Chapter 64: The Final Fragment of the Clue

In the moderately sized room, a bluish-green spirit vine bearing a small yellow flower coiled around Yu Guang, emitting a faint green light.

The radiance gradually coalesced into specks of light, which sank one by one into Yu Guang's body.

Xia Wulei looked at Yu Guang expectantly. "How is it? Do you feel a bit better?"

Yu Guang savored the sensation carefully. "It feels... a bit itchy, a bit painful."

Cui Chengzhi checked him over and drew a conclusion. "It can stop bleeding and accelerate the recovery speed. The effect is comparable to a Tier 2 healing prop."

The bandages Cui Chengzhi had used to wrap Yu Guang were a Tier 2 healing prop, and their effect upon application had been immediate.

However, the kind of prop Cui Chengzhi had mentioned earlier—the legendary one capable of regrowing flesh on bones—was of the highest grade, at least Tier 5 or above.

Cui Chengzhi continued, "But what makes this better than a prop is that this vine can provide sustained healing output. At this rate, the wound will be completely healed in a few hours."

Xia Wulei nodded. With the spirit vine possessing such an ability, she was already quite satisfied.

Cui Chengzhi hesitated for a moment before tapping Xia Wulei on the arm.

"Miss Xia, could we have a word?"

Without quite understanding why, Xia Wulei nevertheless followed Cui Chengzhi outside the door.

"Miss Xia, was that flower swallowed by your summoned creature?"

Xia Wulei was momentarily stunned, only then remembering that Cui Chengzhi had also seen the small yellow flower.

Since he had recognized it, Xia Wulei simply admitted it openly.

"However, that flower was raised by a female ghost and carried yin energy. My summoned creature is capable of devouring certain items imbued with yin energy."

Cui Chengzhi nodded with a grave expression. "A highly malleable summoned creature will attract the covetous eyes of others, not to mention that your spirit pet also comes with built-in healing skills. You must be more careful in the future and guard against schemes from those with malicious intentions."

So Cui Chengzhi had come specifically to warn her. Warmth stirred in Xia Wulei's heart.

"I only released the spirit vine to heal Yu Guang because I trust you all. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Cui Chengzhi nodded. Dealing with intelligent people meant a hint was all it took.

Leaving the spirit vine behind to treat Yu Guang, Cui Chengzhi intended to take Shao Hua to room 502 to complete the female ghost's task.

However, he was stopped by Xia Wulei.

"Shao Yan doesn't want him," Xia Wulei said, meeting everyone's puzzled gazes, and added, "Shao Yan is the boss's name."

"Wulei, how can you be sure it's not him?" Li Lianxin asked with curiosity.

Xia Wulei explained patiently, "Because when Shao Yan said the name, there were three mosaic censors over it.

"Shao Hua's name only has two characters, so it's not him."

Everyone suddenly understood.

You're too observant, sis.

They had already resolved most of the problems in this instance dungeon, leaving only a single clue fragment that they had yet to piece together.

And this three-character name was that final piece.

Cheng Cheng quickly recalled the contents of Old Man Liu's diary, her brow remaining deeply furrowed.

"The names in the diary don't seem to have two characters either..."

Xia Wulei smiled. For a beginner instance dungeon to not even use smoke screens—they were truly looking down on them.

"Indeed there aren't, but there are pronouns in the diary."

Cheng Cheng was startled, her eyes widening slightly. Remembering the diary written by Old Man Liu, she recited it involuntarily.

"Wang Cui from 402 brought her mother over. That old hag smells terrible all over, who knows how long it's been since she last took a bath..."

Xia Wulei gave a thumbs-up. As expected of an honor student, possessing a memory that retained everything she read.

"Could it be... the old hag?!" Li Lianxin blurted out in astonishment.

Cheng Cheng was puzzled. "But isn't that auntie's mother senile?"

Xia Wulei nodded. "That's right, she is also the only person in this apartment who was never named directly. Let's go, to 402."

