Chapter 270: Seeing Ghosts
Su Shan led Lin Qin, Doctor Zhao, and Han Yimo down the street. They had intended to look for a few simple "Human-level" games but stumbled upon a display screen instead.
On it was nothing but a single, isolated sentence.
"I heard the echo of the scapegoat."
Lin Qin felt something was off.
Although the screens had displayed lonely sentences a few times before, this one felt particularly wrong.
"Han Yimo..." Lin Qin turned around and said, "You..."
"Hmm?" Han Yimo raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"
"You..." Lin Qin carefully considered her wording before asking cautiously, "Aren't you... 'afraid' in a place like this?"
Doctor Zhao and Su Shan, overhearing their conversation, looked at them with curiosity as well.
"Afraid?" Han Yimo thought for a moment. "Come to think of it... I used to be terrified the first few times. But ever since Qi Xia appeared, my fear has gradually disappeared."
"What...?" Lin Qin frowned slightly. "You're saying... because you've witnessed Qi Xia's methods, you're no longer afraid of this place?"
"That's right." Han Yimo nodded. "Haven't you noticed yet? Qi Xia is the 'savior.' He'll lead us out of here."
Lin Qin stared coldly at Han Yimo.
She knew this man had gone mad.
During the days when Qi Xia wasn't around, his spirit had been tortured relentlessly every day. Only by imagining this place as a fictional world could he find some comfort in his heart.
But at least he would be free soon.
Once he died before the "Resonance," the sanity, spirit, and worldview he had lost would be restored.
In a way, that was also a form of redemption.
"Su Shan... where exactly are we going?" Doctor Zhao asked the girl beside him.
"Like Qi Xia said, let's find some 'Human-level' games," Su Shan replied. "Based on what you guys taught me, I feel like going to 'Human-level' games is a sure win."
"Oh..." Doctor Zhao squinted slyly at Su Shan. "Alright, alright... whatever you say."
The four of them had roughly decided on a direction and were about to leave when they witnessed an incredibly eerie scene.
A hunched old woman was pulling along a naked little boy, both slowly walking along the roadside.
The old woman's steps were very slow. Her face was carved with wrinkles as deep as ravines, and she wore very old-fashioned clothes, like someone from ancient times.
The little boy looked about three or four years old. He wore a bright red bellyband, had shiny gold bracelets on both his hands and feet, and even had a tuft of hair tied on top of his head.
The four of them slowly furrowed their brows at the sight.
What was this...?
"Natives"?
Were there Natives as old as this grandmother and as young as a child?
Lin Qin found it very strange. She had been here for a long time and had never seen "participants" like these.
Their ages completely defied the norm of the "Land of the End."
As the two approached, Lin Qin instinctively covered her nose and mouth with her hand.
There seemed to be some strange odor in the air.
"Oh my..." the old woman showed a kind smile upon seeing them. The wrinkles on her face deepened even more as she smiled, as if carved into her skin with a knife.
Lin Qin swallowed hard and unconsciously took a step back.
These two seemed a bit off.
"Ma'am..." Su Shan, though also curious, knew too little about this place to hold back and actually started talking to her. "Do you need help?"
"Little girl..." the old woman asked with a smile, "Did you hear it?"
"Hear...?"
"Yes, yes!" the old woman nodded vigorously. She let go of the boy's hand and instead drew a circle in the air in front of her, then pursed her wrinkled lips and said, "A 'dong' sound—so loud! Such a big sound! Terrifying!"
"You, you mean... the 'bell sound'?"
"Oh my... that's no ordinary 'bell sound'..." the old woman shook her head. "Did I not make myself clear? So loud! So earth-shattering!"
"Su, Su Shan..." Lin Qin tugged at her clothes. "Don't talk to them anymore. Let's go."
Su Shan could feel Lin Qin's voice trembling.
Although she didn't understand what was going on, she nodded and turned to leave.
But the moment the four of them turned around, the old woman was right in front of them again, this time even closer.
The stench of decay from the old woman also hit their noses at that moment.
She still pursed her wrinkled lips and said, "Oh my... what on earth was that thing? So loud! Right here! Right in this area!"
Only then did they realize that this old woman was extremely dangerous.
Seeing no way out, Su Shan could only ask in a low voice, "Ma'am... are you... looking for something?"
"Yes, yes!" the old woman nodded emphatically. "I'm looking for someone! For someone!"
"Looking for someone..." Su Shan glanced meaningfully at the people around her, then said to the old woman, "Ma'am... how about you tell me who you're looking for, and I'll point you in the right direction?"
Lin Qin could see that Su Shan was already sweating.
"Direction?" The old woman looked at Su Shan in confusion. "This is the direction! Right here!"
Lin Qin stepped forward as well and said, "You're saying the bell rang here, right?"
"Yes!" The old woman nodded happily. "I heard it from the car! Who was it?"
The four of them exchanged glances. There were too many strange things about this old woman. What did she mean by "from the car"? Did she come here by car or something?
And... she seemed to be looking for a "Resonator." Could it be the "Scapegoat" written on the screen?
Among them, only Lin Qin knew that "Scapegoat" was Chen Junnan.
Should she sell him out now?
Even though he had "Resonance" and deserved to die...
But what exactly was this old woman doing here?
At that moment, the little boy in the bellyband slowly walked over and grabbed the old woman's hand. "They won't talk. I think they're stupid."
"Stupid?" The old woman looked at the four of them doubtfully. "They shouldn't be stupid..."
"I want to eat them. Can I?" the boy asked with a giggle.
These words sent a chill down the backs of the four.
"Aren't you full from coming down here?" the old woman said, puzzled. "We finally found someone to ask. Eat them after we're done asking."
"Ah..." The boy showed a disappointed expression. "So I can't eat them now..."
While they were stuck in this standoff, they suddenly heard a shout from afar.
"Chen Junnun, you bastard! Stop right there!!"
They looked up and saw a woman who looked like a shrew currently chasing after Chen Junnun.
Chen Junnun was running for dear life, as if he had seen a ghost.
But the next second, he spotted the old woman and the little boy from a distance. The expression on his face looked like he had seen a real ghost.
Without a second thought, he immediately changed direction and ran off.
Qin Dingdong was about to say something, but then she also saw the old woman and the little boy. She shuddered, turned around, and ran after Chen Junnun.