This is the apricot blossom pastry you loved most when you were alive. Eat it and honestly be on your way."

It seemed the last two sentences were meant for the deceased.

Seeing this, Qin Shang lowered his head and looked around, only to find that the hall of worship was already packed with people.

Just like the old woman, he was also dressed in a full set of white mourning clothes.

As the old woman spoke, the others kneeling on the ground raised their heads one after another, looking toward Qin Shang almost simultaneously, turning their heads in unison.

Their numb movements were like those of zombies, and each of them looked no different than dead fish.

Only then did he realize that he was not the only one in this ancestral hall; pairs of dead-fish eyes filled with thick exhaustion and weariness had landed upon him.

This scene still carried quite a bit of a thrilling vibe.

Damn it, if he had chosen any other Divine Path ID, he probably would have suffered a mental breakdown right about now.

A gloomy ancestral hall, a group of people kneeling forward like soulless walking corpses, and then an old crone abruptly startling him.

Fortunately, this ID was absurdly out of place.

When that shaman-like old woman shouted his name, the phrase 'Deeply Licking Cockroach Jade Feet' slipped right out.

Qin Shang almost burst out laughing, but the next moment, his heart settled with relief.

"Since the Divine Path is a game, then in a solo dungeon, these people, these NPCs, will naturally assume I am one of them, without any doubt, including my name."

"Probably just like Xiaoming, Xiaohong, Xiaozhang, Xiaowang, and Xiaoli in a math textbook."

"Anyway, as a mere passerby, they will fundamentally feel as though my name has been 'Deeply Licking Cockroach Jade Feet' ever since I was born."

"After all, the identity I currently inhabit is definitely virtual and fictional, just like in a math textbook problem where Xiaoming sets off five minutes earlier than his older brother, Xiaoming's speed is XX, and the older brother's speed is XX, asking me to calculate how long it takes for the older brother to catch up to Xiaoming."

"No one here cares what the person who set off first is actually called, whether it's Xiaoming or Xiaohong, and no one cares what Xiaoming's older brother is called either—it doesn't matter at all!"

Thinking of this, Qin Shang feigned compliance and took two steps forward.

Weren't these supposed to be members of the herbal merchant Lin family mentioned in the background introduction?

Observing the actions of the other mourning-clad clansmen, he followed suit, picked up three sticks of incense, and prepared to kowtow.

However, the moment Qin Shang ignited the incense, the old woman beside him drastically changed her expression.

"What are you doing?"

"Why is the smoke from your incense this color?!"

Swish!

As soon as those words came out, Qin Shang once again became the focal point of everyone's attention.

The other Lin family clansmen around them also turned to look, instantly making Qin Shang the center of attention in the entire ancestral hall.

Still somewhat unaccustomed to the rhythm of this solo dungeon, he gave a dry cough and said,

"I—is there something wrong with my incense?"

The old woman in white furrowed her brows sharply.

"Look at it yourself!"

With that, she pointed at what was in Qin Shang's hands with an expressionless, dead seriousness.

Seeing this, Qin Shang subconsciously lowered his head to look at the incense in his hand, and his expression changed drastically.

He almost threw the damn thing away...

He saw that the 'incense' in his hand was actually emitting green flames!