Since Yu Guang was injured, and Bako sensibly felt that his presence would be of little use, he stayed behind to look after Yu Guang and keep watch over Shao Hua.

Originally, Cheng Cheng volunteered to take care of Yu Guang—given that her system ability was practically useless anyway—but Xia Wulei firmly and righteously rejected her.

"No, you are the most crucial existence in our team."

Cui Chengzhi: Then what about me?

The others simply took Xia Wulei's words as an attempt to comfort Cheng Cheng, little knowing they were words from the bottom of her heart.

Come to think of it, Xia Wulei's ability to lock onto 402 so quickly was thanks to the spirit vine's detection capabilities.

The spirit vine had sensed that the danger level on the fourth floor was far higher than that of the fifth floor where the BOSS resided, which was what had drawn Xia Wulei's attention.

After a round of elimination, she had narrowed her target down to the senile mother of the auntie on the fourth floor.

A dangerous aura did not equate to a concentration of yin energy; the red-dressed female ghost was formidable, yet less dangerous than the senile grandma—which alone proved that this person was far from simple.

Xia Wulei, Cui Chengzhi, Li Lianxin, and Cheng Cheng descended to the fourth floor. The corridor was deathly quiet, and aside from 402, there didn't appear to be any other residents.

The door to 402 was ajar. Cui Chengzhi pushed it open, his expression turning stern.

"We're too late."

Xia Wulei peered inside to see the auntie sitting on the sofa, her head drooped, already devoid of breath.

Li Lianxin wore a look of unbearable pity. "Isn't the auntie that old hag's daughter? To kill even her own biological daughter—truly hateful."

Looking toward the inner room, it was completely empty, with not a shadow of a person to be seen.

Cheng Cheng was baffled. "Did she... run away?"

As the group searched the rooms, Li Lianxin entered the bathroom and inadvertently opened the wall cabinet behind the mirror.

Upon seeing what was inside, Li Lianxin let out a startled gasp.

"You guys need to come look at this!"

Xia Wulei hurried into the bathroom and, gazing at the open cabinet, froze as well.

It was crammed with items of all sizes, looking thoroughly ominous.

There were dried scorpions and rat heads; bizarre runes drawn with a red liquid inside the cabinet; some black straw; and strings of beads of unknown purpose.

Right in the center of the cabinet sat a small urn of white ash, with several extinguished incense sticks inserted into it, some long and some short.

Li Lianxin felt a chill of fear. "This... this couldn't be some kind of sacrificial ritual, could it?"

None of the objects inside emitted any energy fluctuations. Xia Wulei picked them up to inspect them and discovered a small booklet in a hidden compartment.

Dense, fine handwriting recorded a wicked longevity-extension art within its pages.

"It really is a sacrificial ritual."

After finishing the booklet, Xia Wulei drew her conclusion.

"A young woman who dies with resentment during a yin year, yin month, and yin hour will transform into a vengeful ghost. Trap the vengeful ghost, nourish it with the resentment of the living, and after ninety-one days, when the ghost reaches its full power, refine it to increase one's lifespan."

"Old Liu's diary mentioned that this family moved in around the same time as the family in 502. Perhaps ever since then, this old hag has been plotting to use the young girl next door to extend her own life."

[Ding! Congratulations to players Xia Wulei and Li Lianxin for piecing together the complete main storyline! Main storyline clue: Life-Binding Art.]

[Life-Binding Art: A wicked art passed down from the distant past, requiring only the blood and soul of a young girl to keep oneself forever youthful and extend one's lifespan. Two days from now, resentment will overflow, and the vengeful ghost will turn malevolent! The art of binding lives—is it truly only the dead who are bound?]

Listening to the system prompt, Xia Wulei fell into deep thought.

Li Lianxin was puzzled. "Since the BOSS is so strong, how is the old hag going to refine her?"

Xia Wulei and Cui Chengzhi's expressions changed drastically. "Not good, Shao Hua is in danger!"